Star Trek's Scotty Dies at 85 762
darkworm writes "James Doohan, better known to Trekkies everywhere as Scotty, has died at the age of 85. James was suffering from both Parkinsons and Alzheimer's and died earlier today at his home"
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
Star Trek's Scotty Dies at 85
Related Links Top of the: day, week, month.
I've noticed several design suggestions in your code.
Beem him on up... (Score:2, Insightful)
Can't (Score:5, Insightful)
Rest In Peace Scotty. You will always be remembered.
Somebody finally beamed Scotty up... (Score:5, Insightful)
To quote STII, The Wrath of Kahn. (Score:5, Insightful)
"Aye, laddie-- warp speed."
RIP, Scotty.
A sad day (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Mirror + better obituary (Score:0, Insightful)
RIP (Score:5, Insightful)
Nothing for me to see here. (Score:5, Insightful)
(Thanks for teaching me how to keep my reputation as a miracle worker. I'll be enjoyin' a wee dram in your honor tonight, James.)
Remembering James Doohan (Score:5, Insightful)
We all know he had a fun, fake Scottish accent and was unparalleled in delivering technobabble in just the right doses for a good episode of Trek, but I'd love to hear the stories of this man that aren't penned by Rodenberry or copyrighted by Viacom.
Anyone have any?
Re:Beem him on up... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:A good memorial would be... (Score:5, Insightful)
Scotty's Rule of Thumb (Score:5, Insightful)
But the real value that James Doohan brought to his role, and that I value from his life was his enthusiasm. The positiveness he brought to his role came from the heart. He embodied and lived the "Can Do" attitude. Hopefully it was every bit as infectious as the rest of Star Trek and we will all remember that we too 'can do!'
Bad quote. (Score:1, Insightful)
Bad quote in that CNN article [cnn.com]. All the real trekkies (trekkers? whatever.) know that the exact phrase "Beam me up, Scotty" never happened in any TOS script.
May you rest in peace, Mr. Doohan.
I really enjoy how.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Yes, I am going to hell for this... (Score:5, Insightful)
And it looks like the guy in the red shirt does always die, even if it's Scotty.
Re:Beem him on up... (Score:5, Insightful)
More so than any of the Trek characters, methinks. How many of us here were first inspired into tech geekdom by Chief Enginner Scott?
We can'ne change the laws of physics :( (Score:5, Insightful)
I recommend all Slashdotters honour his memory by donating to the Alzheimer's Association [alz.org] so we can find a cure for this disease.
Re:Cue the jokes... (Score:4, Insightful)
Almost enough said (Score:3, Insightful)
from whose bourn no traveller returns
-- William Shakespeare
Re:Beem him on up... (Score:5, Insightful)
And all things considered I would bet that Sarah Doohan doesn't mind the fact that she exists.
Re:Cue the jokes... (Score:2, Insightful)
You or I may not be comfortable having a relationship with such an age difference, but they clearly were and it obviously worked for them -- what's the problem?
Re:Scotty's Rule of Thumb (Score:5, Insightful)
I always hated that scene. Scotty *was* a miracle worker -- he really DID accomplish engineering miracles when the ship was in mortal danger -- and always did it in less time than it would take any other engineer.
In ST:III he made a joke that he exaggerates estimates to Kirk, "Certainly, sir. How else can I keep my reputation as a miracle worker?"
But it was a *joke*! In that ST:TNG episode they had Scotty decalre that he regularly exaggerated and lied about estimates only to make himself look better. This forever tarnishing Scotty brilliance, and I hated (HATED!) that scene.
Sigh ... I really, really hate that scene.
Sam
Re:Scotty's Rule of Thumb (Score:3, Insightful)
The boss never factors in the possibility of failure. Never, never, never. He has to tell his boss that everything will be done sooner, with fewer resources, and will perform better than the previous estimate.
If the boss doesn't like the numbers we developers give him, why does he ask?
Re:Can't (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Beem him on up... (Score:5, Insightful)
In other words, make a good-faith estimate, then double it, because that's the pad to get it done "faster" than you project. Then double it again, because your good-faith estimate is always optimistic.
RIP, Captain Scott, and clear subspace.
Re:Beem him on up... (Score:5, Insightful)
I do not consider my conception reprehensible behavior on the part of either of my parents. I'm rather glad to be here. Thanks mom and dad. The weather is lovely today and I'm angst free about the whole thing, no matter how unfasionable that may be these days.
My mother is rather glad to have me here as well, as was my father's mother before she too passed on.
I am something of him for them; and as I am half him he can hardly have "left" me.
KFG
Re:There goes a good man (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Beem him on up... (Score:2, Insightful)
At 80, are you kidding me? Are you really that selfish that you think that is acceptable and responsible behaviour?
AFAIC, children are not mere 'property' you may have and treat as you see fit, they are human beings and you have some level of moral responsibility towards them. YMMV (and apparently, does).
Do you really care so little for others, particularly potential offspring, that you would be happy to see them grow up never having know one of their parents? If so, then I regret to inform you that this would make you an asshole as well.
Jimmy Doohan was worth a million of you, you jealous little git.
How bizarre, why on earth do you think I'm jealous of him? Trust me, I'm really not. I can do a proper Scottish accent for a start (being Scottish) and trust me it sounds nothing like his take.
Having grown up without a father (because he was so screwed up over never knowing his parents, as he was adopted, that he fell into a spiral of self destruction) and lost another in the last couple of years (in the form of my stepfather, from cancer) I can honestly say that though I would dearly like to have children some day, I would never do so if I thought I wasn't going to be around to support them growing up.
For another frame of reference... (Score:5, Insightful)
When my mother told my father that she was pregnant, he gave her some money and told her to get an abortion. She gave the money back, and told him to go to hell. They never spoke after that.
