Old Sailors' Almanac

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

Week 13, 2021

Previous Week   March 29, 2021 - April 04, 2021  Next Week

General George Patton takes Frankfurt on March 29, 1945

General George Patton takes Frankfurt on March 29, 1945

General George Patton takes Frankfurt: Genneral George S. Patton’s 3rd Army captures Frankfurt, as “Old Blood and Guts” continues his march east.

Frankfurt am Main, literally “On the Main” River, in western Germany, was the mid-19th century capital of Germany (it was annexed by Prussia in 1866, ending its status as a free city). Once integrated into a united German nation, it developed into a significant industrial city - and hence a prime target for Allied bombing during the war.

That bombing began as early as July 1941, during a series of British air raids against the Nazis. In March 1944, Frankfurt suffered extraordinary damage during a raid that saw 27,000 tons of bombs dropped on Germany in a single month. Consequently, Frankfurt’s medieval Old Town was virtually destroyed (although it would be rebuilt in the postwar period—replete with modern office buildings).

General George Patton takes Frankfurt on March 29, 1945

In late December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, General Patton broke through the German lines of the besieged Belgian city of Bastogne, relieving its valiant defenders.

Patton then pushed the Germans east. Patton’s goal was to cross the Rhine, even if not a single bridge was left standing over which to do it. As Patton reached the banks of the river on March 22, 1945, he found that one bridge—the Ludendorff Bridge, located in the little town of Remagen—had not been destroyed.

American troops had already made a crossing on March 7—a signal moment in the war and in history, as an enemy army had not crossed the Rhine since Napoleon accomplished the feat in 1805. Patton grandly made his crossing, and from the bridgehead created there, “Old Blood and Guts” and his 3rd Army headed east and captured Frankfurt on the 29th.

History Channel / Wikipedia / Encyclopedia Britannica Library Of Congress / Soldiers Walk Memorial Park / Virginia Memorial Institute.edu / General George Patton takes Frankfurt on March 29, 1945 (YouTube) video


“This Day in History”

This Day in History March 29

•  845 Siege of Paris (845): Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving.

• 1461 Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton: Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Edward IV of England.

• 1632 Treaty of Saint-Germain: is signed returning Quebec to French control after the English had seized it in 1629.

• 1847 Mexican–American War: Siege of Veracruz: United States forces led by General Winfield Scott take Veracruz.

• 1865 American Civil War: Appomattox Campaign: begins, Federal forces under Major General Philip Sheridan move to flank Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee.

• 1867 British North America Act: Queen Victoria gives Royal Assent which establishes Canada on July 1.

• 1871 Royal Albert Hall is opened by Queen Victoria.

• 1879 Anglo-Zulu War: Battle of Kambula: British forces defeat 20,000 Zulus.

• 1886 John Pemberton brews the first batch of Coca-Cola in a backyard in Atlanta.

• 1827 Sunbeam 1000hp breaks the land speed record at Daytona Beach, Florida.

• 1936 German parliamentary election and referendum: Adolf Hitler receives 99% of the votes.

• 1941 World War II: Battle of Cape Matapan: British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy forces defeat those of the Italian Regia Marina off the Peloponnesian coast of Greece.

• 1942 World War II: Bombing of Lübeck: first major success for the RAF Bomber Command against Germany and a German city.

• 1945 World War II: Last day of V-1 flying bomb attacks on England.

• 1945 World War II: Heiligenbeil Pocket: The German 4th Army is almost destroyed by the Soviet Red Army.

• 1951 Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage.

• 1973 Vietnam War: The last United States combat soldiers leave South Vietnam.

• 1974 NASA's Mariner 10 becomes the first space probe to fly by Mercury.

• 1974 Terracotta Army discovered in Shaanxi province, China.

Wikipedia.org


Understanding Military Terminology: At the Marine Corps Museum: Norman Rockwell's “The War Hero”

Understanding Military Terminology

Prime Contract

A contract or contractual action entered into by the United States Government for the purpose of obtaining supplies, materials, equipment, or services of any kind.

Joint Publications (CJCSM 5120.01) Joint Doctrine Development Process

Prime Vendor

A contracting process that provides commercial products to regionally grouped military and federal customers from commercial distributors using electronic commerce.

Also called PCO.

See also Distribution System.

Joint Publications (JP 4-09) Distribution Operations

Joint Publication - Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms


Americans celebrate at the end of World War II Photo Credit: Smithsonian Channel

The Old Salt’s Corner

Going Ashore

During your period of training, it is possible that the ship will visit a port (foreign or domestic). Tradition requires that you obtain permission from the OOD to leave the ship (in the same fashion that you obtained permission to board originally). When requesting permission to leave, present your ID card and have a copy of your orders with you. Before making your way to the Quarterdeck, obtain permission to leave from your supervisor. Formal permission to leave the ship is requested in the following manner:

Salute the OOD and say, “I request permission to go ashore, sir.” (In the same manner as boarding, always address the OOD as “sir”, as he or she represents the authority of the ship’s commanding officer.). The OOD will reply, “Very well”, and return the salute. If the ship is tied up in port, proceed down the gangplank. Remember to pause halfway and face to salute the national ensign aft during daylight hours. If at anchorage, make your way to the launch boarding area. When returning to the ship, follow the same boarding procedure outlined earlier in this section.

When going ashore by launch, junior officers always board first and take the forward seats. Senior officers and VIPs take the rear seats of the launch. Disembarking the launch is done in the reverse order; namely, seniors leave first followed by juniors.

Order of Debarkation

Maritime tradition dictates an order of debarkation at the conclusion of each at-sea period that is never deviated from.

Debarkation at the end of cruise is in the following order:

● Bodies of any casualties.

● Wounded.

● Ship’s commanding officer and/or his personal aide

● Mail.

● All ship’s personnel who have permission to go ashore


“I’m Just Sayin’”

“I’m Just Sayin”

“Is there some principal of nature which states that we never know the quality of what we have until it is gone?”

“Nothing is permanent in this wicked world.

Not even our troubles.”

“Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity,

nothing exceeds the criticisms made of the habits of the poor by the

well-housed,

well-warmed, and

well-fed.”

~ Charlie Chaplin


“Thought for the Day”

“Thought for the Day”

“All ambitions are lawful except those that climb upward on the miseries or credulities of mankind.”

“He is rich or poor according to what he is,

not according to what he has.”

“God asks no man whether he will accept life.

That is not the choice.

You must take it.

The only choice is how.”

~ Henry Ward Beecher


“What I Have Learned”

“What I Learned”

“The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter.”

~ Anonymous


Second Hand News

Second Hand News: Articles from Week 13 - March 29, 2021 - April 04, 2021

Top News Stories - Photos (Washington Examiner) Texas Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar shares second batch of photos from migrant detention facilitiesTexas Senator Ted Cruz shares footage of Biden staffer blocking him from recording

Biden confident gun control legislation will passBiden to prioritize infrastructure in first stage of economic recovery plan“This makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle:” Quotes of the week

Two tugboats deploy to Egypt’s Suez Canal as shippers avoid itNashville floods kill at least four, 130 people rescuedTeenagers arrested and charged in D.C. carjackingsFauci warns vaccinated parents that children should still wear masks around each other

MOST READ: Border tour: Senators heckled by “Coyotes’” Biden officials tried to block photosFact-checking Biden's first press conference since taking officeWe need to stop overlooking one politically incorrect COVID-19 death factorGeorgia Governor Brian Kemp signs sweeping elections bill into law Washington Examiner

Top News Stories - Photos (The Federalist) Mr. President, Most Gun Owners Aren’t As Reckless As Hunter BidenHow Criminal Organizations Are Profiting Off Of Biden’s Border CrisisBiden Tries Snagging Swing Sen. Joe Manchin’s Loyalty By Picking His Wife For Key Administration Role

Federal Judge Rules D.C. Capacity Limits On Religious Gatherings Are UnconstitutionalInside The Global Race To Build Killer Robot ArmiesBlaming The Biden Border Surge On ‘Pent-Up Demand’ Is Misleading And False

MOST READ: When The Powerful Say Truth Is A Lie And Lies Are The Truth, No One Will Stand Up For America But YouREAD: The Gun Background Check Form Where Hunter Biden Claimed He Wasn’t Using DrugsCalifornia Democrat Changes Bill That Would Have Prohibited Christians, Conservatives From Serving In Law EnforcementFired USA Today Editor Deflects From Wrongdoing, Alleges ‘White Supremacy’

Nancy Pelosi On Trying To Steal Iowa House Seat: I Am The HouseWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Says White House Agrees With Pelosi’s Effort To Steal Iowa House SeatHouse Passes Two Gun Control Bills To Delay Gun Sales, Create National Gun RegistryThe Worst Thing AboutSouth Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s Sports Capitulation Is Her LiesCanadian Father Jailed For Talking About Court-Ordered Transgendering Of His Teenage Daughter The Federalist

Top News Stories - Photos (CORRUPTION CHRONICLES - Mainstream Media Scream: (Watch Dog On-Line Publications) CORRUPTION CHRONICLES: Biden's Border Disaster UNDERMINING Rule of Law & Public Health!Judicial Watch Sues United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for Records on Agency Personnel Classes, Seminars in China; Breach of OPM DataHow H.R.1 intends to overturn Supreme Court rulings on elections

“Investigating the Investigators:” Court Questions Sales of Aborted Fetal Parts - MORE DOCS COMING...Judicial Watch Lawsuit: 2,400 Illegal Alien Criminals Released under San Francisco Sheriff’s Office Sanctuary Policy

