I have been thinking about ending my Prime membership as a economic protest and actually just did it thanks to Lydia’s post. The suggested month long boycott begins today. Since money is all to those in power, maybe this will touch them.
Here’s a link to the website
www.resistandunsubscribe.com/
(Business Insider wanted me to sign up, which I didn’t want to do)
Barbara McLaughlin
(Jeremiah’s post is at www.northcoastbbq.com/2026/01/31/fed-killings-fact-checking-and-some-fury/)
I would like to add a few thoughts.
In his post, stayhuman@tutamail.com says “TEAM RED VS TEAM BLUE needs to end.” Yet he also goes on to say “My main problem with the left, and why I will NOT be joining the protestors along HWY 101 in Nehalem, is the left thinks Team Blue is ALWAYS RIGHT, and they as a whole tend to be extremely self-righteous about it, even as they traumatized our children with mandatory masks at school for months – just one example I can highlight.”
So, though he wants to end “teams” he is still making grand, insulting assumptions about the beliefs of the people who are protesting. Has he talked to them? How can he know what they think and feel? How can he assume to know them and why they stand on the street corner championing democracy? Has he even read the thoughtful responses to why they are there as posted on the bbq? There have been a couple of posts, here is one: www.northcoastbbq.com/?s=Nehalem+protest
How is this doing away with teams? We are still the “other” to him. Yes, I have stood on those corners and will do so again. It is my constitutional right. I am there to stand up for democracy and EVERYONE’S right to a safe place in our community where everyone eats, everyone has a decent place to live, everyone gets good health care and education, everyone has access to jobs that actually pay a living wage and where everyone can share their unique talents and be themselves.
stayhuman@tutamail.com, please stop labeling and lumping a whole group of people with your made- up description. We can’t get rid of teams if we don’t stop “othering” those who think differently.
I do agree with him that it is the rich (mostly white men) who are doing everything they can to make themselves richer at the expense of the majority of us who are not rich, white or men. After all it was how our country was founded—by rich, white men. They committed genocide on the Native Americans, enslaved Africans and their descendants, and treated them and women as property. Anyone who didn’t fit the acceptable mold was in danger if they stepped too far out of their bounds.
And they also gave a structure to address those ills—the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial, which possess specific powers to limit, monitor, and check the actions of the others.
That system is in great peril by this administration, led by a convicted criminal, whose behavior is atrocious and morally corrupt. They are doing all they can to dismantle the democracy we have enjoyed for over 200 years. No other administration has come close to this travesty.
One day I believe and trust that the rich will no longer be in control. (Call me a dreamer, I hope you join me.) I agree with laniciaduke@gmail.com, “It’s time for us to begin sowing in love so we can begin reaping in love.” She is hosting a Community Gathering of Love on Valentine’s Day at the White Clover Grange at 10:00am.
www.northcoastbbq.com/2026/01/30/community-gathering-for-love/
Join us there or on the corner.
Barbara McLaughlin
Jeremiah Shepersky signed his name, too.
(I notice stayhuman@tutamail.com did not sign his name)
Erasing the history of that day IS indeed a Trumpy goal, very similar to his goal of rewriting the history of January 6. I’d also assert that the only reason Trump hasn’t pardoned Chauvin is that his supporters haven’t been able to raise the minimum pardon price of $1,000,000 delivered to a Trump-controlled PAC or crypto currency account.
Once again, Wikipedia has a very extensive article on Chauvin and it’s fairly easy to find journalism that goes through the many lies, distortions and manipulations presented in “The Fall of Minneapolis.” Here’s an example:
willemedia.substack.com/p/the-fall-of-minneapolis-is-full-of
Gene Dieken
Well said.
Barbara
It is also kind of silly to try to analyze one video as there are many, many – taken by many – to be found on the internet showing violence in this area. The people living there, in these apartments are so very thankful some law enforcement entities showed up tp stop this. They were giving thumbs up and clapping to see these riots put down. I haven’t checked recently o see what is happening there.
A question is why our TV cable news – does not show this – or maybe it does – I don’t watch it ,but because many here say there is no rioting -( my hair dresser for one), and no troops are needed.
