Eddie Paskey as a "redshirt" on the original "Star Trek" TV series. / ViacomCBS
In the original "Star Trek" series, "redshirts" referred to the security personnel and other, often nameless Enterprise crewmembers who seemingly always turn up dead from an alien encounter. (You do not want to wear a red uniform when going boldly where no one has gone before!) But Eddie Paskey (August 20, 1939-August 17, 2021) survived the redshirt jinx. With barely any acting experience, Paskey was hired to portray Lt. Leslie on the second "Star Trek" pilot, and eventually appeared (as Leslie, other anonymous redshirts, a sick bay assistant, or just a stand-in) in 62 episodes of the series – more than George Takei or Walter Koenig.
Curiously, in a season two episode, "Obsession," Lt. Leslie actually DID die, thanks to a red corpuscle-eating cloud, but Paskey turned up again later in that same episode, and in 20 more, with no real explanation as to why. (It was, after all, a science fiction show.) Paskey would later claim, in a 2004 online post, that the original script had a scene of Leslie being brought back to life, but it was never filmed.
As the 1960s series ended its run, Paskey dropped out of acting, but he maintained a "Star Trek" presence with appearances at conventions, and a turn as "Admiral Leslie" in a fan series, "Star Trek: New Voyages." Meanwhile, the term "redshirt" as a trope of expendables has lived on, called out in parodies, video games, and even the 2009 "Star Trek" feature film reboot.
(This post was last modified: 09-10-2021 12:02 PM by GoodOwl.)
I came across an article that lists the oldest celebrities still living:
1) Marsha Hunt, 103 (Actress)
2) Caren Marsh-Doll, 102 (Actress- was Judy Garland's stand-in for Wizard of Oz and last cast member still alive)
3) Nehemiah Persoff, 102 (Actor- Some Like It Hot, On the Wter Front, Yentl)
4) Betty White, 99
5) Norman Lear, 99 (Writer and Producer- All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times)
6) Bob Barker, 97 (The Price Is Right)
7) Eva Marie Saint, 97 (Actress- North By Northwest, On the Waterfrontz0
8) Jimmy Carter, 96
9) Angela Landsbury , 95 (Murder She Wrote)
10) Dick Van Dyke, 95
11) Queen Elizabeth, 95
12) David Attenborough, 95 (Natural historian and TV host)
13) Mel Brooks, 95 (Actor, Director and Producer)
14) Tony Bennett, 95 (Singer)
There were about 5-6 others but I figured I'd stick to the 95+ Club.
Reuben Klamer (June 20, 1922 – September 14, 2021) was an American inventor, best known for creating and designing the classic Milton Bradley (now Hasbro) board game The Game of Life.
Quote:In June 1959, Klamer pitched an art center concept to Milton Bradley that featured their crayons and finger paints. The company declined, but Milton Bradley president James Shea, Sr. asked Klamer to develop a game in celebration of the hundredth anniversary of Milton Bradley Company. After months of development, Klamer unveiled The Game of Life at the 1960 American International Toy Fair in the Milton Bradley showroom. Spurred by the endorsement of TV personality Art Linkletter, the game went on to sell more than fifty million copies. Klamer was inducted into the Hasbro's Inventors Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2005. He received the TAGIE Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Star Trek producer Gene Roddenberry enlisted Klamer to design "a really big gun." He built the phaser rifle used in the episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before."
Quote:Klamer's most lasting contribution was the modern version of The Game of Life, which he made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Milton Bradley. The game was inspired by a game designed and published by Milton Bradley (the person, not the company) called The Checkered Game of Life, which involved collecting points in order to secure a "happy life." Klamer and Bill Markham collaborated on the modern version of the game, adding the classic board elements like the wheel on the board and the automobiles with spaces for family members. Later versions of the game introduced Life Tiles and pets to the game.
The Game of Life has sold more than 70 million copies and is considered the second most popular board game in the world behind only Monopoly. The game was inducted into the permanent Archives of Family Life of the Smithsonian Institution in 1981 and is also a National Toy Hall of Fame inductee.
Other toys designed by Klamer include the original Fisher-Price Preschool Trainer Skates, the Art Linkletter Hoop, Gaylord the Walking Dog, Moon Rocks, Dolly Darlings, Erector-Constructor Sets, and Busy Blocks and Zoo-It-Yourself. Klamer also developed special effects and toys for The Man From Uncle and innovated an entire line of tie-in products for the Pink Panther cartoon show. Klamer also invented the first "no glue" snap-together hobby kits, an innovation that is still used today.
(This post was last modified: 09-15-2021 12:17 PM by GoodOwl.)
(09-22-2021 02:48 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote: Bah. Gunsmoke was the best TV series of all time.
Mash 4077
The only things worth watching on TV (1950's until today) are babes. But turn the sound off because the stupid things they say today are a major turnoff.
Best series: Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Avengers, Petticoat Junction (w/o sound), Charlies Angels, Rowan and Martin's Laugh In, Hee-Haw (babes reclined on the porch), and any recent series (Friends, Sex in the City, etc all w/o sound).
TV is Sex and Violence. Watch the babes and mute everything. It works. I pay albums while the TV is muted. It's a wonderful surprise how the 2 sync up. Just ask Pink Floyd!
Probstein’s research had diverse applications in fields including aeronautics, energy, desalination, and soil decontamination.
Quote:Many of Probstein’s research contributions had impact in the field of aeronautics. His work in fluid dynamics informed early spacecraft design and deepened the understanding of the physics behind ballistic missile reentry. Alongside Wallace Hayes, Probstein co-authored the book "Hypersonic Inviscid Flow," which is recognized as a highly influential work in the field of hypersonic flight. His interest in aerodynamics extended beyond the manufactured to celestial objects. He proposed a theory on the behavior and shape of the tails of dust that trail behind comets.
Probstein also developed solutions for problems related to the health of the planet. He conducted research in the development of synthetic fuels as well as advanced desalination and water purification technology. In the 1990s, he patented a method for the removal of toxic contaminants in soil — a process known as electrokinetic soil remediation.