A Bronzer Reunion Party to be held next February.

Bronzer Reunion Party.

Edited to fix link - DX

Howdy, all! That site I occasionally write for, girl-wonder.org, is holding a fundraising auction [link] which is something I'd probably announce anyway, seeing as I'm associated with them and all, but what may be of real interest to y'all is this: [link] the Tim Sale cover line art for the Tales of the Slayer trade.

A new lesson is up at Gothic Charm School! Of Reader Mail Concerning Mourning, the Military, and Teachers

[link] New book review by me of Peter Barnes' Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Reclaiming the Commons. Peter Barnes, the founder and retired CEO of Working Assets explains how he thinks our current system is fundamentally flawed in dealing with global warming, the environment and other commons, and how it can be improved rather than replaced.

It is a good book, and (IMO) well reviewed. [link]

Giving you lots of time to shake your couch for pennies, I wanted to announce that Deborah Grabien will be visiting me in Cleveland, Ohio from around the 13th through about the 16th of December to celebrate the first print release from Drollerie Press, her novel Still Life with Devils.

We have some couch and floor room (first come, etc.) and if necessary I can force the relatives to give up a couch or two, but if enough people want to come hang out for our release party, I'll gladly twist a hotel's metaphorical arm and get a group rate. Scheduled activities so far include an author talk at the local library and a champagne reception at a local art gallery where Deb will be reading and signing, my art will be hanging on the walls, and my son will be playing the guitar and singing. I'm working on a bookstore signing and a radio show, and will let you know what's the what when I do.

We've done it before, we can do it again. I'm calling it DebacleCon. Drop me a note in e-mail (serasempre @ gmail.com) or post in F2F if you want to know more or to snag some couch.

The next installment of The Eclectic Word airs Friday, Sept. 7th, at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. The guests this week will be Allyson Beatrice, author of Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby? and Jillian Venters, author of the online column Gothic Charm School, for an installment we're calling "Manners and the Undead."

Poet and journalist Victor D. Infante hosts The Eclectic Word, an Internet radio show that delves into literature's fringe with poets, satirists, alternative journalists and even (gasp!) bloggers, stepping off the beaten path of literature, taking a close look at the odd, the eccentric and the cutting-edge.

As always, you can listen to the show live, or download it later.

Future shows:

On Friday, Sept. 21st, at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST, we'll be joined by David A. Griffith, author of A Good War is Hard to Find, and Wayne Koestenbaum, author of Hotel Theory, for "A Spotlight on Soft Skull Press."

On Friday, October 5, at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST, we'll get into a New York state of mind with poets Roger Bonair-Agard, Marty McConnell and Lynne Procope (and possibly another guest).

On Friday, October 19th, at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST, we'll be joined by Spoken Word Revolution editor Mark Eleveld, and poets Marvin Bell and Patricia Smith.

On Friday, November 16, at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST, we'll have a slight diversion with Derrick Brown and Friends.

Probably everyone who's interested has signed up already, but I just got a link for doubling free Netflix trials. This means you would get a month instead of two weeks.

In the interest of full disclosure, it's not really clear to me, but it appears that if anyone signs up as a result of this, I would get a voucher for a free rental.

eta: I probably should add, email my profile addy if you're interested.

For those of you considering attending DebacleCon 2007:

I've found a hotel in downtown Cleveland that is, if reserved far enough in advance, only $60.00 a night per room.

More info in the F2F thread.

Dole Recalls Salad Mix in E. Coli Scare

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A package of Dole salad mix that tested positive for E. coli has triggered a recall in at least nine states, prompting new produce fears almost exactly a year after a nationwide spinach scare.

The tainted bag of Dole's Hearts Delight salad mix was sold at a store in Canada, officials said. Neither Canadian health officials nor Dole Food Co. have received reports of anyone getting sick from the product.

The voluntary recall, issued Monday, affects all packages of Hearts Delight sold in the United States and Canada with a "best if used by" date of September 19, 2007, and a production code of "A24924A" or "A24924B," the company said.

The recall affects packages sold in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Canada and in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee starting around Sept. 8, said Marty Ordman, a Dole spokesman.

A new lesson is up at Gothic Charm School! Of Book Reviews Concerning Gothic Fantasy, and of Disapproving Parents.