One of the biggest adjustments many college students have to face is the transition from living at home to flying (almost) solo in a dormitory setting. Decorating them as a means of keeping the space personal, efficient, budget-friendly, and comfortable may seem like a migraine, but many experts and experienced college students have plenty of tricks and tips to share on the subject. With these informative blog posts, making a dorm room transform from bland and sterile to a reflection of the unique individuals who call it their new home.

1.“Sophisticated Dorm Room Design” at House of Bella : Get handy advice from New York-based interior designer Minoo Hersini on how to apply haute couture sensibilities to temporary college housing.

2.“Design Your Dorm Room in 3D” at Wellsphere : Wellspring offers up a link to and a positive review of the incredible DesignYourDorm 3D modeling tool specifically targeted to college students.

3.“Sears Design Tool” at suite101.com : Along with her glowing accolades, Kristin Abraham at suite101 shares a link to a Sears design tool that allows users to decorate and personalize their spaces online before committing to anything.

4.“Dorm Room Lighting Essentials: Back to School” at Pegasus Associates Lighting Blog : Read over this informative blog post for tips and tricks on inexpensive and efficient LED lighting options suitable for dorm life.

5.“Dorm Room Design” at Furniture & Design Ideas : Furniture & Design Ideas provides – what else? – useful suggestions on stylish furniture and decorative options perfect for the college student with unwavering budget and space restrictions.

6.“Dorm Room or College Apartment Furniture” at visiondecor : Dorm and apartment dwellers both benefit from this article, which helps them pick out multiuse furniture that fits within a limited area.

7.“Dorm Room Details Make the Difference” at Athens Learning : Due to the cramped nature of a dorm, it is important to pay close attention to the small and the large elements with equal weight.

8.“50 Cheap Ways to Decorate a Dorm Room” at Apartment Therapy Los Angeles : These handy tips supplement another article, which provides some great tips on creative ways to personalize a dorm without hemorrhaging cash.

9.“5 Ways To Find Cheap Dorm Room Furniture” at DormDelicious : Almost every article on DormDelicious has something to offer anyone hoping to make their room feel more like a home, but with furniture being one of the more expensive but necessary items it pays to know exactly where to find the best deals.

10.“Reader Dorm Design: Marissa’s Room” at Surviving College Life : Surviving College Life reader Marissa makes the most of her limited space and funds with a creative use of furniture and dorm staples such as stringed lights and posters.

11. “Luxury Decorating Dorm Design- very simple and good design for decorating” at Business People Photography : This simple blog post involves several pictures of different dorm rooms that offer ideas and inspiration.

12.“DIY: 10 tips for decorating your dorm room, plus more ideas” at Atlanta Bargain Hunter : Rana Cash offers up some sound, creative advice on DIY projects perfect for dorm life – or anyone else contending with limited space and money.

13.“Re-Vamping a College Dorm Room (for LESS!)” at LaChimere’s MySpace Blog : LaChimere’s spunky, comprehensive discussion on decorating or making over a dorm room provides excellent tips for even those attending a school with staunch restrictions.

14.“College Dorm Room Shopping Part 1: Bedding” at College Fashion : The first part of College Fashion’s fantastic series on what to buy for a dorm room focuses on one of the most important aspects of keeping it comfortable and aesthetic.

15.“Dorm Room Ideas!” at 2modern design talk : 2modern design talk’s creative approaches to dorm room design provide college students with some great ideas beyond the usual Christmas-lights-and-posters décor.

16.“The Dorm Room Garden, Part I” at Lehman’s Country Life : Intrepid college student Matthew Lehman took advantages of the resources available at his parents’ hardware store and garden to figure out a way to grow vegetables right there in his window at school.

17.“Ashley: Stylish Dorm Bedding” at Seventeen.com : One of Seventeen magazine’s freshman bloggers discusses in brief how she managed to personalize and enjoy her little room at Stanford University.

18.“Find: Removable Wall Art” at InspiredRoomDesign.com : Many colleges and universities do not allow students to paint or mar the walls with frames and other items that need hanging. Removable decals provide an amazing alternative.

19.“Dorm Life: Where Freedom, Fashion and Function (ShouldMeet” at Design Happens : Practical and creative advice from Design Happens informs college students on how to pick decorative items that maximize efficiency in a limited area.

20.“Dorm Décor Round-Up” at Décor It Yourself : Meg Allen writes about beautifying a dorm with easy DIY projects and shares some other relevant articles of interest to college students.

21.“Dorm room decorating” at Miss Couturable : Dorm dwellers with a little extra money at their disposal may want to look into some of the items Miss Couturable discusses in her blog post.

22.“How-To: Decorate a Dorm Room!” at {sprinkle} tiaras atop our pastel hair;; : College students with an eclectic style will find plenty to love about this quirky, fun approach to making a dorm room livable.

23.“Decorating Dorm Rooms on a Student Budget” at University Language Services : ULS believes anyone moving into a dorm should keep at least 10 points in mind when it comes to keeping their space personalized but economical.

24.“Dorm Room Décor” at BigSisLittleSis : In spite of their age, the BigSisLittleSis team knows how to stay stylish without delving into the realm of tackiness.

25.“Cheap, Amazing Dorm Room DIY” at Surviving College Life : Any college student with DIY inclinations has plenty to love and appreciate with this blog post’s creative and budget-friendly solutions to the decorating dilemma.

26.“Email Answer: Temporary Insanity” at young house love : This extremely detailed post involves videos and pictures alike discussing “more mature and fun” styles appropriate for dorm life.

27.“Dorm Room Décor: Spruce Up That Boring Room In Style” at College Candy : Get a bevy of great tips and tricks for dorm decorating with this fashionable walk through multiple options that reflect both personality and taste.

28.“Dorm Room Décor Tips” at The Money Pit : Beautiful design does not have to rupture a bank account, and The Money Pit provides some practical advice on how to decorate a dorm on a tight budget.

29.“Creative Ways To Improve Your Dorm Room” at Bed and Furniture Design : Even those who have moved beyond the confines of a dorm will appreciate the intelligent possibilities presented here.

30.“5 great pieces: dorm room decorating 101” at good bones, great pieces : A mother-daughter team of fashion and design experts presents 5 things every dorm room ought to have that maximizes style and space without compromising expenditures.

31.“How to Decorate Your Dorm Room” at Posters.com : Posters have remained almost a staple of dorm décor for decades, and Posters.com helps the denizens of residence halls pick out the ones right for their interests and tastes.

32.“Making the Most of an Itsy Bitsy Dorm Room” at College Jolt : With colorful photos and handy tips, blogger Katie at College Jolt helps students find ways to beautify their dorms in spite of the cramped quarters.

33.“A Dorm Room Away From the Norm” at Nick’s Dream House : Double X Blogger Nick Olsen has an affinity for pinks, it seems, but any dorm dweller can find inspiration and information in his creativity.

34.“Dorm Room Bedding” at Décor 2 Ur Door : Comfortable bedding is one of the most important elements of any dorm and can stand as the centerpiece of its interior design.

35.“8 Tips for Decorating your Dorm Room on a Dime” at Go Frugal Blog : Financially-strapped dorm denizens will certainly appreciate these great bits of information that help them keep up a fashionable living space without ruining their wallets.

36.“How To: Green Your Dorm Room” at re-nest : College students concerned about keeping the environment healthy may want to look into these tips that help them adhere to green initiatives while living in a dorm.

37.“Dorm Décor Ideas” at Nicola’s Blog : Nicola’s Blog at active rain offers up some quick, practical snippets that anyone moving into a dorm ought to keep in mind.

38.“Dorm Essentials, the frugal way” at The Student LoanDown : Start off with the very basics before moving on to the décor, all without having to spend too much money.

39.“Custom Wallpaper: Non-Permanent Installations for Dorms and Apartments” at The Custom Wallpaper Blog : Boast beautiful walls without having to break any residence hall rules banning paint jobs or hanging anything with nails.

40.“Dorm Bunk Beds” at Dorm Room Blog : Bunk beds are one popular method of conserving space in a dorm room, and this post – one of several useful ones to be found on the hosting blog – discusses all the benefits of that particular option.

41.“Bargain Saturday: Dorm Room Décor” at Style Sheet : Consider milk crates as an extremely affordable storage and decorative item that adds a unique flair to a dorm.

42.“Your College Apartment Doesn’t Have to Look Like A College Apartment” at MindBites the Blog : In spite of the title, dorm dwellers can still take the advice contained in this blog post and apply it to their situation.

43.“Decorating Your Dorm Room” at Interior Design : This quick post offers some sound advice and a couple of pictures on using a limited space in creative and unique ways.

44.“Double-duty dorm room decorations” at DIY Life : Maggie Vink at DIY Life shares her experiences personalizing and functionalizing her dorm room with a little bit of her own effort and a lot of savings.

45.“Time to Re-Design?” at DesignYourDorm.com : The indispensible DesignYourDorm reaches beyond its 3D programming and challenges college students to think about what time is appropriate to give the room a little change.

46.“Creative Dorm Room Decorating Tips” at Barn Furniture Blog : With a practical but stylish sensibility, Barn Furniture Blog offers up its opinions on how to keep a dorm beautiful and personal.

47.“Dorm Décor with Wall Decals” at Interior Design Hub : As with many other blogs, Interior Design Hub sings the praises of removable decals as a great alternative to painting or hanging.

48.“Designer Dorm Room” at decorated life : Take a look at some unique approaches to dorm room design tat look great without breaking the bank.

49.“Choose a Decorating Theme for Your Dorm Room” at About.com: Interior Decorating Blog : Look over About.com’s Interior Decorating section for ideas on how to pick a design scheme and run with it.

50.“Tips for Dorm/Off Campus Living” at Woodlands of College Station : The apartment complex The Woodlands of College Station provides some professional advice on living in a dorm or off campus.

51.“Dorm Rooms Combine Personality and Practicality” at Faith Sheridan’s Blog : Mom and interior designer Faith Sheridan talks about her experience decorating and personalizing an otherwise visually sterile dorm.

52.“BACK 2 SCHOOL: Deck Out Your Dorm Room” at Teen Diaries Blog : Take a look at some stylish basics that blend functionality with fashion and are suitable for almost any dorm room.

53.“Dorm Design Under $400” at design milk : Dorm dwellers on a strict budget will greatly appreciate design milk’s handy resource detailing how to create a stylish space without ruining a bank account.

54.“Perfect Furniture for Bedrooms and Dorm Rooms” at freshome : Furniture with multiple functions makes for one of the best investments a college student can make, as the pieces serve a purpose beyond the dorm walls.

55.“Groovy Green Dorms” at Low Impact Living : Dorm dwellers with an environmentalist bent can find ways to apply the green movement to their living spaces – even if the building itself is not exactly friendly to the planet.

56.“Top Ten Must Haves for Your College Dorm Room” at Modern Urban Living : Another list of decorative essentials, all college students out to review their suggestions to see what they may need.

57.“Pimp My Dorm!” at The Daily Kiss Blog : A quick blog post with some brief, handy suggestions on what items to consider and what to stay away from when it comes to decorating a dorm room.

58.“Dorm Décor on the Cheap: Free and Low-Cost Ways to Spruce Up Your Room” at College and University Blog : Another great post, this offering by College and University Blog tosses out some helpful, handy advice on staying fashionable with limited finances.

59.“Dorm room Chik” at Home Sweet Home : Home Sweet Home shares one of its favorite dorm décor finds from the internet.

60.“Dorm Decorating in New Jersey” at Mockingbird Hill Cottage : Despite the title, even students living outside of New Jersey can benefit from some of the advice that Mockingbird Hill Cottage has to offer.

61.“Dorm Decorating Tips For Virginia Tech Students” at Campus Emporium : Some of the items features on this blog understandably involve Virginia Tech items, but the handy advice on general design helps dorm students around the world.

62.“D.I.Y. Dorm Decorating” at La Petite Fashionista : Some may not be able to handle the onslaught of pink on this site, but the tips on some cool DIY projects appropriate for dorm life can be applied to almost any taste.

63.“How To Make Your Own Temporary Wall Decals/Dorm Decorating Tips” at Impish DIY : Residence hall denizens interested in wall decals but harboring an interest in DIY projects can combine the two together using these handy instructions.

64.“DIY Cozy Bean Bag Chair” at Freckled Hound Decor : Beanbag chairs make for great, cheap seating in a dorm room, and this how-to teaches innovative students how to build their own that suits their stylistic needs.

65.“DIY Dorm Style Hacks” at HackCollege : Learn about some excellent, easy, and functional design hacks fully appropriate for life in a dorm room.

66.“Dorm Disaster Revisited!” at Elements of Style : This humorous blog post takes a look at what not to do when it comes to dorm room interior design, offering up some suggestions on how to improve what is already there.

67.“Tips For Dorm Décor” at Open Fashion Blog : Get an informative overview of everything in need of consideration before moving into and decorating a dorm.

68.“Style: Best Dorm Room Design Ever!” at Campus Confidant : Campus Confidant dissects a favorite, glamorous dorm room, going over what elements make it work so well.

69.“Dorm Wall Décor to Add Pizzazz To Your Side Of The Room!” at Stylehive : Consider photosleeves as a possible decoration for a wall. They look wonderful and serve an organizational function as well.

70.“Dorm Style: My Freshman Room Revisited” at Journey Chic : Take a step back in time to look at a dorm room from 1997 and watch as one interior designer updates it for contemporary times.

71.“Loft Bed Hack: Bed Canopy for Your Dorm!” at Miss Scholastic : Learn how to hack a bed kit to include an elegant canopy that gives a dorm room a nice touch of class.

72.“Dorm room hacks…” at Make: Online : Read about how to hack almost anything in a dorm with a series of fantastic videos, pictures, and instructions compiled at Make: Online.

73.“Decorate Your Dorm: Coffee Filters Style” at CollegeGirl : Turn inexpensive, everyday coffee filters into an eye-catching decoration for dorms – and beyond!

74.“Make the Most of Your Dorm-KiwiBox.com” at Debbie Wiener’s Blog : Get advice from design professional Debbie Wiener, who helps stimulate creativity in the face of cramped quarters.

75.“Dorm Room decorating ideas” at CollegeGrotto : CollegeGrotto provides a checklist of questions that every college student needs to consider before committing to any specific decorative element.

76.“Welcome to Chicago!” at Material Girls : Chicago-area college students (or ones with no qualms about shopping onlinehave access to a neat store aimed for their demographic that specializes in youthful, trendy home décor.

77.“Mirrors-Strips Make It Brighter” at Mirrortek Blog : Mirrors help open up a room, and mirror strips add an element of eye-catching allure.

78.“Decorating Your Dorm Room!” at Brick City Ambassadors : Learn from the experience of RIT student mentor Kahle Toothill, who shares her findings on the best way to keep a dorm room safe, comfortable, beautiful, and efficient.

79.“Make Your Own Curtains” at Express Your Creativity : For the DIY-inclined, this curtain pattern helps add a decorative, personal touch to a dorm room with a relatively small price tag.

