30 November 2014

 Birthdays
Dylan Cash b. 1994 (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
Dylan Smith b. 1992 (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
Adelaide Clemens b. 1989 (Vampire, X-Men: Origins)
Sydney White b. 1991 (Young Dracula, The Sarah Jane Chronicles)
Kaley Cuoco b. 1985 (The Big Bang Theory, Charmed, 10.5, The Nightmare Room, Virtuosity)
Omahyra b. 1984 (X-Men: Last Stand)
Gael Garcia Bernal b. 1978 (Vamps, Blindness)
Jordan Belfi b. 1978 (Surrogates, Smallville, Buffy, Power Rangers Time Force, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
Christopher John Fields b. 1976 (Boogeyman 2, Perversions of Science, Apollo 13, Witch Hunt, Stargate, Jurassic Park, Alien³, Jacob’s Ladder)
Nimrod Antal b. 1973 (director, Predators)
Jessalyn Gilsig b. 1971 (Heroes, Destination: Infestation, Haunted, Seven Days)
Perrey Reeves b. 1970 (Sliders, Escape to Witch Mountain [1995], The X Files, Child’s Play 3, The Flash [1990])
Michelle Burke b. 1970 (Sliders, Tales from the Crypt, Coneheads)
Walter Jones b. 1970 (House of the Dead 2, Good vs Evil, Buffy, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Space Cases, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)
Marc Forster b. 1969 (director, World War Z)
Justin Lazard b. 1967 (Universal Soldier: The Return, Welcome to Paradox, Species II)
Ryan Murphy b. 1965 (writer, American Horror Story)
Ben Stiller b. 1965 (Night at the Museum, The Watch, Mystery Men)
Andrew Tiernan b. 1965 (Merlin [2012], Doctor Who, The Quatermass Experiment [2005], Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, Space Precinct)
Richard Brake b. 1964 (Game of Thrones, Thor: The Dark World, Halloween II [2009], Doom, Batman Begins)
David Yates b. 1963 (director, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts I & II, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
Cherie Currie b. 1959 (Hansel & Gretl: Warriors of Witchcraft, Twilight Zone: The Movie)
Nancy Everhard b. 1957 (Charmed, Time Trax, Lois & Clark, DeepStar Six, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, The Punisher, Knight Rider)
Colin Mochrie b. 1957 (Dark Rising: Warrior of Worlds, Annedroids, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone)
Stephen Dillane b. 1956 (Game of Thrones)
Brett Stimely b. 1955 (Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Watchmen)
Mandy Patinkin b. 1952 (Dead Like Me, Alien Nation, The Princess Bride, Alien Nation)
Henry Selick b. 1952 (director, Coraline, Monkeybone, James and the Giant Peach, The Nightmare Before Christmas)
June Chadwick b. 1951 (V, Forbidden World)
Chris Claremont b. 1950 (writer, X-Men, Wild Cards)
Nicholas Woodeson b. 1949 (John Carter)
Billy Drago b. 1945 (Children of the Corn: Genesis, Supernatural, Zombie Hunters, The Hills Have Eyes [2006], Seven Mummies, Demon Hunter, Charmed, Mysterious Skin, The X Files, Lunarcop, Vamp, Automan)
William Dear b. 1944 (director, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Harry and the Hendersons, Amazing Stories, Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann)
Sally Douglas b. 1941 died September 2001 (Witchfinder General)
Ridley Scott b. 1937 (director, The Martian, Prometheus, Legend, Blade Runner, Alien)
Rex Reason b. 1928 (This Island Earth, The Creature Walks Among Us)
Robert Guillaume b. 1927 (Alchemy, The Meteor Man)
Richard Crenna b. 1926 died 17 January 2003 (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [TV 1997], Leviathan, Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell, The Evil)
Jay Overholts b. 1922 died 25 April 1966 (eight episodes of the original Twilight Zone)
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. b. 1918 died 2 May 2014 (The Visitor, Babylon 5)
Michael Gwynn b. 1916 died 29 January 1976 (Scars of Dracula, Jason and the Argonauts, Village of the Damned, The Revenge of Frankenstein)
Mark Twain b. 1835 died 21 April 1910 (author, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, The Mysterious Stranger)
Jonathan Swift b. 1667 died 19 October 1745 (author, Gulliver’s Travels)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year it was Kaley Cuoco, this year it's Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon from Game of Thrones. Next year, Mandy Patinkin from The Princess Bride is on the inside track, but if I'm in a mood for a creepy Oh That Guy, Billy Drago might also make the grade. As for fabulous babes other than ms. Cuoco, June Chadwick's role on V might be considered iconic.

2. Forget spotting the Canadians today. There are three and none of them have work on the usual Canuck genre TV shows. They are the director William Dear, comic actor Colin Mochrie (born in Scotland, raised in Canada, and actress Jessalyn Gilsig.

3. What kind of cruel parents name a kid Nimrod? Nimrod Antal is Hungarian. I would guess the name sounds less silly in that language.

4. Jay Overholts, not an Oh That Guy. Overholtz was on eight Twilight Zones, always as a supporting player. That accounts for more than half his screen appearances anywhere. He acted from 1959 to 1962 and died in 1966. He's a trivia answer, not a recognizable face.

5. Hey... no Star Trek! It's rare but it happens.

6. Wow, Mark Twain and Jonathan Swift. Any other really famous people born this day? I think Winston Churchill qualifies and his name was listed on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database for an alternate history, but I didn't include him here.

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

Predictor: Trio: Rebels in the New World, Book 4: The Hidden Evil, written by R. A. Montgomery, Published 1990.

Prediction: The United States signed a disarmament treaty in 1995, but hid six bombs. In 2015, after a nuclear holocaust, the young heroes struggle for possession of the weapons which have been secreted away, aided by aliens from a flying saucer.

Reality: We have a lot more than six bombs, and way too many of them can be classified under Crumbling Infrastructure. As for a 2015 nuclear holocaust, I would bet against it, especially since if I bet it was going to happen, there's a good chance I wouldn't survive to collect.

Once again, thanks to professor Paul Brians for his nuclear fiction database.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Since the Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30, we will look in on the prediction made this year to see how accurate it was.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

29 November 2014

 Birthdays
Laura Marano b. 1995 (FlashForward, Heroes)
Briana Cuoco b. 1988 (Big Bang Theory, The Nightmare Room)
Lucas Black b. 1982 (Legion, The X Files, American Gothic)
Eddie Spears b. 1982 (Sleepy Hollow [TV])
Samantha Ivers b. 1982 (Enchanted)
Janina Gavankar b. 1980 (Code Academy, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Arrow, The Gates, Dollhouse, Stargate: Atlantis)
Timo Vuorensola b. 1979 (director, Iron Sky)
Beatrice Rosen b. 1977 (2012, The Dark Knight, Charmed, Smallville)
Anna Faris b. 1976 (Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, My Super Ex-Girlfriend)
David No b. 1972 (The Matrix Reloaded)
Naoko Mori b. 1971 (Torchwood, Doctor Who)
Gena Lee Nolin b. 1971 (Sheena)
Daniela Nane b. 1971 (Bloodrayne)
Larry Joe Campbell b. 1970 (R.I.P.D., Pacific Rim)
Yvonne Suhor b. 1965 (Enchanted, Star Trek: Voyager)
Ellen Cleghorne b. 1965 (Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe, The Chronicle, Little Nicky, Armageddon)
Don Cheadle b. 1964 (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man 2 & 3, Mission to Mars, Volcano, The Meteor Man)
Andrew McCarthy b. 1962 (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Kingdom Hospital, Mannequin, Amazing Stories)
Tom Sizemore b. 1961 (Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D, Dreamcatcher, Strange Days, Red Planet)
Kim Delaney b. 1961 (Nightmares & Dreamscapes, 10.5, 10.5 Apocalypse, Mission to Mars, Darkman II)
Hinton Battle b. 1956 (Buffy, Quantum Leap, Red Dwarf)
Jeff Fahey b. 1952 (Under the Dome, Lost, Planet Terror, Scorpius Gigantus, Absolute Zero, Manticore, Locusts: The 8th Plague, Johnny 2.0, The Lawnmower Man, Revolution, Darkman III)
Gary Shandling b. 1949 (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Iron Man 2, The X Files, What Planet Are You From?)
John Calvin b. 1947 (Dragonworld, Critters 3, Quantum Leap, V, Knight Rider, The Six Million Dollar Man)
Diane Ladd b. 1932 (Carnosaur, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Faerie Tale Theatre)
Madeleine L'Engle b. 1918 died 6 September 2007 (author, A Wrinkle in Time)
C.S. Lewis b. 1898 died 22 November 1963 (author, Narnia, The Screwtape Letters)

It's a shortish list today and it's Canadian free. There are a lot of actors with only a role or two in genre and I would argue the dead authors are among the most iconic names here. I used Madeliene L'Engle last year, and this year it's Don Cheadle as War Machine from the Iron Man films. I haven't made up my mind about 2015, but I might go Whedonverse nerd and used Hinton Battle in his role from the musical Buffy episode. I also might make some convoluted argument that Janina Gavankar has an iconic role because... wow, purdy.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list, with special birthday wishes to The Gal at the Door Diane Ladd, and to the dead authors, thanks for all the memories.

