The shutdown continues. Anyone surprised? The hostage takers are resorting to a classic tactic: selective release of hostages. Elderly veterans pissed off? Fund the World War II Memorial. Kids being denied cancer treatments? Fund the NIH. I’m glad to report that congressional Democrats are not falling for these tactics and are standing firm. The only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them and whap them upside the head if need be.

Senator Aqua Buddha spoke out today and compared Park Rangers to goons. Imagine messing with Smokey the Bear when you’re the one who played with matches and started the forest fire. They remain convinced that they can lie and spin their way out of this mess. The courtier press will do its best to help them out but Republican fingerprints are over everything to do with the shutdown and they’re so big and smudgy that they don’t even need dusting…

Speaking of fiery ends, here’s Tom Jones and the Cardigans with an OTT Jonesian version of the Talking Heads classic: