15 February 2015

Birthdays
Zachary Gordon b. 1998 (National Treasure: Book of Secrets)
Jessica de Gouw b. 1988 (Arrow, Dracula [2013], These Final Hours)
Ashley Tesoro b. 1983 (The Werewolf Reborn!, Mystery Monsters, Demon in a Bottle, Lord of Illusions, Lost Island)
Kaj-Erik Eriksen b. 1979 (The Triple Eight, The 4400, Star Trek: Enterprise, Stephen King's Dead Zone, Poltergeist: The Legacy, The Girl From Mars)
Brendon Small b. 1975 (The Venture Brothers)
Sara Wynter b. 1973 (Stephen King’s Dead Zone [TV], The 6th Day, NightMan, Species II)
Renee O’Connor b. 1971 (Ark,Monster Ark, Boogeyman 2, Alien Apocalypse, Xena, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Tales from the Crypt)
Megan Dodds b. 1970 (Awake)
Michael Easton b. 1967 (Mutant X, Total Recall 2070, VR.5)
Kim Meyers b. 1966 (Perversions of Science, Hellraiser: Bloodline, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge)
Chris Farley b. 1964 died 18 December 1997 (Coneheads)
Christopher McDonald b. 1955 (Stargate Universe, Spy Kids 2, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Twilight Zone [1986], Knight Rider)
Matt Groening b. 1954 (writer, Futurama)
Jane Seymour b. 1951 (Smallville, The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell, Battlestar Galactica, Somewhere in Time, Frankenstein: The True Story)
Sherry Jackson b. 1942 (The Incredible Hulk, Star Trek, Batman, Lost in Space, Twilight Zone)
Francis X. McCarthy b. 1942 (Interstellar, Supernatural, CAT. 8, Smallville, Race to Mars, Stephen King's Dead Zone, 10.5 Apocalypse, Odyssey 5, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Babylon 5, The Relic, SeaQuest 2032, M.A.N.T.I.S., Alien Nation, ALF, The Man with Two Brains, The Greatest American Hero, Altered States)
Claire Bloom b. 1931 (Doctor Who, Clash of the Titans, The Illustrated Man, Charly, The Haunting, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm)
Harvey Korman b. 1927 died 29 May 2008 (Munchies, The Invisible Woman, The Star Wars Holiday Special)
Carlos Romero b. 1927 died 21 June 2007 (Wonder Woman, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Six Million Dollar Man, Soylent Green, The Invaders, )
Keene Curtis b. 1923 died 23 October 2002 (Stargate SG-1, Lois & Clark, Star Trek: Voyager, The Wizard, Knight Rider, Logan's Run [TV], Wonder Woman, Strange New World, Stowaway to the Moon, Dark Shadows)
Herman Kahn b. 1922 died 7 July 1983 (author, The Next 200 Years)
Allan Arbus b. 1918 died 19 April 2013 (The Amazing Spider-Man [1979], Americathon, Salvage 1, Damien: The Omen II, Wonder Woman)
Meg Wyllie b. 1917 died 1 January 2002 (Star Trek, Twilight Zone)
Ian Ballentine b. 1916 died 9 March 1995 (publisher, Ballentine Books)
Kevin McCarthy b. 1914 died 11 September 2010 (Ghoulies III, Eve of Destruction, Innerspace, Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Howling, Invasion of the Body Snatchers [1978 and 1956], Piranha, Between Time and Timbuktu, The Invaders, Twilight Zone [1960])
Cesar Romero b. 1907 died1 January 1994 (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Bewitched, Batman)
Gale Sondergaard b. 1899 died 14 August 1985 (The Invisible Man's Revenge)
Sax Rohmer b. 1883 died 1 June 1959 (author, Fu Manchu)
John Barrymore b. 1882 died 29 May 1942 (The Invisible Woman, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)

Notes from the birthday list
1. The Picture Slot. The list skews a little old today, with three people born in the 19th Century and three others - Meg Wyllie, Kevin McCarthy and Cesar Romero - born before World War I ends but serious contenders for the Picture Slot.  While there are others who could also get the Picture Slot, I went with the youngest who has what I consider an iconic role Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle on Xena. Is she also a fabulous babe? Funny how that works out.

2. Canadian spotted and nepotism free. Francis X. McCarthy is not, despite having a Supernatural/Smallville daily double in his credits. Kaj-Erik Eriksen is. It should be noted the Francis X. McCarthy is not related to Kevin McCarthy and Carlos Romero is no kin to Cesar Romero. Just coincidences.

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

 

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in his 1956 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: Only crooked gamblers claim to give the sucker the best of it, and insurance is legalized gambling.

Reality: This is written in 1956 and is typical of Heinlein's cut-the-crap view of economics, but I am going to give it the status of a failed prediction because between 1956 when it is written and 1970 when the story takes place, Edward Thorp writes the first important book on card-counting in Blackjack Beat the Dealer in 1962. Thorp is not a crook and he proves the house doesn't have the long-term advantage in blackjack the way it is set up.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Even when Monday is a holiday, we still get a visit from the OMNI Future Almanac.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!