Sunflowers...

Upon cleaning out the laptop, I had several photos, taken throughout the year so far, in my picture album of sunflowers that I thought I'd take them all and compose a couple of collages! They are quite large in pixel size, so I hope it isn't too slow loading...

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OPINION COLUMN
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If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
~Shakespeare

I've kinda laid back on commenting of the recent passing of Arizona's Senior Senator. Why? I don't know...the news and social media have been completely saturated with stories of his life, accolades, demeanor, family, government, piloting, POW, nemesis of political affairs, etc. etc. etc. In fact after several days of his life and short bios and biases, I was tired of it all!!!   I lived in Arizona for over a decade, I didn't like him then, and I admit I thought of him as a hate monger from the beginning...not wanting him as POTUS either;  thinking.... with him in the oval office, we would've been in a war with just about anyone at the expense of lost lives, and taxpayers' money.

He's been touted as a war hero. Shot down over Vietnam, ejecting from his plane, and being captured. For me, as someone else stated, "He's not a war hero". He was a prisoner of war. The two are totally different in my opinion. The title "Hero" would be "a person noted for courageous acts of character" such as saving lives of fellow citizens during war time, falling on a grenade to protect others, or in civilian life...helping in any way during a tragedy [for instance 911]...things like that. Being captured...that's it...P O W. He was also alumni of Annapolis....now, you wonder just how he got in? Let me take a guess...his father and grandfather were both Admirals in the Navy at Annapolis....Hmmmm, nepotism? Money talks?!!  No doubt!! Certainly, I would wager he entered the academy not by merit...but family ties. Yes, he was a pilot in the Navy. But wait...do we all forget that there was an inquiry of his jet, supposedly, starting a chain reaction explosion on the aircraft carrier, USS Forrestal? Many lives taken, and many injuries...not to mention the millions of dollars in damages to the ship, and loss of weaponry. Some say it  was possibly his prank that caused it...while the official record [according to Snopes] is totally different....no blame. Personally, I fail to believe a word of the "official record"....I think it's a Navy Cover-up!!!! Just to save the captain's ass from court martial! Among other life sentences...including our departed senator. No one will ever convince me otherwise. A couple more things, then, I'm done for good...The flag at half staff. The white house was NOT in error. When a Senator dies, the flag is lowered to half staff for 24-48 hours. By Monday following his death, the flag could go full-staff!!! Absolutely no wrong doing. [90 % of the federal buildings' flags here were not lowered]. And the week of mourning and the schedule for lying in state in AZ and Washington D.C. ---all pre-arranged by the Senator himself before passing on!!! A show case of vanity and ego if you ask me!!!

USS Forrestal Snopes Report

Flag at Half Staff Guidelines