Category Archives: Thomas Hardy Was An Optimist: A Collection of Short Stories from The Plague Years

Goodreads Giveaway of 100 copies of Silent Consent

Between August 28 and Sept 9, 2023, we’re giving away 100 copies of Silent Consent in a Goodreads Giveaway promotion. We hope you’ll enter to win a copy. Our link for the promotion is: Enter to win one of 100 copies of Silent Consent by Circa24 If you’re like me and distrustful of links onContinue reading “Goodreads Giveaway of 100 copies of Silent Consent”

Microplastics and Male Fertility

Plastics have built modern civilization over the past century, but the price of that wonder may be higher than we thought.  Minimata disease, caused by the mercury used to make PVCs, was an early warning that something was amiss.  More recently, we learned how exposure to plastics can alter our physiology.  PVC and PUR productsContinue reading “Microplastics and Male Fertility”

Microlending

Many people need a small loan to get them through a hard time or to expand their business.  Microlenders tend to charge higher interest rates than traditional banks, but they also take more risks.  They loan to many people who might otherwise be turned down for a loan. Kiva is one of these organizations.  TheyContinue reading “Microlending”

New in Science: Plastics a Devil’s Bargain

In July, 2021, Science, one of the most prestigious journals in science, dedicated an issue to the ecological threat of plastics. In industrialized societies, avoiding plastics is nearly impossible. From our clothing to our kitchenware and homes, tons of plastics surround us. Plastic waste, including microplastics from our laundries, now pollute the soil and theContinue reading “New in Science: Plastics a Devil’s Bargain”

American Rehab

The short stories in Thomas Hardy Was An Optimist look at the lives of several troubled people from the lat 1980’s through the early 2000’s. During this time, more happened than the HIV epidemic. The United States also declared its “war on drugs,” and with it, the mass incarceration rate for which the country isContinue reading “American Rehab”