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"Scotty" Gets Walk of Fame Star

Posted by timothy on from the goodwill-towards-all dept.

linuxwrangler writes "Actor James Doohan, aka Scotty on the original Star Trek series received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. This is expected to be Doohan's last public appearance as he suffers from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis as well as recently diagnosed Alzheimer's disease."

53 of 426 comments (clear)

  1. poor guy by AdamTheBastard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "he suffers from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis as well as recently diagnosed Alzheimer's disease"

    I never knew the guy but boy do I feel sorry for him.

    1. Re:poor guy by DAldredge · · Score: 5, Interesting

      "Chris pointed to the missing middle finger on his father's hand. Jimmy lost it during World War II, when fighting along with Royal Canadian Army soldiers in Normandy on D-Day."

      --00--

      url:http://24hour.startribune.com/24hour/enterta in ment/story/1603990p-9256921c.html?

      (SH) - After all these years, it's time for a confession.

      Chris Doohan and Danny Bonaduce dented Sonny Bono's Porsche in the 1970s. Bono trusted the boys, best pals from Van Nuys, Calif., to move his prized car for him. With "Partridge Family" star Bonaduce behind the wheel and Doohan riding shotgun, they guided the sports car out of its safe parking space and went in the wrong direction. Oops.

      But Doohan had much safer childhood adventures in outer space.

      When he and his brother Monty visited their dad at work, their father would tell them to go play in the shuttlecraft.

      "We played like we were spacemen," said Doohan, 45. "We were 7 years old. It was fun."

      That's one of the perks when your father is "Scotty," of Star Trek fame.

      James "Jimmy" Doohan, 84, played the beloved role of Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, chief engineer for the starship Enterprise, on the original 1966 series and in subsequent big-screen movies.

      When your dad's a "Star Trek" icon, growing up can be out-of-this-world fun.

      In the late 1970s, Chris and Monty, his twin, got in uniform and joined dad on the deck of the USS Enterprise, where William Shatner, as Capt. James T. Kirk, warned everyone about the villainous craft V'Ger that was approaching. It was a big moment for the boys, one that wound up on the big screen in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."

      In the television show, and in the "Trek" movies, the senior Doohan's Scotty character manned the transporter room - the words "Beam me up, Scotty" are forever burned into our public consciousness - and constantly worked miracles to keep the Enterprise running.

      For Chris, the "miracle worker" nature of his dad's character has been a source of constant inspiration.

      Next week, to pay his dad back for all of the love and inspiration he's provided over the years, Chris will present his famous father with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

      The Doohan clan, along with a grandstand of fans, will beam there Tuesday for the star ceremony.

      On Monday, the senior Doohan will greet fans inside the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, which has on display the bridge set from "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

      These are among the happenings in what's likely to go down as one of the biggest and most bittersweet conventions in "Star Trek" fandom history.

      "Beam Me Up Scotty ... One Last Time," is being billed as Jimmy Doohan's final "Star Trek" fan convention

      The tribute comes at a poignant time.

      "Just a couple months ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's," Chris said.

      So far the disease, still in its early stages, has only affected Jimmy's short-term memory.

      "He's really doing well," Chris said. "We're more concerned with his Parkinson's disease and diabetes than the Alzheimer's."

      Doohan was diagnosed with Parkinson's several years ago.

      "He gets to say goodbye to the fans," Chris said. "My dad has always been moved by the fans. If someone comes up and asks him for an autograph, he signs. He never turns anyone down."

      To get his dad a star on the Walk of Fame, Chris raised $15,000, the fee required by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. He started a year ago and received donations from fans around the world, who gave everything from 50 cents to $500.

      Chris keeps a sizeable collection of Scotty action figures and "Star Trek" memorabilia at his home, including a photo that shows Chris, Monty and Jimmy, all in their Starfleet uniforms for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."

      Chris pointed to the missing middle finger on his father's hand. Jimmy lost it during World War II, when fighting along with Royal Canadian Army sold

    2. Re:poor guy by snuf23 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes he lost the middle finger on his right hand during the invasion of Normandy.
      Scotty's Missing Finger

      They shot around it in the T.V. series. Remember all those close up shots of just the hands on the transporter? They aren't Scotty's hands.

