Defense Secretary Hegseth Orders Removal of Harvey Milk's Name from Navy Ship

WASHINGTON D.C. – In a move sparking significant controversy, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly ordered the U.S. Navy to strip the name of gay rights icon and Navy veteran Harvey Milk from a replenishment oiler, the USNS Harvey Milk. 

This decision, coming during Pride Month, is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to "re-establish the warrior culture" and reverse what they term a "woke" military.

The USNS Harvey Milk, a John Lewis-class ship named in 2016 to honor civil and human rights leaders, has been in service for the past two years. 

Harvey Milk, who served in the Navy during the Korean War before being forced out for being gay, later became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors until his assassination in 1978.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a brief statement affirming that Secretary Hegseth is "committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief's priorities, our nation's history, and the warrior ethos." Critics, however, are questioning how honoring a Navy veteran and civil rights advocate undermines a "warrior ethos."

The renaming of a Navy ship is a highly unusual and traditionally considered taboo act. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes San Francisco, decried the decision as "shameful, vindictive erasure" and argued it "does not strengthen our national security or the 'warrior' ethos. Instead, it is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country."

This order comes amidst a flurry of directives from Secretary Hegseth aimed at reshaping military culture. These actions have included reviewing and potentially renaming other ships in the John Lewis-class, which are named after prominent civil rights leaders and distinguished women like Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Harriet Tubman. The administration has also been reportedly moving to eliminate or restructure courses at military academies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has ordered that race, gender, and ethnicity no longer be considered in admissions processes.

While a new name for the USNS Harvey Milk has not yet been announced, officials indicate that Navy Secretary John Phelan has been tasked with selecting a replacement name, with an announcement expected soon. The move is seen by many as a clear signal of the administration's direction for the U.S. military, prioritizing a narrow interpretation of military readiness over broader principles of diversity and inclusion.

The Attempt to Erase History Continues by the Trump Administration

During his presidency, Donald Trump has taken steps to rename a few significant geographical features and government entities.

Most notably, upon his return to the presidency in 2025, he signed an executive order to rename:

Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America": This change applies to U.S. federal agencies and official documents. It has been met with mixed reactions, with some supporting it as an "America First" initiative, while other countries like Mexico have stated they will not recognize the change.

Denali to "Mount McKinley": This restores the name of North America's highest peak to Mount McKinley, reversing the 2015 decision by the Obama administration to officially recognize the traditional Native Alaskan name, Denali.

Beyond these prominent geographical changes, during his previous term (2017-2021) and current term, his administration also made some smaller name changes within government agencies and policies, often reflecting shifts in policy or ideology. Examples include:

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP).

President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN) to President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition (PCSFN).

Renaming of some environmental groups to remove terms like "clean energy" and "climate," such as changing "Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team" to "Sustainable Transportation and Resilience Team."

He also advocated for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to be replaced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

It's important to note that while executive orders can direct U.S. federal agencies to use new names, the broader adoption of these names by state governments, the private sector, and international entities varies and is not always guaranteed.

Advice from *Auntie Ocho* for the Kid Who Didn't Catch the Ball...

Dear Little Boy Who Didn't Catch the Ball,

Well kid, I was sitting here drinking my java this morning and chain smoking ... (I don't recommend that by the way, you look like you have a very strong little set of lungs and you should keep them that way..) 

Anywho, I caught the above frame out of the corner of my eye this morning and I feel so unbelievably sorry for you that I could cry as hard as you've been crying... Not because you didn't catch the ball... You didn't expect to catch it did you?  Even if you had gotten your glove underneath it, it most likely would've been going fast enough it would have ripped your little arm right out of the socket... 

The Pepper Spraying at UC Davis

Admittedly I have not caught a lot of news in the last week as I'm way behind on work and in the process of completely overhauling and remixing my apartment, HOWEVAH I've got to say ...
I am sickened by the video I saw this morning of *the pepper spraying* at UC Davis...



The liberal in me is wondering when we lost the right to peacefully protest in this country and if the average American notices that we're losing our rights; little by little and more expeditedly as time goes by.

The conservative in me is wondering if the protesters have brainstormed any other ways to make an impact ... aside from sitting down in a grassy knoll with signs.  I mean... did they have a meeting and decide that "sitting in" was the best way to approach this situation?

The logical side of me, which involves only common sense, a slightly above average understanding of business and no political affiliation whatsoever; wonders why the grand old U.S. of A. didn't see that the system it has in place was going to collapse long before it started collapsing...

As with any Gemini who's worth their salt,
I have another side too that can tell you exactly how our country could fix this cluster-shizzle of a mess it's gotten itself into; but it'll take a bit for me to explain that ... so I'll have to save it for another day.

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A Little Note from The Ocho - and your Coffeemate is KILLING YOU!

This is just a note to let you cats and kittens know that I'm alive and well. 

I've had a very tumultuous few months in adjusting to self-employment. 

My temper has been short and my blood pressure has been high. 

I've learned that I can make sacrifices that I didn't think I could make.  I no longer go through a two liter of Coca-Cola a day because that's an exorbitant waste of money and not very healthy to boot ... 

