Of Course: The Five Liberal Supreme Court Justices (Including Liberals Roberts and Coney-Barrett) Decide the 14th Amendment Can Go Blow, Anyone Born in the US is a US Citizen

—Disinformation Expert Ace

The Five Horsemen make a mockery of the law yet again.

That's the full awful left-wing holding.

The liberals make two extraordinary claims. First, they claim that the 14th Amendment is based on the ancient British rule of the king being sovereign over anyone born in his lands. But even there they're forced to admit that that rule did not confer full jurisdiction over the person -- and it's silly to claim the one is based on the other anyway, as Thomas points out in his dissent.

The other absurd horse they ride is that the Dred Scott decision was bad bad terra-bad and therefore, they seem to believe, they are required to create a fake rule that is 1000% the opposite of that.

But that was taken care of -- the 14th Amendment was adopted precisely to repudicate Dred Scott and declare that former slaves born in the US, who also are not subject to any other jurisdiction but the US -- former slaves have no homeland or nation they owe primary allegiance to -- are US citizens.

So why even discuss Dred Scott? It was specifically repudiated and has nothing to say about the Amendment adopted specifically to repudiate it.

But they spend a huge chunk of their opinion discussing it because their own arguments are weak so they have to set up a straw-man -- if we don't adopt this fake rule and ignore the "subject to the jurisdiction" qualifier of the 14th Amendment, we're essentially re-implementing Dred Scott and that's just terrible, right?

JUSTICE THOMAS, with whom JUSTICE GORSUCH joins, dissenting.

This Court's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford, 19 How.
393 (1857), would have permanently denied citizenship to
blacks as "a subordinate and inferior class." Id., at 404--
405. After the Civil War, the Reconstruction Congress over-
ruled Dred Scott, first with the Civil Rights Act of 1866,
then with the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amend-
ment. Both the Civil Rights Act and the Citizenship Clause
guaranteed citizenship to persons born and domiciled in the
United States regardless of their race. Neither guaranteed
citizenship to persons who were not domiciled in the United
States.

Blacks were entitled to citizenship because they were
Americans. They had no other homeland, owed no alle-
giance to any foreign power, and were subject to no other
authority. They "fought and bled in the same battles,"
"gained and gloried in the same victories," and were "liable
to be called upon to defend [America] in time of war" along-
side every other citizen. 2 Life and Writings of Frederick
Douglass 256, 266 (P. Foner ed. 1950) (Douglass). The Cit-
izenship Clause thus guaranteed them the "dignity and
glory of American citizenship," so as to ensure that they
would never be treated as second class under the law.
Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U. S. 537, 555 (1896) (Harlan, J.,
dissenting).

The same could not be said for the children of foreign tem-
porary visitors. Foreign temporary visitors were attached
to their home country, lacked similar bonds to this country,
and would not be called upon in time of war. Americans,
consistent with their settler ethos, believed that citizens
were the people who called a place home. Accordingly, dom-
icile--a person's legal home--played a key role in both state
and national citizenship in America. A person was a "citi-
zen" of the state where he had his "domicil." Barber v. Bar-
ber, 21 How. 582, 599 (1859). When foreigners temporarily
visited, their "national character" was unchanged. The Ve-
nus, 8 Cranch 253, 278--279 (1814). Such visitors were
"strangers," not "subjects." Id., at 278. A person born here
but domiciled in a foreign land was therefore considered "as
much a stranger to the country as his father." 1 H. St.
George Tucker, Commentaries on the Laws of Virginia 57
(1836) (Tucker).

That is why, when Dred Scott went to court, he argued
that to be a "citizen," "it is only necessary that he should
have acquired a domicil." Brief for Plaintiff in Dred Scott v.
Sandford, D. T. 1855, No. 7, p. 6. (Brief for Dred Scott). Af-
ter this Court held that Scott was not a citizen because he
was black, Republicans in Congress, such as Representa-
tive John Bingham, stated that a person was a citizen if he
was "born and domiciled" in the United States. Cong.
Globe, 35th Cong., 2d Sess., 983 (1859). Scott was a citizen,
in their view, because he was born to Americans, not to
"temporary sojourners." Cong. Globe, 35th Cong., 1st Sess.,
210 (1858) (statement of Rep. Bliss). As Frederick Douglass
had put it, the freedmen sought citizenship "not as aliens
nor as exiles," but as "Americans." 2 Douglass 255 (empha-
sis added).

Congress implemented the principle that citizenship fol-
lows birth and domicile in the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and
then in the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amend-
ment. The Civil Rights Act guaranteed citizenship to per-
sons who were both "born in the United States" and, as rel-
evant here, "not subject to any foreign power." Act of Apr.
9, 1866, 14 Stat. 27. The phrase "not subject to any foreign
power" excluded from citizenship children of foreign tempo-
rary visitors, who were subject to the power of their home
nation. See, e.g., The Pizarro, 2 Wheat. 227, 246 (1817); The
Venus, 8 Cranch, at 278--279. The Citizenship Clause,
which the same Congress passed shortly after the Civil
Rights Act, was understood to have the same meaning. It
guaranteed citizenship to persons who were both "born . . .
in the United States" and "subject to the jurisdiction
thereof." Amdt. 14, §1.

A person was subject to the jurisdiction of the govern-
ment of his domicile. "Domicil" was "the foundation of ju-
risdiction over persons." 1 T. Twiss, The Law of Nations
239 (1861) (Twiss). The government of a person's domicile
had broad power over that person, including with respect to
his personal affairs, his conduct abroad, his personal taxes,
and the mutual duties of protection and allegiance. So, as
the Senator who introduced the Citizenship Clause ex-
plained, "the word 'jurisdiction,' as here employed, ought to
be construed so as to imply a full and complete jurisdiction
. . . the same jurisdiction in extent and quality as applies to
every citizen of the United States now." Cong. Globe, 39th
Cong., 1st Sess., 2895 (1866) (statement of Sen. Howard).
After all, Congress "would have no right to make citizens"
of "persons temporarily resident." Id., at 572 (statement of
Sen. Trumbull).

The Citizenship Clause was consistently interpreted not
to apply to the children of foreign temporary visitors, who
were by definition not domiciled in the United States. Re-
gardless of administration or party, the Federal Govern-
ment for decades after ratification regularly denied claims
to citizenship by children who were born in the United
States but not domiciled here. When a child was "born" in
the United States to parents "domiciled" abroad, he was
"not, therefore, under the statute and the Constitution a
citizen of the United States by birth." Letter from Sec. of
State T. Bayard to B. Winchester (Nov. 28, 1885), in 2 F.
Wharton, Digest of International Law 399--400 (2d ed.
1887) (Wharton Digest). Scholars agreed: A child "born
within the territory of the United States, of alien parents"
was not a citizen unless his parents were "permanently
domiciled within the United States." W. Robinson, Notes
on Elementary Law 70 (1875). This Court agreed: The Cit-
izenship Clause "exclude[d] from its operation children of
. . . citizens or subjects of foreign States born within the
United States." Slaughter-House Cases, 16 Wall. 36, 73
(1873). And, Congress agreed: The Citizenship Clause did
not extend to a child born here but "subject to any foreign
power." See Enforcement Act of 1870, §18, 16 Stat. 144
(reenacting Act of Apr. 9, 1866, 14 Stat. 27). As Justice
Harlan would write in his dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson, 163
U. S. 537, the Citizenship Clause "gave citizenship to all
born or naturalized in the United States and residing here."
Id., at 563 (emphasis added).

The Court offers a different account. American citizen-
ship, the Court says, was based on a medieval English "feu-
dal" principle, according to which each person "owed per-
sonal service to the lord of the soil" as his "master"--a
perpetual servitude that was "born with the child and only
ended in the grave." 2 Cong. Rec. 3282 (1874) (statement of
Rep. Cox). Americans, the Court says, adopted this feudal
principle as a rule of American citizenship "with little fan-
fare." Ante, at 4. Then, according to the Court, the Recon-
struction Congress codified that feudal principle with the
words "not subject to any foreign power" in the Civil Rights
Act and "subject to the jurisdiction thereof " in the Citizen-
ship Clause. Then, the Court says, the Clause's meaning
was definitively settled by dicta in United States v. Wong
Kim Ark, 169 U. S. 649 (1898).