      --
      Sometimes my arms bend back.
    3. Re:poor guy by Trikenstein · · Score: 5, Informative

      I never met him either, but I have talked to people that go to the conventions.
      Starting with the first one which was 25 to 30 years ago.

      They all say James is a great guy, a real sport, and used to be quite the drinker and scamp.

      He'd joke with all the guys and flirt with all the girls.

      Sounds like someone I'd be proud to hang out with.

    4. Re:poor guy by DAV3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I can't believe the parent post is moderated +4, Insightful. That has got to be the most shallow and thoughtless sentiment I have ever encountered. The Alzheimers will make it more difficult for him to manage his diabetes and other illnesses. The increased burden on his family and his own sense of loss of identity (at least during the onset of the Alzheimers) will also makes things worse.

      Nothing like a positive comment from someone who simply doesn't care...

    5. Re:poor guy by Gannoc · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I can't believe the parent post is moderated +4, Insightful. That has got to be the most shallow and thoughtless sentiment I have ever encountered. The Alzheimers will make it more difficult for him to manage his diabetes and other illnesses. The increased burden on his family and his own sense of loss of identity (at least during the onset of the Alzheimers) will also makes things worse.

      He certainly meant it to be "funny", but I've heard people say things like this before.

      Alzheimers does not "make you forget" that you're sick. In the early to middle stages, it makes things worse as you forget to take medications and are unable to follow the directions of your doctors. Eventually, you need to be moved somewhere for round the clock treatment.

      People with end-stage cancer and Alzheimers aren't "lucky" because they can forget about the cancer. Instead, they feel the terrible pain of dying, without understanding what is going on around them. Many times, they don't recognize their own families, so they die "alone" and in horrible pain. Its among the worst ways to die a "natural" death.

      So, lets back off on the fucking alzheimers jokes.

    6. Re:poor guy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Well this is slashdot. Nerds and kids.

      Anyway, my Uncle is one of the friendliest, most caring people I've ever known. But he can't handle death.

      When my brother was killed, my Uncle sat at the funeral telling jokes. Non stop. That's how he handles things. I was aghast at the time, and criticised him for this, but I now know he was heartbroken, and this is the only way he could handle it.

      I like to think all the jokesters here have a little of this issue in them. They are trying to be upbeat jokers about terrible illnesses.

      One grandmother had altzheimers. It was just the name of a disease to me until I witnessed it up close. But until you've seen a person go days not recognizing anyone, then suddenly wake up screaming "Where am I? What am I doing here?" uhmmmm...it's shocking, and not funny, and tragic. She was okay to deal with when she was not recognizing us, just a little afraid of us, and she was okay when she recognized us, too. It was the transistions--that was the most frightening.

      It was very painful when she transistioned, very emotional, lots of screaming and crying, wondering who and where she was. It was tough to watch and deal with.

      I'm a loner and lone wolf, so I know I will end badly with no one by my side. So I hope it's quick and with not much for anyone to clean up :-)

    7. Re:poor guy by Forbman · · Score: 5, Informative

      Alzheimer's is the corruption and death of neurons by unknown agents (the amyloid placques associated with it do not seem to be a direct causitive action, from the last SciAm article [yeah, real authoritive, I know...] about it).

      Parkinson's is caused by parts of the brain having impaired production of/response to dopamine in the inner brain.

      You don't have to be 75 years old to get Parkinson's [Davis Phinney, Michael J. Fox].

      Both suck to be a witness to (my experience was watching my grandmother wither away from Parkinson's). It is very hard to get to the point where you enjoy and appreciate the fewer and fewer lucid moments the person has. Eventually, they do just become a visage of what they once were.

      It sucks when someone you know dies suddenly in a car crash, heart attack or any other sudden cause. It sucks when it takes someone 10-15 years to slowly die from Parkinson's/Alzheimers [and I imagine, any terminal disease].

  2. Sad by Klar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "he suffers from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis as well as recently diagnosed Alzheimer's disease"

    I wish him the best health possible for his life.

    --
    Boxing Equipment Reviews
    1. Re:Sad by Mr2cents · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Health might be a bit over-optimistic in his situation (it must be hard to hear such a diagnose), but I hope he can still find some happiness.. WE ALL LOVE YOU, SCOTTY!

