Slashdot Mirror
Majel Roddenberry Dies At 76
unassimilatible writes "If there was ever a sad day for nerds, it's today, as Majel Barrett-Rodenberry has passed away. The widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry is best remembered as the gorgeous Nurse Christine Chapel from the original series, the pesky and officious Lwaxana Troi from The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, and of course the ubiquitous voice of Star Trek computers in movies, TV, and animated films (who hasn't used her voice as a system sound on their PC?). Majel also attended Star Trek conventions yearly and was a producer of Andromeda. Fortunately, Majel just finished her voice over work for the computers in J.J. Abrams' latest Trek movie. I have to admit, this made me sad, just having caught up on the entire TNG and DS9 series on DVD."
Her voice was unique - ironically I don't think a digital voice would do the computer justice, and posers ain't cool. :(
Let's not forget that she was cast as the first officer in the original Star Trek pilot episode too.
...the one watching as the damaged Enterprise pulls into Stardock in Star Trek III...
So many roles, both on and off the camera. She will be missed.
Big! Strong! Wow! Tada-O!
Computer...
End program.
Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
Were there any further details? Truly a Klingon icon.
<Knocking on the wall>
Mr. Computer...
End Program.
"Self-destruct sequence commencing ..."
Can anyone remember the Star Trek novel that explained that it was the voice of Number One (played by Barrett) that became the voice of the Enterprise computer?
Out of respect for Majel Roddenberry, her family, friends, Gene Roddenberry's legacy and Star Trek itself *please* save your jokes for another day.
My condolences to her Son, the rest of her family, friends and all who loved her.
May she rest in peace.
Thank you
Isn't that one of the syrup flavors at IHOP?
Sheldon
Turn in your card.
in which one exists only in the memory of others." - Natasha Yar
Thankfully we have DVDs.
God speed Majel. Say hi to Gene for us.
Out of respect for the dearly departed, please... DO MAKE ALL THE JOKES YOU CAN THINK OF. Only a self important sourpuss would want people crying over their passing.
I'm going to do what Scotty would have done: Drink a bottle of something good and bask in the fond memories.
Won't matter. Betazoids know what you're thinking either way.
-- i am jack's amusing sig file
But I was trying to be concise in my submission, and I did say, "best known as." Besides, I knew all you nerds would fill in the blanks.
We'll miss you, Majel. - Submitter.
Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
Majel,
Thank you for all of your contributions to Star Trek and Sci Fi in general. No computer ever sounded better. You will be missed.
-k
"Klaatu, verada, necktie!" -Ash
Why is it so sad? People die every day, most of which I've never heard of. Do you feel sad for every one of them? I'd hope not.
I didn't know her, and never met her. she died maybe a few years to young, but such is life. She was on a television show that I've watched. I guess I don't feel that's enough reason to be sad about her death.
I find it a little odd that you want everyone to behave as if it was their own mother that died.
AccountKiller
Unless you're a Ferengi.
The couple married in Japan in 1969 after "Star Trek" was canceled.
The wedding party was naked.
"She's dead, Jim"
My wife and I were just discussing her the other evening; while watching WALL-E. Feeling sad that pixar didn't cast her as the voice of the ship's computer. Instead we got a vague homage to Alien in Sigourney Weaver.
What I am now coming to realize by digesting this sad news; is that playing the voice of such a seemingly mundane role -of a starship's computer, Has become an icon of the Sci-Fi genre. While certainly not the first to play such a role. She certainly changed the entire paradigm of how the role was portrayed.
Her efforts to continue her husbands work and support of the genre will be sorely missed.
Vale, Majel. You were sexy, you were smart. And you kept the good man inspired. We owe you, take it out of the karma bank.
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
...sweet princess.
awaiting final code for one-minute countdown."
Thank you for your humor, your kindness and quirky insights into life.
No shit.
The best way to memorialize someone isn't to cry boo-hoo over the fact that they died... but to celebrate what they gave us in their life. I'm sure there are an absolute ton of wonderful stories about her, and if you feel the need to make a joke related to her career... you validate her career and life by doing so.
