So here we are in the eleventy-third day of the so-called "government shutdown", which it isn't, of course, since all of the "essential" parts of the government have been running along smoothly.  But the misnomer fits because the whole "government" this is an illusion, isn't it.  There is no actual, tangible thing called "government"; it's an abstraction that exists only because we all agree on it.  So they can call a slowdown a "shutdown" and it's the same thing: we all agree, so it's so.

They're saying they've almost got some agreement worked out, and everything will be back to "normal" soon.  Or maybe not, depending on which channel you watch or which minute you watch it.  I predict that they will work something out soon, but not because of the defaulting on the debt; they'll quit this drama because their ratings are slipping.  It's not the lead story any more, it's slipped to the inside pages, and now people are getting back to their old standby titillation sources: pop music stars, TV stars, nipples and, of course, death.  The politicians are starting to panic; if there's one thing they can't stand, it's to be ignored.  So look for a resolution real soon.

Meantime, I'm getting ready to do a little Google adwords campaign for The Dropouts.  This temporary shutdown should be a great fulcrum for leveraging interest in a novel about a permanent shutdown.  That's my theory, anyway.  We'll see.  If it works I'll be raising the price, so you might want to get in there and have a look while it's still a bargain.  Here's the link again: The Dropouts.