Birth of the U.S. Marine Corps on November 10, 1775

Birth of the U.S. Marine Corps: During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress passes a resolution stating that “two Battalions of Marines be raised” for service as landing forces for the recently formed Continental Navy. The resolution, drafted by future U.S. president John Adams and adopted in Philadelphia, created the Continental Marines and is now observed as the birth date of the United States Marine Corps.

Serving on land and at sea, the original U.S. Marines distinguished themselves in a number of important operations during the Revolutionary War. The first Marine landing on a hostile shore occurred when a force of Marines under Captain Samuel Nicholas captured New Province Island in the Bahamas from the British in March 1776. Nicholas was the first commissioned officer in the Continental Marines and is celebrated as the first Marine commandant. After American independence was achieved in 1783, the Continental Navy was demobilized and its Marines disbanded.

In the next decade, however, increasing conflict at sea with Revolutionary France led the U.S. Congress to establish formally the U.S. Navy in May 1798. Two months later, on July 11, President John Adams signed the bill establishing the U.S. Marine Corps as a permanent military force under the jurisdiction of the Department of Navy. U.S. Marines saw action in the so-called Quasi-War with France and then fought against the Barbary pirates of North Africa during the first years of the 19th century. Since then, Marines have participated in all the wars of the United States and in most cases were the first soldiers to fight. In all, Marines have executed more than 300 landings on foreign shores.

Today, there are more than 200,000 active-duty and reserve Marines, divided into three divisions stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Camp Pendleton, California; and Okinawa, Japan. Each division has one or more expeditionary units, ready to launch major operations anywhere in the world on two weeks’ notice. Marines expeditionary units are self-sufficient, with their own tanks, artillery, and air forces. The motto of the service is Semper Fidelis, meaning “Always Faithful” in Latin.

History.com / Wikipedia / Encyclopedia Britannica / Military.com / U.S. Naval History Institute.org / Marine Corps University.edu / Birth of the U.S. Marine Corps on November 10, 1775 (YouTube)

Sesame Street debuts on November 10, 1969

Sesame Street debuts: On this day in 1969, “Sesame Street”, a pioneering TV show that would teach generations of young children the alphabet and how to count, makes its broadcast debut. “Sesame Street”, with its memorable theme song (“Can you tell me how to get/How to get to Sesame Street”), went on to become the most widely viewed children’s program in the world. It has aired in more than 120 countries.

The show was the brainchild of Joan Ganz Cooney, a former documentary producer for public television. Cooney’s goal was to create programming for preschoolers that was both entertaining and educational. She also wanted to use TV as a way to help underprivileged 3- to 5- year-olds prepare for kindergarten. “Sesame Street” was set in a fictional New York neighborhood and included ethnically diverse characters and positive social messages.

Taking a cue from “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In”, a popular 1960s variety show, “Sesame Street” was built around short, often funny segments featuring puppets, animation and live actors. This format was hugely successful, although over the years some critics have blamed the show and its use of brief segments for shrinking children’s attention spans.

From the show’s inception, one of its most-loved aspects has been a family of puppets known as Muppets. Joan Ganz Cooney hired puppeteer Jim Henson (1936-1990) to create a cast of characters that became Sesame Street institutions, including Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover and Big Bird.

The subjects tackled by “Sesame Street” have evolved with the times. In 2002, the South African version of the program, “Takalani Sesame,” introduced a 5-year-old Muppet character named Kami who is HIV-positive, in order to help children living with the stigma of a disease that has reached epidemic proportions. In 2006, a new Muppet, Abby Cadabby, made her debut and was positioned as the show’s first female star character, in an effort to encourage diversity and provide a strong role model for girls.

Since its inception, over 74 million Americans have watched “Sesame Street”. Today, an estimated 8 million people tune in to the show each week in the U.S. alone.

Histpry.com / Wikipedia / Encyclopedia Britannica / Fandom / Sesame Street debuts on November 10, 1969 (YouTube)

Germans take Vichy France on November 10, 1942

Germans take Vichy France: On this day in 1942, German troops occupy Vichy France, which had previously been free of an Axis military presence.

