Robert Orben says he lives in a very religious neighborhood. One time he asked a priest, "Is it true that in this neighborhood, if you carry a cross, you never have to worry?" The priest said, "Yes. But it all depends on how fast you carry it!"

The children of Israel were out in the wilderness and they were thirsty and they were afraid. And they murmured against Moses: "Why did you bring us out of Egypt--to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?"

It must be a terrible feeling to worry about dying from thirst. It is a reminder to us how vital water is in our lives. Of course, in our affluent culture, we can afford to pay a premium price not for just drinkable water, but for specially bottled water.

One cynic writes, "Ever wonder about those who spend two dollars for a littl…