      --
      "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
    2. Re:Sad by ElrondHubbard · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I trust that most, if not all, of those reading this post realize that this constitutes an advanced stage of the death of the Original Series, if not the ideals that it stood for. The final movement began, naturally, with the death of Gene Roddenberry, and entered the final downward slide with the subsequent death of DeForest Kelley. Furthermore, we all recognize that Scotty was the first among equals of the non-Kirk-Spock-McCoy segment of the original cast. Mr. Doohan, we hardly knew ye. Thank you for representing my country on the beaches of Normandy. I hope that I and mine shall not neglect your sacrifice in days to come.

      --
      "The deep-fried Mars bar is a symptom of a wider crisis." -- Nutritionist Ann Ralph, on the Scottish diet
    3. Re:Sad by Soruk · · Score: 4, Informative

      Doohan didn't invent the Klingon Language, that was Marc Okrand.

      The spoken Klingon in ST:TMP were random grunts. Okrand did the job of not only inventing a language, but backfitting it to those grunts such that people who understood the language could actually understand those grunts.

      This is, of course, not to detract on Doohan's achievements - his star is very well deserved.

      --
      -- Soruk
  3. It's with utmost respect ... by YetAnotherName · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... that I must say, with such a list of ailments, that I fear the slightest hangnail will do the poor guy in.

    Seriously, I grew up admiring "Scotty" as an engineer, and he was an aspiration throughout my formative years. Sure enough, I'm not an actor today, but a professional engineer, although in software, not warp drive.

    I raise this glass to you, Mr Doohan.

    1. Re:It's with utmost respect ... by pHatidic · · Score: 4, Funny
      This is expected to be Doohan's last public appearance as he suffers from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis as well as recently diagnosed Alzheimer's disease.

      That's actually good. The trick is you have to get multiple diseases so then they start attacking eachother instead of you.

      /Carlin

    2. Re:It's with utmost respect ... by theonetruekeebler · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I grew up admiring "Scotty" as an engineer. [...] Sure enough, I'm not an actor today, but a professional engineer, although in software, not warp drive.

      You're not the only one. A university in Wisconsin's school of engineering awarded Doohan an honorary degree when they found out half their student body had been inspired into engineering by Scotty.

      I gotta respect the man. Did you know he stormed the beaches at Normandy?

      --
      This is not my sandwich.
    3. Re:It's with utmost respect ... by metlin · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Seriously! I grew up admiring Scotty, and Star Trek in general. For the longest time, my resume stated my objective as making Star Trek a reality :)

      Well, today I'm a quantum physicist and a computer scientist in AI, and I would say that of all things that have inspired me in life to pursue these goals, ST has affected me the most. I still remember those episodes where he used to get strange alien warp engines and contraptions and make them work.

      It's sad that it went downhill later down the line, but as a child, it inspired me to pursue science in a way nothing else ever has, and ever will. Here's to Scotty!

    4. Re:It's with utmost respect ... by Mike+McCune · · Score: 4, Interesting
      He also lost a finger during the battle. You can notice it in some of the closeup shots in TOS.

      James Doohan

      It looks like Scotty will not be with us much longer. What a shame since he inpired so many of us to go into technology ....

      --

      In a world that is Free and Open, who needs Windows and Gates?

    5. Re:It's with utmost respect ... by hunterx11 · · Score: 4, Funny

      "God, no! Even the slightest breeze could--"
      "Invincible..."

      --
      English is easier said than done.
    6. Re:It's with utmost respect ... by theonetruekeebler · · Score: 5, Funny
      He also inspired the Scotty Rule: When your commanding officer tells you to get something done,
      1. Estimate the time to finish the job,
      2. Double that,
      3. Change up to the next highest units.
      For example, if you think the job takes two weeks, say it's impossible to get it done in under four months. So when you spend three weeks drinking beer then knock it out in an afternoon, your boss will think you're some kind of miracle worker.

      "Scotty! I need warp power in three minutes or we're all dead!"

      "I can give you three minutes next Thursday. How's that sound, ya cheese eatin' surrender monkey?"

      --
      This is not my sandwich.
  4. A toast! by Yooden_Vranx · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here's to James Doohan, both for the man he was, seeing combat action on D-Day (where he lost a finger) and for the unforgettable character he gave us. A double toast of the finest Canadian and Scotch whiskeys for him and Scotty!

