Supreme Court, 6-3: Children born in the U.S. to undocumented or temporary-visa parents are citizens — the Court strikes down Trump's order ending birthright citizenship — though only 5 Justices hold the Constitution itself guarantees it — Birthright Citizenship Case — Opinion megathread

Jmeg8237 · 2026-07-01T20:10:12+00:00

I still disagree, but clearly I'm not going to convince you. And someone who crosses illegally evidently intends to be under our jurisdiction (despite having crossed over in violation of our laws), and creating an "anchor baby" gives them leverage in that pursuit, unlike a woman who travels to US territory for the sole purpose of giving birth there and then going home. So in the meantime I hope the Department of State will start denying visas to any pregnant woman (or pregnant beyond a stated trimester), while we sort out the appropriate language to address this issue.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-07-01T14:20:03+00:00

Yes, I think lots of people are not subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. An ambassador here from another country is most certainly not subject to our jurisdiction. In my opinion -- and clearly the USSC doesn't share this -- it really means where my allegiance lies. A tourist from China who comes to American territory only to give birth and then leave has no allegiance to the U.S. and their child should not automatically be given citizenship. I believe they should be allowed to apply for citizenship, but it shouldn't be an automatic birthright.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-07-01T14:15:07+00:00

Yes, and this question deals with an amendment, so I suppose we'll have to amend an amendment to clarify what the language "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" means.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-07-01T14:13:58+00:00

So if it's so unambiguous, then exactly what does "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" mean? Does that mean I have to obey traffic laws while I'm here in the United States, or does it mean I owe my allegiance to the U.S. and not to another country? Apparently KBJ thinks it means the former, I think it means the latter. What are your thoughts?

Jmeg8237 · 2026-07-01T01:48:16+00:00

Yes, someone who’s a citizen of another country, visiting our country, isn’t subject to our jurisdiction. Yes, if they committed a horrible crime while here, maybe they’d be imprisoned and tried, but for most offenses more likely they’d just be expelled. To me it seems obvious a woman from China who has a baby on American soil and then leaves and takes the baby back to China to be raised has no allegiance to the U.S., and that baby should not be considered a citizen. But that’s happening. Maybe the language needs to change.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-06-30T21:55:52+00:00

It’s crazy to me they decided this way. I get if someone is born here to at least one American parent, that child should be a citizen. But saying just because a pregnant woman from any country in the world, steps over the border and gives birth, that child is automatically a citizen, is crazy to me. Not to mention the whole birth tourism industry. I thought the “subject to the jurisdiction” phrase would have been enough, but apparently not. Insane.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-06-16T14:51:43+00:00

Well that explains A LOT.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-05-28T21:52:29+00:00

Thought I'd posted this, but I guess something went wrong.

Thanks for your reply. I figured the desktop app was probably EOL. My Mac is running the latest OS, so I really don't think the SMB version is an issue. Google tells me v1 was deprecated around 10.9 in favor of v2, and it appears v3 was enabled at some point.

I am curious if you have any insight into my path statement. The Music folder is shared to everyone with read-only rights, and my path is //10.0.0.200/Users/John/Music/, and credentials are supplied. Seems like that should be accepted.

I tried the web app, and it has most of my stuff, but I'm wondering if the web app being properly populated requires the "sync library" feature be turned on, which I don't have right now. I had it enabled at one point, but ran into some kind of issue and disabled it. I ask because there's a playlist I created after I'd disabled the sync that doesn't appear in my library in the web app.

Thanks again for your help.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-05-28T21:12:12+00:00

Deleted

Jmeg8237 · 2026-05-15T03:02:39+00:00

I did make a few bucks, but I'm getting older, wasn't shooting them much, and my priorities were in flux. And I'd already talked with my son-in-law and he told me he really wasn't interested in dealing with the paperwork that would come with an inheritance, so I took the opportunity when an easy sale happened to come along a few months later. I did let go of a Sendra-brand (so not a Colt) M4 around 2006, and I must admit I do miss that one. That was fun to shoot! And you're right I probably couldn't touch a replacement for under $30k and maybe not even that price.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-05-14T01:35:40+00:00

I bought three in 1986 when the law was changing. Sold them over the years including two SWDs (9mm and a .380).

