Episode 302: Sherlock Holmes: A Year in Review

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“a combination of events” [3STU] </h4><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr3Yfu073D3xUb6EGbvVMx_xSLQuhpadj_zLroYChEnk08EEM7lWvBjDuIHgjwSDzzrJUE9pJ378z0WJ_CLk4okJ5BmEokIxcWF2GF4BHH1Bnyw1725rTVaavBNix6PxQeDKvQP9U_4CKlR6SDLWdu5G00ix-GiD5y7TyY6u4SiG2Iph72NU5vaQA6R8b/s2062/ihearofsherlock302-header.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1171" data-original-width="2062" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr3Yfu073D3xUb6EGbvVMx_xSLQuhpadj_zLroYChEnk08EEM7lWvBjDuIHgjwSDzzrJUE9pJ378z0WJ_CLk4okJ5BmEokIxcWF2GF4BHH1Bnyw1725rTVaavBNix6PxQeDKvQP9U_4CKlR6SDLWdu5G00ix-GiD5y7TyY6u4SiG2Iph72NU5vaQA6R8b/w640-h364/ihearofsherlock302-header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p>Keeping track of everything going on in the Sherlockian world is no easy task. And yet, every year without fail, Ross Davies, BSI ("The Temple") oversees a team at <i>The Baker Street Almanac</i> that does exactly that.</p><p>We first spoke to Ross about the enterprise on <a href="https://ihose.co/ihose219" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 219</a>, but this time our conversation less about the mechanics and features than it is about some of the worthwhile items of note for Sherlockians in 2024. Ross chooses his top items and neatly divides things into categories: events, societies, publishing, and media. Burt and Scott add in a few points of interest as well.</p><p>We also have Madeline Quiñones' latest installment of "A Chance of Listening," her review of Sherlockian podcasts. And wind up the year with another <b>Canonical Couplet</b> quiz for you to test your Sherlockian knowledge. The winner, chosen at random from all correct answers, will receive something from the IHOSE vaults. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by January 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.</p><p>If you become a <a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank">supporter</a> of the show, not only will you help to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services, but we have thank-you gifts at certain tiers and ad-free versions of the episodes for all patrons.</p><p>We'll have a video version of this conversation available to our supporters.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a data-patreon-widget-type="become-patron-button" href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/become-patron.html#.WUwm0GgrLb0">Become a supporter today!</a></p><div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock302.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size: 81.2 MB, 1:25:20</h3><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/34661270/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/9e805b/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: none;" data-dashlane-rid="59b4dcfd66aa49cf" data-dashlane-classification="other"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.episodes.fm/258126625" target="_blank">Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere anywhere you get podcasts<br /></a></span><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere/id258126625?ls=1">Apple Podcasts</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/30WtRn1mnXfAtX7YaeRY5Y">Spotify</a>; listen to us <a href="https://www.episodes.fm/1198869691">wherever you listen to podcasts</a>.</h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><h2 style="margin: 0px;">Sponsors</h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><ul><li>Exclusive for IHOSE listeners: a <a href="https://mxpublishing.com/discount/ihose2for1?redirect=%2Fproducts%2F2025-page-a-day-sherlock-holmes-calendar" target="_blank">2-for-1 deal on the 2025 Sherlock Holmes page-a-day calendar</a> from MX Publishing.</li></ul></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Would you care to advertise with us? You can find <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>. Let's chat!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><h2><b>Notes</b></h2><div>1:57 Intro and chatter</div><div>7:58 Interview with Ross Davies </div><div>1:13:58 A Chance of Listening</div><div>1:18:11 Canonical Couplet</div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul></ul></div><h2><b>Links</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.greenbag.org/almanacs/BS/bsa.