review – harlan county horrors
[[via Shock Totem]]
Harlan County Horrors
by Mari Adkins (editor)
Apex Publications, 2009; 159ps.
* This review is based on an advance reading copy.
Darkness dwells in Harlan County, since the dawn of time and through the end of days. The people are wonderfully strong of will, insular, and prone to insanity or possession. The mountains and mines are shadowy monoliths, their presence always felt even when not actually seen. Harlan County Horrors is a collection of 12 stories, delving into the rich horrific literary tradition of the isolated mining community.
The anthology starts with “Harlan Moon,” by TL Trevaskis, which features some beautiful poetic descriptions of the town, and an entertaining ride through adventure and madness. Two superb examples of dark faerie tales and modern folklore follow in Alethea Kontis’ “The Witch of Black Mountain,” where a girl in an unfortunate circumstance meets a dark power on the mountain, and Debbie Kuhn’s “The Power of Moonlight,” a tale of magic and love and the price of their misuse.
We then go to the distant future with the seriously sci-fi “Hiding Mountain: Our Future in Apples,” by Earl P. Dean, where despite the changes in tech and society, the hard life of the Harlan miner stays the same. The book begins to hit its stride with Geoffrey Girard’s “Psychomachia,” an apocalyptic story of Harlan’s past, and evil beneath the earth. The prose gets a little heavy at times, but it’s appropriate for the scale of human devastation depicted. I read this story a few times, and enjoyed it more with each read.
“Yellow Warbler” by Jason Sizemore is my favorite of this collection. It’s an excellent sci-fi tale about age and wisdom versus xenophobic ignorance. Preacher Jeremiah and his world captured my interest and left me hungry for more.
Another story of future Harlan comes in the form of Jeremy C. Shipp’s “Kingdom Come,” which tells of an authoritarian dystopia that would give nightmares to Orwell. “Trouble Among the Yearlings,” by Maurice Broaddus, returns us to the unforgotten mines with his story of kin, vengeance, and coming of age in blood and darkness.
Story number nine is “Spirit Fire.” Robby Sparks spins a classically entertaining adventure about a small town cop standing against ancient evil. Strong characters, exciting climax, solid story. Ronald Kelly presents an awesomely hilarious splatterfest in the name of “The Thing at the Side of the Road.” Good monster, cool phrasings, it put a psychotic smirk on my face the whole way through. Excellent.
The Chiang-shih comes to Harlan in “Inheritance,” by Stephanie Lenz. It has intrigue and gore, a multi-cultural concept while keeping the small town vibe, and some disturbingly incestuous threads, all woven together to create quite the memorable tale. The last story is Steven L Shrewsbury’s “Greater of Two Evils,” a fun and strong ending to the book; it is a Call of Cthulu-esque adventure, an outsider’s look at the county’s pre-history.
I always expect excellence from Apex Publications, and was not disappointed with Harlan County Horrors. I had some minor issues with some of the stories—some monologuing here, too weird or confusing there, an occasional lame character name or a strain on disbelief—but all of the stories had wonderful concepts and some great lines, good impact and humor. Over half the stories are very strong and positively memorable, classic ideas with unique twists. Harlan County Horrors is another quality product from Apex, exactly what I’m looking for from a small press anthology.
Genuine Scooter Company - Buddy 125
7.20.2009
Most of the reviews here are gadgets. You know, the kind that fit in your pocket, help you navigate the planet or allow you to play games or listen to music.
Today, I'm doing a quick review of a scooter. With the current economic situation (actually better in the United States when referring to gas prices than it has been in years), people are still flocking to scooter stores to purchase these two-wheeled conveyances.
First, some scooter basics...
Scooters aren't toys
- Flip flops and sun dresses have no place on a scooter
- The rules of the road apply
- The Buddy 125 is considered a motorcycle, so you need a real motorcycle license
- The rules of physics apply more harshly
- Other drivers don't take you seriously
- Other drivers often can't see you
- While they're good on gas, scooters might pollute more than cars percentage wise
OK, enough naysaying. Here's what I've learned in my test of the Genuine Scooter Company Buddy 125.
The Buddy is a model of scooter from Genuine Scooter Company. The firm is based in Chicago and imports all of their scooters from Taiwan. The Buddy is actually a rebadged vehicle from Taiwan company PGO. PGO has been making the BuBu for decades and it's among the best selling scooters in the world.
