Friday, February 27, 2015

27 February 2015

 Birthdays
Kate Mara b. 1983 (The Fantastic Four [2015], The Martian, Transcendence, American Horror Story, Iron Man 2, Zoom)
Juan Riedinger b. 1981 (Continuum, Sanctuary, Collision Earth, Fringe, Supernatural, Jennifer’s Body, Smallville, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Bionic Woman [2007], Fallen)
Nikki Amuka-Bird b. 1976 (Jupiter Ascending, Sinbad [2012], Torchwood, The Omen [2006])
Bingbing Li b. 1973 (Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Resident Evil: Retribution)
Richard Coyle b. 1972 (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Ultra)
Julia Parker b. 1970 (A Girl, a Guy, a Space Helmet, Alien Armageddon)
Donal Logue b. 1966 (Gotham, Shark Night 3D, Blade, The X-Files, Night Rider, Robotrix)
Gregg Rainwater b. 1966 (Street Fighter)
Noah Emmerich b. 1965 (Super 8, The Walking Dead, The Truman Show, Last Action Hero)
Adam Baldwin b. 1962 (Day Break, The Thirst, Serenity, Firefly, Angel, Stargate SG-1, The X-Files, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Gargantua, From the Earth to the Moon, Independence Day, VR.5, Predator 2)
Grant Shaud b. 1961 (From the Earth to the Moon, Lois & Clark)
Timothy Spall b. 1957 (The Enfield Haunting, Upside Down, Harry Potter, Enchanted, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Vanilla Sky, The Hunger [TV], Red Dwarf, Gothic)
Angela Aames b. 1956 died 27 November 1988 (Automan, Likely Stories Vol. 4, Mork & Mindy)
Stephen Leigh b. 1951 (author, Dinosaur World, The Omega Egg, Wild Cards)
Mark Harrison b. 1951 (illustrator)
Debra Monk b. 1949 (The Brass Teapot, Devil’s Advocate)
Hajime Sorayama b. 1947 (illustrator)
Alan Fudge b. 1944 died 10 October 2011 (Dark Skies, Galaxis, M.A.N.T.I.S., Quantum Leap, Alien Nation, My Demon Lover, Twilight Zone [1986], Space, Knight Rider, Man from Atlantis, Capricorn One, Wonder Woman, Bug [1975])
Mary Frann b. 1943 died 23 September 1998 (Lois & Clark, Deadly Nightmares, The Incredible Hulk)
Charlotte Stewart b. 1941 (Tremors, Journey to the Center of the Earth [1990], UFOria, Eraserhead)
Howard Hesseman b. 1940 (Halloween II [2009], Level 9, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Faerie Tale Theatre, Likely Stories Vol. 4, Americathon)
Bill Hunter b. 1940 died 21 May 2011 (On the Beach, Space: Above and Beyond, The Return of Captain Invincible, Doctor Who)
Barbara Babcock b. 1937 (Space Cowboys, Salem’s Lot, Logan’s Run [TV], The Sixth Sense [1972], Star Trek, The Green Hornet, The Munsters)
Van Williams b. 1937 (The Green Hornet, Batman)
Lynn Cartwright b. 1927 died 2 January 2004 (Far Out Space Nuts, The Wasp Woman, Queen of Outer Space)
William Demarest b. 1892 died 28 December 1983 (Twilight Zone, Son of Flubber)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years the Picture Slot used Adam Baldwin from Firefly and Timothy Spall from Harry Potter. There were several choices this year, including Donal Logue from Gotham or a Sorayama robot, but instead I went with Barbara Babcock from the Plato's Stepchildren episode of the original Star Trek. The general public might remember her better from her recurring role on Hill Street Blues. Kate Mara might become iconic as Sue Storm, but that has yet to be proven.

2. Spot the Canadians! If it was just Juan Reidinger, I would have made it a competition and put the answer in the comments later. He's easy to spot. But we also have Donal Logue, who has only a smattering of Canadian productions on his impressive resume.

3. Wait... they're dead? My first shock this morning on imdb.com was that Mary Frann, known best as Bob Newhart's wife on the show that took place in Vermont, died last century. I certainly paid attention to obits back then, but this had slipped my mind completely.We also have two other actors born in the 1940s who are already dead, the Australian Bill Hunter and the American TV character actor Alan Fudge. Youngest of all is Angela Aames, a busty starlet who died at the age of 32 over a quarter of a century ago. I know her best from the Cinemax show Likely Stories Vol. 4, which is of interest to My People and Our Agenda. I definitely didn't know she was gone.

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


 Predictor: H.G. Wells from his 1902 book Anticipations

Prediction: War is being drawn into the field of the exact sciences. Every additional weapon, every new complication of the art of war, intensifies the need of deliberate preparation, and darkens the outlook of a nation of amateurs. Warfare in the future, on sea or land alike, will be much more one-sided than it has ever been in the past, much more of a foregone conclusion. Save for national lunacy, it will be brought about by the side that will win, and because that side knows that it will win.

Reality: Umm, Herb... not so much. We have so many examples of wars in the 20th Century where the side that started it looked like they would win but failed to achieve their political ends, either because of underestimation of the other side's tenacity or overextending itself to fight several fronts at once.

Looking ahead one day... INTO THE FUTURE!

A prediction from 1893 from a name still known today.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

3 comments:

  1. Apropos of our recent discussion of wave power: http://www.sciencealert.com/world-s-first-grid-connected-wave-power-station-switched-on-in-australia

    Also, looking forward to your commentary on Leonard Niimoy's passing....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It had to be a stand alone, and it is up as of Friday evening.

      Delete

Traveler! Have you news... FROM THE FUTURE?