I hear ya professor. I really love the old Wings series from Discovery channel. Definitely aimed at a more aware viewer. Now if they could put that style with some CGI, I might become a regular viewer. My kids are all in their teens or adults now, but yes I still do enjoy a good Sponge Bob or Phinneas and Ferb when they watch. Plankton is my kind of bad guy ;-) I'm glad you like his quote on my sig line... when I heard that one I was dying of laughter for a long time... my kind of f.u.n.
And yes, those top 10 shows kill me. They had one on tanks and they were giving number one to the Leopard II and their "expert" was a musician who owns some old tanks... give me a break. His swipe against the Abrams was because of its turbine engine and he said that a heat seeking missile could home in on its' hot exhaust. He obviously knows nothing about Anti Tank missiles and their guidance systems. The Leopard II has never been in combat against another tank, while the Abrams has and proven exceptionally survivable in head to head combat against the threat which it was designed to meet- 125mm gun armed Soviet tanks such as the T-72. And combat is THE acid test for any piece of military machinery.
I agree about your top 10 fighters, the F-117 is a strike aircraft like the F-111, and not a fighter in the air to air sense by any definition of that sort of aircraft. The F-15 is certainly the most successful air to air fighter of its' generation in combat, no doubt there. The F-105 was a strike fighter that was successful in both areas in combat, air to air and air to ground, and would make my top 10 list.
F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!
U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!
N is for NO SURVIVORS...
- Plankton
LSM