Since July 1940, upon being invaded and defeated by Nazi German forces, the autonomous French state had been split into two regions. One was occupied by German troops, and the other was unoccupied, governed by a more or less puppet regime centered in Vichy, a spa region about 200 miles southeast of Paris, and led by General Philippe Petain, a World War I hero. Publicly, Petain declared that Germany and France had a common goal, “the defeat of England”. Privately, the French general hoped that by playing mediator between the Axis power and his fellow countrymen, he could keep German troops out of Vichy France while surreptitiously aiding the antifascist Resistance movement.

Petain’s compromises became irrelevant within two years. When Allied forces arrived in North Africa to team up with the Free French Forces to beat back the Axis occupiers, and French naval crews, emboldened by the Allied initiative, scuttled the French fleet off Toulon, in southeastern France, to keep it from being used by those same Axis powers, Hitler retaliated. In violation of the 1940 armistice agreement, German troops moved into southeastern-Vichy, France. From that point forward, Petain became virtually useless, and France merely a future gateway for the Allied counteroffensive in Western Europe, namely, D-Day.

History.com / Wikipedia / Encyclopedia Britannica / National Archives.gov / Jewish Virtual Library.org / USHMM.org / National Archives and Records Administration.gov / Library Of Congres.gov / Germans take Vichy France on November 10, 1942 (YouTube)

Understanding Military Terminology

National Security Council

(DOD) A governmental body specifically designed to assist the President in integrating all spheres of national security policy.

Also called NSC.

Joint Publications (JP 1) Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States

National Security interests

(DOD) The foundation for the development of valid national objectives that define United States goals or purposes.

Joint Publications (JP 1) Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States

National Security Strategy

(DOD) A document approved by the President of the United States for developing, applying, and coordinating the instruments of national power to achieve objectives that contribute to national security.

Also called NSS. See also National Military Strategy; Strategy; Theater Strategy..

Joint Publications (JP 1) Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States

The Old Salt’s Corner

“Lonely Lighthouse - The Sentinel”

I’m a lonely lighthouse battered by the sea

Standing all alone steadfast and strong

Keeping guard for souls in difficulty

Maintaining my watch all day long

Waves exploding but I’m standing firm

Salty spray splashes over me

A soldier of the sea I confirm

I ‘m committed to my duty

Storm or tempest I will never fear

Tsunami or swirling hurricane

Shining my light so you know I’m here

For sailors, I will always remain

~ Jan Allison

“I’m Just Sayin”

“The farther backward you can look,

the farther forward you will see.”

“You will never reach your destination,

if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”

“Success is not final;

“failure is not fatal.

It is the courage to continue that counts.”

“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile

hoping it will eat him last.”

~ Winston Churchill

“Thought for the Day”

“Try to make sense of what you see

and wonder about what makes the universe exist.

Be curious,

and however difficult life may seem,

there is always something you can do,

and succeed at.

If words control you,

It matters that you don’t just give up.

~ Stephen Hawking

“What I Learned”

“No one heals themselves

by wounding another.”

“A bad attitude is like a flat tire.

You can’t go anywhere until you change it.”

“Wise men speak because they have something to say,

fools speak because they have to say something.”

~ Anonymous

Second Hand News (Links to Articles from Week 45 - November 04, 2019 - November 10, 2019)

Mueller interview notes reveal Trump campaign 'Get the emails', referring to 33,000 emails that Clinton deleted and bleached • Clinton ally Sidney Blumenthal reportedly tried to kill Russia 'scandal' book • 'Why is it okay for Republicans to do it?': Chris Wallace asks how closed-door Benghazi hearings differ from impeachment process

Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Criminal Activity In New York City Subway Fare Jumping • Maria Butina claims racism against Russians to blame for her incarceration • Elizabeth Warren: Laid off healthcare workers can work in auto and life insurance industries