    1. Re:A toast! by shanen · · Score: 4, Interesting
      He was very skilled at concealing the missing finger. A negative souvenir of D-Day, though plenty of brave men lost a lot that day... There are supposed to be only two episodes where the missing finger can be spotted, but I haven't not noticed it in my copy of The Trouble with Tribbles . Or should that be something like "I haven't noticed where it is not"?

      I still admire him tremendously and way ahead of Captain Kirk, though I was more afflicted by admiration of Mr. Spock. It seems like many of the TOS actors got tired of the public's fixation on that series. Anyone else read Nimoy's I am not Spock ?

      --
      Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
  5. I do not think this word means what you think... by YankeeInExile · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...and he was an aspiration throughout my formative years
    An aspiration? Perhaps he was an inspiration.
    --
    How does the Slashdot Effect happen given that no slashdotters ever RTFA?
  6. Brian Michael Bendis... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, Scotty was great, but I have to say Doohan himself was better--if perhaps not quite as in love with geeks as we are with him.

    In Total Sell-Out, Brian Michael Bendis (you know, the comic book writer in charge of Powers and Ultimate Spider-man...) tells the most hilarious story of sitting by Doohan at a convention.

    When it became evident that Bendis was sympathetic to the annoyance brought about by a constant "Beam me up, Scotty!" from fans, Doohan let loose.

    "That's right, smart ass. Kiss my tribble. Bite me. Beam this, ya bloody nerds..."

    Bendis describes it as being witness to one of the greatest moments a geek could aspire to. I couldn't agree more.

    No hoax. Free PCs.

    1. Re:Brian Michael Bendis... by Dun+Malg · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Well, Scotty was great, but I have to say Doohan himself was better

      I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk with James Doohan back in 1990. I was dating the daughter of a not very well-known producer who happened to be a long time friend of James Doohan. While waiting for her to get ready to "go out" one evening, I walked into the living room and there he was, drinking a beer at the bar with her father. They invited me to join them while I waited, so I got to sit on a barstool next to Mr Doohan and talk about motorcycles (he had a Triumph when he was in the British army, then bought a Harley when he came to the US). It was pretty much just mundane small talk about a common interest, but he was a lot of fun to talk to just the same. I only got to talk to him for a half hour or so, but he's still probably one of the top ten coolest people I've ever met. Just a really, really great guy.

      --
      If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
    2. Re:Brian Michael Bendis... by Dalcius · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I recall watching something on TV with Mr. Doohan talking about a woman that he had met at a Star Trek convention. She apparently was having lots of problems in life, going through depression, had recently been through a divorce (IIRC), etc., and had fixated on Star Trek as a release (not sure in what sense, I saw this a while ago). I believe she had fixated on Mr. Doohan specifically.

      Anyway, she met with Mr. Doohan and from what I recall was very emphatic about getting to know him -- I'm unsure if she was trying to treat him as Scotty or as the actor, but regardless the feeling I got from his description was that she was hanging onto the image of him from the show as she didn't have much else to hang on to. Pretty sad.

      Mr. Doohan said that he talked with her for a long time and after they parted they kept in touch, seeing each other over a period of time (2 years?). He tried to support her, talk through her problems, tried to help steer her back on the right track, etc.

      Then, he says, one day she just disappeared. He didn't hear anything from her for a few years and then suddenly she called him. She had landed a stable job, was working out of her problems and had a better grip on life. She thanked him for what he had done.

      Nobody is perfect, I am sure Mr. Doohan has his bad side, but from watching this I got the overall impression that he is a very caring man. How many Hollywood stars would put up with an obsessed fan in the condition she was in?

      Seeing him smiling in his wheelchair just pulls on my heart and makes me smile. I sincerely hope the rest of his years are peaceful and rewarding.

      --
      ~Dalcius
      Rome wasn't burnt in a day.
  7. Not to say the expected thing... by simrook · · Score: 5, Insightful

    but I expect that to many of us on slashdot, Doohan represented an element in our lives that started many of us down the path of technology. I know for myself at least, it was watching Star Trek with my father (who's name is Scott, an engineer, and has was called Scotty by his coworkers) that started myself on the path of computers, science, and engineerning.

