6 April 2014

Birthdays
Peyton List b. 1998 (The Sorceror’s Apprentice, Spider-Man 2)
Zach Braff b. 1975 (Oz the Great and Powerful, Clone High)
Jason Hervey b. 1972 (The Monster Squad, Back to the Future)
Paul Rudd b. 1969 (Ant-Man, This is the End, Gen-X Cops 2: Metal Mayhem, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers)
Michael Rooker b. 1955 (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Walking Dead, Atlantis Down, Meteor, Jumper, Slither, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Stargate SG-1, Tremors [TV], Jeremiah, The 6th Day)
Judi Bowker b. 1954 (Clash of the Titans, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [1973])
Patrick Doyle b. 1953 (composer, Brave, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Thor, Eragon, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Nanny McPhee, Frankenstein [1994])
John Ratzenberger b. 1947 (Almost all Pixar movies, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, House II; The Second Story, Timestalkers, Wizards and Warriors, Outland, The Empire Strikes Back, Superman, Warlords of the Deep, Twilight’s Last Gleaming)
Barry Levinson b. 1942 (director, Sphere)
Roy Thinnes b. 1938 (Spectropia, The X-Files, Poltergeist: The Legacy, The Invaders, Dark Shadows, War of the Worlds, Battlestar Galactica)
Billy Dee Williams b. 1937 (Star Wars, Epoch: Evolution, Code Name: Eternity, Alien Intruder, Batman)
Ivan Dixon b. 1931 died 16 March 2008 (Amerika, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone)
Gil Kane b. 1926 died 31 January 2000 (artist, DC and Marvel Comics)
Phil Leeds b. 1916 died 16 August 1998 (Ghost, Alf, Frankenstein’s Great Aunt Tillie, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Rosemary’s Baby)

Oopsie! I put up the birthday list and forgot to write abut it. Last year, it was Billy Dee Williams as the ever suave Lando C., and it would have been a completely understandable choice to have him in a repeat situation. But given the popularity of The Walking Dead, instead it's Michael Rooker this year. The other options are Judi Bowker in Clash of the Titans, so pretty as Andromeda, Roy Thinnes from The Invaders, because I'm old, or an illustration of Gil Kane's, which more often than not is looking up someone's nostrils.

Many happy returns to the living (or undead) on the list, and to the truly dead, thanks for all the memories.

 

Predictor: Chauncey M. Depew, lawyer and U.S. senator, predicting the 20th Century in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition

Prediction: Those who think as I do will call it "the party of progress". It is the aggressive force in the national government. It takes a broad view of the powers and responsibilities of the government. It sees in the Constitution not only permission but also command to do those things which are essential for the general welfare of the people.

This underlying principle will influence the Republican Party's relation to all new questions - social, economic and commercial - which may arise.

Reality: Ah, the old switcheroo. Back in the 1890s the Republican held the "liberal" position and the Dems believed in "limited government". I have to say Depew talks a good game, but he was also legal counsel to Cornelius Vanderbilt, so he wasn't exactly a "man of the people".

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

I actually look forward to Monday mornings, odd as that may sound, because I know I'll get to thumb through my dog-eared copy of OMNI Future Almanac for bold and often goofy predictions from the early 1980s.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!