Saturday, June 28, 2014

28 June 2014

Birthdays
Kare Hedebrant b. 1995 (Let the Right One In)
Felicia Day b. 1979 (Supernatural, The Guild, Eureka, Red: Werewolf Hunter, The Legend of Neil, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Buffy)
Alessandro Nivola b. 1972 (The Eye, Jurassic Park III)
Ayelet Zurer b. 1969 (Man of Steel, Halo 4: Forward Into Dawn)
Gil Bellows b. 1967 (Extraterrestrial, Sanctuary, Goblin, FlashForward, Smallville, Infected, Final Days of Planet Earth, Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creature, Snow White: A Tale of Terror)
John Cusack b. 1966 (Cell [2014], Hot Tub Time Machine, 2012, Being John Malkovich)
Mary Stuart Masterson b. 1966 (Amazing Stories, The Stepford Wives [1975])
Sara Stewart b. 1966 (Wizards vs. Aliens, The Prisoner [2009], Demons, Batman Begins, Doctor Who, Space Island One)
Christopher Doohan b. 1959 (Star Trek Continues, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek, Star Trek: the Motion Picture)
Alice Krige b. 1954 (Thor: The Dark World, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Solomon Kane, Children of Dune, Dinotopia, Star Trek: Voyager, Welcome to Paradox, Twilight of the Ice Nymphs, Star Trek: First Contact, Sleepwalkers, The Hidden Room, Ghost Story)
Raffaella De Laurentiis b. 1954 (producer, The Forbidden Kingdom, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Kull the Conqueror, DragonHeart, Dune, Conan the Destroyer, Conan the Barbarian)
Lalla Ward b. 1951 (Doctor Who, Vampire Circus)
David Gautreaux b. 1951 (The Event, Threshold, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Man from Atlantis)
Kathy Bates b. 1948 (American Horror Story, Alice, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Golden Compass, Dragonfly, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Stand, My Best Friend is a Vampire, The Morning After)
Bruce Davison b. 1946 (Return of the Killer Shrews, Earth’s Final Hours, Lost, Knight Rider [2009], The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Battlestar Galactica, Kingdom Hospital, X-Men, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Hunger [TV], Star Trek: Voyager, Harry and the Hendersons [TV[, Amazing Stories, V, The Astronauts, The Lathe of Heaven, Willard)
Robert Asprin b. 1946 died 22 May 2008 (author, Myth Adventures, Thieves’ World)
Gilda Radner b. 1946 died 20 May 1989 (Haunted Honeymoon, Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins, Jack: A Flash Fantasy)
Pat Morita b. 1932 died 24 November 2005 (Earth Minus Zero, Timemaster, Space Rangers, Harry and the Hendersons [TV], The Munsters Today, Alice in Wonderland [1985 TV], Slapstick (Of Another Kind), Full Moon High, The Incredible Hulk, Man from Atlantis)
Don Dubbins b. 1928 died 17 August 1991 (Starman [TV], The Incredible Hulk, Project U.F.O., I Dream of Jeannie, The Illustrated Man, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twilight Zone, Men Into Space, From the Earth to the Moon)
Mel Brooks b. 1926 (Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein)
Maxine Stuart b. 1918 died 6 June 2013 (The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone)

Nice long list today filled with actors, writers, directors, producers, you name it. Last year, the Picture Slot belonged to Felicia Day, and deciding not to repeat I had a lot of choices. There are actual movie stars like John Cusack and Mel Brooks, truly recognizable character actors like Pat Morita and Kathy Bates and the very busy Bruce Davison, who I think is still at the Oh That Guy level in the public consciousness. But my choice is the lovely Alice Krige as the not so lovely Borg Queen. I've been keen on her since her breakout role in Chariots of Fire as the Gilbert and Sullivan actress who is Harold Abrahams' object of affection. 

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

Movies released
Superman Returns released 2006  

Predictor: Matthew Hubbard on his Math Year 2013 blog on 7 December 2013

Prediction: Other than Colombia, no team from Group C or Group H will win a game in the knockout stage of the 2014 World Cup.

Reality: I didn't say who would get through other than Colombia and I didn't say who they would be playing. If you click on the link, you'll see I only mentioned Uruguay, England and Italy in Group D, completely ignoring plucky Costa Rica, who won the group handily playing a very disciplined offsides trap defense that gave Uruguay and Italy fits. Here are the games this prediction covers, which doesn't include today's Colombia-Uruguay match, since I only said Colombia has a chance to win. The numbers behind them are from Nate Silver's Soccer Power Index.

Sunday: Costa Rica over Greece (Costa Rica favored 57% to 43%)
Monday: Germany over Algeria (Germany favored 82% to 18%)
Tuesday: United States over Belgium (Belgium favored 59% to 41%)

On Wednesday, I'll be back with the results.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It was bumped today, but tomorrow we make another trip back to 1893.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

2 comments:

  1. Your analysis of Groups C, D, G and H has held up, and with three underwhelming group-stage wins, Belgium appears to have bolstered your case. With Colombia winning today, you're halfway home. Good work.

    Also, too: Allez, USA!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I'm still at square one. I'd be stunned if Germany loses, but the Ticos and the Yanks should have tough games.

      Delete

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