This is all hilarious of course, but that sandwich thrower would probably be dead if he wasn’t white.

There’s quite a few of those to be sure, but having been for many years and no longer going, the vast majority of people there are either going mindlessly because it’s part of their personality or folks who’ve never been before and are in search of something.

The originating ideas continue to be intriguing, but I wouldn’t say it’s much more than a pricey escape from the troubling default world. I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy it when the world didn’t quite seem as doomed as it does now.

Also, seriously, everyone there should be wearing an N99 during dust storms. The playa is full of silica dust and silicosis is a real thing and really really bad.

I watched Pritzker’s press conference. You can here. He said no such thing.

He told Trump not to send the National Guard to Chicago; that they are neither needed nor wanted there. And he told citizens that when it does happen to engage in peaceful protest, noting that any guard members that arrive are likely doing so under duress (denying to deploy would risk court martial), and insisting that citizens look to “members of the faith community” for guidance on how to organize.

I don’t really agree with that specific choice, but that’s what he said.

But also, this:

The state of Illinois is ready to stand against this military deployment with every peaceful tool we have. We will see the Trump administration in court. We will use every lever at our disposal to protect the people of Illinois and their rights. Finally, to the Trump administration officials who are complicit in this scheme. To the public servants who have forsaken their oath to the Constitution to serve the petty whims of an arrogant little man. To any federal official who would come to Chicago and try to incite my people into violence as a pretext for something darker and more dangerous, we are watching and we are taking names. This country has survived darker periods than the one that we’re going through right now and eventually the pendulum will swing back, maybe even next year. Donald Trump has already shown himself to have little regard for the many acolytes that he has encouraged to commit crimes on his behalf. You can delay justice for a time, but history shows you cannot prevent it from finding you eventually. If you hurt my people, nothing will stop me, not time or political circumstance, from making sure that you face justice under our constitutional rule of law.

That’s more like it.

In case you weren’t sure how to feel about reading this obit, here’s a handful of this guy’s impact on the world…

• Dobson viewed marriage as a transaction in which women exchange sex for protection: “The natural sex appeal of girls serves as their primary source of bargaining power in the game of life. In exchange for feminine affection and love, a man accepts a girl as his lifetime responsibility-supplying her needs and caring for her welfare. This sexual aspect of the marital agreement can hardly be denied.” — James Dobson, Dare to Discipline (1970)
• Dobson opposed sex education curricula that were not abstinence-only and supported private school vouchers (taking funding away from public schools) and tax credits for religious schools.
• Dobson contended that tolerance and diversity are “buzzwords” that were being misused as part of a “hidden agenda” to promote homosexuality. (citation)
• In 2012, Dobson said that the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary (killing 26 people including 20 children) was a judgement by God because of American acceptance of gay marriage and legal abortion. (citation)
• Dobson flip-flopped on his views on abortion, opting for silent support early in his career before changing course to be obstinately anti-abortion, insisting that abortion invites women to reject God, diverts women from their natural role as mothers, and prevents more Christians from coming into the world. (citation)
• Dobson encouraged “daddy–daughter dating” in which fathers and daughters set aside time for special activities together. Because he believed heterosexuality must be cultivated, Dobson intended these romanticized attachments to model proper heterosexual partnership to girls age six or younger. (citation)
• He viewed the gender binary as fundamental to humanity and waxed lovingly about historical periods where being transgender in a bathroom could get you killed. (citation)

I could go on, but I’m feeling the sudden urge to go dance in the street.

Update: for further reading, please have a look at the obituary written by Erik Loomis on the Lawyers Guns & Money blog. It’s outstanding.