As particulate matter from the 850 wildfires has ruined our famously crisp and sought-after air in the Bay Area. On the plus side, though, it has made for some gorgeous sunsets.......

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is calling all ye Bay Area residents to spare the air tonight by refraining from lighting a fire or using other wood burning appliances. (Does that mean no Duraflames, you ask? Yes. Yes, it does.) The morning forecast, it seems, predicted unhealthy PM (particulate matter) concentrations. And we have no idea what that means exactly. But in lieu of a cozy fire, we suggest putting on the......

Tonight, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has asked you, the Bay Area, to drive less as well as holding off on burning wood in fireplaces and woodstoves, which are a large contributor to airtime pollution level. (You hear that, Zuni Cafe and Chez Panisse, you depraved, Hummer-loving, slow-food bastards.) Read more about it here. Also, there's no free transit during winter/fall Spare the Air days. Bummer.......

Now that summer's sun has given way to winter's gloom, the concerns of our air have moved from day to night. What does this mean other than a lousy attempt at being poetic? We're moving into "Spare the Night" nights. Like the one called last night....