So I've been back on eHarmony for a bit over a month now, and so far, this time around, it's pretty much Total Fail. Which is frustrating. Last time, my eHarmony story was that I met exactly one guy, and it was the Hunky Actor, and we dated for like a year. I also had other guys in the queue - I actually canceled a date after I'd been out with the Hunky Actor twice. The time before that, I went on a handful of OK first dates before I met someone IRL.This time, one month in: Nothin', Nada, Can you Hear The Crickets?

Okay, I have to be honest. I went in depth to research John McCain's environmental policy and was quickly thwarted by his website, which played a commercial over and over again until I wanted to throw my computer against a wall. I was swayed only by the fact that I need to keep the computer intact in order to get a tax credit.

You've seen the SNL election parodies and sketches: Tina Fey as Sarah Palin thanking elementary school students for helping her prepare for her debate with Joe Biden; Jason Sudeikis as Joe Biden saying he'd take a bullet for his good friend John McCain...but McCain is "mentally unstable;" Even the real Joe Biden cracked up at that one.  Then there's the SNL town hall meeting debate where Chris Parnell as Tom Brokaw keeps hilariously cutting off the candidates to save time. 

Fall can be an incredibly inspired time for artists as the season changes, giving way to shorter days, more reflection and if you're lucky, more time to create. Here's a nice sampling of offerings for fall from artists who are focused on the transformations of nature as well as the heart.

A week ago I was in a horrible reading slump and nothing was interesting or holding my attention. Then the postal service got on board and delivered some books that I had ordered from The Book Depository in the UK. One of the books was Ida Cook's republished memoir Safe Passage, originally published as We Followed Our Stars. It drop-kicked me out of my slump. It fascinated me and reminded me that when one puts their mind to something the simplest deeds can yield the biggest results.

In an attempt to assist me with this series of pumpkin posts, TW put a couple of savory pumpkin dishes on the menu for this week. I'm sure they'll be fine but as much as love pumpkin, I don't necessarily love pumpkin as a main dish or even as an appetizer. I think I might have to make an exception for pumpkin samosas. I love samosas and these look really really good.

Photo by Ezster On Saturday, I attended BlogHer Boston.  It was better than eating chocolate!  The networking was fabulous - meeting many new bloggers in the Boston area as well as seeing long-time blogher buddies and of course, Jory, Lisa, and Elisa.  The sessions were fantastic.   BlogHer always inspires me and this one did not fail.  And judging by reading some of the blog posts from other attendees, like Liz Davis and Candelaria Silva, I am not alone.

Want a one-serving fruit pie cup with honey baked right into the crust? Then we must be fellow Pushing Daisies fans -- so I assume you saw the first episode this season, in which Chuck the beekeeper's bees all die due to errant pesticides!

It's not easy to be an American Jewish expat in Austria and if, like me, the gods that determine your fate put you in a small town, an additional layer of complication descends on your life abroad. Understanding Austrian politics is difficult if you happen to share color, religion, or basic values with your neighbors, but if you don't, Austria becomes even more frustrating and inscrutable.

Recently, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson posted a guest blog here, in which she talked about energy policy as it impacts her state, Missouri. Feedback from that post indicated that a lot of BlogHers are looking for more information about the energy policy being advocated by the McCain-Palin ticket.

I loathe Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Don't get me wrong - the idea of promoting breast health is fantastic. I am in a high risk category for breast cancer. When she was 33 years old, my mother noticed pus oozing out of her left nipple. She immediately went to the doctor, and a biopsy indicated that it was breast cancer. With a five year old and an 10 month old at home, my mom was rushed into surgery for a radical mastectomy. This saved her life, and she has been cancer-free for almost thirty years now. I want all women to have the same success rate as my mom, but what October has turned into is a free-for-all profit center for corporations that exploit women's fears and often even sell products that contain cancer causing chemicals.

There's change in the air for the first wave of mommybloggers.  They don't complain about their kids much anymore. In fact, they don't write about their kids as much as they used to.  Have they lost interest?  Lost their edge?  Or are their kids just old enough to read?