10 October 2013

Birthdays
Bai Ling b. 1966 (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Angel)
Charles Dance b. 1946 (Game of Thrones, The Last Action Hero, Alien 3)
Peter Coyote b. 1941 (E.T., Sphere, The 4400)
Ed Wood, Jr. b. 1924 died 10 December 1978 (Plan 9 From Outer Space, Bride of the Monster)
Janos Prohaska b. 1919 died 13 March 1974 (Star Trek, Land of the Giants, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Outer Limits)

Lots of choices for the Picture Slot today. Bai Ling certainly qualifies using the Pretty Girl = Picture Slot rule, Charles Dance as Tywin is likely the best known role now, E.T is the most iconic movie, though it would get a run for its money from the awful Plan 9 From Outer Space for iconic. But just to be different, I went with the late Janos Prohaska, who spent nearly his entire career inside costumes that looked like primates, here as the Mugato on Star Trek. He was also the rock creature known as the Horta on The Original Series.

Many happy returns to the living.
 

Predictor: H.G. Wells from the 1933 book The Shape of Things to Come

Prediction: The main causes of the fall of the population from about two billion in 1930 to little under half that total in 1960 were diseases and simple starvation, arising from the complete economic collapse. 

Reality: The story gets better in the 22nd Century in Wells' book, but his view of the 20th Century and most of the 21st was nearly complete despair. Old Herbert comes up craps on this prediction, as the population rose steadily to about three billion in 1960 and is still rising, now slightly over seven billion.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

A song from 1968 predicts an optimistic and strange future in 1983, though the writer does not live to see it.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!