14 June 2015

Birthdays
Daryl Sabara b. 1992 (Zombie Basement, After the Dark, John Carter, Wizards of Waverly Place, Spy Kids, Roswell)
Evan Sabara b. 1992 (Spy Kids)
Lucy Hale b. 1989 (Supernatural, Wizards of Waverly Place, Bionic Woman [2007])
Kevin McHale b. 1988 (True Blood)
Torrance Coombs b. 1983 (Haven, Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica)
Chauncey Leopoldi b. 1981 (Shadow Zone: The Undead Express, Casper)
Daniel Newman b. 1981 (The Dark Knight Rises, The Vampire Diaries, Heroes, Children of the Corn [TV], The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Surface)
Rochelle Davis b. 1980 (The Crow)
Pascale Hutton b. 1979 (Once Upon a Time, Continuum, Fringe, Sanctuary, Behemoth, Supernatural, The 4400, Smallville, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Stargate: Atlantis, Fantastic Four, Dead Like Me, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed)
David Kopp b. 1978 (Blade: The Series, Freddy vs. Jason, Stargate SG-1, Mysterious Ways, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show)
Alexandra Castillo b. 1971 (Warehouse 13, Fringe, 2012, Mutant X, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, The Sixth Day)
Sophiya Haque b. 1971 died 16 January 2013 (Wanted, Fairy Tales)
Lara Wickes b. 1969 (Demon Island, The Hunger, Total Recall 2070, Big Wolf on Campus)
Traylor Howard b. 1966 (Son of the Mask, Lois & Clark)
James Gurney b. 1958 (author, Dinotopia)
Will Patton b. 1954 (Falling Skies, The Fourth Kind, The Punisher, The Mothman Prophecies, Armageddon, The Postman, VR.5, The Puppet Masters)
Jeremy Sinden b. 1950 died 29 May 1996 (Star Wars)
Harry Turtledove b. 1949 (author, The Guns of the South, Agent of Byzantium)
Antony Sher b. 1949 (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Wolfman, Erik the Viking, Superman II)
Joe Grifasi b. 1944 (Early Edition, Batman Forever, Splash)
Ben Davidson b. 1940 died 2 July 2012 (Conan the Barbarian)
Jack Bannon b. 1940 (The Six Million Dollar Man, The Invaders)
Marla Gibbs b. 1931 (The Meteor Man)
Sam Wanamaker b. 1919 died 18 December 1993 (Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, The Day the Fish Came Out, The Outer Limits [1964])
Gene Barry b. 1919 died 9 December 2009 (War of the Worlds [2005 and 1953], Twilight Zone [1987], The 27th Day)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, The Picture slot went to the late Jeremy Sinden from Star Wars and Iain Glen, whose birthday I got wrong in 2013. This year, we have Gene Barry in his most famous genre role as Dr. Clayton Forrester (heh.) in The War of the Worlds.

2. Nepotism, not a win. One twin goes up, one twin goes down. Daryl Sabara has a career of sorts, Evan not so much. While Daryl was on of the stars of the Spy Kids franchise, Evan played "Creepy Kid" in the 3D installment.

3. Spot the Canadians! Lara Wickes is not easy to spot, but all four of the Canadians born after 1970 I think can be sussed out. See what you can do.

4. Hey, no Star Trek! Star Trek is the most popular label by a very wide margin, but every once in a while we get a day with no birthdays from that franchise. Today is the second such day this month.

5. What constitutes dying young? Football player/actor Ben Davidson was 72 when he died three years ago. Nowadays, that's younger than average for Americans. Star Wars actor Jeremy Sinden and Bollywood lovely Sophiya Haque both died in their forties from cancer. No question that constitutes dying young.

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

Movies released
Man of Steel released, 2013
X-Men released 2001

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in the 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: They made the predictable fuss about taking a cat into the room and an autobellhop is not responsive to bribes – hardly an improvement.

Reality: Bob was pretty sure any job he considered beneath him was going to be done by a machine by 2000. We are automating a lot of jobs, but not quite as many as Heinlein thought we would.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's Monday again, and another dip into that reliable source The OMNI Future Almanac.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

