Since neither my DH nor I work for the gov't, our concerns are all DC based: If the Fed gov't shuts down, all of DC local gov't shuts down - no parking enforcement, no trash pick up, etc. (We don't live in DC, but we still have to work/commute there.)

My local parents' listserv has exploded with messages of people who have to report to work, but who have kids in federal gov't daycares that will be closed, and people who will be furloughed and don't want to pay their nannies.

Worried about Japan.

Happy to hear msbelle's news.

Confused about the government possible shutdown. It seems nuts to me that people don't know ahead of time whether or not they'll need to work. I know there are contingency plans at these agencies. Why wouldn't they be shared with employees? Wonder if it's some security thing?

In completely shallow news, I'm concerned I look too funereal today. I meant to wear a greenish jacket with my black skirt but the button popped on it this morning and my only other option was a black jacket. Stupid boobs.

Clearly the people who are furloughed but have nannies and the people who have to work but have kids in government daycare need a matchmaking service.

It sounds like the shutdown is coming down to banning federal funds to planned parenthood and preventing EPA regulation of greenhouse gases.

I worry about my cousin being furloughed. 3 kids, a new apartment and no income is bad.

Yeah- I asked Tom if his company had any temp jobs, but no, not right now...

I can't even process that, Gudanov. It will make my head explode!

We just got an email about the shutdown. What do we do different? Nothing! Except we won't be able to get in touch with our customers which will make some things complicated (other things easier, but only temporarily).

I'm reeling at the bread news. I refuse to believe it.

Why isn't bread baked on Wednesday?

There's nothing like coming from the hospital for a meeting only to find out that you forgot something vital for the meeting. So you fix it up quickly, and now the servers for the whole gov't are down, so you cannot print them.

Tsunami warnings cancelled: [link]

Thank fuck for that, anyway.

Some of what they say about government efficiency is true, it turns out.

Well, yeah. But part of the reason for that (I have learned) is in order to keep us from doing anything bad or wrong. So there's a lot of protocols in place for decision-making. And a lot of controls in place for spending money: what kind of money you can use for what, and what kind of obligations the government can take on, are both tightly constrained.

It sounds like the shutdown is coming down to banning federal funds to planned parenthood and preventing EPA regulation of greenhouse gases.

Because god forbid poor women get reproductive health care, or poor people living on the coastlines get protected from sea-level rise that the US is one of the parties primarily responsible for.