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Bertis Downs
Bertis Downs
@bertisdowns.bsky.social
Good schools for all kids, public education Warrior, Davidson Wildcat and GSW fan. Democracy isn’t a spectator sport. bertisdowns.com
2.1K followers347 following401 posts
I have lots of favorite Senate campaigns, but this might be the best ad of all of them, and you really can’t spell a pretty decent Democratic Senate majority without MISSISSIPPI! 🗳️🇺🇸 www.youtube.com/shorts/Tv7cP...
Andy Borowitz hates to say "I told you so". NOT! tinyurl.com/BorowitzOnMi...
Georgia friends and beyond. Here’s a little highlight from that intense time between the general election and the runoff…. 2020/2021. Fun to go back and watch it now— and see how we’ve survived and thrived. So far 🗳️ tinyurl.com/yougetwhatyo... When people vote it is a beautiful thing 🗳️💥💯
I’ve loved this song from the first riff when it was still called Disguised, to all the Vincent Moon footage at the Olympia in Dublin, which led to the original video, and now this one just released from those kids at Camp Miasma tinyurl.com/CampSupernat...
David Ignatius in the Washington Post on election subversion FAIL. No one’s overconfident but constant vigilance and supporting these efforts of resistance, however we can, helps keep the faith. And the republic! Gift link wapo.st/4is1K3m
Sheldon Whitehouse is so good explaining some basics to a liberal arts kid like me youtube.com/watch?v=-rR2...
I rarely agree with serious right-winger Erick Erickson on anything, much less share one of his AJC columns. But I'm sharing this one and I hope he reaches some of the "good Republicans" who vote in Georgia. He makes his main point clearly-- worth reading and sharing: www.ajc.com/opinion/2026...
Philipps O’Brien on Substack  The truth of US behavior has been that the US has been helping Russia, but until now more by hobbling Ukraine and its partners. Now, the US is coming out as a more direct supporter of Russia—and in the process it is blaming the Ukrainians for that tinyurl.com/yt5wad7u
And stay tuned for the next one-- Tuesday night on Georgia Public Broadcasting. I can't believe Collins agreed to even one debate with Ossoff, but a second helping?! Beavis and Butthead's dumber brother, "this ol' trucker"
Ossoff says that Mike Collins has "hired half the Third Reich to staff your congressional office"
Automatic for the #34yearsagotoday www.petercare.com/videos/r-e-m... One of the many great videos, Peter Care made for the band over the years— and this is a version of Drive that I had not remembered
Bertis Downs reposted
An Australian cartoonist for The Guardian with a keen sense of American politics  www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Monica Hesse, one of the best writers at the Washington Post, who didn’t leave during the purge, seems unshackled— good! Maybe Bezos is softening…. at least on the Post! Good summary of the inanity of the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave 🗳️ wapo.st/4hgtTZq
And now for something completely different and Killer Mike talks with Jon Ossoff: youtu.be/u1TnSfeQZV4?...
This could mean some real progress-- wonder if it's anything more than a thought experiment given how many corporately-funded candidates who have gained power would be involved, at least in the short term prospect.org/2026/09/22/o...
From a long time ago, still sounds really good 🎸 https://youtube.com/watch?v=V8TviTcv8eA
Basically perfect music for a rainy evening, Neil Young’s best album in a long time… back in the old folky days, the air was magic when he played… and still is based on this 🙏⬇️🇨🇦 open.spotify.com/album/7BqXCK...
Just another Sunday afternoon in downtown Athens GA-- this guy's got the gift and Georgia is lucky to have him. And it's up to all of us to keep him serving in the United States Senate 🗳️ @ossoff.bsky.social See also @lawrenceodonnell.bsky.social last night! jonossoff.substack.com/p/yesterdays...
Kevin Cullen in the Boston Globe: "The king of England is more welcome in Ireland than Donald Trump ... Trump has actually helped the Irish economy by driving so many Americans to resettle there, to get away from him." www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/14/m...
Heather Cox Richardson‘s Letter From An American not a comforting one at all Lawrence Luttig has been a respected conservative Republican lawyer and judge for decades, and he makes clear what he believes is going on, and helps explain some of this madness podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l... 📡🎙️🗳️🚨
UGA friends, Athens GA friends... File under "same as it ever was" Everything is different, nothing has changed; here's Nelson chronicles from way back with a current lens tinyurl.com/msn2bmcc
Complete OSSOFF speech today at the Georgia Theatre.... worth watching, sharing and living, and working harder! youtu.be/YidK0oL_kOQ?...
