'EMBARRASSING IDEOLOGUE'

Richard Buery and Nitzan Pelman, 06/20/12

Just weeks after President Obama awarded New York State a reform-friendly waiver to onerous federal "No Child Left Behind" education rules, for-profit education firms are threatening to strangle the new reforms.

Jennifer Rockford, 06/20/12

Development Director, Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons

What allows one animal to cope better and socialize faster than others who have experienced the same circumstances, I do not know. I do know that with constant love, reassurance, safety, and security, the majority of animals are able to blossom into the selves they were meant to be.

J. Michael Welton, 06/20/12

Editor and Publisher, ArchitectsAndArtisans.com

The assignment was nothing if not formidable: Create a new restaurant inside Frank Lloyd Wright's crowning achievement on Fifth Avenue in New York.

Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, 06/20/12

The decision to make Call Me Kuchu, our documentary film about the last year in the life of Ugandan gay-rights activist David Kato, came about as a result of two rather antithetical events.

Rozanne Gold, 06/20/12

Chef and author

Chile has emerged as the promised land for premium extra-virgin olive oil, the kind of unconventional gift that leaves a lasting impression on your palate and finesse on your dinner table.

Charles A. Birnbaum, 06/19/12

President, The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The High Line proves that a site-specific, adaptive reuse approach is a viable holistic alternative that embraces both change and continuity -- and it's not an isolated success story.

Howard Jordan Jr., 06/20/12

Author, "101 Reasons To Leave New York"

When you're out, about, and fully engaged in your New York City hustle, there's one particular experience capable of granting you a little space all your own to catch your breath and use exactly as you see fit: Cab rides.

Jill Knapp, 06/20/12

Adjunct Professor in Psychology

The year I moved to Manhattan, Gossip Girl premiered. I was infatuated with the show's fabricated lifestyle. It took only about three months for my illusions to get shattered.

Viator, 06/20/12

Tours and activities around the world

There are two ways of coping with New York: The first is to throw yourself right on in there; the second is to go for a slightly different perspective.

Jed Kolko, 06/19/12

Chief Economist, Trulia

In honor of Gay Pride month, we wanted to find the gayest neighborhoods across America. No surprise that San Francisco's Castro neighborhood is at the top of the list.

Len Berman, 06/20/12

Emmy Award winning sportscaster and New York Times Bestselling Author

So what will you remember from last night's Heat/Thunder game, Russell Westbrook torching the Heat for 43 points or committing a dumb foul with :14 left?

Bess Rowen, 06/20/12

Ph.D Student, Department of Theatre, CUNY, the Graduate Center

The twist ending can sometimes be spotted within the first twenty minutes of the first act, which is why it is so rare to have such a fantastically different piece of theater to sink your teeth into.

Chris Powell, 06/20/12

Trainer/Transformation Specialist on ABC’s 'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition'

Make a plan and stick to it. Instead of filling up on carbs and empty calories you can enjoy what the season really has to offer. Here are a few suggestions to tantalize your taste buds without jeopardizing your health.

Marianne Mollmann, 06/19/12

Senior Policy Advisor, Amnesty International

Obesity, like being caught in the criminal justice system, is a condition disproportionately suffered by the poor and the relatively powerless. And it is self-perpetuating. Extra padding, much like a criminal record, is easier to acquire than to shed.

Richey Piiparinen, 06/19/12

Writer, Co-editor, 'Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology'

The Rust Belt landscape shoves you. If a suburb in Florida serves to take the edge off, Cleveland cuts you into corners. And depending on your poison, this can be a good thing, especially if you are an artist.

Bob Cowser, 06/19/12

English Professor, St. Lawrence University

He ends it quickly, with a single strum. Thwank. Then my feet are back on the ground, the woodchips of that wooded trail. Hell of a way to get your history, folk music. How's he do that?

Nicolaus Mills, 06/19/12

Professor of American Studies, Sarah Lawrence College

If, like me, you were in the middle of last Sunday's New York City silent protest march against the police department's stop-and-frisk policies, then you know the march wasn't quite silent.