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Baker Street Almanac</a></i></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlockiancalendar.com/" target="_blank">The Sherlockian Calendar</a></li><li><a href="http://www.agratreasurers.net/holmes--doyle----friends--2025.html" target="_blank">Holmes, Doyle and Friends</a></li><li><a href="http://www.acdfriends.org/SHWalk-index.html" target="_blank">Artwork from the Sherlock Holmes Walk in Toronto</a></li><li><a href="https://form.jotform.com/243476981445165" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Midwest BSI Canonical Conclave</a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.sherlockholmespodcast.com/2025/01/episode-418-origin-of-221b-worship.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trifles </a></i><a href="https://www.sherlockholmespodcast.com/2025/01/episode-418-origin-of-221b-worship.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 418: The Origin of 221B Worship</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4guQlMW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Holmes and the Ripper</i></a> by Lucyna Krawczyk-Żywko</li><li><i><a href="https://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/journal/" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Journal</a></i></li><ul></ul><ul></ul><li>Previous Episodes:</li><ul><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihose17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 17</a>: Collector's Corner: Jerry Margolin</li><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihose67" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 67</a>: The Sherlock Holmes Collections (Tim Johnson)</li><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihose219" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 219</a>: The Baker Street Almanac (Ross Davies)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose281" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 281</a>: The Lantern's Dance (Laurie R. King)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose282" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 282</a>: The Women (Bev Wolov)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose284" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 284</a>: BrettCon (Luke & Gus Holwerda)  </li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose286" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 286</a>: The Autistic Sleuth (Chris and Patricia Meyer Chan)</li><li>Episodes <a href="https://bit.ly/ihose287" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">287</a> & <a href="https://bit.ly/ihose290" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">290</a>: Legends of the BSJ series</li><li>Episodes <a href="https://bit.ly/ihose288" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">288</a> & <a href="https://bit.ly/ihose289" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">289</a>: BSI Press books </li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose292" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 292</a>: This Work of Storytelling (Glen Miranker)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose294" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 294</a>: Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell (Nicholas Meyer)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose295" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 295</a>: Holmes & Poirot (Jeffrey Hatcher and Steve Hendrickson)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose299" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 299</a>: Interrogating Sherlock Holmes (Stephen Chahn Lee)</li><li>Episode 300: Sherlock & Co.';s Sherlock (Harry Attwell)</li><li><a href="https://www.sherlockholmespodcast.com/2024/08/episode-400-great-400.html" target="_blank">Trifles 400</a>: The Great 400</li><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihoseshows" target="_blank">The IHOSE Archives</a></li></ul><li>Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at <a href="http://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock">linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock</a>.</li></ul><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery?indie=false&period=month#37883168" target="_blank"><img alt="goodpods top 100 mystery podcasts" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/leaderboard_badges/fiction_mystery_top50_month.png" style="height: 77px; width: 250px;" /></a><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery" style="color: #6f6f6f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 4px; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Goodpods Top 100 Mystery Podcasts</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br />

