"Rachel and Her Children" by Jonathan Kozol. It's a nonfiction book based on the interviews of homeless families that were housed in the Martinique Hotel in New York City. I've only been able to get through it once.

Elie Weisel's "Night" sure packs a wallop, too. It's a really heartbreaking memoir of the author's experience in the Holocaust and it's only 100 pages so you can get the full effects all at once which I think makes it even more powerful.

At first I was interested when I scrolled down, but when I realized you could also scroll sideways I was blown away by how many people it was.

Thank you! That was very kind of you to say. :)

2012: My goal was to get my surgery and go to physical therapy so I could relearn to walk after I had a bad accident. I haven't gone this long without crutches in three years and next month I have a checkup with my doctor where I should get a clean bill of health.

2013: I want to change jobs. My current job is with some really nice people and it's in my field, but I don't think I'm on the career path that I want so I'm going to arrange some informational interviews at companies I'm interested in and see where I can go.

1. "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George RR Martin. No explanation necessary. Have you picked up "The Lands of Ice and Fire"? It's a collection of maps of the world and it gives you a peek into what the east looks like, including Yi Ti and Asshai.

2. "Amazing Grace" by Jonathan Kozol is an amazing non-fiction book that looks into the lives of the people who live and work in the South Bronx. It's very powerful and I read it straight through.

3. "My Uncle Oswald" by Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl's uncle discovers the world's most powerful aphrodisiac and concocts a scheme that involves having his beautiful female acquaintance use it on the most famous men in Europe. The only book that has ever made me laugh out loud.

4. "My Life" by Bill Clinton. It's huge but it's very well-written and it gives you great insight into past and current politics. I recommend reading it back to back with Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History" as they really complement each other nicely.

5. "The Alchemist's Door" by Lisa Goldstein. Not everyone likes this book but it was one of my favorite growing up and I still enjoy rereading it. It's historical fantasy featuring the court magician of Elizabeth I . I like the blend of history and fantasy.

Many of my good friends in college were made by stepping outside during a break in class or at a bar and sharing a conversation over a cigarette. The social aspects of smoking were much harder to give up than nicotine.

The court case mentioned in the article, Clapper vs. Amnesty, is just as shocking. They aren't arguing whether or not the law is constitutional. Rather, they are considering whether the law can even be challenged when no plaintiff could ever prove with certainty that they have been wiretapped. Hard to understand why this isn't getting more coverage in the media considering it could threaten reporters' privilege.

I agree that there are a surprising number of steps to reach the feeds for a specific hashtag. I like how Tumblr has their system set up. When you go to the search box on tumblr, a drop down menu of your followed tags with new posts pops up and if you click on them they go right to that tag's feed. Also, at the bottom of the drop down menu is an "Explore more tags" link that might be helpful for people to discover new tags they might not realize to search for.

If you save a post it sends you a notification every time someone leaves a new comment, even if it's not a reply to you. I'm not sure how you use your save feature though; some people might not wish to save a post they are interested in following for only a day or so.

I am excited to hear the new Arcade Fire. I really enjoyed Neon Bible and The Suburbs was fantastic.

If you like history I would recommend the Merchant's House in the Village. It's the only house preserved inside and out from the 1800's. The Frick Collection is my personal favorite NYC museum. They have a lot of work from the old masters plus it's in a gorgeous mansion which by itself is worth a look.

My favorite part of living in New York was all the food. There are fantastic restaurants in every neighborhood so don't be afraid to try something new. I recommend Cafeteria in Chelsea if you like gourmet American food, Spot on St. Marks Place for some interesting asian-inspired desserts, Pearl in the West Village for great clam chowder, and the La Esquina Corner Deli if you're ever in Soho for Mexican food.

I usually prefer foreign news services too. I've never taken a good look at NHK World. Thanks for the tip, I will definitely check it out.

Half my family went to the U. You're so lucky to be on such a gorgeous campus.

Does the dictator label really fit Boehner in the wake of the dissension that arose in the face of Plan B? The Republican Party certainly seems much more fractured in recent weeks than the unity they showed after the midterm elections. Boehner isn't allowing the Senate bill to reach the floor, but as the leader of the opposition party isn't that to be expected in the wake of such opposition from his fellow Republicans?

I was very nervous after Season 2 but everyone I've talked to has said Season 3 is great. Matthew's miracle was a bit too soapy for my tastes so I'm glad they are moving away from that.