With due respect, the Court's account is not historically
accurate. The Court says that the Citizenship Clause in-
corporated the English feudal principle that subjects owed
lifetime servitude to the King who owned the soil on which
they were born, but Americans--unsurprisingly--rejected
this feudal principle. The Court's theory of American citi-
zenship is based on the opinion of a New York assistant vice
chancellor in an inheritance dispute called Lynch v. Clarke,
1 Sand. Ch. 583, 584--585 (N. Y. Ch. 1844). Ante, at 6--10.
But, the assistant vice chancellor's reasoning, whatever it
was worth, was not even followed in New York by the time
of the Citizenship Clause. Finally, the Court reasons that
dicta in Wong Kim Ark settled the meaning of the Clause.
But, Wong Kim Ark itself emphasized that its holding was
limited to persons domiciled in the United States. And,
scholars and government officials continued to agree after
Wong Kim Ark that the Citizenship Clause did not extend
to the children of foreign temporary visitors. The rule re-
mained what it always was: A child born on American soil
of "a stranger or traveler passing through the country, or
temporarily residing here," was "not a citizen." H. Black,
Handbook of American Constitutional Law 634 (3d ed.
1910).

The Court today takes the extraordinary step of holding
facially unconstitutional the President's Order excluding
from citizenship the children of foreign temporary visitors
and illegal aliens. In doing so, the Court adds to the sad
history of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was designed
and understood to secure equal rights for the freed blacks
but has instead been repurposed for political projects that
the Reconstruction Congress did not support. Because
many potential applications of the President's Order are
consistent with the original public meaning of the Citizen-
ship Clause, I respectfully dissent.

And Alito's dissent:

JUSTICE ALITO, dissenting.

This is one of the most important decisions in the history
of the Court, and in my judgment, the Court has made a
serious mistake. As interpreted by the Court today, the
Fourteenth Amendment confers citizenship on virtually
everyone who happens to be born in this country, including
the children of "birth tourists," women who come here solely
for the purpose of giving birth to a child and then promptly
return home. Careful analysis of the text of the Fourteenth
Amendment and the process that led to its adoption shows
that it does not degrade the concept of United States citi-
zenship in this way. Instead, the Fourteenth Amendment
confers citizenship on only those children who, at birth, owe
allegiance solely to this country.

Respecting this interpretation would not require uproot-
ing the millions of children who were born here to mothers
who entered or remained in this country illegally. Those
children are not responsible for their parents' violation of
our immigration laws, and their plight is the result of a long
period during which a coterie of actors--Executive Branch
officials, States and cities, and a variety of private groups--
sent the message to would-be immigrants that our
immigration laws should not be taken too seriously. This
message, coupled with ineffective or unenthusiastic en-
forcement, spurred massive illegal immigration and the
growth of a large contingent of people who were born here
to mothers unlawfully present in this country. Some mem-
bers of this group have lived here for years, and they have
a strong moral claim to be able to remain in the land where
they grew up.

Congress can and should address their situation. The
Fourteenth Amendment dictates who must be a citizen, but
it does not address who may be a citizen by Act of Congress.
Congress has conferred citizenship on many people who are
not made citizens by the Fourteenth Amendment, including
children born abroad to American citizen parents. These
people and the millions of immigrants who have been natu-
ralized are no less American than those who are fortunate
enough to be born here.

For these reasons, the original meaning of the Fourteenth
Amendment does not require inhumane results, and we
should not adopt an erroneous interpretation of the Four-
teenth Amendment simply out of fear of the consequences
of "rocking the boat" or as a reaction to current immigration
policy.

Nor should we take the position that our hands are tied
by dicta in a sprawling 19th-century opinion that is, to put
the point gently, very far from a model of careful judicial
craftsmanship. Too much is at stake.

United States citizenship is precious. Anyone who has
attended a ceremony where citizens are naturalized can see
that message on the faces of those who take the citizenship
oath. Before saddling the Nation with a medieval rule, we
had better be certain the Constitution requires it.
The Court's account of the birthright-citizenship rule in
American law is roughly as follows. After American inde-
pendence, the British rule of birthright subjecthood was
modified in just one way (to take account of Indians who
lived under tribal governance), but otherwise the rule was
transplanted intact to American soil. As modified, the rule
was that a child born in this country is automatically an
American citizen unless the child is born to tribal Indians
or to a diplomat with immunity from legal process. During
the period before the Civil War, the rule's status was firm.
After the war, Congress codified the rule in §1 of the Four-
teenth Amendment. And in United States v. Wong Kim Ark,
169 U. S. 649 (1898), this Court issued a binding precedent
confirming what Congress had done.

Alito makes some strong points about the majority of liberals' insane claim that a rule of the British monarchy deciding who was a subject of the king's tyrannical power should dictate the rule of the American democracy about who is granted the rights and priviliges of citizenship.

Subjecthood and citizenship aren't the same, you know.

Every step of this story is incorrect. The Declaration of
Independence repudiated the foundation on which the Brit-
ish rule was based. See infra, at 5. From 1776 until the eve
of the Civil War, the status of the rule in this country was
unsettled. There is no evidence establishing that the Con-
stitution's references to citizens incorporated the British
rule, infra, at 5--8, and until the eve of the Civil War, there
was little litigation about the meaning of American citizen-
ship, infra, at 9--11. After the war, Congress finally adopted
a constitutional provision, §1 of the Fourteenth Amend-
ment, making certain persons citizens at birth, but that
provision differed substantially from the British rule. It
specified that a person born here is not a citizen unless his
allegiance to the United States is unimpaired by any obli-
gations to a foreign power. Infra, at 11--22. And while
Wong Kim Ark included dicta suggesting that the Four-
teenth Amendment incorporates the British rule, its actual
holding was much narrower, infra, at 22--28, and under
that interpretation, respondents' challenge to Executive
Order No. 14160, Protecting the Meaning and Value of
American Citizenship, fails, infra, at 36--39.

I

A

According to the Court, the Fourteenth Amendment's Cit-
izenship Clause codified the British rule of birthright
subjecthood with only one new exception, which was needed
to accommodate the unique status of American Indians.
That is a curious claim, and it is ironic that the Court
should embrace it only days before we celebrate the 250th
anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, which em-
phatically renounced the foundation on which the British
rule rested.

That rule did not concern "citizenship." There was no
such thing as a "citizen" of England, Scotland, or Ireland.
The inhabitants of the British Isles were the King's "sub-
jects." As Sir Edward Coke explained in Calvin's Case, 7
Co. Rep. 1a, 77 Eng. Rep. 377 (K. B. 1608), they acquired
that status automatically at birth, and they retained it, like
it or not, until they died. Id., at 4b, 77 Eng. Rep., at 382;
see id., at 9b, 77 Eng. Rep., at 388 (even a subject who ab-
jures the realm "oweth the King his ligeance"). This status
arose from a feudal understanding of the origin of govern-
mental authority and the relationship between those who
govern and those who are governed. The King's authority
was understood to come from God. Id., at 12b--13a, 77 Eng.
Rep., at 390--391. As Coke put it, a King ruled by the law
of nature. Ibid. And birth established the bond between
King and subject, id., at 4b, 77 Eng. Rep., at 382, just as
birth establishes the bond between parent and child.
In Calvin's Case, the question was whether a man born
in Scotland was a subject of King James I of England, who
acceded to the thrones of both Scotland and England before
the man's birth. Id., at 2a, 77 Eng. Rep., at 379. In a fa-
mous speech to Parliament, James I forcefully explained his
views about the source of his authority and his relationship
with his subjects. The King, he proclaimed, sits "upon
GOD[']s throne" and is the "father of his people." March 21,
1609 A Speach to the Lords and Commons of the Parlia-
ment at White-Hall, in The Political Works of James I,
p. 307 (C. McIlwain ed. 1918).

Well this sucks.

We need a real conservative justice to at least win most of these 5-4.

Eric Schmitt will introduce a Constitutional amendment to wipe away this stain:

The Morning Rant

—CBD

Open Thread! The Rant disappeared into the ether!

[Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter and X/Twitter]. If you folks who are on X/Twitter would follow us it would be much appreciated!

Mid-Morning Art Thread

—CBD

The Virgin, the Christ Child, and Saint Anne, known as "Saint Anne"
Leonardo da Vinci

The Morning Report — 6/ 30 /26

—J.J. Sefton

Good morning kids. And so here we are saying farewell to June and the first half of 2026. Perhaps more surreal than that is the fact that this Saturday marks the 250th birthday of our nation. It all seems so surreal in that although the crass commercialism that was in your face for almost a year before the Bicentennial is nowhere to be found 50 years on as we approach our semiquincentennial. In a way it is kind of a troubling barometer of the disunity of our nation and society. As I and others have pondered the mixed signals emanating from the political landscape. How can we reconcile the coming of the Donald Trump era and all the promise of a return to some semblance of America as founded with the rise of tyrannical dictatorial anti-American/Western madness in the form of the Democrat/Socialist party.

As friend and friend of the blog Prof. Victor Davis Hanson elucidates in his latest outing:

It is fascinating but ultimately depressing to watch old-style Democrats say or do anything to avoid the new mob of Robespierres. Democrat candidates who recently begged for a Schumer/Pelosi/Jeffries endorsement now are telling them to get in line at the guillotine.