    It is unfortunate that this all is happening to him, as he is a very nice person. After a star trek convention in the mid 90's, I was waiting around for an autograph, a small kid, and he was the only person to come over and say hello. Something I'll remember.

    There's really no point to this post, just random museings from yet another Star Trek nerd.

    --
    'Truth' is linked in a circular relation with systems of power which produce and sustain it...
  8. With every other post being a bad Star Trek joke by JudgeFurious · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm just going with a "thanks for the memories"

    On the one hand he suffers from a large number of physical problems but on the other hand he's lived to 84 years of age and had a hell of a ride during a life that many could only dream of. I hope his remaining time is spent with family and in comfort.

    --
    Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
  9. A star worthy of a star by H_Fisher · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I was one of the people who got to meet Doohan, however briefly, with a family friend who's a newspaper reporter. We got to speak with him for a few minutes behind the scenes at a convention in Charlotte, NC over a decade ago. He was friendly and courteous; I was 11 at the time and a major fan of TNG and TOS, and though you know he dealt with his share of babbling fans (young and old) he smiled the whole time and signed several autographs for us.

    I can't think of a lot of actors - especially ones who're mainly famous for an offbeat role in a campy '60s series - who could maintain that good humor after a lot of years; the other cast members (William "Get A Life" Shatner and Leonard "I Am Not Spock" Nimoy had their ups and downs with the typecasting that came with their roles, and they've written about it in their memoirs) ... But when all was said and done, James Doohan seems to have done well for himself and enjoyed his part in Trek-lore all the way.

  10. this is what happens... by deft · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...when the engineer outlives the doctor. No engineer should have to see his doctor die.

    --------
    Jun 11 1999 3:15PM DeForest Kelley, who, as Star Trek's folksy spaceman Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, frequently issued the dire (and trademark) "He's dead, Jim" diagnosis, died today at the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was 79.

    --

    There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
  11. Re:Reminds me of my job... by jeffy210 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Scotty is an Engineer and Kirk is just management :)

    Yeah, and Kirk's the one who always got laid... still doesn't say much for the geeks.

    --
    ------
    "And may your days be long upon the earth."
  12. Parkinson's Disease by Judg3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    is a terrible thing to witness. I watched my grandmother succumb to it over many years. She received it in her mid 40s, which is somewhat rare. The doctors thought she might have had a small stroke or two in her sleep that started the process.

    At first it was a slight shaking in her arm that would go away. Then it wouldn't go away. Then it was her whole arm, then the whole side of her body.
    It really snowballed on her, in a span of 5 years she went from driving and writing checks and such (via a special pen that had a large grip on it) to being in a wheelchair 24/7 and barely leaving her bedroom. (My grandfather died of bone cancer during that time) She basically stopped wanting to live.

    The doctors put her on all kinds of medications and she went to the Mayo clinic constantly. They where talking about an experimental stem cell surgery to see if it would stop the brain deteration, but due to the costs and public outcry against stem cell research she never went through with it. The doctors said it's a part of life almost - if you live long enough you're basically guaranteed to get Alhzeimers, Parkinson's Disease, or both.

    I miss you nanna!

    --
    Looking for hardware (Currently need: Large Etch-a-Sketch) Have one? See my journal!
  13. Re:Congratulations by SYFer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Indeed. Scotty is one personage who is worthy of posts on slashdot that contribute nothing more than a "me too." The character that he so vividly created is a part of every American geek's cultural heritage and even though he was an actor as opposed to a real engineer, I'll bet he inspired a great many of the older posters here in their formative years. The spirit of Scotty lives in every "can do" engineer, sysadmin, coder and rocket scientist out there.

    Though his body may fail him, his personality, utter magnanimity and talent will live on forever. I salute him. He is truly a geek's geek.

    --
    "...all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness..." yada yada
  14. ...alongside Britney by carlfish · · Score: 4, Informative

    Meaning no disrespect to Doohan, but all a walk of fame star really means is that you paid $15,000 to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and they recognised your name.

    Inclusion on the walk of fame is done entirely based on nomination, and since a successful nomination costs so much, people only ever nominate themselves, or are nominated by their studio/publicists. Which is why Britney Spears, David Spade and Pee Wee Herman all have their own stars, but Al Pacino never bothered.

