Lots of great, new posts to check out from across the Blogads network! Take a look:

The Toast depicts what happens when “You’ve Pulled Yourself Up Too High By Your Own Bootstraps:”

Thank goodness this imaginary issue has finally been addressed!

Trailer Addict shares the latest must-see movie trailers:

The holidays are great, but a highlight of this time of year is how concentrated it is with most of the year’s best movies. My December is all booked up now.

Literary Kicks pays respects to author Barbra Park of the Junie B. Jones books:

Great excerpts in this post. Junie sounds like a pretty funny kid.

Your Life After 25 covers Fantasy Football:

I don’t really get Fantasy Football, but I can respect that other people do. Go team!

Hullabaloo highlights Andrew McAfee’s Ted Talk:

McAfee addresses the effects of joblessness in the future.

Photo via Flickr user Sew Technicolor

From Fall-themed jargon to presidential hopefuls, catch up on a range of posts from around the Blogads network:

Reductress issues a list of all of the must-know slang this season:

I am adopting these terms ASAP.  Now, everyone give me some “pumpkin space.”

The Comics Curmudgeon explores Facial Expression Theater:

I don’t really get that Funky Winkerbean comic. I mean, I get it, but I don’t really get why this conversation should be worthy of illustration, right?

Jim Romenesko issues his own “Throwback Thursday” of sorts:

Ah, good old ’95.

Bell of the Lost Souls explores the complexity of learning Warhammer:

Don’t mind me; I’ll just be over here with my CandyLand.

Powerline highlights Chris Christie:

Christie was re-elected the governor of NJ this week, and speculation is mounting that he’ll run in 2016’s presidential election.

Photo via Flickr user michelle.schrank

A lot has been learned this week:

Lesson 1: You shouldn’t put soap in your dishwasher when you run out of dishwasher detergent unless you’d like a bubble bath in your kitchen.

Lesson 2: The humidity from a kitchen bubble bath will turn your carved pumpkins into pumpkin soup. Science.

The pumpkins pictured above may have only lasted three days before completely decomposing, but not all is lost as the following Halloween posts from around the Blogads network are sure to ring in the holiday spirit:

Tom and Lorenzo showcase Lady Gaga’s outfit in London:

Every day is Halloween in the life of Gaga.

WSWCM compares Halloween in college vs. Halloween now:

November 1st should be a national holiday to have off from work/school by now, right?

IMBOYCRAZY issues part 119 of “The Blind Leading the Blind:”

Shout out to Miley for being a top costume choice contender this Halloween. BTW, her real name is Destiny. I’m not sure that’s relevant, but I thought you should know.

Cute Overload celebrates Halloween with animals in costume:

Sir Lucifer Fluffypants wins my vote for best name/face/life.

Betches Love This provides a guide for determining the whether or not your costume choice is racist:

I guess I have to rethink my Quailman costume…

Photo credit: Katie Brauer

In the wake of recent hackings at the Washington Post, Time, CNN and others, we wanted to share some very simple, yet critical, security measures with the Blogads community.

To recap, CNN Money reported that hackers attacked Outbrain, a service that the news outlets use to recommend links to readers. The affected links re-directed people to the Syrian Electronic Army website. A secondary hack at the Washington Post occurred through a sophisticated Phishing attack.

What is phishing?

Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

How can I avoid taking the bait?

1. Guard against spam
2. Communicate personal info only via phone or secure sites
3. Don’t click, download or open files from unknown senders
4. Never email personal or financial information
5. Beware of links that ask for personal info
6. Beware of pop-ups
7. Protect your computer with a firewall, spam filter, anti-virus and anti-spyware software
8. Check your online accounts regularly

For additional phishing prevention, read on!

Recognizing a phishing scam is just one fight, not the entire online war.  Follow these simple exposure recommendations and you will be on your way to a safer online experience:

• Increase Password Strength. 15% of consumers use their first name in the password.  Don’t add to that problem, learn how to be password secure.
• Notice Secure Sites.  A website starting with “Https” rather than “Http” means that there is an internet security protocol installed on that site, and any information you enter will be transmitted through encrypted code.
• Beware of Public Networks. Use proper firewalls when browsing on open Wi-Fi, and never visit sites that you wouldn’t want others to see, such as online shopping or banking sites.

For all WordPress users, here are a few additional steps to keep your blog safe:

• Delete the “Admin” Username… Create a new one
• Use a Strong User Password
• Update to the Latest WordPress Version
• Back Up Your Blog Database
• Limit Login Attempts With a Plugin

WordPress users can take a deeper dive into the tips here!

Got questions or comments? Email us for more safety tips!

