We’re two weeks out from election day. Campaigns are now in their final sprint and with so many races out there, it can be hard to decide where to make your final donations of the cycle. To help you out I’ve put together a ranking of where I think your money can do the most good. I’ve listed each candidate’s name and the reasoning for where I positioned them on this list. I hope this helps. You can donate to all of these campaigns here: https://secure.actblue.com/directory/all/all/fed-senate. 1. Jon Ossof (Georgia)- Georgia is the big prize on the map this year…
Author: eclecticeccentric
We Can Do That Now!-Universal Translators
The foundation of any good relationship is communication. This is true of friendships, marriages, communities, and civilizations. Being able to articulate nuanced thoughts and feelings is the only way by which we gain a deeper understanding of those around us. Throughout history, language has been the primary means used by humanity to communicate with one another. But we don’t all speak the same language, and so barriers remain. And while the urge to understand one another my date back to the dawn of time it is the advent of science-fiction that pushed the concept of a universal translation machine to…
On The Shelf- I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Every few months I take a weekend and attend a writer’s conference. These conferences almost always have swag bags filled with the goodies we authors appreciate most books and pens. These backpacks full of books are often filled with works that are not up my particular alley. (So much romance, so little interest.) I was pleasantly surprised when in one of these swag bags I found I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Iain Reid’s debut novel, amongst my freebies. The novel came highly praised and I placed it on my to-read shelf with great excitement and anticipation. Time passed, life…
We Can Do That Now!-Personal Jetpacks
One of humanity’s oldest and most primal urges is to learn what it’s like to fly. Tales of humans and gods soaring through the sky litter mythology. Throughout history some of humanities greatest engineers sketched out ideas in an attempt to make their dreams a reality. And finally, with the invention of the airplane, they succeeded. But flying across the country in a cramped coach seat isn’t exactly what our ancestors had in mind. They want to feel the wind on their faces, to feel the freedom of nothing but air all around them. Which is why even after…
On The Shelf- Noir
This month’s On the Shelf entry is another product of a conference swag bag and it combines three of my favorite things the Noir genre, satire, and the city of San Francisco. I have to say, in my entire life rarely have I come across a book that so wildly altered my perception of it as I read. I began reading with great excitement, became bored and disinterested, then finally became enthralled as I finished one of my most enjoyable reads in a long while. I hope you’ll go on this madcap zany adventure with me as I discuss Christopher…
We Can Do That Now!-Hypospray
Needles. Everybody hates them. Even those of us who don’t have a phobia of them still find the process of jabbing sharpened metal into our skin to be a not so comfortable experience. Which might be why in science fiction we find that an alternative to this invasive experience is as common a staple as spaceships and laser beams. I’m speaking of course of the future’s most famous medical tool: Hypospray. As is the case with most hypothetical futuristic technologies the hypospray was popularized on the original Star Trek stories. The story goes that it was an inventive way of…
Character Study- Amélie Poulain
From the early nineties to the early ‘aughts our screens were inundated with stories featuring the manic pixie dream girl. She was weird but in a cool way, and always marched to the beat of her own drum but still fell formulaically in love with whatever boy happened to be the writer’s stand-in for his geek boy angst. And I will admit that a geek boy writer I am as drawn to the manic pixie dream girl fantasy as the next nerd. But I realize that this character is a construct and that people, like life, are far more complicated.…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s guide to binging through the Apocalypse- Standards
Sometimes you’re just in the mood to listen to the classics, to those crooners who make you swoon. You know the ones I’m talking about. But in case you forgot here is a reminder. Find this playlist of Spotify here. Ain’t That A Kick In The Head- Dean Martin Cheek to Cheek- Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga I’ve Got The World On A String- Frank Sinatra Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)- Frank Sinatra, Count Basie It Had To Be You- Harry Connick, Jr. I Put A Spell On You- Nina Simone It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s Guide to Binging Through the Apocalypse: Western Television Series
The western is a staple of the American entertainment industry and has been filling dime novels and radio plays since long before there were televisions but like most worthwhile things the great westerns have stories that are timeless. Here are some of my favorite westerns for you to check out. Longmire- In modern-day Wyoming, one sheriff has a lot of territory to cover and a precarious relationship with the nearby Native American community and its shiny new casino. Justified- Another modern western about an old-school lawman. Big hats and gunfights aplenty for this series about a U.S Marshall who gets…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s guide to binging through the Apocalypse- Flash Comics
The Fastest Man Alive may be known for his quickness but you’re going to want to take your time and enjoy these classic stories about the Scarlet Speedster. Here are some of my favorite Flash stories for you to speed your way through. The Trial of the Flash- This two-year arc sees Barry Aleen on trial for the murder of the evil speedster Zoom. It’s an emotional gauntlet full of twists and turns that will have you trying to figure out what’s going on all the way to the last panel The Return of Barry Allen- Barry Allen is back…