Kendall Giles » review

Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Kendall — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:17:21 +0000

We’ve no doubt all heard the cliche, “It takes a village to raise a child.” But award-winning author Neil Gaiman turns this phrase on its head and, with The Graveyard Book, explores a much more interesting premise: “It takes a graveyard to raise a child.” The prospect leads to tantalizing questions. For those who can imagine it, can the dead teach a child how to live? Can the dead protect a child from being killed?

In this coming of age story, primed for younger readers—say, ages 8-13 years—we follow the adventures of Nobody Owens, a toddler who survived the murder of his family and is then raised by the supernatural denizens of the local graveyard. The story setup is analogous to, even down to the title, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. In The Graveyard Book, young Nobody, or Bod for short, learns the ways of the world from the perspective of the graveyard. There in his home and playground of tombs, gravestones, and bones, Bod comes to know ghosts, a vampiric mentor named Silas, a witch named Liza Hempstock, a guardian of an ancient Celtic burial mound called a Sleer, ghouls, and even Death herself. His education is rather unique as well, since he learns history from (dead) people who were actually at the historical events. He also acquires ghostly skills, like fading from view and passing through walls. But Bod, ominously, learns that the killer of his family is still out there beyond the graveyard looking for him. This “inside the graveyard is safe, and outside the graveyard is dangerous and scary” sets up the main conflict of the story, which resolves in a bittersweet ending.

Gaiman tells a great tale, and this one will not disappoint. The characters are memorable, the action suspenseful, and the scenes and descriptions vivid—especially Bod’s turn through the Lovecraftian kingdom of the ghouls. However, Gaiman created a bit of a challenge for himself in that the story follows an 18 month old Bod at the beginning of the book to when Bod becomes a teenager by the end of the book. This is a lot of temporal ground to cover, and so especially at the beginning, the story is a bit episodic in nature as we glimpse Bod at ages six, eight, ten, eleven, and thirteen. In fact, during these early chapters the story loses the main plot arc of Bod’s family’s killer, while the reader follows the early years of Bod growing up in the graveyard. The main story arc picks back up though once Bod is many years older, and from there the book really comes into its own.

Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book is a story that is creative, touching, suspenseful, and funny. The reader is almost compelled to turn the page in order to find out what happens next. This, it seems to me, is what storytelling is all about.

Review: Before the Revolution, by Daniel Richter

Kendall — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:22:13 +0000

History is not a discreet collection of independent events. What happens in one epoch, such as the Victorian Era or the Revolutionary Period, is not divorced from earlier events in the same epoch nor from events in previous epochs. Historical events are not blank slates—rather, there are always traces and artifacts left on the slate from what was writ before. And so with Before the Revolution: America’s Ancient Pasts, by Daniel Richter, it is refreshing to read a historical text that takes these “conditional events” into consideration, leading to perhaps one of the most nuanced and reliable accountings of the Pre-Revolutionary period of American history.

The basic strategy Richter uses in constructing and telling this part of American history is to divide the years 900-1765 CE into rough categories or “layers” of history, semantically labeled “Progenitors,” “Conquistadores,” “Traders,” “Planters,” “Imperialists,” and “Atlanteans.” For example, in the Progenitors time period, from about 900-1500 CE, Richter details the histories of both medieval Europe as well as medieval North America by comparing and contrasting the medieval periods on both continents.

Cultures on both continents were greatly affected by the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age, and both cultures evolved into stronger agricultural societies dominated by religious and military elites who concentrated power in a harsh top-down model. Constant Indian-against-Indian and European-against-European military aggression was also the main method both cultures used to establish dominance and power. However, the cultures differed in that in Europe, the commercialization and ownership of land, as well as the growth of a strong merchant class within large cities, led to a feudal culture, as rulers needed vast monetary and military resources to enable economic and political growth, thus giving to indentured servitude as a way to secure and stabilize dependable workers necessary for land development and tax/tribute revenues.