Judicial Watch Sues for NIH Funding and Other Records Tied to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology Judicial Watch

USA Today FIRES “Diversity & Inclusion Editor” for Tweeting Mass Shooters Are Always WhiteFar-Left MSNBC Guest on “Joyless” Reid “ReidOut”: Racist, White Republicans Would Deny Water to Jesus Dying on the CrossMUST READ: Let's Compare Coverage of Biden's and Trump's Border Crises

MSNBC and CNN: Tiffany Cross Gushes, Biden Deputy Press Secretary Calls White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki “My Partner in Truth”MSNBC and CNN: Yale Fires TDS Psychiatrist Frequently Cited and Celebrated by MediaSmear Job: New York Times Joins Biden to Decry GOP’s ‘Un-American’ Limits on VotingSHere's the Debunking of CNN on Guns You Need to Read

CLOWN SHOW: Curious White House Press Corps Suddenly Not So Curious on Frail Biden

Top News Stories - Photos (The Epoch Times)

Trump Says He Will “Probably” Visit US-Mexico Border SoonRepublican Senators Describe ‘Heartbreaking’ Situation at Visit to Border as Biden Defends Policies - Senator Cruz: “It is a man made crisis - This was avoidable”Republican Senators Tour Border Area, Release Graphic Images of Children in ‘Cages’Baltimore Permanently Ends Prosecution of ‘Low-Level’ Crimes Like ProstitutionLos Angeles County Increases Police Funding by $36 Million Months After Budget CutsTrump: “Where’s Durham?”

Maine Republicans Vote Against Censuring Senator Susan Collins Over Trump ImpeachmentWestern Retailers Caught Between Revenue and Ethics Over Rights Abuses in XinjiangU.S. Condemns Beijing Retaliatory Sanctions Over Uyghur Human Rights DisputesOver 100 Protesters Killed in Burma’s Deadliest Day Since CoupTHREE Russian Submarines Surface and Break Arctic Ice During Drills The Epoch Times

Second Hand News

Second Hand News: Articles from Week 13 - March 29, 2021 - April 04, 2021

Top News Stories - Photos (Daily Mail) BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS: Biden officials tried to muzzle the 18 Republican Senators on Ted Cruz's border trip by ordering them to DELETE these photos of kids in overcrowded facilitiesBiden administration waives FBI background checks on caregivers at new migrant facilities - alarming child welfare expertsBiden's Purge: Chad Wolf leads ex-Trump officials in attacking administration for firing 32 members of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Security Council - including all Trump appointees - amid border crisis

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: Governor Brian Kemp says there's “nothing Jim Crow” about Georgia's new voting law and blasts Biden “and his handlers” for not having read itU.S. “deliberately let China eavesdrop on a call to British foreign minister to send a message to the Communist Party in Beijing”Biden invites Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to his climate summit amid rising tensions with China and Russia

EXCLUSIVE: Hunter Biden texts to his therapist reveals the Secret Service DID step in to handle the gun investigation and lover Hallie threw it in the trash because she was “She was scared I would harm myself”Hunter Biden, wife Melissa and son Beau board Marine One amid new controversy over Secret Service covering up his missing handgun in 2018

“A lab leak isn't 100% certain but it seems to be the only logical source of the virus:” U.S. State Department expert who led inquiry into the cause of Covid reveals three Wuhan lab scientists fell ill in November 2019Texas' COVID numbers fall for the 17th consecutive day following Governor Abbott's 100% reopening of the state and lifting of the mask mandate - a move Biden infamously called 'Neanderthal thinking'

Top military officers from the U.S. and 11 allies are to condemn massacre of 114 people - including children - by Myanmar security forcesOklahoma prisoner is shot dead after he took a guard hostage and stole his keys to free other inmates, who then livestreamed the harrowing incidentTwenty-seven people in Oregon and Washington are being monitored for EBOLA amid fears they were exposed to the virus before returning to the U.S. from West Africa

Suez Canal: Enormous “Beached Whale”: PIERS MORGAN: The REAL truth. Writing for the first time about his dramatic exit from GMB after saying he didn't believe Meghan's “truth” on racism and the Royals, our columnist defends free speech - and says the silent majority hate the tyranny of wokeSuez Canal's “BEACHED WHALE”: Race to free the Ever Given enters SIXTH day: Two heavier tugboats speed to Suez Canal to join rescue effort after latest bid to move huge tanker failed - as experts fear blockage has held up more than $50billion in tradeIs 2014 now considered vintage? Gen Z reveal they're nostalgic for seven years ago when everyone had an iPhone 6, American Apparel tennis skirts and ripped tights Daily Mail

