1) Muslim Life in America - Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State: Islam is considered one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States today.

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2) Professor Who Once Found Isolation Online Has a Change of Heart: Three years ago, Robert Kraut, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, released a shocking study of the Internet's impact. According to his findings, heavy Internet users reported increases in loneliness and depression and saw the size of their social networks decline over time. Could the Internet — a presumed tool of connectivity and community — actually be causing people to feel more isolated and alone? Now Dr. Kraut is causing a stir yet again. He has new data from a more recent survey that in many respects contradicts his original research. Following up with the subjects of his first study, he found that the symptoms of depression had declined and that loneliness no longer appeared to be significantly associated with Internet use.

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3) 3 July 2001 : How they grew rich: Contrary to what many believe, the economic lives of our ancestors is a story of almost unrelieved wretchedness. Everywhere, a small number lived humanely while the great majority lived in abysmal squalor. We forget their misery, in part, by the grace of literature, poetry, and legend, which celebrate those who lived well and forget those who lived in the silence of poverty. The eras of misery have been mythologised and are remembered as golden ages of pastoral simplicity. They were not. In truth, survival was the only order of business.

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4) UPI News Article: Japanese cities costliest: If you are looking for a new place to live or visit and money is no object, a new economic report suggests, Japan's metropolises are just the place. But for life on a financial shoestring, better look to cities in Africa.
The twice-yearly report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, released Tuesday, lists Tokyo and Osaka as the most expensive cities on the planet -- even costlier than Hong Kong, London, New York or Paris.
For a frugal existence, Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa are among the cheapest places in the world, along with Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Budapest is the least pricey destination in Europe.
After the two Japanese cities, the EIU survey's list of the 15 most expensive cities include: Hong Kong; Libreville, Gabon; Oslo, Norway; London; New York; Zurich, Switzerland; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; Tel Aviv, Israel; Beijing; Geneva, Switzerland; Chicago; and Paris.

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