Smugglers are sawing through new parts of border wall • Veterans call for Delta Force dog Conan to get Purple Heart • Chilling similarity: Two veterans at same VA facility killed themselves while sitting on their military records Washington Examiner

AOC backs anti-cop protesters who stormed Brooklyn subway station as she tweets 'arresting people who can't afford a $2.75 fare makes no one safer' • 'NYC is getting dirty and unsafe again.' Donald Trump attacks state's governor Andrew Cuomo as 'brother of Fredo' in jibe at CNN's Chris and claims the city's cops are 'being disrespected'

President appears to warn that he will release damaging information about war hero Alexander Vindman who testified against him at impeachment inquiry • Get the emails': Documents released from Mueller probe reveal how Donald Trump ordered his camp to get stolen DNC emails from WikiLeaks in 2016

Medicare-for-All: Elizabeth Warren finally releases her $52 TRILLION health care plan and claims taxes for the middle class will not be raised by 'one penny' to cover cost • 'Your insurance is like a bad boyfriend': SNL skewers Elizabeth Warren's $52 trillion Medicare For All plan

U.S. economy added 128,000 new jobs in last three months in boost to Donald Trump - despite striking GM workers being counted as unemployed • Donald Trump launches scathing attack on Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district, saying the city 'has really gone down hill' with rampant homelessness and drugs, just hours after the impeachment vote Daily Mail UK

Mr. Answer Man Please Tell Us: Why Do Supreme Court Justices Serve for Life?

There are few political appointments quite as important as a nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Unlike a cabinet secretary or an ambassador, justices serve for life. In the modern era, that often means more than three decades on the court—thanks to increased lifespans, justices appointed in the next century are expected to sit on the Supreme Court for an average of 35 years, compared to the average of around 16 years that judges served in the past. Because of this shift, some scholars have begun to question whether lifetime appointments are still appropriate, as the definition of “for life” has changed so much since the constitution was written.

The U.S. Constitution doesn’t exactly specify that justices and the court are in a “’til death do us part” relationship. Article III says that judges (of both the Supreme Court and lower federal courts) “shall hold their offices during good behavior”. So technically, a judge could be removed if they no longer meet the “good behavior” part of the clause, but there are otherwise no limits on their term. In practice, this means they have their seat for life, unless they are impeached and removed by Congress. Only 15 federal judges in U.S. history have ever been impeached by Congress—all lower court judges—and only eight have been removed from office, though some have resigned before their inevitable removal.

The only Supreme Court justice Congress has tried to impeach was Samuel Chase, who was appointed by George Washington in 1796. Chase was an openly partisan Federalist vehemently opposed to Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican policies, and he wasn’t afraid to say so, either in his role as a lower court judge or once he was appointed to the Supreme Court. In 1804, the House of Representatives, at then-president Jefferson’s urging, voted to impeach Chase, accusing him, among other things, of promoting his political views from the bench instead of ruling as a non-partisan judge. However, he was acquitted of all counts in the Senate, and went on to serve as a Supreme Court justice until his death in 1811.

The point of giving justices a seat on the bench for the rest of their lives (or, more commonly nowadays, until they decide to retire) is to shield the nation’s highest court from the kind of partisan fighting the Chase impeachment exemplified. The Supreme Court acts as a check against the power of Congress and the president. The lifetime appointment is designed to ensure that the justices are insulated from political pressure and that the court can serve as a truly independent branch of government.

Justices can’t be fired if they make unpopular decisions, in theory allowing them to focus on the law rather than politics. Justices might be nominated because a president sees them as a political or ideological ally, but once they’re on the bench, they can’t be recalled, even if their ideology shifts. Some data, for instance, suggests that many justices actually drift leftward as they age, no doubt infuriating the conservative presidents that appointed them.

The lack of term limits “is the best expedient which can be devised in any government, to secure a steady, upright and impartial administration of the laws”, Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist No. 78. The judiciary, he believed, “is in continual jeopardy of being overpowered, awed, or influenced by its coordinate branches”, and “nothing can contribute so much to its firmness and independence, as permanency in office”. Without lifetime job security, he argued, judges might feel obligated to bow to the wishes of the president, Congress, or the public, rather than confining their work strictly to questions of the Constitution.

