Analeigh Tipton b. 1988 (Lucy, Warm Bodies, The Green Hornet [2011], The Big Bang Theory)
Vanessa Lachey b. 1980 (Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer)
Scottie Thompson b. 1981 (Skyline, Star Trek [2009 movie])
Cory Hardrict b. 1979 (Transcendence, Warm Bodies, Battle Los Angeles, Heroes, Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave, Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis, Creature Unknown, Angel)
Nick Lachey b. 1973 (Rise: Blood Hunter, Bewitched, Charmed)
Allison Court b. 1973 (Haven, The Twilight Zone [1989])
Gabrielle Miller b. 1973 (Lost Girl, Alienated, Jake 2.0, Jeremiah, The Immortal, The First Wave, the New Addams Family, Welcome to Paradox, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Stargate SG-1, The X-Files, Sliders, Highlander, M.A.N.T.I.S.)
Eric Dane b. 1972 (The Last Ship, X-Men; The Last Stand, Charmed)
Jason Antoon b. 1971 (No Ordinary Family, Vamped Out, The Lost Room, Minority Report)
Lori Lively b. 1966 (I Kissed a Vampire, Sandman, Free Enterprise, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Disaster in Time, Dead Space, Night of the Creeps)
Robert Duncan McNeill b. 1964 (Infested, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Quantum Leap, Master of the Universe, Twilight Zone [1985])
Teryl Rothery b. 1962 (Arrow, R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, Caprica, Alice [2009 TV], Smallville, Kyle XY, Eureka, Supernatural, Stargate SG-1, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Dead Like Me, Jeremiah, Threshold [2003 TV movie], Sabrina the Teenage Witch in Friends Forever, So Weird, Warriors of Virtue, The X-Files, M.A.N.T.I.S.)
Karen Dotrice b. 1955 (Voyagers!, The Gnome-Mobile, Mary Poppins)
Lou Ferrigno b. 1951 (Star Trek Continues, The Avengers, Soupernatural, The Incredible Hulk [2008 movie and 1982 TV], Hulk [2003], Black Scorpion, Conan, Frogtown II, Sinbad of the Seven Seas, The Adventures of Hercules II, Hercules)
Robert David Hall b. 1947 (Starship Troopers, Mann & Machine)
Charles Robinson b. 1945 (Charmed, Carnivale, Beowulf, Project: ALF)
Carl Sagan b.1934 died 20 December 1996 (author, Contact)
Louise Troy b. 1933 died 5 May 1994 (Ghostbusters II)
Robert Gillespie b. 1933 (At the Earth’s Core, Doomwatch, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed)
Severn Darden b. 1929 died 27 May 1995 (Beauty and the Beast [1989 TV], Faerie Tale Theatre, Saturday the 14th, Beyond Westworld, Salvage 1, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Ghost Busters [1975 TV], Wonder Woman, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Werewolves on Wheels, I Dream of Jeannie)
Alan Caillou b. 1914 died 1 October 2006 (The Ice Pirates, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Quark, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Questor Tapes, Journey to the Center of the Earth [1959])
Robert Douglas b. 1909 died 11 January 1999 (director, Man from Atlantis, Future Cop, Shazam!, The Immortal, The Invaders, Lost in Space)
Ed Wynn b. 1886 died 19 June 1966 (The Gnome-Mobile, Mary Poppins, Twilight Zone, Son of Flubber, Babes in Toyland, the Absent Minded Professor, Cinderfella, Miracle on 34th Street [1959 TV movie])
Today, the Picture Slot decision is trimmed down to just a few. Last year, it was Carl Sagan. This year, it's Robert Duncan McNeil from Star Trek: Voyager, the youngest person on the list to have what I consider an iconic role. Next year, it's Lou Ferrigno all hulked out or Ed Wynn from Twilight Zone on Mary Poppins.
There are three Canadians to spot, but one I think is too tricky because of so few roles. I'll give you Allison Court, the other two should take no clues from me whatsoever. Answer in the comments by noon Pacific time.
Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.
Prediction: In February 2001, China seizes the Paracel and Spratley Islands in the South China Sea in an attempt to secure rich oil fields, and then begins to move on the Philippines and threaten Japan's trade routes. Fierce resistance from Vietnam, backed by France, proves surprisingly effective. When Japan's attempt to call on the U.S. for help is rejected, partly because racist Americans have little sympathy for them, the Japanese reveal that they have been building nuclear weapons for some time, and explode one underground to demonstrate their willingness to defend themselves against China. The reactions of all the nuclear nations are discussed in this work, unusual in dealing with proliferation. As part of a complex chain of escalation, the Chinese send nuclear-armed submarines against the U.S., allowing one to be discovered the better to use the second as a threat. The relative helplessness of missile defences against sub-based missiles is discussed. The last quarter of the novel features a good deal of nuclear brinksmanship, with detailed discussion of the inadequacy and futility of civil defence in both the U.S. and Britain. Though an actual nuclear exchange is finally averted, China then attempts to invade Taiwan, but is repelled successfully, thanks to U.S.-supplied arms and fierce resistance. More scenario than novel, complete with endnotes, a timeline, and an index, characters in this book are lucky if they have names--personalities are out of the question. The narrative reads like a set of war-gaming instructions, punctuated by detailed commentary on the state of the relevant stock exchanges (U.S. interests are represented by the price-per-share of Boeing). The Japanese exchange is being cleverly manipulated by the Chinese to yield them huge returns at the end of the war so that even though China has been forced to retreat and has gained none of its obvious war aims, it has earned so much through financial wizardry that it is able to finance a superior military which will be able to threaten the world more seriously next time. None of the countries involved seems to have any regulatory mechanisms in place to prevent their open markets from being used as weapons of war. The novel almost suggests that the entire war has been a feint to conceal this financial coup.
Reality: Regular readers will known that a prediction that has so many spoilers from a book comes from Professor Paul Brians' great nuclear holocaust fiction website, and once again I thank him for it. One of Dale Brown's predictions also included the Chinese taking over the Spratley Islands in one of his slightly futuristic war novels. Invading Taiwan has not been mentioned yet.
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!
Another Monday, another dip into the OMNI Future Almanac, the early bright spot in my Monday mornings.
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
Usually, the Canadians tend to be under 40, but today we have 40 something Gabrielle Miller and 50 something Teryl Rothery. Jeremiah, Stargate, The X Files and M.A.N.T.I.S are the easiest clues.
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