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Happy 80th Birthday, William Shatner!
gregg writes "Today another geek legend celebrates a birthday. Best known for portraying Captain James T. Kirk, William Shatner has cemented himself into geek science fiction lore forever. Today he begins his ninth decade on this planet — yes, Captain Kirk is now 80 years old."
Seems like a nice enough guy, but man is that show painful to watch. I don't toss around the word "himbo" outside of a tanning salon very often, but it's pretty bad when Valerie Bertinelli has to talk down to you.
I guess at least his infamous ego seems to have ebbed a bit in his advanced years. But he still can't appreciate why Walter Koenig and others hated him in the Star Trek days. In his appearance on the show, Koenig looked like it was all he could do to keep from grabbing him and yelling "YOU STOLE ALL OUR LINES, MOTHERFUCKER!" It probably didn't help that Shatner kept saying stuff like "I'm sorry that you *perceived* me as being selfish or hostile to you back then."
Still, got to give the guy props for a great performance in Star Trek 2. I always wondered how Nicholas Meyer got it out of him. On the DVD commentary track I finally learned how he did it. He would do so about 10 throwaway takes. After about 10 takes, Shanter would get tired and stop trying to be Shatner (i.e. the pompous hero) and he would start to play around with the lines and actually act. Shatner didn't realize what a favor Meyer was doing to him at the time.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Looks like he's doing well on both the living long and the prospering parts...hope there are many years to go. Anyone else think that Raw Nerve is the best thing Shatner has ever done? I love Captain Kirk and Denny Crane but raw nerve is a damn entertaining format, rarely do you see an interview type show where by the end of it you feel like you actually got to know the person a little bit...Raw Nerve does that just about every time, its more like listening in on a conversation at another table more than watching an interview and I really appreciate that.
Live longer and prosper some more.
a nice blue lady to dance with tonight. And smile into the morning hours.
Wonder who looks older... surprisingly their birthdays are only 4 days apart...
DeForest Kelly. Now *there* was the Star Trek actor who made the show. Great actor playing a great character.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
I can get behind that.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
If it's only William Shatner's birthday, then why do I suddenly feel so old?
I am not a sig.
Doesn't he live to like 143 or something?
As soon as he's over 80.0000 years old, even if by a second, he's in his 9th decade.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
Nope, you're born aged 0 and that's when you start your first decade. After 10 years (1 decade) you are 10 years old and starting your second decade. Etc.
You have to count from zero. A person's first decade starts at year zero (0), the tenth and final year of their first decade is year nine (9). This means the second decade would start at year 10 (0 + 10), not year 11 (1 + 10)..
They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
Mr. Shatner won't start his ninth decade until his 81st birthday.
Yeah!! Double dumb ass on you!!
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Normally I would point out that babies aren't born being 1 year old. But in Shatner's case, I'm not so sure.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
...to share a birthday with Mr Shatner.
Happy Birthday, Bill.
-m
I'd say neither: both movies are so bad, I just pretend neither existed.
Circumcision is child abuse.
Happy Birthday.... to... you.
Happy Birthday.... to... you.
Happy Birthday... William.... Shatnerhappy.... Birthday... to you.
OK, so I can't imitate his speaking style.
GLaDOS for President 2016! "Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." -- GLaDOS, 2011
As soon as he's over 80.0000 years old, even if by a second, he's in his 9th decade.
Not to belabor the point, but he actually was "in his 9th decade" the second after he turned 79 years old, for the same reason that you are "in your first year" a second after you are born.
He's old, Jim.
May the force be with you!
Please Bill what ever you do today DON'T under any circumstances loose your shirt in public! Thanks, otherwise, have a happy 80th!
Why is it every time there's an article posted in connection with some soap opera in space, so many /. denizens are all over it with 100's of posts. Yet whenever there's an article on the real thing (space probes, man in space, deep space observation, etc.), either there are only a few tens of posts (many frivolous), and/or there's actual opposition (waste of money, rich bastards in space, etc.).
Fun and entertaining as he is (and indeed, happy birthday to the man), Shatner is an actor. Neil Armstrong, Wernher von Braun, Burt Rutan, Carl Sagan are/were the real deal - scientists, engineers, astronauts.
