13 July 2014

Birthdays
Leo Howard b. 1997 (Conan the Barbarian [2011], G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra)
Colton Haynes b. 1988 (Arrow, Teen Wolf)
Steven R. McQueen b. 1988 (The Vampire Diaries, Piranha 3D, Minutemen, Threshold)
Chris Sheffield b. 1988 (The Last Ship, Transformers: Dark of the Moon)
Fran Kranz b. 1981 (Bloodsucking Bastards, The Cabin in the Woods, Dollhouse, The Village, Donnie Darko)
Ashley Scott n. 1977 (Jericho, Lost, Birds of Prey, Dark Angel, A.I. Artificial Intelligence)
Ken Jeong b. 1969 (Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Vampires Suck)
Robert Gant b. 1968 (The Tomorrow People)
David X. Cohen b. 1966 (writer/producer, Futurama)
Kenny Johnson b. 1963 (Aquaman, Smallville, The Huntress, Blade, Sliders, The Burning Zone)
Michael Jace b. 1962 (Planet of the Apes [2001], Strange Days, Deep Space Nine)
Lance E. Nichols b. 1955 (The Fantastic Four [2015], Left Behind, American Horror Story, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia, Creature, Swamp Shark, Green Lantern, Benjamin Button, Charmed, Buffy, Firestarter 2: Rekindled, The Invisible Man, K-PAX, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Alien Nation [TV], Project X, Amazing Stories, Twilight Zone [1985])
Gil Birmingham b. 1953 (Twilight, NightMan, Buffy, House II)
Rosemary Dunsmore b. 1952 (Red: Werewolf Hunter, Lost Girl, ReGenesis, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Last Exit to Earth, RoboCop [TV], Total Recall [1990], Beauty and the Beast [1989 TV], Twilight Zone [1988])
Cheech Marin b. 1946 (Lost, Planet Terror, Spy Kids, From Dusk Till Dawn, Ghostbusters II)
Harrison Ford b. 1942 (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Ender’s Game, Cowboys & Aliens, Blade Runner)
Robert Forster b. 1941 (Heroes, Dragon Wars: D-War, Alligator, The Black Hole)
Sir Patrick Stewart b. 1940 (X-Men, The Wolverine, Ted, Star Trek, Lifeforce, Dune, Excalibur)
David Westburg b. 1940 (The Amazing Captain Nemo, Once Upon a Brothers Grimm, Logan’s Run, Genesis II, Blacula)
Bob Crane b. 1929 died 29 June 1978 (Twilight Zone)
Rene Laloux b. 1929 died 14 March 2004 (director, Gandahar, Time Masters, Fantastic Planet)
Sidney Blackmer b. 1895 died 6 October 1973 (Rosemary’s Baby, The Outer Limits)

The Picture Slot decision isn't tough today, it's just a two-way race. Odd numbered years, it's Patrick Stewart, even numbered years, it's Harrison Ford. Of course, they became famous in genre for work in the two great pillars of modern sci-fi on film and TV, Star Wars and Star Trek, but both of them broke out of those roles to be iconic in other films, which is a tough trick. Ask Mark Hamill and Jonathan Frakes if you don't believe me.

While it's tough to do, it is now at least possible to be a full-fledged movie star because of your work in genre instead of in spite of it, and these two guys are the prime examples. Good on ya, guys!

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

Predictor: John Wanamaker (1838-1922), department store pioneer and Postmaster General from 1889 to 1893, predicting the year 1993 in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago.

Prediction: The postal service will be almost entirely electrical 100 years from now. Free delivery of the mail will be universal. The rates for telephone and telegraph will be reduced as to be in everyone's reach.

The country will be divided into postal districts and routine matters by the thousand will be attended to much more promptly from near postal centers.

Reality: Okay! Not impressive facial hair, but the tie and lapels are definitely old school. And as to the order of business, an interesting set of predictions. The postal system was NOT almost entirely electrical in 1993, but it was meeting the thing that still threatens to kill it, e-mail. The delivery of mail is free, though sending mail isn't. Telephone is within everyone's reach and telegraph has been made obsolete for the most part. The country is divided into postal districts. It's hard to believe that wasn't the case in 1893, but it wasn't.

Wanamaker had the biggest department store in Philadelphia. His most famous quote is "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The trouble is I don't know which half."


Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

OMNI Future Almanac, this blog's little pick me up at the beginning of the work week.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

15 March 2014

Birthdays
Anna Shaffer b. 1992 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
Kellan Lutz b. 1985 (The Legend of Hercules, Twilight, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Heroes)
Sean Biggerstaff b. 1983 (Harry Potter)
Brian Tee b. 1977 (Grimm, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, The Wolverine, Red Shift, Jericho, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, The Chronicle [TV], Buffy, The Invisible Man)
Will i Am b. 1975 (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
Kim Raver b. 1969 (Revolution, Night at the Museum)
Robin Malcolm b. 1965 (The Lord of the Rings, Boogeyman)
Renny Harlin b. 1959 (director, The Legend of Hercules, The Covenants, The Exorcist: The Beginning,T.R.A.X., Deep Blue Sea, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4)
Joaquim de Almeida b. 1957 (Revolution, Once Upon a Time, Robosapien: Rebooted)
Craig Wasson b. 1954 (Sasquatch Mountain, The Tomorrow Man, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Trapped in Space, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Tales from the Darkside)
David Cronenberg b. 1943 (director, eXistenZ, Naked Lunch, The Fly, The Dead Zone, Videodrome, Scanners, The Brood, Rabid, They Came from Within)
Judd Hirsch b. 1935 (Sharknado 2, Warehouse 13, Independence Day)
Lawrence Tierney b. 1919 died 26 February 2002 (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Runestone, Wizards of the Demon Sword, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

I don't want to say today's birthday list is lacking in star power, but if I didn't want to repeat a picture from last year of a guy from Twilight I had to resort to showing a quiddich player.

I'm being cruel to actors here and that isn't fair. They have a very tough gig. Think of all the great work Judd Hirsch has done in his career and it still doesn't spare him from appearing in Sharknado 2. Money must be tight.

Many happy returns to all the living on today's list and to Lawrence Tierney, I'm just glad I never got on his bad side while he was alive.
 

Predictor: Thomas L. James, Postmaster General of the United States, 1881

Prediction:  There will a be a delivery of mails that will rival the speed of telegrams. Ocean postage is going to be reduced to a two cent stamp to any part of Europe, while the cost of domestic postage will be reduced to a penny.

Another thing which is sure to come in the next century are postal savings banks. There will be objection to this from some quarters, but my impression is that the people are bound to make such use of the post-office department.

Reality: During his brief tenure at Postmaster General, James reduced the price of postage from three cents to two cents. He hoped one of his successors would follow his lead. It went up to three cents during World War I, then fell back to two cents, but after that it only increased. A postcard could be sent for a penny until the early 1950s.

The postal savings bank idea did come to pass. It was instituted in 1911 and lasted until 1966. There are several progressive politicians, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, that want to see the idea brought back to lessen the burden on the poor of the predatory payday lending industry. Until the Republican Party stops being downright evil, I don't like the odds of this happening.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Sunday is nuclear war day! Make some nice coffee and start your day with a story of an apocalypse we successfully avoided.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!