Odds ‘n Sods:

I was disappointed to see that my novel “Patriots” has slipped from the 4.5 star rating that it consistently held on Amazon.com for the past nine years, down to just 4 stars. The reason? It is obvious that several readers who just don’t “get it” when it comes to the concept of preparedness bought copies of the novel from the racks at their local bookstores. Perhaps they thought that it would just be another in the endless parade of Tom Clancy clones–formulaic “techno thrillers”, which seem to invariably be set in either New York City, or inside the DC Beltway. These novels most typically portray the protagonist saving the day just short of an economic meltdown, or de-escalating a full-scale armed international conflict. Perhaps my novel is just a bit too jarring for the psyches of some readers. They don’t want to be confronted with the prospect of an actual economic meltdown, or an actual global war, and the nitty-gritty consequences that will thence ensue. The other group of vocal critics are clearly folks that are horrified to see my protagonist characters actually praying and honoring Christ. Clearly, I’ve offended someone’s sensibilities. (“How dare they repent and beseech God for for guidance, providence, and protection?”) Perhaps actually practicing Christianity is too far removed from their world view. Oh, and I must also mention that a couple of reviewers that panned the book admitted to never even reading it. That is hardly fair. Now, I don’t claim to be a literary genius, and I’m not begging for Brownie Points here, but if you have a different opinion of the novel, then I’d greatly appreciate seeing your review posted at Amazon.com. Just a paragraph or two from you would balance out the strident voices of the anti-survivalists and the anti-Christians. Thanks!

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The Great Ethanol Scam (Thanks to Cheryl for the link.)

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Farms Downsize With Miniature Cows More sirloin and less soup bone.