Top News Stories - Photos (CORRUPTION CHRONICLES - Mainstream Media Scream: (Watch Dog On-Line Publications) Biden Admin Presses Supreme Court To Let Police Enter Homes Without A Warrant And Seize Firearms: ReportJoe Biden, Media Claim Georgia Law Prevents Giving Water To Voters In Line. That’s Not True.“These Are The Biden Cages:” Senator Cruz Posts Shocking Video Of Border Crisis, SmugglersThe Pro-Biden Press Corps Is Deeply Embarrassing

Education Insanity: Top 10 Stories Of The Week (Vol. 8)In Aftermath Of Enemies List, School Committee Pledges To “Silence The Opposition”Opinion: The Cruelty Of Appearing “Kind”

GoFundMe To Pay Legal Fees Of Pastor Jailed For Alleged COVID-19 Violation Tops $45kPhiladelphia D.A. Begins Restorative Justice Program That May Keep People Arrested During 2020 Uprisings Out Of JailBaltimore Will Stop Prosecuting Low-Level Offenses Such As Drug Possession, Prostitution

Uber Eats Driver Killed After Teen Girls Allegedly Carjack Him In D.C., Leading To Violent Crash“What Awful Instincts:” Buttigieg Torched On Social Media For Being Open To Taxing Motorists Per MileScarlett Johansson Says Giving Political Opinions Is Not An Actor’s Job, Goes On To Say Biden Win ‘Felt Like The End Of A War’

The Latest Left-Wing Anti-American Lie: “Anti-Asian Racism”Democrat Mayor Giving $500 A Month To Families Of Color To Shrink “Racial Wealth Gap”George Washington’s Hair Up For Auction Daily Wire

What Do the Numbers on a Barcode Mean? Mr. Answer Man Please Tell Us: What Do the Numbers on a Barcode Mean?

Barcodes are an essential part of today's economy. The small sticker on most items we buy can contain a wealth of information and are used by manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers for managing inventory and quickly identifying the price of an item. Not only do they save time, but they also remove the factor of human error when it comes to counting or pricing items.

Other barcodes, like those used by the USPS, or those used by pharmaceutical companies, can contain even more information about an item, revealed by a quick scan with a barcode reader.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

The numbers below a barcode are merely a translation of what the bars above mean to a barcode scanner. Humans can read the numbers, but barcode scanners cannot.

Common Barcode Types

The most common barcode American consumers see is the Universal Product Code (UPC) or the EAN-13. Both of these are used to identify a product for inventory and pricing purposes. When you hear a beep at the grocery store checkout, that's almost always the sound of a UPC sticker being scanned.

UPC-A: Often shortened to UPC, this is the standard retail barcode used in the United States and Canada.

UPC-E: This is used on small items that don't have enough space for a UPC-A label. It contains the same information as a UPC-A barcode, but the data is compressed to keep it within six digits.

EAN-13: This is the international version of UPC-A barcode. It contains 13 digits. It can also be read by UPC barcode readers in the United States.

EAN-8: Like the UPC-E, this is an eight-digit barcode used when the EAN-13 barcode would be too large.

ISBN-13: This is the barcode used on books, consisting of 13 digits. It conforms to EAN-13 standards.

ISMN: Similar to an ISBN, this is used for sheet music and conforms to EAN-13 standards.

Code 128: This barcode can encode all letters, numbers and punctuation in the 128-character ASCII set. It can be used when more information is required beyond pricing and inventory purposes.

Code 39: This is another alpha-numeric barcode, like Code 128, but it takes up more space.

Pharmacode: This barcode is used by pharmaceutical companies for security and packaging control. It uses multiple colors.

Intelligent Mail Barcode: This is the barcode system used by the U.S. Postal Service for routing mail. It contains the ZIP code plus additional delivery point codes. With 65 variable-height bars of four different types, this barcode is replacing the Postnet barcode, which had more limitations.

2D Barcodes nlike other barcodes, which are one-dimensional, 2D codes represent data in two dimensions, much like the squares on a chessboard. These cannot generally be read by barcode scanners, but can be read by most smartphones.

What Do the Numbers on a Barcode Mean?

UPC Barcodes

Most retailers require that manufacturers provide them with a unique Universal Product Code (UPC) before they will agree to sell a product. Not only does scanning a barcode save time at the cash register, but it also allows the retailer to track inventory more efficiently. UPC barcodes only identify a product and do not contain data on a product's price. Pricing information is usually contained in the retailer's database, associated with that UPC number.

When a clerk scans a barcode, its number is found in the database and the software returns with the price. When the sale is completed, the unit is subtracted from the retailer's inventory. This means that if the retailer puts an item on sale, they only have to make a change in the database, rather than put a new barcode on each item during the sale.

Meaning of Barcode Numbers for UPC-A and EAN-13

PC-A barcodes consist of 12 numbers. The first digit identifies the numbering system. The next five digits identify the manufacturer, while the second five digits identify the specific product. The last number is a check digit.

