It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of stupidity, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of misinformation, it was the epoch of unquestioning belief. It was the season of blue light, it was the season of impenetrable darkness. It began with hope, but it ended with despair. We had everything before us, we had nothing before us. We were all going direct to Heaven, unless we were of a different race, religion, or political outlook, in which case we were going direct the other way. In short, the year took the 20th century, ejected all the good ingredients, and brewed the remainder into a toxic and terrifying blend.