And then there were ten?

The New York Times is reporting here that retired General Wesley Clark is about to join the race for the Democratic nomination for President. Clark's entry into the race would likely come after Sept. 15, according to the Times, in part because the 15th is a campaign fundraising disclosure deadline and Clark hasn't raised nearly the funds of Kerry or Dean.

The article comes on the same day that Dean is 21 points ahead of Kerry in New Hampshire. I suspect that Clark's entry into the race will expedite the departure of a few of the candidates, though probably not Sharpton or Mosley Braun, both of whom have absolutely no chance at the nod. Rep. Dennis Kucinich may be the first to bow out, particularly if he is interested in defending his congressional seat. Sen. Bob Graham may also fall out, as he seems to have generated virtually no press and only minimal public support. One would expect any Democrats who jump ship to wait until at least Iowa, and probably South Carolina, though I think it vital to the party's chance in November to clarify its race to two or three main candidates (Kerry, Dean, Clark?).

Rock out, Wesley

My mind plays tricks on me every time I say something
It brings evil voices out of my head, and talks to me vulgar.
Then suddenly, I start raving

Chronic schizophrenia

But when I have bad luck I'll always hear evil voices talking to me vulgar
Everywhere I go riding on the CTA bus, all I hear is vulgarity
I hear no music at all

Chronic schizophrenia

Riding in the streets with no music sucs
Everywhere I go, I cruise the streets being called an asshole
Plus I'm being ridiculed and called a bum and called stupid

Chronic schizophrenia

Pontiac, we build excitement

I was saddened to learn news of the death of Wesley Willis, a Chicago-based singer/songwriter. It's difficult to explain why I like Wesley Willis, and probably difficult to understand for those who never saw him. Fortunately, I did see Wesley Willis, about four years ago in St. Cloud.

Willis' songs could hardly be considered genius, and some would hesitate to even call them songs. But the Casio synthesizer driven rambings on topics ranging from Elvis Presley to a fantastic battle between Wesley and Batman are nonetheless endearing. Not quite quaint, the lyrics of a Schizophrenic, 300+ pound black man are so straightforward that they contain some charm.

At his concert, Wesley signed Andy's chest, pulled Paula onstage to headbutt, and occasionally shouted at the demons in his head. Perhaps it is his open vulnerability that made him a (albeit minor) cultural icon. It seems doubtful that his catalogue will receive anymore notice, and also doubtful that it is deserving. But his innocence, an absolute contrast to expecatations one might base on his appearance, resonates through his music.

Rock over London, rock on Chicago.

Fair on a stick

Characterizing the Minnesota State Fair is a bit challenging. This is in part because I haven't been to any other state fairs, so I have no basis for comparison. The entire event seems foreign to me, however. There is this agricultural component of the fair that I suspect was far more relevant 20 years ago, and now seem a tacked-on afterthought. Notwithstanding this, checking out the enormous pigs is a delight.

People watching is perhaps the best part of the fair, though I'm nearly overwhelmed with an urge to start shooting people. The fair is one of those places where nobody understands basic concepts of walking (the MOA is another) and it teems with poorly supervised children shrieking as their overweight parents gawk like the yokels they are. Nowhere is my contempt for humanity more justified.

Unleash your power

Television at 3:00 on a Satuday night is a miserable panople of infomercials pandering to the solitude of their viewers. Market research must have demonstrated that everybody watching at that point is alone. And if you're alone on a Saturday night at 3:00, watching television, something must be wrong with you.

Ron Jeremy thinks your dick is too small, while Vanessa Williams think's you're alone because you're unatractive. Twin midgets suggest you're alone because you haven't mastered the real estate market, while Tony Robbins and his gargantuan head just grins and takes your cash.

I only hope these pitchmen appreciate the irony of their sales. In effect each one is offering a something to help you be your more "true self." But if I have bad acne, isn't that who I am, Vanessa be damned? Besides, if I bought all these products and assimilated the traits of their pitchmen, I'd be a clear skinned, rich midget with a huge dick and a head bigger than my torso. I suppose we can all aspire.

Jessy Greene rocks

Walking home from First. Ave. sucks a lot. Little Tijuana does make it a lot better, though.

Give money.

More dreams of Bozeman...

Last night I was talking with Scot about the possibility of moving to Bozeman if/when I don't have a job and my lease is up. It's a very appealing notion, though one that would be perhaps a bit more hedonistic than I generally fancy.

Also, Advance Wars is incredibly addictive and a massive time suck.

It's for the children

Sometimes he's an asshole, but Andrew Sullivan is dead on in his Sunday comments about Sen. Santorum's recent comments, and about the conservative position on homosexual marriage:

Wouldn't these people be far more persuasive if they offered an alternative to marriage? It would certainly make them seem far less homophobic. They could take the position that they'd be happy to have civil unions but draw the line at marriage - and they'd get a lot of support. So why don't they? Could it be that their real agenda is not simply keeping marriage exclusively heterosexual but keeping gays as marginalized and stigmatized as possible?

It is both compelling and unique, Sullivan's argument. Moreover, it exposes the inherent hypocrasy of reducing state control in every facet of life but the one guided by religion. In an amusing note earlier, he sugggests a constitutional amendment prohibiting divorce as far more salient and pressient to the Catholic Church. Nice.

Also, if anyone on earth hasn't seen this yet, blow off the next hour of work: Get Your War On

Something blue

I hadn't been to a wedding in something like 15 years, so I didn't really know what to expect. The party was about what I'd expected, with the dancing and the drinking and the people I don't see very often. The ceremony itself was simple and even touching. Perhaps it is because there aren't many opportunities to witness and celebrate public displays of doting, which is (in a way) what weddings are all about.

"Good" news

From a wire story this morning:

WASHINGTON - The nation's unemployment rate declined to 6.2 percent in July as nearly half a million discouraged Americans stopped looking for a job. Payrolls were cut for the sixth month in a row, suggesting businesses remain cautious and want to keep work forces lean despite budding signs of an economic revival.

I've always loved the concept of discouraged workers, and I'm still having trouble convincing myself it's a good thing that the economy lost only 44,000 jobs in July. After all the economy lost 72,000 jobs in June. Fan-fucking-tastic.