EAN-13 barcodes consist of 13 numbers. The main difference between EAN-13 and UPC-A codes is that the EAN-13 code has two numbers at the beginning identifying the number system, instead of one. The next five numbers are the manufacturer's code, while the five digits following identify the products. The last number is a check digit.

UPC-A codes can be considered a subset of EAN-13 codes. In fact, any barcode reader that can identify a UPC-A code can also read an EAN-13 code. If the code begins with a zero, it's always a UPC code.

Getting UPC Barcodes for Your Products

In the United States, UPC barcodes are regulated by GS1 US, which assigns company prefix numbers to companies to ensure that every company, and thus each of the products it makes, has a unique barcode. UPC barcodes fall under the Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN) standard.

The 12 numbers you see at the bottom of a barcode are stored as 14-digit strings in a database. Companies that need less than 10 UPC barcodes can purchase them for $75 each, with an annual $10 license renewal fee. Companies that need more than 10 UPCs should apply for a GS1 Company Prefix through gs1us.org so they can produce their own barcodes.

Companies can also buy UPC barcodes from secondary sellers at reduced prices without renewal fees. These sellers typically issue a number using their own company prefix, however, they must have obtained their GS1 company prefix before 2001. Some retailers, such as WalMart and Kroeger, require uniquely assigned GS1 UPC barcodes. Some companies using an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) may require a unique company prefix.

Country of Origin in Barcodes

Contrary to a popular myth, you can't identify a product's country of origin simply by reading the first two or three numbers of a barcode. You can, however, determine which country issued the barcode number. GS1 numbers issued in the United States can begin with:

00001 - 00009

0001 - 0009

001 - 019

030 - 039

050 - 059 (reserved for future use)

060 – 139

However, if you are looking at a UPC-A barcode, it's likely that the first zero has been removed. The full number would appear on an EAN-13 barcode. Other country codes include:

300 - 379: France

400 - 440: Germany

460 - 469: Russia

500 - 509: United Kingdom

699 - 699: China

750: Mexico

Produce PLU Sticker Codes

Whenever you buy fruits or vegetables at the grocery store, you're bound to see a four- to five-digit number on a small sticker. These are called Product Lookup (PLU) codes and, while they don't have bars on them and aren't bar codes, they are also used for managing inventory and getting the prices for items that are sold.

Most produce PLU codes are four-digits long. Bananas, for example, are 4011. Organic produce uses the same code with a 9 preceding it, while genetically-modified produce begins with an 8. So, for example, organic bananas use the code 94011, while genetically-modified bananas would have the code 84011. PLU codes also depend on how the produce is sold, such as in bags, or if they have been cut. For example:

4094: Bagged carrots

4562: Loose carrots

4563: Cut carrots

When processing sales or taking in inventory, retail clerks can enter the PLU code, rather than doing barcode lookup, to get the price or update stock numbers.

What Do the Numbers on a Barcode Mean?

The Meaning of Barcodes

Barcodes are on virtually every product you buy today in one form or another. They usually consist of several black lines of different widths separated by white spaces. Read by a barcode scanner, they are a fast and efficient way to identify products. Manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers all use barcodes to track inventory and to process sales.

Types of Barcodes

There are over a dozen different barcode types used today. Some are used exclusively by shipping companies, while others are used by manufacturers to identify components. Some of the most common include:

Universal Product Codes (UPC-A): Originally created for grocery stores, this is the barcode most consumers in the United States see in retail stores. The first set of numbers identifies the manufacturer, while the second set identifies a specific product. UPC-A and EAN-13 barcodes are part of the GS1 standard.

European Article Number (EAN-13): 4562:This is an international version of UPC that can be read by American barcode scanners. In fact, UPC is a subset of EAN.

Code 39: 4563: One of the oldest types of barcode, code 39 is used in electronics, government and health care. It uses any letter, number or special character in the ASCII 128-character set with virtually no limit in its length.

Code 128: This is a compact version of code 38, used primarily for packaging and shipping. It can also use any character in the ASCII 128-character set.

Interleaved 2 of 5 (ITF): Used primarily in manufacturing, warehouses and distribution, it uses only numbers. Digits are paired so that the first digit is represented by a bar, and the second digit is represented by a space, or interleaved.

What Do the Numbers on a Barcode Mean?

Barcode Numbers Explained

UPC-A barcodes are only used in the United States and Canada, while the rest of the world uses EAN-13. The two are nearly identical except that UPC codes have 12 digits, and EAN-13 codes have 13. This is because EAN-13 codes insert a country code at the beginning, while Canada and the U.S. do not.

In a UPC-A code, the first set of numbers identifies the company that has registered the code, and the second set of numbers identifies the products. The last number is a check digit. EAN-13 codes use the same system.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not possible to identify where a product was made or where food was grown using a UPC or EAN code. This is because the country code in a EAN number only identifies where the number was registered. American companies, for example, can register at gs1us.org and then can produce a product in China and give that product its own product code.

