Don't Think The Government Shutdown Affects You? Think Again, Because Panda Cam Is Shutdown

(Smithsonian) — The government shutdown has claimed one of its most beloved casualties: the National Zoo’s panda cam. But animal lovers can rest assured that the zoo’s endangered Giant Pandas — Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and an unnamed newborn cub — will still be fed and cared for, the zoo said.   The Smithsonian Institution was required to shutter many non-essential programs during the shutdown, including the Washington, D.C., zoo and its museums, because it receives federal funding.

Ruthless play by the federal government here. They’ve probably been monitoring Twitter (and Gmail, Facebook, everything we do for that matter) and seeing everyone talking about how the government shutdown hasn’t affected them at all. They’ve seen everyone acting like a smart aleck about the whole thing, saying we’re better off without a government anyway. Oh yeah? Is that what you think? Well where’s your Panda Cam? Where’s your midday cute fix of pandas crawling all over swingsets and eating bamboo? Nowhere, that’s where. It’s gone. Obama pulled the rug right out from under you. Government shutdown doesn’t affect 99% of people? That’s it, take away the panda cam! Game over.