"She's dead, Jim." But at the same time the memories of her live on, and all she contributed to our lives will not be soon forgotten.
Raise a glass and make a toast: to Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who Boldly Went Where No Woman Had Gone Before starting at the very beginning.
If you can read this sig, congratulations, you have your glasses on!
Why is it so sad? People die every day, most of which I've never heard of. Do you feel sad for every one of them?
No, he's showing respect for people that have touched his life.
Why do I feel like you're Data and I'm Riker? Dammit.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Having (briefly) met her once, I think she'd appreciate the cascade of awful, awful Trek jokes that would spring up at the news of something like this.
Or the Scotty route, which ideally done results in a thundering hangover and the inability to find at least half your clothes.
"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
A Kirk/Spock comparision would have been more appropiate
Make SELinux enforcing again!
So true, everyone should watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsHk9WC7fnQ
I'm with you and Scotty.
Drink to her memory, drink to the life she lived, and have another for all the times she made me laugh, smile, or just glade to hear her voice.
We'll all miss her, but we'll also remember her.
Second star to the right and straight on till morning!
She was well-liked and highly-respected, and through her acting, was a part of the fabric of "me." RIP, Majel, and my condolences to her family and friends.
fermion
I am fairly No one has ever tied you down, propped open your eyes and forced you to watch anything star trek against your will.
Please, feel free to never watch again.
I on the other hand still enjoy the shows in all their variations and will appreciate more.
Now we just need the TOS "comedy" music to play after every howler. duh-duhdudludu du du du.
Michael Reed, freelance tech writer.
I agree with the reasoning, but I still can't manage it. The news does fill me with sadness and makes me feel quite old, too. Shatner/Kirk is relatively well preserved--and sometimes he looks ancient.
I regard TOS as a great epoch and a total fluke that it was associated with NBC. The production of TOS was practically a war with their ostensible sponsors, and now they great people of those days are leaving us. Meanwhile, NBC staggers on with such brilliant strategies as dumping prime time on Jay Leno. Hey, if you can't win, you might as well get out of the game, eh?
Anyway, I want to be optimistic about the future. I actually think part of the optimism of TOS was related to the idealism that ran amok during the Kennedy period. Now I wonder if Obama can create such an atmosphere on the wreckage that Dubya is leaving behind? The wild oscillations of America's political system seem to be completely out of control these days...
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
Godspeed Majel.
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
Though HAL was the voice of AI, I had always hoped that we would be able to get to the point where we could perfectly replicate her voice. It would have been fitting that in the 24th century that her voice really would have been the voice of the computer. God Speed and God Bless Majel, we are all richer for your life here.
Seraphim
Slashdot, where armchair scientists get shouted down and armchair theologians get modded up.
Here, here!
Why wasn't a tricorder used in time?
Must have felt other-worldly to have been in so many Star Trek episodes!
But, in reference to the question in the main post, "who hasn't used her voice as a system sound on their PC?", me.
I'll rephrase say what I posted when Gene passed: May she live long and prosper in a better place.
A Kirk/Spock comparision would have been more appropiate
Actually, a Spock/Bones comparison would have been better.
There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
...make you realize just what you take for granted. That voice was the same from day one. Yet it never dawned on me there was a person (and, it turns out, a relatively prominent one) behind that sound. Another talent gone. Another memory created. Another ubiquitous item in our lives that will have to be replaced. The voice will never be the same. Godspeed, Majel.
The trek world will never be the same!
http://www.gibby.net.au
I was lucky enough to meet her in person at a convention in Omaha back in '93. She signed hundreds of autographs that day. Sad day for Sci-Fi fans around the world (universe).
Everyone mourns in different ways. Laugh, cry, tell jokes, be quiet, scream out, whatever you are compelled to do. However, I don't suggest judging the mourning styles of others.
i\hbar\dot{\psi}=\hat{H}\psi
>I'm with you and Scotty.