With this first layer of history established, in the next layer, Conquistadores, Richter shows how the social, economic, military, and religious concepts of power in both Indian as well as European cultures played into the synergistic relationships that developed between the Indians and the early Europeans coming to North America. Rich economic ties were established between these cultures, but so too did harsh military conflicts develop. These relationships, both supporting and conflicting, were fostered when the early European explorers turned into colonizers in the “Traders” period. Thus, the Progenitors period greatly influenced the Conquistadores period. Richter continues throughout the rest of the book this layered, nuanced pattern of showing Indian as well as English and European perspectives, influenced by a rich layered history between the two cultures.

How does Before the Revolution: America’s Ancient Pasts differ from, say, A Kingdom Strange, by James Horn? Superficially, the books are different in that A Kingdom Strange covers a narrow slice of time and scope, focusing primarily on the colonization efforts of North America by the English during the time period of about 1500-1700 CE. Before the Revolution: America’s Ancient Pasts, as previously mentioned, covers a much broader swath of time and includes Indian as well as European perspectives. The intent of each book is different in that the Horn writes a close, almost character-driven account of the English who made those initial colonization attempts, whereas Richter takes a step back to consider, with a history-driven account, the American Indian, English, and Continental Europe perspectives and motivations.

Thus, it becomes clear that unpacking the causes of a particular historical event becomes very difficult due to a deep and complex prior history. Newspaper headlines often desire to have clear “villains” and “heroes” regarding historical events, but as is demonstrated in Before the Revolution: America’s Ancient Pasts, as in real life, historical events are rarely so easily categorized and labeled, due to webs of economical, religious, military, and cultural relationships between cultures that were created over long periods of time.

Review: Summer of Night, by Dan Simmons

Kendall — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:20:38 +0000

Many of us have fond memories of childhood, especially those lazy summers when schools were out, the days were hot, and the neighborhoods were ripe for exploration with friends. Hugo award-winning author Dan Simmons captures this age of innocence perfectly in Summer of Night, but then he lets the monsters loose in this old school horror story about how the carefree lives of a group of children are quickly torn from them as they confront their ultimate nightmares.

The life-affirming story in Summer of Night reminds me of Stephen King’s It, as well as his short story “The Body,” in that all three stories depict youthful innocence corrupted by unspeakable terrors. In Summer of Night, a group of children in the quiet small town of Elm Haven, Illinois, discover a growing evil in the shuttered Old Central School. The children try to enlist help from their parents and other adults, but the adults ignore the children whom are, from the adults’ point of view, just being foolish and making things up. So the children band together in order to defeat the evil themselves, before the ancient horror engulfs the town and enslaves the world in a reign of terror.

Simmons takes his time to build up the tension and horror in the book, detailing the lives and thoughts of the kids in this everyday midwestern town. In fact, these details are what gives depth to the story. Some critics criticize “genre” stories for lacking characterization at the expense of plot. Simmons mutes this criticism by developing the characters and their motivations in the story so that the reader really cares for them and perhaps even relives childhood memories through the romps of these children as they pursue their summer freedoms to the fullest. This character development is also devastating, however, for when Simmons unleashes the monsters on these characters the reader has come to know and love, the horror is gruesomely effective. This is a horror story the way horror stories should be written.

One interesting fact relates to another of Dan Simmons’ books, Children of the Night, winner of the 1993 Locus Award for Best Horror/Dark Fantasy Novel. In that novel, the story focuses on an American hematologist named Kate Neuman, a dying baby she adopts during a visit to Romania, and a priest named Mike O’Rourke, who helps her get out of that post-Communist country while being chased by Vlad Dracula himself. That priest, Mike O’Rourke, is the same Mike from Summer of Night, just much older, making Children of the Night a loose sequel to Summer of Night.