Another question is why do we here think this is OK- I guess it is denial – you don’t see it – therefore it doesn’t exist…… right
Well I have to say that the young know what is going on. And the future belongs to them – we are leaving them a corrupt planet – and at least in Oregon many of these kids can’t read or do math and don’t know history………….how ill they cope?
Also worth scanning if you don’t remember the shocking extent of CS gas use in Portland of 2020 is this article: “Tear Gas Tuesday in Downtown Portland”
forensic-architecture.org/investigation/tear-gas-tuesday-in-downtown-portland
An article from Street Roots and The Guardian about the beef between ICE and the city about land use violations:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/24/ice-illegally-detaining-immigrants-portland-oregon
Thanks to Andy for the helpful on-the-ground reports to BBQ from the ICE Center area.
Gene Dieken
When was the last time you were at the ICE facility in Portland?
Free speech is fundamental to who we are as a people and a nation. So as administrator of the BBQ, I won’t be blocking any poster, unless they consistently submit posts that contain hate speech of any kind, personal attacks or foul language. I do monitor individual opinion pieces and very occasionally refuse to post, or send back to the poster, items that include any of the above.
It’s not only free speech that is fundamental. Other things I believe are vital are
respect the right of others to think differently than I do
being open to new ideas
allowing nuance and discourse for possible understanding and change
taking deep breaths when my emotions about what others are saying and or doing become big so I don’t just react
not giving up my stance of love
not believing everything I think
Our country is extremely polarized right now and violence against others who are different for whatever reason has sadly become acceptable to some. Somehow, we have to change that dynamic. I am not sure how to do that. I do believe aspiring to the ideas above could help.
I certainly don’t agree with every post on the bbq. And I just ignore them (after checking for no-nos listed above). Even though some of the bbq posts are extreme in my opinion and the responses back and forth don’t seem to lead to understanding, allowing people to express themselves on the bbq is still a fundamental right.
Perhaps we all could step away from our staunch beliefs occasionally and look around to what else is out there.
Barbara McLaughlin
Peace out, man.
I’m 70 years old and have been using only cash/debit only for more than 40 years. Through the years I’ve paid off car and house loans and other major big purchases (Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other major companies for home upgrades etc). I was maintaining the highest FICO/credit score for years. As when I did apply for credit, I the paid the intial balances in full on the first payments. Thus, maintaining good/excellent credit scores.
Since, I know longer am making any major purchases using any issued credit cards my FICO score is declining. Though, I’ve kept a few of the credit cards open they haven’t been used for years. As I was told closing them would lower my credit scores. However, my credit scores are currently declining. I’m
sure is due to NOT using credit and only paying cash.
I’m not understanding how using only cash wether you are ‘red’ or ‘blue’ during any blue or red regimes lowers credit scores. As my once excellent score has been declining since I don’t use cash.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCrw7v6Worc
I’m personally an advocate for immigrants here locally. I just thought it might be educational for those of us who’s doom scrolling has clouded our memories. The establishment democrats (and republicans) are playing a game with us where we are but pawns in a billionaire’s racket.
Hegelian dialectic: Problem/Reaction/Solution
Dem establishement creates the “surge”, naturally problems will arise in communities unable to handle such a surge, chaos ensues (and wages conveniently suppressed across the board), and now the Trump wagon rolls in to implement the technocratic biometric real-time all-seeing-eye of a surveillance system (a la Palantir etc.) as the solution.
The “Biden” administration couldn’t quite get their “Covid vaccine card” (to track your monthly bio-compliance) biometric tracking system in place for the bilionaire technocrats, so they create a “problem” that Trump can conveniently find a “solution” to. And they get to rip our communities down the middle as a bonus.
Technocracy incoming. Bipartisan cooperation. How exemplary.
The revolution will not be televised, let alone promoted 24/7 like this current “no kings” pied piperism. Mean’t to divide us and keep us from coming together on CLASS ISSUES against the Oligarchs. Divide and rule indeed.
The revolution will be local and it will be face to face building community with those very neighbors that the corporate press is goading us to hate.
Don’t be a hater.
Matt
An awkward appearance by RFK Jr on the Doctor Phil Show verifies nothing about chemtrails.