>Drink to her memory, drink to the life she lived, and have another for all the times she made me laugh, smile, or just glade to hear her voice.
>We'll all miss her, but we'll also remember her.
I shall look for something appropriately Grrrrreen.
(If you don't get that, you haven't paid attention to Star Trek)
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
Anyone up for a good car analogy?
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
Funny you should mention this - I was about to comment about how impressed I was with just how respectful the entire Slashdot crowd has been so far. There have been plenty of jokes, but every one that I've seen is in good taste, and there have been no specifically defamatory comments (as there so often are).
I don't think that people should necessarily hold off on the jokes - just imagine that Magel and her family were reading your post, and you should be good to go. In other words, don't write anything that you wouldn't want the departed or her family to read.
Boy, you'd never make it in EMS...
The jokes are not for the departed, they are for those of us who still remain and have to live on with the memories. If it is disrespectful to take care of one's self, then so be it. They are dead, they won't care. Trust me.
No sig now
Out of respect for the dearly departed, please... DO MAKE ALL THE JOKES YOU CAN THINK OF.
OK!
She made beautiful music in life. Now, instead of a composer, she is a decomposer.
She's a stiff who is giving me a stiffie.
After all those petite mortes she gave me now she got the grande morte!
Now that she's nothing but a bag of bones I'd like to give her another bone.
yo dawg i herd yo like LCARS so we put LCARS in yo car
I'd mod you up but you're already at 5. Suffice to say I agree with you.
"If it's real, then it gets more interesting the closer you examine it. If it's not real, just the opposite is true." -
Unless you're a Ferengi.
It doesn't take a Betazoid to know what the greedy, little perverts are thinking.
She's dead, Jim.
(Yes, you are supposed to laugh, making sad people sadder at a funeral is wrong, you should be making them smile.)
Question everything
... silence
Wiki links (with pics):
Christine Chapel from the original series, and Lwaxana Troi from The Next Generation.
Question everything
True that. Day I found out my mother died, I had a hysterical laughing fit in the shower. Over a really awful joke too. Not the kind that ends in tears either, just the kind that ends in gasping for air. People grieve in very different ways. Just so long as they avoid doing it at the funeral...
Stuff that matters?
Get up!
Please designate me as your foe so I won't notice any of your feebleminded and hopeless crap in the future. I should at least point out some of your internal contradictions where you are by definition lying on on at least one side--but you aren't worth it.
Why? I've decided I've suffered far too many fools, if not gladly, then at least without saying much about it.
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
Time to watch TOS from the beginning... again... :)
It's OK if you can't manage it. I remember when Dad passed, some folks had funny stories about Dad (including a time he was arrested that I didn't know about!! - and I was in my 30s when it happened - charges dismissed). I was unable to make the jokes Dad would have appreciated, but I myself appreciated hearing them
-- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
Please designate me as your foe so I won't notice any of your feebleminded and hopeless crap in the future. I should at least point out some of your internal contradictions where you are by definition lying on on at least one side--but you aren't worth it.
Why? I've decided I've suffered far too many fools, if not gladly, then at least without saying much about it.
Way to go out of your way to prove you are 'right'. I especially like where you call his crap feebleminded. You know, that's how the church was convinced the world wasn't flat anymore. They didn't show any sort of scientific data, they just called the pope feebleminded.
There's no place like
I'm with you and Scotty. Drink to her memory, drink to the life she lived, and have another for all the times she made me laugh, smile, or just glade to hear her voice. We'll all miss her, but we'll also remember her.
It's difficult to stomach, but go grab a bottle of whiskey and some green food coloring. Make yourself a nice bottle of Aldebren Whiskey ala "Relics" (TNG 230). Then fire up "Cost of Living" (TNG 220).
There's no place like
A Kirk/Spock comparision would have been more appropiate
Actually, a Spock/Bones comparison would have been better.
Bones? AAAAAGH. *sob*
While you're at it, why don't you give me a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it.
There's no place like
Boy, you'd never make it in EMS...