I particularly enjoyed Simmons’ ability to develop sympathetic characters. I think that especially in horror stories, if the reader is invested in a character, they will likely also “feel” the horror more fully. I also appreciated the author’s attention to detail. The small midwestern town was a believable place and the characters seemed almost like real people. But the author also used other details effectively, such as developing a complex history of a mysterious bell, which almost becomes a character itself, as well as using words and ways of speaking authentic to the time period depicted. For example, a diary entry from 1917 used the term “social intercourse”—an awkward term not in common use today (which means simply “communication between individuals”) but one contextually authentic for the diary.

Simmons knows how to write, how to entertain, and how to give the reader the creeps. All three of these skills are expertly demonstrated in Summer of Night, so pick up the book, listen for the long-silent bell as it rings the doom of Elm Haven, and journey with the children as they fight unsightly terrors that threaten humanity itself.

New Amazon Kindles and a Kindle Tablet called the Kindle Fire

Kendall — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:08:35 +0000

Leaked data indicates Amazon is selling more than 2,000 Kindle Fires per hour! What is the Kindle Fire? More details on this and other new Kindle products below.

Amazon announced new Kindle products, and here is an initial quick look and review of what was announced–great new Kindles and a new Kindle tablet!

It also sounds like Amazon has invested a lot of money and research into improving its IT backend, enabling cloud computing innovations that will help the user’s experiences with storing and accessing movies, and even simply browsing the internet faster than ever before.

Kindle Fire

Kindle Fire, Full Color 7″ Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi

Some Features: 7-inch display, dual-core processor, 14.6 ounces. Full color touch display and access to Amazon’s licensed video and music content–100,000 movies and TV shows, 17 million songs, access to Android Appstore, Kindle books. The user interface is supposed to be custom–not just the plain Android interface. Ultra-fast web browsing. Cost: $199

[UPDATE: Here's an unboxing video of the Kindle Fire.]

Kindle Touch 3G

Kindle Touch 3G, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 6″ E Ink Display – includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers

Some Features: Built-in 3G, works in 100 countries, no annual contract nor monthly fees. It’s free 3G wireless. Holds 3,000 books. Cost: $149

Kindle Touch

Kindle Touch, Wi-Fi, 6″ E Ink Display – includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers

Some Features: no keyboard, no buttons–has IR touch system. lighter and smaller than current 3rd gen model. Holds 3,000 books. Built in Wi-Fi. Cost: $99

Kindle

Kindle, Wi-Fi, 6″ E Ink Display – includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers

Some Features: New version of the classic Kindle–with buttons. Is 30% lighter–weighs less than six ounces–18% smaller than the Kindle 3. Built in Wi-Fi. Cost: $79

It sounds like some of these products won’t ship until November, but they are available for pre-order today, and I suspect they will sellout quickly. According to leaked data, Amazon is currently selling over 2,000 Kindle Fire pre-orders per hour! This is staggering, and suggests that you’d better get your order in sooner than later!

Verdict

I don’t think these products are direct Apple iPad competitors, but then again I don’t think they were meant to be. However, the Kindle Fire is half the price of the iPad, and with a larger selection of books, it may be an attractive alternative to the iPad for some people. Also, these products do greatly improve the experience of people who want an inexpensive way to access great book, movie, TV, and music content.

The fact that the Kindle Fire is built on Android adds great potential to the platform and can only benefit the user, since competition in the app arena will foster innovation and quality increases for the user. Great improvements to the classic Kindle lineup as well.

With these new gadgets, and the raising of the bar for technology hardware and software innovation, this is an awesome time for book readers, book authors, and anyone who wants increased opportunities to enjoy movie, music, and TV show content.

Review: Defender Wireless Driveway Alert System

Kendall — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:31:59 +0000

In the current economic climate, many people are tightening their belts and becoming increasingly concerned about their loved ones at home. Others just want the peace of mind from knowing their homes are alarmed against unknown visitors. There might even be a few folks who want to prepare for the rumored upcoming zombie apocalypse. In all of these cases, installing a basic home alarm system is a good initial step to take.

