There's two kinds of shit in the world - the shit you're in and the shit somebody else is in.

When you're observing the shit somebody else is in you see the politics, the games being played, the larger implications for society.

When you're in the shit, you see nothing but the shit - no politics, no politicians, no Shrub, just shit - all you do is try to think about how to get out of the shit.

I'm TDY in Baton Rouge along with a bunch of others because we're drawing oil out of the SPR - that's what I do. Today we had a little fund-raiser/lunch for people in area shelters - one guy crashed his car on the way to work and is in the hospital - they can't stop the bleeding because he's got cancer and is on chemo and the drugs affect clotting - another guy went to the hospital this moring with chest pains, no word yet on how he's doing. I think I started crying this morning - I don't know if it was that or allergies since it's been 40 years since the last time, but I'm pretty sure it was tears.

And not one word about politics, or Bush's fourth trip here tonight, or anything like it - just talk about how deep your shit is and how you plan to dig out of it.

All in all a very interesting and educational experience, even for this old man like me.