The jokes are not for the departed, they are for those of us who still remain and have to live on with the memories. If it is disrespectful to take care of one's self, then so be it. They are dead, they won't care. Trust me.
I remember the strangest situation where a guy died in the middle of a huge folk concert with all his family around. We couldn't wait there for hours until the coroner arrived, so instead we transported him back to the station and had him sitting on the bay floor, covered with a tarp. Only his boots were sticking out.
We were doing shift-change, and my partner made a crack about needing a new pair of boots and how the guy wouldn't miss 'em. I laughed so hard my sides hurt for days. It certainly wouldn't be appropriate for the family to hear, but making jokes and laughing about it helps a lot of people grieve, get over the stress of the situation, or just plain feel better.
There's no place like
Farewell, Majel Leigh
'tis a sad day
for us to know
that we had to let you go
to a universe beyond our reach.
But fear not, dear Majel Leigh,
for time shall never bleach
your majestic legacy.
What you have said and done
we will cherish for all eternity,
allowing everyone
to live long and prosper in harmony.
Until we meet with you and Gene
keep your spirits up
and we'll keep on working on warp drive
and the time machine.
Can anyone think of another actress who's done this much for science fiction?
We're not talking a role here - we're talking Lifetime Achievement.
Majel Barrett isn't just an icon - she's AWESOME. I personally can't think of another acting talent whose passing has diminished the genre to such a degree.
No matter how you choose to spin it, this woman has done a LOT for science fiction, and her passing deserves to be marked.
* Dan sheds a tear for the Voice Of Star Trek, Now Silenced.
How about you stop being a craven douche, and let people grieve how they wish?
Honk off, bozo.
my partner made a crack about needing a new pair of boots and how the guy wouldn't miss 'em
That sounds like a really lame cliche joke. Seriously. I sure hope his delivery was good... either that, or you have a simpleton's sense of humor.
Anyone up for a good car analogy?
It's like Michael Knight explaining respect for peoples' passing to KITT.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Comment removed based on user account deletion
It was somewhat shocking, sudden and unexpected. Hardly anyone except her family, I'm guessing, knew she had leukemia for a couple of years and then that she was on her deathbed with pneumonia in the last couple of days. I did read postings elsewhere that people who met her at recent cons remarked she looked tired and was moving slow, but then she was 76. Just like Gene, this was completely out of the blue. I don't know if it's any better, but at least with Jimmy Doohan, we knew he wasn't long for this world months in advance.
as a system sound on their PC?
Me.
-= This is a self-referential sig =-
Good bye and thanks for the memories and joy.
Bet you can't get her to say, "But Ostracus, you're so handsome." :)
Shai Schticks:"You don't make peace with friends, you make peace with enemies"
Majel and I were discussing Earth: Final Conflict. I said that I and the fans love the show, but the decision to kill-off Boone and move from a serialized story (like babylon 5) and to an episodic show was a mistake. She insisted that "Gene always preferred episodic stories" and "How do you know the quality will go down?"
So I patiently watched the second and third seasons, and then I contacted her again: "I just finished watching the S3 finale. I was right. This show is now crap. I wish you had listened to the fans and left the show the way it was, with Boone, and with a strong serialized story."
I wish I had not done that, but I was angry that she had stubbornly refused to listen to faithful viewers. EFC was a good show but ruined by a "change in direction" that was not needed.
FOX NEWS.com should be BANNED from television and internet. Have the Congress take it over and give us Truespeak.
"Computer End Program"
"Pearly Arch"
AT&ROFLMAO
And I'm a Star Trek fan... And this probably applies to all but the most hardcore trekkies, so let's not even talk about regular people. The thing with rhetorical questions is that when the answer comes out unexpected the whole thing sort of fizzles.
Hasn't it been the case that good people die around the time of them making their last movie and it ends up being shit?
Jonathanjk.com
The only place where all (or at least most) of us read this news and immediately felt sad. I'll miss her voice but as someone said, thank goodness we have DVDs.