There are many home security systems available, and they run the gamut of price and features. One very simple, inexpensive security system is the Defender Wireless Driveway Alert System.

In my video review I show the basic operation of the Defender Wireless Driveway Alert System, and even demonstrate the system being used as it might be deployed around your own home, but here I’ll just summarize some of the main points made in the video and give a few more details where needed.

Here’s the video:

The system comes with one motion sensor (with mounting bracket), one receiver with AC wall plug, four AA batteries, and a user manual. The wireless motion sensor runs on four AA batteries and the receiver runs on four AA batteries or AC power. The receiver has a volume control, three LEDs for the three security zones that can be alarmed, a port to connect the receiver to an external 3-wire alarm or other security system, and a switch to turn on/off the LEDs (for example, if you are trying to conserve battery power).

Basic Operation:

First, place the sensor in the desired location. They say the sensor can be placed indoors or outdoors, and you just aim the sensor so that its cone of detection covers the area you want alarmed. The sensor has two sensitivity levels: 15′ and 30′. So maybe if you are alarming a room inside your house, you might want to use the 15′ setting; if you are guarding the driveway or sidewalk, then maybe you want to use the 30′ setting.

Second, place the receiver inside where you will hear and see the alarms, within 500′ of the sensor.

Third, wait until something crosses into the sensor’s cone of detection. When something is detected, the receiver will sound a series of beeps, which you can adjust with the volume control, and the LED of the corresponding sensor will flash (up to three sensors are supported by one receiver). If there is no more motion within the sensor’s range, the alarm will stop after a few seconds.

Performance:

As you can see from the video, the unit does what it is designed to do: it detects vehicles and even people moving with the motion sensor’s cone of detection. There is little customization possible with this system though—no programming or automating the timing of when the alarms are active and inactive, for example, and you can’t customize the audio of the alarms other than changing the volume of the beeps. But for the price, it is a good basic alarm system, especially for alarming your driveway to warn you of approaching vehicles or people. Or zombies.

So, this security system may or may not be what you are looking for, but either way I hope this review has helped you in making your decision.

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Review: A Kingdom Strange by James Horn

Kendall — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 17:38:55 +0000

A Kingdom Strange by James Horn

Colonizing a new land, whether on another planet or even just across an ocean, can be perilous work—obstacles are often insurmountable and constant danger close. We also dream of colonizing other planets in our fiction, but we actually just have to look to our past to witness how difficult this task truly was. Indeed, lest we get too complacent about the luxuries and comfort we all take for granted today, it is sometimes useful to remind ourselves of the sacrifices made by those in the past who struggled to establish footholds in foreign lands, and of the inhabitants of those lands who tried to defend themselves against exploitation.

One such reminder is A Kingdom Strange: The Brief and Tragic History of the Lost Colony of Roanoke by James Horn, a history of the effort in 1587 to establish the first English colony in America. Horn, Vice President of Research and Historical Interpretation at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and author of, among other U.S. history books, A Land as God Made It: Jamestown and the Birth of America, delivers a solid narrative in A Kingdom Strange of the main social, political, military, and economic issues surrounding England’s effort to colonize America. It is a history most likely only vaguely familiar to most Americans. To fulfill Sir Walter Raleigh’s plan for establishing the first English colony in America, in April 1587 118 men, women, children set sail from England on a long, risky voyage to the New World. Their target was the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia, but the captain of the ship dropped them on Roanoke Island, part of the barrier islands just off the coast of modern day North Carolina, and refused to take them further. Back then that island was part of Virginia, named after England’s Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen.

These were heady times, full of dreams of discovering in the New World gold and silver deposits, bountiful resources, and routes to the Pacific ocean. And these were also times of sharp conflict and danger: religous wars, fighting within and between American Indian tribes and European countries, unforgiving epidemics, starvation, pirates, and even nature itself. The plucky volunteers who made up the Roanoke Colony risked everything for a chance to start a new life in a land of mystery and promise. But with supplies running low and attacks by Indians increasing, governor John White sailed back to England for supplies and reinforcements. Due to difficulties in raising sufficient funds and the diversion caused by a war between England and Spain, White was delayed three years in returning to the colony. By the time he returned, the colony was deserted, the fate of the colonists unknown.

