It was a very good speech, I thought. And as with everything related to Vietnam, there was no shortage of ironies on the day. I watched it with my dad, who is hoping Kerry will run against Bush.

General Kennedy's speech was good too. Sad there was so little applause and enthusiasm in the crowd for the women vets, though. It made me feel uncomfortable when Gen. Kennedy had made what should have been a rousing remark, and the camera panned onto the audience, and showed a couple of women cheering loudly, a few men clapping, and a large number of men looking grim, with arms folded across their chests, not responding at all. Ouch. I guess the campaign to see women vets recognized may continue die a death by 1000 cuts.

I liked the overcast--it made the intensity of changing leaf colors more dramatic. It looked beautiful. Much more intimate than the Arlington thing, which looked stiff and cold and distant by comparison.