Now that we have Halloween out of the way, everyone seems to be turning their attention to the Christmas holiday season. Then again, some of us don’t want think about garlands, mistletoe, and fat guys in red suits just yet. In keeping with that, here are a smattering of posts from around the blogosphere.

Derek Semmler is a firm believer that pictures are worth a thousand words. How many words, then, are several pictures worth? Derek takes a look at the big picture by providing us with news stories via photographs. The first one seems obvious enough, but can you figure out the stories of the other snapshots?

Miss604 is joining the craze. This month is not called November. It’s Movember. I don’t foresee Rebecca trying to grow a mustache of her own, but she’s fully supporting the cause for promoting men’s health. We’re growing some blue facial fur too.

Joel Falconer sees some people working too hard and others not working enough. How much time should you be working each day? The standard seems to be the eight-hour workday, 40-hour workweek, but is that really the healthiest and most productive compromise?

RT Cunningham takes a look back at the US presidential election, reminding us that President Barack Obama is not black. He has a mixed cultural heritage and it is a bit of a misnomer to say that he is the first African-American president. At the same time, Obama’s victory is a major stride for visible minorities.

Free Money Finance has an interesting concept for you to consider. Many people make charitable donations each and every year and most of these people enjoy the tax benefits of these charitable donations. At the same time, there is something to be said about not writing off your charitable contributions on your taxes. In particular, some people say that charity should result in a “heavenly” reward and not an “earthly” one.