Horn’s narrative blends historical fact with historical fiction, since there are many details of the events surrounding the Roanoke Colony that are simply unknown. He makes his best guesses about what might have happened though based on his immersion with the historical sources, with citations where appropriate. Horn also crafts his history by focusing on specific people in the saga, mostly on the activities of John White, explorer, writer, and soldier Sir Walter Raleigh, and, briefly, the founder and leader of Jamestown, Captain John Smith. This character-based narration helps keep the reader invested in the reconstructed storyline.

While there are many interesting facts and details that Horn presents in the book, there are a few key takeaways that really make this book a worthwhile read. First, Horn does a good job painting the tempestuous socio-ethno-political soup that was late 16th century Europe and America, a time rippling with uncertainties and dangers. Second, contrary to some modern pastoral depictions of American Indians, Horn shows how early Virginia contained many Indian tribes who, like early Europe, were often in viscious conflict with each other as much as they were with European explorers. Third, by detailing the “unfortunate luck” of White in returning to the Roanoke Colony with help, the utter difficulty of the effort needed to successfully fund and outfit a ship, sail it across hostile waters to unknown lands, rampant with many opportunities for death by disease, starvation, and murder, is vividly captured here.

Surely John White, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Captain John Smith could not have envisioned the growth and progress made in America since their time, but in A Kingdom Strange we are well reminded about their tragic experiences and herculean struggles in trying to establish a foothold in America. There are still mysteries surrounding those events, but Horn paints a vivid and compelling picture of what did and what might have happened to those early colonists.

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Review: Children of the Night, by Dan Simmons

Kendall — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:51:49 +0000

Does the world need another vampire novel? I would say, yes, of course, especially if that novel is well written and adds something new or compelling to the literary conversation about vampires, a conversation that authors and readers have been having since 1872 with Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Carmilla.” In Children of the Night, Hugo award-winning author Dan Simmons makes a solid contribution to the ongoing vampire mythology by giving us not only a believable scientific explanation for vampirism, but also by adding to the history of Vlad Dracula himself.

Winner of the 1993 Locus Award for Best Horror/Dark Fantasy Novel, Children of the Night reflects Simmons’s experiences in the horror, science fiction, and fantasy genres by weaving a compelling horror tale in a thriller format. The tale focuses on an American hematologist Kate Neuman, a dying baby she adopts during a visit to Romania, and a priest named Mike O’Rourke, who helps her get out of that post-Communist country.

But her adventures do not stop there. The baby, which she names Joshua, suffers from several genetic diseases and is doomed to an early death, until Kate discovers that Joshua can gain temporary relief from the disease symptoms when it receives whole blood transfusions. This genetic defect, Kate discovers, holds the key to a cure for many common diseases, including AIDS and cancer. One rather large problem however is that the baby turns out to be the heir of Vlad Dracula himself, and Dracula disperses his shadowy family line, vampires all, to bring Joshua back.

During her multi-country struggles, Kate is assisted by the conflicted priest O’Rourke and a young, too-good-to-be-true Romanian medical student named Lucian. But O’Rourke and Lucian seem to have their own agendas regarding Joshua, and she is never exactly sure who she can trust until the end.

And speaking of the end, this book is written as a thriller, so there are more than a few daring escapes and plot twists therein, including a finale that would make Indiana Jones tip his fedora in appreciation. But interspersed with harrowing escapes from infernos and being smuggled by gypsies, there are also reflective moments, such as when the point of view shifts to Vlad Dracula. From him we hear stories about his century-spanning life as the leader of the vampire clan, and these insights do much to extend the Dracula mythology.