80.“College Dorm Room Décor Ideas – How to Decorate Your Dorm on a Budget” at Money Smart Life : Before making any commitments to one particular style or accessory, take a peek at these guidelines for smart spending.

81.“DIY Whiteboard on the Cheap” at John Murch : It is possible to make a whiteboard that is both decorative as well as useful, and John Murch provides all the steps necessary to do so.

82.“Decorating your dorm room” at Elissa’s Blog : Elissa’s Blog summarizes many of the main points of previous articles, distilling them into one easy-to-remember series of tips and tricks.

83.“College Dorm Bedding Tips” at FCC Student Blog : As bedding is such an essential aspect of dorm living, it is recommended to read as many blog posts on the subject as possible.

84.“Looking to decorate your dorm?” at xatal : Learn about the different deals and products offered through Prints and Stuff, either for purchase or to use as inspiration for a DIY project.

85.“Decorate Your Dorm with World War II Posters” at Miami University Libraries : Military or war history majors (or, of course, anyone else interested in World War IImay want to look into some of the free, downloadable classic posters available through the kindness of Miami University Libraries.

86.“Decorating a Dorm on the Cheap” at Ronald Adams Financial Planning Group, Inc. : Valuable advice from Ronald Adams helps dorm dwellers personalize and beautify their space in a manner that does not wreak havoc on their bank account.

87.“Twin Extra Long Bedding” at Dorm Life : One of the major complaints anyone has about living in a dorm involves the difficult-to-size bedding, and Dorm Life helps quell some of the headache with its valuable advice.

88.“How to decorate your dorm room” at Madison-Chatham InJersey : Another validation of a terrific dorm room in New York that made its rounds through the blogosphere, this one offers up some links to a slideshow of the innovative design work.

89.“Ideas to Help Turn a Dorm into Your Castle” at Student Loan Blog : Next Student’s Student Loan blogger provides a handy, detailed article on getting the most out of a limited area in a way that is both personal and efficient.

90.“Wall stickers for your College Dorm Room” at sticviews : Interior designers just can’t seem to get enough of wall decals, and sticviews is no exception.

91.“Back to School: Tips for Decorating Your Dorm Room” at Ecologue : Get some comprehensive advice on everything from decorating to living in a dorm room.

92.“Decorating Your Dorm Room” at Furniture Tips : This quick, no-nonsense blog post offers up the most basic – but extremely helpful – advice on personalizing dormitory space.

93.“Dorm Room Decorating on a Dime” at Home-Based Business – Shirley McNeal : Shirley McNeal dishes out 6 extremely valuable tips on budget-conscience interior design that make dorms fashionable, functional, and economical.

94.“10 Tips for Decorating on a Budget” at Interior Design Blog : An exceptionally valuable post, anyone – not just college students – can benefit from Interior Design Blog’s fantastic advice.

95.“Using Space Wisely” at Addicted 2 Decorating : Jessica Brylan dishes out some great advice for homeowners on how to work within the space they have, but it can be applied to those living in dorms as well.

96.“Modern Dorm Room Decorating Ideas” at newhouseofart.com : Take a peek at a number of dorm room photos for real-world applications of contemporary interior design concepts.

97.“Awesome Dorm Room Décor: How to Save Space and Plan Colors, Themes & Patterns” at CalFinder : Print out and carry this amazing, conveniently bulleted article on runs to the store for any furniture and home décor needs.

98.“Whip Your Workspace into Shape” at Design*Sponge : Students not only live in their dorms, but most of them have to get their work done in them as well. Many of Design*Sponge’s tips for home offices work nicely for residence halls as well.

99.“Spread a lil Love in your House” at {{Create H: Interior Design}} : Though ostensibly for the debatably useful holiday Valentine’s Day, most of these excellent, affordable DIY projects can work for any time of year.

100. “DIY Wall Art” at Jennifer Adams Design Tips and Trends : Most college students cannot afford many of Jennifer Adams’s favorite things, but this great DIY project is suitable for dorms from a financial and aesthetic perspective.

In spite of strict space and financial parameters, college students adjusting to life in a dorm by personalizing their rooms have plenty to work with. By exercising their creativity and resourcefulness, customizing their corner of the residence hall can become a fun and entirely painless undertaking.

For recent college graduates, the job search once a degree has been conferred stands almost as stressful as higher education itself. Even well-established workers sometimes crave a change of atmosphere or a degree of upward mobility. No matter the situation, there are numerous career coaches available to help guide workers towards setting realistic and achievable goals – and with the burgeoning popularity of microblogging sites such as Twitter, anyone needing a little bit of a vocational push has quick access to articles, videos, blog posts, and other media designed with their interests in mind. The following career coaches host an active feed that serves as a handy support for a multitude of different professional needs.

1. Viveka von Rosen : Learn about how to harness social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter in order to maximize workplace potential.

2. CAREEREALISM : CAREEREALISM sponsors the Twitter Advice Project which links together professionals and offers up excellent tips and tricks on landing and keeping great jobs.

3. H. Coleman/K. Siegal : Get advice and assistance that stays almost completely up to the minute when it comes to current trends and topics in the business world.

4. Brand-Yourself : Recent graduates and young professionals will benefit from the Brand Yourself community of experts, which teaches how to apply marketing concepts to career networking.

5. Bill Vick : Most of Bill Vick’s advice aims to inspire and engage those of the Baby Boomer generation, though any job seekers can benefit from what he has to say.

6. CareerBuilder : Two of CareerBuilder.com’s staff members tweet about all the latest business and hiring trends as well as relevant advice and survey results.

7. Ask the Recruiter : Feel free to ask a professional recruiter anything there is to know about job hunting for un- and under-employment situations as well as Army veterans.

8. MyOnlineCareerSpace : Use Career Helper’s myriad tools and expert advice to learn how to best apply, interview, and land a job.

9. Chris Perry : Follow “Career Rocketeer” Chris Perry for tips and tricks on personal branding, entrepreneurship, and beginning a rewarding career.

10. Susan D. Strayer : Check Susan D. Strayer’s Daily Career Tips for helpful advice and inspiration that makes searching for jobs and connections much less of a headache.

11. MyOnlineCareerCoach : Multiple career coaches remain on hand to offer up extremely valuable information through articles, podcasts, blogs, and more personalized meetings.

12. Dan Schawbel : BusinessWeek columnist Dan Schawbel tailors his career advice for the “Generation Y” set, teaching them all the fundamentals of self-branding and marketing.

13. The Job Guy : Read informative articles and handy tips on getting hired for a great career through this helpful career coach.

14. AnitaBruzzese : Business writer Anita Bruzzese focuses her articles, books, and other resources on advising job seekers on how to find the perfect position in their chosen field.

15. Brent Peterson : As the founder of Interview Angel, Inc., Brent Peterson knows what employers look for in a candidate and forwards the information onto anyone looking for a new job.

16. Joe Noonan : Follow Joe Noonan for advice on all aspects of job hunting and career building, paying close attention to the numerous handy links on staffing, social networking, technology, and other relevant topics.

17. FistfulOfTalent : Several HR professionals, recruiters, consultants, and managers act as career coaches to help anyone hoping to find and land a gratifying job.

18. Janice Worthington : Janice Worthington is both an award-winning executive job search coach as well as a certified resume writer, and she shares everything she knows about success in the business world.

19. Job Hunter : This Twitter feed focuses mainly on the unemployed struggling to apply and interview for jobs that will pull them out of their frustrating situation.

20. jtodonnell : CAREEREALISM and Twitter Advice Project founder J.T. Donnell supplements the information found on these feeds with advice of her own.

21. Monster Careers : Monster.com weighs in on the ever-fluctuating job scene with articles and resources straight from number of career experts. "

22. Joni Thomas Doolin : Read on how leading CEOs and other executives succeed in their fields and create opportunities for themselves and their employees.

23. emurse.com : Run by AOL, Emurse.com brings together business professionals to provide eager job hunters with all the advice, tips, tricks, and networking opportunities needed to launch their careers.

24. WetFeet.com : Bringing together the valuable input from a wide variety of professional, reliable sources, WetFeet.com makes for an excellent resource for anyone hoping to start a new job within or without their industry.

25. Meghan M. Biro : Something of a Renaissance woman with a multitude of interests, Meghan M. Biro tweets frequently about the business world and how it shapes and is shaped by job searches today.

26. Navigator Institute : Multiple experts serve as something of a brain trust to help anyone on the job hunt find something that suits their needs and wants.

27. GoSavant : Anything and everything related to the search for a satisfying career – from resume building and live coaching – can be found right here on this amazingly comprehensive Twitter feed.

28. Tom Fitch : The University of Virginia Assistant Dean of Commerce proffers up expert opinions regardless of whether or not readers are associated with the school.

29. Global Recruitment : For those seeking a job abroad or with an international company based in the United States, Global Recruitment makes for an amazing resource.

30. Recruiting Animal : The Toronto-based Recruiting Animal talk show tweets on its current goings-on as well as any other bits of handy advice it finds along the way.

31. Phyllis Mufson : As both a consultant and a career and life coach, Phyllis Mufson is well-equipped to help out those undergoing a stressful job search.

32. Ken Horst : Follow “The Jobs Guy” Ken Horst for the latest listings as well as trends and topics related to employment.

33. WalterAkana : Almost everything Walter Akana writes targets employees midway through their careers and hoping to either change fields or improve inside their current one.

34. Meg Montford : Meg Montford works with both executives and career coaches alike, offering up advice for the former and marketing strategies for the latter.

35. ResumeBear : Most job seekers will be hard pressed to find a position that doesn’t somehow hinge on knowing how to submit a successful resume.

36. JessicaMillerMerrell : This professional recruiter coaches those hoping to launch their careers in how to utilize social media to its fullest vocational advantage.

37. Eve Tahmincioglu : Let MSNBC.com’s “Career Diva” extraordinaire Eve Tahmincioglu serve as an excellent guide to scoring and keeping a dream job.

38. Abby Locke, MBA : Abby Locke’s snippets of advice and information cater specifically to professional women with MBAs, with emphases on marketing and leadership.

39. Tai Goodwin : This Twitter feed promises to take readers’ careers “from bright to brilliant” with a bevy of helpful information and resources.

40. Joshua Waldman : Learn the ins and outs of using social media to its fullest professional advantage with this valuable career coach and his videos and blog entries.

41. Rosa E. Vargas : An expert in social media, resume writing, job hunting, and interview coaching, Rosa E. Vargas is almost a one-stop shop when it comes to digging up information on career success.

42. Melissa Martin : Melissa Martin draws from her social networking and media experience to coach visitors in how to apply technology to applying to, interviewing for, landing, and keeping a rewarding career.

43. Andy Robinson : Andy Robinson works with the concepts behind personal branding to help businesspeople learn how to love and succeed within their chosen positions.

44. EmilyBennington : An author of books and articles on business strategies offers up her news and views on what constitutes professional and personal success.

45. Dr Daphne Houston : This career coach provides a free online seminar for anyone curious about seeking employment with the federal government.

46. Elaine Basham : Follow this handy microblog for useful information on strategies for marketing, resume, and job hunting.

47. The Job Genius : Brave job hunters may want to look through The Job Genius’s brash and bold advice on soliciting managers directly rather than relying on the services of HR directors and recruiters.

48. Laura Labovich : Laura Labovich coaches on resume writing, recruiting, and other aspects of employment for Fortune 1000 professionals.

49. Michelle Riklan : Look over this career coach’s Twitter feed for news and views on HR issues, consulting, resume writing, and general advice.

50. Alison Doyle : About.com’s job search portal director offers up online career coaching in the form of amazing blog posts, articles, resume hints, and much, much more.

51. Ilona Vanderwoude : This inspiring Twitter feed targets those harboring a number of different passions with web seminars, articles, and other resources that coach them in their personal and professional lives alike.

52. Heather R. Huhman : eBook author and Examiner.com columnist Heather R. Huhman assists Generation Y members in their hunt for a satisfying entry-level career.

53. Rob Taub : Rob Taub is a multifaced career coach capable of helping readers with issues regarding almost any element of employment, including development and resume writing.

54. Mary Sherwood : In the face of devastating unemployment, career coaches and recruiters such as Mary Sherwood provide an extremely valuable resource to help people who want to work get back on their feet.

55. Ben Eubanks : A refreshingly humorous microblog amidst the rather dry professionalism of its contemporaries, this feed dishes out low-key but helpful career advice.

56. Julia Erickson : Both a life and career coach, Julia Erickson provides excellent resources on transitioning between positions or fields and the occasional foray into nonprofit issues.

57. Trevor Wilson : Focusing on the needs and issues faced by recent college graduates, Trevor Wilson posts quick links to a wide variety of articles and other bits of information for those in search of their very first career position.

58. Teena Rose : Teena Rose sends a free book to new followers that teaches them how to use Twitter for resume, personal branding, and interview strategies.

59. JacPoindexter : Professionals old and young alike in need of resume advice that conforms to contemporary trends should check out this Twitter feed for valuable advice.

60. Louise Fletcher : Get expert tips on how to write a knockout job application from the owner of Blue Sky Resumes.

61. Grace Kutney : Most of Grace Kutney’s tweets revolve around the needs and wants of college students and recent graduates, but her common sense resonates with anyone hoping to land a position in their favored field.

62. Miriam Salpeter : With empowerment and success as her ultimate goals, Miriam Salpeter works with a wide variety of professionals to help them accomplish their dreams with solid resumes and interviews.

63. Karen Siwak : This (comparatively edgy Twitter hopes to break down barriers when it comes to the dos and don’ts of applying for a job and writing up a worthwhile resume.

64. Alison Green : Receive some common sense coaching from Alison Green, who pulls from her management experience to help lower-level employees learn how to create positive changes and opportunities for themselves.

65. Dawn Bugni : Read over some real-world advice straight from a professional resume writer who has worked in management, recruitment, and customer service for over 25 years.

66. MJMCOACH : MJMCOACH functions as a webservice with coaching and recruitment opportunities available to participants.

67. Matthew Levy : Matthew Levy is a career coach with feet in both Philadelphia and New Jersey and a head full of useful information.

68. Beverly Harvey : Anyone with the desire to strive for a six-figure salary ought to seek the council of Beverly Harvey, who specializes in working with the needs, wants, and strategies of that demographic.

69. Chandlee Bryan : Chandlee Bryan works as a career coach, resume writer, and job search strategist for anyone hoping to network and land a job that they would very much enjoy.

70. Daisy Wright : Renaissance woman Daisy Wright guides her readers through resume writing techniques, interview strategies, and managing careers.

71. joanschramm : This career coach works with social media and other strategies that lead to vocational success.

72. KristenJacoway : Career coach Kristen Jacoway blends her expertise in career counseling and technology together to offer her clients the best possible advice on anything related to job hunting.

73. MartinBuckland : Martin Buckland specializes in advising executives pulling in $100,000 or more a year, but what he has to say still resonates with anyone hoping to achieve their vocational goals.

74. Mary Wilson : The amiable Mary Wilson tweets on career coaching and consulting as a means of helping readers searching for advice on find the job that is right for them.

