What Will Trump Put His Name On Next?

 

Public Overwhelmingly Disapproves Of Trump Renaming The Kennedy Center

The chart above reflects the results of the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between December 20th and 22nd of a nationwide sample of 1,592 adults (including 1,425 registered voters). The margin of error is 3.4 points for adults and 3.3 points for registered voters.

 

Can Trump Really Rename The Gulf of Mexico?

Donald Trump, acting like the emperor he wants to be, told the world a couple of days ago that he would be renaming the Gulf of Mexico. He wants it to now be called the Gulf of America. 

It's a silly idea. The gulf has been called the Gulf of Mexico for over four centuries. Can Trump really do it? Can he rename it?

The answer is yes and no.

In this country, the names for geographical items must be approved by the United States Board of Geographic Names which is under the auspices of the U.S. Interior Department. Since a Trump loyalist has been nominated to head the Interior Department, it is likely that, once approved, that person would accede to Trump's wishes and change the name.

But that doesn't mean any other country would go along with the name change. Other countries (like Mexico and Cuba) also control sections of the Gulf of Mexico, and it is very unlikely that would go along with the name change. It is also unlikely that any other countries would go along with it anyway.

For the world to accept the name change, it would have to be agreed to by other international organizations - the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, the International Hydrographic Organization, and the International Maritime Organization. The chances are nil that these organizations would go along with Trump's wishes.

Trump may think that being the head of the richest and most powerful nation makes him the defect king of the world, but it doesn't.

Like his promise to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico (and make Mexico pay for it), Trump has just made another promise he can't keep. He and his MAGA devotees will soon learn that. 

9 Military Bases Had Confederate Names - Not Anymore!

 From CBS News:

The Army has finished renaming nine installations that previously honored confederate generals with the redesignation Friday of Fort Gordon in Georgia to Fort Eisenhower. 

The Defense Department has until the end of the year to complete the recommendations of the congressionally mandated Naming Commission. The Naming Commission was tasked with identifying items in the U.S. military named after figures from the confederacy. 

The commission's final recommendations included renaming nine installations across the country named after Confederate generals. 

Fort Gordon, in Augusta, Georgia, is the last installation to receive its new name. The redesignation to Fort Eisenhower took place in an official ceremony Friday morning.

Fort Gordon was named for Major Gen. John Gordon, who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and was considered one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted generals. After the Civil War, he served as a U.S. senator and governor of Georgia. 

The new name honors President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who also led the D-Day invasion of Normandy in World War II as an Army five-star general.

In its recommendation for the new name, the Naming Commission said, "Eisenhower's extensive military experience as a combined and allied commander, and as a U.S. President symbolizes the professionalism, excellence, and joint nature of the base's mission." 

The installation is the home of the U.S. Army's Signal Corps, Cyber Command, and Cyber Center of Excellence. 

These are the other eight installations that have received new names: 

• Fort Benning, Georgia – renamed Fort Moore after Lt. Gen. Hal and Julia Moore.
• Fort Bragg, North Carolina – renamed Fort Liberty after the value of liberty.
• Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. – renamed Fort Walker after Dr. Mary Walker.
• Fort Hood, Texas – renamed Fort Cavazos after Gen. Richard Cavazos.
• Fort Lee, Virginia – renamed Fort Gregg-Adams after Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams.
• Fort Pickett, Virginia – renamed Fort Barfoot after Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot.
• Fort Polk, Louisiana. – renamed Fort Johnson after Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
• Fort Rucker, Alabama – renamed Fort Novosel after Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Novosel, Sr.

Why Do We Honor Traitors In Our Schools?

The Confederacy was created for only one reason -- to protect the right of the Confederate states to enslave human beings. That is a fact. 

Another fact is that the leaders (and soldiers) of the Confederacy were traitors to the United States. They denied their citizenship in our country, and worse, they actually waged war on the United States -- killing soldiers who defended our country. 

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are still 198 schools in this country that have Confederate-themed names. Why do we allow this to be? Why do we honor traitors to this country by naming schools after them.

This gives the impression that we support their traitorous actions, and gives our students the impression that we still support the slavery and discrimination that they fought for.

This must change!

Name Change For Our Southern Neighbor ?

What would you say if you were asked to name the country on our southern border (the nation pictured in the graphic above)? I think most people would say "Mexico", but if that is your answer then you would be wrong. That is what the country is commonly called by people all over the world and even by most of its own citizens, but that is not its official name.

The official name for our friend to the south is Estados Unidos Mexicanos (which translates in English to United Mexican States). That has been its name since 1821, when the country gained its independence from Spain. That is the name used in diplomatic protocol and on official government documents. But that is about the only place that name is used. As I said, even most citizens of the country refer to it simply as Mexico.

Outgoing president, Felipe Calderon, thinks it is time the country change its name. And as one of his last acts before leaving office, he introduced a bill in the legislature that would change the name from United Mexican States to Mexico.  Calderon said, "Mexico does not need a name that emulates another country and that none of us Mexicans use every day. Mexico is the name that corresponds to the essence of our nation. Pardon the expression, but the name of Mexico is Mexico."

He does have a point. When Mexico first adopted its official name, it was to emulate the United States. But a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, and currently the relations between the two countries are rather strained -- and made worse by the U.S. wanting to build a fence between the two nations, while right-wingers want to adopt more anti-immigrant (especially anti-Mexican) policies. The U.S. has also helped turn Mexico into a virtual war zone with U.S. drug policies and easy access to weapons (many of which wind up south of the border).