What, you thought that the only good scooters were Vespas? Think again.
For half the cost of a Vespa, you can get a Buddy with similar horses, better mileage and a longer warranty.
How's it ride?
It's easy to ride because of a low center of gravity. The scoot goes where you point it and has the acceleration you might only expect from Ninja motorcycles. Seriously. The Buddy can out sprint nearly any car for the first 100-200 feet.
What's this good for? It helps you with visibility because you're ahead of most traffic and you have clear sightlines ahead. It also helps you get out of trouble. If a car doesn't see you and drifts into your lane, the acceleration allows you to speed ahead so you don't get mushed.
Overall, the ride is pretty stable. Caveats include a note about riding on rough roads and at high speed.
While the scoot can go about 60MPH, it isn't designed to stay at that speed for extended periods. The tiny wheels - 10-inches - are ill-equipped for speeds much above 50 and the low center of gravity make the bike act a little like a Weeble in high winds. It tips easily to the side so riders must be able to control the scoot in all situations.
Rough roads and tiny tires don't mix. While a motorcycle might have a difficult time on pockmarked asphalt, the Buddy has a nearly impossible task ahead if the road is a minefield. With the small tires, you can feel every pebble and crack in road surfaces. Bridge creases feel like small ledges and some potholes can jar you from toes to spine. That's another reason to take it slow.
But the news isn't all gloom. Around town, the Buddy is a dream. You can park it nearly anywhere and it darts from light to light with easy. The engine isn't too loud and there's lots of storage space for your stuff.
In fact, I was at a scooter rally the other day and a guy with a Vespa was astonished at the amount of room under the seat of the Buddy 125. You can almost fit a full-face helmet there, and there's plenty of room for locks and GPS and snacks and other gear.
What's the scooting takeaway?
The Buddy 125 gets about 100 miles per gallon. It has a 1.2 gallon tank and will speed around at up to 60+MPH.
I've had mine since June of 2008 when I purchased it new for $3000 and it now has 5400 miles on it.
I would recommend the model and brand to anyone who plans to scoot alone 80% of the time. It can get cramped with two people on it, but the engine is powerful enough to speed you both around if you can fit.
It's an affordable choice for anyone looking to get into a top-end scooter.
The only two things I don't like about it are how difficult it is to get to the innards and the poor quality of the cheesy charger.
There's a socket for a lighter charger, but the first time I used it I blew the fuse.
Then, because the scoot is snapped and screwed together from about a billion plastic panels, there's no way to get to the fuse (or many interior engine parts) without taking the scoot panels off. It would be great to have a little door with access to some parts.
To jump sides, if it were easy to get to the innards I guess it would make the scooter easier to steal. So I'll live with that shortcoming.
If I gave stars, the Genuine Buddy 125 would get 4 out of 5.
I love my Genuine Buddy and plan to ride it for 20,000 miles before I start shopping for my next scooter.
Today, I'm doing a quick review of a scooter. With the current economic situation (actually better in the United States when referring to gas prices than it has been in years), people are still flocking to scooter stores to purchase these two-wheeled conveyances.
First, some scooter basics...
Scooters aren't toys
- Flip flops and sun dresses have no place on a scooter
- The rules of the road apply
- The Buddy 125 is considered a motorcycle, so you need a real motorcycle license
- The rules of physics apply more harshly
- Other drivers don't take you seriously
- Other drivers often can't see you
- While they're good on gas, scooters might pollute more than cars percentage wise
OK, enough naysaying. Here's what I've learned in my test of the Genuine Scooter Company Buddy 125.
The Buddy is a model of scooter from Genuine Scooter Company. The firm is based in Chicago and imports all of their scooters from Taiwan. The Buddy is actually a rebadged vehicle from Taiwan company PGO. PGO has been making the BuBu for decades and it's among the best selling scooters in the world.
What, you thought that the only good scooters were Vespas? Think again.
For half the cost of a Vespa, you can get a Buddy with similar horses, better mileage and a longer warranty.
How's it ride?
It's easy to ride because of a low center of gravity. The scoot goes where you point it and has the acceleration you might only expect from Ninja motorcycles. Seriously. The Buddy can out sprint nearly any car for the first 100-200 feet.
What's this good for? It helps you with visibility because you're ahead of most traffic and you have clear sightlines ahead. It also helps you get out of trouble. If a car doesn't see you and drifts into your lane, the acceleration allows you to speed ahead so you don't get mushed.