75. Nancy Branton : Everything Nancy Branton microblogs about is intended to enlighten and inspire anyone with the desire to begin a new career or build upon their current one.

76. Susan Howington : Most of what Susan Howington has to say aims straight for the executive and marketing set, though her more generic advice will prove useful for anyone.

77. Jeanne Quereau : Jeanne Quereau provides counseling for not only those needing a push for their careers, but personal lives as well.

78. Tanya Smith : Career and life coach Tanya Smith takes a faith-based approach to seeking success in the workplace and at home.

79. Shirley Ray : Job seekers hoping for some detailed pointers on how to find a position suiting their needs and wants may find something valuable on this Twitter feed.

80. Joseph Palumbo : Any and all advice that Joseph Palumbo has to offer tends to emphasize issues related to leaderships and executive status.

81. Marilyn Santiestban : This coach is an ideal read for anyone making a transition within their careers, whether it be a promotion or a complete shift in discipline.

82. Kim Freedman : Kim Freedman educates and inspires within an extremely wide range of business-related elements.

83. WilliamArruda : William Arruda coaches executives and other upper-level management types on topics relevant to personal branding and marketing.

84. Terry Del Percio : A career coach for both the practical and creative aspects of various jobs, Terry Del Percio also writes about many social issues relating directly relating to career life.

85. Alex Freund : Get a sneak peek into the mind of a hiring manager and learn everything there is to know about solid interviewing techniques and skills that impress.

86. Harry Urschel : Read up on the intersections between technological and business innovation and keep abreast of all the trends needed to succeed in a career.

87. Loribeth Dalton : With over 20 years of professional experience, Loribeth Dalton has plenty to say to anyone needing a bit of coaching in their vocational life.

88. Ronnie Ann : Ronnie Ann coaches on a number of professional issues as well as those relating to organizational skills.

89. Jory Butler : Holding to the mantra of helping “people to Find their Passion, Live their Purpose,” Jory Butler provides generalized advice for a generalized business audience.

90. Alexandra Levit : Alexandra Levit boasts 4 books and a Wall Street Journal column in her oeuvre, offering up a bevy of excellent common sense advice.

91. Gilbert Melott : Businesspeople interested in how they can use social media and networking to its fullest vocational potential will find plenty to appreciate with this Twitter feed.

92. JonathanDuarte : As the founder of both GOJobs.com and SEO4Jobs.com, Jonathan Duarte has plenty of experience to draw from when it comes to handing out tips on finding and keeping a rewarding career.

93. Donna Amos : Most of Donna Amos’s advice specifically targets aspirant entrepreneurs and freelancers working alone or in a small group.

94. Dr. Susan Bernstein : Ultimately, most workers seek a satisfying sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in their careers – and that is the exact goal that Dr. Susan Bernstein tries to nurture.

95. Hannah Morgan : Also known as the Career Sherpa, Hannah Morgan’s tricks and tips can last the entire expanse of an individual’s career.

96. John Walker : Recruiter, career coach, and fan of social media, John Walker blends traditional sensibilities and modern technologies for a nice variety of helpful information.

97. Charles Purdy : Read an almost-daily stream of job leads and handy tips on launching a rewarding career – even within a crumbling economy.

98. Debra Feldman : JobWhiz.com talent agent Debra Feldman tweets about hiring and human resources from the perspective of employers – not potential employees.

99. Todd Bavol : A member of the CEO Hall of Fame, Todd Bavol knows a few things about succeeding in the business world and has no qualms about sharing.

100. Steven Rothberg : Steven Rothberg pulls from his experience as the CEO of CollegeRecruiter.com to help students and recent graduates learn the best route to finding the entry-level jobs that will open doors to their careers.

No matter the situation – whether recent graduate, a member of the corporate proletariat with CEO aspirations, or someone hoping to switch disciplines altogether – career coaches are available to dispense general or specialized advice. Many of the ones who have taken to Twitter microblog regularly on a number of topics that directly impact employees both potential and established. Take advantage of their experience and resources in order to secure the most gratifying job possible.

The old cliché states that artists and writers never achieve true fame or appreciation for their creative output until after their death. While the advent of bestselling authors who peddle their wares on television, radio, and other media outlets, the seductive cult of celebrity has begun trickling its way into the literary world at a much faster pace than yesteryear. But the following writers never had a chance to see the greater influence and love that their painstaking, passionate work earned due to dying before receiving recognition. Some, of course, never actively sought critical or academic renown for their novels, short stories, essays, or poems – though their intentions do not exclude them from proving the old adage true.

1. John Kennedy Toole

Following his disheartening 1969 suicide, John Kennedy Toole would go on to leave a permanent mark on the American literary landscape with his hilarious and heartbreaking A Confederacy of Dunces. His route towards history is indelibly marked by tragedy and well-known to anyone familiar with the brilliant novel and its lesser-known companion The Neon Bible. Toole’s mother Thelma brought the found manuscripts to Loyola University New Orleans professor Walker Percy in 1976. Initially skeptical of her claims that her son was a phenomenal writer, Percy found himself surprisingly bowled over by the grotesquely entertaining Ignatius Reilly and Toole’s pitch-perfect depiction of life in New Orleans and rallied to find a publisher for A Confederacy of Dunces. Louisiana State University agreed, and in 1980 Toole went on to win a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for the novel. Today, it remains a much-beloved work of American literature with a healthy and continuous following – studied frequently in high school and college-level English classes across the United States and subjected to many painstaking dissections by scholars and academics.

2. Franz Kafka

Today considered one of the quintessential existential (and, to a lesser extent, modernist) writers, many unfamiliar with Austrian writer Franz Kafka’s life will be shocked to discover that his intensive influence never coagulated until after his 1924 death from tuberculosis. Kafka actually spent much of his short life working in insurance and factories with the occasional dabbling in theatre. Most of his dark, deeply psychological short stories, novels, novellas, letters, and essays never saw publication in his lifetime – in fact, he ordered his contemporary Max Brod, the executor of his estate, to burn every manuscript without reading them. Obviously, Brod disobeyed these last requests. As a result, Kafka’s descriptive exploration of the more twisted, unknown corners of the human psyche entered into the literary canon. Loved and appreciated throughout the world, critics laud works such as The Metamorphosis, The Trial, The Metamorphosis, and many, many others as some of the greatest literary contributions from the 20th century. They have gone on to heavily inspire not only other writers, but artists, musicians, and other creative types as well.

3. Henry Darger

A curious figure, Henry Darger enjoyed acclaim as an outsider artist and writer after Nathan and Kiyoko Lerner, his landlords, discovered the massive cache of pen and pencil drawings, watercolors, collages, and manuscripts he left behind. After moving into a Lincoln Park, Chicago apartment in 1930, he remained there until his death in 1973. Darger worked menial labor jobs in a hospital before retiring in 1963, and lived an exceptionally solitary existence revolving around attending mass and collecting discarded magazines, newspapers, and books that served as references for his art and inspirations for his stories. Growing up in a traumatic Catholic mission house after his mother’s death forced his being given up for adoption, Darger channeled many of the anxieties and frustrations he experienced into 3 gigantic literary works and a couple of smaller ones. The preservation of innocence and protection of abused children stood as the main themes of his entire creative output, with the seminal 15,145-page The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion as the most visible and popular example. He kept several diaries, some of them about the daily weather, and also penned The History of My Life (a 5,084-page autobiography) and the 10,000-page Crazy House.

4. Emily Dickinson

Like many beloved writers before her and many after, Emily Dickinson spent much of her adult life living like a hermit and was dismissed as a mere eccentric until shortly after her nephritis-related death in 1886. She attended Amherst Academy and studied literature, math, Latin, the sciences, and other disciplines and counted William Wordsworth and Ralph Waldo Emerson amongst her many influences. Keeping to herself, most of her family and peers knew her as a passionate gardener while in private she penned some most unorthodox poetry at the time. Only a small handful of her almost 1800 poems were published during her lifetime, and her sister Lavinia burned a few of her posthumous leavings upon request – mostly letters. However, Dickinson failed to leave behind instructions for some of her notebooks, and as a result her first volume of poetry hit the shelves in 1890 with the help of supporters Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd. Critics received it with a largely mixed response, though later scholars would come to heap praise upon her experimentations in slant rhyming and unconventional punctuation and capitalization.

5. Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath did, in fact, find a modicum of literary recognition in her lifetime before committing grisly suicide in 1963. In 1955, she even won the Glascock Prize for “Two Lovers and a Beachcomber by the Sea.” Following her graduation from Smith College, she guest edited at Mademoiselle magazine to much disappointment – an experience that inspired her celebrated semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar - and published the occasional poem in the Cambridge University newspaper Varsity. Plath struggled with mental illness all her life, finding solace in her confessional works that discussed her overwhelming emotions with raw, open honesty. However, this intimate peek into her tumultuous inner life gained far more momentum after her death, with 4 children’s books, 6 works of fictitious and nonfictitious prose (including diaries), and at least 7 volumes of poetry attributed to her name after 1963. Prior to that, she had released The Colossus and Other Poems to a small but largely positive critical base that would later come to prefer her posthumous works. She even won the first posthumous Pulitzer Prize for poetry for 1981’s The Collected Poems. It was the publication of The Bell Jar that fully solidified her place in the American literary pantheon, though. Written under the pen name “Victoria Lucas,” it had been accepted for publication and hit the shelves one month before Plath’s suicide – meaning she never had a chance to actually enjoy the subsequent adulation.

6. Jane Austen

Considering contemporary media’s nigh-obsession with all things Jane Austen – a disconcerting many of them jettisoning the truly biting Regency satire in favor of focusing on the more profitable romances – it comes a shock to many that she never garnered hefty amounts of popularity in her lifetime. Austen did, in fact, publish several of her most beloved novels (Sense and Sensibility in 1811, Pride and Prejudice in 1813, Mansfield Park in 1814, and Emma in 1815) prior to her 1817 death from a disputed disease. Many literary critics and intellectuals spoke well of her spunky parodies of English society, though others criticized the novels for their failure to adhere to Romantic and Victorian philosophies and literary protocol. While never huge, they enjoyed a steady stream of moderate success, and her comprehensive Juvenilia series sent her family rollicking with its cheeky, anarchic humor. In spite of all this, however, Austen remained almost an entire unknown entity until after her death…when her brother Henry revealed in the biographical notes of the posthumously published Northanger Abbey and Persuasion (both in 1817) that she spent her entire literary career writing anonymously.

7. James Agee

Known during his lifetime as a moderately successful literary critic and co-screenwriter for the classic films The African Queen in 1951 and The Night of the Hunter in 1955, James Agee’s alcoholism frequently prevented him from ever achieving fame equal to his talents. A lifelong writer, he wrote for Fortune, Life, The Nation, and Time (he also served as a movie critic for the latter 2), published a volume of poetry (Permit Me Voyage), and released a largely ignored novel (Let Us Now Praise Famous Men) prior to his death by heart attack in 1995. Agee’s most celebrated and studied work, the autobiographical novel A Death in the Family, saw publication 2 years later and earned him a posthumous Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 1958. Afterwards, interest in his oeuvre skyrocketed and eventually earned him a place as one of the most respected American writers of the 20th century.

8. Nathanael West

As with many who worked as screenwriters in the 1930’s, Nathanael West never enjoyed great success for his literary prowess. Prior to his fatal car accident in 1940, West released 12 screenplays (and 1 remaining unproduced), 2 short stories, and 4 novels all while participating in a few writers’ seminars with the likes of Dashiell Hammett and William Carlos Williams. Most of his works – including the celebrated Miss Lonelyhearts (1933) and The Day of the Locust (1939) – drew from his experiences in the tarnished, writhing underbelly of the supposedly glamorous and idealistic Hollywood. It took his sudden and unexpected death to launch any real interest in West’s output, and the 1957 re-release of his collected novels only solidified his popularity. To this day, many regard The Day of the Locust as the quintessential Hollywood satire, offering a portrait into the shady wheelings and dealings of producers, actors, and other movie professionals vying for stardom and glory.

9. Anne Frank

The tragic story of Annelies Frank needs very little introduction. Fans of history and literature alike need to read the young girl’s diary, which she kept from June 12, 1942 until three days her capture by the Nazis on August 4, 1944. Frank died in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in 1945 at the age of 15 as one of the 6 million completely unnecessary Jewish murders during the Holocaust. Miep Gies, one of the women responsible for hiding Frank’s family from the Third Reich, handed her father Otto the famous account. He sought a publisher for it as a means of educating the populace on Hitler’s atrocities, and came to find a valuable ally in historian Annie Romein-Verschoor and her husband Jan Romein. The Diary of a Young Girl was first published in 1947 in The Netherlands, with much of Europe and the United States following shortly thereafter. Critics enjoyed the book as both a harrowing glimpse into life as a hated minority in Hitler’s Germany and as a well-written piece of literature in its own right. Though a teenager, Frank’s experiences granted her work a maturity beyond her years that paradoxically never tarnishes her childlike perceptions of the chaotic world. The result is an entirely necessary entry into the literary canon – a work that absolutely needs reading if humanity ever hopes to quell the possibility of another fascist genocide.

10. Theodore Winthrop

Better known as a Civil War soldier and one of the first Union fatalities, Theodore Winthrop made a name for himself as a Yale-educated lawyer and seasoned world traveler before enlisting in 1861. He published a few articles, short stories, sketches, and essays but garnered little attention beyond the popular, patriotic “Our March to Washington.” Only after his death at the Battle of Big Bethel shortly after entering the army did anyone pay much attention to Winthrop’s writings. His sister, Laura Winthrop Johnson, was responsible for compiling all of his poetry and prose for submission and an eventual collection. At least 5 of his novels hit the shelves posthumously, many of them drawing from his generous academic and travel experiences. However, it was his Cecil Dreeme that garnered the most attention. Challenging and progressive, he turned traditional perceptions of social, gender, and racial roles upside-down using New York University as his backdrop.

No matter their ideology, style, or motivations for writing in the first place, these talented men and women left their undisputed legacy on the literary scene only after passing on. They obtained the level of fame that inadequate, trend-chasing copycats or celebrity-worshipping predecessors and successors only dream about, molding and shaping the written word with oeuvres that far outlived the limitations of human flesh.

People – most especially those in the media - find child prodigies fascinating. Whether they excel in math, science, music, medicine, law, literature, or any other field, the populace flocks to them with a blend of reverence and resentment, optimism and cynicism. The following 10 students, according to available online research, are on record as the youngest American-born students to complete a college degree in their home country. Accompanying the brief summary of their accomplishments is a short update on their most current status with information from the latest research through reliable periodicals available on the internet.

1. Michael Kearney (8)

Who He Is. Michael Kearney currently holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of “Youngest University Graduate.” At the age of 8, the homeschooled prodigy completed an Associate of Science degree in geology while at Santa Rosa Junior College. He would then go on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from University of South Alabama at 10, a master’s in biochemistry from Middle Tennessee State University at 14, and another master’s – this time in computer science - from Vanderbilt at 17. While studying at Vanderbilt, Kearney also taught chemistry classes and was considered the world’s youngest holder of a graduate degree in the world until Tathagat Avatar Tulsi assumed the title in 1999.

