OFF: Dodge 'em Dude

[Paul Mather]

On Sep 6, 2010, at 8:52 AM, mike coleman wrote:

> On 9/6/10, Paul Mather <paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu> wrote:
>> As a transplanted Brit, I have to admit to it being jarring watching what,
>> to me, is _Horizon_ (called _NOVA_ over here), yet hearing the narration in
>> an American accent.  So, I guess the accent imperative is not universal,
>> yet.
> 
> 
> I won't go where UFO's seldom go (if ever, anymore?).....glad to have
> another reason not to watch it

I have to admit that I am generally disappointed with both NOVA and Horizon these days, mainly because the contemporary shows are dumbed down a lot from those made in halcyon years gone by. :-(

> You have to admit Alan Alda has a terrible British accent in _Scientific
>> American Frontiers_, not to mention Neil deGrasse Tyson's in _NOVA
>> ScienceNOW_.  They mustn't have received the memo, yet... :-)
> 
> 
> Yes I allowed myself to hear him in some show about competing young
> engineers racing lightweight peddle boat-submarines....I can't BELIEVE I
> stayed on the channel,.,,,,his voice  makes me want to attack

In a weird synchronicity, one of the teams of "young engineers" in that show was one from here at Virginia Tech!  They happened to have a booth at the start of year street party shindig they have here and I happened to mention the show appearance to one of the people manning the booth---on account of my having seen the programme just days before---only to be met by blank stares.  It was then that I realised one of the big shortcomings of _Scientific American Frontiers_: the series is years old (not good for a science frontiers show), and that episode was probably made long before any of these folks ever came to Tech.

Still, we'll have to agree to disagree on Alan Alda in the programme.  I love the enthusiastic gusto with which he throws himself into the episodes; it's rather refreshing.  Plus, don't the treason laws on the books have some section about it being considered sedition to openly dislike anything with Hawkeye Pierce in it? ;-)

Toodle-pip old chum,

Paul.