Predictor: Reformer and economist Henry George (1839-1997), predicting the 20th Century in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago.

Prediction: The condition which will exist in this country in 1993 must depend on a single decision. That determination is whether, while they yet have power, the masses of our people accept or reject the one great reform which is embodied in the single-tax proposition. (Note: by this, he means taxes for owning property and none on industry. He does not consider the income tax.)

If they accept it, and I now believe they will, then the Twentieth Century may see the development of a civilization that transcends the imagination of the Nineteenth Century. If they reject it, then there must befall us - but on a far grander scale and with a far quicker movement - what befell ancient Rome.


Reality: Okay, Hank... may I call you Hank? Well, screw you, you're dead, I'm calling you Hank.

First things first, Hank. Great beard. Not ostentatious, but definitely manly.

Then there's your dream that the property tax will solve everything. We have it, but it's by no means the single-tax of your grand vision. We didn't take your advice and the Twentieth Century did develop a civilization beyond the Nineteenth Century imagination, and we didn't go to hell in a handbasket at breakneck speed. You are getting a zero on this prediction.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Let's all be thankful at the end of the long weekend we haven't had one of the many nuclear holocausts that authors predicted for us. We'll be reviewing one tomorrow, as is our Sunday custom.


Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!


P.S. Sorry for the late posting today, it was a travel day.

28 November 2014

Birthdays
Karen Gillan b. 1987 (Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Who)
Krystal Vee b. 1987 (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-li)
Alan Ritchson b. 1984 (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Smallville)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead b. 1984 (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, The Thing [2011], Grindhouse, Sky High, The Ring Two)
Kelly Wenham b. 1983 (Dracula: The Dark Prince, Merlin)
Emun Elliott b. 1983 (Prometheus, Game of Thrones, Paradox, Afterlife)
Daniel Henney b. 1979 (Revolution, X-Men Origins Wolverine)
Adam Chuckryk b. 1979 (Lost Girl, Jumper)
Aimee Garcia b. 1978 (RoboCop,Supernatural, Ultra, Global Frequency)
Ryan Kwanten b. 1975 (True Blood, Knights of Badassdom, Griff the Invisible, Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord)
Maurissa Tancharoen b. 1975 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mortal Kombat: The Legacy, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, The Guild)
Dawn Robinson b. 1968 (Batman Forever, Tank Girl, SeaQuest 2032)
Jane Sibbett b. 1962 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, The Arrival II, Shatterbrain, Quantum Leap, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Rif Hutton b. 1962 (Buffy, Lois & Clark, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Babylon 5, Children of the Corn III, Star Trek: Generations, Dark Shadows [1991], Alien Nation [TV], Wavelength)
Alfonso Cuarón b. 1961 (director, Believe, Gravity, Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
Judd Nelson b. 1959 (Bigfoot Wars, Netherbeast Incorporated, The Black Hole [2006], Strange Frequency)
Thom Matthews b. 1958 (Sorcerers, Alien from L.A., Return of the Living Dead I & II, Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI)
Lucy Gutteridge b. 1956 (Deadly Nightmares, Arthur the King, The Secret Garden [1987 TV], A Christmas Carol [1984 TV])
S. Epatha Merkerson b. 1952 (Mann & Machine, Terminator 2: Judgment Day)
Ed Harris b. 1950 (Westworld [2015], Gravity, Snowpiercer, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Truman Show, Apollo 13, The Stand, Needful Things, The Right Stuff, The Aliens Are Coming, Creepshow, Coma [1978])
Alexander Godunov b. 1949 died 12 May 1995 (Waxwork II: Lost in Time, The Runestone)
Joe Dante b. 1946 (director, The Witches of East End, Small Soldiers, Warlord: Battle of the Galaxy, Matinee, Eerie, Indiana, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Gremlins 1 & 2, Innerspace, Amazing Stories, Explorers, The Howling, Piranha)
Michael Ritchie b. 1938 died 16 April 2001 (director, The Golden Child)
Lilia Skala b. 1896 died 18 December 1994 (Testament, Charly)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The picture slot. Last year, I went Whedonverse nerd and chose Maurissa Tancharoen. This year, I went with Karen Gillan in her role as Doctor Who companion Amy Pond. While it is very common for me to think of older actors in roles from last century as iconic, next year's best bet is Ryan Kwanten from True Blood.

2. Wait... they're dead? One of the reasons the older actors are not likely to be chosen for the Picture Slot on this dater next year is that there are so few of them. I had completely blanked on the facts that actor and ballet dancer Alexander Gudonov died nearly twenty years ago and director Michael Ritchie was no longer with us.

3. One hard to spot Canadian. We don't have anyone with a quintessentially Canadian resume. Several actors born after 1970 have one role in a Canuck genre TV production, but only Adam Chuckryk was born north of the border.

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

Predictor: H. G. Wells in his 1902 book Anticipations

Prediction: Having a mind considerably engaged, he [the engineer] will not have the leisure for a wife of the distracting, perplexing personality kind, and in our typical case, which will be a typically sound and successful one, we may picture him wedded to a healthy, intelligent, and loyal person, who will be her husband's companion in their common leisure, and as mother of their three or four children and manager of his household, as much of a technically capable individual as himself. He will be a father of several children, I think, because his scientific mental basis will incline him to see the whole of life as a struggle to survive; he will recognize that a childless, sterile life, however pleasant, is essentially failure and perversion, and he will conceive his honour involved in the possession of offspring. Such a couple will probably dress with a view to decent convenience, they will not set the fashions, as I shall presently point out, but they will incline to steady and sober them, they will avoid exciting colour contrasts and bizarre contours. They will not be habitually promenaders, or greatly addicted to theatrical performances; they will probably find their secondary interests--the cardinal one will of course be the work in hand--in a not too imaginative prose literature, in travel and journeys and in the less sensuous aspects of music. They will probably take a considerable interest in public affairs. Their _ménage_, which will consist of father, mother, and children, will, I think, in all probability, be servantless.

Reality: One of the main predictions of the book of an engineer class that rise up in the 20th Century, and as a general prediction Wells scores full points. As for his imaginings of the typical social life of an engineer, these are not worth full points. If you read Wells' novel First Men in the Moon, it's a little surprising he didn't see the tendency towards nerdiness in the scientific type, since Henry Cavor is a well fleshed out example of British eccentricity applied to the scientific life.

Never to be Forgotten: P.D. James 1920-2014

The British novelist P.D. James, best known as a mystery writer whose police detective Adam Dalgliesh became a fixture both in print and on British television, died yesterday at the age of 94. She is remembered here for her novel Children of Men about a dystopian future where women cannot conceive. It was made into a film in 2006 starring Clive Owen and directed by Alfonso Cuaron. The Internet Speculative Fiction Database also mentions a short story titled Murder, 1986, published in 1970.

Best wishes to the family and friends of P.D. James, from a fan. She is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another Saturday, another prediction from 1893.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