The story settings and details in Children of the Night are well-researched. Much of the action takes place in Romania, and Simmons paints a vivid picture of what life was like there just after the fall of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, overthrown as President of Romania in 1989. In fact, historical events are weaved into the narrative of how the family members of Vlad Dracula act as “dark advisors” to political, economic, and military leaders throughout the country. Moreover, the author presents a technical, detailed explanation of vampirism as a very rare genetic defect. In fact, there are so many genetic engineering details and discussions amongst the characters that some parts of the story are a little thick, as if we are eavesdropping on a conversation in a university genetics lab. But this information is crucial to the plot and adds a layer of credibility to the characters’ motivations and actions.

Children of the Night does not portray vampires as campy love interests, as in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, nor does this story take the path of vampirism as global viral pandemic, as in Justin Cronin’s The Passage. Rather, Simmons takes us on a more personal descent into terror and adventure as Kate finds herself mixed up in Vlad Dracula’s family affairs. We learn the genetic reasons why vampires need to drink human blood, and though these vampires are not the supernatural forces from legend, that does not diminish their power as keepers of a family secret seeking the return of Dracula’s heir.

Get It!

Children of the Night, by Dan Simmons:

Children of the Night, by Dan Simmons

Review: Dark Awakenings, by Matt Cardin

Kendall — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:00:05 +0000

Half dark fiction, half academic musings on angels, demons, the dead, and monsters, Dark Awakenings, by Matt Cardin, is an exploration of the common religious goals of transcendence, rebirth, and salvation. So what makes this exploration dark? Cardin’s twist of the knife comes from the enlightened observation that these sorts of religious ideals may have tragic, dire, or even horrific consequences if actually realized. What if the path the pious have been following towards enlightenment turns out to lead to death and destruction? Split into seven short stories and novellas and three academic papers, this book is a rather unique combination of fiction and non-fiction horror writing, and a veritable treasure chest of stories and musings for aficionados of the horror genre.

Cardin’s style is often poetic and brooding, with dense descriptive passages and minimal dialogue, peppered with philosophical musings. His horror attitude is much like a cross between that of Edgar Allen Poe and H. P. Lovecraft—explorations of protagonists reaching for the meaning of life while struggling with inner turmoils, or faced with cosmic horrors. In “The Devil and One Lump,” a macabre version of the Charlie Daniels song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” the Devil himself describes of the protagonist, a writer, “You have created protagonists whose very search for salvation produces a backfire effect that damns them to a worse hell than they had ever imagined.” In the fiction stories presented in Dark Awakenings, just so, Mr. Cardin, just so.

The results are quite satisfying for readers desiring stories of the scary and the weird, but those uncomfortable with a spot of blood or the spilling of an internal organ or two may wish to stick with lighter fare. The reader may also be left puzzling the dark religious implications of some of the stories. As with cosmic horror, in the vein of Algernon Blackwood, Sheridan Le Fanu, M. R. James, and H. P. Lovecraft, the horror in Dark Awakenings may not always follow a logical chain. Herein, dark dwarves who crouch low may spring forth at odd angles for cosmic reasons known not to the reader. This is not superficial horror, but horror with implications extending beyond the mundane and having dire ramifications for soul and sanity.

The non-fiction essays in Dark Awakenings are interesting, if academic, musings on the history of angels and demons in supernatural horror: a contemplative analysis of George Romero’s Living Dead films, and an essay on how to read the Biblical book of Isaiah as a work of horror. All these articles shed new information and perspectives on these topics, and are complete with footnotes and suggested readings. For example, we learn about the evolution of the word “demons,” from the historic meaning as being good and bad mediators between God and humans, to the modern interpretation of being the evil minions of the Devil.