    --
    The more I learn about the Internet, the more amazed I am that it works at all.
    1. Re:...alongside Britney by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Somebody else said that his son organized a donation drive -- Doohan didn't pay for it himself.

  15. Wil Wheaton's Tribute by ruebarb · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wil (clevernickname) did an awesome tribute to J. Doohan on his website (well, it's actually the text of the speech he gave at the con. where James Doohan last appeared on Sat., I think - go to wilwheaton.net for more.

    that's what his last couple posts are about...the goodbye convention...definately worth checking out.

    and he's right...how many engineers/pilots and geeks in general were inspired by this guy? -- I remember reading an early work with some bio material where James said he sat down and tried to figure out all the mechanics and theories behind how the Enterprise worked after the first season, just so he could answer fans questions more credibly and accurately.

    "If you want the reputation as a miracle worker...always multiply your estimates by three!"

    RB

    --

    ----------
    ah honey, we're all resplendent - Bill Mallonee
  16. Scotty character inspires us engineers by tomlouie · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From the TNG episode "Relics":

    Scotty: I may be a captain by rank, but... I've never wanted to be anything else but an engineer.

    I get goosebumps everytime I see that episode. Thank you, Mr Doohan.

    Tom

  17. Every Man by DumbSwede · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I always liked the original Star Trek, and while Doohan might not have been a major reason for watching, he certainly played his role with admirable flair as a no nonsense every-guy. Hard working, hard playing (drinking) and proud of his Scottish roots. While we may have admired Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, we knew the way to space was paved with study, hard work, and sweet, as symbolized by Scotty.

    All of the Characters were a little one dimensional, but at least they were varied. Many dramas of the 60s and 70s we peopled by everyone is a hero, everyone is perfect types, with perhaps just one or two transient bad apples thrown in, just to motive plot lines. Scotty drank. Kirk was an impulsive Cowboy. Spock was conflicted over his being a half-breed and trying to straddle two heritages. Uhura was afraid of aging and loosing her looks. McCoy was unhappy living in world dehumanized by technology. Checkoff was young and unseasoned. Sulu had an inscrutable exterior, but a child like exuberance waiting to be released. Yeoman Rand was not quite emotionally mature and prone to hero worship. Nurse Chapel fixates on something she can't have (Spock).

    We liked all of them. We liked their eccentricities, and by extension we like the actors that played them and brought so much joy into our lives.

    Mr Doohan is still with us, but given all these woes he has to overcome in these the late years of his life, I feel a little closer to him, and will morning his passing a little more. Perhaps more than all the others as they flicker out, because as I said before, Scotty is the every-man.

    Enough with the beam me up jokes please. I really do think of these people as my friends, and this is sad news

    --
    Letter To Iran
  18. Thank you for the Transparent Aluminum. by Sergeant+Beavis · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't forget that he is the REAL inventor of Transparent Aluminum.

    Just one of the many great things Scotty has done for us :)

    Thank you Mr. Doohan.

    --
    There is nothing inherently safe about liberty. That's why so many people died protecting it.
  19. Poor taste joke : by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    An old man is getting the bad news from the doc.

    Doc : I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you have cancer and Alzheimers'

    Man : Phew ! At least it's not cancer !

  20. Wikipedia, not TheFreeDictionary. by Grendel+Drago · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Link to Wikipedia directly, not FreeDictionary. FreeDictionary is an outdated and spammalicious copy of Wikipedia.

    --grendel drago

    --
    Laws do not persuade just because they threaten. --Seneca
  21. Re:Congratulations by Weaselmancer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    True, and well spoken. Scotty is permanently in the geek lexicon. You'd be hard pressed to find a single human being in the western hemisphere that doesn't know what "Scotty, beam me up" means.

    In fact, I'm an engineer, and one of the best pieces of engineering advice ever given to me was from his character. "You didn't tell him how long it would really take, did you? You'll never get a reputation as a miracle worker that way."

    I still exaggerate my time estimates to this day, and when I come in under the deadline, I look as good as Scotty does, each and every time. I've had entire semesters at college that taught me less useful knowledge than that one simple quote.

    Mr. Doohan is a geek icon, and an amazing person aside from his acting career. Most geeks don't know it, but he was part of the D-Day landing. A truly amazing person, and the world will be a smaller place with him not in it. Godspeed, Mr. Scott.

