You people, the golden dome rule, and everything and nothing

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Happy Friday friends,

I would like to open this newsletter with a vote of praise for m’colleague, JD Flynn. He is, in many ways, one of the more considerate men I have ever met. When he sets his mind on something, he’s going to steamroller you into doing it with him, but he is going to do his absolute best to make it as painless an experience as possible.

Case in point: While he knows I am a bit hesitant in front of crowds, JD publicly committed us to doing half a dozen Pillar Podcast Live Shows this year.

When the time came to plan the first one, I tried placing all sorts of unreasonable conditions on the idea: I’d want to do it in Chicago, my and the pope’s hometown, where the last time JD turned up the cops detained him on archdiocesan instructions.

He was fine with that.

It would have to be on a proper feast day so people could have fun, even if it is Lent, said I. How about the Feast of St. Joseph, he said.

Then I started going for broke, demanding that we do it only in the oldest, dive-iest, purest baseball boozehall I could find, and only if it was explicitly a Cubs bar near Wrigley — Pope Leo’s White Sox allegiance notwithstanding.

And I’d want a free hand to make special Pillar and pope themed baseball gear for the night, since the date happens to be a big birthday and a week before Opening Day.

And he’d have to drink Malört.

The guy just kept saying yes, so now it’s happening. And I am both deeply excited and anxious, as usual.

So if you are within driving (or flying) distance of Wrigley Field next month, JD and I will be at the Nisei Lounge at 3439 N Sheffield Ave on March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph, starting at 7pm for a VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY LIVE SHOW.

It is going to be a great night. I know this, because every time we have done these live shows — in St. Paul, Baltimore, Indianapolis, DC and Rome — I have arrived a gibbering nervous wreck, but had the time of my life.

Pillar people, you people, are special. I mean it. And it’s special when we get ...