Beam Me Up...

A wonderful story in today's news -- from the SanFranscisco Gate: bq. Suitably, James Doohan was beaming Tuesday. bq. The "Star Trek" actor -- famed for his portrayal of "Beam Me Up" Scotty, the intrepid engineer who kept the spaceship Enterprise flying and its passengers warping from planet to planet -- grinned and waved to fans as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. bq. It was expected to be the last public appearance of the 84-year-old performer, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and also suffers from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis. bq. The ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard was the culmination of several days of farewell activities that brought Doohan back into contact with many of this longtime "Trekkie" fans. bq. George Takei, who played Sulu on "Star Trek," told the crowd: "This is a galactic day in this town full of stars. bq. "We've gathered from throughout this planet to say congratulations to you, Jimmy," Takei said. "We love you and we thank you for your luminous talent. We thank you for the gift you have given us of that unforgettable character, that ingenious and beloved engineer that was able to fix anything." bq. Other "Star Trek" cast members to attend were Nichelle Nichols, who was Uhura on the series, and Walter Koenig, who played Chekov. bq. "He's a wonderful friend, a beautiful person," Nichols said of Doohan. "There is no one better than he, and no one more deserving. We all love this man." bq. Koenig said he felt great companionship with Doohan after decades of working together, from the original TV series in 1966 to their last film in 1994, "Star Trek: Generations." bq. "This star is a recognition of a man's talent, his endurance and the effect that he's had on people all over the world," Koenig said. bq. Doohan did not speak to the crowd, but he waved and posed for photos before leaving with his family. This is a wonderful and fitting event. He is a good person and his character on Star Trek encouraged a lot of closet nerds to explore Engineering and Science. James lives just outside of Seattle (where we used to live) and has led quite an interesting life -- to excerpt from the recent StarTrek.com posting: bq. Reportedly Doohan's short-term memory is beginning to fail as a result of the onset of Alzheimer's, though his long-term memories are intact and he can still recognize people. His son Chris has stated that his father can still tell detailed stories about his Star Trek days and about his World War II experiences, including his participation in the D-Day invasion of Normandy. A war hero too -- funny that he never mentioned it when he was talking to filk. Reinforces the idea that people who are heroes do not talk about it and people who are not, bloviate. John Forbes Kerry, call your campaign office...