At the top of today’s NYTimes Most-Emailed Articles List (which AYK is practially my favorite feature of any website, ever) is an Reuters Story about Paul Krugman’s new book.

Best pull quote:

While some critics dismiss Krugman’s views as inflammatory, his book shows many of his predictions have come true, especially those about the nation’s budget. And that makes his ultimate prognosis of the nation’s fiscal outlook chilling.

“I think the United States is setting itself up for a Latin American-style financial crisis,’‘ he wrote in the book.

If Bush loses his job in the 2004 election, Krugman said, the day may yet be saved. But if he wins reelection to the White House, an economic meltdown will become “inevitable.’‘

As some of you know, I recently took another step towards adulthood; I got married. I must say that, in my experience, marriage is a wonderful thing. Of course, my experience adds up to a little less than two months, so you might not want to go out and propose to that hot bartender just yet.

After catching a pretty good movie the other night, I was struck by the fact that most movies tend to view marriage as an end point (in the happily-ever-after sense), a starting point (in the I-just-got-divorced-now-what-do-I-do sense), or just a peripheral point. Put more specifically, I cannot remember a single recent movie in which a stable, married couple (or person) was a central character. Sure, us married folk hang around the edges of the big screen, often as unwitting parents and/or comic foils, but it doesn’t seem that we ever get central billing.

At least not until you look at television.

Coming to my office:

The World Trade Center Model: Preserving an American Treasure
September 25, 2003 – December 3, 2003
Fabricated in 1971 by the architectural firm of Minoru Yamasaki Associates, this historical artifact is the only extant model illustrating the World Trade Center site with all six original buildings. The model has recently been conserved with generous grants from the Alcoa Foundation, Save America’s Treasures, and the Museum Loan Network. Photographs of the model taken by renowned photographer Balthazar Korab and a video production documenting the conservation project will accompany the presentation of the newly conserved model.

I really may not be that bright. Here’s a website that features riddles and can keep up with your record.

Spolier Alert! I am going to post riddles below and ask you to give me hints. Don’t click through until you’ve played a bit.

I thought you were in Maine? It looks like you are in London… “Protesting against the arrogant contempt that politicians hold for the people who put them in power.” I miss you, K-PHO, won’t you come back home??? :-)

Attorney General John Ashcroft has decided to increase the scope of his new website to float the idea of increased federal involvment in monitoring the gun buying and owning habits in the U.S. He has stated his position on this proposal against the arguments the NRA has published. He calls the proposal the “Terrorist Disarmament Act”.

Myth: The NRA claims that the Terrorist Disarmament Act “expands terrorism laws to include ‘domestic terrorism’ which could subject political organizations to surveillance, wiretapping, harassment, and criminal action for political advocacy.” …

Reality: The Terrorist Disarmament Act limits domestic terrorism to conduct that breaks criminal laws, endangering human life. “Peaceful groups that dissent from government policy” without breaking laws cannot be targeted.

…

Myth: The NRA has claimed that “Many [people] are unaware that their gun and ammunition buying habits could become the target of government surveillance. In a free society, such monitoring is odious and unnecessary” …

Reality: The Terrorist Disarmament Act specifically protects Americans’ Second Amendment rights, and terrorism investigators have no interest in the armament buying habits of ordinary Americans.

You’re listening to WEFUNK.

Despite being a white boy in the suburbs, I’ve loved this music since I made the jump from James Brown to Maceo Parker, Parliment, etc, and heard the straight up samples and mixing from the second generation of hip-hop. I can’t BS- I completely missed the first wave of rap while obsessed with alternative music while it was still alternative. But this webcast is worth every bit of bandwidth. The variations on the theme, the feeling, the improvisation, the undeniable ability to make you shake everything you got, plus the stacked horns hooked me from the first time I heard James Brown. WEFUNK has all of that and a bag of chips.

I wish I could talk knowledgeably about the music, but I honestly can’t. I just know what I like, and this is it.

Possibly the perfect day on the Porch. We’ve got a somewhat reasoned discussion of the scope and role of the social contract underway, a great piece by John about gender roles and perceptions, and a multiplicity of voices. About all that was missing was a random tech tidbit, and cheap pop culture.