Shutdown!

[Rommie]

Here is a handy list of what all is closed/ how much longer the money lasts for each agency-link

(I somehow find it interesting that the US Office of Ethics has shuttered its doors.)

I honestly don't remember much at all of the last time this happened, as it was what, 20 years ago almost? How long do these things tend to last?

[SciFiFisher]

If I recall correctly the longest shutdown was almost a month. Interestingly the whole idea of shutting down the government when congress couldn't agree on a budget is really a former attorney generals fault.

And what makes the republicans in the House even more asinine is that a government shut down won't stop the ACA. It's already funded. But just to have fun here are66 questions and answers about government shutdowns.

[cid]

I thought for a second that this one was misfiled, belonging under Banana Republic Newsflash...

[SciFiFisher]

Nope. Apparently the House Republicans think they have something to gain from this. Apparently they forgot what happened to Newt when he tried this gambit.

[Sigma_Orionis]

I thought for a second that this one was misfiles, belonging under Banana Republic Newsflash...

Hey, if you want you can have Nicky Ripe and his entourage..... Hell, I'll pay you to take them

[squ1d]

Just when I think Australian conservatives are the most retarded people on earth, I look at the Republican party

[Rommie]

Well some good news guys- for a few hours there I thought we'd be without APOD until this was resolved, but turns out there is still a UK mirror site! http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/astropix.html

[Swift]

I thought for a second that this one was misfiles, belonging under Banana Republic Newsflash...

At least Banana Republics keep producing bananas.

The term "idiocy" seems to be completely inadequate.

[Sigma_Orionis]

As I'm reading the latest antics on the US Federal Government Shutdown, I find it somewhat Ironic that I'm listening to Aaron Copland's Hoedown

BTW we don't produce all that many bananas, just ask Fisher

[OldCM]

Apparently the House GOP isn't satisfied with shutting down the government but intend to also take us into default Oct. 17th. Too bad POTUS can't declare the Tea Party to be a domestic terrorist organization and clap them all in jail. But he can't and won't. Instead we see the Republicans doing their best to destroy this country economically. And to think they like to call themselves patriots!

[Morrolan]

so, at what point do American citizens decide that they have had enough of childishly annoying ratbags like those Tea baggers and clap them all in irons for treason? i'd think sabotaging an entire country clearly falls in that category.

even Italy doesn't shut itself down when their politicians can't agree. granted, this is a daily occurrence there, but still...

[geonuc]

Well some good news guys- for a few hours there I thought we'd be without APOD until this was resolved, but turns out there is still a UK mirror site! http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/astropix.html

Yay!

[geonuc]

so, at what point do American citizens decide that they have had enough of childishly annoying ratbags like those Tea baggers and clap them all in irons for treason? i'd think sabotaging an entire country clearly falls in that category.

I'm wondering that myself. At some point, enough* people have to wake up and smell the coffee, right?

* Enough means a large majority. A simple majority is not enough because of successful gerrymandering efforts in many states.

[Rommie]

so, at what point do American citizens decide that they have had enough of childishly annoying ratbags like those Tea baggers and clap them all in irons for treason? i'd think sabotaging an entire country clearly falls in that category.

I'm wondering that myself. At some point, enough* people have to wake up and smell the coffee, right?

* Enough means a large majority. A simple majority is not enough because of successful gerrymandering efforts in many states.

I think a big part of it is it's something that has to affect many people's lives in a negative way before dramatic effects occur, unfortunately.

Example, they were really big on hawking how awful the sequester was going to be, but I think for many people it hasn't been extremely noticeable. This is obviously the same on a way more dramatic scale, but I really just think it takes a few days for it to sink in to people how bad things can get- right now unless you're one of the unemployed workers or were planning a trip to a national park you're unlikely to notice.

The thing is it seems to be a minority even within the Republicans who are pushing for this- if the bill came to a vote it'd probably pass, but Mr. Speaker is just too nervous about a few dozen of the crazies. I suspect what it'll finally come down to is not so much the Tea Party losing much ground so much as Boehner losing his political career.

[Sigma_Orionis]

According to That bastion of Pinko Commie Liberalism known as GoldMan Sachs, a three week shutdown is going to shave off 0.9% of the GDP, that's going to be felt allright. So, I suspect that by the middle of next week there's going to be a lot more people paying attention to this.

And let's not forget that in TWO weeks comes the debt ceiling issue, that one is going to hurt a lot more, ALL OVER THE WORLD.


According to them Pinko-Commies (Now Libertarian ) at the Washington Post Gerrymandering is overrated and not the reason why the Pubs got the House, so the maybe chances that the 2014 elections get rid of some of the nutjobs are a little higher than usual.

[SciFiFisher]

The average person is not immediately effected by the shutdown. Unless they have to get services provided by some part of the government that is shut down. So, if you don't need a social security card this week or some other service normally provided by the government then it doesn't have a huge impact until a few more days have gone by.

