I happened to see on the Telly the katasterism ... no; not quite the right word ... of Admiral Kirk. I was disappointed that nobody saluted the quarter-deck as they came on board; but, mostly, that his fine craft did not have his flag qua admiral painted on it.
In the Royal Navy, admirals fly the red cross of S George. To this simple design, a Rear Admiral adds two red spheres; a Vice Admiral just one red sphere; a full Admiral no spheres.
This means that, when a Vice Admiral is promoted to the next rank, the ratings on his flagship will look up at the masthead and observe "Goodness gracious me! The Admiral has now got no spheres at all!"
Perhaps there is something peculiarly English about becoming less visibly assertive as one becomes more really important. In the US Navy, I like to think of them using American-style stars, and gradually accumulating more and more of them as they become Bigger and Better admirals ... so that the American Lord High Admiral has a veritable Milky Way flying above his head.
Is it true that Mrs Kirk's baby had pointed ears but they hushed it up?
That's funny stuff. I will now picture this happening to Admiral Robert April, previously the first captain of the starship Enterprise....
ReplyDeleteAside from simple inspiration (which is not simple), Mr. Shatner has done quite a lot of work on the side to promote NASA, science education, and other good causes. Although he has an ego, he actually has gotten better about it as he has aged; and unlike other actors, he spent a long time away from Hollywood, in his own home, with the serious hobby of raising and showing horses. Nor was he a man of only one or even two hit shows. He's proudly Canadian, but he's made a pretty good American life.
So it was delightful to see his delight and that of most folks i know, and dispiriting to see him attacked by so many envious people. Nobody can "earn" the chance to be a guest; but Shatner getting a space trip was fitting.
Jeff Bezos has made himself into a dangerous twit; but this was the better part of him, so why attack it? To encourage him to spend more time on nastiness?