Computer, rest in peace. End program.
All browsers' default homepage should read: Don't Panic...
People that think like that (and I don't presume you do) miss out on one really important underlying truth: change is the catalyst for creativity. She shared her gifts and after her so will many others, and so on.
If she had something to give then what she gave us has already filled what we could imagine would be a void.
Quack, quack.
Wow, so you just hijacked the discussion so that you could spew out a rant about how evil welfare is. I take it you're a neo-liberal (to the americans: libertarian)?
/Mikael
Greylisting is to SMTP as NAT is to IPv4
After reading /. for about 10 years, I couldn't resist to finally create an account. This deserves my first post.
We lost a great human being but we are all very lucky to have been able to see and hear her until yesterday. Thank you for all the good moments I had watching and hearing you, Majel. I am still a fan and will only stop being one the day I die. It will be impossible to find a replacement for your personal talents.
http://www.ntua.gr/lurk/countries/co/guide/053.html
About halfway down the page is some discussion of the quote and Majel's appearance on B5.
# Was Morella's speech about greatness intended as a tribute to Gene Roddenberry?
There's probably a fair amount there that could apply to Gene, yes...
# If a word comes out of a character's mouth, it's usually mine. The bit about greatness was one of them; had a number of different subtexts going on behind it.
If anything I would say that while there might have been some rivalry among the crews the people who create are more likely to be friendly than anything else. It is a small world when it comes to finding truly creative people.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
..yah, I can tell how sad you are. How dare she die when you just caught up to watching one or two series?
Rest In Peace.
The Original Series crew is slowly leaving us. It's a shame.
I haven't. My brother hasn't. All my friends haven't. Everybody in the office where I work hasn't. My Parents haven't.
All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
http://books.google.com/books?id=bBO7Uqv8LB4C&pg=PA81&vq=voice&dq=peter+david+the+rift&source=gbs_search_s&cad=0
You know, those first 100 books or so didn't totally suck.
Technology -- No Place For Wimps! Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Chatroom -- http://www.wemissjerry.org
Not really pissed off... Can't quite relate it to the Majel Roddenberry issue however. I must be new here.
The cost of that cleanup, of course, will be borne by taxpayers, not industry.
I've seen this news and reaction on many different sites, and I can't even count on one human hand the number of snotty or snarky responses. She was loved and admired by many, many different people, from all walks of life.
You know, it's surprises me that we haven't looked toward more analog methods of preserving a certain person's voice, aside from splicing and disassembling audio recordings.
For example, has there been any attempts to actually model the entire vocal system of a human (ie, a physical "mouth", "tongue" "nasal path", "trachea", "lungs", "diaphragm", etc) based on CT scans, then linking these elements to a computer in order to control them via a MIDI interface to form the various base phoneme ranges combined with pitch shifts?
If we could manage that much, it doesn't seem all that far fetched to attach a special text-to-MIDI application to make it speak words and lines with tweaking options to adjust the inflection of each word relative to the others.
8==8 Bones 8==8
I don't think so...
Er, you do realise that her death is posted under "Entertainment"?
Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
Here Here, you just reminded me I have a good bottle of scotch at home. If the snowstorm dosn't get me a toast in her memory. On a side note is it just me or was this a horrible year of deaths for geeks. Gary Gygax, Author C. clark, and now Majel Barrett-Roddenberry. They will all be missed. Bounce a graviton particle beam off the main deflector dish Thats the way we do things, lad, we're making shit up as we wish The Klingons and the Romulans pose no threat to us 'Cause if we find we're in a bind we just make some shit up
I have two Majel memories from when I met Majel briefly at a con in Dallas in the 90's. An acquaintance had gone to the con dressed up as an Orion slave chick, and we all went to see Majel announce who won the costume competition. She said she was envious of the girl's green makeup, and that they had used green paint on TOS. Majel being on contract was used for the original screen test to get the colors right before they used them on the guest star. Unfortunately every time they got the film back she looked normal, so they tried a darker green, and went back and forth with the guys who developed the film. Eventually it came out that they were color correcting her, finally they said "oh you wanted her to be green" and the color worked fine from then on.
