13 February 2014

Birthdays
Mena Suvari b. 1979 (American Horror Story, Day of the Dead)
Andrew Bryniarski b. 1969 (Dracula’s Guest, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Seven Mummies, Firefly, Scooby-Doo, Lois & Clark, Cyborg 3, Batman Returns, Street Fighter)
Kelly Hu b. 1968 (Arrow, Warehouse 13, The Vampire Diaries, Area 57, X-Men 2, Strange Days, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan)
Neal McDonough b. 1966 (Captain America: The First Avenger, Tin Man, The X-Files, Star Trek: First Contact, VR.5, Quantum Leap, Darkman)
Stephen Manley b. 1965 (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
Henry Rollins b. 1961 (The Devil’s Tomb, Jack Frost, Johnny Mnemonic)
David Naughton b. 1951 (Beanstalk, Twilight Zone [1989], An American Werewolf in London, Planet of the Apes [TV])
Pernilla August b. 1958 (Star Wars: Episodes I and II)
Donald Sumpter b. 1943 (Game of Thrones, Being Human, The Sarah Jane Chronicles, Dracula [2006], Doctor Who)
Oliver Reed b. 1938 died 2 May 1999 (The Pit and the Pendulum, The House of Usher, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Gor, Venom, Condorman, Doctor Heckyl and Mr. Hype, The Curse of the Werewolf)
Barbara Shelley b. 1933 (Doctor Who, Five Million Miles to Earth, Dracula: Prince of Darkness [1966], The Gorgon, Village of the Damned, Blood of the Vampire)
Susan Oliver b. 1932 died 10 May 1990 (Star Trek, The Invaders, Twilight Zone)
William Dozier b. 1908 died 23 April 1991 (producer, Batman, The Green Hornet)

Ahh, the original Star Trek. Your one stop shopping place for green slave girls.

A lot of less well known names on the list today. Andrew Bryniarski played Leatherface in the most recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies, Steven Manley was the 17 year old Spock in Star Trek III, Pernilla August is Anakin Skywalker's mum, Barbara Shelley was a British scream queen back in the heyday of Hammer films, David Naughton had the title role in An American Werewolf in London. I often think of Oliver Reed as being at the same level of stardom as Albert Finney or Michael Caine, but his career took a much bumpier path. He's one of those actors that I'm always a little surprised to remember he's dead. I feel the same way about Raul Julia, for example.

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



 

Predictor: Isaac Asimov, predicting 2014 in honor of the 1964 World's Fair

Prediction: Mankind will suffer badly from the disease of boredom, a disease spreading more widely each year and growing in intensity. This will have serious mental, emotional and sociological consequences, and I dare say that psychiatry will be far and away the most important medical specialty in 2014. The lucky few who can be involved in creative work of any sort will be the true elite of mankind, for they alone will do more than serve a machine.

Indeed, the most somber speculation I can make about A.D. 2014 is that in a society of enforced leisure, the most glorious single word in the vocabulary will have become work!

Reality:  Hmm, not quite. It's interesting to see Asimov speak of psychiatry, because Heinlein really hated it. Work can be mind-numbingly boring, but that's always been true. As for enforced leisure, Americans work more hours than other major industrialized countries, but less hours than places like Mexico, Russia and Greece. And of course, as for the awful boredom, Asimov could not have foreseen the rise of the Internet, lolcats and Angry Birds to relieve us of these burdens.

This is the last of Asimov's predictions from 1964. Next week, there will be a new predictor in the Thursday slot.

Looking one day ahead... IN THE FUTURE!

Friday belongs to Wired Magazine's Long Bets. Tomorrow, a bleak prediction from Martin Rees that has yet to transpire.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!