NP: The New Pornographers, "The Laws Have Changed" (MP3)

There's something inherently funny of the juxtaposition on today's New York Times op-ed page (registration required). Basically, you've got two pieces on the coming apocalypse, but from drastically different directions.

Paul Krugman takes a really cynical, really depressing look at how the Bush administration's post-9/11 actions will make for an ugly 2004 campaign. Wow, to say the man is not looking forward to the next year or two of national politics would be gross understatement, as he closes his thesis with the ominous "if you thought the last two years were bad, just wait: it's about to get worse. A lot worse."

On the other hand, Marcia Froelke Coburn has much more pleasant reasoning for the imminent end of the world. Both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox are still in contention for baseball's post-season. In September. That this has made it to the opinion page of the New York Times is just another sign of how newsworthy it is. Of course, the Cubbies looked pretty listless yesterday in the home of the Montreal Expos, which is of course, Puerto Rico, so it's possible that the slide from the top has begun.

But if you think about it, maybe the Cubs and Sox reaching the World Series would be a blessing in disguise, as it would bring Armageddon, and Krugman won't have to worry about what nasty things Bush will do next.