Jewish American Democrats are terrified that what happened to the primaried and defeated Rep. Dan Goldman of New York, an arch-Trump hater, could befall them. Goldman’s obnoxious showboating hatred of Trump and championing of neo-socialist agendas offered no defense against the Jacobins’ antisemitism and hatred of Israel.

And his noting of the guillotine is not merely a rhetorical flourish but given who and what we're dealing with perhaps prescient:

Andy O’Brien, the communications director for the Maine AFL-CIO, a statewide federation of 160 local unions, posted on social media, suggesting Democrats who refuse to support Democrat U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner should face execution after a “revolution.”

And given the track record of Antifa, BLM and the Soros District Attorneys and thoroughly corrupt judges, you can bet your bottom dollar that is not mere hyperbole.

Well, there are the Democratic Socialists, and then of course there are the Democrat Socialites

Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.) has emerged as a potential contender for the Democrat presidential nomination while denouncing the ultra-rich who "hoard wealth and engage in financial speculation." But the progressive, Silicon Valley congressman and his family live a life of staggering luxury, fueled by dynastic wealth they did not earn and protected by the same thicket of trusts, anonymous corporations, and foundations that Khanna condemns.

Oh, a slimy scumbag chutzpocritical hypocrite. I'm shocked, et tu Comrade Colonel Sanders, of the multiple multi-million dollar Vermont ski chalets?!

No flame throwers aimed at them, eh Antifa?!

On that note, I give you this little item.

Cops arrested a man outside a church in High Point, North Carolina, who allegedly had two flamethrowers, over 500 rounds of ammunition and other weapons.

High Point Police Department (HPPD) officers responded at approximately 10:15 a.m. June 28 to a report of an armed man in his vehicle outside Wesley Memorial Church, according to a police statement. The caller alleged that the man was dressed in camoflage garb. An off-duty officer in the church responded and was soon joined by additional officers. The man was arrested “without incident” and no injuries were reported, police said. . . Police identified the suspect as 44-year-old William S. Milliken III of Thomasville. Prosecutors charged him in part with “possession of weapon of mass destruction, impersonation of law enforcement officer, and possession of control substance schedule II.” Milliken’s truck was searched after he was taken into custody, police said. Officers found a CO2-powered launcher crafted to look like a handgun, a pair of flamethrowers, a pair of crossbows, over 500 rounds of ammunition, three knives, and oxycodone pills, according to the HPPD. (RELATED: ‘Teen Takeover’ Chaos Spreads After Masked Individual Pulls Out Apparent Flamethrower)

I'm sure he was just setting up for the church's July 4th festivities, nein?!

Aside from this, there is one story that is disturbing in the extreme.

Officials charged a 10-year-old Missouri boy with murder after he allegedly shot a 7-month-old baby in the head execution-style June 26, according to a report.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) officers responded to the incident just after 4:00 p.m. and found the baby, identified as 7-month-old Kiyomi Parker, within the residence, according to an SLMPD press release. The baby died from her wounds. Homicide Detectives and Child Abuse Detectives later opened an investigation into the incident and learned that an unidentified 10-year-old boy shot the child, the SLMPD alleged. Witnesses said the 10-year-old retrieved a gun and shot the infant, according to court documents cited by First Alert 4. The boy confessed that he shot baby in the head, WTHR13 reported, citing a probable cause statement. . . Officers allegedly learned that Ca’Marion Pawnell, the baby’s father, stored a gun beneath a mattress in one of the residence’s bedroooms by interviewing witnesses, including the 10-year-old. The minor confessed that he was aware of where the firearm was and had retrieved it before, according to the court documents.

Well chalk up another one for LBJ's Great Society — or if Barack Obama had a son, he'd be Ca’Marion. I think this story should be emblazoned on the side of his Godzilla urinal-looking Presidential Library in (Jekyll'n) Hyde Park.

Have a good day,

ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
• Victor Davis Hanson: The new socialist movement believes it can remake America—but its growing radicalism may prove the very thing that drives voters away and fuels a counterrevolution.
  The New Socialists: Elite, Ungrateful, and Toxic as Ever

Daily Tech News 30 June 2026

—Pixy Misa

• South Korea is planning to invest $520 billion to expand chip production at Samsung and SK Hynix. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  Well, sort of. Only about $20 billion of that is direct South Korean public spending, with the remainder coming from regional governments and private investment.
  
  The government will also help fast-track approvals to bring construction plans forward by as much as twelve years.
  
  
  
• Meanwhile the Big Three - Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix - have been hit with a private antitrust lawsuit by litigants in California. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  The suit seems to be focused on decreased production of DDR4 and DDR3, which is legal, but alleges they colluded to do so, which may not be.

Monday Overnight Open Thread - June 29, 2026 [scampydog]

—Open Blogger

Your Monday dose of CBD has been temporarily interrupted. Please accept this budget-friendly ONT instead. Less refined, with a side of excessive content.

*****

The theme tonight is black and white. Before we dive into the monochrome, let’s go with some whimsical content.

Hell yeah! It is Combine Demolition Derby Time!

The combines have entered the arena (link goes to wikipedia)

Competitors typically remove heavy or unneeded parts of the combines before competitions and reinforce the front, or header, of the vehicle.[3] A vehicle is deemed eliminated once its header section is destroyed or the combine is immobilized. Competitors attempt to use the header to pop other vehicle's tires, rupture their drive belts, or tear off their header.[4] The competitions can end in ties if the only remaining machines become inextricably tangled together.[5] The competition in Lind, Washington often includes multiple heats, including rounds for event veterans, rookies, and consolation rounds for losers.[6] In Michigan, there is a derby circuit with competitions in several towns.

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Before the Scots arrived for their World Cup adventure - with cones, drank everything in sight, and somehow won over America, Boston had a different kind of overflow problem.

The Great Molasses Flood of 1919

The tank, 50 feet high and 90 feet in diameter, contained 2.3 million gallons of molasses originally destined for use in a munitions plant.

The tank, though only a few years old, seemed shaky. People who lived and worked in the North End said the tank shuddered and groaned when the company filled it.

Shortly after noon, the tank collapsed with a thunderous roar. The ground shook, and witnesses said the rivets popping out of the tank sounded like machine gun fire.

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Things nobody really wants to know. The ONT is here for you

Why wombat poop is cube shaped

Humans may be fascinated by cubes, but only one animal poops them: the bare-nosed wombat. This furry Australian marsupial squeezes out nearly 100 six-sided turds every day—an ability that has long mystified scientists. Now, researchers say they have uncovered how the wombat intestine creates this exceptional excrement.

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Things We All Knew Before the Internet Arrived.

The lost art of the handwritten note and stationery sets. Who remembers the Onion Skin and Bristol Board paper?

There really is something meaningful about a hand written note on stationary.

Who still takes the time to send hand written notes?

Another household name that pops up every holiday season is Current. The brand was launched by Bill and Mary Gick in their Colorado Springs basement in 1950. Their idea was simple but clever: create high quality, personalized greeting cards and sell them directly to customers through mail order catalogs. Current was one of the first companies to really master the catalog approach, and their colorful, customizable products quickly found a dedicated fan base.

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Hello 80's Ladies.

The rise and fall of shoulder pads.

A brief history of shoulder pads

Using padding to alter the shape of our clothing isn’t a new concept — it dates back to the 1870s and 1880s, when padding was used for the bustles of women’s dresses to extend the fullness at the back.

However, the origins of the fashion shoulder pads we know and love today go back to Princeton University football players in the late 19th century, who developed the pads for protection — but the trend didn’t begin to enter women’s fashion until the 1930s.

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If dogs could talk 😂🤣😂 pic.twitter.com/qdzN58CKjx

— Mongo (@mongoliciouss) June 5, 2026

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Black and White Photography.

This isn’t the Art Thread (which is awesome, btw). Nobody needs to put on a beret and explain how the weathered fence post is “engaging in a silent dialogue with the setting sun, the wheat field, and the passage of time.”

But there is something different about black and white photography. Texture. Mood. Sometimes nostalgia. Removing color somehow makes your eyes work harder - noticing details, shadows, contrast, lighting, expressions, and little things you might have ignored otherwise.

Black and white takes something away and somehow can reveal more.

So no deep analysis, no pretending every old barn is having an existential conversation. Just some cool images, some great photography, and a chance to enjoy what the camera caught.

Enjoy.

Variety of images

Now in the digital age, making black and white is a choice you can make after you shoot the images – which gives you options we didn’t have in the film days. So I wanted to share some B&W images to get you thinking about the possibilities.