27 November 2014

 Birthdays
Alexandra Astin b. 1996 (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
Aubrey Peeples b. 1993 (Sharknado)
Alison Pill b. 1985 (Snowpiercer, The Dinosaur Hunter, Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang, Poltergeist: The Legacy, PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal)
Arjay Smith b. 1983 (Charmed, The Day After Tomorrow, The Journey of Allen Strange)
Todd Giebenhain b. 1974 (True Blood, The 4400, Galaxy Quest)
Sharlto Copley b. 1973 (Powers, Maleficent, District 9, Elysium, Europa Report)
Jolene Boland b. 1975 (Lost Girl, Haven, Land of the Dead)
Tadanobu Asano b. 1973 (Thor, Battleship)
Kirk Acevedo b. 1971 (12 Monkeys [TV], Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Grimm, The Walking Dead, Collision Earth, Fringe)
Brooke Langton b. 1970 (Supernatural, Sliders)
Chin Han b. 1969 (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Arrow, Fringe, Contagion, 2012, The Dark Knight, Blindness)
Michael Vartan b. 1968 (Ring of Fire, The Mists of Avalon)
Robin Givens b. 1964 (Blankman)
Fisher Stevens b. 1963 (Lost, Early Edition, The Hunger, Super Mario Bros., Short Circuit, My Science Project, The Brother From Another Planet)
Steve Oedekerk b. 1961 (screenwriter, Cowboys and Aliens)
Samantha Bond b. 1961 (The Sarah Jane Chronicles)
Michael Rispoli b. 1960 (The Man in the High Castle, Kick-Ass)
Rick Rockwell b. 1956 (writer, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes)
William Fichtner b. 1955 (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Elysium, The Dark Knight , Invasion, Ultraviolet, Equilibrium, Contact, Armageddon, Strange Days, Virtuosity)
Kimmy Robertson b. 1954 (Leprechaun 2, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, My Mom's a Werewolf)
Curtis Armstrong b. 1953 (Supernatural, Reaper, Southland Tales, The Chronicle, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Lois & Clark, M.A.N.T.I.S., Hi, Honey - I'm Dead, The Clan of the Cave Bear)
Kathryn Bigelow b. 1951(director, Strange Days, Near Dark)
Gerrit Graham b. 1949 (Star Trek: Voyager, Weird Science [TV], The Wasp Woman [TV], Lois & Clark, Philadelphia Experiment II, Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5, Child's Play 2, C.H.U.D. II – Bud the Chud, Tales from the Crypt, It's Alive III: Island of the Alive, Twilight Zone [1986], The Creature Wasn't Nice, Demon Seed, Future Cop, Brave New World [TV], Beware! The Blob)
Barbara Anderson b. 1945 (Wonder Woman, The Invisible Man, The Six Million Dollar Man, Star Trek)
James Avery b. 1945 died 31 December 2013 (Star Trek: Enterprise, Charmed, The Nightmare Room, Epoch, Dr, Doolittle 2, Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time, Beauty and the Beast [1988 TV], Timestalkers, Amazing Stories)
Gregory Hoblit b. 1944 (director, NYPD 2069, Frequency, Fallen)
John Alderton b. 1940 (Zardoz)
Bruce Lee b. 1940 died 20 July 1973 (The Green Hornet, Batman)
Marshall Thompson b. 1925 died 18 May 1992 (Around the World Under the Sea, Men Into Space, World of Giants, It! The Terror from Beyond Space, Fiend Without a Face)
Ann Prentiss b. 1939 died 12 January 2010 (My Stepmother Is an Alien, Quark, Captain Nice, Bewitched)
Rodney Bewes b. 1937 (Doctor Who, Unidentified Flying Oddball, Jabberwocky, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland [1972])
Stewart Moss b. 1937 (Beyond Westworld, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bat People, The Invaders, Star Trek)
L. Sprague de Camp b. 1907 died 6 November 2000 (author, A Gun For Dinosaur, Conan, Gavagan’s Bar, Viagens Interplanetarias)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year, I used Bruce Lee, though to be honest, The Green Hornet was not really sci-fi or fantasy. This year, it's Barbara Anderson and her role from the original Star Trek. Next year, I might go with Oh That Guy Gerrit Graham or maybe Sharlto Copley, who has done a lot of roles since District 9 became a surprise hit.

2. Wait... he's dead? She's dead? She did what? I think I saw James Avery's obit early this year, but I didn't give him a Never To Be Forgotten post, which was an oversight on my part. Ann Prentiss was the younger sister of Paula Prentiss and they looked a lot alike. I remember her from Captain Nice. In 1997, She was convicted of making terrorist threats, assault with a firearm, battery and solicitation to murder her brother-in-law Richard Benjamin and her father. She was sentenced to 19 years in jail for the crimes. She died in prison in 2010. I was completely unaware of that.

3. Two hard to spot Canadians. Allison Pill and Jolene Boland, but neither has been in a lot of Canadian genre productions.

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

IN THE YEAR 2000! 

Predictor: Lee de Forest, "The Father of Radio", predicting the world of 2000 in the 17 January 1960 edition of the Sunday supplement American Weekly.

Prediction: New dirt and grease resistant floor, furniture, and wall coverings will be available. There even will be a bug-killing paint which, year in and year out, will kill any insects that touch it.

Reality: Ah, the world before health regulations. The 3M product Scotch Guard already on the market when he wrote this, but it has been removed from the market due to health concerns. As for a bug-killing paint, I've never heard of one and I expect it wouldn't last long given the health problems it could produce.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

On the day after Turkey Day, we'll hear from H.G. Wells, who will not predict how crazy Americans would get on Black Friday.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

26 November 2014

 Birthdays
Tamsin Egerton b. 1988 (Camelot, The Mists of Avalon)
Trevor Morgan b. 1986 (Vampire, Jurassic Park III, The Sixth Sense)
Buddy Quaid b. 1974 (Psycho Beach Party, DragonHeart)
Peter Facinelli b. 1973 (Twilight Saga, The Scorpion King, Supernova)
Frank Chiesrin b. 1973 (The Strain, Beauty and the Beast [2013 TV, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Odyssey 5, Witchblade, Big Wolf on Campus)
Adam Harrington b. 1972 (Supernatural, Smallville, Deep Evil, Jeremiah, Stephen King's Dead Zone, Andromeda, Stargate SG-1, Seven Days, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, NightMan, Welcome to Paradox)
Kristin Bauer van Straten b. 1966 (True Blood, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Star Trek:Enterprise, Galaxis, Lois & Clark)
Garcelle Beauvais b. 1966 (10.5: Apocalypse)
Scott Adsit b. 1965 (Time Trumpet, Charmed, Early Edition)
Jamie Rose b. 1959 (Weird Science [TV], Chopper Chicks in Zombietown, Hard Time on Planet Earth, Amazing Stories)
Joe Fowler b. 1955 (Independence Day)
Julien Temple b. 1953 (director, Earth Girls Are Easy)
Juanin Clay b. 1949 12 March 1995 (WarGames, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)
Mark L. Lester b. 1946 (Dragons of Camelot, Pterodactyl, Firestarter)
Daniel Davis b. 1945 (The Prestige, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Mark Margolis b. 1939 (American Horror Story, Immortals, Headspace, Daredevil, Infested, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Quantum Leap)
Tina Turner b. 1939 (Last Action Hero, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome)
Marian Mercer b. 1935 died 27 April 2011 (Harry and the Hendersons [TV])
Robert Goulet b. 1933 died 30 October 2007 (Beetlejuice)
Conrad Bachmann b. 1932 (The Astronaut's Wife, The Visitor, Team Knight Rider, Dark Skies, Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero, Tremors, Otherworld, Futureworld)
Daniel Petrie b. 1920 died 22 August 2004 (director, The Hidden Room, Cocoon: The Return, The Neptune Factor)
Henry Beckman b. 1921 died 17 June 2008 (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, The X Files, Poltergest: The Legacy, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Werewolf, The Lost Satellite, The Brood, The Lost Saucer, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Immortal, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, The Munsters, My Living Doll, The Satan Bug, Twilight Zone, Flash Gordon)
Frederick Pohl b. 1919 died 2 September 2013 (won 1977 Nebula for Man Plus, won 1978 Hugo and Nebula for Gateway)
Adele Jergens b. 1917 died 22 November 2002 (The Day the World Ended, Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man)
Cyril Cusack b. 1910 died 7 October 1993 (The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Tales of the Unexpected, Fahrenheit 451)
Frances Dee b. 1909 died 6 March 2004 (I Walked with a Zombie)
Norbert Wiener b. 1894 died 18 March 1964 (Author, The Human Use of Human Beings)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year it was Kristin Bauer van Straten from True Blood, this year it's Tina Turner from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Using my usual standard of iconic in genre, Peter Facinelli from The Twilight Saga is the favorite in 2015.

2. Spot the Canadians! There are three, one easy, one medium, the last a tough challenge.

3. Wait... they're dead? I probably heard about Robert Goulet and Marian Mercer dying, but they both caught me by surprise when I clicked on their respective pages on imdb.com

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

 Movies released
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home released, 1986

Predictor:  Anonymous writer in the New York World, predicting the year 2011 in 1911

Prediction: When John Smith left the Museum it was about 3 o'clock. He was struck by an unusual aspect of the streets. Sidewalks moved, unoccupied, scarcely a vehicle flew through the air. But a vast crowd was gathered in one of the squares ands all eyes were turned upon a white sheet that hung in a window. Suddenly, streams of ink began tracing letters upon the sheet and Smith read:

3 P.M. - In checking the accounts of a certain Lafuite, cashier of the Boston Bank, away on his vacation, a deficit of $3,000,000 has just been discovered. At this moment the portrait of the defaulter is being sent by wireless photography to all points of the world. It is known that he is not in New York.

Then the sheet was drawn up and an immense photograph of the dishonest cashier was shown. The crowd greeted it with hoots.

At this very moment this very portrait was being displayed in every city and town in the world, from the cold abode of the Esquimaux to that of the Tierra del Fuegans, from the island dots in the middle of the oceans to the highest peaks of Asia. It was also appearing of the receiving boards of ships upon the sea, of subterranean railroads and airships far above the clouds. It was appearing in the submarine abysses in which men were working or travelling or working. There was scarcely a human being who had not this picture before his eyes. Ah! How difficult has the profession of thief become! Throughout the city the news was discussed. Soon a new dispatch was posted...

Reality: I'm splitting this exciting story of crime into parts because there are enough predictions in this segment to discuss. Instantaneous worldwide transmission is possible in 2011, though the author doesn't guess at television as the means. Of course, practical TV transmission is still decades away, so it is not to the discredit of our author to know nothing of the actual method.