Episode 302: Sherlock Holmes: A Year in Review

“a combination of events” [3STU]  Keeping track of everything going on in the Sherlockian world is no easy task. And yet, every year without...

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by Scott Monty

Exclusive for IHOSE Fans: 2-for-1 Calendars

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “a couple of wooden chairs and a deal table” [REDH]</h4><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk1TLiuYOH7aopcnPDLWU4LEVyvuEKtkSikTsLsHB0IvXyOdnx18xp5gt3zV1pCwh1yd1Mulaf0InT1QF55GY9E_VEJ8z5-6PCShOM5TyeeE_rc87WYakjmRq371azAttyQMIjqPsbCF92r3ZxojDBn88AaNr56tj4CAtSgnFnzEBZGjqfpFWwRqxbVJm/s540/2025%20Page-a-day%20calendar2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="540" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk1TLiuYOH7aopcnPDLWU4LEVyvuEKtkSikTsLsHB0IvXyOdnx18xp5gt3zV1pCwh1yd1Mulaf0InT1QF55GY9E_VEJ8z5-6PCShOM5TyeeE_rc87WYakjmRq371azAttyQMIjqPsbCF92r3ZxojDBn88AaNr56tj4CAtSgnFnzEBZGjqfpFWwRqxbVJm/w640-h546/2025%20Page-a-day%20calendar2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>It's Carbuncle Day — "the second morning after Christmas" — the day that Watson visited Holmes and discovered him studying the battered billycock and getting drawn into the mystery of the Countess of Morcar's missing gem.</p><p>While yesterday was Boxing Day (a day traditionally celebrated by giving boxes of Christmas gifts to the working class in Great Britain), it's not too late to still do some shopping — for you <b><i>and</i></b> for a Sherlockian in your life.</p><p>If you've delayed buying a Sherlock Holmes page-a-day calendar, you're in luck! I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere sponsor MX Publishing is offering this exclusive buy one, get one free offer for IHOSE listeners and readers.</p><p>Just visit this link (the code is automatically applied, but just in case, it's ihose2for1) to get your exclusive deal:</p><h3><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/discount/ihose2for1?redirect=%2Fproducts%2F2025-page-a-day-sherlock-holmes-calendar" target="_blank">2-for-1 2025 Sherlock Holmes Page A Day Calendar</a></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWB663TKYZA5gASv-RHDNC6_Jb8pibrXSXjegmqD0MAhkw2RtNXXhp_Zv3ux-DBqekn6W4O5aDElxpyPsLkX5wczxKmlvo-IKEotWGAOb72w1368UKjHFOmTV5oY30mNykN7cPMQ2qysguFFdVp1M-_t1UMuGBeao8gbb7dwPyN_ZBlj4cjB3FjjBhzjCw/s480/2025%20Page-a-day%20calendar.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWB663TKYZA5gASv-RHDNC6_Jb8pibrXSXjegmqD0MAhkw2RtNXXhp_Zv3ux-DBqekn6W4O5aDElxpyPsLkX5wczxKmlvo-IKEotWGAOb72w1368UKjHFOmTV5oY30mNykN7cPMQ2qysguFFdVp1M-_t1UMuGBeao8gbb7dwPyN_ZBlj4cjB3FjjBhzjCw/s16000/2025%20Page-a-day%20calendar.jpeg" /></a></div><br />This was one of our favorite items from last year — 365 days of quotes, illustrations and fun facts about Sherlock Holmes (some surprised even us!).<p>Hurry and <a href="https://mxpublishing.com/discount/ihose2for1?redirect=%2Fproducts%2F2025-page-a-day-sherlock-holmes-calendar" target="_blank">order yours</a> before the New Year arrives and more importantly, before these sell out like last year.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="327" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eMUU2xKI-XQ" width="393" youtube-src-id="eMUU2xKI-XQ"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Who'll be the lucky recipient of half of (or all of) your purchase?</div><p><br /></p>

Exclusive for IHOSE Fans: 2-for-1 Calendars

 “a couple of wooden chairs and a deal table” [REDH] It's Carbuncle Day — "the second morning after Christmas" — the day that ...