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.
  22. Warp factor 10 time dilation? by KNicolson · · Score: 5, Funny
    What will happen to his six year old daughter, Sarah? His wife of 29 years, Wende, 43, gave birth to her on April 11th, 2000.
    Has Scotty been bending the time-space continuum with his dilithium crystals again? He married Sarah when she was 12 and his daughter's aging 1.5 times faster the calendar date?
    1. Re:Warp factor 10 time dilation? by shfted! · · Score: 4, Insightful

      She was actually 18 at the time. I should have said his wife of 25 years at the time. Yeah, he robbed the craddle, that's for sure.

      Now if only I could figured out why my programs always segfault when I use pointers...

      --
      He who laughs last is stuck in a time dilation bubble.
  23. Jimmy Doohan was a fan's hero by GuyMannDude · · Score: 5, Interesting

    James Doohan and George Takei always struck me as the two members of the cast who seemed to handle the unlikely fame they received from Star Trek the best. Doohan always remembered that it was the fans that made everything possible.

    I'll bet he inspired a great many of the older posters here in their formative years.

    In the fascinating (and sometimes hilarious) documentary Trekkies Doohan relates the story of a suicidal Trek fan who confided in him. Doohan took it upon himself to nurse this poor soul back to health. He told the fan that he wanted to see them at the next convention. To his amazement, the fan was there and Doohan graciously met with them, allowing them to come backstage and the whole deal. Doohan tried it again and again the fan showed up at the next convention. They kept this up for a long time (I forget -- it might have been years) when suddenly the fan stopped coming. Doohan feared the worst had happened.

    Years later Doohan was stunned when the fan showed up at a convention out of nowhere! The fan told Doohan that they had turned their life around, enrolled in school, and become ... an electrical engineer.

    If you haven't seen this film you should definitely rent it. Watching Doohan come close to tears as he tells this story is worth the rental fee right there.

    GMD

    --
    watch this
  24. _He_ didn't buy it, his _fans_ did! by mrchaotica · · Score: 5, Informative

    His son organized donations for it.

    --

    "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  25. A class act by still+cynical · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I normally have no interest in celebrities in general, but my one meeting with James Doohan showed me that he was a class act.

    A couple of friends of mine dragged me to a Star Trek convention in the early 90s. Doohan was the featured star. After the obligatory question and answer session, which he handled with more humor and patience than I would have, he went out into the hall to sign autographs. I probably slowed my friends down a bit as I have no interest in autographs, but I didn't want to be left alone in the middle of the convention, so I joined them at the very end of the line. After an eternity (much longer for Doohan, who I'm sure was getting writer's cramp and a migraine after hearing the same joke and quotes from everybody in line) he made a big deal about us being the very last people in line. He seemed genuinely flattered that we waited so long to meet him, and had us come around behind the table to have multiple pictures taken with him.

    How many TV and movie stars would have simply been happy to get it over with? How few would have shown that kind of humor and good nature to just a few more of many, many fans?

    Scotty, if you read this, you greatly impressed me, restored my faith in celebrity, and made a fan for life. A sincere "Live long and prosper."

    --
    Ignorance is the root of all evil.
  26. Re:Reminds me of my job... by hey! · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh, we can all sympathize with Scotty. Kirk isn't just management. He's management that's forgotten to take its Ritalin. Sometimes I think this PTT thing on Nextel was created to be an engineer's nightmare.

    Kirk (on intercom): Scotty, how long before we have warp drive?

    Scotty: That's be five minutes, captain.

    Kirk: Well hurry it up.

    (Scotty picks up his doubletalk spanner)

    Kirk (immediately on intercom again): How's that warp drive coming?

    Scotty(Putting down doubletalk spanner): It'll be five minutes, captain!

    Kirk: OK, but I need warp right now!

    Scotty: I'll see what I can do.

    (Picks up doubletalk spanner)

    Kirk (on intercom): Scotty, now would be a good time.

    Scotty (putting the spanner in his back pocket): For the love of Pete!

    (Kirk finally realizes he's irritated his top engineer)

    Kirk: That's OK, Scotty. You're our miracle worker. Any time in the next two minutes would be fine.

    Scotty(under his breath): F*****g a*****e!