More than this, worldwide manhunts are not the reason for nearly universal viewership. Even the slo-mo O.J. chase was only an American show in terms of crime. Big audiences like this are usually caused by sporting events like the World Cup or maybe some natural disaster.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another look at life at home in the year 2000 by Dr. Lee de Forest in 1960.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

25 November 2014

 Birthdays
Katie Cassidy b. 1986 (Arrow, The Flash, A Nightmare on Elm Street [2010], Supernatural, Click)
Haley Webb b. 1985 (Beauty and the Beast, Teen Wolf)
Jordon Lawson b. 1982 (Rise of the Dinosaurs, Silent Night, Zombie Night, LG15: The Resistance, Lost, The Rage: Carrie 2)
Joel Kinnaman b. 1979 (RoboCop)
Jerry Ferrara b. 1979 (7500, Battleship)
Marianthi Evans b. 1977 (Defiance, Witchslayer Gretl)
Kristian Nairn b. 1975 (Game of Thrones)
Kenneth Mitchell b. 1974 (Astronaut Wives Club, Haven, Grimm, Meteor, Jericho, Odyssey 5)
Stefanie von Pfetten b. 1973 (Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Odysseus: Voyage to the Underworld, Eureka, Battlestar Galactica, Andromeda, Jeremiah, Strange Frequency 1 & 2, Seven Days, First Wave)
Eddie Steeples b. 1973 (Zombie Apocalypse)
Christina Applegate b. 1971 (Prince Charming, Nowhere, Mars Attacks!, Amazing Stories, Jaws of Satan)
Jill Hennessy b. 1968 (Komodo, RoboCop 3, War of the Worlds [TV], Deadly Nightmares)
Matthew Sharp b. 1968 (10.5, Cypher, X-Men)
Joher Coleman b. 1968 (Earth Girls Are Easy)
Billy Burke b. 1966 (Revolution, Twilight Saga, Fringe, Komodo, VR.5, Deep Space Nine)
Dougray Scott b. 1965 (Hemlock Grove, Doctor Who, Sinbad [2012], The Day of the Triffids [2009], Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [2008 TV], Perfect Creature, Arabian Nights, Deep Impact, Highlander [TV])
Kevin Chamberlin b. 1963 (Heroes)
Darlanne Flugel b. 1958 (Pet Sematary II, Twilight Zone [1986], Battle Beyond the Stars)
Bruce Hopkins b. 1955 (Lord of the Rings, Cleopatra 2525, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena)
Mark Frost b. 1953 (writer, Fantastic Four, The Six Million Dollar Man)
Charlaine Harris b. 1951 (author, The Sookie Stackhouse Omnibus)
Kathy Silva b. 1948 (Soylent Green)
Joyce Cohen b. 1948 (Independence Day)
Tracey Walter b. 1947 (Mighty Joe Young [1998], Independence Day, Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero, Star Trek: The Next Generation, She Wolf of London, Not of This World, Freddy’s Nightmares, Alien Nation, Batman, ALF, Timestalkers, Amazing Stories, Conan the Destroyer, Timerider: The Adventures of Lyle Swann, The Hand)
Jeff Doucette b. 1947 (Earth Fall, Dollhouse, Invasion, Carnivale, The Tick, Bedazzled, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Babylon 5: The River of Souls, Weird Science [TV], Mom and Dad Save the World, Harry and the Hendersons [TV], They Came from Outer Space, ALF, Alien Nation, Martians Go Home, Splash, Brave New World, Fairy Tales)
John Larroquette b. 1947 (Almost Human, Southland Tales, The Tenth Kingdom, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Cat People, Mork & Mindy, Altered States)
Michael Feast b. 1946 (Sleepy Hollow [1999])
Mary Jo Deschanel b. 1945 (Amazing Stories, 2010, The Right Stuff)
Paul Copley b. 1944 (Torchwood, The Worst Witch, A Christmas Carol [1977 TV])
Beverly Washburn b. 1943 (Spider Baby, Star Trek, Superman and the Mole-Men)
Matt Clark b, 1936 (Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, Lois & Clark, Back to the Future Part III, Buckaroo Banzai, The Terminal Man)
Kathryn Grant b. 1933 (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad)
Jeffrey Hunter b. 1926 died 27 May 1969 (Star Trek, The Green Hornet, Dimension 5)
Poul Anderson b. 1926 died 31 July 2001 (author, The Technic History series, Hoka, Tales of Known Space)
Noel Neill b. 1920 (Superman Returns, Superboy, Superman, Adventures of Superman, Invasion USA)
Ricardo Montalban b. 1920 died 14/1/2009 (Spy Kids, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Wonder Woman, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, Alice Through the Looking Glass [1966])
Shelagh Fraser b. 1920 died 29 August 2000 (Star Wars, The Body Stealers, The Witches)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year, Ricardo Montalban. This year, Kristian Nairn, best known to fans as Hodor on Game of Thrones. Next year is wide open, and in age spans all the way from Joel Kinnaman, the new RoboCop, to Shelagh Frasier as Aunt Baru from Star Wars and...

2. Wait, she's alive? Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in the TV versions of Superman was born in 1920 and she is still with us. She could easily get the nod in 2015, both iconic and a fabulous babe.

3. Five Canadians to spot. Getting all five is next to impossible, but I'll give you all a shot at it. They are born between 1965 and 1980, which narrows it down, but some have almost no tell-tale credits.

4. The Oh That Guys. Both Tracey Walter and Jeff Doucette turn 67 today, both of them have about 150 credits on imdb.com and it's a good bet you know their faces. John Larroquette, also turning 67, has about 100 credits, but I consider him a TV star instead of an Oh That Guy because of his time on Night Court.

5. Two others who deserve the Picture Slot. This day is an embarrassment of riches. Because I'm a Star Trek nerd, Jeffrey Hunter could be there. Because I'm a Harryhausen nerd, Kathryn Grant could get the nod.

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

Predictor: FM-2030 in his manifesto Up-Wing Priorities, published 1982

Prediction: We now want to design all areas of our evolution. We want biological freedoms. We want the freedom to spread out across the Universe. We want each of us to be alive a hundred years from now - a thousand years - a million - forever.

We want to spread a daring new optimism crystallizing from the obvious fact that for the first time in all the eons of life we are no longer blackholed within this microplanet - no longer trapped within fragile terminal bodies - that we are emerging as a triumphant new species - extraterrestrial and immortal.

We want to spread a new optimism and self-confidence stemming from the glaring fact that we who launch probes into interstellar reaches - we who flash signals to other beings across the Milky Way - we who decode light streaming in from the outbanks of the Universe over ten billion light-years away - can surely now mobilize our genius to accomplish anything.

We want to spread a new awareness that from here on we are resigned to nothing - consider no problems irreversible - no goals unattainable.

We want to spread the awareness that we are at lift off to a beautiful new age. There is a new Hope in the world.

Reality: As I typed this, in my mind I heard Steve Martin singing "It's Impossible... to suck a Cadillac through a straw, it's just impossible." The distances of space are still daunting. Our lifespans are increasing some, but 100 is still rare and 1,000 is, well, impossible. Maybe we will be able to transmit our consciousness into machines that can be maintained indefinitely, but that's a very big maybe. Old FroMo was a snake oil salesman, and this quote here is the last dregs of the bottle. Next Tuesday, somebody else gets the Tuesday slot. I'm not going to miss him as much as I miss John Elfreth Watkins or Robert A. Heinlein, but his nonsense, neologisms and no comma punctuation were at least entertaining.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another exciting chapter of our story of the wonders of 2011 as seen from 1911.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