Marianna Roussou

15 Landscape Photos

Marco Nurnberger

Acceptable Rhino

Allesandro Marena

Batch of 60

Frederica Giordano

⚫️Everything fits together here .#blackandwhite #monochrome #blackandwhitephotography #bnw_captures pic.twitter.com/jlxAVcLdCD

— Maksymilian (@Maksymilian2026) June 5, 2026

Black and White 39 .. 🇩🇪 #blackandwhitephotography#photographyIsArt #mobilephotography pic.twitter.com/F8G3hLERRK

— Francisco Benfica (@fbenfica) June 4, 2026

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Burning Monday Questions

If you buy a bigger bed, do you have more bedroom?

At what point does a pile become a heap?

Why do noses run and feet smell?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Alarm goes off? Or does it go on?

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On theme musical interlude. Chris Isaak. Bonus for the 'Rons - Helena Christensen.

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Spin up a milshake or malt.

Groovy

I have nothing against the stainless steel finish, but I still have memories of the green fridge and dishwasher from my parents' own home. Today, my mother's kitchen has all white appliances, including the microwave.

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Hey, I hear there’s this little 250th thing happening.

We might as well talk about it. All the Smarty Readers here know, but those that don't.... Since a big part of any celebration of THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD involves the stars and stripes, here’s a refresher on the proper care, display, and respect for the American flag.

Clothing and Old Glory

One of the most common points of confusion: the Flag Code’s restrictions apply to actual United States flags, not to clothing or products that happen to feature a stars-and-stripes pattern. A T-shirt printed with red, white, and blue stripes isn’t a flag. A bandana with a flag motif isn’t a flag. Wearing these items doesn’t violate the code. The prohibition on using the flag as a costume means you shouldn’t cut up or drape an actual flag over yourself — it doesn’t extend to patriotic-themed apparel.

*****

This ONT was brought to you by: Put A Pickle In Your Shitty Beer.

SoDak. That tracks. The pic above was a Busch Latte. It did not ruin the pickle spear. Nor did it improve the beer.

South Dakota, Mallory told me, is famous for its "pioneer preservation sensibility" and penchant for pickling everything from green beans to watermelon rinds. She says the addition of the pickle works best when it's "paired with a light domestic lager-style beer, like Bud Light or PBR. The base beer has to have a pretty clean, mild flavor for it to work."

*****

This ONT was brought to you by the mistaken belief that one can outrun a tornado.

Was thinking a different kind of tornado, but this will do.

Disclaimer: This ONT was not involved with the Great Giraffe Getaway. If you encounter another Wandering Giraffe - they are not funded by, affiliated, endorsed, or even aware of the AoSHQ Limited Liability Empire (LLE). This ONT may contain trace amounts of facts, rumors, and speculation.

Close it up

Hot Monday Cafe

—Disinformation Expert Ace

Sudan 2006
Aseel Swaid (@asselswaid9)

I think those might be ankole cattle. I'd hoped they were yaks but African yaks are beefier.

The interrogation of Jackie.

Saving a bird from a pool.

Saving a pair of very tired dogs from a reservoir.

Cat in a hat.

A sea otter makes herself even more beautiful.

Cat's trying to steal the dog's job.

Proud mama.

Farm friendship.

Little joey.

Quick Hits

—Disinformation Expert Ace

Far left teacher marries Gaza rando to make him a citizen and give him the right to vote in the US.

A radical, Israel-hating California teacher claimed she married a Gaza resident online to help him gain American citizenship -- and push her pro-Palestinian agenda.

Laura Pinho, a dance teacher at Canoga Park Senior High School in California, announced her nuptials in a wild June 16 CODEPINK Zoom webinar called "Challenging Zionism In Our Schools."

When CODEPINK activist Marcy Winograd congratulated her on her marriage and asked her to share details about her life, Pinho, 51, launched into a pedantic monologue about how she only married Salem S.E. Abu Amra to advance "Palestinian rights and freedoms."

"I have power as an American citizen. I have a passport that I was just born with, and how can I live in this world if I don't make every effort to equalize the playing field on whatever way that I can," she said in the webinar, first uncovered by the North American Values Institute.

Englewood New Jersey Mayor Michael Wildes -- who is also an immigration attorney and former federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York -- told The Post that Pinho is playing with fire.

"She can be prosecuted criminally, brought up on federal conspiracy charges. Marriage fraud is one of the top five crimes you can perpetrate including terrorism and drugs. The fact that somebody would be foolish enough to say they actually did it makes it actionable for the federal government to investigate," Wildes said.

Marrying someone to obtain a green card is federal crime and can carry a five-year prison sentence and up to a $250,000 fine, according to the Department of Justice.

The odd couple tied the knot April 5 in Utah, which allows marriages to be conducted via Zoom, according to records posted online by the Utah County Clerk and obtained by Israeli nonprofit NGO Monitor.

Utah allows virtual marriages in which both parties aren't in the same location so long as they have secured a Utah County marriage license and provide valid ID and two witnesses, who also don't have to be physically present in the state.

By the way, she's cucking her child's father, whom she lives with.

The bride has a 5-year-old child with Derek J. Reid, 51, an improv coach who also lives at her address, according to public records.

Reid told The Post that he and Pinho were domestic partners and never officially married, and that they're currently separated and the two sleep in different rooms at the same address. He said he had no knowledge of her marriage to Abu Amra.

...

"She's been radicalized -- I don't know anything about that... the crowd she runs with... I'm worried for her," Reid said.

...

She claimed she first met her husband through mutual friends on Facebook and donated an undisclosed amount of money to him, and he proceeded to message her to say thanks.

...

Pinho heads her school's Students for Justice in Palestine club and bragged about injecting her virulent anti-Israel politics into her dance curriculum.

She posted video from a school cultural event in which her students performed the "Dabke Dance" -- a Palestinian folk dance that has come to be associated with terrorism.

...

She boasts that she steered her students into radical anti-Israel protests.

"Students have rights, powers and abilities. . . . they do the fighting, they do the protesting, and we are there to guide them. . . . that is the role that I have found as one of the co-sponsors actually for the Students for Justice in Palestine Club," she said.

Pinho has a long history of antisemitic posts on social media.

Obviously this far-left teacher is a big fan of Noted Conservative Influencer Candace Owens:

Guess the BMI of the UN's (racist, pro-Hamas) special rapporteur on "Health."

There are suspicions that Jill Biden's "book sales" were almost all coordinated purchases of the book by Biden-aligned PACs in the first hours it was available, to fake big first week sales:

streiff @streiffredstate

no secret here. Campaigns and aligned 501c3 mass purchase books to hand out at rallies, in the case of c3, the funds are tax deductible. The book sales end up as income for the author.

Mark Hemingway @Heminator

Just a reminder--the whole list is fake, and doesn't necessarily represent actual sales. The NYT has defended their bestseller list in court as an editorial product.

Supreme Court May Decide Birthright Citizenship Case This Week; RNC Sues Colorado Over Allowing Birth Tourism Foreigners Who Never Even Set Foot in Colorado to Vote There

—Disinformation Expert Ace

In the next few days, we may find out if we have a country or not.

May be. The Disney Groomer Corporation is sad.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to weigh in this week on President Donald Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship by executive order, a move which would upend more than a century of legal precedent and a national tradition that have said babies born on American soil are automatically American citizens.

The ruling, one of the most highly anticipated of the year, is a major test of Trump's unprecedented assertion of presidential power in his second term with major stakes for millions of children and their families.

What is birthright citizenship?

Birthright citizenship is the idea that a child automatically becomes a citizen of the country in which they are born, regardless of the immigration status of their parents.

It reflects the principle of jus soli, or right of the soil, extending citizenship purely on the basis of geographic location.

By contrast, many countries extend citizenship under the principle of jus sanguinis, or right of blood, which is determined by the nationality of a child's parents regardless of the location of birth.

How does birthright citizenship work in the U.S.?

With few exceptions, all babies born on U.S. soil become U.S. citizens.

For the approximately 3.6 million children born in American hospitals every year, the birth certificate alone has been the key to obtaining Social Security numbers, passports and early life benefits.

Into adulthood, the birth certificate has been universally recognized as proof of citizenship for such things as voter registration, employment, home loans and military service.

What does the Constitution say about birthright citizenship?

The 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 to address the legal status of former slaves and their descendants, says plainly that all "persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" are citizens.

If they meant to say that all persons born in the US were citizens, they would have just said that. Instead they added an additional qualification: "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof." That is, not subject to the jurisdiction of a foreign country, that is, not a citizen of another country.

Congress later codified the same language in federal citizenship law enacted in 1940.

Courts and the government have repeatedly interpreted the 14th Amendment to unambiguously confer citizenship on all children born in the U.S., including babies of unauthorized noncitizens and temporary residents, such as asylum seekers, international students, tourists and seasonal workers.

Yes, they have done so by completely ignoring the qualification that you need to be born in the US and be subject to the jurisdiction of the US and not to another country.