    (Scott looks around but can't find his spanner)

    Scotty (yelling at unnamed subordinate): Where's my damn spanner?

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  27. You truly have inspired many by illusioned · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Normally on slashdot when you post an opinion that 200 other people have already brought to light, you are scored as redundant. However, I think in this case the fact that you are still able to see all the praise shows just how much one man can affect more then he could ever imagine. In my childhood you were one of the people that taught me that the word can't doesn't exist. You helped affirm that ones best effort will always see them through. And so far, you've been right. May you live out the rest of your life free of pain and worry, and thank you for helping me become all I had hoped to be.

  28. Doohan vs. Shatner by FrankHaynes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Throughout the years of "Star Trek" episodes and movies, Jimmy's relationship with series star Shatner was tense.

    "To this day, they don't know why," Chris said, "but they've made up within the last year."

    "It was a long battle," he said. "It came to the point that neither of them knew why they were angry at each other, and they're getting old."

    Probably because Shatner is a pompous ass, and you can quote me on that.

    I recall reading my sister's MAD magazine from the 1960s in which they interviewed Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley. I cannot forget the quote by Shatner that "I can't stand conceited, pompous people."

    Then when the reports from conventions, interviews with co-stars, and other indications of how Shatner really is, that quote became particularly interesting to me, much like the pot calling the kettle black.

    Conversely, I've never heard a bad word about Jimmy Doohan from anyone who has met him or worked with him. He just seems like an affable guy who doesn't take things too seriously; just think of the calm way he said "Aye" in the TNG episode "Relics" at the end as he boarded his shuttlecraft gift.

    Contrasted against Shatner I can see how they would rub each other the wrong way.

    --
    slashdot: A failed experiment.
  29. A moving Slashdot story by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's common to read something on this site that is intellectual. It's rare to see something that is emotional. A Hollywood Walk of Fame Star doesn't even begin to describe what an icon Scotty is, not just for trekkies, but for science. In decades to come, when quantum teleportation technology is developed more and more, it will undoubtedly be referred to as "beaming". And if ever the technology develops from transporting subatomic and atomic particles to the point that an entire person can be teleported, the news will be broken to the world with images of James Doohan operating a transporter. I bet he never thought that a simple casting audition would land him a place in history.

  30. A very interesting person by r_j_prahad · · Score: 4, Informative

    I got to meet Mr. Doohan at a Star Trek convention almost twenty years ago. He was the guest of honor at that one, and I learned some interesting things about him from his monologue. Most TV viewers are familiar with his Scottish brogue, but he was a master of literally hundreds of accents - he could do a Texan's drawl just as convincingly. In the original Trek series, he did many of the voice-overs and sound effects for the robots, computers, and aliens in those episodes. And he is also credited with the invention of both the Klingon and Vulcan languages. A very talented gentleman. I was glad I got the chance to meet him.

  31. Re:poor guy...and War Hero! by farrellj · · Score: 4, Informative

    James Doohan is a war hero...a Lieutenant in The Royal Canadian Artillery he was injured by machine gun fire on Juno Beach on D-Day. He was shot in the leg and the hand, which cost him a finger. After recovering from his wounds, he became a spotter plane pilot, earning the title of "The craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Corps".

    Every person who stormed the beaches on D-Day is a Hero, and to have survived nearly being killed, and getting into an even more dangerous role in the War speaks to the courage and valour Mr. Doohan has as a person, some of of which came through in his charactor of Scotty.

    He should be made a member of The Order of Canada, the highest honour Canada can bestow upon it's citizens. This man has inspired many people to go on and earn degrees in engineering, and that is a great service to society. Having attended a number of his talks at Carleton University in Ottawa, I can say that I have always been impressed by him as a person.

    ttyl
    Farrell

    --
    CAN-CON 2019 - Ottawa's only book oriented Science Fiction Convention! October 18-20, Sheraton Hotel, Ottawa, Canada h
  32. not poor guy - poor headline by Errtu76 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I feel sorry for him.

    Exactly what i first thought when i saw this headline. And then i wondered, Why is this wonderful man advertised like this? Why couldn't the headline have been something that gives more credit to this man's career/life? Now everybody 'feels sorry' for him, and i seriously think he doesn't deserve that.