Once the money really stops flowing on October 15th (that's approx. when the money runs out) then the impact will start really being noticed. The last time we had a serious shutdown it was Newt and his house of fools that were playing blink. They figured they could convince the American people that it was the democrats fault. Newt lost his speakership. The republicans got trashed the next election, and the democrats won the presidency.

But, this time is different. This time it's about IDEOLOGY. Essentially the American people decided they wanted candidates who would go to Washington and would not do business as usual. Oy Vey! When will we learn to be careful what we wish for?

A small group of very passionate ideologues have rode that popular meme into Washington DC and they are determined NOT to allow themselves to be seduced by that nasty backroom political tool of the devil....COMPROMISE!!!!

[pumpkinpi]

Well some good news guys- for a few hours there I thought we'd be without APOD until this was resolved, but turns out there is still a UK mirror site! http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/astropix.html

Yay!

Yeehaw. That's my home page at work and today was my first day in the office. I was sad not to see it.

[pumpkinpi]

I'll be pissed if this delays MAVEN's launch to Mars.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-576 ... n-to-2017/

[Sigma_Orionis]

The average person is not immediately effected by the shutdown. Unless they have to get services provided by some part of the government that is shut down. So, if you don't need a social security card this week or some other service normally provided by the government then it doesn't have a huge impact until a few more days have gone by.

Once the money really stops flowing on October 15th (that's approx. when the money runs out) then the impact will start really being noticed. The last time we had a serious shutdown it was Newt and his house of fools that were playing blink. They figured they could convince the American people that it was the democrats fault. Newt lost his speakership. The republicans got trashed the next election, and the democrats won the presidency.

But, this time is different. This time it's about IDEOLOGY. Essentially the American people decided they wanted candidates who would go to Washington and would not do business as usual. Oy Vey! When will we learn to be careful what we wish for?

A small group of very passionate ideologues have rode that popular meme into Washington DC and they are determined NOT to allow themselves to be seduced by that nasty backroom political tool of the devil....COMPROMISE!!!!

Ideology doesn't pay the bills and definitely doesn't feed you, I'd say that by October 10th Ideology will go out the window, you gringos are WAY more practical than us, even if once in a while you do something stupid like falling for the the Tea Party follies....

ETA: Oh my! the IMF is getting restless!

[Swift]

But, this time is different. This time it's about IDEOLOGY. Essentially the American people decided they wanted candidates who would go to Washington and would not do business as usual. Oy Vey! When will we learn to be careful what we wish for?

A small group of very passionate ideologues have rode that popular meme into Washington DC and they are determined NOT to allow themselves to be seduced by that nasty backroom political tool of the devil....COMPROMISE!!!!

I believe Chris Matthews, who was Tip O'Neil's Administrative Assistant and communications person, has a new book out called something like "Tip and the Gipper", about the interaction between O'Neil and Reagan. One of the big points of the book is that though Reagan had some pretty strong ideological ideas (and ideas very different than O'Neil), that they were able to compromise and get things done. And even though he was a compromiser, Reagan is still considered one step below Jesus among both the traditional conservatives and the Tea Partiers.

[pumpkinpi]

I'll be pissed if this delays MAVEN's launch to Mars.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-576 ... n-to-2017/

...and, it's saved. As Bill Nye put it

In an increasingly rare display of sanity from Washington, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) was declared "excepted" from the current government shutdown so preparations for its November launch could continue.

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/casey-dr ... tdown.html

[cid]

Shut it down, lock 'em in, and NOBODY gets out or gets paid until this gets solved.

[Morrolan]

if you thought 2008 was bad, wait until October 17. the global mayhem that will follow will be unprecedented. all our jobs are in danger.

[geonuc]

But, this time is different. This time it's about IDEOLOGY. Essentially the American people decided they wanted candidates who would go to Washington and would not do business as usual. Oy Vey! When will we learn to be careful what we wish for?

A small group of very passionate ideologues have rode that popular meme into Washington DC and they are determined NOT to allow themselves to be seduced by that nasty backroom political tool of the devil....COMPROMISE!!!!

I believe Chris Matthews, who was Tip O'Neil's Administrative Assistant and communications person, has a new book out called something like "Tip and the Gipper", about the interaction between O'Neil and Reagan. One of the big points of the book is that though Reagan had some pretty strong ideological ideas (and ideas very different than O'Neil), that they were able to compromise and get things done. And even though he was a compromiser, Reagan is still considered one step below Jesus among both the traditional conservatives and the Tea Partiers.

While discussing the shutdown with a couple of colleagues, I used O'Neil and Reagan as an example of how the two parties managed to find middle ground in days gone by. Then I blamed Newt.

[Rommie]

if you thought 2008 was bad, wait until October 17. the global mayhem that will follow will be unprecedented. all our jobs are in danger.

Apparently the speaker has said he will not let the government default. So that's good, hope he's telling the truth.

For the record all, as of today I am one of a few dozen American radio astronomers on Earth. NRAO and all the telescopes are shut down, and all those folks are unemployed.