In another essay, Cardin shows multiple lenses through which George Romero’s Living Dead zombie films can be viewed. In one section he contrasts how zombies are viewed from a “Western” religious perspective, to how zombies can be viewed from an “Eastern” religious perspective. While thoroughly entertaining, one minor nit is his equivalence of “Western religions” to monotheistic Abrahamic religions imported from the Middle East. True Western religions are the polytheistic religions of the Indians of North and South America, the Norse, the Celts, and the Germani. But once it is clear he’s really contrasting Middle Eastern religious perspectives to Eastern religious perspectives, his analysis of how zombies can be viewed differently based on one’s religious background is informative and interesting.

Also of interest is his use of Roger Schlobin’s three-part taxonomic tool from the essay “Prototypic Horror: The Genre of the Book of Job,” which in Schlobin’s article was used to judge whether or not a given text should be understood as a horror story. Cardin effectively uses this horror-evaluation framework to assess the horror potential of the Biblical book of Isaiah.

So, if you like your horror fiction cosmic and meaningful, or wish for scholarly insights into zombies, demons, and techniques for classifying stories as horror stories, then you will be entirely enchanted with Dark Awakenings. And if you want both your horror fiction and critical analysis in one book, then you will be absolutely thrilled with it.

Get It!

Dark Awakenings, by Matt Cardin:

Dark Awakenings, by Matt Cardin

Review: Soundmatters foxLv2 portable speaker

Kendall — Sat, 28 May 2011 21:55:49 +0000

I’ve been looking for a good portable external speaker for my laptop for quite some time. I thought I had found the answer in the Logitech USB 305 Laptop Speaker Z305 (see my review of the Logitech Z305 speaker here), but when that Logitech speaker died just after using it for two months, I decided to invest in something of higher quality. So when I found the Soundmatters foxLv2 Bluetooth Pocket-sized Audiophile Loudspeaker System with Bluetooth and Hands-free Microphone, I realized I’d found not just a good speaker, but a great one.

The foxLv2 portable speaker, developed by Dr. Godehard Guenther and named after his grandson, is exceptional in almost every respect. First, it seems a quality unit and is very solid–no cheap plastic on this speaker. It’s built like a tank so I’m not too worried about breaking it if it drops. Second, the sound from the speaker is great—clean and loud (much better than the Logitech speaker I tested). Third, the unit is very portable–smaller than the Logitech–the foxLv2 is 5.6 inches by 2.2 inches by 1.4 inches. Fourth the speaker is packed with features, like optional Bluetooth and a real stereo mini-jack.

You can power the speaker using battery power, wall AC power, or via USB cable. Battery life is about 5 hours. When powering the speaker using wall AC or USB, the audio volume is much greater than when using battery power.

There are two ways to input audio to the speaker, via a 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack or optional Bluetooth. The mini-jack input makes the foxL speaker much more versatile than, say, the Logitech USB Z305 speaker, because you can use the foxLv2 with any device that has a headphone out jack, such as your laptop, iPhone, or iPad. Moreover, with the optional Bluetooth model, you can play audio over the speaker without needing any cable connections. Note, however, that the quality of the audio coming through the stereo mini-jack is much better than the quality of the audio played via Bluetooth.

So then why use Bluetooth? The Bluetooth option also includes a Bluetooth microphone, which means you can use the foxLv2 as a hands-free microphone for a conference call.

The speaker is even ready for international travel—it comes with a set of foreign AC plugs.

I like most everything about the speaker, except for the price. However, in this case you get what you pay for. The speaker is solid, well-built, feature-rich, and cranks out big, clear audio.

Note that this speaker does not clip onto the laptop like the Logitech USB Z305. Rather, the foxL is meant to stand alone using a small metal panel that folds out, allowing the speaker to sit upright on a flat surface. This is convenient, but the speaker produces so much bass that it may “walk” across a table onto the floor due to vibration if you are not careful.

Also, this speaker does not have an auto-off feature—you must physically turn the speaker off when not in use if you don’t want to drain your battery. This is not hard to do, but you do have to remember to do it.