Here’s the thing: there’s common technology available to do an extensive double-blind high-atmosphere sample survey that wouldn’t be very costly. Fire up your favorite AI gizmo and enter: “sampling high-altitude air quality.”
Chemtrail folks will never do this of course, because they’d be unable to deal with the shame of spending so much life-energy being a guppy.
The most disturbing part of Andy’s post was his assertion that a local business is part of the conspiracy. No evidence cited. Waking up from a fever dream doesn’t count as research.
Gene Dieken
It’s disappointing that the two most consistent contrarian voices on this platform both seem to have contracted Rickles Syndrome: make your point by insulting your audience.
Pictured: Don Rickles, aggressively caustic comedian and actor, 1926-2017
Here’s how the Cambridge Dictionary defines hate speech: “public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.”
I have frequently challenged Andy Norris on this platform and I imagine that might put me on Andy’s list of “war pigs.” So what?
I submit that whatever you may think of them, many of Andy’s comments reflect HIS hatred toward things in our society that actually ARE NOT right. He’s not encouraging YOU to hate. Does he go way, way overboard in how he expresses himself? Yes, indeed. Is he too captivated by shiny conspiracy theories, e.g. chemtrails? Yup.
But here’s my point: expression has value and silence can be complicity.
One of the downsides of our utopian tri-village community is that we spend too much effort trying to turn it into a virtual gated community, free from the weight of the world. The latest example on this platform was a request by john@bainassociatesinc.com to “depoliticize [BBQ]… so that it can serve the needs of the users without triggering acrimony or conflict.”
We LIVE in an era of acrimony, conflict and loss of basic rights! How does it serve us to ban any mention of this in a public forum?
Grow a spine! Far worse is yet to come.
Gene Dieken
I’m not writing to agree or disagree with the poster.
I’m writing to suggest that this site stay apolitical so that it can serve the needs of the users without triggering acrimony or conflict.
There are plenty of sites where political issues are welcome.
As a practical matter, no one is learning from the sort of post in the most recent issue. Those who agree, agree, those who don’t won’t.
The post wasn’t a call for engagement or debate. So what was it? What was the point? What does the poster want to happen?
This isn’t a free speech issue. The poster is certainly free to post anything, anywhere, any time that the platform allows it.
It reminds me of my neighbor’s dog in the city. It barks loudly and that is all it could do, is bark. We already know it’s a dog. Everyone knows it’s a dog. Of course the dog’s excuse is a brain the size of a walnut. Hmmm.
Feel free to message me if political commentary is a direction the users want to go. I’m happy to no longer participate.
The total Soviet population from the somewhat-reliable 1939 census was 170,500,000, so clearly, 50,000,000 military war losses is way off.
Generally agreed upon Soviet deaths are estimated to have been 13,000,000 military and 14,000,000 civilian. The largest ethnic groups were Russians and Ukrainians.
Of course these two numbers don’t include Soviet losses incurred from 1939 to 1941 when Russia aligned with the Nazis to take over Poland and the Baltic countries.
Opinions are malleable, facts less so.
Gene Dieken
Below:
Soviet War Memorial in Tiergarten, Berlin
But now she’s telling us “…and this is what is happening right now – getting a handle on excessive spending. that is what Trump is doing now – getting a handle on excessive spending. Thank god for that. If we go bankrupt, social security medicare, and medicaid will be dumped as America tries to become solvent again… [it’s] a Herculean task that could take decades.”
Meanwhile, GOP Reps in Congress just passed their version of a budget bill that aims to effectively eliminate Medicaid, throwing millions into pervasive insecurity while preserving trillions in tax cuts for billionaires.
Also, Ms Gainer feels that Elon deserves commendation for performing this Doge miracle for free. Free? Really? Did SpaceX just happen to bump Verizon out of their existing contract with the FFA for air traffic control modernization by chance? Nothing to see here! Move on! “Since you can’t do anything about it – watch fun stuff…”
Probably a good idea to remind yourself occasionally about Ms Gainer’s reliability by reviewing the post by BBQ’s own editors (RIP, beloved Chuck) about her allegations of tainted voter rolls in Oregon during last year’s election cycle:
www.northcoastbbq.com/2024/10/26/response-to-dixie-gainer-about-judicial-watch/
Gene Dieken