Teasers (interesting facts that might stir a story some day soon): Plasmons may provide the key to making objects invisible—if not to the naked eye, at least to longer wavelengths. Plasmons are "tiny electronic excitations" found on "the surfaces of some metals". Unless objects are very tiny, they cannot be completely cloaked, and the technology behind this technology is still under development. Complex objects would require more working knowledge, but the idea of eventually being able to become "invisible" is fascinating stuff. To read more, visit: http://www.livescience.com/technology/050228_inv isible_shield.html" title="http://www.livescience.com/technology/050228_inv isible_shield.html" target="_blank"http://www.livescience.com/te...

Save Your World: Free rice (learn new words and donate rice as you do it! http://www.freerice.com/index.php" title="http://www.freerice.com/index.php" target="_blank"http://www.freerice.com/index... and FAQS about donating blood (I want to thank all of you personally! You saved my life! How many other lives can you save this year?) http://www.givelife2.org/donor/faq.asp" title="http://www.givelife2.org/donor/faq.asp" target="_blank"http://www.givelife2.org/dono...

Excerpts: From Gilded Folly

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   It was no longer dark, but Dacey was beginning to wish it were. A subsonic hum vibrated her eardrums and her teeth, the resonance rising into audible range, where it shook her body.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   Like a microwave. The cooked scenario entered her head, but she wouldn’t let herself think it. It was enough of a prod, though, to get her moving. Her unseen adversaries weren’t entirely stationary. She would like to believe that was more mechanical action, too, like the hum, but the sounds were far too restless"like a multitude of boots grinding and crunching on gravel.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   Alive. No inanimate pistons or gears. Claws and teeth, restlessly gnawing away at rock...
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   Stop it! Dacey swore right then that no matter what, she wouldn’t give up without a fight.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   She ran for the steps"for where she hoped they’d be. You fell down them"landed on your knees.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   Get it right, Girl...last chance...
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   The light was so startling she tripped over her feet and went sprawling. It wasn’t coming from the walls or the ceiling. It was coming from her skin.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   Her own body was brightening the room, like a white shirt under black light.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   The sight was so shocking Dacey froze. All kinds of thoughts were running through her head. She was so caught up in confusion, that she almost missed the movement.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   The walls were losing integrity, as man-size pieces detached and dropped limply to the stone floor. Rustle-thud, rustle-thunk. Now, the pieces shivered and shook, then arose, finding their whole within the fallen tangle of limbs. Skeletally thin beings, with a near-human cast...
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   ...arising out of rock.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   Dacey backed away, and headed once more for the steps"only to find they’d beat her there.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   They’ve been in the dark so long...
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   It was almost as though she could read their thoughts. Her light was a lure, to draw them in. They wanted light...and heat.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   ...but mostly, they wanted food.
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   Dacey opened her mouth and began to scream.