Benefits of Using Barcodes for Businesses

Originally developed to speed up sales transactions, like the barcode scanner you see at store checkout counters, using barcodes has several benefits for businesses.

Accuracy: Scanning a barcode eliminates the human error you get when people have to enter products or prices on a keyboard.

Speed: When products enter a warehouse, they can be scanned when they come off the pallets and automatically entered into inventory. The result is accurate inventory control in real time.

Reduced training: Scanning barcodes requires virtually no training time. Looking up products and entering them into a software system, on the other hand, can require several hours of training and supervision.

Inexpensive: Barcode scanners are very inexpensive and can be connected to most software systems you would use for inventory.

Biz Fluent / Wikipedia / Encyclopedia Britannica / The Global Language of Business GS1.org / Mental Floss / Quora / Erplain / What Do the Numbers on a Barcode Mean? (YouTube) video


NAVSPEAK aka U.S. Navy Slang - U.S. Navy

NAVSPEAK aka U.S. Navy Slang

Shaft Alley Sally: A loose and easy female shipmate that would be willing and ready to get it on down in machinery spaces and/or shaft alleys. (hence nickname).

Shallow Water Sailors: Coast Guard.

Shallow Water Surface Pukes: Members of the Coast Guard, from the viewpoint of a bubblehead.

Shark Shit: A sailor who has fallen overboard and is lost forever.

Shark Bait: A package of bright green dye, attached to a life vest. Used to attract the attention of a rescue helicopter in the event of a man overboard by the victim in the water.

Shellback: An individual who has crossed the Line/Equator.

Sherwood Forest (Submarine Service): The missile area on a boomer.

Shillelagh / Shillalah: A piece of fire hose, sometimes soaked in saltwater, used as a cudgel to hit wogs on the buttocks during Shellback initiation.

Shinbuster: Same as knee-knocker.

Ship Over: Re-enlisting.

Shipmate:

(1) Any fellow sailor.

(2) (derogatory) Any junior enlisted about to get chewed out.

Shipwreck: (Derogatory): Any fellow sailor.

Wiktionary.org


Just for MARINES - The Few. The Proud.

Just for you MARINE

Shellback: Marine who has taken part in the crossing of the line ceremony or crossing the equator ceremony while on a Naval vessel.

Ship Over: To reenlist for an additional period of service.s.

Wikipedia.org


Naval Aviation Squadron Nicknames

Naval Aviation Squadron Nicknames

HSC-85 Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Squadron EIGHT FIVE - nicknamed the “High Rollers” (2006)

United States Navy Naval Air Station - Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC), Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia Expeditionary Squadron / Naval Air Station North Island - Naval Base Coronado San Diego, California / Coronado, California / Squadron Lineage: HS-85: July, 01 1970 - Octtober 01, 1994 / HC-85: 1 Octtober 01, 1994 - February 08, 2006 / HSC-85: 8 February 08, 2006 – present


Naval Aviation Squadron Nicknames

Naval Aviation Squadron Nicknames

HSC-85 Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Squadron EIGHT FIVE - nicknamed the “Fire Hawks” (2011)

United States Navy Naval Air Station - Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC), Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia Expeditionary Squadron / Naval Air Station North Island - Naval Base Coronado San Diego, California / Coronado, California / Squadron Lineage: HS-85: July, 01 1970 - Octtober 01, 1994 / HC-85: 1 Octtober 01, 1994 - February 08, 2006 / HSC-85: 8 February 08, 2006 – present


Where Did That Saying Come From

Where Did That Saying Come From?

Where Did That Saying Come From? “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise:

Meaning: Literal meaning.

History: The length and precision of this proverb leave little room for interpretation as to its meaning. Like many improving mottos, for example 'a rolling stone gathers no moss' and 'a stitch in time saves nine', it was an encouragement to hard, diligent work.

The earliest record of a proverb that approximates to our current version that can be found in print is in The Book of St. Albans, printed in 1486:

“As the olde englysshe prouerbe sayth in this wyse. Who soo woll ryse erly shall be holy helthy & zely.”

Note: the Middle English word zely comes down to us now as 'silly'. This has numerous meanings, commonly 'foolish'. The 1486 meaning was 'auspicious; fortunate'. So 'holy helthy & zely' meant 'wise, healthy and fortunate', which isn't so far from 'healthy, wealthy and wise'.

The description of it as 'old English' in 1486 does place this expression as one of the oldest phrases still in use in everyday English. The earliest version that I know of of the current form of the proverb was printed in John Clarke's Paroemiologia Anglo-Latina in 1639:

“Earely to bed and earely to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

The person most associated with the phrase and who brought it into common usage in the USA was Benjamin Franklin. Poor Richard's Almanack, which was an annual journal published by Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym of Poor Richard between 1732 and 1758. It included the usual almanac fare of maxims, poetry, weather predictions and astrological ravings.