I initially had dropped my TV service because every dime I had was needed for something more important than TV ....  But after about a week of living without Comcast Cable, it occurred to me that I really don't need them .. after all, it's 2011 - I can see pretty much everything I want to see "online".  Better still, I can watch it whenever I want - suffice it to say my lack of a "regular paycheck" has caused me to be a bit more creative with how my money is spent ... and I think I kind of like it :)  

NOW, about that Coffeemate .... 

Many of you are familiar with my mom, Kay - affectionately called "Fidget" by me because she does, in fact create things to worry about in many situations and chatter frantically about them.  HOWEVAH - she has a knowledge about alternative medicine and holistic healing that amazes me.  That knowledge has become a passion for the study of things like "food additives".  In today's blog, she discussed very specifically Coffeemate Creamer - HOWEVAH as her PR consultant, I'm going to discuss with her the possibility of changing that to "Powdered Creamer" ;) 

ANYHOO - I've thrown away my Coffeemate - the link is below and I hope that you'll take a few minutes to read it.  She gets a little twisty and hard to follow at times, but she really does know her stuff on this topic... 

In perusing her blog archive you'll find many other posts on things such as natural health, holistic healing, the Blue Zone people, the kindness movement, 29 Days of Giving, the Geezer Adventures.  She posts nearly daily and we're not long from redoing her "tags" and such so that her topics will be more "easily naviagatable" :)

A Simple Womans Journal: BREAKING NEWS/HEALTH WARNING: CRUCIAL INFO:

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Brief Footage of 1935 Metropolis, Illinois in this News Clip!!

I absolutely delight in watching vintage news footage.  I've been sitting here watching some videos from 1935 in hopes of finding a nice year in review piece for today's Ocho-rific Song o the Day.

You can imagine my surprise when the video below began to play and they mentioned a tornado in Metropolis, Illinois - which is of course where I'm sitting!  It's vintage footage of course, so obviously I'm in no danger.  HOWEVAH - I don't think I'd ever heard of this tornado.  The video is from 1935 and in the video they state that it was 25 years ago.  I've tried a quick google and didn't find anything.

I'm going to stop by and ask my grandpa today - he was born in '24.

I found it interesting and thought you might too - enjoy!!

Until next time...

Have a Grand and Groovy Day!!

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01/05/2011 - ::On This Day::

1914 – The Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day's labor.

Federal Minimum Wage Through History

Let’s remind ourselves of what the federal minimum wage numbers have been throughout history. Here’s a table showing the actual minimum wage between 1939 and 2009 (source: Wikipedia):

Year	Wage		Year	Wage
1939	30 cents		1976	$2.20
1945	40 cents		1977	$2.30
1950	75 cents		1978	$2.65
1956	$1.00		1979	$2.90
1965	$1.25		1980	$3.10
1967	$1.00		1981	$3.35
1968	$1.15		1990	$3.80
1969	$1.30		1991	$4.25
1970	$1.45		1996	$4.75
1971	$1.60		1997	$5.15
1974	$1.90		2007	$5.85
1975	$2.00		2008	$6.55
			2009	$7.25

And here’s a chart showing the real value of the minimum wage (inflation adjusted) from 1938 and 2009 (source: Economic Policy Institute)

1933 – Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco Bay.
 

1940 – FM radio is demonstrated to the Federal Communications Commission for the first time.

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Fascinating facts about Henry Ford inventor of mass production in 1913.

A Timeline of Ford Motor Company

GoldenGateBridge.org

Golden Gate Bridge Facts

This Day in History @ History.com

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01/04/2011 - ::On This Day::

1493 – Christopher Columbus leaves the New World, ending his first journey.

1643 – Sir Isaac Newton, English mathematician and natural philosopher (d. 1727)

1850 - The first American ice-skating club was organized in Philadelphia, PA.

1896 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.

 

1935 - Bob Hope was heard for the first time on network radio as part of "The Intimate Revue."

1936 - The first pop music chart based on national sales was published by "Billboard" magazine. 

The one shown in this image is from 1940

1950 - RCA Victor announced that it would manufacture long-playing (LP) records.

  

1957 - Boxer Joe Louis appeared on "The Steve Allen Show" to introduce singer Solomon Burke. 

1962 – New York City introduces a train that operates without a crew on-board.

1965 - The Fender Guitar Company was sold to CBS for $13 million.

1973 - The Allman Brothers name Lamar Williams as the replacement for the late Berry Oakley. The announcment was in Rolling Stone magazine. 

1976 - Mal Evans was shot to death by police at his Los Angeles apartment. Evans alledgedly pointed a loaded rifle at officers causing them to fire upon him. Evans was a former roadie and bodyguard of the Beatles. 

1981 - The Broadway show "Frankenstein" lost an estimated $2 million, when it opened and closed on the same night.

1982 - Bryant Gumbel moved from NBC Sports to the anchor desk where he joined Jane Pauley as co-host of the "Today" show on NBC.

2006 - Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the first woman to hold the position.

ThePeopleHistory.com

OnThisDay.com

OnThisDay.com - Music