24 November 2014

Birthdays
Sarah Hyland b. 1990 (Vampire Academy, Monster Heroes)
Elena Satine b. 1987 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Smallville)
Karine Varnasse b. 1983 (X-Men: Days of Future Past)
Meredith Henderson b. 1983 (Jumper, The Dresden Files, Puppets Who Kill, MythQuest, Strange World, Goosebumps)
Joey Ansah b. 1982 (Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist, U.F.O., Snow White and the Huntsman, Starhyke, Batman Begins)
Michael Patrick Carter b. 1981 (Legend [1995 TV], Quantum Leap, Child’s Play 3, Child’s Play)
Katherine Heigl b. 1978 (Roswell, Bug Buster, Bride of Chucky)
Colin Hanks b. 1977 (King Kong, Roswell)
Danielle Nicolet b. 1973 (Warehouse 13, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Angel, Stargate SG-1, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Brimstone)
Lola Glaudini b. 1971 (Good vs Evil)
Brandon Molale b. 1971 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Revolution, The Guild, True Blood, The Dead Undead, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Charmed)
Scott Krinsky b. 1968 (Transformers: Dark of the Moon)
Juan Pablo Gamboa b. 1966 (The Damned, Vampires: Los Muertos)
Shirley Henderson b. 1965 (Doctor Who, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
Conleth Hill b. 1964 (Game of Thrones)
Garret Dillahunt b. 1964 (Looper, Alphas, The Road, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The 4400, Seven Days, The X Files)
Lisa Maxwell b. 1963 (The Tripods)
Debra Lamb b. 1963 (Evil Spirits, The Invisible Maniac, Beverly Hills Vamp, B.O.R.N.)
Shae D’lyn b. 1962 (Super Zeroes, Ghost Mom, Quantum Leap)
Amanda Wyss b. 1960 (Charmed, Digital Man, Highlander [TV], Quantum, Leap, Otherword, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Powers of Matthew Star, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)
Alain Chabat b. 1958 (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian)
Denise Crosby b. 1957 (The Walking Dead, Invasion Roswell, Legend of the Phantom Rider, The X Files, Deep Impact, Lois & Clark, Mutant Species, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Flash [1991], Pet Sematary)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson b. 1956 (Devil’s Advocate)
Stanley Livingston b. 1960 (Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfolds)
Glenn Withrow b. 1953 (ALF, Faerie Tale Theatre, Peggy Sue Got Married)
Dianne Hull b. 1949 (Amazing Stories, The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking)
Spider Robinson b. 1948 (author, Callahan, Mindkiller, Stardance)
Joe Howard b. 1948 (American Horror Story, Dollhouse, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Buffy, The Powers of Matthew Star, Mork & Mindy)
Dwight Schultz b. 1947 (Dead Last, Star Trek, Stargate SG-1, The Lost World [1998], Lois & Clark, Babylon 5, Weird Science [TV])
Michael Edwards b. 1944 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)
Ken Hutchinson b. 1943 (Ladyhawke, Space: 1999)
Billy Connolly b. 1942 (The Hobbit, Gulliver’s Travels, The X Files: I Want to Believe, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Prince Charming, 3rd Rock from the Sun)
John Justin b. 1917 died 29 November 2002 (The Thief of Bagdad)
Forrest J. Ackerman b. 1916 died 4 December 2008 (Famous Monsters of Filmland, Perry Rhodan, Northwest Smith, Scientifilm Marquee)
Howard Duff b. 1913 died 8 July 1990 (Werewolf, The Immortal, Batman, Twilight Zone, Spaceways)
Rudolf Klein-Rogge b. 1855 died 30 April 1955 (Metropolis)
Frances Hodgson Burnett b. 1849 died 29 October 1924 (author, The Secret Garden)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year I went with Conleth Hill, the actor who plays Lord Varys on Game of Thrones. This year, it's Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation. While there are well known performers scattered throughout the list, the youngest person I consider iconic in genre is Shirley Henderson as Moaning Myrtle and the oldest is Rudolf Klein-Rogge, the mad scientist from Metropolis. 

2. Two Canadians, nigh unspottable. Karine Varnasse and Meredith Henderson. Varnasse has made no appearances on the Canuck sci-fi shows and Henderson was on The Dresden Files and Strange World, not the most famous Canadian productions.

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

 

Predictor: Gerard O'Neill in OMNI Future Almanac, published 1982

Prediction: O'Neill proposes that by 2010, we could build a city that could house 10,000 people in a geosynchronous cylindrical orbiting station that rotates slowly along its major axis, simulating gravity. Fiber optic light would simulate the sun passing overhead so that citizens would not suffer chronobiological shock. The major drawback would be "looking up" and seeing the other half of the space station, which might cause vertigo in some observers.

Reality: We haven't tried anything like this. Space travel is a beloved concept in science fiction, but no one has figured out how to make a buck out of it, so it's still just for government scientists and the occasional millionaire daredevil.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The final rhetoric flourish of FM-2030.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 
 

23 November 2014

Birthdays
Lucas Grabeel b. 1984 (I Kissed a Vampire, Halloweentown High)
Ricky White b. 1981 (The 100)
Kelly Brook b. 1979 (Metal Hurlant Chronicles, Piranha 3D, Fishtales, Smallville)
Lateef Crowder b. 1977 (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Tekken, The Book of Eli, Heroes)
Lisa Arch b. 1971 (Charmed, The X Files)
Chris Hardwick b. 1971 (Video Game High School, The Talking Dead, Halloween II, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines)
Oded Fehr b. 1970 (Resident Evil, V, The Mummy, Charmed)
Salli Richardson-Whitfield b. 1967 (Eureka, I Am Legend, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Stargate SG-1, Deep Space Nine, Space Rangers)
Brennan Brown b. 1968 (Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Hollow)
Vincent Cassel b. 1966 (Beauty and the Beast [2014 France])
Don Frye b. 1965 (Godzilla: Final Wars)
Maxwell Caulfield b. 1959 (Nightmare City 2035, Oblivion 2: Backlash, Waxwork II: Lost in Time, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat, The Supernaturals, The Powers of Matthew Star)
Dominique Dunne b. 1959 died 4 November 1982 (Poltergeist)
Sue Giosa b. 1953 (After the Wizard, Beauty and the Beast [1988 TV], America 3000)
Carl Gabriel Yorke b. 1952 (Sliders, Apollo 13, Ghost in the Machine)
David Rappaport b. 1951 died 2 May 1990 (The Wizard, Amazing Stories, Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Bride, Time Bandits)
Peter Maloney b. 1944 (Gotham, K-PAX, Thinner, Robot in the Family, The Thing [1982], Revenge of the Stepford Wives, The Amityville Horror)
Susan Anspach b. 1942 (Deadly Nightmares, Space, The Devil and Max Devlin)
Franco Nero b. 1941 (Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, Deadly Nightmares, The War of the Planets)
Steve Landesberg b. 1936 died 20 December 2010 (Harry and the Hendersons)
Tom Neyman b. 1935 (Manos: The Hands of Fate)
Robert Towne b. 1934 (writer, Orca, The Tomb of Ligeia, The Outer Limits)
Robert Easton b. 1930 died 16 December 2011 (Horrorween, Lost, Needful Things, Pet Sematary II, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered County, The Bionic Woman, The Giant Spider Invasion, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Touch of Satan, My Mother the Car, Lost in Space, The Munsters, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Neanderthal Man, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Adventures of Superman)
Paul Richards b. 1924 died 10 December 1974 (Beneath the Planet of the Apes, ‘Way Out, The Unknown Terror)
Paula Raymond b. 1924 died 31 December 2003 (Blood of Dracula’s Castle, Hand of Death, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms)
John Newland b. 1917 died 10 January 2000 (director, Star Trek)
Michael Gough b. 1916 died 17 March 2011 (Batman, Sleepy Hollow [1999 film], The Little Vampire, A Christmas Carol [1984 TV], Doctor Who, Blakes 7, The Boys from Brazil, Moonbase 3, Trog, Alice in Wonderland [1966 TV], Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, They Came From Beyond Space, Phantom of the Opera, Horror of Dracula, The Man in the White Suit)
John Dehner b. 1915 died 4 February 1992 (Creator, The Right Stuff, The Boys from Brazil, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Day of the Dolphin, Slaughterhouse-Five, The Immortal, Land of the Giants, Captain Nice, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Twilight Zone, Aladdin and his Lamp)
Ellen Drew b. 1915 died 3 December 2003 (Isle of the Dead)
Victor Jory b. 1902 died 12 February 1982 (Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, The Green Hornet, Cat-Women of the Moon, The Shadow [1940 serial])
Boris Karloff b. 1887 died 2 February 1969 (Alien Terror, Isle of the Snake People, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Monster of Terror, The Comedy of Terrors, Black Sabbath, The Terror, The Raven, Corridors of Blood, Frankenstein – 1970, Voodoo Island, The Island Monster, Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, Isle of the Dead, The Body Snatcher, House of Frankenstein, The Boogie Man Will Get You, The Ape, The Son of Frankenstein, The Walking Dead, The Invisible Ray, The Raven, Bride of Frankenstein, The Black Cat, The Mask of Fu Manchu, The Mummy, Frankenstein)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year it was Boris Karloff and he's iconic enough I could have said he gets the Picture Slot for every November 23rd, but being a huge Twilight Zone fan, I instead went with the great Oh That Guy John Dehner, standing across the bar from Stanley Adams in the episode Mr. Garrity and the Graves. Dehner has 285 credits on imdb.com. I admit my geezerhood, but it would be hard for me to put any of the living actors today in the Picture Slot next year, with the possible exception of Tom Neyman, who played The Master in "Manos": The Hands of Fate. I wish I could come up with an excuse to use a picture of Kelly Brook because... purdy, but not iconic in genre.

2. Wait... he's dead? Steve Landesberg. I did not get the memo. Except for Jack Soo, most of the cast from Barney Miller is still alive, including Abe Vigoda. This one definitely surprised me this morning.

3. Wait... he wrote genre? Robert Towne was one of the great screenwriters of the 1970s (Chinatown, Shampoo, Heaven Can Wait), but he also wrote genre back in the 1960s. I didn't know that until this morning.

4. Living Canadian free. No Canadians to spot today. It's rare, but it happens.

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

Predictor: Peter Dagmar in The Sands of Time, published 1963

Prediction: In this time-travel story, people from the future seek to destroy a supercomputer which was built by the surviving crews aboard nuclear submarines in the wake of a devastating global firestorm caused by nuclear war in 2016. A reactor disaster of 2015 is also mentioned.

Reality: Wait, they go back to destroy a supercomputer that was built after the war, but they don't try to stop the war itself? Weird priorities.