As for meeting her briefly, someone had put a petition in my hands to get more Lwaxana Troi episodes on the show, I had it for about five minutes and hadn't gotten anyone to sign. I finished talking with someone about something and turned around to see Majel standing behind me. I didn't know what else to say so I told her what the petition was for, and asked her if she'd sign. She politely decline "they probably wouldn't take it very seriously if I signed it."
Why? do you not knowwho she really was?
she was someone who loved laughter and jokes. to suppress laughter would be an outright insult to her.
What is it with people obsessing over being solemn over death. Many cultures use a persons passing to celebrate that persons life.
Only wierd people want to be quiet and sad over a persons passing.
Celebrate her life, celebrate what she gave to the world. and if you have a tasteful joke TELL IT! And drink a toast with friends over her life.
Dont have a quiet moment of reflection. tell a good joke or story, make someone laugh, smile and rejoice.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
...warp 777.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
I thought that I read somewhere that she also played the dancing green alien which appeared during the credits. Does anyone know if this is true?
Or a Breen (should I be ashamed or proud I know that?)
Change your name to Homer Junior! Your friends can call you Hoju
And that was your parent.
This story and all these comments are about a woman who played a TV character. Totally different circumstances.
Sorry, I have to rant here a little....
I have never ever been a fan of Star Trek. I don't get the fanaticism in any way, with this or anything else. About the only thing I can compare it to is that I am a huge fan of The Simpsons, ever since it came on the air. I don't have a ton of memorabilia (I think Pez dispensers and the Monopoly game) and I certainly don't talk about it incessantly and insert it into every conversation. But if the voice of *insert character here* died, it certainly wouldn't make me sad. I mean, the passing of anyone is sad, but it happens constantly.
I don't get bent out of shape when someone I don't know dies. Stop deluding yourselves into thinking you have remotely any kind of "relationship" with a TV character.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
It's a sad sad day.. Computers everywhere have fallen silent. She was a wonderful person.
It's not that her death is considered entertainment, it's that she was involved in entertainment. Unfortunately, /. doesn't have a "Dead Entertainers" category, so this is the best they can do.
Anyway, she'll be missed.
They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
that I will truly miss.
I recall watching one or two of the first ST:TNG episodes where Majel wasn't the voice of the computer...it just seemed wrong to me.
I always liked the subtle tongue-in-cheek interaction that Lwoxana and "the computer" would have. If one didn't know that it was her playing both sides, it would seem innocuous. For those of us (most everyone watching Trek I would imagine) that knew, it was a neat little moment.
I think that no one will ever replace her. She executed her role so perfectly, unswayed.
I hope you had a great life, and have an even greater afterlife.
See you on the other side.
Watch out. The Joker might want to have a word with you
This needs to be modded to the top.
I only found half my clothes, and yet I'm fully clothed.
Though, this bra is a tad binding, and I can't snap it together.
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
Those of you who don't remember Ernie Kovacs may remember the wife locked with Cid Caesar in the hardware store basement in Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Now that's a gorgeous overexposed minor actress with family connections (Adams' "family" after Kovacs died was every comedian on Planet Earth).
``Tension, apprehension & dissension have begun!'' - Duffy Wyg&, in Alfred Bester's _The Demolished Man_
"I sure hope his delivery was good... either that, or you have a simpleton's sense of humor."
:)
If he's easily amused, he might be in for a life full of amusement.
You on the other hand should lighten up. Seriously.
I was still hoping for a Cepstral-Engine with her voice :-(
To me it depends.
;) ).
If the person has had a long, full and good life then yes it's easy enough to celebrate.
It's usually harder to celebrate if the person died way sooner than "normal" (unless that person somehow managed to drastically overstay his/her welcome
I haven't!
