Academia Archives - Alex's Asteroid Astrology

October 3rd, 2024 at 09:55am by Alex Miller

Death in Triplicate

The recent pairing of Jupiter, the planet ruling fame and celebrity, and asteroid Requiem 2254, named for the funeral mass for the dead, has yielded a fresh crop of autumnal celebrity deaths, much in the way Jupiter’s earlier conjunction with asteroid Lachesis 120, named for the mythic Greek Fate who determines the span of life, depopulated the planet of famous names in mid-summer. Among the recently departed: Dame Maggie Smith, celebrated British actress best known for her work in the Harry Potter movies and PBS’ “Downton Abbey;” Kris Kristofferson, American singer, songwriter and actor; and Pete Rose, American professional baseball player and gambling afficionado.

September 25th, 2024 at 08:52am by Alex Miller

Aster-Obit: James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones passed away on 9 September 2024, at the age of 93. Jones was a member of the exclusive EGOT club, meaning he had won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, but ironically, most people know him best from three roles where he never appears on camera: as the voice of Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” trilogy; the voice of Mufasa in Disney’s animated feature “The Lion King;” and as the voiceover announcer who for decades declaimed the tagline, “This is CNN” at the cable news network’s commercial breaks. It was Jones’ basso profundo vocal range that set him apart from the competition, though his 6’2” height and substantial frame also gave the actor a stage presence and gravitas few could rival.

September 15th, 2024 at 10:38am by Alex Miller

Lauren Bacall Centennial

She was born Betty Joan Perske, but she was Lauren Bacall. The grace, sophistication and style that name came to embody fitted her like a glove, but Lauren Bacall was never comfortable with her Hollywood moniker, and remained “Betty” to friends and family to the end of her days, though Bogie called her “Babe.” Born 16 September 1924, Lauren Bacall would have celebrated her centenary this week if she hadn’t died a decade ago.

June 3rd, 2024 at 08:44am by Alex Miller

Aster-Obit: Morgan Spurlock

Documentarian Morgan Spurlock passed on May 23, 2024, from complications related to cancer. The name may not ring a bell at first, but doubtless you’ll remember his 2004 documentary film “Supersize Me,” chronicling his month of subsisting on nothing but fast food from McDonald’s. Spurlock, judged by doctors and nutritionists to be in “above average” shape when he began his experiment on 1 February 2003, gained nearly 25 pounds in his thirty-day Ronald McDonald binge, along the way experiencing heart palpitations, sexual and liver dysfunction, lethargy, depression and headaches.

April 7th, 2024 at 12:06pm by Alex Miller

AAA Profile: Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn is among the most-honored and best-loved American actresses of all time, with 12 Academy Award nominations and 4 wins as Best Actress. Hepburn’s tally of Oscar gold has yet to be surpassed, and is only equaled by Meryl Streep (though one of her four was for Best Supporting Actress, she far eclipses Hepburn in nominations, with 21 to date). Her sixty-plus year career spanned the Great Depression to the edge of the new millennium, with 44 feature films to her credit; she also acted extensively on the stage, in no less than 33 productions (garnering two Tony Award nominations, but no wins). Hepburn didn’t work often in television, but managed six Emmy nominations and one win regardless.

April 2nd, 2024 at 08:48am by Alex Miller

Asteroid Tales: Lost in Transmission

It isn’t always possible to chronicle every news item that comes across the digital transom in real time, and sometimes the stories, while intriguing, just don’t merit a full article. But that doesn’t mean they’re without merit, as I hope this grab bag of bypassed stories proves. From science to trivia, honors to passings, there’s something for every taste in this catchall article.