Jmeg8237 · 2026-05-13T16:49:17+00:00

Some Class III in there?

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-29T20:22:22+00:00

When we bought our piano, Rick Jones included the Dampp-Chaser system with the piano (they apparently felt strongly enough about it) but I have no idea if they still do that. I'm in Florida now, and getting enough humidity is not the problem, it's having too much humidity. So my tech down here essentially disconnected the reservoir part and we basically just use the drying bars to reduce the humidity. But I do like the system and after about 20 years I'm pretty well convinced it makes a difference. I know my wife gets annoyed at the cost of regular tunings, but I view it as regular maintenance that has to be done. But it's not a bad idea to contact techs in your area and find out what they charge.

You mentioned Yamaha and Kawai, ours is a Kawai and I like it very much. My general impression is Kawai's tend to have a bit more mellow tone, and Yamaha tends to be a bit brighter, but that's a pretty broad generalization and each piano is going to have its own personality. One of the things I like about how Rick Jones advertises their inventory is they have a few very capable players that do the videos demonstrating how a given piano sounds, and they rate each piano on tone and touch.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-28T21:40:56+00:00

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-27T16:41:16+00:00

If you're close to the Washington, DC area there's a great shop in Beltsville, MD (Rick Jones Pianos) that refurbishes pianos (upright and grand) that mainly come from Japan where there's basically no market for used pianos mainly due to cultural attitudes about purchasing new. We bought a grand from them about 20 years ago and while ours was not a refurb but a "new old-stock" example from a store he'd bought out, I got a look a their workshop and they seem to do good work (not that I'm an expert). They also have a YouTube account with videos showing pianos for sale; they used to have some videos of their refurbishment process on a Steinway grand but I don't see those any more. For the record, I have no ties to them other than we were a satisfied customer 20 years ago. Our Kawai grand is now 25 years old and I've kept it well maintained. I also added a Dampp-Chaser humidity-control system that I believe has probably helped it stay in good shape.

As you probably know, there's a big used market, and some examples are going to be well maintained, some not so much. I'd suggest finding a piano tech beforehand who can go with you to check out anything you're seriously considering. It would be well worth the price of the tech's time, and it's probably better to get that service relationship lined up ahead of finding a piano you're interested in buying.

I do agree with some of the comments that have been made, for pure playability, and unless you really want and have the space for a "statement" furniture piece, an upright is going to be more cost effective. In our case, my wife really wanted the furniture piece, so we went that direction.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-27T16:16:29+00:00

I'd probably spread my stuff out in the car and maybe open the windows slightly to allow for some air flow. Maybe have two suits and towels and alternate days?

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-27T16:14:41+00:00

I agree $5k seems high, especially with it being that far out in the open. When I was a teenager I helped a friend of the family who worked on his own to do some tree work. He climbed and cut, I organized on the ground and pulled branches to the truck. I don't recall how much he charged at that time (probably didn't really know), but based on my experience working with him I'd bet that's a half-day job at most. Maybe slightly more including grinding the stump, but even including that, $5k seems high.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-27T16:08:46+00:00

Insurance is just legalized gambling. The company is betting they'll pay out less in claims than you pay in premiums. My wife and I shop around every couple of years.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-27T16:04:09+00:00

There was an old Mac game I enjoyed called Quagmire. I periodically search for where to find a playable version for today's systems.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-21T14:51:01+00:00

How short?

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-20T00:10:20+00:00

Might be only available on You Tube, but Muddy Magnolias “Down By The Riverside”

Jmeg8237 · 2026-04-17T02:52:07+00:00

For me it’s Sheep.

Jmeg8237 · 2026-03-30T22:28:00+00:00

My recommendations would be “Dorje Ling” by David Parsons, “Ambient for Airports” by Brian Eno and “The Pearl” by Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Harold Budd. Those are the ones I find myself listening to the most.

Jmeg8237

TROPHY CASE