We can pretty much fake out visual actors, called "digital doubles". These are used mainly for stunt scenes and back-shooting, and the rare case an actor expires before shooting is over. We cant completely synthesize realistic voice from scratch yet. Thats why animators still hire voice-overs. Although with a large stored word dictionary, you can patch sentences together. That would probably work for Majel.
Because bit-rate of voice is one to two orders of magnitude smaller than graphics, people thought thae voice problem would have been solved first.
But I think it come at some time. They'll probably be a speaking game on your cell phone that will speak text simulating anyone of a large set of living or dead celebrity. Probably big bucks for whoever gets it to the market first. Plus sell new voices like ring-tones too.
Her family company (Lincoln Enterprises) owned the rights to lots of Star Trek trademarks. She'd often do stints at the dealer's tables.
It may not be what you're thinking of, but it reminds me of:
"It is... it is... It is green."
Remember the "funeral" for Ro and LaForge? Yeah, more of that, less of dirges.
Good, she's dead...she lost my respect after what she did to Gene's kids; if you don't know what I am talking about a quick search on Google will lead you in the right direction!
1) Off-topic;
2) There are more than one gorgeous girls in the world;
3) You are the Fark geek, the virgin with high standards he could never achieve.
and then all Tom Tom users could be Tom Tom Club members...
Does anyone wonder if Majel left in will the option for her son to allow use of her voice?
If her voice is "Trek", could it be used in GPS devices without Paramount getting a cut?
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
As a huge fan of Star Trek, I see her death as the beginning of the end. I think that without her to guide the brand, we'll start seeing rampant commercialization take hold. Obviously Star Trek is a commercial enterprise; however, I'm talking INTRA-STORY commercialization, which has never, as far as I can recall, been included in any of the franchises.
Case in point: I have it on very good authority from multiple sources that Kirk will be seen drinking from a Starbucks cup at some point in the movie. Starbucks paid a very hefty price for it too.
Maybe it's time for Star Trek to finally buy the farm.
All good things...
RE don't delude yourself you have any kind of relationship with a TV Character
Well, I do work with an actor who blew up the Enterprise on ST:TNG, and we've been to dinner socially and the like, so I'd like to delude myself I have a relationship with that actor ;)
-- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
There were two such times in Star Trek. ("It's . . .Green!")
One was Scotty ("By any other name")
"I found this on Ganyroom... uh, uh, Ganymeer... mede"
"What is it?"
"It's... uh... it's green."
trying to get an alien drunk; the other was Commander Data to Scotty ("Relics").
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
You are missed already... May you live long, in our hearts, and prosper - where ever the great beyond has taken you. Thank you for being a part of our lives, entertaining us as you did. *sad sigh*
Majel Roddenberry was Gene's most natural complement and a very talented human being.
God bless them both for sharing thought provoking science fiction and entertaining us for years!
May your final trek, back through to the source of the universe be your greatest.
I'm not really a Star Trek geek as I have only attended one convention. OK dammit I am one. I sure will miss Majel and Scotty and each and every one of the cast as they pass away. Star Trek was the series that absolutely refused to go away. If only I could get back those hours I spent on front of my TV watching. Second and third times as well. Godspeed Majel.
"I sure hope his delivery was good... either that, or you have a simpleton's sense of humor." If he's easily amused, he might be in for a life full of amusement. You on the other hand should lighten up. Seriously. :)
It wasn't really the delivery or a simple sense of humor--it was more the absurdity of it. I mean--how many times in life do you find yourself awake at 5 AM in a room full of people who have been up for 24 hours, standing in a circle around the body of a dead cowboy they just finished performing CPR on unsuccessfully, talking about what they are going to do for the rest of the day...and then someone says "Those are some sweet lookin' boots...you know--he'd never miss 'em"?
There's no place like
Now I wonder if Obama can create such an atmosphere on the wreckage that Dubya is leaving behind?
"Dubya" was hit with devastating terrorist attacks on American soil a few short months after his inauguration (but that was all a sekrit Republican/CIA/Mossad plot/inside job, right?).
Godspeed, Obama.
