4 December 2014

Birthdays
Hilary Cruz b. 1988 (Sand Sharks)
Orlando Brown b. 1987 (Phil of the Future)
Grant Pierce Myers b. 1981 (writer, The Maze Runner)
James Francis Ginty b. 1980 (Supernatural)
Victor Garcia b. 1974 (director, Hellraiser: Revelations, Frost Giant, 30 Days of Night: Blood Trails)
Kevin Sussman b. 1970 (Big Bang Theory, A.I. Artificial Intelligence)
John L. Adams b. 1970 (Stephen King’s The Dead Zone)
Tony Todd b. 1954 (The Man From Earth, Stargate SG-1, Andromeda, Smallville, Angel, Candyman, Babylon 5, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Star Trek: Voyager, Xena, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The X-Files, The Crow, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Night of the Living Dead[1990])
Mick Garris b. 1951 (writer, Fear Itself, Masters of Horror, Hocus-Pocus, She-Wolf of London, The Fly 2, Critters 2, *batteries not included, Amazing Stories)
Pamela Stephenson b. 1949 (Superman III, Space: 1999)
Jeff Bridges b. 1949 (R.I.P.D., TRON and TRON: Legacy, Iron Man, K-PAX, Starman, Faerie Tale Theatre, King Kong [1976])
Gemma Jones b. 1942 (Atlantis [2013], Harry Potter, Merlin, Return of the Borrowers, The Jim Henson Hour)
Jimmy Hunt b. 1939 (Invaders from Mars [1986 and 1953])
Donnelly Rhodes b. 1937 (Supernatural, TRON: Legacy, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Roswell: The Aliens Attack, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, The X-Files, Sliders, Deadly Nightmares, Wonder Woman)
Victor French b. 1934 died 15 June 1989 (Captain Nice, Batman, My Favorite Martian)
Michael Bates b. 1920 died 11 January 1978 (A Clockwork Orange)
Samuel Butler b. 1835 died 18 June 1902 (author, Erewhon)

A short list today and a short set of notes.

Jeff Bridges gets the Picture Slot, Tony Todd got it last year. As for 2015, the top three candidates are Kevin Sussman as the comic book shop owner from The Big Bang Theory, Gemma Jones as Madam Pomfrey from the Harry Potter films and Jimmy Hunt as the little kid in the original Invaders From Mars.

Donnelly Rhodes is The Guy at the Door today, everyone born before him is dead and everyone after him is alive, as is he. Always extra best wishes to The Guy at the Door.

 There are two credit lists that look Canadian, but only one actual Canuck. Take your best shot.

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

IN THE YEAR 2000! 

Predictor: Lee de Forest, "The Father of Radio", predicting the world of 2000 in the 17 January 1960 edition of the Sunday supplement American Weekly.

Prediction: Thanks to data furnished by satellites, as well as the electronic analysis of land, atmosphere, and oceans, climate control will be within man's reach. We will know how to dissipate storms of hurricane intensity or divert them from their destructive course. We will unfreeze ports which are now icebound. We will be able to predict weather precisely for months and years ahead.

Reality: Scoring this one is easy. One goose egg, both big and fat. The one thing that is close is the satellite data has improved weather prediction. Five day forecasts in the 21st Century are WAY better than they were in 1960, but we also understand more about chaotic systems and the limits of predicting them. Five days good, seven days not so good, two weeks even worse and the longer the prediction time, the more chance the prediction will fall apart. Not unlike this prediction.

This is the last prediction of Lee de Forest from the 1960 Sunday supplement. I have one more prediction from him from another source, so next Thursday we will say farewell. He was pretty good in his area of expertise, radio and communications in general, and on other stuff he was hit or miss. He's no John Elfreth Watkins (sniff.), but I for one will miss him.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's another look into crystal ball with a young H.G. Wells from his 1902 book Anticipations.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!