Where He Is. Kearney told ABC News in 2005 that he wanted nothing more than a “normal” life unencumbered by fame, and at the time was almost finished with the coursework necessary to complete a PhD in chemistry. In 2006, the Nashville resident won $1 million in AOL’s Gold Rush competition and would later compete on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in 2008.

2. Moshe Kai Cavalin (11)

Who He Is. This plucky 11-year-old with a passion for martial arts and astrophysics graduated from East Los Angeles College with an associate’s degree in liberal arts in May of 2009. Not only that, but he did so with honors and a 4.0 GPA as well, passing the time tutoring his classmates in science and math. Cavalin entered the program at 8 to much surprise and confusion from the faculty, staff, and students, but still came out on top in the end. Outside of school, he has also won a few martial arts championships at a national level.

Where He Is. Cavalin does intend to move up to university studies in the near future, probably knocking out a degree in astrophysics. However, following graduation he decided to take a year off to relax, continue his studies and training in martial arts, and perhaps write a book targeted towards his own age bracket advising them on healthy study habits. He also hopes to take up scuba diving as well.

3. Adragon De Mello (11)

Who He Is. Many people think of child actors and entertainers when it comes to unfortunate parental pressure and involvement looming so heavily that their lives become entirely shattered, but on occasion it happens to prodigies as well. In 1987, his overbearing father Augustin declared him a genius on 60 Minutes, and a year later he would complete his bachelor’s degree in computational mathematics at University of California, Santa Cruz. But Augustin was relentless in his goal to see Adragon win a Nobel Prize before his 16th birthday, and eventually became violently obsessive to the point he drove away his tormented wife. He spent a brief period of time in foster care before returning to his mother’s custody, where he enrolled in the local junior high school under an assumed name – eventually graduating from high school in 1994.

Where He Is. When his father became suicidal and terminally ill with bladder cancer in 2001, Adragon nursed him until his 2003 death. He has tried his hardest to stay under the radar with a quiet but sadly erratic existence, with jobs as an estimator for commercial painting companies, a quality assurance engineer for a dotcom corporation, and a staff member at Home Depot. In between, he suffers from long droughts of unemployment.

4. Sho Yano (12)

Who He Is. Sho Yano holds an IQ of an estimated 200, and graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University Chicago in 2003. Following his comprehensive homeschooling, he was accepted after scoring an impressive 1,500 on the SAT out of a possible 1,600 at only 8 years old, taking courses on biology, chemistry, and English composition by 9. Much of his research involved the effects of cell phone radiation on mice, and he even co-authored many papers regarding his biological findings. After completing his bachelor’s, Yano immediately entered the Medical Scientist Training Program at the prestigious University of Chicago, where he simultaneously completed an MD and PhD in molecular genetics and cell biology in 2009 – all at the age of 18.

Where He Is. As of 2009, Yano began his second year of medical still at University of Chicago and shows no signs of letting up or burning out. He continues to occasionally publish his inquiries into biology and medical science as well.

5. Gregory R. Smith (13)

Who He Is. Randolph-Macon College graduated 13-year-old Gregory R. Smith with cum laude honors and a BS degree in mathematics in 2003 – even involving himself with the Phi Beta Kappa fraternity. Just days after his 14th birthday, he enrolled in the graduate program at University of Virginia to pursue a PhD in mathematics. Smith also mobilized the media to promote awareness of and call for aid to numerous human rights issues, and founded the International Youth Advocates in addition to his work with Christian Children’s Fund and World Centers of Compassion for Children. His travel across the world and meetings with influential leaders such as Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu, and Mikhail Gorbachev garnered him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in both 2002 and 2003.

Where He Is. Smith finished his MS in 2006, and International Youth Advocates appears to have disbanded. As of 2007, he continues his mathematics research in pursuit of a PhD at University of Virginia.

6. Asif Haque (13)

Who He Is. At 13, Asif Haque completed an associate’s degree in arts at Monterey Peninsula College after enrolling while only 7 years old. He would go on to become the youngest known recent graduate at University of California Berkeley in 2001 when he completed a bachelor’s degree (with honors!) in chemistry and earned a score of 1450 on his SAT exam.

Where He Is. Some of Haque’s research can still be found online, but the most recent article on his activity came shortly after his graduation. After graduation, he planned on taking a bit of a break earn his driver’s license. Such intensive schooling requires quite a bit of decompression as well, and he hoped to do so with video games and plenty of Everclear and Incubus music.

7. Alia Sabur (14)

Who She Is. The youngest female ever to graduate from college, Alia Sabur went straight from 4th grade to Stony Brook University – where she completed a BS in applied mathematics with summa cum laude honor in 2003. In 2006, Drexel University awarded her an MS in materials science engineering, and went on to receive a PhD in the same field at the same institution. Her research and publications regarding nanotubes, spectroscopy, metamaterials, plasmas, and other substances has garnered awards from NASA, the Department of Defense, GAANN, and NSF as well as a rotational research position at Edwards Air Force Base. She is also an accomplished clarinet player who studied with world-class musicians at Julliard.

Where She Is. Sabur’s online presence keeps readers updated on her progress far more than the other child prodigies featured on this list. She currently holds the title of “world’s youngest professor” with Guinness Book of World Records and teaches as a research liaison between Konkuk University in Seoul and Stony Brook University. Following Hurricane Katrina, she volunteered to help displaced Southern University at New Orleans students complete their math and physics courses with the minimal possible amount of disruption to their studies. Sabur will be relocating to South Korea soon.

8. Kathleen Holtz (15)

Who She Is. The youngest law student to ever pass the bar in California – if not the United States - Kathleen Holtz graduated magna cum laude with a BA in philosophy from California State University in 2003. She immediately entered law school at UCLA and completed her JD in 2007 at 18 years old. During her stint in law school, she worked on the staff of the UCLA Law Review as the articles editor, served as the president of the UCLA Federalist Society, externed with the Honorable Stephen V. Wilson, and interned at the Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles.

Where She Is. Holtz works as a business litigation attorney with the Troy Guild firm in their Litigation Department. She has already tried several successful cases in Orange County’s Superior Court – one of which occurred shortly after she passed the bar and became a full-fledged attorney.

9. William James Sidis (16)

Who He Is. Oftentimes considered one of the smartest individuals of all time, William James Sidis possessed an IQ of around 250. He began his studies at Harvard at 11 years old under an experimental program rewarding the particularly gifted with early admission, and would go on to lecture with the Mathematical Club during his stay. In 1910, he finished all the coursework necessary to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree with cum laude honors at the age of 16. By 17, he was teaching geometry and trigonometry classes at the William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters, Science, and Art – now known as Rice University – while pursuing graduate studies. He would later abandon both the position and the courses due to personal issues, and enrolled in Harvard Law School in 1916, but withdrew in his final year. From there, Sidis became involved in the socialist movement and, following an arrest during a 1919 riot, withdrew from the public eye to pursue his writings and studies in as much solitude as possible.

Where He Is. Sidis currently resides in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at the South Cemetery. He passed on July 17, 1944 from a cerebral hemorrhage, but leaves behind a considerable legacy of literature, history, patents, and mathematical and transportation research. Some of the work had been published under pseudonyms to protect his privacy, however.

10. Stephen A. Baccus (16)

Who He Is. If Kathleen Holtz is to be considered the youngest individual to ever pass the bar exam, then she has Stephen A. Baccus to thank for that. He entered University of Miami’s law school at 14 and graduated at 16, making a name for himself by successfully suing the State of New York for its age restrictions on the bar exam after receiving a special waiver in Florida. Baccus began practicing law at 17 and made partner in a firm by 19, and his litigations against age discrimination garnered high-profile media attention in 1988.

Where He Is. Fortunately, Baccus never strayed from the chosen career he fought so hard to obtain. He continues to practice litigation and trial law in Miami, and has a clear record with no history of controversy or underhanded activity attached to his name.

No matter their current whereabouts or activities, these ten men and women challenge society’s preconceived notions of childhood intelligence and development. Their contributions to their respective fields have helped pave the way for future practitioners of all ages and prove that hard work and dedication to an area of interest mean far more to accomplishing goals than mere intelligence.

Philosophy is a subject everyone practices, even if they do not always realize or admit to it. No matter its level of understanding, it drives everyday discourse and leads to mental, psychological, technological, and even biological evolution. Many in academia embrace the fact that their knowledge and perspectives ought to be shared with the entire world rather than kept within a small, insular community. The internet provides a wonderful opportunity for them to break down the barriers of elitism and enrich the public with their groundbreaking ideas, spreading innovation, intelligence, and intuition like a virus. In the following lectures – all of them inspired by a diverse background of subjects and experiences, including psychology, sociology, technology, healthcare, and even the culinary – anyone who pines for knowledge and understanding beyond the four walls of a classroom are freely given insightful material to help them begin forging their own personal philosophies.

1. Barry Schwartz on our loss of wisdom

No matter what end of the political spectrum a person falls on, most of them will agree on some degree of inefficiency and ineffectiveness within bureaucracies. Barry Schwartz uses this as a launching point to explain the role of the relationship between compassion, empathy, and intelligence. He makes a delineation between IQ levels and actual wisdom, citing that the latter involves a greater sense of connecting and understanding people based on experience. At the same time, Schwartz also posits that tighter rules and restrictions force the citizenry to abandon thinking for themselves – thus denying them the experiences needed to obtain true wisdom and virtue.

2. Michael Shermer on strange beliefs

Referring to himself and his contemporaries of the Skeptics Society as “the Ralph Naders of bad ideas” who spend their time and talents “trying to replace bad ideas with good ideas,” Michael Shermer dissects the hows and whys of human belief systems. He does not mean religion, but rather people placing faith in concepts, images, sounds, and other stimuli that are not exactly verifiable. The first example he gives involves a supposed dousing rod that school systems use to find marijuana in students’ lockers. It only worked because teachers opened up more lockers and increased their chances of discovering a stash – not because of any surprising scientific breakthrough. In many ways, his theories carry similar messages as the self-fulfilling prophecy.

3. Dan Gilbert asks, Why are we happy?

In this provocative lecture, psychologist Dan Gilbert challenges many of the preconceptions and perceptions people hold about happiness and its root causes. While many believe that happiness derives directly from accomplishing goals and getting one’s way as often as possible, Gilbert highlights a physiological phenomenon that may restore emotional equilibrium more than any other external factor. Located on the pre-frontal cortex, these “experience simulators” behave almost as if an “immune system” that struggles to restore happiness at all costs even under times of immense hardship.

4. Dan Dennett on dangerous memes

Many people only know of memes as hilarious pictures of cats and perpetual repetition of pop cultural detritus on the internet, but they actually stem from psychological factors present on the planet since the advent of life itself. Memetic concepts spread through behaviors and thought processes almost as if viruses – not dissimilar to Jungian theories of the collective subconscious. Here, Dennett traces the way memes evolve in societies of living things, slowly making his way towards how humans may use them to cause devastation and harm to one another.

5. Michael Sandel: What’s the right thing to do?

Harvard political philosophy professor Michael Sandel dissects society’s comparatively Objectivist leanings – which adheres to the belief in absolute good and absolute evil – and takes a look at the grey areas. With an eye for justice and ethics, he tackles difficult, nebulous questions such as the classic, “Would you steal a drug that your child needs to survive?” and analyzes the different reasons behind all the various answers.

6. Shaffi Mather: A new way to fight corruption

Shaffi Mather, a philanthropist dedicated to providing educational and healthcare opportunities to the impoverished, became a lawyer in response to the infrastructure-crippling corruption he witnessed on a daily basis. His conjectures on how to end the undue exploitation and marginalization of people are extremely bold, but potentially revolutionary. Using entirely legal and ethical means, Mather has himself formatted a system that feeds off the very same psychology behind entitlement and bribery to manipulate compromised morals into more reliable, honest actions. The first 42 attempts proved successful, and as a result may hold the key to bettering the lives of victims of injustice and corruption everywhere.

7. Emily Levine’s theory of everything

At once hilarious and stimulating, humorist Emily Levine pulls from her own personal observations and philosophies to deliver a highly entertaining and intelligent lecture on science, society, math, the human condition, and their intersections. Like all whip-smart commentators on the state of the world, she delights in offering up alternative perspectives and cogent arguments against some of the shakier theories people believe. Rationality and analysis form the cornerstone of her discussion, peppered liberally with warm, insightful humor. In doing so, she also shines a light on her creative process and personal psychological profile as well.

8. Rory Sutherland: Life lessons from an ad man

Advertising involves the manipulation of perception and fluidity of values, and nobody understands this more than Rory Sutherland – one of the copywriters who worked on the Microsoft campaign prior to the existence of Windows. This lecture pulls deeply from his experiences in the industry and offers up intriguing insight into the postmodernist malleability of perception and values. Many of his comments open up ideas and theories regarding how people communicate with one another.

9. Dan Ariely on our buggy moral code

Human morality is rife with irrationality and unethical, self-serving behavior – in a seemingly paradoxical predictable pattern. Dan Ariely pokes holes in the true motivations behind seemingly illogical actions such as stealing and cheating and, after years of passionate research and deep inquiry into principles of economics and psychology, makes the conjecture that such moral anomalies come inherently hardwired into the human mind. This lecture painstakingly details all of his revealing social experiments which led him to these conclusions.

10. Rebecca Saxe: How we read each other’s minds

Using cutting-edge fMRI technology at MIT, Rebecca Saxe reveals the physiology and cognitive science behind empathy, explaining how some people can accurately gauge the feelings of their peers in a seemingly metahuman fashion, while others struggle endlessly with it. She discovered that the area of the brain known as the Right Temporo-Parietal Junction is responsible for processing the emotions and statements of others, allowing them to form experiences and empathic reactions and allow them to better connect with those around them.

11. Seth Godin on the tribes we lead

Along with memetic repetition, the internet also gave rise to another fully ingrained aspect of human behavior. Online communities revolving around shared interests piqued tribalist instincts, which in turn imbue participants with a sense of connectivity and empowerment that they then may utilize in the interest of social justice. The sociology of internet-based “tribes” is a powerful tool in combating bureaucratic elitism, and Godin hopes that his studies eventually lead to positive change in the world.

12. Peter Reinhart on bread

Bread is one of the cornerstones of nourishment, no matter how one bakes it, and baker-philosopher Peter Reinhart understands this better than anyone. Here, he eloquently delves into how it has shaped and influenced human civilization not only nutritionally, but scientifically, socially, creatively, economically, and politically as well. In addition, this beautiful, poetic lecture outlines his experimentations with exciting new culinary processes to change the way people create this most basic dietary staple.

13. Nina Jablonski breaks the illusion of skin color

Biologist Charles Darwin believed the different skin colors present in humans had no direct correlation to their exposure to certain climates. Using NASA’S TOMS 7 satellite, Nina Jablonski noticed that areas of the globe with lower levels of ultraviolet light resulted in people with far lighter skin than those with more. She debunks many of the common assumptions about racial origins and makes a compelling case that the evolution of skin color came about through reactions to environmental factors.