Will the Supreme Court agree, finally? I doubt it. Coney Barrett's inclinations are always towards the liberal status quo, unless the case is so clear that it overrides her inclinations. Kavanaugh and Gorsuch both side with liberals in many cases. And Roberts, of course, invented "it's a tax" out of whole cloth -- this had never even been argued by Obama, for the obvious reason that he swore up and down that Obamacare was not a new set of taxes -- to side with the liberal establishment after a brutal influence campaign directed at this weak, status-seeking man.

Meanwhile, in Colorado, we see anew the problem with allowing automatic birthright citizenship. Many people who were born in the US only due to birthright tourism -- flying to the US within a week of delivering a baby to secure that baby US citizenship, before flying back home, usually to China --are permitted to vote in Colorado despite having never, ever actually been residents of Colorado.

Not just birthright citizenship, but birthright permanent voting rights for foreigners living in foreign adversary nations.

The Republican National Committee on Friday filed suit in Denver District state court against Secretary of State Jena Griswold, challenging her office's policy of allowing overseas voters who have never set foot in Colorado to cast ballots in state elections.

Filed just four days before Colorado's primary election, the suit argues Griswold's implementation of the state's overseas voter law runs headlong into the Colorado Constitution's residency requirement.

Griswold is also a candidate for Colorado attorney general in the June 30 Democrat primary.

"Residency is not inherited and cannot be established by proxy," the complaint reads. "An individual who has never personally made Colorado his or her home has not 'resided in this state' within the meaning of Article VII of the Colorado Constitution."

Griswold's office claims that "if you are a United States citizen who has never lived in the United States, you can register to vote in Colorado if your parent, legal guardian, spouse, or domestic partner was a resident of Colorado before leaving the United States."

The complaint argues that allowing residency for voting to pass by proxy through a parent or spouse is unconstitutional, regardless of what the legislature or the secretary of state says.

Joining the RNC in the suit are Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Sheri Davis and U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, who represents the Colorado Springs area.

The plaintiffs argue the policy is a partisan issue as well as a legal problem, pulling no punches on this point: "it is well understood that the overseas civilian voting bloc, which is partly comprised of these illegal never-resident voters, overwhelmingly supports and votes for Democratic Party candidates."

The latter from Stephen Green of Instapundit.

Also from Green:

Publius @OcrazioCornPop

Trump, 2018: "Haiti is a sh!thole country."

Hollywood Libs: "Haiti is a great, truly beautiful country. Trump is a r*cist!"

Trump (& SCOTUS), 2026: "Temporary means temporary, Haitians have to return home to their great, truly beautiful country."

Hollywood Libs: "Haiti is a sh!thole country. They must be allowed to stay forever."

CHECKMATE, LIBTARDS.

WHY ARE HOLLYWOOD LIBS LIKE THIS?

Another (Expected) Deadly Heat Wave Hits Europe, With Some Beginning to Doubt the Green Left's Dogmatic Opposition to Air Conditioning

—Disinformation Expert Ace

Europe is so beaten by the heat that they're willing to entertain embracing the unfashionable American preference for air-conditioning.

How will they reverse their decades-old determination to let the elderly die in heat waves?

As the BBC shows us: Simple! They'll now say that air conditioning is a sad but necessary response to global warming!

Air conditioning creates political divide after France records hottest day

With temperatures soaring, France is being forced to re-think its longstanding reservations about one possible answer to climate change: air-con.

This week debate about la clim (climatisation) has once again burst out, with Marine Le Pen on the populist right urging a mass subsidised roll-out and traditionally hostile Greens conceding that some air-conditioning may now be inevitable.

Currently the country has a low take-up, with only 25% of households equipped with an air-con unit. In Spain and Italy the figure is 50%, and in the US and Japan 90%.

French hospitals and schools are also only rarely equipped. Thousands of schools have had to shut this week, and medical and nursing staff complain of conditions fast becoming intolerable.

But with temperatures nudging 40C - Tuesday was France's hottest day on record - there has been a rush to buy portable air-conditioning appliances, just to let children enjoy a few hours in class, or for suffocating apartment-dwellers to make it through the night.

And more and more, it seems, long-standing opponents of air-conditioning - mainly on the environmentalist left - recognise that it is bound to be part of the country's response to global warming.

This week the head of the Ecologists party Marine Tondelier broke something of a taboo when she said that air-conditioning would be needed in schools and hospitals.

"There are places where we just can't do without it now," she said.

Her break with what she called "anti-clim dogma" is significant because until now the Green movement in France has regarded air-conditioning as the worst of solutions to climate change.

Germany also doesn't have "air con" in hospitals, including in cardiac care units, where you'd think a hospital would want patients to be as stress-free as possible.

In fact, in Germany, they're telling family members of heart attack victims to bring in their own ice-packs for patients recovering from a coronary.

Frenchies are "storming" stores to buy the last few air conditioning units in the country.

Shoppers desperate to escape Europe's brutal heat wave stormed a French store for air conditioners and fans, shoving and scrambling for the last cooling units.

The chaotic scenes unfolded this week at a store in Chambray-les-Tours, where dozens of people waited outside before rushing through the doors as the security shutter rolled open, according to The Sun.

Footage on social media shows shoppers elbowing their way through the crowd and clambering over one another to snatch portable air conditioners and fans from the shelves.

Within seconds, the display had been stripped nearly bare.

The buying frenzy comes as much of Western Europe swelters through a record-breaking heat wave that has pushed temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of France, Spain, and neighboring countries.

The extreme heat has already taken a deadly toll.

French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari posted on X that at least 55 people have drowned across France as residents sought relief from the soaring temperatures in rivers, lakes and other waterways.

Among the most heartbreaking cases was the death of a 3-year-old boy who became trapped inside a family car in Saint-Gratien, outside Paris, on Wednesday, authorities said.

The child climbed into the vehicle after his father told him to take a nap, but the car's child-lock system engaged, trapping him inside as outside temperatures climbed above 85 degrees.

He was discovered about 45 minutes later but could not be revived.

They're limiting sales of alcohol to try to reduce the rates of heat-related hospitalizations:

"We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities," Paris police chief Patrice Faure said Thursday.

This is pure European neofeudalism: The EU commission wants to show that its doing its part to reduce "global warming" by turning off AC in part of the building.

Specifically, the eight lower floors where the plebes work.

The top seven floors where the elites work will have full AC:

Pieter Cleppe @pietercleppe

The EU Commission in Brussels has shut off airco, but only for the lower floors, where the lower ranks work:

"It's like feudalism," a Commission official working on a lower level of the Berlaymont, granted anonymity to speak freely, told POLITICO on Friday, referring to the fact that upper floors housing commissioners got to keep their AC on. A second official agreed it was a "disgrace."

The European Commission's headquarters was forced to shut down its air-conditioning system on Friday due to the heat wave.

Staff working at the Berlaymont building received a text at midday, reading: "BERL -- URGENT -- Due to extreme weather conditions, forced shut down of air cooling system from floor 1 to 7 for the rest of the day."

The 13-story building is home to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, her 26 commissioners and about 3,000 staff. Von der Leyen works on the 13th floor, and most of her commissioners' offices are housed on floors eight or above.

JD Vance Appears on Bill Maher

—Disinformation Expert Ace

Before that: Anderson Cooper, who was almost certainly about to be let go by Bari Weiss for being an expensive semen-hued Nepo Boomer who contributes nothing to the network, now lets it leak that he doesn't want to work for the Jew anyway.

And I don't mean that he doesn't want to work for Weiss at 60 Minutes, which is already a fait accompli. He already didn't sign a renewed contract, probably after Weiss offered him a lowball, "I want you to reject this" kind of offer.

I mean he says he wants to leave CNN, too.

Which is also probably a fait accompli.

CNN star Anderson Cooper has privately told colleagues he does not want to work for CBS News boss Bari Weiss if she is ultimately put in charge of the cable network following Paramount Skydance's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a report.

Cooper has made his feelings known internally as Paramount chief executive David Ellison weighs whether to give Weiss oversight of both CBS News and CNN once the roughly $111 billion merger closes, the New York Times reported.

Cooper's reported opposition comes as other top CNN figures are also signaling resistance to a potential Weiss-led future.

According to the Times, CNN chief executive Mark Thompson has told Paramount officials he will not share oversight of the network with another executive, while longtime anchor Jake Tapper recently met with Ellison in Los Angeles.

The Times said it was not known what the two men discussed.

What they almost certainly discussed is the fact that they're making $3-7 million per year to deliver moderate YouTube-level ratings, and how they could either reduce that salary or increase those ratings.

The report says Ellison remains supportive of Weiss despite months of upheaval at CBS News, where she has overseen a sweeping overhaul of the news division since taking over as editor-in-chief last year.

One option under consideration would pair Weiss with a seasoned television executive responsible for the operational and financial side of the combined news organizations while she retained editorial oversight, according to the Times.