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise is found in the 1735 edition. There's good reason to believe that Franklin endorsed the proverb's uplifting message; it is certainly in keeping with the numerous proverbs of earnest intent that were published in Poor Richard before they were seen elsewhere.

Given the social conventions of the day, Franklin wasn't especially bothered when women got to work. The typographic conventions of the day also involved the use of the long 's', which appears similar to a lowercase 'f'. Present day transcriptions lead us to believe that getting a good night's sleep will make us 'healthy, wealthy and wife'. At least Franklin avoided 'where the bee sucks, there suck I'.

Later American commentators have had some fun at Franklin's expense. In 1928, Carl Sandburg suggested that 'Early to bed and early to rise and you never meet any prominent people'. In the New Yorker, February 1939, James Thurber turned it round with:

“Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead.”

Phrases.org.uk


Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Space communication: developing a one photon-per-bit receiver using near-noiseless phase-sensitive amplificationReviewing recent efforts to improve the reversibility of zinc anodes in rechargeable batteries

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

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

Squirrel beer, ant gin and poop wine are served up in Disgusting Food Museum's new exhibit

Squirrel beer, ant gin and poop wine are served up in Disgusting Food Museum's new exhibit

Gin brewed with ants. Poop wine. Whale testicle beer flavored with the smoked dung of Icelandic sheep. This beverage collection sounds like a menu at the world's worst Happy Hour, but it's actually part of a new exhibit at the aptly named Disgusting Food Museum in Malmö, Sweden.

The museum is already known for its peculiar culinary displays, such as maggoty cheese from Sardinia, Icelandic fermented shark flesh and Peruvian frog smoothies. For the new three-month-long exhibit opened to the public “we have found the strangest, most interesting and challenging alcohol types from the world”, museum director Andreas Ahrens said in a statement.

“Some of the exhibited alcohols showcase different types of homemade alcohols going back thousands of years, while others are experimental, made by local brewers”, he said

One highlight is a Scottish beer that is the strongest beer in the world, with a staggering 55% alcohol by volume, or ABV (on average, beer is usually about 4.5% ABV). But the high alcohol content isn't the weirdest aspect of this Scottish beer — the intoxicating brew is served inside a taxidermy squirrel.

“I have long been fascinated by why we humans force ourselves to overcome our dislike for 'acquired taste' alcohols” - drinks that can be intensely bitter, pungent or otherwise unpleasant, Ahrens told Live Science in an email. “This exhibit is a deep dive into why we drink and how we started our strange relationship with spirits.”

Disgust has long been considered a universal human emotion. But while the emotion may be universal, opinions vary widely about what qualifies as “disgusting”, depending on customs, cultures and personal tastes, the museum website says. “What is delicious to one person can be revolting to another. Disgusting Food Museum invites visitors to explore the world of food and challenge their notions of what is and what isn't edible”, according to the website.

“What is delicious to one person can be revolting to another. Disgusting Food Museum invites visitors to explore the world of food and challenge their notions of what is and what isn't edible”, according to the website.

Squirrel beer, ant gin and poop wine are served up in Disgusting Food Museum's new exhibit

Alcohol in the museum exhibit had to be considered drinkable somewhere in the world, even if some would be put off by an offensive taste, odor “or the background of how it's made”, Ahrens told Live Science. For example, a rice wine called Ttongsul, once used as a medicinal remedy in South Korea, is brewed with fermented human feces.

“The thought alone is enough to get most people to gag”, Ahrens said. Unsurprisingly, this so-called poop wine “smells horribly bad during production”, he added.

Whale testicle beer, a seasonal product produced by Brewery Steðji in Iceland, incorporates testicles “that are cured according to an old, Icelandic tradition, lightly salted and then smoked”, brewery co-owner Dagbjartur Arilíusson told Icelandic news site Vísir in 2015.

“We put a lot of effort into this and it's a long process”, he said.

“And Anty Gin - each bottle steeped with about 62 red wood ants (Formica rufa), is the world's first gin brewed with insects, according to manufacturer Cambridge Distillery. The ants lend “sharp citrus notes” to the beverage”, the product website says.

It's probably just as well that visitors can only look at the exhibit's alcoholic beverages, and not taste them. However, Ahrens did sample “as many as possible” while researching the drinks; he tasted “almost all of the rest” by the time the exhibit opened, Ahrens told Live Science.

In fact, four of the alcoholic beverages on display were manufactured by the museum: Korean feces wine; chicha, an ancient beer made from corn that is chewed into paste before fermenting; pruno, a prison wine made from fruit and brewed in a toilet; and a potent Ugandan moonshine that British colonizers dubbed “war gin”.

“The only one I can't bring myself to trying is the poo wine”, Ahrens admitted. “It's just messing with my head.”

