24 April 2015

Birthdays
Angelica Jopling b. 1997 (Kick-Ass 2)
Larramie Doc Shaw b. 1992 (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Jack Quaid b. 1992 (The Hunger Games)
Tahyna Tozzi b. 1986 (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
Courtney Draper b. 1985 (Buffy, Stepsister from Planet Weird)
Austin Nichols b. 1980 (The Walking Dead, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Surface, The Day After Tomorrow, Sliders)
Matthew Steer b. 1978 (Cinderella, SuperBob, Outlander)
Rebecca Mader b. 1977 (Once Upon a Time, Warehouse 13, Iron Man 3, Fringe, Alphas, No Ordinary Family, Lost)
Eric Balfour b. 1977 (Haven, No Ordinary Family, Skyline, Dinoshark, Rise of the Gargoyles, The Chronicle, Buffy)
Noah Danby b. 1974 (Bitten, Hemlock Grove, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and the Death Lamp, Riddick, Lost Girl, Warehouse 13, Eureka, Painkiller Jane, Stargate SG-1, Alien Incursion, Smallville, The 4400, Andromeda, Mutant X, Witchblade, Relic Hunter, Lexx)
Eric Kripke b. 1974 (writer, Supernatural, Revolution, Boogeyman)
Derek Luke b. 1974 (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Captain America: The First Avenger)
Damon Lindelof b. 1973 (writer, Tomorrowland, The Leftovers, World War Z, Prometheus, Star Trek Into Darkness, Lost)
Dean Armstrong b. 1973 (Alphas, Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, Haven, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Earth: Final Conflict)
Melinda Clarke b. 1969 (The Vampire Diaries, Reaper, Firefly, Tremors [TV], Charmed, Star Trek: Enterprise, Spawn, Sliders, Xena, Return of the Living Dead III)
Rory McCann b. 1969 (Game of Thrones, Season of the Witch, Clash of the Titians, Beowulf & Grendel, Solomon Kane)
Aiden Gillen b. 1968 (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Game of Thrones, The Dark Knight Rises)
Stacy Haiduk b. 1968 (True Blood, Heroes, The Attack of the Sabertooth, The X-Files, Charmed, Kindred: The Embraced, SeaQuest 2032, Superboy)
Djimon Hounsou b. 1964 (Guardians of the Galaxy, Push, Eragon, The Island, Constantine, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Stargate)
Jason Salkey b. 1962 (The Fifth Element)
Glenn Morshower b. 1959 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Revolution, After Earth, Transformers, X-Men: First Class, Dollhouse, Charmed, The Island, Category 6: Day of Destruction, Star Trek: Enterprise, Buffy, Strange World, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Godzilla [1998], Millennium, The X-Files, Dark Skies, Star Trek: Voyager, Babylon 5, Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Quantum Leap)
Eric Bogosian b. 1953 (Blade: Trinity, Twilight Zone [1985], Tales from the Darkside)
Steven Lisberger b. 1951 (writer, TRON)
Michael Parks b. 1940 (Tusk, Grindhouse, From Dusk Till Dawn, Sorceress, SeaQuest 2032, War of the Worlds [1989 TV])
Jill Ireland b. 1936 died 18 May 1990 (Star Trek, My Favorite Martian, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Shirley MacLaine b. 1934 (Bewitched [2005])
Richard Donner b. 1930 (director, Timeline, Scrooged, Superman, The Omen, Ladyhawke, The Sixth Sense [TV], It’s About Time, Twilight Zone)
Bruce Kirby b. 1928 (Tucker’s Witch, The Greatest American Hero, Holmes and Yo-Yo, I Dream of Jeannie)
J.D. Cannon b. 1922 died 20 May 2005 (Beyond Witch Mountain, The Invaders, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
William Castle b. 1914 died 31 May 1977 (director, Zotz!, 13 Ghosts, The Tingler, House on Haunted Hill)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. We are in Game of Thronesseason now, so it's not surprising that the first two Picture Slotters on this list were Rory McCann and Aiden Gillen. There were several candidates I considered. Stacy Haiduk was Lana Lang on the Superboy show way back when and Glenn Morshower it a very recognizable Oh That Guy, often an Oh That Military Guy. But instead I went with Djimon Hounsou as Korath from Guardians of the Galaxy. Hounsou tells a story of his son, who is obsessed with comic books, telling his dad he wished he were lighter skinned because he wanted to be Spider-Man. Here's hoping the younger Hounsou grows up in a world where comic books are more diverse.

2. Nepotism FTW. Jack Quaid is Dennis Quaid's son and that counts for sure. Bruce Kirby is Bruno Kirby's dad, which doesn't count as much.

3. Spot the Canadians! There are two, both born in the 1970s. See if you can spot them.

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: Military recruiting among the working classes--or, more properly speaking, among the People of the Abyss--will have dwindled to the vanishing point; people who are no good for peace purposes are not likely to be any good in such a grave and complicated business as modern war.

Reality: Welcome back to H.G. Wells, snob, bigot and scumbag! Some of his predictions are merely right or wrong, but then we get these reminders of his vicious nature. Not only is this horribly bigoted, it was also incorrect. Armies are still filled with folks who have no better economic option.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's our second Saturday in the company of Morris L. Ernst and his cheerful view of the future in Utopia 1976. 

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!