As usual, I learned about this prediction from Paul Brians great nuclear fiction database, and once again I thank him.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

How about a fabulous babe from Star Trek in the Picture Slot? The proposal is passed by proclamation.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

22 November 2014

Birthdays
Madison Davenport b. 1996 (From Dusk Till Dawn [TV], The Possession, Jack and the Beanstalk [2010])
Mackenzie Lintz b. 1996 (Under the Dome, The Hunger Games)
Alicia Vigil b. 1995 (Frankenstein Reborn)
Alden Ehrenreich b. 1989 (Supernatural)
Jamie Campbell Bower b. 1988 (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Camelot, The Prisoner [2009], Twilight Saga: New Moon)
Scarlett Johansson b. 1984 (Lucy, Under the Skin, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Iron Man, The Avengers, The Spirit, The Prestige, The Island, Eight Legged Freaks)
Fiona Glascott b. 1982 (Clone, Jericho, Resident Evil)
Andrew Knott b. 1979 (Frankenstein’s Wedding… Live in Leeds, Police 2020, The Secret Garden)
Leeanna Walsman b. 1979 (Hercules [2005 TV], Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, BeastMaster, Farscape, Thunderstone, Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord)
James Madio b. 1975 (Astronaut: The Last Push, Hook)
Noah Lee Margetts b. 1970 (Batman Begins)
Mark Ruffalo b. 1967 (The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Where the Wild Things Are, Blindness, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Blindness)
Michael K. Williams b. 1966 (The Purge: Anarchy, RoboCop, The Road, The Incredible Hulk [2008])
Nicholas Rowe b. 1966 (Doctor Who: Dreamland, Space Race, Seed of Chucky, The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells, Relic Hunter)
Richard Stanley b. 1966 (director, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Hardware)
Mads Mikkelsen b. 1965 (Clash of the Titans, The Door, Valhalla Rising)
Ken Tremblett b. 1965 (Almost Human, Supernatural, Watchmen, Painkiller Jane, Kyle XY, Andromeda, Dead Like Me, Welcome to Paradox, The X Files)
Kristin Minter b. 1965 (Good vs Evil, Brimstone, Highlander)
Stephen Geoffreys b. 1964 (Moon 44, 976-EVIL, Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone [1986], Fright Night)
Mariel Hemingway b. 1961 (Rise of the Zombies, The Hidden Room, Tales from the Crypt, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Amerika, Creator)
Lenore Zann b. 1959 (Kingdom Hospital, Andromeda, Lexx, Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend, Forever Knight, RoboCop [TV], The Hidden Room, Def-Con 4)
Jamie Lee Curtis b. 1958 (Halloween, Virus, Forever Young, The Fog, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)
Mackenzie Gray b. 1957 (Bitten, Man of Steel, Once Upon a Time, Fringe, Smallville, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The Knights of Bloodsteel, Destination: Infestations, Supernatural, Kyle XY, Merlin’s Apprentice, Stargate: Infinity, Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers, Andromeda, Seven Days, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Shepherd I and II, Shadow Zone: The Teacher Ate My Homework, 2103: The Deadly Quake, Replikator, Forever Knight)
Richard Kind b. 1956 (Gotham, Sharknado 2: The Second One, Dark Minions, Stargate: Atlantis, Bewitched [2005], Space: Above and Beyond, Stargate [film])
Margaret Markov b. 1948 (The Sixth Sense)
Tom Conti b. 1941 (The Dark Knight Rises, Atlantis: End of a World, Birth of a Legend, Faerie Tale Theatre)
Roy Thomas b. 1940 (Marvel Comics)
Terry Gilliam b. 1940 (director, The Zero Theorem, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The Brothers Grimm, Twelve Monkeys, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Brazil, Time Bandits, Jabberwocky, Monty Python and the Holy Grail)
Allen Garfield b. 1939 (The Ninth Gate, The Elf Who Didn’t Believe, Tales from the Darkside, Slither)
Michael Callan b. 1935 (Superboy, Swamp Thing, Knight Rider, Otherworld, Automan, The Bionic Woman, Journey to the Unknown, Mysterious Island [1961])
Robert Vaughn b, 1932 (Witch Academy, Escape to Witch Mountain, Dark Avenger, Transylvania Twist, C.H.U.D.II – Bud the Chud, Deadly Nightmares, Battle Beyond the Stars, Superman III, Doctor Franken, The Lucifer Complex, Starship Invasions, The Mind of Mr. Soames, Men Into Space, Teenage Cave Man)
Rodney Dangerfield b. 1921 died 5 October 2004 (Little Nicky)
Mary Jackson b. 1910 died 10 December 2005 (The Exorcist III, Space, Faerie Tale Theatre, The Bionic Woman, The Invaders, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone)
Lee Patrick b. 1901 died 21 November 1982 (7 Faces of Dr. Lao, Visit to a Small Planet, Topper)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year, Scarlett Johansson was the choice and I expect there would have been few complaints if I repeated. She is a real movie star with well known genre roles, and that is also the case with her Avengers co-star Mark Ruffalo. But I went with a picture of Robert Vaughn, maybe not as big a star as his younger birthday sharers, but I wanted to note he is The Guy At The Door, everyone younger is alive and everyone older is dead as he turns 82, and many happy returns. I may not have done Mr. Vaughn a huge favor choosing a picture from Teenage Cave Man, but I actually saw it "for real" as well as enjoying it on Mystery Science Theater 3000 as well. Next year, Mr. Ruffalo has the inside track, but Jamie Lee Curtis or Terry Gilliam will also get consideration. 

2. Spot the Canadians! There are three. Not all that hard to spot, but usually a lot of the Canucks are born after 1970 and today that's not the case. Answers later today.

3. Okay, that's odd. Occasionally, actors will have some porn credits early in their career and switch over to the not-naked-all-the-time part of the business, with Traci Lords as the archetypal example. Not so Stephen Geoffreys, who was in some low budget movies in the 1980s as well as a few guest spots on TV and switched over to gay porn in the 1990s, where he has stayed with few exceptions. Go figure.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list, especially Robert Vaughn, today's Guy At The Door, and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

Movies released
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire released, 2013
Frozen released, 2013
Star Trek: First Contact released, 1996
Back to the Future: Part II released, 1989
  

Predictor: Journalist Edgar W. Howe (1853-1937), predicting the 20th Century in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago.

Predictions: During the next century, I believe the American people will learn the important lesson that simple and honest living is the goal to which men should bend their energies.

The old races of men were cruel in the name of patriotism and religion. The men who live in 1993 will be just because their conscience and well-being will demand it.

The truth has always been mixed with nonsense. The men who will celebrate the fifth Columbian centennial will have separated the chaff from the wheat. No teacher of nonsense will be encouraged, even should he claim that his object is to do good.

Reality: Sorry, Edgar. Your heart's in the right place, no doubt about that, but dishonesty, cruelty and nonsense are still alive and well. Heck, one of our political parties would shrink down to nothing if it didn't rely on dishonesty, cruelty and nonsense.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's time again for the Sunday nukes.


Join us then.. IN THE FUTURE!

21 November 2014

Birthdays
Jena Malone b. 1984 (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay, Sucker Punch, Donnie Darko, Contact)
Lindsey Haun b. 1984 (True Blood, Star Trek: Voyager, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Village of the Damned)
Lisa McAllister b. 1980 (Robocroc, The Dark Knight, Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes, Sea of Souls)
Jimmi Simpson b. 1975 (Knights of Badassdom, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Virtuality, Carnivale, Rose Red)
Rain Phoenix b. 1972 (Amazing Stories)
Tamara Gorski b. 1968 (Man with the Screaming Brain, Witchblade, Haven, Angel, Earth: Final Conflict, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Forever Knight, Highland [TV], The Lost World [1992], My Secret Identity, Dracula: The Series [1991])
Alexander Siddig b. 1965 (Game of Thrones, Atlantis, Primeval, Clash of the Titans, Merlin, Doomsday, Reign of Fire, Deep Space Nine)
Bill Oberst Jr. b. 1965 (Werewolf Rising, Circus of the Dead, The Black Water Vampire, Aliens of the West, Krampus: The Christmas Devil, Death Valley [TV], Wonderland [2011], True Blood)
Nicollette Sheridan b. 1963 (Virus [1995])
Brian McNamara b. 1960 (Grimm, Star Trek: Voyager, Prey, NightMan, Sliders, Time Trax, Arachnophobia, Earth Star Voyager, Short Circuit)
Cherry Jones b. 1956 (The Village, Signs)
Timothy Stack b. 1956 (The Flash, Tales from the Crypt, ALF, Martians Go Home, Starman [TV])
Cynthia Rhodes b. 1956 (Runaway)
Deborah Shelton b. 1948 (Witchy Ways, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II)
Goldie Hawn b. 1945 (Death Becomes Her)
Harold Ramis b. 1944 died 24 February 2014 (writer, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Bedazzled)
Al Matthews b. 1942 (The Fifth Element, Aliens, Superman III, Omen III: The Final Conflict)
Michael Cavanaugh b. 1942 (FlashForward, Carnivale, Epoch, The Haunting, The Burning Zone [TV], Lois & Clark, The X Files, Dark Shadows [1991], Star Trek: The Next Generation, Starman [TV], Amazing Stories)
Juliet Mills b. 1941 (Waxwork II: Lost in Time, Wonder Woman, Demon, Demon)
John Hough b. 1941 (director, The Watcher in the Woods, Incubus, Return from Witch Mountain, Escape to Witch Mountain, The Legend of Hell House)
Rick Lenz b. 1939 (Automan, The Greatest American Hero, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man)
Jeannot Szwarc b. 1939 (director, Supernatural, Almost Human, Fringe, Smallville, Heroes, The Twilight Zone [1986], Supergirl, Somewhere in Time, Bug, The Six Million Dollar Man)
Robert Drivas b. 1938 died 29 June 1986 (The Illustrated Man)
Marlo Thomas b. 1937 (My Favorite Martian)
Gus Trikonis b. 1937 (director, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, SeaQuest 2032, Quantum Leap, The Flash [1991], Beauty and the Beast, Twilight Zone [1986], The Evil)
Ingrid Pitt b. 1937 died 23 November 2010 (Minotaur, Underworld, Doctor Who, The Wicker Man, The House That Dripped Blood, Countess Dracula, The Vampire Lovers, The Omegans)
Laurence Luckinbill b. 1934 (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
Joseph Campanella b. 1924 (Star Trek: Voyager, Good vs Evil, Lois & Clark, Beauty and the Beast [1989], Superboy, Earthbound, Meteor, Ben, The Sixth Sense [1972], Captain Nice, The Invaders)
Christopher Tolkien b. 1924 (author, The Complete History of Middle-Earth)
Helen Horton b. 1923 died 2009 (Polterguests, Superman III, Phase IV)
Ralph Meeker b. 1920 died 5 August 1988 (The Alpha Incident, The Food of the Gods, The Night Stalker, The Green Hornet, The Outer Limits)
Isaac Bashevis Singer b. 1902 died 24 July 1991 (author, The Golem, The Black Wedding, Satan in Goray)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year, it was Alexander Siddig, and I would argue that when it comes to iconic genre roles, he's hard to beat. Not wanting to repeat, I could have gone with Harold Ramis from Ghostbusters, but I already did that when he died this year, or maybe Laurence Luckinbill from Star Trek V or if I was looking to attract the young people, Jena Malone has done some well known stuff. But as you can see, I was in an old school fabulous babe mood for the first time this week and chose Ingrid Pitt, Hammer Studios favorite female vampire. Complaints can be included in the comments, where they will be noted and logged... and frankly, ignored.