Of course, I might be jumping the gun. Perhaps this article will garner few posts.
Why is my karma going up in smoke? :-)
No.
"Kif, I have made it with a woman. Inform the men."
At least I think that was Kirk, it all kind of blurs together...
80!? I can't believe it. He doesn't look a day beyond 79.
William Shatner can't be 80 - that would mean I'm no longer young.
#DeleteChrome
Also, his toupee turns 50 next Friday.
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
Not to belabor the point, but he actually was "in his 9th decade" the second after he turned 79 years old, for the same reason that you are "in your first year" a second after you are born.
Try again: 1st decade = 0 - 9.99999... years old.
Add 8 decades and 80 years.
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
No, he was not "in his ninth decade", until the moment after he turned 80. You are "in your first year" the moment after you are born. That lasts until one year later, when you turn one year old. You are, also, "in your first decade" the moment after you are born. That lasts for ten years, until you turn 10 years old, at which point you enter your second decade.
The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
Has Been is history
Has been was
Has been might again
Live long and prosper Bill!
Set your phasers on "funky"!
Not quite. True, you're in you're first year the second you're born, but you're also in your first decade. You're not in your second decade until ten years later, which would be 10 years 1 second. So for your ninth decade, it'd be 80 years 1 second. Not 79. It's easy to see if you just consider that you're still in your first decade when you're nine years old.
To further belabor the point: A second after his birth, he was in his first year. 10 years later he was simultaneously: 1. Nine years old. 2. In his 10th year 3. In his 2nd decade.
"Don't tell me how to count my years. It sickens me."
"Slow down, Cowboy! It has been 3 years, 7 months and 26 days since you last successfully posted a comment."
And here we have another one who celebrated the new century a year early due to poor math skills, and proud of it.
According to your math, his first decade was only 9 years long.
Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
Well, there was this slingshot maneuver around the sun, but it involved whales, so we don't like to talk about it.
Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
Denny Crane!
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
Wrong on point 1. Ten years after you are born, you are ten years old. Not sure why you're getting so confused.
Sorry if this is a little off-topic, but since you mentioned him, I have to ask: does anyone remember that show with him and Tom Davis, called "Trailer Park"? Davis would show trailers from various science fiction movies and talk about them, afterwards. At the end of the show, Meyer would always do a deep, philosophical commentary about one of the films.
The show didn't last long, but I still miss it.
Sit, Ubuntu, sit. Good dog.
When he was 1 second old he was in his first year and his first decade. Exactly 10 years later he was nine years old and in his second decade. 70 years after that he was: 1.) 79 years old. 2.) in his 80th year 3.) In his 9th decade. It has to be so because he had been alive 8 decades and one second.
As someone else pointed out, you turn nine years old exactly nine years after you are born when you enter your tenth year. You do not enter your second decade until you enter your eleventh year.
The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
ST fans vs SW fans. To the death.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
I don't follow... Kirk won't be born until 2233! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_T._Kirk#Depiction
Pendantry indeed!
I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it. -- Groucho Marx
Congrats Kirk and congrats me! XD
When he was 1 second old he was in his first year and his first decade. Exactly 10 years later he was nine years old and in his second decade.
One year later he is one year and one second old.
Two years later he is two years and one second old.
Three years later he is three years and one second old.
Four years later he is four years and one second old.
Five years later he is five years and one second old.
Six years later he is six years and one second old.
Seven years later he is seven years and one second old.
Eight years later he is eight years and one second old.
Nine years later he is nine years and one second old.
Ten years later he is ten years and one second old.
How does it feel to flunk first grade math?
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
Where did you learn to count? I need to make sure my children never go to school there.
Apparently wizard is not a legitimate career path, so I chose programmer instead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOGkDsH0OsI
You are of course right and I am, of course and idiot. :)
khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan gratulations.
To oldly go where noone has gone before
Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
Karma: Chameleon
You're right. Dumb mistake on my part.
You have to count from zero.
Well, ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_programming_languages_(array)
This subthread also somehow reminds me of the troubles to hit the right column when correcting punch cards back in the days.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-by-one_error
CC.
TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
...Exactly 10 years later he was nine years old,...
You might want to read that back to yourself.
But many happy returns - I couldn't stand T J Hooker, that dreadful show about life in SF after the earthquake ... but some fun was had watching ST.
"The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes" - Winston Churchill
Great analysis, Dr., of someone you've never met. Do you give discount rates for patients you actually see in person?
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T'Pol is still looking pretty hot for being in her 60's.
Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
Mr. Shatner is at Megacon this weekend in Orlando where, for $495., you can get signed/personalized limited-edition print of the man (3 scenes), get a photo with the man, and meet the man. He's the most expensive meet-n-greet at the convention.
And for exactly this reason the whole world celebrated the new millennium a year too early, in 2000.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Yeah, not smart. You're right.
He has to say that every now and then that we know we are in the presence of greatness.
That Twilight Zone episode where he saw an alien on the wing of the airplane. In fact, I think he's been playing the same character ever since...
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
I just learned of this, though they have been out a while I guess. They reworked the old Star Trek episodes with CGI special effects. This enables them to show Ships, landscapes, explosions, that are much better than the original. I am enjoying them a lot. Both because the sound and presentation are so much better than when they were on TV, but also because the updates are really nicely done.
FYI
It wasn't just DeForest Kelly; it was the love/hate relationship between the Bones character and the Spock character that really made the series.
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
He was. Were you as put off as I by the actor in the new ST movie basically acting like Deforest Kelly pretending to be Bones McCoy?
My debut novel AMITY now available: http://jeremydbrooks.c
or another member of that famous story? Star Trek inspired many of us in ways and continues to do so for those new to the story. For some of us it takes us back to the magical days of our childhood where such worlds could be possible, Yes Shatner is an actor, he is a good one at that, the best adapt and become more than merely the person.
While I do not disagree there are stories about him that don't hold to everyone's standards the simple fact is, he was Kirk and Kirk is what many think of when they think of Star Trek. Each new incarnation of the show we always saw comparisons of the new Captains to Kirk. Rarely was there a comparison to other characters of the show. I think this most likely because the writers tried to steer away from such so they gave us different personalities. Yet the position of captain is a personality itself and therefor invited comparisons to the first.
He was brash, he was brave, and he always got the girl if not while saving the universe. Fortunately, given many many years, Shatner attempted to move on such an iconic role was bound to follow him for life. He did better in escaping that than many of the other actors, I think Koneig was the only really able to escape and he did so with great skill by being a character wholly unlike his Star Trek role. Shatner's first attempts all had him in a leading position, not until later when he was just part of the cast instead of the lead did he truly define himself in other ways.
So yeah, stories like this beg hundreds of replies. Almost everyone can speak authoritatively about Star Trek, far fewer can about real science.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
Normally I would point out that babies aren't born being 1 year old.
Apparently they are in Korea.
Breakfast served all day!
I'm in my seventh decade and only 52 years old! Also second century and second millenium.
I was born late in 1958
my first decade was the fifties
2nd - sixties
3rd - seventies
4th - eighties
5th - nineties
6th - noughts
7th - teens
"In" is not the same as completing, OTHO everyone enters their next decade on the january 1 every ten years greatly simplifying the calculation. Now get off my lawn!
The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
Unlike "Talk... Like.. a PIRATE .. day", THIS one's... NOT OFFICIAL!
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
... he'll tell his friends that his "body is wearing thin." Then, he'll go into his TARDIS and regenerate.
So remember, in just over ten years, look for a younger actor. who. talks. like. this. on. stage.
He got his TARDIS cheap, though, since he was able to name his own price.
Similar to the upcoming US election results
And here we have another one who celebrated the new century a year early due to poor math skills, and proud of it.
According to your math, his first decade was only 9 years long.
Maybe he's counting time in the womb?
Bow-ties are cool.
Who Gives a Shat?!?
Oh, get a life!
Similar to the upcoming US election results
who was around 63 as of the first episode of Enterprise, making her actually around 73 today, assuming the canon ran simultaneously with current time.
Jolene Blalock is a real person who is 36.
Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
Q. What did Mr. Spock say to Captain Kirk?
... booooo!
A. Captain, there are Klingons Uranus.
Yes, I know, I know, lame
"Happily lived Mankind in the peaceful Valley of Ignorance." -- Hendrik Willem Van Loon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU2ftCitvyQ
Nice. I'm glad they didn't go with autotune, I like it as it is...
Bow-ties are cool.
When he was 1 second old he was in his first year and his first decade. Exactly 10 years later he was nine years old and in his second decade.
How does it feel to flunk first grade math?
And now do you need us to explain the 1900s being the 20th century, 2000s being the 21st century, etc?
You are NOT smarter than a 5th grader! ;-)
If you've never been modded as "flamebait" or "troll," you've never tried to argue a minority viewpoint here!
George, it's good to see you on Slashdot! (sorry to ruin your pseudonym...)
Better known as 318230.
Is wired down, or is the URL invalid? Can someone post a link that works?
(Mainly, I'm curious to know what he looks like at 80.)
What, I thought Capt Kirk wasn't due to be born for a couple of centuries, right? Who cares how old Shattner is?
This is for real: according to USofA law, Mr. Shatner is an alien, as he was born in Planet Canada.
For example, to start the day off, he goes into the bathroom and makes the daily Captains Log :-)
And when he speaks, he makes sure his "phraser" is on stun.
And at 80, he's doing stuff most people half his age wish they were doing. AND getting away with it.
Your first decade is a special one, that lasts 11 years.
Or so the pedants say.
The story I heard was that, since Star Trek was filmed (ie, on film, not videotape), they figured that they could do an HD release. The problem was that the special effects really looked bad in HD. So they redid them.
There's some cases where they added new shots. Check out "The Doomsday Machine" for some shots of the Enterprise swooping down and distracting the doomsday machine. "The Ultimate Computer" has some good shots of wrecked starships, though they could have done more. "The Galileo 7" also has some nice shots of the Galileo leaving the planet and the whole igniting the fuel sequence. The opening sequence in "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (with the Enterprise in the atmosphere) also looks much better.
No... The first millennium = [0,999.99999], the second = [1000.00000,1999.99999], and the third = [2000.00000,2999.000000].
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5m76m_william-shatner-sings-pulp-common-p_music
It helps that Joe Jackson is in there too... :-D
If /. had posted this story when his birthday began in the first timezone of the world, I would have got that question (what canadian is celebrating his 80th birthday today) right at trivia...last night.
Boolean logic: True, False, and File not found.
Now would be a good time to re-shoot his scenes in "The Deadly Years" episode without any makeup.
It's amusing really... I have a six month old niece. Shatner really was out saving the galaxy when her Grandfather was in diapers. Like or Loathe Shatner, the world probably wouldn't be the same today without him and his compatriots. RIP Deforest Kelly, James Doohan, Majel Barret and Gene Roddenberry.
"There are three schools of magic..."
Not yet DEAD Jim!
The day Microsoft creates a product that doesn't suck, it will be known as the Microsoft Vaccuum Cleaner!
Does he still play world of warcraft, is so, I would say he is probably the oldest player, unless ozzy is older..... /., but just the same, great to see your still this active at your age, and funny too.
Seriously, Happy BDay dude.....not that your geek enough to read
Denny Crane
Yep. Usually actors hate doing that too (just doing an impression of some other actor who preceded them). Either it was forced on him by the director, he intended it as an homage, or he's just not much of an actor. If it was the first, he needs to learn to stand up for himself. If it was the second, it was well-meaning but perhaps misguided (considering none of the other actors were doing it). And if it was the third, he just sucks.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tek_War
Did you mount a military-grade, variable-focus MASER on an unlicensed artificial intelligence?
I think they did a shot walking over a "sky bridge" for Amok Time. All in all, I have been very pleased with my purchase. When the old series was out, TVs were -really- bad: Reception, Sound, Color, everything else is better now. And with the new edits I sort of feel like these are the directors cuts of the episodes.
Its nifty, and a nice surprise: I picked up the box at random and looked at the back. And it said, "Before" / "After".