Overall, the ride is pretty stable. Caveats include a note about riding on rough roads and at high speed.
While the scoot can go about 60MPH, it isn't designed to stay at that speed for extended periods. The tiny wheels - 10-inches - are ill-equipped for speeds much above 50 and the low center of gravity make the bike act a little like a Weeble in high winds. It tips easily to the side so riders must be able to control the scoot in all situations.
Rough roads and tiny tires don't mix. While a motorcycle might have a difficult time on pockmarked asphalt, the Buddy has a nearly impossible task ahead if the road is a minefield. With the small tires, you can feel every pebble and crack in road surfaces. Bridge creases feel like small ledges and some potholes can jar you from toes to spine. That's another reason to take it slow.
But the news isn't all gloom. Around town, the Buddy is a dream. You can park it nearly anywhere and it darts from light to light with easy. The engine isn't too loud and there's lots of storage space for your stuff.
In fact, I was at a scooter rally the other day and a guy with a Vespa was astonished at the amount of room under the seat of the Buddy 125. You can almost fit a full-face helmet there, and there's plenty of room for locks and GPS and snacks and other gear.
What's the scooting takeaway?
The Buddy 125 gets about 100 miles per gallon. It has a 1.2 gallon tank and will speed around at up to 60+MPH.
I've had mine since June of 2008 when I purchased it new for $3000 and it now has 5400 miles on it.
I would recommend the model and brand to anyone who plans to scoot alone 80% of the time. It can get cramped with two people on it, but the engine is powerful enough to speed you both around if you can fit.
It's an affordable choice for anyone looking to get into a top-end scooter.
The only two things I don't like about it are how difficult it is to get to the innards and the poor quality of the cheesy charger.
There's a socket for a lighter charger, but the first time I used it I blew the fuse.
Then, because the scoot is snapped and screwed together from about a billion plastic panels, there's no way to get to the fuse (or many interior engine parts) without taking the scoot panels off. It would be great to have a little door with access to some parts.
To jump sides, if it were easy to get to the innards I guess it would make the scooter easier to steal. So I'll live with that shortcoming.
If I gave stars, the Genuine Buddy 125 would get 4 out of 5.
I love my Genuine Buddy and plan to ride it for 20,000 miles before I start shopping for my next scooter.
Mangling
5.10.2009
Just an update for readers. I'm trying to change the template to the Test-Lab blog to make it more readable and enjoyable.
In doing so, I've mangled some of the info I had here before.
Stay tuned, I hope to have the site back in perfect form...with a new look...by Tuesday, May 12, 2009.
Thanks!
Jeff
In doing so, I've mangled some of the info I had here before.
Stay tuned, I hope to have the site back in perfect form...with a new look...by Tuesday, May 12, 2009.
Thanks!
Jeff
South Shore Country Club - Low Hanging Fruit
4.26.2009
I'm a golfer. Sometimes. Recreationally.
And one of the things I've learned over the years of playing different golf courses is that some facilities are very adept at capitalizing on the simple revenue builders that present themselves.
Others, like South Shore Country Club in Hingham, fall dismally short of creating a win-win for their bottom line and their patrons.
What am I talking about? Let's go with real-world examples, shall we?
My brother and I were on the eighth hole at South Shore and we felt some hunger pangs. We looked at each other and agreed that we should call the clubhouse and order some lunch.
1 - The reason we had to call ahead was because the snack shack at the turn was closed. On a Saturday. In the middle of the day.
2 - When we called the pro shop, they said they didn't have the phone number for the restaurant. Good work.
3 - Thankfully I had an iPhone with me. I went online and found the restaurant/catering number. We called it. The phone rang and then went to voicemail.
What's the story? No snacks sold because the shack was closed. A quick $2 hot dog and a Gatorade sold to us instead of two $7 sandwiches.
Put a phone in at the eighth tee box that rings directly in the kitchen. Guessing that 50%+ of people playing would call ahead for a meal.
ALSO, if people could call ahead for their meal, the course would see more play and generate more revenue.
How? Because the people who still need to eat after nine holes are going to slow up play while they wait for the ONE person working on a Saturday to get their hot dogs.
Other failures during Saturday's round? No water in many of the coolers on the course. No ranger on the course ANYWHERE at any time...ON A SATURDAY. And finally, the starter was hanging out in the pro shop while cart after cart of players lined up at the tee box, bogging down play for the rest of the day.
