Starship Asterisk*

I was at a conference last week; one of the speakers explained why he was wearing a poppy before he talked about the subject of the conference. I was surprised the explanation was needed, but clearly it was, as many (many many) in the audience did not understand the poppy's symbolism.

Some years ago when going through photos at my mother's house, I came upon these four silver nitrate photographs taken in Washington, DC; scanning the prints doesn't do them justice, alas. The captions are from the back of the photos. I cannot help but reflect upon what that night meant to those who saw these sites.
[attachment=0]Capitol.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=3]ArchofJewelsPanAmericanBuilding.jpg[/attachment]