Will the name change be adopted? That's a question no one can answer yet. The proposal has been made before, and failed. But with the current attitudes between the two countries, it might now pass. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Navy To Name Ship After Giffords

The United States Navy has certainly been getting some well-deserved good publicity. First they rescue the captain of an American ship from Somali pirates (largely due to the remarkable marksmanship of some Navy Seals). Then naval airpower breaks the back of the Libyan military and gives the rebels in that country the edge they needed to overthrow the Libyan dictator. Next, Navy Seals go into Pakistan and kill Osama bin Laden. And only a few weeks later, Navy Seals go into Somalia and rescue to people held by Somali pirates.

Now the Navy is scoring another public relations coup. This one is not due to the bravery and excellence of sailors, but to the intelligence and compassion of their leadership. The U.S. Navy is naming a new ship after former Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords (who survived being shot in the head by a madman in a mass shooting). Here is the announcement as written in Navy Times:

In yet another break with tradition, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced Friday that a new Littoral Combat Ship would be named for Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona congresswoman who survived a January 2011 assassination attempt.

“The selection of Gabrielle Giffords, designated LCS 10, honors the former Congresswoman from Tucson, Arizona, who is known for supporting the military and veterans, advocating for renewable energy and championing border security,” the Navy said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

Roxanna Green, whose 9-year-old daughter Christina-Taylor Green was killed in the shooting, was named sponsor of the ship.

“Giffords and the ship’s sponsor, Roxanna Green, are sources of great inspiration and represent the Navy and Marine Corps qualities of overcoming, adapting and coming out victorious despite great challenges," Mabus said.

The future Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) will be an Independence LCS 2-class ship. Funded in the 2012 budget, its construction contract is expected to be awarded in the first half of this year to Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.

For those of you (like me) who are unfamiliar with what an Independence class LCS-2 ship is, the picture above is of one, and here is a description of the ship and its capabilities from Defense Update:

The Littoral Combat Ship is a key element of the Navy's plan to address asymmetric threats of the twenty-first century. Intended to operate in coastal areas of the globe, the ship will be fast, highly maneuverable and geared to supporting mine detection/elimination, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare, particularly against small surface craft.


The new 127 meter long Independence Class LCS will provide a platform for intelligence gathering, employ surface (anti-ship) and land attacks precision weapons, and operate manned and unmanned aerial and surface vehicles (UAV/USV). To further adapt for specific missions, LCS will incorporate a modular and interchangeable approach, enabling it to be reconfigured to specific missions such as antisubmarine warfare, mine warfare, or surface warfare missions on an as-needed basis. The LCS will be able to swap out mission packages pier-side in a matter of hours, adapting as the tactical situation demands. These ships will also feature advanced networking capability to share tactical information with other Navy aircraft, ships, submarines and joint units.


The Independence Class LCS, built by General Dynamics is designed to offer the largest usable payload volumes per ton of ship displacement of any U.S. Navy surface combatant afloat today -- providing the flexibility to carry out one mission while a separate mission module is in reserve. Its large flight deck sits high above the water, sized to support near-simultaneous operation of two SH-60 helicopters or multiple unmanned vehicles. In addition, the deck is suitable for landing the much-larger H-53 helicopters, should that become a future requirement.


The stable trimaran hull allows for flight operations in high sea conditions.

I think this is a great idea, and I believe most Americans will agree. I bet the sailors assigned to this new American warship will wind up calling her affectionately "Gabby" -- at least I hope so.

Most Popular Baby Names In 2011

I have always found it interesting how names go in and out of popularity. A name this is popular now may not be in a few years -- but after a few more years it can rebound in popularity. The people at BabyNames.com have just released their lists of the most popular names for boys and girls this year, and my fellow blogger over at Eight Feet Deep has the story. Here are the ten most popular names for each sex:

GIRLS
1. Charlotte
2. Sophia
3. Amelia
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Lily
7. Emma
8. Scarlett
9. Audrey
10. Harper

BOYS
1. Liam
2. Noah
3. Aidan
4. Jackson
5. Caleb
6. Oliver
7. Grayson
8. Ethan
9.Alexander
10. Owen

Most popular names in America

The Social Security Administration released its annual list of most popular names given to babys in the last year. The top ten names for both girls and boys are listed below:

GIRLS

1. Isabella

2. Emma

3. Olivia

4. Sophia

5. Ava

6. Emily

7. Madison

8. Abigail

9. Chloe

10. Mia

BOYS

1. Jacob

2. Ethan

3. Michael

4. Alexander

5. William

6. Joshua

7. Daniel

8. Jayden

9. Noah

10. Anthony

No comment from me. Just thought you'd like to know.

Some Parents Are Stupid

What the hell gets into some parents when they choose a name for their child? Do they not care that the child is going to have to live with that name?

A judge in New Plymouth, New Zealand, did an unusual thing in a custody case he was hearing. He made the child a temporary ward of the state so she could change her name. The 9-year-old girl was so embarrassed by her given name that she refused to tell anyone at her school what it was. She just told them to call her "K".

The judge said, "The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name. It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."

What was the name these wayward parents chose? The name was "Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii". I don't know what would make the parents choose such a ridiculous name, but I think it's very close to being child abuse.

I don't know the girl's new name, but whatever it is it has to be better than the one her parents gave her. I applaud the judge's action.