14. Richard Dawkins on our “queer” universe

Drawing from his studies in the biological sciences, Richard Dawkins peers into how the mind places blinders on the true role of mankind in the universe. He states outright that the true nature of the cosmos is far stranger and wondrous than human beings are capable of imagining, and their limited frame of reference prevents them from ever fully comprehending its majesty. Parts of his lecture also delve into quantum theories, including those that believe in the possibility of multiple universes layered on top of one another.

15. Robert Wright on optimism

Academic Renaissance man Robert Wright offers up his theories on “non-zero sumness,” which pulls from positivity and cooperation to help push humanity forward. He believes that people constantly move and evolve in a direct “arrow” as a result of sharing good fortune and harmony with one another – a rather extreme idea, of course. But it is one that eventually comes to make sense the more Wright begins to reveal the historical and biological evidence that supports his theses. One of the possibilities he discusses draws parallels between genetic evolution and shifts in social structures.

16. Jonathan Haidt on the moral roots of liberals and conservatives

Politicians leaning towards the right side of the spectrum tend to drop the terms “morality” and “family values” into their rhetoric. However, they do not hold such concepts in their exclusive domain. This intelligent, interesting lecture outlines 5 basic moral constructs that universally influence political affiliations. An individual’s prioritizations and saturations of these concepts determine his or her liberal, conservative, or moderate belief systems. Jonathan Haidt shows how certain personality types and experiences typically indicate gravitatation towards certain perspectives.

17. Kevin Kelly on how technology evolves

As with genetics, technology also forges ahead by constantly changing and evolving and adapting to the pressures and requests of the world around it. Though not sentient, new advances in science, computers, and engineering always seek the paradigm shifts that propel their creations ever forward – becoming gods of machinery begging to live in spite of not actually living. Kevin Kelly looks into how this comes to reflect the human experience as well.

18. Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

One of the greatest complaints high school students all over the world will file – aside from the fact that they even have to go at all, of course – is the lack of flexibility and creativity allowed in the curricula. Ken Robinson constructs a reasonable framework that nurtures imagination and free thought without compromising quality and education. Science, technology, engineering, math, and other traditionally “left-brained” concepts only grow well-rounded with the addition of innovation and creativity. In fact, without innovative applications, the technicalities only stagnate and may never achieve their full potential.

19. Steven Pinker chalks it up to the blank slate

Steven Pinker blends together elements of the nature vs. nurture debate with John Locke’s theory of the tabula rasa to create his own theories on human cognitive and moral development. He essentially believes that the so-called “blank slate” exists not as a purely empty entity, but rather a series of innate patterns and behaviors present in nearly every human being. Art, for example, exists in almost every society on the planet – but tastes and personal aesthetics vary extensively. The analogy becomes stretched into excellent detail that fully underscores Pinker’s theses.

20. Joachim de Posada says, Don’t eat the marshmallow yet

Delayed gratification and its status as an indicator of a child’s future achievements form the cornerstone of Joachim de Posada’s quick lecture on his cognitive research. Based on his studies and follow-up studies, four-year-olds capable of practicing self-discipline when told to not give into certain temptations (in this case, a marshmallow) typically performed better in school and interpersonal relationships than their counterparts who caved to the pressure. This sheds quite a bit of light on human cognitive behavior and development, carrying with it some interesting implications.

21. Noah Feldman says politics and religion are technologies

The cliché regarding polite conversation dictates that politics and religion are best avoided at the risk of offending the sensibilities of others. Technology, however, seems to be fair game with the etiquette crowd, and with Noah Feldman’s theories allow cheekier talkers to infuse controversial subjects in conversation without breaking traditional protocol. His amazing lecture connects human concepts with its creations by illustrating their functional similarities.

22. Don Norman on 3 ways good design makes you happy

Regardless of whether or not the term “design” applies to graphics, furniture, interiors, cookware, or the myriad other functions, Don Norman posits that successful pieces must do more than just adhere to the technical aspects. It must also achieve three specific aesthetic goals as well. Without them, viewers do not emotionally connect with the works at hand and may miss what the overall message entails.

23. Stuart Brown says play is more than fun

Stuart Brown stands behind playtime in all its rambunctious, imaginative glory. In addition to providing enjoyment and decompression, play also helps mentally stimulate and refresh humans. It improves their intelligence levels and alleviates (but does not outright cure) the negative effects of depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, at the conclusion of the lecture, it seems as if few organizations accept much of his research on using the tenets of play for the benefit of all mankind.

24. Dan Dennett: Cute, sexy, sweet, funny

Perception and evolution all play a role in what human beings consider “cute, sexy, sweet, [and] funny,” and Dan Dennett speaks up about how all of these elements come together to shape experiences and ideas. He also traces them to more evolutionary roots rather than the expected social, making this an enlightening, wholly fascinating lecture on one aspect of life that many believe to be rather mundane and unexciting.

25. Barry Schwartz on the paradox of choice

People, especially those living in heavily consumerist societies, love having choices and options available when it comes to almost everything. But Barry Schwartz looks at the negative repercussions of such unbridled freedom. While not advocating pure homogeny, he states that many people end up feeling dizzy, intimidated, trapped, and ultimately dissatisfied with the number of decisions they must make on everything from the small and seemingly insignificant to the seriously dire.

No matter a person’s area of interest, he or she will find something beautiful to ponder about the world with these fantastic lectures by top experts. Whether they love technology, cognitive science, psychology, genetics, evolutionary theory, art, semantics, cooking, or any other subject covered here, these talks offer up intellectual opportunities at no cost. They nurture anyone and everyone who seeks their counsel and inspire them to branch off and start forming new concepts and ideals to share with the world.

Students and professionals involved with studies and practices involving international and transnational businesses have a plethora of wonderful networking and information resource available to them thanks to the internet. Twitter especially garners praise for its microblogging interface, which allows readers to scan brief messages and find the ones they need or want far quicker than a traditional blog. The following list compiles several feeds – some economic, some political, some technical, and everything in between - that may be of particular interest to those conducting business with other nations.

1. Investing in Africa : Follow updates on the stock market and economy in African nations straight from the blog with the same name.

2. Int’l Marketing Pros : This open forum connects marketing professionals all over the world, allowing them to freely discuss trends and theories from their diverse perspectives.

3. ExportGov : The official site of the United States’ export laws provides detailed information on regulation changes for anyone hoping to ship or receive goods from the country.

4. ITA : Another Twitter from the federal government, the International Trade Administration provides updates on imports, exports, and the economic climate for anyone conducting business with Americans.

5. U.S. Trade Rep : Ambassador Ron Kirk and his staff tweet about international business and trade in the United States.

6. westlaw china : westlaw china looks at news and legalities straight from China – one of the world’s largest business centers.

7. WorldTradeLaw.net :  Receive the latest headlines and quick blips about international business and trade, then click on the corresponding links for the stories of interest.

8. WTO Publications : Follow the WTO Publications department as it updates on their writings and analyses. It does not update frequently, but it does make their readers aware of any new publications they may find of use.

9. UK Trade & Investment : UK Trade & Investment is a department run by the British government as a means of helping to stimulate international business interests.

10. BangladeshTrade : This Dhaka-based Twitter feed runs updates on the import and export trade status, business leads, and laws of Bangladesh.

11. Israel Export_EinatG : The Israeli government runs regular updates on the nation’s export and international relations status. Some are in Hebrew, though recently they have begun posting tweets in English.

12. Enterprise 2.0 : International business meets technological innovation at the Enterprise Summit, which blends Web 2.0 experts, academics, and businessmen from all corners of the world together into one creative pool.

13. Mark Lehnardt : Former attorney with the U.S. Department of Commerce Lehnardt reviews the latest developments in countervailing duties and antidumping measures specifically catering to the interests of international businesses.

14. World Trade : This international business juggernaut is one of America’s top journals focusing on global supply chains both foreign and domestic.

15. Doug Jacobson : Readers of this Twitter feed receive frequent updated information on almost every aspect of international trade with the United States.

16. The Economist : Official tweets from The Economist magazine – a must-read for any businessperson, regardless of whether or not they focus on the foreign or the domestic.

17. InvestChile : InvestChile posts about the economic and investment opportunities available for foreign businesspeople in the South American nation.

18. Int. Trade Law360 : Tweets at this microblog cover all of the different legalities involved with importing and exporting goods around the world.

19. Rich Kuslan : Attorney Kuslan has blogged about foreign and domestic business trends in China for the past 8 years.

20. US Council Int’l Business : This organization hopes to instill principles of sustainable development, corporate responsibility, open markets, honest competition, and creativity in businesses worldwide.

21. Joshua Lenon : Because international law directly effects business dealings, anyone working outside of a domestic setting would do well to follow this informative Twitter.

22. Martha Harrison : Toronto-based trade lawyer Harrison weighs in on international business restrictions and regulations with a particularly Canadian eye.

23. International Trade : MarketResearch.com posts expert data regarding international trade, economic trends and forecasts, and marketing from around the world.

24. ICC Publications : Direct from Paris, ICC Publications provides users worldwide with the documents and information they need for international business and banking as well as conflict resolution.

25. TDM Journal : Transnational Dispute Management is a journal dealing with regulatory and investment arbitration at an international and intercultural level.

26. World Economic Forum : As the official Twitter feed of WEF, updates involve the latest news and movements in global economics – which directly impact international business dealings.

27. Manufacturing Crunch : This microblog reports on international business as it relates to the manufacturing industry and serves as a community for its participants.

28. ECIPE : ECIPE tweets about the latest news and findings at the European Centre for International Political Economy.

29. Ashoka : An organization that brings together socially-conscious entrepreneurs from around the world and encourages them to brainstorm and band together at a grassroots level to bring out the best in people and communities.

30. worldshippingnews : Men and women working within international industries that require freight shipping and other maritime dealings can follow news and reports following the relevant facets.

31. NYU Reynolds : Like Ashoka, NYU Reynolds hopes to serve as a network for global innovators to band together for the sake of positive social change.

32. Intl Development UEA : University of East Anglia’s School of International Development tweets about research into economic development around the world, with special attention paid to impoverished and war-torn areas.

33. KluwerLawInt’l : Blue chips and arbitration issues comprise the bulk of the tweets from this Netherlands law firm specializing in international business.

34. FICO World : Follow the latest happenings regarding the FICO World Conference, which involves decision management, banking, and insurance on a global scale.

35. ACI Trade : ACI Trade organizes conferences related to international business, trade, regulations, and restrictions involving executives and attorneys.

36. Columbia B-School : Columbia University’s acclaimed business school posts microblog entries on foreign and domestic dealings alike.

37. World Bank News : Tweets at World Bank News discuss the economic ebbs and flows around the world that directly impact all business negotiations.

38. Financial Times : Anyone involved in international business ought to explore all the different specialized Twitters London’s Financial Times has to offer. This one exists as one of their most generalized, updating frequently on business, politics, and economics and how they interact.

39. OECD Centre : Philanthropy and international business blend together with this organization hoping to promote sustainability, equality, and health in developing nations.

40. Offshore Transparent : Washington, DC based Offshoring Transparency dedicates itself to open discussions and full disclosure between businesses, consumers, and marketers regarding maritime transactions.

41. USGLC : Read tweets from the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, which works hard to strengthen bonds and stimulate communication between businesspeople, religious figures, military personnel, and politicians worldwide.

42. Israel-Asia Center : This organization promotes cooperation and harmony between Israel and Asia both culturally and economically, which in turn helps boost business relations as well.

43. The Economist Cafe : Economists all over the world unite and discuss trends, topics, and news relating to their field and undeniably impacting the business world.

44. Pgh G-20 Partnership : Pittsburgh’s own G-20 Partnership summit links economists, businesspeople, academics, scientists, and other respectable researchers together as a means of bettering the world around them.

45. Synergistics : A consulting firm focusing on international business development, Synergistics posts some extremely valuable links to relevant news stories and trends.

46. OPEN Forum : American Express’s OPEN Forum community tweets headlines from around the world that relate to business and technology.

47. Elliot Polak : Culture shock oftentimes hinders productive international business dealings – sometimes domestic ones as well. This enlightening Twitter helps to bridge gaps and promote better personal and financial connections.

48. clusterstock : Though most of the tweets revolve around the American stock market and other related financial matters, clusterstock also posts up headlines and articles regarding international economic and business issues.

49. WITA : Washington International Trade Association’s Twitter proudly refers to it as “Washington’s Premier Trade Forum.”

50. Becky DeStigter : International business consultant DeStigter posts frequent updates containing insightful headlines on any and all issues relevant to her field.

51. Sproxil Inc : This international service provides consumers in developing countries with all the information they need to avoid pharmaceutical scams. They discuss market and consumer trends and research as well. Companies can also use Sproxil as a means of preventing counterfeits of their products.

52. WNS Global Services : WNS Global Services assists over 200 international businesses at 22 different delivery centers with their process outsourcing issues.

53. FTA_Facilitator : The FTA Facilitator blog may be 404ing out, but their regularly updated tweets involve important political and economic trends that directly effect business dealings.

54. Threatpost : Almost every business takes advantage of computers and other technologies to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Threatpost tweets about security breaches worldwide and sends out alerts and advice to readers in danger of losing their data.

55. ChinaManufacturing : Daniel R. Feldman microblogs about marketing and manufacturing protocol for businesses hoping to deal with China.

56. Journal of Commerce : Follow this informative Twitter feed for updates on efficient methods of shipping items internationally and any problems with or changes in protocol.

57. Port Strategy : This UK-based resource posts up maritime port information for businesses that ship using boats and other seafaring vessels.

58. Maritime Journal : Maritime Journal devotes itself entirely to businesses in Europe who must ship items over the ocean or through the seas.

59. Lloyd’s List : Any international businessperson involved with the shipping industry ought to pop through this regularly updated Twitter to catch the latest news regarding transportation.

60. Forrester Research : Independent Cambridge, Massachusetts institute Forrester Research is a trusted voice that supplies advice on technology, trends, marketing, and other subjects to businesspeople worldwide.

61. Cara Chacon : Corporate Social Responsibility professional Cara Chacon tweets numerous times a day on a number of business-related issues with a particular eye for international relations.

62. InariMedia : Technology, business, sustainability, and development come together in exciting and creative ways with this highly informative and engaging Twitter feed.

63. Barbara C. Matthews : Matthews works as a policy strategist specializing in financial regulations directly relating to international business.

64. Stock Brokers : This Twitter feed, based in Gibraltar, focuses on online stock trading on an international level.

65. MESH Harvard : Anyone who conducts business in the Middle East should keep track of any changes in relations and policies that may affect their transactions.

66. Economic Policy Institute : Domestic and international economics alike comprise this Twitter’s content, though the emphasis does seem to lean towards the former.

67. Mike Kulej : Spectrum Forex’s Chief Forex Strategist weighs in on currency trading and current exchange rates.

68. boz : For anyone interested in or currently conducting business in Latin America, boz microblogs about communication and strategy news, trends, and issues.

69. CopyrightLaw : Though mainly emphasizing copyright laws in the United States, Professor Michael Scott at Southwestern Law School also tweets about international restrictions and regulations as well.