So, after major frustrations with portable speakers made by other manufacturers, I’m here to stay with the foxLv2. The foxLv2 is a high quality, great sounding portable external speaker for your laptop, iPhone, iPad, or most any other audio-playing device that has a jack for audio output.

For a direct comparison of audio from my laptop to audio from the foxLv2 speaker, please watch this video review:

Available on Amazon: Soundmatters foxLv2 Bluetooth Pocket-sized Audiophile Loudspeaker System with Bluetooth and Hands-free Microphones (Black)

Review: Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott

Kendall — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:40:11 +0000

There seem to be as many books about how to write as there are actual writers, yet Anne Lamott makes a solid if not altogether inspiring contribution to the collection. Also known for her non-fiction books dealing with depression, Christianity, and alcoholism, in Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life author Lamott turns her humor and autobiographical lens toward offering sage advice and inspiration for writers of all levels. While far from Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, and mute on the meter of poetry and the tropes of science fiction, Lamott instead focuses more on psychological issues that confront and haunt writers from all genres, such as defeating the blank page, avoiding perfectionism obsessions, cranking out that first draft, and writing for the right reasons.

A breadth of writing advice, Bird by Bird gets its title from wisdom Lamott’s father once gave to her brother, incapacitated by the task of writing a school essay on birds. The senior Lamott advised the younger to break the assignment down into manageable chunks: “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” Divided into five parts, in part one Lamott first addresses writing itself—getting words onto the page. Lamott starts by giving the aspiring author permission to write and then by encouraging the author to just get the words onto the page. Go ahead, just create that first, messy draft: “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” She then suggests focusing more on creating compelling characters than worrying about plot: “If you focus on who the people in your story are, if you sit and write about two people you know and are getting to know better day by day, something is bound to happen.” She even discusses a short story template—action, background, development, climax, ending—that can be used as an initial story structure. Dialog is important too, and compelling dialog can be influenced by real-life encounters, but the main goal is to get that first draft written, in short steps, a little each day.

In part Two Lamott talks about the writing frame of mind—about how authors can psyche themselves into writing using rituals at the beginning of each writing session and by believing in the stories they are telling. Part Three presents specific tools authors can use to help recall memorable quotes and scenes, how to collect new material, and how to gain feedback on drafts, such as using index cards on which to jot down ideas, joining or forming writing groups and sending drafts to a short-list of people an author trusts to give honest and useful feedback, and overcoming writer’s block by refilling the author’s emptiness through short exercises just to get the fingers moving. In part Four Lamott talks about the publication process and why an author simply giving herself to the writing act in and of itself is often the best reward: “There is no cosmic importance to your getting something published, but there is in learning to be a giver.” Part Five contains final words of wisdom and encouragement for the budding author. For example, an author should not hesitate to use experiences from their childhood (and tips are given on how to avoid libel when using autobiographical material).

Overall, rather than being the strict writing schoolmarm, Lamott is more like a writing companion. She chats over your shoulder with you at the end of the day, sipping a glass of wine, reflecting on her own experiences in the writing trenches, and sharing what worked for her in achieving success. Her advice is true and her voice is encouraging—she uses self-deprecating humor to convince any reader that their writing anguish is neither new nor unique since Lamott herself has likely already confronted and conquered those same demons. She persevered and achieved success, and the reader of her book too shall overcome and get their story onto the page. She mentions God throughout, but she does not come across as preachy. Again, she’s relating what worked for her, using anecdotes from memorable episodes in her life. There’s no magic and no divine inspiration to solve writing problems—she uses real techniques and encouragement to help confront and conquer the blank page.

Indeed, we can all use encouragement and insights from someone who’s already been there. Like the oft-repeated “Practice, practice, practice” response by legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein when he was stopped on a street in New York and was asked, “Pardon me sir, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?”, Lamott’s response to writers in Bird by Bird is just as wise and true, but perhaps even more motivational due to her humor and honest expression from the trenches.

Available on Amazon: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott

Kendall Giles » review

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