It was interesting to watch in the audience, but I don't know if its worthwhile to see on tv, since you'd miss the repeated stumblings of Lance Armstrong's sililoquy, the re-arranging of stage lights so that James Earl Jones could read the teleprompter, and a number of other goofs. (The did a closed-circuit broadcast in the Kennedy Center to increase the number of people able to watch the taping, and the closed circuit broadcast failed for the 1st 45 minutes of the show; to the credit of Kennedy Center management though, they offered everyone free drinks to makeup for it.) Dubya, much to his misfortune, has apparently lost his speechwriters from last year, as his words were uninspiring, although Laura Bush was rather amusing in her referral to someone she presumably is having sex with once and awhile as "Mr. President". If you're a fan of any of the singers in the performance, it's alright to watch, but most of the selections are recent number one hits, rather than a patriotic-themed fanfare of Lee Greenwood selections.

Elsewhere inside the beltway, the US flags are out in force on buildings and bridges, and numerous commemorative activities are being staged. Outside the Pentagon, a grandstand has been erected, and there are more satellite dishes up than at the VLA. But I suppose those will be scenes all over tomorrow night's evening news. As one might expect, with the approaching anniversary, I have given great thought to events, but more and more, especially amongst my friends here, while there is still great attention paid to the 11th (It is with interest that I note, while many people I know elsewhere in the country seem to have put things aside completely, I find even in meeting new people here in DC, that locals inevitably turn to it as a topic of conversation, even when meeting for the first time.) that many people are turning to the after-affects, including a possible war with Iraq. Over Labour Day weekend, in conversation with a Marine, he was adamantly opposed to an unprovoked war to the extent he preferred a discharge to needlessly risking his life. And the Washington Post, in a move I strongly support, has begun to champion the cause of Essam Hamdi. A cause ripe for a modern-day Robert Taft, Mr. Hamdi is an American citizen who has been labeled an enemy combatant by the Bush administration. In violation of provisions of the 5th, 6th, and 7th amendments, he is being held without charge and without the right to consult with an attorney. Whether or not a jury of his peers would convict him of terrorism, as an American citizen, he is entitled to certain protections under the law, which in a frightful precedent, he is currently denied, a situation I hope will be changed with the midterm elections.

I will not dwell much further on Sept. 11th-related thoughts, as I know this week will bring an overdose of them from all sources. However, as time allows me, I have been, and will continue to be updating my webpage with more of my own personal dialogue on the subject. (http://www.geocities.com/mattuofc) I will close though, by mentioning two recent books on my reading list: the first is The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder, which addresses the topic of why fate chooses circumstances to fall upon certain people; the other is called "Among the Heroes" by Jere Longman, and is about Flight 93, the plane that fought back before crashing in Pennsylvania. I hope soon too that I might find a Pentagon Diaries book, similarly chronicalling the 189 who died here. (Interesting to note: although not done a year ago, anniversary coverage has been amending the death totals to not include the terrorists, so that the official death toll at the Pentagon is only 184.)

I hope that over the course of the day of the 11th that you pause to think about what happened a year ago, and recall the thoughts and emotions of that time, and I would ask that while watching the replays of the Twin Towers and remarks that "We are all New Yorkers today." that you remember that some of us are also Washingtonians.

Matt