Government Shutdown 2011: What You Need to Know

Negotiations continue in an effort to forestall the great federal government shutdown of 2011, but both parties continue to dig in their heels in D.C.
With all the rhetorical arguments, the finger pointing and buzzwords surfacing around this potentially cataclysmic event, it's easy to get confused.
It's also crucial to stay informed about what really matters.
Lucky for you, THG's here. Here are 10 things you need to know about the impending shutdown, which will occur at midnight if no deal is reached:

1. The President is the tanner of these two guys, but not by that much.
2. Congress' awesome 23 percent approval rating may REALLY tank!
3. FEAR NOT, Congress will still be paid, though. Their staff? Nah.
4. Planned Parenthood funding is involved. We're not going there.
5. The Bachelor host Chris Harrison is being sent in to mediate.
6. You may actually get a reprieve from all that junk mail soon!
7. 2011 is not 1995. No, seriously, it's not. It's 16 years later.
8. The United States government can't figure out how to cut spending, or raise taxes to pay for all that spending, or some combination thereof.
9. Donald Trump will somehow use this to plug Celebrity Apprentice, tout his fiscal conservative credentials, and question Obama's nationality.
10. THG will remain open throughout any shutdown. Many services face lengthy interruption and an uncertain future, but not celebrity gossip.