15 of the world's most 'disgusting' foods (photos)

Live Science (08/30/2020) video


© CEASAR CHOPPY by cartoonist Marty Gavin - archives Ceasar Choppy's Navy! “© CEASAR CHOPPY” by Marty Gavin

SONG FACTS

“Tobacco Road” - The Nashville Teens 1964

“Tobacco Road” video - The Nashville Teens
Album: “Tobacco Road”
Released 1964 video

John D. Loudermilk wrote “Tobacco Roadvideo and originally recorded it in 1960. He was born and raised in the old tobacco warehouse city of Durham, North Carolina, and this is a somewhat autobiographical song about the city. Loudermilk was a prolific composer of many styles, and his songs: “Then You Can Tell MevideoBig DaddyvideoPaper TigervideoBreak My MindvideoIndian Reservationvideo

Loudermilk (from American Songwriter Magazine January/February 1988):

“I got the idea for writing that song from a road in our town that was called Tobacco Road because it was where they rolled the hogsheads full of Tobacco down to the river to be loaded onto barges. Along that road were a lot of real tough, seedy-type people, and your folks would have just died if they thought you ever went down there.”

The Nashville Teens were most certainly not from Nashville:

They were part of the British Invasion and gave themselves an American name so it would be less obvious that they were from England. It worked, at least for “Tobacco Roadvideo, as they had a hit with it four years after Loudermilk originally recorded it.

One member of The Nashville Teens Michael Dunford, became a mainstay with the classical rock band Renaissance as a guitarist and primary songwriter. Dunford died from a cerebral hemorrhage in 2012 at age 68.

This was one of the first songs produced by Mickie Most for another artist. Most was born and raised in England, but went to South Africa in 1959, where he formed a band called Mickie Most and his Playboys. Rock music hadn't yet come to the country, so Most introduced songs like “The Twistvideo and “Johnny B. Goodevideo to the country with his cover versions. (Hey! Isn't that the plot of Back To The Future video?)

When Most returned to England, he turned to production work and began doing sessions with The Animals. Soon after, he produced this track; by the end of the '60s he was the top producer in the UK, with hits by Lulu, Herman's Hermits and Donovan to his credit.

When Johnny Winter's career took off in the late '60s, he had his younger brother, Edgar Winter, play keyboards and saxophone in his band. Johnny wanted to showcase Edgar, so he had him sing “Tobacco Roadvideo which they included in Johnny's set at Woodstock in 1969. Edgar included the song on his first solo album in 1970 and released it as a single.

Other artists to record the song include Bobbie Gentry video, David Lee Roth video and Lou Rawls video.

This was used in the season 3 opener of the TV show Mad Men video. In the show, the character Don Draper takes the identity of another man, similar to how The Nashville Teens, a British group, posed as Americans.

The Nashville Teens official site / All Music / Song Facts / The Nashville Teens

Image: Tobacco Road (album)” by The Nashville Teens


Jeopardy

A Test for People Who Know Everything

From the Jeopardy Archives Category - “SHARING THE ISLAND” ($200)

“New Guinea: Indonesia & this country.”

Answer to Jeopardy READ MORE: Encyclopedia Britannica

From the Jeopardy Archives Category - “SHARING THE ISLAND” ($400)

“Saint Martin (or Sint Maarten): France & this other one-time European colonial power.”

Answer to Jeopardy READ MORE: Encyclopedia Britannica

From the Jeopardy Archives Category - “SHARING THE ISLAND” ($600)

“The resort island of Usedom, near the mouth of the River Oder: Poland & this country.”

Answer to Jeopardy READ MORE: Wikipedia

From the Jeopardy Archives Category - “SHARING THE ISLAND” ($800)

“Cyprus: A Turkish ethnic minority & this ethnic majority.”

Answer to Jeopardy READ MORE: Encyclopedia Britannica

From the Jeopardy Archives Category - “SHARING THE ISLAND” ($1,000)

“Hispaniola: These 2 countries.”

Answer to Jeopardy READ MORE: Encyclopedia Britannica


Joke of the Day

Joke of the Day

“10th Birthday”

This little Italian boy and this little Jewish boy lived about a block apart in the neighborhood and basically grew up together.

The Jewish boy was the son of a jeweler and the Italian boy was the son of a hitman.

Oddly enough, they had the same birthday. Well, for their 10th birthday, the little Jewish boy gets a Rolex watch and the little Italian boy gets a .22 Baretta.

The next day they are out on the street corner comparing their presents and neither is happy so they switch gifts with each other.

The little Italian boy goes home to show his father

His father is NOT pleased! and said:

“What're you, nuts? Lemme tell you something, you idiot!! Some day you're gonna meet a nice girl, you're gonna wanna settle down and get married. You'll have a few kids, all that stuff.”

“THEN one day, you're gonna come home and find your wife in bed with another man. What the heck ya gonna do??? Look at your watch and say, 'Hey, how long you gonna be?'”