2. One role? Really? There were a lot of names on imdb.com that I recognized and decided to search and exactly one genre role showed up, sometimes in very substantial careers. I will admit that I knew what I was looking for with Laurence Luckinbill, Goldie Hawn and Cynthia Rhodes. I was just guessing with Robert Drivas, Marlo Thomas, Nicolette Sheridan and Rain Phoenix, but one role showed up and they are on the list.

3. Wait... he's dead? Wait... he's alive? Robert Drivas is best known for his role in Cool Hand Luke, one of the great trivia cast lists of all time. I didn't know he was gone. On the other hand, I didn't know Joseph Campanella was still with us and turned 90 this year. Many happy returns, Mr. Campanella!

4 A slightly camouflaged Canadian. Tamara Gorski showed up on a lot of 20th Century Canadian genre shows, but she also was on Angel and went to New Zealand to be on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list, with one more special nod to Joseph Campanella, and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.


Movies released
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, released 2014
Rise of the Guardians, released 2012
Twilight, released 2008

Predictor: H. G. Wells in his 1902 book Anticipations

Prediction: So far as London, St. Petersburg, and Berlin go, it seems fairly safe to assume that they will go well over twenty millions; and that New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago will probably, and Hankow almost certainly, reach forty millions.

Reality: I love a population prediction, it makes the checking so easy. Young Herbert's crystal ball was completely off on every one of these and always on the way too high side.

London 8.3 mil
St. Petersburg 4.9 mil
Berlin 3.5 mil
New York 19.8 mil
Philadelphia 6.0 mil
Chicago 9.5 mil
Hankow (one of three cities now merged into Wuhan) 10.2 mil

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Back to 1893 and I have to admit, while we get the uncomfortable clothes, the predictions and facial hair are frankly disappointing.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

Never to be Forgotten:Mike Nichols 1931-2014

Mike Nichols, who first gained fame in a comedy duo with Elaine May and later as a director on stage and screen, has died at the age of 83. He is one of the few performers to have won an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy.

I blush to write it, but his birthday was two weeks ago, I saw his name on imdb.com and passed right over it. His genre credits are directing the movies Day of the Dolphin with George C. Scott, Wolf with Jack Nicholson and What Planet Are You From? with Garry Shandling and Annette Bening. Bruce Weber wrote a long and glowing obituary in The New York Times today, but when he admitted Nichols' less than stellar work, he noted Day of the Dolphin and Wolf by name. Weber completely failed to mention What Planet Are You From?

Such are the rules of this blog. If someone does work in fantasy and sci-fi, even if it is minor work in their career, they get a mention. For me, since I didn't get to see the plays he directed, my favorite work of his are the comedy routines with Elaine May, hands down.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Mike Nichols, from a fan. He is never to be forgotten.

20 November 2014

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19 November 2014

Birthdays
Liana Mendoza b. 1984 (A Haunted House, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra)
Adam Driver b. 1983 (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens)
Tony Elias b. 1982 (Star Trek [2009])
Adele Silva b. 1980 (Strippers vs Werewolves, Doctor Who)
Eric Nenninger b. 1978 (Jeepers Creepers 2, The X Files)
Kristian Ayre b. 1977 (Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Elf, Jake 2.0, Stargate SG-1, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County, Space Cases, The Odyssey [1994])
Christian Martin b. 1975 (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl)
Sandrine Holt b. 1972 (Terminator: Genisys, The Returned, Underworld: Awakening, The Phantom, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Mutant X, Witchblade, Poltergeist: The Legacy)
Mark Bonnar b. 1968 (Doctor Who, Paradox)
Jason Scott Lee b. 1966 (Soldier, Tale of the Mummy, The Hunger [1997 TV], The Jungle Book, Back to the Future II)
Douglas Henshall b. 1965 (Dorian Gray, Primeval, Kull the Conqueror)
Terry Ferrell b. 1963 (Deep Core, Deep Space Nine, Legion, Red Dwarf, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Quantum Leap, Twilight Zone)
Jodie Foster b. 1962 (Elysium, Nim’s Island, Contact, The X-Files)
Meg Ryan b. 1961 (Kate & Leopold, Innerspace, Amityville 3-D)
Allison Janney b. 1959 (Lost, Aliens in the Family, Wolf)
Charlie Kaufman b. 1958 (writer, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich)
Scott McGinnis b. 1958 (Deadly Nightmares, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Mr. Merlin)
Tom Virtue b. 1957 (A Haunted House 2, Iron Man 3, American Horror Story, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Charmed, Firefly, Star Trek: Voyager, The X-Files, Team Knight Rider, Lois & Clark)
Glynnis O’Connor b. 1956 (Twilight Zone [1986])
Kathleen Quinlan b. 1954 (SGU Stargate Universe, The Hills Have Eyes [2006], Event Horizon, Apollo 13, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Where Have All the People Gone)
Robert Beltran b. 1953 (Cry of the Winged Serpent, Fire Serpent, Manticore, Star Trek: Voyager, Lois & Clark, Night of the Comet)
Nigel Bennett b. 1949 (Starhunter, Andromeda, Mutant X, Cypher, Lexx, Dark Realm, Relic Hunter, Top of the Food Chain, Total Recall 2070Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Earth: Final Conflict, Forever Knight, RoboCop [TV], The Hidden Room, Twilight Zone [1988], Bay Coven)
Udana Power b. 1944 (Jason of Star Command, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Lost Saucer)
Dan Haggerty b. 1941 (Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan)
Dick Cavett b. 1936 (Beetlejuice, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors)
Rex Holman b. 1928 (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Land of the Lost [1976 TV], Escape to Witch Mountain, Land of the Giants, Star Trek, The Outer Limits, Panic in Year Zero!, Twilight Zone)
Gene Tierney b. 1920 died 6 November 1991 (The Ghost & Mrs. Muir [1947])
Alan Young b. 1919 (The Time Machine [2002 & 1960], FreakyLinks, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, The Cat From Outer Space, Mr. Terrific, tom thumb)
Eleanor Audley b. 1905 died 25 November 1991 (Twilight Zone)


Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. So many choices. Last year, I went with Terry Ferrell and made some comment about women I lusted after turning 50, but Kathleen Quinlan turns 60 today and I lusted after her as well. For fabulous babes, I would say both Jodie Foster and Gene Tierney qualify for iconic in genre as well as gorgeous, so they have a good chance next year, as does Robert Beltran. But this year it's Alan Young, put in make-up to look like an old man in the 1960 version of The Time Machine. Guess what? Now he is an old man and he looks much better than this. More than that, he's 95 today AND he's still working! Good on ya, Mr. Young.

2. Emigrated to Canada.  It's no secret in the industry how much work there is in Canada now, and many actors born elsewhere move to Canada. There are three actors with Canadian looking C.V.s, but none of them were born there. Nigel Bennett is a Scot that moved to Canada, Sandrine Holt was born in England and her family moved to Canada when she was five, and Kristian Ayre's story is much the same.

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


Movies released
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 released, 2010
 

Predictor: General H.H. "Hap" Arnold, the basis for the LIFE magazine article The 36-Hour War, published in the November 19, 1945 issue


Prediction: The next war will be fought with nuclear warheads mounted on inter-continental ballistic missiles.

Reality: When I began this blog in early 2013, one of the first people to contact me with an interesting link was Ian Abrams of Drexel University. The story doesn't give an exact date for the next war, but it does predict how it will be fought. Luckily for us, we've gone nearly seventy years and nothing like this has happened. Still, this article, officially vetted by the Pentagon to be published in LIFE magazine at the height of its circulation, is one of the earliest and most potent sources of the biggest fear we lived with for at least forty years, toe-to-toe nuclear confrontation with the Russkies. Recall that when it is written, we are the only nuclear power and intercontinental missiles do not yet exist.

I very rarely repeat a prediction on this blog, but I declare November 19th as You Have Official Permission To Freak The Fuck Out Day. Again, thanks to Ian Drexel for creating the webpage and giving me a link to it when this blog was in its infancy.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Thursday belongs to Lee de Forest's view of the wonders of the year 2000, predicted in 1960. 

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

18 November 2014

 Birthdays
Noah Ringer b. 1997 (The Last Airbender, Cowboys & Aliens)
Nick Bateman b. 1986 (Space Janitors, My Babysitter’s a Vampire)
Nathan Kress b. 1982 (Video Game High School)
Jake Abel b. 1987 (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The Host, I Am Number Four, Supernatural, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Threshold)
Georgia King b. 1986 (Cockneys vs Zombies, Sinbad [TV], Merlin [TV])
Robert Kazinsky b. 1983 (True Blood, Pacific Rim)
Damon Wayans Jr. b. 1982 (Blankman)
Miranda Raison b. 1977 (Sinbad, Merlin, Doctor Who, Dark Realm)
Steven Pasquale b. 1976 (Coma [2012], Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem)
Chloe Sevigny b. 1974 (American Horror Story, Demonlover)
Goran Kostic b. 1971 (The Last Days on Mars, The Deep [TV 2010], Children of Men)
Peta Wilson b. 1970 (Superman Returns, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Highlander [TV])
Dan Bakkedahl b. 1969 (Gotham, Grimm)
Phil Buckman b. 1969 (An American Werewolf in Paris, Weird Science)
Romany Malco b. 1968 (No Ordinary Family, Gulliver’s Travels [2010], Level 9)
Owen Wilson b. 1968 (Night at the Museum 1 & 2, The Haunting, Breakfast of Champions, Armageddon, Anaconda)
John Campling b. 1966 (616, Narcopolis, The Zombie King, Apocalypse Z, Jack the Giant Killer, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
Tim Guinee b. 1962 (Revolution, Fringe, Iron Man 1 & 2, Smallville, Stargate SG-1, Strange World, Level 9, Blade, Brave New World, Vampires)
Nick Chinlund b. 1961 (666 Park Avenue, Grimm, Wyvern, The Chronicles of Riddick, Buffy, The X Files)
Steven Moffat b. 1961 (writer, Doctor Who, Jekyll)
Elizabeth Perkins b. 1960 (From the Earth to the Moon, Big)
John Shepherd b. 1960 (Quantum Leap, Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning)
Shari Shattuck b. 1960 (Babylon 5, Goddess of Love, Freddy’s Nightmares, Knight Rider)
Kevin Nealon b. 1953 (Aliens in the Attic, Little Nicky, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Coneheads)
Alan Moore b. 1953 (author, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell)
Delroy Lindo b. 1952 (The Core, Devil’s Advocate, Congo, Beauty and the Beast [1987 TV])
Dennis Haskins b. 1950 (The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes, Twilight Zone [1987], Amazing Stories, The Greatest American Hero)
Michael Swanwick b. 1950 (won 1992 Nebula for Stations of the Tide)
Eric Pierpont b. 1950 (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Solar Flare, Surface, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Sliders, Babylon 5, Alien Nation [TV]. Deep Space Nine, Children of the Dark, Star Trek: Next Generation, Time Trax, Beauty and the Beast, Invaders from Mars)
Andrea Marcovicci b. 1948 (Amazing Stories, The Canterville Ghost, The Stuff, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, Voyagers!, The Incredible Hulk, The Hand)
Alan Dean Foster b. 1946 (novelizations of Star Trek, Star Wars, Alien, Alien Nation and many more)
Susan Sullivan b. 1942 (Dead Like Me, The Incredible Hulk [1977], Dark Shadows [1967])
David Hemmings b. 1941 died 3 December 2003 (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Tales from the Crypt, Nightmare Classic, Faerie Tale Theatre, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [1980 TV], Barbarella)
Brenda Vaccaro b. 1939 (Supergirl, Capricorn One)
Ian McCulloch b. 1939 (Doctor Who, Hammer House of Horror, Zombie Holocaust, Zombie, The Ghoul, I, Monster, It!)
Margaret Atwood b. 1939 (author, The Handmaid’s Tale, Oryx and Crake)
Max Phipps b. 1939 died 6 August 2000 (Farscape, Sky Pirates, The Return of Captain Invincible, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Thirst, The Cars That Eat People)
John McMartin b. 1929 (Beauty and the Beast [TV])
Alan Shepard b. 1923 died 21 July 1998 (astronaut)
Imogene Coca b. 1908 died 2 June 2001 (Alice in Wonderland [1985 TV], Bewitched, It’s About Time)

Notes on the Birthday List.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year it was Margaret Atwood and this year, when astronauts are trump, we have Alan Shepard, first American in space. There are plenty of choices for next year, though I would say the front runner is Eric Pierpont from the Alien Nation TV show, though I might go with MST3K.

2. What, no Canadians? Yes, it's surprisingly true. I didn't find a single Canadian in this very long list of artists. I'm surprised too.

3. They did genre? There are a lot of actors whose names I know that I didn't know did any genre, but I checked their imdb.com C.V. just in case. The biggest surprises for me were Brenda Vaccaro, Susan Sullivan, Andrea Marcovicci, Delroy Lindo and Kevin Nealon. People can get typecast, sometimes because of ethnicity or being comic actors or "soap opera actors" and never get roles in fantasy or sci-fi. I wasn't surprised by Imogene Coca, definitely a comic actress. I still remember the sitcom It's About Time, though I have made a valiant effort to forget it.

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

Movies released
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 released 2011
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire released 2005
Star Trek: Generations released 1994
Cherry 2000 released 1988

TV show premieres
Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Comedy Central, 1989 

Predictor: FM-2030 in his 1981 article Up-Wing Priorities


Prediction: 21st Century Values. Traditional values have issued from eons of scarcity - hardship -brief lifespans - insularity. Late 20th-century breakthroughs are formatting new environments which spawn new values and ideals. A 21st-century consciousness is surfacing increasingly free of Puritan guilt - shame - cynicism - self-denial.

What does the oldworld psychology of sacrifice mean in the new age of abundance? Entire generations are coming on line who have never known poverty and hardship -for whom abundance and comfort are the norm. The new consciousness views hardship as stunting - wealth as liberating.

What does age-old orientation to suffering mean at a time when medical breakthroughs are screening out physical and mental pain?

What does the work ethic mean in the age of intelligent technology which is taking over more and more of our work? The work ethic now slows down growth. The new Leisure ethic accelerates innovation and progress.

What does competitiveness mean in an age of plenty? Why do we need to know who is best at anything? Why contests? Why winners and losers? Why the Nobel prize the Pulitzer prize the Academy Awards? Systems that pit people against one another are oldworld and manipulative and must be boycotted. Competition saps everyone's energy. To hyperspeed ahead we need complementation of everyone's creativity.

What do religions and spiritualisms which demand child-like submission to deities and "higher authorities" mean at a time when vigorous new generations growing up in permissive open environments accept no authorities as final or absolute? At a time when out cosmic leaps are daily proving there are no permanent constraints - that we are free agents in the universe?

The greatest breakthrough of our age is unfolding in our self image. A new brand of revolutionary is fat emerging - fired up by entirely new dreams. Up-Wingers are not content with civil rights - equal rights - human rights. These freedoms are no longer enough. 


Reality: Let's start with what he gets right, since that is the much shorter list. This is a time of plenty compared to the past.

Now what he gets wrong. The idea that there are no permanent constraints is crap. When it comes to exploring the cosmos, the speed of light is a permanent constraint. Living creatures age and die, and the advances in medicine slow these processes down, but cannot stop them completely. When it comes to distances in space we can actually manage to travel, we have a limit to how much air and water there is.

I will agree with old Frozen Moron-2030 that competition at the levels we practice now is getting in the way of the progress of the species, but we can't just kill off all the billionaires, as iniviting a prospect as that is.

Next week, we get his final flourish, his complete vision of the utopia he thought he deserved. I don't know yet who will replace old FroMo as our Tuesday regular, but that person or persons will be hard pressed to be more entertaining with their mistakes.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

I try to start a new national day of memorial, though I will likely be less successful than even FroMo.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!