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by Scott Monty

Prepare Yourself for H&W Con

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “pestering me any more with your silly talk” [BLUE]</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2_ueqorzw1RUkNkM-NlXu2dm_FJBVA1Gj4aysvr5rpVhyrU_4vokwkaoAK1hAa6VhD0BlkZqdpzb-JsEIY07LkwY5rOWixCSZvbPg2J9YIHdK8U623U3TY-ms0Q4F3THm5hyJOvUuLZSDIMdzE-sKb0opfv9QYzuVcdHskfwhVg9sBMyA1JQtZfiKVbk/s1000/Holmes%20and%20Watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2_ueqorzw1RUkNkM-NlXu2dm_FJBVA1Gj4aysvr5rpVhyrU_4vokwkaoAK1hAa6VhD0BlkZqdpzb-JsEIY07LkwY5rOWixCSZvbPg2J9YIHdK8U623U3TY-ms0Q4F3THm5hyJOvUuLZSDIMdzE-sKb0opfv9QYzuVcdHskfwhVg9sBMyA1JQtZfiKVbk/w640-h360/Holmes%20and%20Watson.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p>It's always a joy when we hear about new Sherlock Holmes-related events, particularly when the attendees are guaranteed to have fun.</p><p>So it was particularly gratifying to see that Erik Deckers' <i><a href="https://laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2024/10/date-location-announced-for-holmes.html" target="_blank">Laughing Stalk</a></i> carried the following press release related to that cult classic, Holmes & Watson (covered here previously in "<a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2018/09/a-very-different-holmes-and-watson.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Very Different Holmes and Watson</a>"):</p><p></p><blockquote><p>(SIOUX CITY, IOWA)—Organizers today announced the dates and location for the eagerly awaited H&W Con, the <i>Holmes & Watson</i> convention based on the hilarious and timeless comedy classic starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.</p><p>The convention will be held on the weekend of March 1 – 3 in Sioux City, Iowa, at the Dakota Dunes Roadside Motel and Convention Center.</p><p>Attendees can attend panel discussions, visit the Merchandise Room to purchase apparel, collectibles, and books, cosplay as their favorite characters, and read their favorite fan fiction at live readings. Organizers recently added the event "<i>Holmes & Watson</i> After Dark," a reading of erotic fan fiction.</p><p>Attendees will also be able to get autographs and attend panel discussions by notable cast members of the film.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Mark Anthony Dawson, who played the uncredited role "Beefeater #1," will sign autographs and lead a Q&A session about his work on the film, including questions about the craft table and his brief interactions with Will Ferrell's personal assistant.</li><li>Attendees can also attend a viewing of a pre-recorded Zoom video Q&A with Wesley Kent-Hargreaves, who portrayed Weird Child Companion.</li><li>The uncle of Hector Bateman-Harden, who portrayed Young Sherlock Holmes, will be selling original headshots of his famous nephew in the Merchandise Room for $10 apiece or two for $18.</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>"This is a big deal for us," said Dakota Dunes assistant night manager Carl Alcorn. "We haven't had any celebrities of Mr. Dawson's magnitude here in several years. We once had Hacksaw Jim Duggan stop in for a night when his van broke down, but that was in 1995 after he retired."</p><p><br /></p><p>One of the most looked-forward-to panel discussions is entitled "Embracing the Silliness: How <i>Holmes & Watson</i> Changed My Outlook and Saved My Life," hosted by a mystery panelist known only as The Accordionist.</p></blockquote><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcAGGy2G1yF5ZMNhB4AYiGBmfEL-NBD1UR1aqIZVxrjxSfQwg2281UDUk_yPQe_RPFc_OrnA8W4QxSyOgNRk_dCdOMAj-dybyVlN3MUfBUu3OjzEsA_Q3e4yh1tvSpchjRfkWjJCInHrgx2f1uJbM9LFsepbs6CYnBEZyhnjz1BtsXQ6evXxPOGq23xJ80" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcAGGy2G1yF5ZMNhB4AYiGBmfEL-NBD1UR1aqIZVxrjxSfQwg2281UDUk_yPQe_RPFc_OrnA8W4QxSyOgNRk_dCdOMAj-dybyVlN3MUfBUu3OjzEsA_Q3e4yh1tvSpchjRfkWjJCInHrgx2f1uJbM9LFsepbs6CYnBEZyhnjz1BtsXQ6evXxPOGq23xJ80=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The only known photo of The Accordionist</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />"I loved this film the moment it came out," said The Accordionist from <a href="https://scottmonty.com/" target="_blank">his home studio in southeast Michigan</a></p><blockquote><p>. "Most of my friends think I hate it, but really, I have not loved a comedy film more. Ferrell and Reilly are the modern-day Laurel and Hardy, and they're not given enough credit for their amazing body of work. Holmes & Watson was the pinnacle of their comedy genius."</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2019/02/sherlock-holmes-brings-home-major-film.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Holmes & Watson</i> won Golden Raspberries in 2019</a> for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.</p><p>Photos of the Golden Raspberries will be on display in the Autograph Area and Breakfast Nook, where fans can take selfies with the photos for $10.</p><p><br /></p><p>"It's an honor just to have been part of this amazing cast and crew," said Jacob McGrath, who will attend H&W Con and work as the Merchant Room's overnight security guard. "I was just minding my own business, drinking and sitting in an alley, when I was picked to be an extra for the courtroom scene. Their craft table was amazing. I hadn't seen that many Twinkies and Ding Dongs in one place. And now I get to honor the memory of that wonderful production by guarding over its collectibles. You guys are providing meals, too, right?"</p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>While this is obviously a parody (in case you haven't figured it out yet), one wonders if such a convention might be possible...?</p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>

Prepare Yourself for H&W Con

 “pestering me any more with your silly talk” [BLUE] It's always a joy when we hear about new Sherlock Holmes-related events, particular...

