> On Dec 12, 4:05 pm, Don Bruder <dak...@sonic.net> wrote:
>
> > In article
> > <728319a9-0460-479c-ba86-9a74e9965...@i12g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
>
> >  z <gzuck...@snail-mail.net> wrote:
> > > On Dec 12, 10:45 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> > > > "z" <gzuck...@snail-mail.net> wrote in message
>
> > > >news:50d58a2a-4426-43c0-9918-8e4d2cda0506@s8g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>
> > > > > OK, I can accept that there might be 40 foot long freshwater giant
> > > > > squid living in lakes. Might be.
>
> > > > > I can accept that fishingboatengines will suddenly make horrible
> > > > > clanking noises and send up clouds of smoke (like Jaws!) just when you
> > > > > need them the most. Could be.
>
> > > > > But I can't believe that after that, when the skipper goes below to
> > > > > see if he can fix theengine, it's going to turn out to be "just the
> > > > > fuel pump"
>
> > > > And this worries you compared to Transporters, Phasers, Warp Drive, Worm
> > > > Holes, etc.
>
> > > > Most science fiction requires readers/viewers to suspend disbelief at least
> > > > in a few areas to move the story along. If you can't handle this sort of
> > > > thing then you probably should avoid science fiction and maybe all fiction.
> > > > I am not sure I see much difference between science fiction and the sort of
> > > > stuff that happens on most popular TV programs (CSI, Bones, Chuck, House,
> > > > etc.....).
>
> > > > Ed
>
> > > My favorite quibble is the one people made with "The League of
> > > Extraordinary Gentlemen". We have a vampire, Mr. Hyde, the Invisible
> > > Man, etc. all riding through Venice on Captain Nemo's Nautilus. And
> > > what gets people skeptical? That the canals of Venice would be too
> > > shallow for aboatthat size.
>
> > It's the same thing as when horse-folks (like myself) watch a flick that
> > has to do with horses, and the glaring screwups leap off the screen
> > shouting "HEY! LOOK! I'M A MASSIVE SCREWUP!" - A character saying "Wow,
> > that horse has a nice trot", when the horse is cantering, for instance.
> > You or some other "John Q. Public" may not know the difference between a
> > trot and a canter, and you'll swallow it without question *BECAUSE* you
> > don't know. Those of us who work with horses know exactly what the
> > difference is, and frequently don't even need to *SEE* the horse to know
> > that he's cantering rather than trotting (That's how distinct the two
> > gaits are - You can literally hear the difference and know without
> > question which gait is in use)
>
> > Suspending disbelief is easy when it's a subject that isn't as familiar
> > as the back of your hand - I can swallow House and his medi-babble
> > because I'm not in a medical profession - The errors of what he says
> > aren't "obvious" to me. They may even be completely invisible to me.
> > *BECAUSE* I'm not medically trained. But I *CAN'T* swallow somebody
> > riding a competition reining pattern in an australian stock saddle - It
> > isn't something that's impossible, but it just isn't done. And to
> > someone like myself, with a literal lifetime of horse experience, it
> > stands out like a neon sign in a dark room.
>
> > --
> > Don Bruder - dak...@sonic.net - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
> > or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
> > somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
> > ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> The other week some show (I've mercifully blanked the memory out of my
> mind) which ought to know better was talking about antibiotic
> resistant bacteria, and managed to refer to the bacteria as a "virus"
> at one point. Fer crissake, didn't anybody associated with the show
> get through high school biology?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -