This view always makes me wonder…”am I really ready for this exam?!?” even though I graduated 5 years ago.

View approaching the Classics Quad at the U of C. One of my favorite places, filled with memories of all kinds. Not all happy, by any means, but indelibly inked on my soul, and important. I cant wait for spring to get here so I can see how the lilies-of-the-valley are this year. 

Pet Reunion: Jamie Carpentier Reunited With Dog A Decade After Divorce

Pet Reunion: Jamie Carpentier Reunited With Dog A Decade After Divorce:
Talk about a divorce story with a happy ending.
New Hampshire man Jamie Carpentier was recently reunited with his dog, a basset hound named Ginger, after more than a decade apart, news station WMUR 9 reports. He never thought he would see her again because his ex-wife kept the then-3-year-old dog after their divorce.
Ten years after the split, Carpentier found himself browsing the web looking for a new pet. He stumbled upon the Humane Society for Greater Nashua website where he read about a 13-year-old basset hound named Ginger. There were no photos of her, but he had a feeling this might be his long-lost pal.

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Supreme Court Narrows Scope Of Previous Immigration Ruling

Supreme Court Narrows Scope Of Previous Immigration Ruling:
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court says there can be no retroactive application of its ruling that lawyers have to tell their clients if pleading guilty to a crime could cause their deportation.
The high court's 7-2 ruling came Wednesday in the case of Roselva Chaidez.

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Mindfulness Practices To Take Control Of Workplace Problems (INFOGRAPHIC)

Mindfulness Practices To Take Control Of Workplace Problems (INFOGRAPHIC):
By Jeremy Hunter for Mindful magazine

For each of these thorny workplace problems, try the recommended practice, enjoy the benefit. and keep this chart handy.

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Russian Dog Can Change Expressions On Command (VIDEO)

Russian Dog Can Change Expressions On Command (VIDEO):
At first glance, and without any audio, this German Shepherd might come off as a wee bit...off.
Luckily for his owner and handler, that's not the case. This pooch is just following orders to go from cute and curious to mean and nasty -- a common technique for guard dogs.
We prefer the dog's cute and curious look ourselves, but that's probably just our self-preservation instincts kicking in.

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Citizenship Campaign Launches To Push For Swift Immigration Reform

Citizenship Campaign Launches To Push For Swift Immigration Reform:
WASHINGTON -- A coalition of human rights groups and labor organizations will band together to push for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, starting this week with events in eight states and continuing with a bus tour to 80 cities and a march on Washington, D.C.
The group, called Alliance for Citizenship, is aligned with 24 others, including the Service Employees International Union, National Council of La Raza, Church World Service, Center for Community Change, National Immigration Forum, AFL-CIO labor federation and Southern Poverty Law Center.
The idea behind the Alliance for Citizenship campaign announced Tuesday is to harness and grow support for immigration reform from outside Washington, where Latino voters and others can press their own lawmakers to move forward. So far, the group has collected 300,000 petitions calling for a pathway to citizenship.

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'Abusive' Guest Worker Programs Offer A Poor Model For Immigration Reform, Advocates Say

'Abusive' Guest Worker Programs Offer A Poor Model For Immigration Reform, Advocates Say:
WASHINGTON -- With Congress looking to make foreign guest worker programs part of its immigration reform package, advocates for low-wage workers said Tuesday that the programs already in place are rife with abuse and serve as poor models for an expansion or overhaul.
The H-2 visa programs administered by the federal government bring tens of thousands of overseas workers to the U.S. each year to work in mostly low-wage, temporary roles, such as landscaping or hotel housekeeping. Those programs are likely to be altered or expanded in a comprehensive immigration package, with labor unions and the Chamber of Commerce now hashing out what they'd like the new iteration to look like.


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1 In 4 U.S. Kids Don't Know Where Their Next Meal Is Coming From

1 In 4 U.S. Kids Don't Know Where Their Next Meal Is Coming From:
Fifty million Americans—including one out of every four kids—don't know where their next meal is coming from. That's equivalent to every man, woman and child in the 25 smallest states plus the District of Columbia struggling with hunger on a daily basis.
In one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, people are more likely to get riled up over the discovery that "footlong" Subway sandwiches actually measure 11 inches than by the fact that we have an unseen hunger crisis.
It doesn't have to be this way.

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John Duncan On VAWA: Most Men Can Handle Violence Better Than Most Women

John Duncan On VAWA: Most Men Can Handle Violence Better Than Most Women:
Rep. John "Jimmy" Duncan Jr. (R-Tenn.) said he doesn't know if he will vote for a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, a bill the congressman said has a nice name -- while also arguing that men can handle violence better than women.
"Every bill is given a motherhood-and-apple-pie title," Duncan said, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "But if you voted [based] on the title, you'd vote for every bill up here. If we'd all done that, the country would have crashed a long time ago."
"So this is another bill with a motherhood-and-apple-pie title," added Duncan, who voted for the reauthorization of VAWA in 2005.

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How Men Can Help Stop Sex Trafficking

How Men Can Help Stop Sex Trafficking:
By Ed Ouellette, TakePart
Let me tell you a true story—Brianna’s story.
Brianna was a normal teenage girl. She was an all-star athlete and a waitress at a local mom and pop café in a small town in Washington. She dreamed of moving to a big city, and going to college to study nursing.

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