@ M314159
We're working on a solution for your first question. The reason we pulled that nav from the old site was due to the fact it was getting to be an eye sore of sorts and not the most elegant manner to handle a search. So, with that being said, we're working on something new that should be cleaner and easier to use.
For question 2, we have a couple options right now.
You can subscribe via RSS that will ping you when a new blog is posted, and/or you can subscribe to a specific thread to be alerted to new comments (you have to be signed in to see this option).
We are working on additional features and widgets for the site, and I'll take these suggestions under advisement. :)