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by Scott Monty

Baker Street Elementary – Duck and Cover

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“a nasty cropper” [STOC] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJidwTzAejZ2PNRs466UIntxDGfWNbuL8zA7xBz6DZnPQyanDTT-S1oSP1Kmhh7E04mCHvrtFM4pEVU14DXStEAAQ8S9YksNZAGhjQRsTsfeQQKFs_T_CVtGh0eKvZeY__tDa0Qf2mtCkzVZ54MpaIdJTbpdeb-ro7TNNDgokc8ETBa11Ft7YicFkdFt5K/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJidwTzAejZ2PNRs466UIntxDGfWNbuL8zA7xBz6DZnPQyanDTT-S1oSP1Kmhh7E04mCHvrtFM4pEVU14DXStEAAQ8S9YksNZAGhjQRsTsfeQQKFs_T_CVtGh0eKvZeY__tDa0Qf2mtCkzVZ54MpaIdJTbpdeb-ro7TNNDgokc8ETBa11Ft7YicFkdFt5K/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>We have to applaud the efforts of James Ryder in his ingenious solution to finding a hiding place for the blue carbuncle. Few in his situation would have known that a goose's crop would be the perfect receptacle for temporary storage of a gemstone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Yet, James Ryder was nowhere near as knowledgeable a fowl handler as his sister, Maggie Oakshott. If he were, he would have known that chickens and turkeys possess crops, but geese do not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"A goose has no crop," Miss Mildred Sammons stated in a letter to the "Line o' Type or Two" column of the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> on December 27, 1946. Dr. Jay Finley Christ, to whom the letter had been addressed, noted, </div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Mildred Sammons' announcement in the Line of Dec. 26 that 'a goose has no crop' produced a considerable shock among Sherlock Holmes experts. Consultation of one ornithologist, two zoologists, and three poultry dressers, together with ocular demonstration, made it abundantly clear that the lady is correct. Holmes made an alimentary error, which the Baker Street Irregulars should have noted long ago."</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Peter Blau, BSI ("Black Peter") in <i>More Leaves from the Copper Beeches</i> (1976) made the only logical conclusion:</div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"The matter of geese's crops is really beside the point...if we assume that the Blue Carbuncle was not found in the goose's crop at all, and that the long debate has actually centered on a printer's error, which substituted an <i><b>o</b></i> for Watson's <i><b>a</b></i>."</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One wonders how the tale might have turned out differently if Mrs. Oakshott raised chickens, ducks, or turkeys. Would it have been possible to find the blue carbuncle in a turducken?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Perhaps we'll need to take this investigation to Baker Street Alimentary...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMCINYozg6_omvYu43NaH2OR0XRjZ67KUwnn9OUCGhj_Gsj_9udxKgYQCM_U-3ro_3ay-iLtQJP1FMA0MeUkxs4fMFet8uHTtWgBev6-gd-bCdYBYWtVEvhuNBqaMzxw0Eig8PnMN1d_kLfb6c72jn5AHv7wSdqvMI-cTEv23G_JMtO4sAT9oqDlW4XUz/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMCINYozg6_omvYu43NaH2OR0XRjZ67KUwnn9OUCGhj_Gsj_9udxKgYQCM_U-3ro_3ay-iLtQJP1FMA0MeUkxs4fMFet8uHTtWgBev6-gd-bCdYBYWtVEvhuNBqaMzxw0Eig8PnMN1d_kLfb6c72jn5AHv7wSdqvMI-cTEv23G_JMtO4sAT9oqDlW4XUz/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWG0LhWXvxN3jhBu4zoW2y6TWlzHeJKIOiuQsUNTuI6R_XRE2RmOuBpp02Z6oj_GSJ26jT0hyphenhyphenbT8F-4tx92tLNL4qjHu7CfOrWXfiGM6sOxDiWBbKC2Eczq5qEve3G6S3h904I3RrS0GGpg01jP7b4k3_j-RKLlEJnWlq1UuCpA-i9lHZdh2H77qGTGia/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWG0LhWXvxN3jhBu4zoW2y6TWlzHeJKIOiuQsUNTuI6R_XRE2RmOuBpp02Z6oj_GSJ26jT0hyphenhyphenbT8F-4tx92tLNL4qjHu7CfOrWXfiGM6sOxDiWBbKC2Eczq5qEve3G6S3h904I3RrS0GGpg01jP7b4k3_j-RKLlEJnWlq1UuCpA-i9lHZdh2H77qGTGia/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><i>Baker Street Elementary</i></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.bakerstreetelementary.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">www.bakerstreetelementary.org</a><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">.</span></div><div><div><br /></div><div><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Baker Street Elementary – Duck and Cover

