Lex Libertas

The Apocalypse has Arrived

My hometown of Simi Valley is engulfed in smoke and ash, and surrounded by fire. It appears as though all of Southern California is on fire. I've been away all weekend, so I haven't had a chance to personally see the flames, but I have it on good word that ash is falling like snow and the heat is oppressive. I'm in Torrance, about 50 miles away, and the smoke has covered the sky down here, leaving the sun to filter through an eerie yellow twilight at 10 in the morning.

Driving up by the airport, I felt as if I were in some post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. It wasn't a stretch to envision flames on the mountains from a nuclear inferno, overturned cars on the freeway, and bands of armed people wandering the streets. Oh wait, that's a normal day in L.A.

It reminds me of some great commentary from Futurama:

Fry: So you're saying these aren't the decaying ruins of New New York in the year 4000?
Farnsworth: You wish! You're in Los Angeles.
Fry: But there was this gang of ten year olds with guns!
Leela: Exactly, you're in LA.
Fry: But everyone is driving around in cars shooting at each other!
Bender: That's LA for ya!
Fry: But the air is green and there is no sign of civilization what so ever!
Bender: He just won't stop with the social commentary...
Fry: And the people are all phonies, no-one reads, everything has cilantro on it...