This week, Gala Darling reported on Mercury Retrograde, which is when Mercury appears like it’s moving backwards, and the planetary shifting has interesting if not chaotic affects on us. Make sure to read up on Gala Darling’s survival guide for this, and judge for yourselves if you see a link between Mercury Retrograde and the following posts from around the Blogads network:

Betches Love This recap Pretty Little Liars’ Halloween episode:

I’m glad to see that PLL is still the most hard to follow show in America. PLL for the win.

DogShaming introduces Darwin, the dog that barks at old ladies:

Agism is real, you guys.

Dlisted covers breaking news on Miranda Kerr’s and Orlando Bloom’s split:

That much pretty in one relationship can’t be maintained.

WSWCM explores what it’s like “When I Have Plans to Hang Out with my Friend and She Invites a Bunch of People I Don’t Know:”

Such faux pas may be attributed to the clouded thinking that comes with Mercury Retrograde. Luckily, it’ll be over soon on November 10th!

Image from Flickr user edhiker

Who are these bloggers? They’re not trained editors and writers at Vogue magazine. I mean, there are bloggers writing recipes that aren’t tested, that aren’t necessarily very good or are copies of everything that really good editors have created and done. Bloggers create kind of a ‘popularity‘. But they are not the experts and we have to understand that.

Some bloggers are annoyed by Martha’s sneering.

I think Martha’s gotten at least one important think right. She’s right that many bloggers are not ‘trained writers.’ But she’s wrong that many bloggers are not experts. On the contrary, it’s the journalists who are not experts… they’re magpies, hopping from topic to topic as directed by their editors. Meanwhile, many bloggers are experts, writing daily about the same topic, a topic they’re passionate about, a topic they actuallyspecialize in for their day jobs. Which makes bloggers’ insights and questions far more important than those pushed out on deadline by the average dilettante journalist, trained or not.

Pumpkin spice and love are in the air, so grab your main boo and check out these relationship posts from around the Blogads network:

IMBOYCRAZY’s Alexia provides tips for your first date.

“Your goal is to not get murdered.”

My Friends Are Married illustrates what it’s like “When my married friend tells me she doesn’t understand why I’m single:”

Apathy is a girl’s best friend.

Apocalypstick advises on when her reader should dump her boyfriend:

Yikes…the reader moved to Australia for the guy. Timing is a hoot.

LadyGunn highlights the poem “It Lasted an Hour:”

Rather than comment on the poetry, let me comment on the poet, Greta Bellamacina. I like your hat, Greta.

Dear Wendy comments on how texting is affecting relationships:

But my questions is, what about Snap Chat?

Image from Flickr usermichaelnpatterson

It’s been a busy week (or maybe I’m projecting?), so to help you get caught up on the major breaking news you missed this week, here are some quick hits from around the Blogads Network:

Gala Darling brings back Small Business Advertising:

Kind of tough to turn down an ad on GalaDarling.com for just $3/day, so hop to it.

American Horror Story is back, and so is Tom and Lorenzo’s coverage:

In my next life, I’m coming back as Jessica Lange.

Betches Love This highlight Kanye West’s appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show:

Whenever you start shame spiraling over something cringey you’ve said/done, just watch those clips, and be reminded that no one is ever as cringey as Kanye.

Possessionista also takes on the return to American Horror Story:

Teenage witches are so chic.

What Should We Call Me illustrates what it’s like “When No One Gets the Movie I’m Quoting:”

This is my all day/every day. “Pea souuuuup!”….(reference to Rescuers Down Under, obviously, right?)

Image from Flickr user GYLo

“Here’s what Barack Obama should be saying to the Republican members of Congress who want to ‘negotiate.’

You want to negotiate? Sure, let’s negotiate. Here’s what our side wants.

First, give us the $10.10 minimum wage.

Next, give us immigration reform.

And give us food stamps.

Give us our judicial nominees.

Give us campaign finance reform.

Give us single payer health insurance.

Give us Glass Steagall.

And acknowledge climate change.

Finally, shimmy to the top of the Washington monument and shout three times: ‘the Democrats are the majority party, having won the majority of votes in the House, Senate and Presidency in the last election!’

Let’s put all those things on the table, and we’ll be happy to negotiate.”

Amen.

The Graphics Fairy features a DIY Moth Specimen Shadow Box:

No actual dead moths necessary, which I think is a crucial note.

Pinterest Fail highlights an attempt at a Fabric Spray Paint Makeover:

Yikes.

Curbly rounds up 12 Stylish DIY Halloween Centerpiece and Decor Ideas:

Maybe you can use Pinterest Fail’s leftover fabric paint to spray paint some pumpkins.

Formula Mom talks about Halloween Decorating with Candy:

Instructions on how not to devour your decorations are not included.

The Pintester shares her adventures in creating Watermark Tees:

Silver lining- you can never have too many pink, ribbed tanks in your wardrobe.