...

Not long afterward, Cooper also chose not to renew his contract with "60 Minutes," ending a nearly two-decade run as a correspondent for the iconic newsmagazine while remaining at CNN.

Now on to Bill Maher:

Maher made the claim that Trump hadn't done anything about Iran's nuclear program.

Now, I'm very dissatisfied with Trump's jerky prosecution of this non-war, but I'd never say he did nothing about Iran's nuke program.

When Vance challenged him on this daffy claim, Maher resorted to typical shitlib CNN talking points that because Trump had not sent in ground troops to seize "the dust" (the buried radioactive residuum of Iran's nuke program), this means that Trump had effectively done nothing at all and Iran's nuke program was still at full force.

What a stupid, hackish, stupid (it's stupid doubly) thing to say.

Vice President JD Vance argued during an interview with Bill Maher Friday that "America wins" even if Iran refuses to sign a deal that would end the war.

"If we don't make the final deal, their nuclear program is still destroyed, they're still much weaker as a country," Vance said during his appearance on "Real Time with Bill Maher."

"So my attitude is America wins either way," he added.

Vance noted that President Trump tasked US negotiators with "something that frankly, nobody in 47 years of dealing with the Iranians has done, which is offer them an opportunity to fundamentally transform how they behave with the West."

"If they're willing to change, we're willing to change, too," the vice president said, adding, "If they're not willing to change, we still fundamentally have all the cards.

"I think it's a good place for us to be."

The 41-year-old veep jetted off to Switzerland last weekend for high-stakes meetings with Iranian representatives mediated by Pakistani and Qatari officials.

During his face-to-face remarks with Tehran's top negotiators last Sunday, Vance declared the Trump administration's goal was to "transform our relationship" with Iran.

"What the president has asked us to do is turn over a new leaf to transform our relationship with the people of Iran, and to extend an outstretched hand that says to the people of Iran that if your leadership is willing to give up being a driver of regional instability," Vance said.

"If they are willing to give up nuclear weapons ambitions for the long term, then the United States is willing to fundamentally transform our relationship with that country," he went on. "That is certainly our goal."

Of course, Iran once again fired on a ship in the strait. As anyone not part of the Trump Administration said they would.

The MOU between President Trump and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian was meant to stop fighting and kick off 60 days of talks for a grand deal to end Tehran's nuclear program.

On Friday, hours before Vance's sit-down with Maher, Trump claimed Iran had violated the cease-fire after an Iranian drone struck Singaporean-flagged ship M/V Ever Lovely.

The attack came after Iran warned vessels to ignore a US-approved shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz, along the Omani coast, instead hoping for the ships to use a passage of their choosing.

Following the "foolish violation," US forces conducted military strikes in Iran, targeting Iranian drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites.

On Saturday, Iran claimed it had struck targets linked to the US in response to Friday's strikes but didn't identify the targets, according to Reuters.

Not that I care about Bill Maher, but he did say that the left's headlong embrace of communism, Third Worldism, Hamas-ism, and antisemitism might make him vote Republican in 2028.

Overton @overton_news

Jun 27

WHOA: Bill Maher looks JD Vance dead in the eye and says his "vote is in play" for 2028.

Maher openly admitted to Vance that if socialists take over the Democratic Party, he's likely voting for him or Rubio.

MAHER: "Like, if this is where the Democratic Party is going, where this Democratic socialist, this obsession with Israel, with the Jew hating, they don't believe in capitalism, no prisons..."

"If this is where they're going, my vote is in play."

VANCE: "Okay, I like to hear that."

MAHER: "It actually always has been. Every year, I don't make my decision by who has an R or a D, I actually always came to the conclusion that the Democrat was probably better and voted for them."

"And Trump can't run again and he'd be a little too exciting for me anyway."

"So it's either going to be you or Rubio."

Maher of course had to virtue signal about he and his fellow liberals are completely honorable about accepting the results of elections and demanded to know why Trump and Vance won't "concede" the 2020 election.

RedWave Press @RedWavePress

Bill Maher: "Can you tell me you will do that? Will you bring us back to the middle at least on that, where we concede elections, where it's not either one of those two options?"

Vice President JD Vance: "So this is where I'm probably going to lose you here."

Bill Maher: "That happened about eight minutes ago."

Vice President JD Vance: "I don't think that we should not concede elections, but I don't think that's what's going on... The president and I have talked a lot about this."

"Is it true that large technology companies, some of whom have financial interests that exist outside the United States of America, were they censoring information in the run-up to an election?"

"The biggest criticism I had of the 2020 election is that you had technology companies that were quite literally censoring negative information about the left and promoting negative information about the right."

"If the First Amendment says we have a free and open debate and the American people judge on that free and open debate, the sense in which I think the election in 2020 was rigged, I'm sorry, is that you had technology companies that were putting their thumb on the scale in a way that completely obliterated the real open exchange of ideas."

Video here.

In 2017, Maher vigorously agreed with special guest Keith Olberman that Trump was an "illegitimate" president and only in office due to Russian interference.

Nine Democrat-Led States, Plus Vermont, Refuse to Send any Delegation to the Nation's 250th Anniversary "National State Fair"

—Disinformation Expert Ace

Julia 🇺🇸 @Jules31415

10 states--Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Pennsylvania--have confirmed they will not send an official delegation to the "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall in celebration of America's 250th.

9 of the states are led by Democratic governors, with Vermont being the only Republican-governed state to decline involvement so far.

Notably, PA Gov. Josh Shapiro tops the list of highest paid governors.

It's the countdown to the nation's 250th anniversary, but it doesn't feel like it. The left is doing a good job of what it always does, ruining things with their endless, insatiable hatred and drive to destroy.

Here's some of what Wikipedia has to say about the bicentennial celebrations of 1976:

1976 events

1976 festivities included elaborate fireworks in the skies above major US cities. President Ford presided over the display in Washington, D.C., which was televised nationally. Celebrations in cities and towns across the nation opened into full effect including celebrations such as Operation Sail (Op Sail), a large international fleet parade of tall-masted sailing ships gathering first in New York City on Independence Day and then in Boston about one week later. Other large-scale events, such as reenactments, parades, and booms in commercialized commemoration, spread across the nation as the year went on.
New York

In addition to the presence of the 'tall ships', navies of many nations sent warships to New York harbor for an International Naval Review held the morning of July 4. President Ford sailed down the Hudson River into New York harbor aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Wainwright to review the international fleet and receive salutes from each visiting ship, ending with a salute from the Royal Navy guided-missile destroyer HMS London. The review ended just above Liberty Island at around 10:30 am.

Washington, D.C.

Johnny Cash served as the Grand Marshal of the US Bicentennial parade.[24]

The event was attended by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The royal couple made a state visit to the United States, toured the country, and attended other Bicentennial functions with President and Mrs. Ford. Their visit aboard the British royal yacht HMY Britannia included stops in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Virginia, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

The Smithsonian Institution opened a long-term exhibition in its Arts and Industries Building replicating the look and feel of the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, including artifacts from earlier exposition. The Bicentennial Festival of American Folklife, a collaboration of the Smithsonian with thousands of national and international scholars, folk artisans, and performers, hosted programs in the western part of the National Mall five days a week for twelve weeks in the summer of 1976.[25] The Smithsonian also opened the new home of the National Air and Space Museum on July 1, 1976.[26]

Government celebration

George Washington was posthumously appointed to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States by the congressional joint resolution Public Law 94-479 passed January 19, 1976, with an effective appointment date of July 4, 1976.[27] This restored Washington's position as the highest-ranking military officer in US history.[a]

NASA commemorated the Bicentennial by staging a science and technology exhibit housed in a series of geodesic domes in the parking lot of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) called Third Century America. An American flag and the Bicentennial emblem were also painted on the side of the VAB; the emblem remained until 1998, when it was painted over with the NASA insignia. NASA planned for Viking 1 to land on Mars on July 4, but delayed the landing to July 20, the anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. On the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, NASA held the rollout ceremony of the first Space Shuttle (which NASA had planned to name Constitution but was, instead, named "Enterprise" in honor of its fictional namesake on the television series Star Trek[29]).

Delaware crossing reenactment

On November 20 and 21 of 1976, participants immersed themselves in the era by donning period-accurate uniforms and equipping themselves with the tools and weaponry characteristic of that Christmas night over two centuries prior.[30] The reenactment unfolded as a grand spectacle, featuring a flotilla of boats navigating the icy currents of the Delaware River.

Since then, the Crossing the Delaware reenactment has occurred every year to relive and recognize this moment.[31]

Trump is trying to do something with this National State Fair concept but the left is boycotting as usual.

Poll: Most Democrats want to leave the US but unfortunately they're all lazy and incapable of doing any of the things they say they want t o do.

