Yesterday

Yesterday two big things happened. One for me and one for America.
In America the government shut down due to a powerful and zealous section of the republican party refusing to agree to a budget unless the law (voted on and approved since 2009) dubbed 'obamacare' was repealed and cancelled.
Obviously the democrats did not cave to this demand. Not only is the law already in place, but it is already funded and its funding is not effected by the government shutdown. So from what I can understand from the news and from articles I've read, the Tea party section of the Republicans - in an awesome show of 'if we can't get the party our way nobody gets a party' - did not get their way so they threw a hissy fit and shut the government down.
I am personally at a loss for what can be done here. Dealing with people that refuse to accept facts, work with people that don't agree with them and refuse to govern responsibly is an issue that I don't think we've faced in so long I don't have any frame of reference. There's always been argument and tension between parties, but outright refusing to work with them, refusing to let them work, demonising the people trying to do their jobs, this is something that feels new.

Just so we're clear, it's not just the higher people of the government that suffer here, it's regular people. Due to the shut down more than 2million federal workers will have delayed pay checks, 800,000 of whom probably wont get paid. If the shutdown lasts longer than a few days veterans will likely not get their benefits. There will be no flu shots for anyone, despite it just coming to flu season. Some Food safety services will shut down (inspections, compliance, enforcement, monitoring and all lab research). Nutritional programs for women infants and children will be disrupted. Disability benefits will be interrupted. 200 patients will be turned away each week, regardless of illness (one thing that was highlighted was that it could include children with cancer).

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but how can a country like America remain a super power when it's so polarised and controlled by crazies that they can't even go into work?

In personal news the company I work for, Future Games of London, was yesterday acquired by Ubisoft.
I don't know what this means for us yet, but everything seems really positive, and I imagine that it will remain so right up until the day we miss and update and are all fired.
Who knows?

Shut-It-Down-tube
 - James

P.S. is the American government just re-enacting the West Wing?