If anyone has been interested in doing Kiva loans but hasn't tried it yet, ping me at my profile address for an invite. For every new person I can get to sign up to the website I get a free $25 to lend for free.

I don't know if anyone here reads any of Denton's range of sites, but if you agree that the recent changes broke more than they enhanced, one of the users has written an extension for Chrome and Firefox that restores your post reading experience pretty much back to the old view. And, while I'm here, I might as well share a snippet of javascript that sets your cookie to default your front page view to "blog"--chronological entries.

I have some mystery novels that I would like to get rid of. I am happy to send them to a buffista or take recommendations for donations. If you have recs for donations, can you put them in Natter. If you want them, poke me at my profile addy.

[link]

pw: buffy12

There may be more (when I open more boxes) , but this is what I have right now.

UPDATE: all are spoken for. thanks!

I have a horror work in progress, "Deadlands". The first chapter is done. If you want to Beta, contact me. My profile addy is good. Opening paragraph:

Jill pedaled down a Seattle road completely free of cars, expertly maneuvering her bicycle around rag-clad beggars so thin their bones were visible. Spectral carriages flashed above her. Clouds showed faintly through the ornate trimmings and fire-breathing horses as they pulled their loads to destinations across town or across the world. Carthaginians riding war elephants and Germans riding Panzers streaked overhead, enslaved dead traveling to carry out gruesome missions. Jill paid no attention to the sky, or to the blue lights flickering in every window at 7:30 in the morning. All houses were haunted now.

DH is selling his road bike. If anyone is interested.

[link]

I'm interviewed about my books "Cooling a Fevered Planet" and "Solving the Climate Crisis" on the radio program "Against the Grain" by Sasha Lilley on Wed Sept 12 Tuesday September 18 2012 at noon Pacific Time on KPFA. If you are in the Berkeley area you can tune in on 94.1 and 89.3 FM. You can stream live on the web at KPFA.org. By late afternoon Pacific Time you will be able download podcasts at [link] . (Date Changed due to technical difficulties.)

If you want to hear my interview on "Against the Grain" on climate change, you can hear it at: [link]

Of interest to most of us, Aisha Tyler's podcast interview with Nathan Fillion.

Skip the first seven minutes where she tries to monetize her website, and then they discuss: How he grew up in Canada (Edmonton), His experience on Soap Operas (One Life to Live), Working with Ryan Reynolds, How to be a starving actor in LA and pay for your rent by juggling credit card debt, Firefly, Joss, How much they are both in love with Alan Tudyk, comic books (in great supernerd detail)...

Anyone who's in the market for new glasses, or wanting to expand his/her glasses wardrobe - Zenni Optical is having another week of buy one, get one free.

[link]

I've gotten a pair of glasses and a pair of prescription sunglasses from them in the past and had no problems. t /anecdata

ETA ends 9/23

Short story in this week's issue of Nature Magazine - [link]