70. Global Arab Network : Read all about the latest news and views affecting the peoples and businesses in the Middle East.

71. IATPiatp : The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy involves the politics and economics of sustainability to nurture more ethical and lasting business systems.

72. Hiram Capital Group : This banking firm tweets about finances and business strategies for anyone involved with international or transnational corporations.

73. Marjorie Florestal : International trade expert and law professor Marjorie Florestal posts enlightening commentary and articles from a largely humanistic perspective.

74. Investment in China : Visitors to this frequently updated Twitter feed can learn about banking, marketing, consumer, investment, and financial trends currently happening in China.

75. DipNote : The United States Department of State’s official Twitter presence looks into relations between Americans and the rest of the world from a broad spectrum of perspectives.

76. John Boscariol : Follow one impressively active Canadian trade lawyer as he discusses almost everything involving the legalities and protocols of international business.

77. WorldCompliance : Industry and intelligence alike can benefit from WorldComplaince’s open source strategies and dedication to protect businesses and consumers from fraud and terrorism.

78. US EXPORT COUNCIL : Most of this Twitter’s content looks at infrastructure, technology, energy, education, environmental concerns, and science as they relate to Middle Eastern and African trade.

79. Policy Innovations : The Carnegie Council set up the Policy Innovations program as a global push towards nurturing creativity and ethical practices in government and the private sector alike.

80. Dian L. Chu : Market analyst and chartered economist Dian L. Chu tweets about the economic forecast and possible strategies for navigating businesses and investments related to energy and commodities.

81. James Emery : Auckland’s James Emery tweets about the ebbs, flows, and machinations of gold and silver markets throughout the world.

82. WTC Delaware : World Trade Center Delaware offers readers numerous links to articles on a very wide variety of subjects related to international business and trade.

83. Gerard Aldridge : Follow the twists and turns of Canada’s bustling Northwest Corridor with this highly informative and enthusiastically updated Twitter feed.

84. Eldis Community : Serving as a free online community and network, Eldis brings together businesspeople and other professionals to discuss international development issues and solutions.

85. News4Trader : This microblog posts business news from around the world and assigns it a rating, helping readers save time when trying to decide what articles to read.

86. India Business News : India Business News acts as a sort of headline aggregator, pulling the most relevant headlines regarding domestic and international stories that impact Indian commerce.

87. Scott F. Gibson : One business lawyer consistently tweets about policies, restrictions, and regulations that impact transnational and international industries worldwide.

88. China Sourcing : This Twitter feed posts nothing but news and trends in marketing, manufacturing, wholesale, trading, and other facets of business as they relate to China’s domestic and foreign dealings.

89. AnthillMagazine : Companies who find themselves growing quickly may want to connect with others in the same situation through this Australian magazine and community.

90. exprodatgis : Businesspeople who work in or with the GIS and oil and gas industries may want to read over this microblog’s tweets involving the latest relevant headlines.

91. APAKS : Shanghai-based APAKS posts a wide variety of tweets regarding sourcing, outsourcing, offshoring, and similar elements of Chinese business.

92. Ecommerce Headlines : Ecommerce Journal looks into business trends and transactions taking advantage of the internet and other technologies.

93. Diaz Global Advisors : These economic consultants tweet extensively about domestic and global business affairs with a particular taste for strategies.

94. GlobalAtlanta.com : Anyone with international business dealings in or near Atlanta - as well as those otherwise affiliated with the Georgian capital – may want to read about all the latest news on the subject through this Twitter feed.

95. Westerwelle : International business consulting group TransDomo tweets with particular fondness for internet and internet marketing, development, and support in the United States and Europe.

96. Beta Gamma Sigma : Students and alumni of the international Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society can follow and network with their fellow businesspeople.

97. Lance Scoular : An irreverent, intelligent global business strategist tweets and writes about using social networking and the internet as valuable international marketing tools.

98. Jane Ginn : One of the most comprehensive and informative Twitter feeds regarding international business, humanitarian efforts, fair trade, emerging markets, and their intersections.

99. World Fair Trade Org : Any and all businesspeople concerned with the fair trade movement that promotes ethical and sustainable practices must follow this feed for information on the organizations committed to the cause.

100. Fair Trade Federation : Another must-follow Twitter feed emphasizing fair trade in the United States and its relationship to other nations.

Businesspeople today – most especially those who must work in conjunction with their contemporaries in other nations – live in far easier times when it comes to all-important communication. The internet allows them to stay connected with one another at all times and conduct more fluid transactions. With these Twitter feeds, they can stay up-to-date on all the news and trends that affect them and never have to skip a beat.

Insects comprise an estimated 90% of the planet’s fauna, and – unsurprisingly – those who elect to study them at the professional, amateur, and hobbyist levels are as diverse as the species themselves. Pouring passionately over almost every facet of entomology imaginable, when combined these essential resources paint a vivid, thorough, and exhaustive portrait of the subject. Anyone seeking any type of information or research regarding insects – and, occasionally, their invertebrate brethren, will no doubt find what they seek through one of these excellent blogs.

1. Bug Girl’s Blog

Bug Girl’s Blog discusses not only entomology, but feminism, skepticism, ecology, gardening, and nerd culture as well – however, as the blog’s title implies, she typically discusses the first two subjects above all else. Hilariously irreverent and endlessly educational, Bug Girl (who does not wish to reveal her true identity to readers) looks at her field from the perspective of a woman practicing a traditionally male-dominated science. The “Ask an Entomologist” feature answers a number of questions regarding the discipline and acts as a wonderful resource for those curious about studying insects professionally. She will not identify insects based on user-submitted photos, though.

2. What’s Bugging You?

Author, photographer, lecturer, and – of course – entomologist Dr. Art Evans keeps a general blog about his beloved discipline. He eloquently muses on professional and personal encounters with insects in Virginia and beyond. Readers can follow along as he traipses through the wilderness on field trips or learn more about Charles Darwin and evolutionary theory in addition to the explicitly entomology-related content. Evans also enjoys the history of the science as well, and is currently participating in the Virginia Beetle Project, which attempts to inventory every species residing within the state.

3. Beetles in the Bush

Veritable Renaissance man Ted C. MacRae leads an interesting life, loaded with travel, insects, research, writing, and hobbies such as ecology, cycling, taxonomy, botany, geology, natural history, photography, and paleontology. His personal insect collection impressively numbers around 75,000 specimens from all over the world, and readers are free to browse the online inventory. Most of his blog content focuses on general entomology thoughts and observations, but he will also delve into other related biological fields as well. In doing so, he places the behaviors and adaptations of his beloved invertebrates into a broader context, showing visitors how every element of nature connects with one another.

4. Life on Six Legs

Photographer Chris Wirth finds harmony between art and science, posting gorgeous color images of insects and the occasional arthropod. Stunning close-ups reveal biological adaptations and characteristics – even illustrating how to identify male specimens from the females in some cases. Wirth uses his finely-tuned sense of aesthetics as a conduit for educating visitors on insect anatomy and physiology. Even those not interested in the biological aspect of his blog will still find themselves mesmerized by the heavily detailed macro photography and discussions about his equipment.

5. Myrmecos Blog

Myrmecos Blog offers two entirely different, yet still harmonious, attractions. One section provides news, job announcements, specimen requests, specimen availability, and research courses. The other showcases fabulously colorful and detailed photography of all different types of insects. As the blog’s title implies, however, the majority of content revolves around the myriad ant species. Proprietor Alex Wild particularly enjoys sharing the various specimens he personally researches and posts videos every Sunday relating to insects and entomology. Be sure to explore his website as well for more forays into the macro world of insects and exquisitely lovely photography of ants, mantises, beetles, flies, wasps, bees, and many others.

6.  Bug Eric

Writer and entomologist Eric R. Eaton hosts a nice, down-to-earth blog where he shares daily encounters and observations with the insect communities. He enjoys posting snapshots from everyday cockroach, aphid, and butterfly encounters as well as summaries of visits to conservatories and other biological institutions. In addition, Eaton is also very eager to answer any questions professionals and amateurs alike may have regarding any aspect of entomology, though he prefers them directed through his Allexperts.com account as opposed to the blog. If he does not know the answer himself, he professionally admits as such before suggesting alternate resources.

7.  Anna’s Bee World

Professional, amateur, and hobbyist apiologists alike will find plenty to love about Anna’s Bee World. Anna Howell currently focuses her research on bee populations and how they come to be affected by urbanization and other disruptive factors. While she does discuss much of her findings, she also shares general interest stories related to her favorite fuzzy fliers. Photographs, news stories, and personal accounts of encounters and studies all imbue this blog with well-rounded, well-informed content on anything and everything about bees – their anatomy and physiology, behavior patterns, and the ways in which they react and adapt to the habitats around them.

8.  NC State University Insect Museum

The faculty, staff, and students involved with the Insect Museum at North Carolina State University discuss not only the day-to-day happenings at the institution, but explorations of entomology as well. They even host photography contests! Anyone who finds fascination with the beautifully diverse insect will find hours of enjoyment in their lush macro images, talks about current news stories and research in the industry, videos, and behind-the-scene glimpses into museum operations. All posts come accompanied by enlightened, educated commentary that is, while technical, provides links to resources explaining the basics of their science. Because of this, readers of all fluency levels are able to appreciate what they have to offer.

9.  The Ant Room

Boston University entomology doctoral candidate Kari T. Ryder Wilkie specializes in the ants inhabiting the Tiputini Biodiversity Station located in the Western Amazonian region of Ecuador. Interested visitors may follow her research, data collections, identification procedures, and analyses both in The Ant Room and on her highly comprehensive website. Along with sharing what she learns while traversing the splendid emerald rainforests, she also talks about entomology and biology books, showcases some photography, and provides links to other blogs and articles of particular interest to fellow myrmecologists. In spite of her academic bent, Wilkie does post some extremely fun content to add a dose of humor to the occasionally dry statistics. Photos of mating insects with cheeky captions and silly quizzes and shout-outs comprise only a small part of the lightheartedness.

10.  The Bug Whisperer

This wonderful interdisciplinary blog flaunts the art of science and the science of art with a series of videos and photographs of all sorts of insects and other invertebrates. Photographer and writer Adrian Thysse zooms in on the aesthetic wonders that creep and crawl about the planet with an extensive portfolio of detailed images relating to entomology and other invertebrate zoological disciplines. Most of his subjects hail from Alberta, though many more will swoop in from time to time as well. He discusses his art and his interest in science with equal levels of enthusiasm, and it is not unheard of for posts to talk extensively about issues regarding equipment and art rather than biology. However, Thysse performs a wonderfully impressive balancing act, providing readers with enough content to satisfy a passion for photography and/or a burning scientific curiosity.

11.  IB 401

Dr. Larry Hanks is a professor of biology at University of Illinois with particular interest in beetles. He and his teaching assistant act as instructors in the IB 401 course, which introduces all the fundamentals of entomology to aspiring invertebrate biologists. Students, teachers, and guest alike may contribute anything they find particularly interesting for those learning the basics of insect anatomy, physiology, behavior, and ecology. Because of this, the target audience of the blog mainly involves individuals with an amateur’s or hobbyist’s understanding of the subject - making it an ideal read for beginners yearning for information at their level before graduating to more challenging fare.

12.  Debbie’s Insects Blog

Debbie Hadley operates About.com’s section on insects, providing readers with numerous resources on everything from their preservation to how to raise butterflies and bees at home. The blog section devotes its articles to anything and everything entomology and appealing to a broad audience. Both professionals and amateurs can seek out content that speaks to them on their level – even those without an academic interest in insects may find information on keeping them and other invertebrates as pets. About.com even provides a forum for enthusiasts to discuss their observations, research, and other entomological findings.

13.  The Dragonfly Woman

Ants and bees may dominate the entomological blogging scene, making The Dragonfly Woman’s emphasis on aquatic insect life a welcome paradigm shift. She adores dragonflies, obviously, but many of their less celebrated water-dwelling contemporaries as well. Most of the content centers on promoting her admirable passion for the insects she studies, but some posts will deviate and talk about those beyond her area of emphasis as well as invertebrates in general. In addition, she provides an extensive listing of resources for anyone interested in learning all they can about dragonflies, damselflies, and other insects who thrive near water.

14.  Bugs for Thugs

Blogger Kelley is an entomologist with a diverse background studying ecology, physiology, and other fields as they directly relate back to insects. The “Ask an Entomologist” section freely invites readers to offer up their questions on her beloved field, and she willingly takes on identification tasks as well. She is also available for lectures, seminars, and other educational events in order to share everything she has learned in both the field and the lab. No trip to Bugs for Thugs is complete without a stop to peruse her nature photography, which includes a wide variety of animals – not just insects!

15.  Cicada Mania

This extensive resource on all things involving the celebrated cicada hosts a news feed pulling relevant stories from across the internet, message boards, obligatory Facebook and Myspace pages, an extensive taxonomic archive, a slew of archived articles dating back to 2000, maps, a calculator, and even t-shirts and mugs for sale. Anyone interested in learning more about these curious creatures – especially their utterly bizarre larval life buried underground for 17 years – do not have to venture too far to receive a comprehensive education on the subject. Their photography guide devoted to these insects contains around 98 different galleries and a growing collection of over 950 images. Some of the most absolutely fascinating and engaging pictures of cicadas involve them molting and bursting forth from their old carapaces, which popularly litter gardens. They appear almost as if pulled straight from the frames of a horror film.

16. blankenshipimages

Memphis artist Doug Blankenship creates both photographic and sculptural works based entirely entomological data. He creates amazing macro images of a wide variety of insects, then goes on to sculpt painstakingly detailed scale models for museums, schools, and other institutions. Many of his pieces come with explanations of the anatomical structures and their uses as well, making his blog a necessary stop for anyone appreciating the arts and sciences with equal enthusiasm.

17.  Am I Bugging You Yet?

The blogger operating under the nom de plume of Vanessa Cardui provides an extensive archive of insect and arthropod photos from the Tustin, California area. With an impressive archive dating back to 2006, readers are treated to detailed, colorful images and descriptions of the animals and actions contained therein. These serve as highly informative and insightful illustrations of insect and arthropod behavior, anatomy and physiology, and even their impact on the surrounding environment. Viewers cannot help but marvel over the staggering biodiversity present in only one small sliver of the United States.

18.  What’s That Bug?

What’s That Bug? mainly emphasizes insect taxonomy, allowing readers to send in photographs and stories of the creatures they find in their homes, businesses, and other locations for identification purposes. Along with the initial letters, photographs, and subsequent categorization, they provide intelligent, succinct information on the insects in question as well – sometimes even additional images to prove a match. Anyone curious about an intriguing or otherwise head-scratching species is encouraged to send in pictures and any descriptions of behavior, location, and any other data that will help them come to an informed conclusion. Any readers familiar with insect taxonomy and identification are more than welcome to chime in with their opinions should a solution prove inconclusive.

