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IAF AIRSTRIKE ON TRUCK LOADED WITH 160 ROCKETS...
That they knew how many rockets were loaded on the truck should tell you something about the intelligence that led to the airstrike.

Intelligence indeed. Suprisingly, news out this morning indicates that the Israelis have been successful in blunting Hamas' recent rocket offensive in Gaza. With no place to run and a laser designator on their heads, Hamas leadership seems to have been able to get a control on rocket attacks, which totaled 2 rockets for the weekend. There is a 'truce' rumored, probably from Hamas' side, but with the decrease in rocket attacks, the IDF has reduced their selective operations in Gaza. How long Hamas will be able to keep the thumbs off the trigger is uncertain.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336286,00.html

Study Finds Traces of Drugs in Drinking Water in 24 Major U.S. Regions

Monday, March 10, 2008

A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.

To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.

But the presence of so many prescription drugs — and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.

In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas — from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky.

Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public “doesn’t know how to interpret the information” and might be unduly alarmed.

How do the drugs get into the water?

People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.

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