While lifetime appointments may be a longstanding tradition in the U.S., this approach isn’t the norm in other countries. Most other democracies in the world have mandatory retirement ages if not hard-and-fast term limits for high court judges. UK Supreme Court justices face mandatory retirement at age 70 (or 75 if they were appointed before 1995), as do judges on Australia’s High Court. Canadian Supreme Court justices have a mandatory retirement age of 75, while the 31 justices of India’s Supreme Court must retire by the age of 65. Meanwhile, the oldest justice now on the U.S. Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is currently 85 and kicking. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., the oldest justice in U.S. history, retired in 1932 at age 90.

Though the U.S. Supreme Court has never had term limits before, there have recently been serious proposals to implement them. Term limits, advocates argue, could combat partisan imbalances on the court. Presidents wouldn’t get to appoint justices purely based on whether someone died while they were in office, and the stakes for political parties nominating a justice would be slightly lower, possibly leading presidents and Congress to compromise more on appointments. One popular suggestion among political analysts and scholars is to impose an 18-year term limit, though critics note that that particular plan does bring up the potential that at some point, a single president could end up appointing the majority of the justices on the court.

In any case, considering such a change would likely require a constitutional amendment, which means it’s probably not going to happen anytime soon. For the foreseeable future, being on the Supreme Court will continue to be a lifetime commitment.

Encyclopedia Britannica • Mental Floss • Supreme Court.gov • Wikipedia • United States Supreme Court (YouTube)

NAVSPEAK aka U.S. Navy Slang

Grog: Initially, this referred to the watered down rum ration given daily to sailors in the Royal Navy.

Presently, in the USN, it refers to the alcoholic brew offered at social events like “dining-ins” and “dining-outs”. Depending on the wardroom and in particular on the person preparing the grog, it may be pleasant and delicious or one of the most foul and disgusting beverages ever conceived.

Grok (Nuke Field Geek): To understand completely. From Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein (USNA '29).

Gronk (Submarine Service): To tighten a bolt or nut so much that the operator of a wrench or ratchet who tries to tighten it further or to loosen it sees stars. “Who the fuck gronked this nut on so tight?” See “Star tight”.

Grotopotamus: The rather large ladies that graze around the Groton, CT area. Similar to a Bremerloe.

Grottweiler: See Grotopotamus.

Growler: A sound-powered phone, which is used like a telephone to call specific dialed in stations. It has a hand cranked dynamo which will produce a whirring sound on the other station, hence the “growl”.

Ground-Pounder: Navy term for Marines, specifically infantry. Generally pejorative.

Wiktionary.org

Just for you MARINE

Grid Squares: Marked reference lines on a map; often used as a prank fool's errand where an unsuspecting Marine is asked to find a box of them when they don't physically exist.

Grinder: Parade ground or deck used primarily for drill or formations.

Ground Guide: A person who walks in front of a vehicle in order to detect and avoid obstacles and guide the driver to the proper spot.

Grunt or Ground Pounder: Infantryman, formerly a pejorative that has taken more neutral tones.

GT Score: Intelligence, from the General Technical score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and the minimum scores that many Military Occupational Specialties require to qualify.

Wikipedia.org

Naval Aviation Squadron Nicknames

VX-23 Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Twenty Three - nicknamed the “Salty Dogs”

United States Navy - Naval Air Station - Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland: July 22, 1995 - Present.

Where Did That Saying Come From?

“Even a worm will turn:”

 Meaning: Even the humblest and weakest will retaliate if provoked sufficiently.

History: The proverbial saying 'a worm will turn' is first found in John Heywood's 1546 glossary A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the englishe tongue:

“Treade a worme on the tayle, and it must turne agayne.”

Shakespeare, never one to avoid borrowing a neat expression, used the same notion a few years later in Henry VI, Part III, 1592:

Who 'scapes the lurking serpent's mortal sting?

Not he that sets his foot upon her back.