Only a little while after Gene Roddenberry passed, I attended the inaugural showing of Laserium's (exquisite) "The Wall" at Griffith Observatory in LA. Ms. Barrett-Roddenberry was also in attendance. After the show, I remained in my seat, because I wanted to let the show percolate a bit in my head before departing. As I sat there, Ms. Barrett-Roddenberry was approaching my aisle seat. She was alone, and her face showed the considerable strain of losing her life-long mate. (I learned later that she was one of a considerable number of folks associated with the Star-Trek franchise that do not travel with an entourage, but just do their normal business in public just like anyone else, a choice I find refreshing.) Everyone still in the hall was ignoring her, which might or might not have been appropriate. I'll never know. But I didn't ignore her. I stood up and said, "Ms. Roddenberry, you don't know me, but I was saddened by your husband's passing. I'm so sorry for your loss." With a slight smile, she replied, "Oh, thank you so much. It's been very hard to lose him, but many people have let me know how special he was to them, just as he was to me. That's helped a bit." With that, she bade me good evening, and went out of the hall. As I already mentioned, we didn't know one another, so I had no intention engaging her in a long, intrusive conversation. I just wanted her to know that I shared her loss and pain, even just a little bit. There's nothing earthshaking about this minor incident, except that many Hollywood stars would have either ignored me or been ungracious in the extreme. Instead, Ms. Barret-Roddenberry took my greeting for what it was, and replied graciously. Oh, sure, she was an actress, so the whole thing could have been "an act", but so what? If she chose to "act graciously", that, in itself, is an act of grace. I choose to believe that Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was a lovely, very-talented, and gracious woman. I'm betting that those who knew her well would agree. May she rest in peace.
Nor am I interested in arguing with fools. Please designate me as your foe so I won't see any more of your crap, either.
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
Please designate me as your foe so I won't see any of your stupid Dubya-defending crap in the future. You're freedom of speech is not to be confused with having anything to say that is worth listening to.
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
Nor am I interested in arguing with fools. Please designate me as your foe so I won't see any more of your crap, either.
But apparently you have enough time to read slashdot stories and post half-assed replies to slashdot.
It seems like what you're saying is "I'm right, but I don't have time to prove it to you. Just trust that I'm right."
Just so you know how that comes across to other people is "I'm a moron. I don't have an argument, so I'm going to try to make you feel bad for questioning me. But trust me...I'm a moron".
Keep up the good work.
There's no place like
Your only purpose in life is to designate me as your foe. Please complete your purpose. I certainly have no other use for you. On today's /. dickheads like you are a dime a dozen.
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
Your only purpose in life is to designate me as your foe. Please complete your purpose. I certainly have no other use for you. On today's /. dickheads like you are a dime a dozen.
Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer. How will it screw with your head if I friend you?
There's no place like
You're stupid enough to try that? The answer would be obvious if you weren't such an amazing moron. Hint: It is a simple convention that doesn't require any additional cooperation on your part, but it is reserved for the very stupidest of the stupid. Worth a nickel a dozen versus the dime a dozen.
Why don't you take the easy way out and just designate me a foe. You've removed any doubts on my part that you are a sufficiently worthy idiot. Probably you're just another one of pudge's sock puppets.
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
You're stupid enough to try that? The answer would be obvious if you weren't such an amazing moron. Hint: It is a simple convention that doesn't require any additional cooperation on your part, but it is reserved for the very stupidest of the stupid. Worth a nickel a dozen versus the dime a dozen.
Why don't you take the easy way out and just designate me a foe. You've removed any doubts on my part that you are a sufficiently worthy idiot. Probably you're just another one of pudge's sock puppets.
I'm done feeding the trolls for the moment.
It's funny though to see how said you don't have enough time, but you sit here and argue pointlessly with me... Meh.
There's no place like
I only stop by /. when I'm feeling sufficiently acerbic and have a few minutes to waste.
Used to be /. was good for humorous or sardonic moods.
Still waiting for you to accomplish your purpose in life. I can never have too many morons who've designated me as their official foe.
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.