What’s in the Water Washington?? #11

So I realize that this blog is meant to focus on sports, food and culture but I couldn’t help but wonder: What is going on in Washington these days??? I mean, when it rains, it pours! First, the two teams who played their first two NCAA basketball games at the Verizon Center venue of the NCAA Tournament end up in the NCAA finals – how does that happen?? I will save my breath on the upsets and how my Hoyas will have to wait another year to repeat the glorious 1984 National Championship.

But enough about sports.  How about our Federal Government on the verge of a shutdown??? How did this happen? Clearly, this is oversimplified, but both sides seem to have a “Failure to Communicate.”  Thank you Cool Hand Luke for taking the words out of my mouth.  I mean we eleven years ago we had a balanced budget and voters outside Washington assume that a budget should be passed every year.  After all, most families survive on a budget from year-to-year —  albeit not a trillion dollar one but still.  Well, that’s a little easier said then done.  I am sure a budget (hopefully a common sense one) will get passed eventually but the stopgaps have to stop, and the partisan politics need to stop. 

Of course, we could blame the shutdown on el nino or global warming but neither of those have to do with shutting down the Smithsonian Museums.  That’s right, the most visited museums in Washington D.C., if not the country (I have no idea but so many people come during the spring to check out the new exhibits while the cherry blossoms are in full bloom).  THIS IS A TRAVESTY! According to Kelly Carnes in the Smithsonian press office, “Our crowds are heaviest during the highly trafficked spring break and cherry blossom season, so shutting us down, even for the weekend, would mean disappointing approximately 500,000 visitors who may have planned to visit the Smithsonian months, or even years in advance.” 

So given that my sports world and work world feel like they on crazy pills, and one my favorite museums might suffer as a result, I felt this was a good outlet to urge people to “Wake up and smell the coffee! ” It is never too late….until it is too late.