In a message dated 1/6/99 2:03:43 PM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:

<< Which reminds me that according to NPR 18-24M people in Bangladesh are
exposed
 to drinking shallow-well water with natural occurring arsenic in it. Despite
 the fact that they are exhibiting symptoms similar to mercury poisoning  (not
 pleasant) they persist in drinking the water from the shallow wells even when
 other options are offered. The shallow wells were drilled to avoid the
 problems from drinking fecal contaminated  >>

Which reminds me of the time (about 15 years ago) when I took my wife and son
to see mammoth caves in Kentucky. I really pumped them up about the
"underground river" and the glass bottom boat rides, partly because it was the
only way I could get Laura to go spelunking (tourist style), and because it
was one of the great memories of my childhood.

Talk about disappointment. The boat rides, in fact that whole section of the
caves, were closed due to a high FFM count. A bit more disappointment when the
obvious question was answered "floating fecal matter."

Almost as bad as the frozen milky way, but that's a different flashback.

Rudy