Slashdot Mirror
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.
a nice blue lady to dance with tonight. And smile into the morning hours.
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.
If it's only William Shatner's birthday, then why do I suddenly feel so old?
I am not a sig.
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.
I'd say neither: both movies are so bad, I just pretend neither existed.
Circumcision is child abuse.
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.
May the force be with you!
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? :-)
Mr.Nimoy has done fine considering the alternative.
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
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
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.
That's nothing, we're all doing a great job of forgetting TJ Hooker.
I am officially gone from
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.
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
You are of course right and I am, of course and idiot. :)
khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan gratulations.
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
He has to say that every now and then that we know we are in the presence of greatness.
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.
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.
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.
Ahh, that's just the mad cow talking....
I really enjoyed that show - Shatner was playing a serious character, and also playing a caricature of Shatner, and was doing just fine at both.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks