I try hard to be an optimist, but right now it’s tough.

First, there was the horrific scene of 1500-ish unmasked people crowded together on the White House lawn last night for hours. This was pretty much the dictionary definition of a super-spreader event. And an historic Hatch Act violation.

Second, there’s this terrifying article from NY Magazine about the ongoing CA fires. Two quotes stand out:

“This past week, in Death Valley, a global temperature record was set, at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The next day, the forecast predicted 132. That is the temperature of steak cooked medium rare.”

“In just five days, more land had burned than in all of 2019. And the number kept growing—well past a million acres to 1.25 million.”

2020 is a year unlike any other in my memory. It feels Old Testament biblical.

And then there’s our new friend, Asteroid 2018 VP1. Thanks, 2020!