19.  Bug Shutterbug!

Writer, graphic designer, webmaster, photographer, and travel enthusiast Kolby Kirk finds artistic inspiration in the macro elements of the planet. He shares his globetrotting adventures through multiple series of images documenting all the insects and arthropods he discovers along the way. Some involve subjects in their natural environments, others denote scale by crawling about on coinage or fingers. Still more showcase his hobby of raising praying mantises and other insects at home, tracking their progress as they grow. The majority of pictures come packaged with taxonomic classification of the animals involved and brief, interesting facts about their behaviors and/or lifestyles. Occasionally, Kirk will also offer up photographs of other fascinating fauna encountered during hikes.

20.  Archetype

Dr. Roberto A. Keller is a myrmecologist particularly enamored of the natural history, taxonomy, morphology, physiology, phylogeny, and sociology of ants. He blends all of these disciplines together with a particular flair for natural philosophy, relating most of his research back to Charles Darwin and Richard Owen. The title of the blog stems from Owen’s discussions of archetypes within species – in many ways applying literary criticism and the concept of Platonic solids to the biological sciences. Archetype is essential reading for any aspirant entomologist or individual curious about insects who enjoys ingesting their hard data with a few shots of philosophy.

21.  Myrmecoid

University of Kansas graduate student Taro Eldredge enjoys studying beetles living interdependently with ants and termites. Myrmecoid, his relatively new blog, talks shop from a generally technical and academic perspective. He frequently discusses his field and lab research, presenting many of the beetle specimens he works with on a regular basis. Occasionally Eldredge muses on some of the litter sorters and other equipment he utilizes in the field. Some posts involve general college life, however, making this a resource that many other entomology students will find wholly relatable.

22.  Sifolinia’s AntBlog

Mike Lush, a myrmecologist and ecologist by trade, hemorrhages an obsession with ants all over the internet. Based in the Welsh town of Brecon, Powys, Lush oftentimes discusses ants in the United Kingdom and Britain, though does not narrow his focus entirely. One of the more intriguing elements of the blog involves listings of ant species from Australia, Gambia, Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Wales, Scotland, and a number of other countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Some of these were collected by Lush himself, others were gifts, and some belong to James Cook University and the Cardiff Museum. These lists serve as extremely useful resources on what ants are native to what regions.

23.  Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology

This highly technical blog merges computers and entomology together into one very useful professional resource. The Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology project covers an expansive amount of information regarding bees, wasps, sawflies, and ants. In addition to the blog, they also host a wiki, a Twitter, and a glossary to share all their research and progress. Their exhaustive and impressive goal involves the formalizing of hymenoptera ontology with the cooperation of entomologists everywhere using a number of digital, technical, and physical methods and meetings. From there, they hope to integrate their findings into the broader scientific community.

24.  antbase

A companion to the antbase website and database, this blog discusses almost anything related to ants. Taxonomy and cybertaxonomy, naming conventions, systematics, phylogeny, and comparative biology comprise the vast majority of the content, making this an indispensable resource for myrmecologists and entomologists alike. In addition to their zoological musings, they also share stories of events within the insect enthusiast community, promote other websites and articles, and muse upon technology as well.

25. The Pickett Lab

University of Vermont’s Pickett Lab predominantly studies wasps, and the blog posts pictures and accounts of their travels across the globe to study these hearty hymenopterans. Blunt, laid-back, and alternately humorous and heartbreaking, these logs offer a first-person perspective on the triumphs and failures of life in the field. Every post comes with a companion image illustrating their findings, collections, and observations. Beyond the blog, the Pickett Lab offers brief profiles of participants, a short overview of taxonomy, a photo gallery, course overviews, lists of presentations and publications, and extensive links to related websites, contributors, and media outlets giving the scientists some attention.

No matter where they travel or what insects they emphasize, all of these blogs provide professional, amateur, and hobbyist readers alike with extremely valuable data and research on entomology. Myriad opinions on science, art, philosophy, and technology abound, offering anyone who visits a broader, heightened perspective on insects and the ways in which they simultaneously influence and come to be influenced by the world around them.

Since 2006, nearly 3,200 account hijacking cases have been reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is associated with the FBI. These crimes can include anything from phishing scams to identity theft. One of the main sites for hijacking? Twitter.

What’s worse is the harrowing accounts of clever criminals using the site to get personal information. To avoid a call to the authorities, follow these 20 common sense rules to Twitter safely.

Common Sense Rules to Twitter Safely

These easy to follow rules can eliminate a great deal of risk.

1. Privatize : Unlike Facebook, Twitter’s default settings allow anyone to see your tweets, both current and past. The best common sense rule to Twitter safely is to make your information available only to those friends you approve of. This simple guide from eHow shows you how to make sure your profile is set to private to keep prying eyes away.

2. Update Appropriately : Twittering something like “stuck on the side of the road” may seem like a good idea at the time, but it also alerts that you are in a vulnerable state. Because you never know who is reading your messages, even in private mode, these status updates are never a good idea. A good, old-fashioned phone call makes more sense for this kind of situation. This link gives you the ten most extraordinary tweets as an example.

3. What Happens In Blank, Stays In Blank : Planning a big trip? Don’t share on Twitter. Even if a friend happens to be browsing a page, you never know who is peeking over their shoulder. Letting Twitter know when, where, and how long you will be gone is an invitation to disaster. A common sense rule when Twittering on vacations is to wait until you have returned to post pictures, raves, etc.

4. Where Are You? : That’s what potential criminals are asking when looking for Twitter victims. In this article from “Wired,” Matthew uses several pieces of technology to show how easy it is to find, track, and even rob someone. A harrowing must read that will have you using Twitter more safely instantly.

5. Post Pictures Carefully : Need a new flat screen television but don’t want to pay for it? Then look it up on site like Flickr. The search turns up over a thousand hits. If sharing this information on Twitter, criminals can know exactly what is in your home.

6. Password Protect : The experts at Twitip have many useful hints to Twitter safely. In this short guide, they advise on how often your password should be changed, what it should be, and who should have it.

7. It’s Tool Time : The Last Watchdog has some recommendations on tools to help you Twitter safely. Recommendations are given on free, paid, and anti-virus tools. They also link to them for extra convenience.

8. Use For Prevention : If there is a crime prevention or law enforcement Twitter stream in your area, join it. You can get all sorts of updates on crime in your area, as well as report incidents of your own. If no such tweet exists, get together with a few neighbors and create one.

9. Use After The Fact : Have you been the victim of a crime? Tweet about it. That’s just what this mom did when her son’s bike was stolen. Using online social networking, she mobilized the neighborhood and her son had his bike back in no time.

10. Watch for the Facebook Sync : Because Twitter can sync with Facebook and other social networking sites, common sense rules apply there as well. Making sure your Facebook page is private as long as doing the rest of the above is also important. This guide shows you how to sync Twitter with Facebook. Once done, visit your FB page to make sure it was done correctly.

Common Ways Twitter Can Hurt You

Below are some common, and even uncommon, ways criminals can get to you using a Twitter account.

11. Malware : It’s not just for emails anymore. Cyber criminals can send malware and other harmful materials via links as Twitter messages. This article from CNN has more, including the cost of cyber crimes and its rise.

12. For Tweeting Crimes : Believe it or not, people are stupid enough to tweet when they are about to commit a crime. This man in Rhode Island tweeted on his plans to drink and drive. Just a short time later, he tweeted his arrest.

13. Work From Home : Not just a pop up ad anymore, this kind of scam has found its way onto Twitter. These scams can end up costing you dozens of hours and thousands of dollars. This link highlights the top ten work from home scams.

14. Get A Job : Although there have been reports of finding work on Twitter, it is a common sense rule to proceed cautiously. Avoid any potential employer that has an application fee, requires sensitive information, and the like. Reputable employers will never ask for an up front payment of any kind.

15. Scam For Sale : If using Twitter to sell your vehicle or other items, beware. Scammers can use this information to trick you out of money or the item itself. Phony checks or money orders are sent in exchange for the items and by the time you figure out they are fake, it’s too late. Confirm payment by calling the bank or money wiring service. A good common sense rule to Twitter a purchase safely is if the offer is too good to be true, it’s a scam.

16. Follow This : Because scammers can only follow and be followed at a certain rate, scams can also come in this form. If you choose to follow someone back and they drop you, it is a clear sign of a scam. Read this article from Roughly Famous for more.

17. Twitter Cash : Going by a variety of names, this Twitter scam claims to have you earning thousands of dollars with little to no effort. Simply purchase a kit for $1.95 to begin. However, a quick read of the fine print shows that you are actually signing up for a service that will be you approximately $50 a month. In addition, your credit card information is required.

18. New and Improved : Because Twitter changes on a daily basis, so do the scams. Visit a site like Email Scammers to get the latest information on all sorts of Twitter, email, and beyond scams. You can look up something to see if it is a scam, or report something of your own.

19. Gone Phishing : These scams are intended to get a Twitter user’s name, password, and other sensitive information. It usually involves clicking on a suspicious link that can even be from a friend who was also scammed. See the below for what is actually done once they have this information.

20. Money Wire Scam : Once an account has been compromised, the new user can send out distress messages. Anyone who responds can be tricked into wiring money to what they think is a friend or family member. MSNBC reports on a woman in Missouri who was a victim of this sort of scam to the tune of $4,000. If you receive a distress message, get confirmation by phone before taking any action.

Because 140 characters can now do tons of damage, it is best not to stop at these 20 common sense rules to Twitter safely. If something or someone looks suspicious, stay away. Other forms of communication such as phone or face-to-face are better ways of passing along sensitive information. If you have been or think you may be a victim of cyber crime, contact the authorities immediately.

Parents understandably want what is best for their kids, and that includes keeping them safe from the possibility of abduction or harm at the hands of an unfamiliar adult. But discussing how to handle strangers always carries with it quite a bit of sensitivity and risk. In wanting to do right by their children, some parents may resort to scare tactics which may possibly result in negative repercussions when a major problem arises. The following articles provide intelligent, logical, and well-informed advice on talking to children about how to properly and prudently deal with situations where they may encounter strangers.

1. Teach Your Kids How to Talk to Strangers by Gavin de Becker

Security expert Gavin de Becker, the brain behind the MOSAIC Threat Assessment System used by the Supreme Court, Congress, and the CIA and author of Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane, offers up professional advice on properly educating kids about dealing with strangers. Skirting around the hyperbole that usually accompanies discussions regarding unknown adults, he states outright that children need to be taught how to properly approach and talk to them in the event of an emergency.

de Becker begins by suggesting parents progressively acclimatize their children to approaching strangers, starting with simply asking for the time and then graduating up to venturing into stores alone to purchase candy or gum. He promotes open and extensive communication between parents and children, offering helpful suggestions on how both parties can handle any common issues such as getting lost that often crop up. Almost everything he discusses involves basic common sense and a cool head, though a few of them are a little unexpected, but not unwarranted. As he points out, women are statistically less likely to be sexual predators or abduct a child. Therefore, he advises parents to instruct their children to seek out females in the event of a precarious situation.

2. Stranger Danger – Street Proofing Kids by The Parent Report

Stranger Danger – Street Proofing Kids is actually a companion article to The Parent Report radio show, hosted by Joanne Wilson. The accompanying audio is currently not available online at the time of this writing, though it may become archived later. However, this does not diminish the valuable advice offered in the written portion in any way. Like de Becker, The Parent Report does not support the old tactic of teaching children to mistrust all strangers. Such perspectives may very well prove problematic in the event of an emergency, where a kid may refuse any sort of altruistic intention out of fear.

Instead, The Parent Report suggests many procedures stemming from common sense rather than paranoia. Parents must nurture discretion in their children, never fear. They need to teach them how to properly handle being approached by unfamiliar adults, and that danger does not always come in the stereotypical physical guise of an addled lunatic. On the other end of the coin, however, they also need to be guided in the proper protocol for an emergency situation where a stranger may have to intervene. The article suggests role-playing different scenarios to help kids practice what to do in any situation imaginable. In the end, though, one of the quoted experts states that it all boils down to telling children to follow their finely-tuned instincts if they hope to stay out of trouble.

3. Teaching Kids about Strangers: Preventing Child Abduction by Jenny Evans

Educator and freelance writer Jenny Evans opens her informative article with a dismissal of the clichéd credos of “stranger danger!” and “don’t talk to strangers!” Recent studies and movements within child care and child rearing have proven these scare tactics largely ineffectual and more nurturing of paranoia (and xenophobia in some cases than prudence, and like many writers on the subject of safety Evans tosses out traditional viewpoints in favor of common sense.

The article addresses differences between “strangers” and “safe adults,” and suggest that parents point out who children ought to seek out in the event they become lost. She advises concerned parents to make a list of adults - such as grandparents, close relatives, and trusted family friends - that their kids know will prove safe and reliable. Beyond that, they need to instruct children on how to properly identify security guards, law enforcement officers, and employees of particular establishments in the event of a separation. Doing so will train them in practicing discretion in case an emergency descends, which may not necessarily always be the case when exposed to a constant barrage of demonizing strangers. Evans very helpfully includes links to articles regarding common tactics used by child predators to lure in their prey and self defense tips for use in dire situations.

4. How to Talk to Your Children about Talking to Strangers by Nancy Samalin

Nancy Samalin approaches the subject of strangers and educating children in practicing discretion with the same level-headedness displayed by most contemporary writers on the subject. In the spirit of practicality and safety, she outlines a number of very handy guidelines for parents to consider when discussing how kids ought to deal with unfamiliar adults. The very basics include telling them when it is and is not appropriate to approach a stranger without a parent present. From there, parents need to “avoid preaching” – a useful, but often overlooked, tip that keeps the intended audience’s attention and helps foster trust, understanding, and open communication – and present various questions to ensure their children comprehend all the facets of keeping themselves safe.

In addition, she also draws up multiple role-playing activities for parents and kids to practice together. These help young children formulate their own questions about safety issues, and their caretakers need to encourage them to keep asking and offering opinions to make sure they receive the most thorough education possible. However, the most valuable aspect of the article revolves around showing kids how to differentiate between self-preservation and being polite. Some may not understand that it is okay to disobey adults when simultaneously brought up to respect their wishes. It takes comprehensive, open communication and plenty of discussion to help nurture knowledge on when it is permissible to say no without going against lessons in courtesy. Harried parents hoping to infuse this facet of child safety into their teachings will particularly appreciate Samalin’s suggestions.

5. Stranger Danger: Teaching Your Children the Danger of Strangers by Carma Haley

Carma Haley’s article spans 4 pages in total, covering a wide variety of concerns regarding child safety when it comes to strangers. She showcases Diana Jones of the Run Yell Tell program, which concerns itself with educating kids on protecting themselves from harm as effectively and intelligently as possible. The article offers up much of the usual advice, though Haley juxtaposes the expert opinions and statistics with the personal experiences of two mothers.

One mom relays the horrors experienced when her child wandered away and ended up terrorized by a boy around her same age. She ended up safe, fortunately, but such stories illustrate the importance of helping kids learn how to keep their self-preservation in mind at all times and not inherently trust every individual they come across. In the related situation, even a peer can pose as much of a threat as an adult – here, a young man encouraged a girl to hide in some bushes outside her apartment complex before clamping a hand over her mouth and preventing her from screaming. Parents may use this as a spring board for teaching their children how to properly handle these types of real-life situations.