WThe smallest worm will turn being trodden on,

And doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.

Note that Shakespeare used serpent and worm in that passage. Snakes were called worms in mediaeval England. For instance, in Anthony and Cleopatra Shakespeare refers to “the pretty worme of Nylus” [the pretty snake of the Nile].

Phrases.org UK

Science & Technology

Computing hubs in the hippocampus and cortex • How the Avengers assemble: Ecology-based metrics model effective cast sizes for Marvel movies • Self-assembling materials can form patterns that might be useful in optical devices • Molecular energy machine as a movie star • Tracking evolution through teeth: The small-fry ancestor of the great white shark • Companies spell out guiding principles for autonomous cars to be safe

Phys.org / MedicalXpress / TechXplore

Bizarre News (we couldn’t make up stuff this good - real news story)

Photo of Sea Star's 'Butt' Goes Viral. Spoiler: That's No Butt.

Vermilion sea stars (Mediaster aequalis) are known for their vivid red-orange color and the symmetry of their five arms. But one individual quickly gained internet fame for a body part that isn't usually associated with starfish: a shapely rear end.

Twitter user @Babyshoujo recently photographed and tweeted an image of the “thicc” starfish as the animal clung to a rock in an exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California.

The sea star's prominent derrière has captivated hundreds of thousands since the photo was shared. Quite a few commenters drew comparisons to the "SpongeBob SquarePants" starfish character Patrick Star, who often proudly displays his prominent, rounded bottom. However, experts were quick to point out that the “butt” isn't quite what it seems. [In Photos: The Wonders of the Deep Sea]

Vermillion sea stars are found near low-tide lines and on the rocky sea bottom in the eastern Pacific Ocean, with their range extending from Baja California north to Alaska, according to the Georgia Aquarium. Though sea stars are often referred to as starfish, they are not fish. They are echinoderms, the group that also includes sea cucumbers, sand dollars and sea urchins.

And no, sea stars don't have “butts”; they have a centrally located anus, but they don't have human-like buttocks, as the cartoon Patrick Star does. What we're seeing in the photo are the contracted muscles of the starfish's arms as they grip the rock, Nate Jaros, curator of fish and invertebrates at the Aquarium of the Pacific, told USA Today.

Because the sea star's body is vertically aligned, gravity causes the creature's internal structures to “slump”, and that produced the shapes resembling the human buttocks in the picture, Jaros explained.

Previously,social media users were intrigued by a similar illusion of thiccness in a white-faced saki monkey (Pithecia pithecia) in Finland's Korkeasaari Zoo. The monkey, named Bea, appeared to be heavily muscled, her biceps as rounded as the sea star's butt at the Pacific Aquarium.

However, the so-called buff monkey's bulk was really just fluffy fur, zoo representatives told Live Science.

• In Photos: The Stunning Sea Life 'Stars' of 'Big Pacific'

• Photos: See the World's Cutest Sea Creatures

• In Photos: Sick Sea Stars Turn to Goo

Live Science (07/03/2019)

Second Hand News (Links to Articles from Week 45 - November 04, 2019 - November 10, 2019) - Part Deux

CORRUPTION CHRONICLES: Judicial Watch Receives Records Showing Contact Between Strzok/ Ohr - DOJ Claims It Couldn't Find

“Investigating the Investigators:” Judicial Watch: Documents Reveal Obama State Department Official in Contact with Russian Embassy ‘Political Chief’ One Month Before Trump Inauguration

Deep State Coup Trying to FREZZE DOJ from Probing #SpyGate Criminality against Trump! | Tom Fitton

Exposing the House Impeachment Inquiry Resolution’s Corruption Judicial Watch

Beirut rioters challenge Hezbollah tyranny and Iran supremacy.   

Tax dodgers of Tehran and the deterioration of Iran civil society.   

Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff ignore how it looks.   

The American people and the Pelosi/Schiff Star Chamber.   

Meet the Impeachers.   

Split screen week: Baghdadi contained, Adam Schiff unleashed.    John Batchelor (10/04/2019)