As the song says “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.” When we’re talking about a comprehensive curriculum that will give America’s youth the tools they need to compete in a global economy that beginning is Kindergarten. Don’t get me wrong. Pre-K educational programs are extremely important. And if you are looking to give your child the best start possible, you should absolutely enroll them in one or more such programs. But those programs are hard to codify and have few structural similarities with the more formalized grades. For me to try and sit here…
Recent Posts
Reference Humor: Rick and Morty Season 2 Episode 4 “Total Rickall”
In Reference Humor we take an episode of a popular TV show known for its pop culture references and break them down for you. Pointing out the nods and homages you might have missed and explaining their meaning. Its only fitting then, that I begin this series of posts by invoking the modern master of reference humor, Dan Harmon. His newest venture is the animated series Rick and Morty, already a cult classic in only its third season. The bold numbers represent the time at which the reference happened and be warned spoilers abound for a wide variety of films…
How Have You Not Seen That?- Rear Window
Mozart. Michelangelo. Jordan. Wolverine. Some people are just the best there is at what they do. And no name better epitomizes the cream of the crop of film making then Alfred Hitchcock. Psycho, The Birds, Notorious, Vertigo, North by Northwest each one a classic in its own right. And that is far from being a comprehensive list of his masterworks. With all of those classic films to his credit its hard to select just one of them that is a must see. The truth is they all are for any true film aficionado. But How Have You Not Seen That…
Robots Don’t Wear Belts- Androids
Its officially 2018, which means the time of our robot overlords grows ever near. At least if you listen to Stephen Hawking or Elon Musk you’d be forgiven for believing that. Those guys are geniuses far beyond me and there is certainly plenty of grounds for concern when it comes to artificial intelligence. But the world isn’t going to fall victim to Judgement Day tomorrow. And to reassure you of that I thought that in this edition of Robots Don’t Wear Belts we’d take a look at the current state one of the most elusive of technological developments in robotics:…
A Writer’s Tale- Lord Byron’s Bear
We here at the Eclectic Eccentric love to buck authority as much as the next blogger, but some times thumbing your nose at the man can escalate rather quickly. Such was the case in 1805 when Lord Byron, who would later go on to become one of history’s greatest poets, enrolled in Trinity College at Cambridge University. Lord Byron, who inherited his title at the age of ten, was not accustomed to being told what he could and could not do. And so he took it rather sourly when the administration told him that he was not allowed to keep…
A New Year and A New Look
Two years. That’s a very long time. In internet years its like two decades. In twitter years its a couple of lifetimes. A great many things have happened to the world in those two years. Most of it bad. But I’ve got a feeling that 2018 is the year we turn it all around. And to do my part I’m bringing back The Eclectic Eccentric. And I’m not just bringing it back, I’m giving it a facelift. Maybe it was time, maybe I’m excited about Jodi Whittaker becoming the thirteenth version of the Doctor, maybe I got bored while visiting…
Subtitle Subversive- The Hidden Fortress
To wrap up our tribute to the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens we take a look at the film that perhaps had the greatest influence on George Lucas when he was penning the original trilogy: Akira Kurosawa’s classic The Hidden Fortress. Released in 1957, The Hidden Fortress is another team up of famed samurai movie duo Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. It settles into place between Throne of Blood and Yojimbo on their joint filmography which is appropriate as this film is less of a sweeping epic than the former and less of a samurai film than the…
Character Study- Darth Vader
There are certain signatures in cinema that inspire emotions in us at an instinctive level, Bo Derek in a bikini, the cool confidence of John Wayne with a gun on his hip, the sight of Jaws’ fin above the water line; but only one creation in cinema has ever been able to inspire terror simply by breathing. When we hear that metallic inhuman sound we feel an innate terror that mixes with a feeling of anticipation and excitement because we know it means that Darth Vader is coming and people are going to die. We may admire a triumphant hero…
Star Wars Machete Order- Live Tweet
Hey Everybody!!! In anticipation of Watching Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens this week I thought I would catch up by watching the Saga the way its supposed to be watched Machete Order style. What is the Star Wars Machete order? Well first you watch Episodes 4 and 5 followed by 2 and 3 then ending with 6. This way you cut out The Dreadful Menace and see Darth Vader’s fall to the dark side via flashback. Is it better. Well to answer that your going to have to follow along on twitter @theeccentricGR as I live tweet my…
We Can Do That Now- Lightsabers
Over the years, science fiction has shaped the mind of many a young scientist and set them on a course to make reality the fictions of their childhood but perhaps never has that pursuit been more geared towards adolescent fulfillment than in scientists attempt to make the famous weapon of the Jedi the lightsaber, or as Obi-Wan would say an elegant weapon from a more civilized age. That’s right, continuing our Star Wars themed week here at The Eclectic Eccentric this edition of We Can Do That Now is going to focus on the dream of every fanboy the possibility…