6. The Problem with Teaching Kids about Stranger Danger by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

Newsweek journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman present the research behind how the use of scare tactics reflect anxieties and actively work against showing children the best way to react to trying situations which may involve unfamiliar adults. This puts an academic face to many of the conjectures expressed in other articles, showing the scientific methods behind the hows and whys of extremist perspectives and the ways in which they may damage a kid’s sense of self-preservation.

In the end, the best solution is for parents and children alike to find the most comfortable “middle ground” possible. As the article itself is rather brief – more a resource on the data collected by universities than a practicum – there are no explicit suggestions for how to seek out the balance. However, this writing works as an excellent supplement and springboard for learning about and understanding the sociological and psychological implications of going to extremes when it comes to discussing strangers with kids.

7. Strangers by Debbie Haren

Though intended as a curriculum for teachers to introduce toddlers and kindergarten-age children to the concepts of safety and dealing with strangers, parents may find preschool teacher Debbie Haren’s lessons and outline a valuable resource for home use as well. She includes engaging activities as well as a number of important talking points that illustrate and underscore all the main points necessary to teach a child how to protect him- or herself in the event of a possible abduction.

In total, the lesson plan includes 5 steps, all of which may be very easily adapted for incorporation into the home. They reinforce ideas such as the buddy system, passwords, and advice on what situations children must avoid at all times. However, as it targets those between the ages of 3 and 6, some of the differentiations between seeking out safe adults such as law enforcement officers during an emergency are lacking. Parents hoping to help their kids practice discretion between strangers and safe adults in the event of separation or other issue must consult other articles for information on how to best broach the subject.

8. Guarding Against International Parent Child Abduction by U.S. Department of State

In homes where the safety of children have become compromised by the actions and behaviors of one or both parents, this article serves as a resource for concerned relatives or friends who hope to prevent an international abduction. These do not necessarily always involve parents of foreign origins, either – any with a history of erratic or high-risk behaviors could attempt to smuggle a child outside the country. The United States Department of State has a highly informative article on keeping kids safe from potentially dangerous parents.

Beyond that, however, the government also offers advice on preventing kidnapping from external sources as well. Concerned parents would do well to scan all of the comprehensive tips and advice available on issues such as kidnapping, exploitation, child support, and others. It does nothing but help to understand all the procedurals and protocols associated with abduction in the highly unfortunate event of an emergency situation.

9. Child Abduction Prevention by 2-1-1

2-1-1 Infoline is Connecticut’s non-emergency counseling hotline, which specializes in addiction, domestic abuse, suicide prevention, financial difficulties, and more. United Way also involves itself with the program as well. On their official website, they list statistics regarding child abduction and safety advice for parents and kids alike. As with the United States Department of State, they also touch upon the possibility of international incidents as well. Be sure to peruse the virtual library and two databases for further information.

Along with the suggested guidelines, 2-1-1 provides links to numerous other online resources regarding child safety. They offer other hotlines and websites and a search service to help parents find an identification program that suits the needs of them and their kids. Anyone concerned with the health and well-being of the younger set needs to become familiar with all of the suggestions available on this site and the ones the writers recommend, regardless of whether or not they live in Connecticut. Everything they have to say remains universally valuable.

10. Resources for Parents and Guardians by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Technically a series of articles instead of just one, everything provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is an integral source of information for concerned parents. Here, they can learn everything about keeping their kids safe, teaching them the self-preservation skills that will last a lifetime. Not only do they provide a highly essential cache of essays and instructions, but workshops, emergency listings, workshops, Q&As, a missing children’s channel, news stories, tip lines, AMBER Alerts, and many other necessities. All of the resources offered contribute something to understanding the nature of child safety and guiding young ones towards making the right decisions when it comes to interacting with unknown adults.

With these articles and related links to other information, parents wringing their hands over how to best broach the subject of relating to strangers with children are able to learn about different tactics and concepts to consider. Such a serious, dire topic deserves well-informed, comprehensive discussions in order to ensure the highest possible level of safety for kids – parents can breathe a little bit easier knowing that there are plenty of experts out there willing to help them make the right decisions.

Looking for a good read? Then don’t bother asking friends what they’ve read lately or head to the nearest book store in hopes of stumbling upon something good. Instead, try checking out these 50 best literature blogs.

They can help you with choosing a new release, classic, specific topic, or just a good, all around read. In fact, many of them are as fun to read as the items they recommend.

Best General Literature Blogs

Written by lovers of literature, these blogs cover all aspects of the topic.

1. Blog of a Book Slut : The online magazine columns on this blog are worth the visit alone. They include interviews with various leaders in literature and other essays. The blog is also full of news and opinions on the world of books.

2. Edwards Champion’s Reluctant Habits : Ed is a writer whose work has appeared in “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” “The Los Angeles Times,” and many others. The blog is full of thoughts and review on literature, as well as daily life. He also hosts a show in which he interviews various writers.

3. DoveGreyReader Scribbles : Follow a Devonshire based bookaholic who is also a community nurse in her spare time. In addition to blog posts, there are also Q and A sessions with many writers. You can also take a look at her current reading list.

4. Baroque in Hackney : Ms. Baroque is a poet, critic, copywriter, and editor. A long time blogger, she is well reviewed by her peers. Top posts include inauguration day myth at work and Banksy and Zorro.

5. Chekhov’s Mistress : Bud devoted the site with few exceptions to discussing literature. Recent entries are on “Love in Infant Monkeys” and a press conference with Tom Waits. He also links to sites and topics of literature interst.

6. Literary Kicks : Levi Asher was bored by his tech job on Wall Street and as he pretended to work on PowerPoint presentations, he actually began this blog. Since then, LitKicks has become a popular online destination, gaining wide usage on college campuses around the world. There are a vast selection of literature categories on the site from American to Victorian.

7. Maud Newton : Maud lives in New York, where she works as a writer and editor. She started blogging in 2002 with the aim of meeting others who were passionate about books, culture, and politics. In addition to blog posts, she also has “remainders,” where she posts snippets on literary topics of interest.

8. The Elegant Variation : Mark Sarvas lives in Los Angeles, where he has been a newspaper editor, travel agent, and bass player. The blog is named after Fowler’s term for the inept writer’s overstrained efforts at freshness of expression. Posts are on the latest developments in the literary world, as well as recommendations.

Best Literature Columns

These literature blogs are sometimes featured as columns on popular national and international publications.

9. Paper Cuts : This is a blog about books and other forms of printed matter, written by the editors of the Book Review at “The New York Times.” Look here for book news and opinion, interviews with writers, regular raids on the archives, and other special features. They also have a weekly book review and searchable archive.

10. Jacket Copy : Get a blog on literature, authors, and all things bookish from “The L.A. Times.” Categories include everything from academia to writing. A recent entry took a look at the PEN awards.

11. Books Blog : Check out this book blog for a literature viewpoint from the United Kingdom. Hosted by “The Guardian,” a number of editors blog about literature and books. Topics include awards, fiction, biography, and even poem of the week.

12. The Book Room : Teresa Budasi is the Books Editor for the “Chicago Sun-Times.” She recently reviewed Sarah Palin’s new book. If you want to comment on her review, she is one of the few bloggers who includes her phone number and email on the site.

13. Short Stack : Book editors from “The Washington Post” weigh in daily on breaking news, book gossip, history, and publishing trends. Choose from categories such as fiction, politics, poetry, and more. Howard Bloom was a recent guest blogger.

14. Arts & Letters Daily : This blog is a service of “The Chronicle of Higher Education.” Blog posts concern articles of note. However, it also offers reviews of new books, as well as essays and opinion.

15. Readerville : Karen launched this blog as a space for readers, writers, librarians, publishers, critics, and anyone else who loves books to have thoughtful and engaging discussions. There are also forums and events for all readers of the blog. Although the blog has ceased new entries, there are still many useful resources.

Best Literature Blogs by a Group

The below literature blogs were written by two or more people.

16. GalleyCat : Three editors contribute on everything lit related. They even have popular posts such as a chat with Heather Thomas and the return of Jack O’Connell.

17. Three Quarks Daily : In addition to literature, the blog also brings topics related to science, current affairs, art, and more. The name of the blog was taken from James Joyce, who used it in “Finnegans Wake.” You can click on Literature to get entries solely on that topic or others such as gossip and philosophy.

18. Emerging Writers Network : The EWN was created to develop a community of emerging writers, established writers deserving of wider recognition, and readers of literary writing. Many recent entries were on holiday shopping guides for those who love literature. There are also book reviews, as well as recommendations.

19. The Millions : These bloggers believe that the internet can actually help literature coverage. Blog posts are on various aspects of literature from the newest to the classics. Recent entries are on a year in reading for 2009.

20. La Bloga : A community of Chicano bloggers write about literature for them. They also blog about children’s lit, news, views, and reviews. A recent entry was on Robert Bolano.

Best Literature Blogs by a Publication

Magazines that focus on literature also keep blogs on their findings.

21. The Literary Review : Get a blog with opinionated commentary on literary matters from the “Complete Review.” Their site has over 2,000 books under review with over 50 review-overviews. Blog entries often reprint findings of the site.

22. ReadySteadyBook : This blog works with The Book Depository in the United Kingdom. In addition to regular blog posts, there are numerous articles and book reviews. You can also get poetry and a word of the day from the site.

23. James Wolcott’s Blog : James is a “Vanity Fair” contributing book editor. Most popular posts include Bethany McLean, Erik Prince, and Stephanie Seymour. You can also get a list of books he has published, as well as notable books.

24. Bookninja : This Canadian publication presents original articles and reviews as well has humor and general interest pieces. There are even comics for the literature lover available online. The latest entry gave suggestions on ten books for non-readers.

25. Words Without Borders Blog : This publication is meant for writers across the world. It publishes selected prose and poetry both on the web and in print. In addition to blog posts, you can also stop by a forum.

26. The Book Bench : Get notes on books, publishing, and the literary life from the editors at “The New Yorker.” Categories include 1,000 words, eating our words, and many others. There are also similar blogs for other areas of cultural interest.

27. L.A. Black Book Expo News : This is the blog of an event by the same name. Visit here for date updates and other information relative to black literature. They also have information on other literature news in California.

28. Between the Covers : Connie Ogle reviews books for “The Miami Herald.” Categories include audiobooks, fiction, nonfiction, and more. Recent posts are on the top ten books of “The New York Times” and Florida based publishers.

29. Books in the Bay Area : This column is part of “The San Francisco Chronicle.” There are many sections to choose from such as Fresh Ink and Grabbers. You can also choose Top Shelf for the best in reviews and more on the site.

Best Literature Blogs on a Specific Subject

If your literary interests lie in one particular genre, take a look at these blogs.

30. FictionBitch : Elizabeth gives tart thoughts on the nature of fiction, with the occasional sweet. She is also a writer of prose fiction and plays. In typical fashion, a recent entry was entitled “Books Are Evil.”

31. Pepys’ Diary : The blog is a presentation of the diaries of Samuel Pepys, the renowned 17th century diarist who lived in London, England. A new entry written by Pepys is published each day over the course of several years. The first entry was originally written in January of 1660, with the most current in December of 1666.

32. The Blog of Henry David Thoreau : Greg maintains this blog and is an author of a book of the same name. Blog entries are excerpts from Thoreau’s own works.

33. ESSL Children’s Literature Blog : If you need a blog dedicated to literature for kids and teens, stop here. It is run by the Education and Social Science Library at the University of Illinois. Recent entries are on disabilities in books for youth and multicultural families.

34. I (Heart) Presents : This blog is dedicated to Harlequin Presents, or romance literature. The blog is on authors, editors, and readers of the books. There are tons of authors and reviews to choose from on the blog.

35. The Molten Notebook : Stop here for a literature blog on mostly Asian classics. You can choose by country such as India, China, Japan, and others. There are also options for movies, visual arts, and performance.

36. The Beiderbecke Affair : This is a blog that concerns itself with things literary while also indulging in jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke and Korean culture. There hasn’t been a new post in a while, but it is a useful stop if either topic interests you. It also contains recommendations on how to begin appreciating both.

Best Community Literature Blogs

These blogs are written by or for the literature community.

37. PEN American Center : Throughout its 85-year history, the PEN American Center has been host to such writers as Arthur Miller, Norman Mailer, Susan Sontag, and Salman Rushdie. In recent times, they have allowed members to write and share blogs on the site. Stop by to read the blogs of dozens of members from A to Z.

38. Library Thing
A community of 900,000 book lovers come here to blog. You can enter what you are reading or have read to instantly connect with others who have similar interests. They also have a blog that highlights the best of the community and literature.

39. WeRead : Similar to the above, this is another community for book lovers. Join for free to get recommendations and create your own personal profile page. You can also take the Never Ending Book Quiz and keep an online record of your own personal library.

40. The Literature Network : Use this site to read the essays and thoughts of others on literature or add you own. You can read the posts or search for writings on a specific author. There are also forums with even more.

41. The Book Club : Join other fans at “The New Yorker” to participate in this literature loving book club. Join in to begin reading the editor’s pick or take a look at some of their past reviews. They are currently reading “The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis.”

42. Spark Notes : This community is ideal for college students of literature. You can visit for study guides, help, and more. The top two Spark Notes are on “To Kill A Mockingbird” and “The Scarlet Letter.”

43. Today in Literature : This site covers a different figure of literature each day. You can read the most recent, or view the author index. You can also subscribe to their daily newsletter.

Best Expert Literature Blogs

These literature blogs are written by published figures in the world of books and beyond.

44. Neil Gaiman’s Journal : He has had impressive success in the world of both print and screen. His stories such as “Coraline” and “Stardust” where made into major motion pictures. The blog contains mostly what he is up to, but he also takes the time to answer reader’s questions.

45. Laila Lalami : This Moroccan writer studied at various universities across the globe. She has also published several books including “Secret Son” and “Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits.” Blog posts are on literature and anything else that interests her.

46. Lizzie Skurnick : She is the columnist for Jezebel.com’s Fine Lines and the author of ten teen books in the “Sweet Valley High” and other series. She also has a popular blog by the name of “Old Hag.” This one is more regularly updated and is often on topics of interest.

47. Nathan Bransford : He is a literary agent with many notable clients. He is also the author of “Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow.” A recent post was on the future of the print versus electronic book trends.

48. No Rules. Just Write : Inspirational author Brenda Coulter writes this blog for lovers of literature, writers, and fans. Blog posts are on what she is up to, along with items that interest her. There are also useful links on the blog.

49. Omnivoracious : The experts at Amazon blog specifically about books. There are regular entries on all sorts of new releases here. They also have specific recommendations.

50. Conversations with Writers : Haven’t found the author you hoped for? Then check out this blog full of interviews with writers, publishers, and literary activists. Recent entries are conversations with Maureen Myant and Dylan J. Morgan.

Whether written by a lover of literature or published author, there are tons of content to keep you busy in the above 50 best literature blogs. They can have you reading, writing, studying, and even meeting others with a similar love of books.