and in 2006, it's unbelievable that

from the bbc:

"Almost 20% of the world's population still lacks access to safe drinking water because of failed policies, an influential report has concluded".

water-borne diseases killed more that 3 million people in 2002 alone. that's one person every 12 seconds; i think that might be slightly higher than those killed by terrorists....

since politicians are so desperate to tell everyone that they are making the world a better, safer place, perhaps they might actually improve the lot of the world's most needy - those without wealth.

when i was a kid growing up, headlines from around the world cited poverty and the availability of safe drinking water as being two of the most pressing issues facing the modern world as it turned the page into the twenty-first century. sadly, i'm still reading the same headlines.

if only the united states war machine had progressed at the same rate.

according to the dept. of homeland security, today there is an elevated risk - that is, there's a significant risk of a terrorist attack. and in the meantime, while i've been writing this, a few hundred of the world's poorest have died due to lack of safe drinking water....