Any stir? Aye, good craic in Edinburgh and Dublin on the weekend! tinyurl.com/ScotEirejust...
I was a little too tired to write much useful from the past couple of Pageantry era shows, but I tried anyway, before getting to my "real" work. Thanks David at REMHQ for getting it up and out on a Saturday night! tinyurl.com/ScotEirejust...
I was a little too tired to write much useful from the past couple of Pageantry era shows, but I tried anyway, before getting to my "real" work. Thanks David at REMHQ for getting it up and out on a Saturday night! tinyurl.com/ScotEirejust...
I appreciate and support Democracy Forward, among the key frontline stalwarts of the authoritarian resistance movement. Skye Perryman is their forceful leader; her editorial from today’s New York Times makes clear the challenges in the midterms and beyond. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/o...
Bertis Downs reposted
Commemorating National Radio Day with an HQ peek back into the Athens Music Junkie archives from way back in 2008, thanks to Jordan Stepp! Visit the link to read about the day Mike took over WUOG. athensmusicjunkie.com/2008/12/20/m... #NationalRadioDay
Reading this, a good friend really only had one question: where are the Republicans and why are they not speaking out? I think I know… I think a lot of them are gonna vote in ten weeks Steve Rattner in the The New York Times www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Greg Bluestein details that ICK factor for Mike Collins that has repelled some of his fellow Rs endorsing or supporting him... I dunno, maybe they don’t like tractor trailers driven by old guys with mullets. The 10/8 GPB debate ought to be pretty interesting 🗳 www.ajc.com/politics/202...
The latest blast email (used to be a fan club newsletter and take a week or more to get to you). Reckoning very special DSS edition + new news of the guys— stay cool out there 🎸 tinyurl.com/HQblast81926
This just occurred to me all these years later— 42 to be precise! 🎸🎥 youtu.be/VNbgNdv3RRE?...
Jon Ossoff in Atlanta— the scalpel-edged dagger was the one that’s been quoted everywhere. But the whole speech is worth reading, or watching. It’s Go time Georgia jonossoff.substack.com/p/yesterdays... youtu.be/Ri0DmGQzfQ0?...
A fascinating take on Professor Heather Cox Richardson in the Boston Globe Magazine today… Lots of interesting details on her and how she does what she does. Heather Cox Richardson helps so many of us make sense of what’s going on. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/11/m...
Something good to do this weekend— it only takes about 5 minutes to personalize your own letter, and these things do indeed make a difference when it comes to congressional action! tinyurl.com/HeadStartAnt...
A very strong closing statement from Sen Sheldon Whitehouse: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLGV...
Reading all about Haberman and Swan’s opus on year one of 2.0 but I have no desire to read it (rather read quality fiction ….. since I read so much reality on my screens every day.) But Mark Danner’s recent review of their book gets me pretty up-to-date on what we're living: tinyurl.com/pxwkbk58
Education friends, a really good interview by Josh Cowen of Michigan State, in conversation with Ohio Congressman Greg Landsman, one of the true champions of quality public education in the United States congress. open.substack.com/pub/joshcowe...
This article from ProPublica (God bless ProPublica) makes me thankful for people like this 40-something physicist from a humble background all the way to a Nobel Prize who’s willing to speak up and out against the prevailing madness: www.propublica.org/article/fede...
Weekend viewing tip: take a couple of minutes to watch the best 3 minutes of C-SPAN TV that most Americans probably won’t see, but should. The witness is so bad it’s almost funny (except for the fact that Director of National Intelligence is a very important job) tinyurl.com/OssoffOwnsEn...
From an art exhibit currently on display until September at the Manchester Cathedral. Crossroad: The Price of Choice diankostov.com#about-section
Some rare GOOD legal news on a Friday night: “(the) decision came in response to court papers filed on Wednesday by a bipartisan group of 35 former federal judges who urged her to bring the case back to life and dig into the details of the agreement to settle it.” www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/u...
REPOST: Almost painful to read, a necessary and fascinating piece by Phillips O’Brien on current events …. “Mandatorily requested” must be some kind of dead giveaway! And those silly Capital Letters by the guy officially leading our country and in a very real sense the world tinyurl.com/bdhrmu52
Georgia voters: final day for early voting today.…🗳️ >Georgia Recorder this morning⬇️ >A pair of down-ballot state Supreme Court contests >Social Circle files suit to block ICE detention center tinyurl.com/Recorder51526
Georgia friends: are you at all following the Georgia Supreme Court races involving two hard-core right wing Republican incumbents and two insurgent progressive attorneys Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin? www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ach... www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd2V... Worth knowing about….