2 June 2014

 Birthdays
Sterling Beaumon b. 1995 (Lost, Heroes)
Stephan Bender b. 1989 (Superman Returns)
Amber Marshall b. 1988 (Fallout Asylum, Dark Oracle, Resident Evil: Apocalypse)
Jewel Staite b. 1982 (Supernatural, Warehouse 13, Mothman, Stargate: Atlantis, Serenity, Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, Firefly, The Immortal, Honey I Shrunk the Kids: TV Show, Flash Forward, The X-Files, Sanctuary, Kyle XY, Supernatural, Thralls)
James Ransome b. 1979 (Jericho, The American Astronaut)
Morena Baccarin b. 1979 (V, Serenity, Firefly, Stargate SG-1, Sands of Oblivion)
Dominic Cooper b. 1978 (Dracula Untold, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Dead Man Down, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Devil’s Double, Jericho, From Hell)
Nikki Cox b. 1978 (Eerie, Indiana, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Justin Long b. 1978 (Idiocracy, The Sasquatch Gang, Galaxy Quest)
Zachary Quinto b. 1977 (Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek, American Horror Story, Heroes, Charmed)
Leah Cairns b. 1974 (Interstallar, The Tomorrow People, Mega Cyclone, Battlestar Galactica)
Wentworth Miller b. 1972 (Resident Evil, Underworld, Dinotopia, Buffy)
Anthony Montgomery b. 1971 (Enterprise, Charmed, Stargate SG-1)
Joel Tobeck b. 1971 (Power Rangers, 30 Days of Night, Mee-Shee: The Water Giant, The Lord of the Rings, Cleopatra 2525, Xena, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Mysterious Island, My Grandpa is a Vampire)
Sean Chapman b. 1961 (Hellraiser I and II)
Liam Cunningham b. 1961 (Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Merlin, Clash of the Titans, Blood: The Last Vampire, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Police 2020)
Dennis Haysbert b. 1954 (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, The Thirteenth Floor, K-9000, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Galactica 1980, The Incredible Hulk)
Kevork Malikyan b. 1943 (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Thief of Baghdad [TV], Doctor Who)
Charles Haid b. 1943 (The Dreamer of Oz, Nightbreed, Deadly Nightmares, The Twilight Zone, Wonder Woman, Altered States, The Amazing Spider-Man)
Stacy Keach b. 1941 (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Man with the Screaming Brain, Galaxy Hunter, Future Fear, Escape form L.A., Amanda & the Alien, Class of 1999, Project U.F.O.)
Sally Kellerman b. 1937 (Deadtime Stories, Faerie Tale Theatre, Slither, The Invaders, Star Trek, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone)
Robert Tessier b. 1934 died 11 October 1990 (Future Force, Amazing Stories, Manimal, The Sword and the Sorcerer, The Incredible Hulk, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Star Crash, The Velvet Vampire)
Charles “Pete” Conrad b. 1930 died 8 July 1999 (Apollo 12 moonwalker)
Thomas Hill b. 1927 died 20 April 2009 (The NeverEnding Story I and II, V: The Final Battle, Wizards and Warriors, Firefox, World War III, Quintet)
Milo O’Shea b. 1926 died 2 April 2013 (Beauty and the Beast, Theatre of Blood, Barbarella)
Lester del Rey b. 1915 died 10 May 1993 (author, The Year After Tomorrow, Into Thy Hands)

Okay, let's start with the Picture Slot. Guys who walked on the moon are trump this year, no debate.

If not for Pete Conrad, I might have gone with Liam Cunningham from Game of Thrones, or one of the many fabulous babes, most notably Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite or Sally Kellerman, or I don't know... how about Spock? There's also a passel of actors better known for non-genre roles Like Stacy Keach as Mike Hammer, Charles Quaid as Renko on Hill Street Blues, Justin Long as the Mac in the Mac & PC ads, and James Ransome as Ziggy Sobotka on The Wire.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

Predictor: OMNI Future Almanac, published 1982

Prediction: In 2010, the first portable biochip interface computer model will be demonstrated. A high-speed biochip interface will be patented. The chip will be implanted near crucial nerve bundles in one side of the chest with a plug that lies on the skin surface. A thin wire will run from the chip to the computer, which can be kept in any convenient pocket. The chip will pick up, average and translate brain waves recorded through residual ganglia vibration.

Reality:  Um... once the brain waves are picked up, what are we going to do with them?

Being as generous as I can, this kinda sorta is like the FitBit stuff that records activity like heartbeat and respiration. But brain waves are still a foreign language to us in terms of practical use and translation into anything that makes sense.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Our British pal Geoffrey Hoyle will also take a look at 2010, probably predicting technology that is more in the ball park.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!