“a nasty cropper” [STOC]  We have to applaud the efforts of James Ryder in his ingenious solution to finding a hiding place for the blue car...

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by Scott Monty

Tips for Making the Most of the BSI Weekend

<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">“</span><b>Let me have the straight tip and you won't be a loser</b><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><b> [SILV] </b></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFYYwNkDcFee52TLetezTvrjJuCKXcoJ8tRTmgBBmyA6s8xbAhLwknSBTpj-Pkrx6jpEyFqM9xEg-CaN-pHP8mPZatyZtGZm8Rqasu7Kb8BZSgUSpY_ZdFEBKopS_ZrYAzONcuAGPHOHA/s1600/BSI+logo+full.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFYYwNkDcFee52TLetezTvrjJuCKXcoJ8tRTmgBBmyA6s8xbAhLwknSBTpj-Pkrx6jpEyFqM9xEg-CaN-pHP8mPZatyZtGZm8Rqasu7Kb8BZSgUSpY_ZdFEBKopS_ZrYAzONcuAGPHOHA/s640/BSI+logo+full.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: center;">With the </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/bsi-event-dates/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a></b><span style="text-align: center;"> coming up next month, we thought it might be helpful to provide a series of tips for the veteran attendees and the newbies alike.</span><br /><br />The <a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/2022/10/17/plans-2023-bsi-weekend/" target="_blank">Baker Street Irregulars Weekend</a> is happening January 15-19, 2025, and it's usually a pretty big deal if you're taking time out of your life to head into New York City for three or more days of activities with people you haven't seen in a year (or years!) or those you may have only known online until now.<div><br /></div><div>Whether you're making the trip for the first or twenty-first time, you know that the Weekend provides the same level of excitement, anticipation, and giddiness as Christmas morning does to a child.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6OGNTJ9y_alsmGZ4itwvxut6FnZFBQOLkk-N2WkkKYRjWi6VhW3taPMuwHbm71ZOdynxKBFX43yxwG0F0HkBqsQx3Z1pc4kiIezeMXQG6zPdPVmG4FPv6y_wsBc8QavGdfNnOZ680d6u/s1600/TWIS+Hugh+Boone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6OGNTJ9y_alsmGZ4itwvxut6FnZFBQOLkk-N2WkkKYRjWi6VhW3taPMuwHbm71ZOdynxKBFX43yxwG0F0HkBqsQx3Z1pc4kiIezeMXQG6zPdPVmG4FPv6y_wsBc8QavGdfNnOZ680d6u/s320/TWIS+Hugh+Boone.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">All tips gladly accepted</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It's usually during those anxious moments that our brain-attic tends to forget some of the essentials that help make a great trip perfect. And for the uninitiated, it's just a matter of not knowing what you need to survive the BSI Weekend.<br /><br />This marks <b>12 years</b> since we began sharing these tips — the <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/12/a-suggestion-perhaps-houn_28.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first of which</a> was inspired by interviewing several members of the Baker Street Irregulars — including some newer members who might have a less distant memory of their first Weekend, and some who have been at it literally for decades. Information has been updated to reflect changes in the city as well as in technology.</div><div><br /><br />And if there are any additional tips that you think would be helpful to attendees, please feel free to add your own as a comment below. And if you'd like a sense of what it's like, listen to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose74" target="_blank">Episode 74</a>:<br /><br /><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/191368218&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /><br />Herewith are the suggestions:<br /><br /><h3>Health 💉</h3></div><div><ul><li>While Sherlockians like to imagine a world where "it's always 1895," the reality of the present day is that we are still fighting a global pandemic. While it's not Tapanuli fever or the black Formosa corruption, it's a good idea to take precautions.