Now that Halloween, the trickiest of all holidays, has become oh-so predictable, venture to ghoulish places that spark a scare this season. Below is a sampling of resorts and destinations offering an array of fright and fun this Halloween:   SCARY STREET - Tours of historic Benefit Street in Providence (pictured) will search for the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe this Halloween season, rumored to still roam the area. CNS Photo. Providence, R.I: The hauntingly historic city ... [full story]

"That's the thing," says director Judd Apatow, trying to explain the appeal of his movies, in particular "Knocked Up" (Universal, 4 stars). "It can go emotional, make you feel something, maybe even have tears - and get in a joke about doing crack. In literally the same line. "If you can do that, you're in good shape."   'KNOCKED UP' - Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen are soon-to-be parents shopping for baby gear in the touching ... [full story]

Q: We don't get much stay-over company. So I'm thinking we should do something with the guest room, like maybe turn it into an office. Would it make sense to take off the sliding closet doors and use that space for file cabinets and shelves? A: Not only would it make sense, it could be downright inspired. If you don't need the hanging room, a double closet is too valuable to keep behind   HOME OFFICE ... [full story]

Q: After my husband of 27 years died, I moved to a retirement community. My husband was ill for several years, and I loved and took care of him. Now, I am facing my own mortality because my health is failing. Two of my widowed friends spend most of their time talking and flirting with the available men in our park. I don't join in, and tell them I am no longer interested in a ... [full story]

The last time I drove a Porsche 911 Turbo I was clocked at 176.8 mph. It would have been faster, but I was beating into a head wind. Lucky me, it wasn't the police aiming the radar gun but the U.S. Auto Club on a stretch of Nevada's Black Rock Desert, not far from the annual Burning Man festival. That speed run on the crusty, dry lake-bed surface was the scariest experience in my career ... [full story]

Although it had a relatively short reign as a primary source of artificial light in this country - only about 40 years, until electricity superseded it - the kerosene lamp has come to be seen as a symbol of the Victorian era, and has its own sizable coterie of collectors. In the first half of the 19th century, the most prevalent lamps in this country were glass-chimneyed lamps containing a tubular wick, fueled by whale ... [full story]

I agreed to have a cup of coffee with Larry because he said he was desperate and convinced I could help him. Larry was frustrated in his job search and even though I told him I don't find people jobs, nor do I have special expertise in that field. Nevertheless, he sounded like he really needed help. "I haven't been able to find a job in a year and a half," Larry started out the ... [full story]

Love is in the air. That is in the workplace. Due to longer hours in the office and less time to go out and meet potential dates, professional men and women may seek relationships with co-workers. Although both might have similar interests and see each other on a daily basis, it can be challenging to be co-workers as well as lovers. Office dating isn't highly encouraged by companies, especially if the relationship ends sour. Careerbuilder.com ... [full story]

Fair warning for travelers to the City of Brotherly Love. Don't call Philadelphia the "next New York" just because the saloon and restaurant scene here is suddenly smokin' hot. Locals cringe. In fact, for libation lovers, Philly may even be cooler than Gotham but on a smaller scale. At the Water Works, a onetime utility circa 1812, barmaestro Mariaelena Galie makes her Manhattan by infusing super smooth Knob Creek bourbon with sour cherries for 38 ... [full story]

Debra Ginsberg describes herself as "a very omnivorous reader." And while it's true that she ricochets from fiction to nonfiction, from serious literature to flat-out fluff, her reading is at the same time constrained by her work.   NEW AUTHOR - Author Debra Ginsberg likes to read in the genre she's writing in. She's just finished her second novel, 'The Grift,' a psychological thriller. CNS Photo by Sean DuFrene. Which is, for the most part, writing: Ginsberg ... [full story]