I spent this morning closing up the offices of my agency in Washington, DC. We're furloughed until further notice and prohibited from performing any of our official duties, even on a volunteer basis, which I would have been happy to do. We may or may not get paid for the coming days or weeks. Everyone in this city has a prediction or an "inside scoop," but nobody really knows anything beyond that the House and the Senate are at a difficult impasse. Until leadership actually gathers in the same room together with the intent to negotiate, you shouldn't bother watching the 24-hour make-news chann