3 July 2014

Birthdays
Dean Cook b. 1985 (Powers, The Little Vampire, Highlander [TV])
Corey Sevier b. 1984 (Supernatural, Immortals, Age of the Dragons, Smallville, Metamorphosis, The Dresden Files, 2030 CE)
Brandon Jay McLaren b. 1981 (Dead Before Dawn 3D, Falling Skies, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Kyle XY, Smallville, Blade: The Series, Power Rangers S.P.D., Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed)
Olivia Munn b. 1980 (Iron Man 2)
Kevin Hart b. 1980 (This is the End, Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire)
Ian Anthony Dale b. 1978 (American Horror Story, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, The Event, Tekken, Dollhouse, Charmed, Angel)
Patrick Wilson b. 1973 (Ant-Man, Space Station 76, Prometheus, Watchmen)
Shawnee Smith b. 1970 (The Island, Breakfast of Champions, Armageddon, The Shining [1997 TV], The X-Files, The Stand, The Blob [1988])
Connie Nielsen b. 1965 (Demonlover, Mission to Mars, Solider, The Devil’s Advocate)
Tommy Flanagan b. 1965 (Sin City, Alien vs. Predator)
Thomas Gibson b. 1962 (Category 6: Day of Destruction, The Lost Empire, Psycho Beach Party)
Tom Cruise b. 1962 (Edge of Tomorrow, Oblivion, War of the Worlds, Minority Report, Vanilla Sky, Interview with the Vampire, Legend)
Rick Ducommun b. 1956 (Brimstone, Ghost in the Machine, Groundhog Day, Encino Man, Gremlins 2, Little Monsters, Spaceballs, Max Headroom)
Cork Hubbert b. 1952 died 28 September 203 (Charmed, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Sinbad of the Seven Seas, The Charmings, The Twilight Zone [1986], Legend)
Betty Buckley b. 1947 (The Happening, Carrie)
Michael Cole b. 1945 (It, Beyond Westworld, Wonder Woman)
Kurtwood Smith b. 1943 (Resurrection, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Deep Impact, Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space Nine, The X-Files, Star Trek VI, RoboCop)
Harrison Schmidt b. 1935 (walked on the moon)
Tom Stoppard b. 1937 (screenplay, Brazil)
Ken Russell b. 1927 died 27 November 2011 (The Lair of the White Worm, Altered States)
Tim O’Connor b. 1927 (The Burning Zone, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Wonder Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Sssssss, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, ‘Way Out)
Carol Ohmart b. 1927 (House on Haunted Hill, Men Into Space)
Rae Allen b. 1926 (Vampire Mob, Stargate, The Greatest American Hero)
George Sanders b. 1906 died 25 April 1972 (The Body Stealers, Batman, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Village of the Damned, From the Earth to the Moon)
Franz Kakfa b. 1883 died 3 June 1924 (author, Metamorphosis)

This year, walking on the moon is trump, so Harrison Schmidt, the last guy to leave in 1972, gets the Picture Slot.

Walking on the moon! Yay!

Professor Schmidt is also a climate change denier associated with the Heartland Institute. Not so yay.

He's also appeared on the Alex Jones show. Shaking my head in sorrow and disgust.

Last year's picture slot was Tom Cruise (another shake of my head) and next year is wide open, though the front runners are several fabulous babes, Franz Kafka and Kurtwood Smith, who is at the "Hey, it's Red from That 70s Show!" level of fame.

You don't know him as Red from That 70s Show? Dumbass.

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

Movies released 
Despicable Me 2 released, 2013
The Amazing Spider-Man released, 2012
Transformers released, 2007
Men In Black released, 2002
Terminator 2 released, 1991
Back to the Future released, 1985

As you might surmise, July 3 is a very popular date to release what is often the last summer blockbuster.

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: Automation, electronic equipment, and other machines will make it possible to increase production per worker, creating more leisure time and a constantly rising living standard. (Atomic processing plants, oil refineries, and others now can be operated in large part from a control panel.)

Reality: Well, this is a three parter. Increased production per worker is absolutely true, but in the United States, leisure time hasn't increased much since and the living standard has stagnated because... FREEDOM!!!1!

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Our new Friday regular comes in with his first prediction.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

6 April 2013

Birthday
Billy Dee Williams b. 1937

Yeah, Lando Calrissian is 76 years old. I doubt the pornstache and the hair product are having the same effect as they used to.
 

Prediction: "... sentimental songs were produced entirely by mechanical means on a special kind of kaleidoscope known as a versificator."

Predictor: George Orwell in 1984, published 1949

Reality: Besides pop songs, pornography is predicted to be produced mechanically on these large kaleidoscopes. When Winston and Julia first meet, her arm is in a sling and he assumes she had been in an accident with one of the machines. We find out later that she does work in Pornosec, but only manning the machines, as she admits to Winston she is "not literary."

Neither pop songs or porn are produced without human hands touching them, but I understand where Orwell could get the idea it would be possible in the future to grind these things out like sausages.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!


We take a look down the pneumatic tubes to the inner workings of The Memory Hole.

Join me then... IN THE FUTURE!