A brownish day...

...as the winds have died down and the smoke hangs, unmoving, over this area. From my limited perspective, this is the worst day yet; the smoke makes lungs and eyes hurt, and the increased heat saps what little energy is left.

I tried keeping the windows closed, but that didn't help much.

Very little sleep last night.

It is now reported that the big fire in Orange County was set by an arsonist. Along with rapists and child-molesters, I have a special place in my thoughts for arsonists. I advocate the same penalties for all three types of criminals. And the penalties do not have provisions for unhappy childhoods or previous drug/fast-food consumption turning them temporarily into maniacs.

The politicization of the SoCal disaster has left me, once again, thinking that we need to reform government and remove virtually all those currently in (or seeking) office. When people are free to run their own lives, they band together in times of need. When shackled by government -- and/or fully invested in the victim/handout mentality -- they become pitiful blobs of protoplasm.

As you can imagine, events and environment are doing nothing for my depression, which seemed to be lessening slightly as of last weekend.

I do have one slight direct connection to the fires. A company that owes me a fair-sized check for work I've done for them has its offices in Malibu. Needless to say, the check has yet to arrive.

Poor me, I know.

Back to work. I hope.