20 September 2014

Birthdays
Sammi Hanratty b. 1995 (Salem, Jack and the Beanstalk, A Christmas Carol, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Charmed)
Spencer Locke b. 1991 (Resident Evil, The Vampire Diaries, Phil of the Future)
Aldis Hodge b. 1986 (The Walking Dead, Supernatural)
Olivia Grant b. 1983 (Fishtales, Stardust)
Daniella Evangelista b. 1982 (Pacific Rim, Alien Trespass, Supernatural, Stargate SG-1, The 4400)
Charlie Weber b. 1978 (Warehouse 13, Reaper, Charmed, Buffy)
Jon Bernthal b. 1977 (The Walking Dead, Eastwick, Day Zero)
Enuka Okuma b. 1976 (Odyssey 5, Dark Angel, MythQuest, Andromeda, The Dinosaur Hunter, NightMan, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven)
Moon Bloodgood b. 1975 (Falling Skies, Terminator Salvation, Journeyman, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li)
Asia Argento b. 1975 (Dracula 3D, Transylvania, Land of the Dead, Demons 2)
N’Bushe Wright b. 1970 (Blade)
Ben Edlund b. 1968 (writer, Gotham, Revolution, Supernatural, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Venture Bros., Angel, Firefly, Titan A.E., The Tick)
Kristen Johnson b. 1967 (Vamps, Third Rock from the Sun)
Robert Rusler b. 1965 (Star Trek: Enterprise, Babylon 5, Sometimes They Come Back, Vamp, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, Weird Science)
Robert LaSardo b. 1963 (Waterworld, The X Files)
James Colby b. 1961 (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sliders)
Ghassan Massoud b. 1958 (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End)
Michael Hurst b. 1957 (Legend of the Seeker, Treasure Island Kids: The Monster of Treasure Island, Power Rangers, Andromeda, Hercules, Xena, Death Warmed Over)
Gary Cole b. 1956 (Vamp U, True Blood, Supernatural, The Ring Two, Crusade, From the Earth to the Moon, American Gothic, Twilight Zone)
Betsy Brantley b. 1955 (Deep Impact, From the Earth to the Moon, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Princess Bride, Beauty and the Beast, Shock Treatment)
Brinke Stevens b. 1954 (a jillion credits, most direct to video, including Bad Girls From Mars, Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama)
Steve Gerber b. 1947 died 10 February 2008 (writer, Man-Thing, Howard the Duck)
George R.R. Martin b. 1946 (writer, Game of Thrones, The Outer Limits, Beauty and the Beast, The Twilight Zone)
Jonathan Hardy b. 1940 died 30 July 2012 (Farscape, Death Warmed Over, Mad Max)

Last year, the Picture Slot belonged to George R.R. Martin and I couldn't be faulted for using his picture again. Few writers are known by sight and fewer still if you only count genre. I'd say only J.K. Rowling and Stephen King are better known to the general public than Martin and possibly Neil Gaiman is about equally famous. But I like to mix it up, so Kristen Johnston is here in a publicity still from her most famous role on Third Rock From the Sun. The next most iconic role in my opinion would be Rigel XI from Farscape, which was voiced by Jonathan Hardy. I also admit that I got the "Wait... he's dead?" feeling from both Hardy and Gerber. Usually our lists include artists born in the 1930s or 1920s or earlier still, and to have two dead on this young a list is disconcerting.

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

Predictor: Alfred Van Santvood (1819-1901), predicting the changes seen in the 20th Century on the occasion of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago.

Prediction: I do not believe Robert Fulton's invention of the paddle wheel will ever be improved upon for inland navigation. While there may be minor changes, the principle of the paddle wheel will remain supreme.

The development of the inland marine will be prodigious in the next century, enough to rival the railways as a means of transportation.

Reality: All right, first things first. No facial hair and a grumpy looking bastid, not even wearing a high and uncomfortable collar. His appearance is more 20th Century than 19th.

That said, he didn't do a good job of predicting what the 20th Century would look like in his field of expertise. The paddle wheel is an antique method of engine for boats, tossed aside once the propeller technology was perfected and there was no big revival of canals after the 1840s when the railroads began to surpass them. In 1893, it was hard to see that the railroads' main competitors would be interstate highways and air freight.

So, at the risk of making the 1893 version of Grumpy Cat even grumpier, I can't award any points for this prediction. You get a big fat goose egg, Alfred, and it will be sent to you by railroad, so there!

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's another lazy Sunday, sleeping late and maybe a brunch, waking to a story of yet another nuclear holocaust.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!