A new survey from Elon University found that a majority of Democrats would prefer living in another country rather than the United States, underscoring growing ideological divides over patriotism, national identity, and perceptions of the American Dream.

One of the June 2 survey's most notable findings showed that 55 percent of Democrats answered "yes" when asked whether there is another country where they would rather live today than the United States. Only 10 percent of Republicans responded similarly.

The result suggests that many Democrats view the United States less favorably than Republicans, despite Democrats continuing to participate in the country's political and cultural institutions.

The survey found even more dramatic differences regarding America's upcoming 250th anniversary.

Sixty-eight percent of Republicans reported feeling proud about America250, while only 18 percent of Democrats said the same. Likewise, 75 percent of Republicans agreed that the American Dream remains achievable regardless of circumstance if people work hard enough, compared to just 25 percent of Democrats.

The gap suggests that attitudes toward America's history and founding ideals increasingly break along partisan lines, even as universities and civic organizations prepare for the historic anniversary.

Are you seeing any bunting or just feeling the 250th coming?

So Close to Pride Month?

—Disinformation Expert Ace

I linked a clip of this on Friday or Thursday.

Below, pro-trans, pro-gay, pro-sex-offender, pro-pedophile senator Scott Weiner is harassed and driven out of a "Pride" month by militant Hamas supporters who claim he's, get this, a "center-right shill."

Supreme Court Rules That the Chief Executive Does In Fact Have the Power to Fire His Own Executive Branch Employees

—Disinformation Expert Ace

Liberal congresses passed laws to establish so-called "independent agencies," which are executive branch agencies intended to be independent from the very executive they're part of.

This is plainly unconstitutional. The Constitution establishes that there is an Executive branch headed by a Chief Executive, the president, who is vested with all of the power of the executive branch of government. Congress may not set up fakey-fake "independent" agencies which are part of the Executive and yet not part of the Executive.

Today, an hour ago, the Supreme Court re-introduced the Constitution into constitutional law about firing the heads of "independent" agencies.

Benjamin Ryan @benryanwriter

1h

NEWS: Supreme Court overrules a 90-year-old precedent and frees the president to fire independent agency heads

The Supreme Court ruled today that President Trump can remove Federal Trade Commission members at will, and in doing so it overruled Humphrey's Executor, the 1935 decision that has protected independent agencies for nine decades. The case is Trump v. Slaughter, and it reshapes the federal bureaucracy.

The fight began when Trump fired the FTC's two Democratic commissioners, Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, early in his second term. He did not claim cause. He simply said their service no longer fit his administration's priorities. Federal law says FTC commissioners can be removed only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance. Slaughter sued to get her job back and won below.

The Court reversed. Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the majority, said the Constitution vests executive power in one president who must be able to remove the officers who wield that power on his behalf. Because the FTC clearly exercises executive power, he wrote, its commissioners answer to the president. Humphrey's Executor, he said, has long been a result in search of a rationale, and the Court let it go.

The vote was 6 to 3. Roberts was joined by Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. Sotomayor dissented, joined by Kagan and Jackson.

The Federal Reserve, however, keeps its unconstitutional independence from the Executive:

It's worth noting alongside the Cook decision handed down the same day. The Court protected the Federal Reserve's independence there while stripping it from the FTC here, drawing an explicit line around the central bank as a historical exception. So independent agencies lose their shield, but the Fed keeps its own.

In the typical way, Roberts and Coney Barret sided with the liberals in holding, 5-4, that the "Election Day" mentioned in the Constitution doesn't actually mean Election Day at all and that ballots can be counted no matter how long after Election Day they're received.

They do have be postmarked by Election day, though.

And no one could possibly fake a mail stamp.

SCOTUS Wire @scotus_wire

🚨 In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that federal law does not require mail-in ballots to be received by Election Day, holding that states may count ballots postmarked by Election Day but received afterward if state law allows it.

Full decision, by Barrett (of course), here.

THE MORNING RANT: Trump-Bashing Felon John Bolton is Scheduled for a Fireside Chat Today with National Review to Discuss Character and Leadership

—Buck Throckmorton

John Bolton is a megalomaniac felon who compromised national security by illegally retaining and sharing confidential documents. But he is also a Trump-basher who once served as National Security Adviser, therefore he is now a hero to the left and to the faux-conservative media that is still desperate to remove the elected President from office.

If you consider Bolton’s criminal behavior and hatred of President Trump to be inspiring, you have company – so does “conservative” publication National Review. Unless Mr. Bolton’s guilty plea last week has changed anything, you have the opportunity today to listen to Mr. Bolton discuss leadership and national security in a “virtual fireside chat,” courtesy of National Review.

But first, in case you missed the news last week, John Bolton has just pleaded guilty to illegally retaining and sharing classified national security documents. This is a felony offense.

“Former Trump adviser John Bolton pleads guilty in classified files case; Bolton served as national security adviser in Donald Trump’s first administration before becoming a vocal critic of the president” [Washington Post – 6/27/2026]

For his criminal behavior, Mr. Bolton faces penalties including:

• Up to 5 years in prison.
• Forfeiture of his government pension.
• Fine of $2.25 million.

The National Review Institute is hosting an “American Leadership & National Security” seminar in Newport Beach today. Jim Geraghty, Noah Rothman, and other Trump-hating “conservatives” are scheduled to join Mr. Bolton in discussing character and leadership.

Below the fold is the actual invitation from National Review inviting people to hear Mr. Bolton discuss the character he brings to the battle. National Review praises the felon for his “distinguished public service” and for his “principled leadership.”

For some inexplicable reason, National Review and its writers are still held in esteem by many actual conservatives. This is despite National Review’s false-flag effort to elect Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris over the past three presidential elections (for the alleged purpose of “saving conservatism.”)

NR’s writers also sneer at Trump’s character, yet they embrace a felon such as John Bolton because he is willing to commit national security crimes to take down President Trump. There is little difference at this point between Tucker Carlson and National Review. Both are wearing the skinsuit of their former conservative identities while trying to help the left derail the conservative agenda at a time when conservatives have the electoral upper hand in Congress and the White House.

Mid-Morning Art Thread

—CBD

Crossing the Pasture
Winslow Homer

The Morning Report — 6/ 29 /26

—J.J. Sefton

Good morning kids. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, but there's lots to get to so let's dive right in. And given the insane deranged reactions over President Trump's renovation of the Capitol Reflecting Pool, the metaphors write themselves. And speaking of Scum on Parade...

Two of the “Team Algae” demonstrators photographed in front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool wearing pro-algae tee shirts earlier this month, were also involved in loud and disruptive pro-abortion demonstrations outside of Justice Brett Kavanaugh home in 2022. Pro-abort agitators terrorized the entire neighborhood for weeks after the Supreme Court’s draft majority opinion overturning of Roe v. Wade was leaked to the media. A neighbor told Fox News in June 2022 that the agitators would show up at approximately 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

“It’s a horrific experience,” the neighbor told Fox. “It’s not great if you have kids of any age, but it’s unbelievably stressful, and the kids are very upset. The kids have to be sent inside, and it’s so loud you can’t put your kids to sleep.” “They have drummers. They have a megaphone, and they chant. They yell all kinds of things … They have told neighbors ‘F-ck you, f-ck your children,’ things like that—and, so they’re abusive toward the neighbors and intimidating,” the source told the outlet. “They were very, very loud, very, very aggressive. They dance in the streets as well,” the person added.

And remember that a man was apprehended right outside Kavanaugh's house intending to kidnap and/murder the Justice and his family. This not very long after Chuck Schumer openly made a terroristic threat at him and Neil Gorsuch back in 2020.

there have been several arrests including a former Olympic athlete charged with vandalism to the pool, all because they hate President Trump. And if they're willing to do that as the previous stories illustrate as well as what we have seen over the past few years, these sick fiends have no qualms about coming after us. Not only them but those in power who will and have used their power to do just that under the cover of the law.

“These are not social Democrats, these are hard core, godless Communists. This is the most serious threat to our Country since its existence 250 years ago. Isn’t it ironic, we’re celebrating a very important Birthday, and instead of speaking about Christ, Freedom, and Victories of all different kinds, we’re speaking about yet another threat to the Foundations of America. These ruthless Communists will attack all Religions but, in particular, Christianity – They always do.” – President Trump. . .Trump’s statement follows recent New York primary wins for Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) backed candidates Claire Valdez, Aber Kawas, and Darializa Avila Chevalier, known for publicly criticizing black and Arab men for “fetishizing ugly colonizer [white] women,” in New York this week. This prompted longtime Democrat strategist James Carville to say on Wednesday that he is “done” with the Democrats if there is no “schism” with the far left. President Trump said on Friday that the Democrats are “afraid” to take on communist entryists, adding: “They’re not smart enough or tough enough to fight this plague. If they fought them the way they fight Republicans, or me, they’d be victorious, but they don’t have the courage to do so.”