By the way, golf courses aren't alone in this. My friend Rachel Happe just had an interminable 11-hour ride on the Amtrak Acela train. She told the world via Twitter that the train had no food in the cafe car and that the train - supposedly a modern transportation marvel - was not wired for Wifi.
Are companies not thinking about how to make a buck? Are they that complacent?
No wonder we're in a depression/recession.
What failures to capitalize have you seen lately? Please share in the notes here.
-30-
And one of the things I've learned over the years of playing different golf courses is that some facilities are very adept at capitalizing on the simple revenue builders that present themselves.
Others, like South Shore Country Club in Hingham, fall dismally short of creating a win-win for their bottom line and their patrons.
What am I talking about? Let's go with real-world examples, shall we?
My brother and I were on the eighth hole at South Shore and we felt some hunger pangs. We looked at each other and agreed that we should call the clubhouse and order some lunch.
1 - The reason we had to call ahead was because the snack shack at the turn was closed. On a Saturday. In the middle of the day.
2 - When we called the pro shop, they said they didn't have the phone number for the restaurant. Good work.
3 - Thankfully I had an iPhone with me. I went online and found the restaurant/catering number. We called it. The phone rang and then went to voicemail.
What's the story? No snacks sold because the shack was closed. A quick $2 hot dog and a Gatorade sold to us instead of two $7 sandwiches.
Put a phone in at the eighth tee box that rings directly in the kitchen. Guessing that 50%+ of people playing would call ahead for a meal.
ALSO, if people could call ahead for their meal, the course would see more play and generate more revenue.
How? Because the people who still need to eat after nine holes are going to slow up play while they wait for the ONE person working on a Saturday to get their hot dogs.
Other failures during Saturday's round? No water in many of the coolers on the course. No ranger on the course ANYWHERE at any time...ON A SATURDAY. And finally, the starter was hanging out in the pro shop while cart after cart of players lined up at the tee box, bogging down play for the rest of the day.
By the way, golf courses aren't alone in this. My friend Rachel Happe just had an interminable 11-hour ride on the Amtrak Acela train. She told the world via Twitter that the train had no food in the cafe car and that the train - supposedly a modern transportation marvel - was not wired for Wifi.
Are companies not thinking about how to make a buck? Are they that complacent?
No wonder we're in a depression/recession.
What failures to capitalize have you seen lately? Please share in the notes here.
-30-
review: mind the gap
4.19.2009
Mind the Gap: A Novel of the Hidden Cities
Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon
978-0-553-38469-7
$12US trade paperback, 370 pages
May 20, 2008
After Jasmine Town is a near-witness to her mother's murder, she finds herself alone and on the run, the words her mother had written in her own blood driving her away from home. Jazz hide forever. Her mother had told her for as long as she could remember never to run, to lose herself in a crowd, that running only drew attention. However, in a panic, she bolts into an Underground station and causes a fuss on the platform. Seeing an out, she takes it -- a narrow ledge beyond the platform which leads her to the doorstep of another life.
In what used to be a bomb shelter, she finds a storehouse of goods and foods. And a group of 'lost children' and their 'leader', who call themselves the United Kingdom. A group of thieves and pickpockets, these children rely upon these skills for their livelihoods. They take Jazz into their fold where all the paranoia her mother raised her with serves her and the United Kingdom well.
Jasmine Downe's story is one any fan of young adult fantasy, sleight of hand magic, and intrigue is sure to enjoy.
Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon
978-0-553-38469-7
$12US trade paperback, 370 pages
May 20, 2008
After Jasmine Town is a near-witness to her mother's murder, she finds herself alone and on the run, the words her mother had written in her own blood driving her away from home. Jazz hide forever. Her mother had told her for as long as she could remember never to run, to lose herself in a crowd, that running only drew attention. However, in a panic, she bolts into an Underground station and causes a fuss on the platform. Seeing an out, she takes it -- a narrow ledge beyond the platform which leads her to the doorstep of another life.
In what used to be a bomb shelter, she finds a storehouse of goods and foods. And a group of 'lost children' and their 'leader', who call themselves the United Kingdom. A group of thieves and pickpockets, these children rely upon these skills for their livelihoods. They take Jazz into their fold where all the paranoia her mother raised her with serves her and the United Kingdom well.
Jasmine Downe's story is one any fan of young adult fantasy, sleight of hand magic, and intrigue is sure to enjoy.
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