</li><li>Consistent with other New York City venues, the BSI does not expect to have mask or vaccination requirements for the BSI-hosted January 2025 events. You still might want to check the <a href="https://files.bakerstreetirregulars.com/bsi-event-covid-19.pdf" target="_blank">BSI Event COVID Policy</a> for the latest details. </li><li>When traveling in the winter months, it doesn't hurt to wear a mask when you're indoors and around a lot of people, especially if you or a loved one is immunocompromised. </li><li><b style="font-style: italic;">Remember:</b><i> Your health and the health of loved ones at home when you return are of great concern to people who like to share your company at these events. </i>❤️</li></ul></div><div><ul><li><b>PLEASE NOTE: </b>To get the latest BSI event news, go to the BSI website and sign up for the free <a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/bsi-news-via-email" target="_blank">News from the BSI</a> email service.</li></ul></div><div><br /><h3>Bags 🧳</h3><ul><li>Make sure that you have plenty of room to bring home books that you buy. If you have to bring an extra bag that you can fold up and put in your suitcase, do so. </li><li>Some suggest bringing a plastic shopping bag to the BSI dinner, as it makes carrying the dinner packet around a little easier, especially if you plan to go to another venue afterward. </li><li>You might also consider <b>bringing a shopping bag to the Merchants Room</b> on Saturday to carry your various purchases. Not all merchants provide bags; carting away your haul is <i>your</i> responsibility. And you <i>do</i> want a haul, don't you?</li></ul><br /><h3>Meeting Others 📇</h3><ul><li>Bring business cards (a quaint tradition). You will be meeting a lot of new people, and you will be sharing contact information. Put as many as you think that you will need in your pack, and then double it. And be sure to include all modes of contacting you, including website, social media, etc. </li><li>If you're in need of a good card, the <a href="http://moo.com/">Moo</a> does a splendid job and <a href="http://vistaprint.com/">VistaPrint</a> has a fast turnaround time. </li><li>If you want to make sure you get your table mates to sign your menu, bring a pen to the dinner.</li><ul><li><b><i>Pro tip</i></b>: there's usually a pen in the dinner packet.</li></ul><li>Allow yourself time to schmooze with other Sherlockians. This is the fastest way to make new friends, who will quickly become old friends. </li></ul><br /><h3>Comportment / Etiquette 🤝</h3><ul><li><b>Do</b> tell people how good it is to see them again — or how lovely it is to meet them for the first time after having known them only online. </li><li><b>Do</b> tell them that you miss them in the intervening months between BSI weekends. </li><li><b>Do</b> tell them how invaluable they are to you as a Sherlockian comrade-in-arms and friend and how much you value their friendship. </li><li>If you're scheduled to speak at an event, be mindful not to overdo the alcohol beforehand. Dutch courage is usually inappropriate in such circumstances. </li><li>In this hyper-connected world, it's easy to forget that there are those attending the weekend for whom "it is always 1895" — or nearly so. When you're taking photographs, please be mindful of those who are firmly rooted in the 20th (or 19th!) century and who might not want to appear on your timeline by <u>asking their permission</u> to share your photos of them online. Common courtesy is timeless.</li></ul><div><br /></div><h3>Attire 🥿 🧥</h3><ul><li>Bring comfortable shoes. The weekend inevitably includes a lot of walking. </li><li>This one is especially for the ladies: it's useful to have a change of shoes in your handbag so the stilettos don't murder you by the end of the evening (or vice versa). </li><li>Bring warm clothes. It is winter in New York, and non-Sherlockian New York friends say they know when we are in town because we bring really bad weather. </li><li>Dress in layers. Many times, the weather can be cold, but there have been instances in New York in January when we could – and did – comfortably walk about the streets without even a jacket on. </li></ul><br /><h3>Money 💰</h3><ul><li>Bring small bills. They will come in handy as you share taxis going from place to place, and you’ll find them handy when tipping helpful service employees. </li><ul><li><b><i>Pro tip</i></b>: We prefer withdrawing $2 bills from the bank and bringing them with us to make things extra efficient.