Well, the problem Mr. President is that they do not want to fight the "plague" as you describe it because the Democrat Party as a whole is the plague, and always has been.

Just like there is no such thing as radical Islam but Islam itself, there is no moderate or sane Democrat Party just a party that has historically sought the destruction of the American experiment and with it the complete subjugation of the American people under Democrat control, forever. Period full stop.

Have a good day,

ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
• The crash raises questions about aviation safety and security in China’s capital, and highlights the lack of transparency from the Chinese authorities following such incidents.
  Plane Hits Beijing’s Biggest Skyscraper, CCP Censorship in Full Force.

Daily Tech News 29 June 2026

—Pixy Misa

• Tokenmaxxing is dead. Long live tokenmaxxing. (12 Grams of Carbon)
  
  We have reached a tipping point where spending infinite amounts of money can sometimes make the result better rather than worse.
  
  
  
• AI coding costs are on track to match human payrolls. (Infoworld)
  
  But you are still spending infinite amounts of money.

Sunday Overnight Open Thread - June 28, 2026 [Doof]

—Open Blogger

Howdy Hordelings! Welcome to the Sunday ONT. Hope your weekend has been a good one. Open thread, as always. Fashion and music, as always. What's on YOUR mind tonight?

***

So it's Sunday. First day of the week. Ever wonder why we have seven days in a week? Of course you have!

Why Is a Week 7 Days?

The seven-day week is so deeply baked into modern life that it feels almost inevitable. Workdays, weekends, school schedules, streaming release dates — nearly everything runs on the same seven-day rhythm. But there’s nothing especially natural about a week. Unlike a year, a month, or a day, it doesn’t neatly correspond to a major astronomical event.

While a year is tied to Earth’s orbit around the sun, a month is roughly one full cycle of moon phases, and a day is one rotation of Earth on its axis, the length of a week isn’t cut and dry. So why is it seven days instead of, say, five, eight, or 12?

The seven-day week has endured for thousands of years, surviving empires, revolutions, religious shifts, and even a few determined attempts to replace it. Its origins lie in a mix of astronomy, astrology, religion, and ancient practicality — with a healthy dose of historical debate.

Check out the whole thing. Be a history nerd!

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My predecessor as Sunday Night ONT host would often feature a "Genius Award Winner" segment. I'd like to foray into those waters tonight.

Man Uses Massage Gun on His Eyes with Disastrous Consequences

Doctors Niamh O’Connell ‍‍and Ashraf Khan were shocked when the unnamed patient showed up at an eye treatment center in the Scottish capital, because both of his eyes were in terrible shape. His right eye had multiple retinal tears, widespread retinal bruising, and a condition called retinal dialysis, while the left eye also had significant retinal bruising and six small horseshoe tears.

***

Left without a real explanation, the doctors asked the patient about anything “untoward involving the eyes,” and that was when he reluctantly told them that he had been using a percussive massage gun both around and directly on both eyes, on a weekly basis, for around three months. He hadn’t noticed anything unusual until a few days prior to his visit to the eye treatment center, when he started seeing floaters and flashing lights in his right eye.

***

The young patient reportedly used the massage gun on his eyes to relieve the feeling of tiredness, but the percussive action had unintended consequences. The massage gun is believed to have rapidly compressed the eyeballs back, causing them to squish out from the sides, leading to retinal dialysis.

How'd I do, Mis Hum?

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Moron approved behavior

This is soooo stinkin funny!😂 pic.twitter.com/THYf1gzoj1

— Sherri Unfiltered™ (@FFT1776) June 28, 2026

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Fake but accurate

This would be me if you interviewed me after a round🤣🤣🍻🍻 pic.twitter.com/wbYipq4sec

— Tyler Ratcliff (@TylerRatcliff17) June 27, 2026

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The Sophie Cunningham finger pointing meme is not going away any time soon!

Nick Shirley finding fraud 🤣 pic.twitter.com/5dyvNHzfqa

— Gizmo Memes (@GizmoMemes) June 27, 2026

***

'Ette Couture (Courtesy of Piper)

It's that time of the week - when we turn the ONT over to our good friend Piper for a bit. Here's this week's fashion pr0n.

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The Evolution of Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses have transformed dramatically over eight centuries from clunky medieval tools reserved for scholars to sleek, high-tech accessories.

Long before modern spectacles, people experimented with magnification. Ancient Romans and Greeks used polished crystals or water-filled globes as simple magnifiers. In China, smoky quartz panes served as early eye protection as far back as the 12th century.

The first true wearable eyeglasses emerged in northern Italy around 1286–1290. These “rivet spectacles” featured two convex lenses set in frames connected by a rivet at the bridge. Worn by balancing them on the nose or holding them by hand, they primarily were used by scholars for reading.

The 18th century introduced temple glasses with side arms. However, many preferred discreet handheld styles like lorgnettes, elegant opera glasses with a handle. Monocles emerged as a sophisticated accessory for the upper class. Benjamin Franklin’s bifocals (around 1784) added functionality.

Mass production made glasses more accessible. Pince-nez (“pinch the nose”) became hugely popular; spring-loaded clips gripped the nose without temples. Often attached to a chain or cord, they projected an intellectual or bourgeois image. Monocles reinforced upper-class sophistication. Glasses increasingly signaled education and refinement.

The 20th century marked the true shift from medical necessity to style statement.

1920s–1930s:

Round metal or tortoiseshell frames dominated, evoking the Jazz Age and intellectual chic. Women began wearing them more openly as fashion accessories.

1940s–1950s:

Browline frames (half-rim with prominent upper plastic or horn) became iconic for men, think Buddy Holly, projecting a smart, modern masculinity. For women, dramatic cat-eye frames symbolized femininity and confidence. Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe helped popularize upswept, playful shapes

1960s:

Round wire-rim or teashade glasses exploded with the counterculture movement. John Lennon’s round frames became synonymous with peace, rebellion, and artistic expression. Oversized and geometric shapes also emerged.

1970s:

Aviator styles exuded cool, adventurous masculinity. Oversized square or geometric frames captured the disco era. Sunglasses trends heavily influenced ophthalmic eyewear.

1980s:

Large, colorful plastic frames dominated, think bright reds, neons, and geometric shapes. They matched the era’s bold power suits and shoulder pads. Oversized was in for both men and women.

Late 20th to Early 21st Century:

Designer brands (Gucci, Chanel, Ray-Ban) turned glasses into luxury items. The 1990s favored thin metal frames and minimalist looks, while the 2000s saw hipster revivals of round and Wayfarer styles.

And in 2026? Oversized and architectural frames dominate, but with more thoughtful proportions than previous years. Expect deep bevels, volumetric acetate, thick fronts, and sculptural details that play with light and shadow. These create strong presence while remaining wearable.

The palette leans toward calm sophistication with new neutrals taking center stage:

Soft sage, sand, dusty rose, powdery olive, and slate metallics

Warm tortoise remains a perennial favorite

Tone-on-tone combinations (frame and lens in harmonious shades) create refined cohesion

Bold accents appear as pops: rich reds, teals, purples, and metallic shines.

Current trends build on historical evolution: the cat-eye glamour of the 1950s, the counterculture rounds of the 1960s, and the bold plastics of the 1980s all echo in today’s revivals, now elevated with better materials, comfort, and technology - something that is a discussion topic on it’s own.

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Thanks, Piper!

Don't forget to check out Piper's X page.

***

DJ Doof - Memphis Edition

I heard one of these songs on SiriusXM Classic Rewind today. So Memphis gets the call tonight!

***

Tonight's ONT brought to you by Cleveland

The Cleveland Arcade decorated with American flags for the U.S. Bicentennial in October 1976 in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/LTDaWnQhEQ

— Echoes of War (@EchoesofWarYT) June 28, 2026

***

Hello from Doof Enterprises, LLC! That's all. Nothing clever or sarcastic. Just friendliness. Carry on.

Your feedback may or may not be very important to Doof Enterprises. Follow Mr. Doof on X @doof2112 or do the email thing – doof2112 at proton dot me.

Close it up

Gun Thread: Final June Edition!

—Weasel

Howdy, Y'all! Welcome to the wondrously fabulous Gun Thread! As always, I want to thank all of our regulars for being here week in and week out, and also offer a bigly Gun Thread welcome to any newcomers who may be joining us tonight. Howdy and thank you for stopping by! I hope you find our wacky conversation on the subject of guns 'n shooting both enjoyable and informative. You are always welcome to lurk in the shadows of shame, but I'd like to invite you to jump into the conversation, say howdy, and tell us what kind of shooting you like to do!

Holy Shitballs! How in the ever-loving Hell did it get to be the Final June Edition? Adios June! Coming soon: July Editions!

With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?