30 September 2014

Birthdays
Raphael Coleman b. 1994 (The Fourth Kind, It’s Alive, Nanny McPhee)
Greyston Holt b. 1985 (Supernatural, Bitten, Once Upon a Time, Sanctuary, SGU Stargate Universe, Fringe, Flash Gordon [2007 TV], The 4400, Smallville)
Lacey Chabert b. 1982 (Scarecrow, Lost in Space)
Kieran Culkin b. 1982 (The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns)
Pihla Viitala b. 1982 (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters)
Teal Redmann b. 1982 (Chameleon 3: Dark Angel)
Ashleigh Ashton Moore b. 1981 died 11 December 2007 (The Odyssey [1994 TV])
Fernanda Dorogi b. 1981 (Season of the Witch, Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire)
Toni Trucks b. 1980 (Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Star Runners)
Mate Haumann b. 1980 (Hercules [2014], Dracula [2013 TV], Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, Eragon)
Stark Sands b. 1978 (Day of the Dead)
Maia Brewton b. 1977 (Back to the Future)
Sean Rogerson b. 1977 (Continuum, Arrow, Extraterrestrial, Grave Encounters, Supernatural, Sanctuary, Smallville, Fringe, Stargate: Atlantis, Underworld: Evolution, Stephen King’s Dead Zone)
Marion Cotillard b. 1975 (The Dark Knight Rises, Contagion, Inception)
Ashley Hamilton b. 1974 (Iron Man 3)
Daniel Wu b. 1974 (Europa Report)
Tony Hale b. 1970 (Ctrl)
Mark Rhino Smith b. 1969 (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Batman Begins)
Andrea Roth b. 1967 (Lost, The Time Tunnel [2006 TV], Earth: Final Conflict, Robocop [TV], Forever Knight, Highlander [TV], Deadly Nightmares)
Omid Djalili b. 1965 (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Alien Autopsy, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Jason and the Argonauts [2000 TV], The Mummy)
Monica Bellucci b. 1964 (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Brothers Grimm, Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions, Dracula [1992])
Eric Stoltz b. 1961 (Caprica, The Triangle, The Butterfly Effect, Anaconda, The Prophecy, The Fly II)
Nicola Griffith b. 1960 (won 1997 Nebula for Slow River)
Debrah Farentino b. 1959 (Eureka, Storm of the Century, Earth 2)
Fran Drescher b. 1957 (ALF)
Barry Williams b. 1954 (Mega Piranha, Perversions of Science, The Invaders)
Al Leong b. 1952 (The Scorpion King, The Others [2000 TV], Godzilla [1998], Escape from L.A., The Shadow, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China, The Twilight Zone [1986], My Science Project, Knight Rider, Twilight Zone: The Movie)
John Finn b. 1952 (Believe, The X Files, Strange World, Invasion, SeaQuest 2032, Quantum Leap, The Incredible Hulk)
Jack Wild b. 1952 died 1 March 2006 (Alicja, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, H.R. Pufnstuf, Danny the Dragon)
Victoria Tennant b. 1950 (The Legend of the Mummy, The Handmaid’s Tale, Twilight Zone [1986], Horror Planet)
Rula Lenska b. 1947 (Kappatoo, Doctor Who, Queen Kong, Space:1999)
Dan O’Bannon b. 1946 died 17 December 2009 (writer, Alien, Aliens, Total Recall, Hemoglobin, The Return of the Living Dead, Dark Star)
Ian Ogilvy b. 1943 (Babylon 5, Witchfinder General, The Day the Fish Came Out, The Sorcerers, She Beast)
Len Cariou b. 1939 (Star Trek: Voyager)
Antoinette Bower b. 1932 (Time Walker, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Starlost, Superbeast, Star Trek, The Invaders, Twilight Zone)

The Picture Slot is Antoinette Bower from the Star Trek episode Catspaw, which was more or less a Halloween episode, written by Robert Bloch, best known for Psycho. Last year it was another fabulous babe, Monica Bellucci from one of the bad Matrix movies and next year it's anyone's guess, though I have a soft spot for Oh That Martial Arts Guy Al Leong.

And now, predictably, the dead. I was completely unaware of the career of young Ashleigh Ashton Moore until I saw her name on imdb.com this morning, but I did know both Jack Wild and Dan O'Bannon by name. I really liked O'Bannon's work and I had forgotten he was dead, so we get the Wait... He's Dead? label once again.

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

Predictors: ESPN's panel of experts predicting the playoff teams for the 2014 Major League Baseball Season

Predictions (and realities):
American League:
East: Red Sox (Orioles)
Central: Tigers (Tigers)
West: A's (Angels)
Wild cards: Rays vs. Rangers (Royals vs. A's)

The experts stunk the place out with their American League forecasts this season. My counting method is two points for a completely correct pick like the Tigers and one point for a team getting into the playoffs but not the way predicted, like the A's in the wild card instead of the division championship. This prediction is 3 of 10, a failing grade on any scale. Even worse, the three teams that didn't make the playoffs finished well below .500, the Rangers having the worst record in the American League.

National League
East: Nationals (Nationals)
Central: Cardinals (Cardinals)
West: Dodgers (Dodgers)
Wild cards: Pirates vs. Braves (Pirates vs. Giants)

On the other hand, the experts got four of five right in the National League, 8 of 10 points and a good solid B if we aren't grading on the curve. Like the mistakes in the American, the Braves finished below .500, but only barely below.

There's no two ways around it. Sports prediction is hard.

Looking one day ahead...  INTO THE FUTURE!

A new month, a new splash illustration and the return of our bold but anonymous predictor from 1911.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!