A stunning double rainbow appeared over Pacifica this week, giving residents a rare moment of collective joy that didn't require a permit, a feasibility study, or a $2 million consulting contract from the city.

For the uninitiated: a double rainbow occurs when light reflects twice inside water droplets, producing a second, fainter arc above the primary one with its colors reversed. It's physics being beautiful. No government subsidy required.

Pacifica — that gorgeous, fog-hugged stretch of coast just south of the city — is already one of the most underrated spots in the Bay Area. Dramatic cliffs, solid taco spots, and housing prices that are merely very expensive instead of cosmically expensive. Add a double rainbow to the mix and you've got yourself a postcard.

Look, we spend most of our time here at The Dissent holding politicians' feet to the fire and questioning where your tax dollars go. But every now and then it's worth stepping back and appreciating the thing that no board of supervisors can take credit for and no bureaucracy can screw up: the raw, spectacular beauty of the Northern California coast.

No agenda here. No policy prescription. Just a reminder that sometimes the best things in the Bay Area are still free.

Now back to your regularly scheduled outrage.