2000

I thought it would be fun to take a humorous look at everyday life issues in the United States and ask the question made famous by many 4-year-olds: Why? Why? Why? So why ask why? Why not?! Even if the answers are obvious to us, even if the questions themselves are wrong (some of us love the taste of cough syrup, for example: see below) kids will always ask why. The following is my Top 20:

1. Why does a gallon of bottled water cost more than a gallon of gas?

Throughout the nineteenth century the American frontier was a continuously-advancing line which marked the westward movement of settlers. It separated the natural and native Indian from the civilized and artificial white. It was a meeting place of two entirely different cultures, a place where, on the one hand a tragic clash took place, and on the other a priceless lesson was learned.

Napster, Gnutella, Reflecter: it sounds like the latest line of chocolate products. But these computer programs are revolutionizing the world of web music - and giving the record industry the fright of their lives.

You never know what a kid will come up with, given the proper tools.

A truly international man, South African Kevin Oakes lives and works in Germany as a producer of fashion shows. His job takes him all over the world to such places as Paris, Milan, Istanbul, Las Vegas, Budapest, Morocco and Cuba. Heinrich Feuerbach caught up with him in Berlin and discovered some fascinating things about the fashion industry.

This year's summer Olympic Games take place in Sydney, Australia, from September 15 to October 1. Since the modern games were started over a hundred years ago they have become the world's biggest sporting event, with a television audience of around half of the world's population. The Sydney Games open a new era where the sky is the limit.

The summer holidays are here again and it' s time to see the world. What better place to start than New York City?

Not so long ago, to young people in our part of the world, the very thought of visiting America seemed like an impossible dream. There was the huge cost and the problem of getting a passport. Since then much has changed. With the zloty now convertible, the relative price of a flight ticket has come down. And airlines often offer special rates for students.

This year the Peace Corps' Women In Development committee initiated a photographic competition to show the value of Polish women in society, and help a good cause along the way.

The French National Car Museum in Mulhouse

Mulhouse, near the German and Swiss borders, has a total of seven museums. One of them, popularly known as "The Car Louvre", is the biggest automobile collection in the world. Since its recent renovation the museum has become the most modern of its kind.

"Charity Begins at Home" or so the old axiom goes. But does it really? For the many homeless of Britain it begins where they live - on the street.

Different countries have different traditions when it comes to charity. Christmas is a time when attention is particularly focused on the notion of philanthropy. In Poland on Christmas Eve many households leave a place set at the table for the lonely or those without a family of their own. How often does the seat get filled? Who can say?