Like me, Sarah Doohan will grow up without a father - but at least she had the opportunity to know him for a few years first. As you say, I'm sure she's glad to be here, even if her father isn't.
Re:Beem him on up... (Score:5, Insightful)
And no bloody A, B, C, or D, either.
Beam Him Up (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Beem him on up... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:appropriate care includes dad. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Cue the jokes... (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes you are. Just because you phrase your POV as a question doesn't mean you're not "push polling" your implied answer.
You might not be able to imagine someone with a single parent being "brought up right". But there are many millions of Americans, and hundreds of millions of humans, who are just fine with one parent. The metaphysical question of whether they're better off not being born is anyone's guess. And has to compete with the wonder of an actual life, with a loving parent, as the legacy of a departed one.
Re:Cue the jokes... (Score:2, Insightful)
Yes it does. The child will be cared for by people who knew him well.
"Yes, and someone needs to do it."
Why don't you send a note to his widow and explain it to her?
"Accepting differences doesn't extend as far as accepting people who don't bring up their children properly"
It's not for you to decide which methods are proper. Not only are you being arrogant, you're being plain rude by criticizing the recently departed.
Re:Beem him on up... (Score:5, Insightful)
Life is suffering.
Nonetheless, today the sky is a remarkable shade of blue, the sun is warm, but not too hot and the air smells of summer. I have been sitting down by the river where there is a nice breeze blowing and playing violin much of the morning. I like playing violin.
Life is also the only blessing you will ever receive, and if all it offered me was today I would take it rather than have nothing.
I see no point in self-inflicted psychological suffering when it is just as easy to play violin. I feel sadness for your father, but because he created his own tragedy needlessly.
My father made it out of his twenties, but only just. Rheumatic Fever. There was no such thing as a heart transplant at the time.
Life is suffering; and then you die. If parents never had children to prevent them from suffering and death there wouldn't be any parents in the first place.
Get thee hence and buy the best pizza in town. Enjoy it.
Thank your father for making that joy possible.
KFG
Re:Scotty's Rule of Thumb (Score:3, Insightful)
Besides, the boss doesn't have enough information to allow for problems since you're the one familiar with the work, not the boss. Nevermind the obvious conflict of interest he or she has when reporting up to whittle the times down.
No, you're definately wrong on this one. Otherwise, why would the boss ask you for an estimate in the first place? You as the worker, are accountable for the difference between your estimate and the outcome. Period.
Besides, it makes the *TEAM* look like rock stars when something's done before the deadline. Is it really dishonest that you got there by expecting the unexpected? Just because Star Trek simplified the idea doesn't mean its dishonest and self centered.
Please stop letting hollywood science fiction influence your ethics and decision making. Sheesh!
Re:For another frame of reference... (Score:2, Insightful)
Some of us judge people for having children (that they can well afford to support) late in life. Others realize that "late in life" doesn't always happen at a predictable age.
Miss you dad, but glad to be here. -Boyd
Re:An inspiration to engineers everwhere.. (Score:2, Insightful)
I was born in the early 50's, and quite an impressionable teen during the Moon missions and Star Trek TOS.
Damn, those 60's were interesting times. I loved the thrill of technological stuff. The very first transistors. I was so excited over getting some Raytheon CK722 and GE 2N107 Germanium PNP. They were first barely making their way to where I could get some with the pay I could get mowing lawns.
I couldn't get enough of the thrill with tinkering with electronics, rewiring old TV sets so I could display crude lissajous patterns on the screens and that kinda stuff, dreaming of the things I would see Scotty and Spock do with their stuff. Scotty's transporter and the food replicator fascinated the hell out of me. I wanted in the worst way just to talk to Scotty a bit about how that damn thing worked!!!!
James made the world of Physics and Engineering a very interesting place for a lot of us. In all the years of my life, I have never seen yet anyone who could do it with the aplomb James could. In my mind, he is *the* engineer.
Without you, James, physics and engineering would have been about as interesting to me as studying IP law, and I would have gotten it only for the money, not for thrill of doing it. You brought a thrill of accomplishment to a mundane world of physical laws.
Thanks, James. May you enjoy Eternity with God, and get to see for real the things the things we could only imagine here on Earth.
Honored to have met him (Score:5, Insightful)
Quite a few years back, I attended a convention with a couple of friends, all of us in college at the time. I have no other Star Trek convention experience to compare it to, but I found him to be a great speaker, funny, intelligent, and not in the least condescending as a celebrity all too often can be in public. He was also very straightforward, as a Shatner comment or two demonstrated.
After the speech and the Q&A session, he went outside to sit at a table and sign autographs. The line was HUGE. I can't remember why, but my friends and I ended up at the very end of the line. I don't go in for autographs, so maybe I held them up. Anyway, I wait with them, passing quite a bit of time, as Doohan signs autographs, makes small talk, answers questions, hears the same lines and jokes over and over again, etc. Finally, the last people in line (us) make it to the table. I would have expected any celebrity making an appearance to be happy it was over with, sign something for us and break for the door. Hell, _I_ would have. Mr. Doohan instead greets us VERY warmly, makes a big deal about how much of a pain it must have been to stand in line all that time. Maybe I'm jaded, but I honestly never really expected a tv and movie star to sincerely appreciate his fans. He then tells my friend with the camera to not be silly standing there taking pictures, has us come around the table with him and has someone else take our cameras and take pictures of us with him.
Far too rare of a man. If I remember correctly, his star on the Walk of Fame wasn't bought by himself or his agent as a matter of self-promotion, but by his friends and colleagues of many years who wanted him to get the recognition he deserved. I can't judge anyone's acting talent (ok, maybe SOME people), but acting is what you do, not what you are. And James Doohan was a great human being.