Tuesday, April 14, 2015

14 April 2015

Birthdays
Arthur Bowen b. 1998 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2)
Abigail Breslin b. 1996 (Ender’s Game, Zombieland)
Skyler Samuels b. 1994 (American Horror Story, Wizards of Waverly Place)
Graham Phillips b. 1993 (Ben 10)
Jo Osmond b. 1987 (Jupiter Ascending, Maleficent, Snow White and the Huntsman, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Doctor Who)
Claire Coffee b. 1980 (Grimm)
Sarah Michelle Gellar b. 1977 (Buffy, Angel, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, The Grudge, Southland Tales, Scooby-Doo)
Rob McElhenney b. 1977 (Lost)
Adrien Brody b. 1973 (Midnight in Paris, Predators, Splice, King Kong, The Village)
Langley Kirkwood b. 1973 (Dominion, Dredd, The Prisoner [2009], Dracula 3000, Atlantis: End of a World, Birth of a Legend)
Anthony Michael Hall b. 1968 (Zombie Night, Warehouse 13, The Dark Knight, Stephen King’s The Dead Zone, No Ordinary Family, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Edward Scissorhands, Weird Science)
Tim Holmes b. 1967 (Oz the Great and Powerful, Real Steel, Highlander)
Lloyd Owen b. 1966 (The Originals, Apollo 18)
Bob Clendenin b. 1964 (Star Trek [2009], Reaper, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Tick, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Charmed, Dude, Where’s My Car?, Roswell, Star Trek: Voyager)
Gina McKee b. 1964 (MirrorMask, The Lair of the White Worm)
Robert Carlyle b. 1961 (Once Upon a Time, SGU Stargate Universe, 28 Weeks Later, Eragon)
Mark Pillow b. 1959 (Superman IV: The Quest for Peace)
John D’Aquino b. 1958 (Sliders, Xena, Lois & Clark, 3rd Rock from the Sun, SeaQuest 2032, M.A.N.T.I.S., Quantum Leap, Nightmare Café, Pumpkinhead, Amazing Stories)
Peter Capaldi b. 1958 (Doctor Who, World War Z, Torchwood, Smilla’s Feeling for Snow, The Cloning of Joanna May)
Chris Ellis b. 1956 (Warehouse 13, The Dark Knight Rises, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Island, Birds of Prey, Armageddon, Godzilla [1998], From the Earth to the Moon, The X-Files, Apollo 13, Addams Family Values)
Richard Jeni b. 1957 died 10 March 2007 (The Mask)
Bruce Sterling b. 1954 (author, Islands in the Net, The Difference Engine [with William Gibson])
Dave Gibbons b. 1949 (artist, Watchmen, Breakthrough)
John Shea b. 1949 (Agent X, Mutant X, Lois & Clark, Honey I Blew Up the Kid, Freejack, Man From Atlantis)
Berry Berenson b. 1948 died 11 September 2001 (Cat People)
Julie Christie b. 1941 (Red Riding Hood [2011], Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, DragonHeart, Fahrenheit 451, The Andromeda Breakthrough)
Arlene Martel b. 1936 died 12 August 2014 (Battlestar Galactica, The Six Million Dollar Man, Bewitched, Star Trek, I Dream of Jeannie, My Favorite Martian, Twilight Zone)
Erich von Daniken b. 1935 (author, Chariots of the Gods)
Jack McDevitt b. 1935 (won 2007 Nebula for Seeker)
Jay Robinson b. 1930 died 27 September 2013 (Dracula [1992], Transylvania Twist, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Dr. Shrinker, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Planet of the Apes, Bewitched, Star Trek)
Bradford Dillman b. 1930 (The Incredible Hulk, Piranha, The Swarm, Wonder Woman, Bug, Escape from the Planet of the Apes)
Gerry Anderson b. 1929 died 26 December 2012 (writer, Captain Scarlet, Thunderbirds, Lavender Castle, Space Precinct, Space; 1999, UFO, Joe 90, Stingray, Fireball XL5, Supercar)
Rod Steiger b. 1925 died 9 July 2002 (End of Days, Modern Vampires, Mars Attacks!, The Kindred, The Illustrated Man)
Joseph Ruskin b. 1924 died 28 December 2013 (The Scorpion King, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Captain America [1979], Project U.F.O., Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Planet of the Apes, Land of the Giants, Star Trek, The Time Tunnel, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twilight Zone)
Philip Stone b. 1924 died 15 June 2003 (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Flash Gordon, The Medusa Touch, Star Maidens, A Clockwork Orange, Unearthly Stranger)
Mary Healy b. 1918 died 3 February 2015 (The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.)
Sir John Gielgud b. 1904 died 21 May 2000 (Merlin, DragonHeart, Gulliver’s Travels, Frankenstein [1984], Frankenstein: The True Story [1973], Alice in Wonderland [1966])

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. A lot of strong candidates for the Picture Slot today. Previous winners are Sarah Michelle Gellar and Peter Capaldi, and we also have three actors who got Never to be Forgotten posts, Mary Healy, Joseph Ruskin and Arlene Martel. (Jay Robinson should have had one, but I missed his obit. My bad.) Even with all those people eliminated, there are plenty of iconic choices, but I decided on Julie Christie from Fahrenheit 451 because she is so very pretty.

2. Nepotism but not much win. Berry Berenson is the sister of Marissa Berenson and married Anthony Perkins, but she didn't spend long in front of the camera. She was aboard one of the crashed planes on September 11, so far the only person listed here in two and a half years to die that day.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.
 
Predictor: John Langdon-Davies in the 1936 book A Short History of the Future

Prediction: There will be no war in Europe for the next five years, but eventually war is inevitable. The war will begin as a holy war between Germany and Japan on one side and Russia on the other. Germany will keep out of war as long as possible, but will finally attack Russia unless checked by England and France. In which case Germany will become the next great Communist state.

Reality: Langdon-Davies was a right Commie bastard, to use a British-ism. He was wrong about the timing of the war since it started in 1939, about three years after he wrote his book. I'm not sure I'd call it "a holy war", but he did get all the sides right. Did Germany become "the next great Communist state"? Maybe not the way Langdon-Davies predicted, but East Germany did become Communist, so he gets partial credit there.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another visit from our sensible friend George Sutherland, gazing ahead into the 20th Century for the important inventions to come.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

4 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. There was a time when people cared about him. Sure, we got over it, but when I saw his name on isfdb, I decided to add him.

      I have the same feelings about him that I have about Paul Ehrlich, but still I add them in.

      Delete
  2. For me, he seems more FroMo. When I first encountered him at about twelve, I suddenly realized that books could be full of bullshit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He reminds me of Carlos Castaneda, though I wouldn't give half a fig for all four combined.

      Delete

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