</li></ul><li>Bring a checkbook (or cash!) to the Merchants Room, as not everyone there takes credit cards and you may find an item you must have. </li><li>If you see something you're interested in at the Merchants Room and you can afford it, don't wait until your second sweep of the room – it will probably be gone by then.</li><li>Most of the vendors in the Merchants Room are very kind and understanding people, and many are also collectors or Sherlockians themselves. If you would care to haggle with them, they're likely open to it. It can't hurt to ask.</li><li>The BSI and Wessex Press tables accept <b>credit cards, PayPal and Apple Pay</b>.</li><li>Estimate, on the top side, what you expect to spend – and then double it. That might get you through. 💸</li></ul><br /><h3>Time 🕰️</h3><ul><li>If you have any health conditions, allow yourself time to go back to your hotel room for periodic rests. Many find these rests invaluable, enabling them to enjoy the weekend despite their condition. Schedule your time. </li><li>Know when you need to be places (including when you need to catch the train/plane back home). </li><li>Count on it taking some time to get a cab amongst the other Sherlockians who may be headed to the same events as you.</li><li>Alternatively, download a ride-hailing app (such as <b>Uber </b>or <b>Lyft, </b>or <b>Curb </b>for taxis) to help you avoid these waits. <b>See below for more details and a way to save money on rides</b>.</li></ul><br /><h3>Getting Around 🚕 🚇 🚶</h3><ul><li>Hey, Magellan, guess what? You have the power of a global satellite navigation system in the palm of your hand. That is, if you have a smartphone. Google Maps or Apple Maps are indispensable for getting around, by foot, taxi, or public transportation.</li><li>If you want something customized to New York, there are other apps to choose from: <a href="https://citymapper.com/nyc" target="_blank">Citymapper</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=guide.unitedstates.newyork.prod&hl=en_US&gl=US" target="_blank">New York Guide for Android</a> and iOS has the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/new-york-travel-guide-offline/id319296365?mt=8">New York Travel Guide and Offline Map</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>If you don't like using the map app on your phone, print out a street map of the city with the places you need to be circled or otherwise identified. Many things are within walking distance, but it is good to know you are starting out in the right direction (or know when to turn). </li><li>Download and print Monica Schmidt's <b><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-SRASH4lG_1rciTn59bGhCR_EDiLDF4ep5-TWufe_mU/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank">handy schedule</a></b>, particularly if you're more visually inclined. It's a nice grid.</li></ul><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdxJKMSy6W139X7WiiU3r3Q_9ln-onca3Cp1_rETHHoHfM8zFdPSG9dW4OYjwzDuQnjvgU7XwZtWzfIk4361TdZSr8xWEn7r-4Zyb2__X1VA8WyCrD1iMF9D_KM_0m91c07NFPFMbKpc2rH5Vt13a_5akAj_4s2bdsgMSougjkBsI6hzAdFJeBs7_GwQHz" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="998" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdxJKMSy6W139X7WiiU3r3Q_9ln-onca3Cp1_rETHHoHfM8zFdPSG9dW4OYjwzDuQnjvgU7XwZtWzfIk4361TdZSr8xWEn7r-4Zyb2__X1VA8WyCrD1iMF9D_KM_0m91c07NFPFMbKpc2rH5Vt13a_5akAj_4s2bdsgMSougjkBsI6hzAdFJeBs7_GwQHz=w400-h302" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click image to enlarge; <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-SRASH4lG_1rciTn59bGhCR_EDiLDF4ep5-TWufe_mU/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank">click here</a> to open document</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><ul><li>If you want to go to Otto Penzler's <a href="http://mysteriousbookshop.com/" target="_blank">Mysterious Bookshop</a> and are staying at The Westin Grand Central Hotel, the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to go is by subway. From Grand Central take a <b>4</b> or <b>5</b> express train <b>two</b> stops to <b>Brooklyn Bridge Station</b>; it is a very short walk over to Otto's. Don't take a local (which makes 10 stops). The express is about five minutes. </li><li>Download the <b>MYmta app</b> from the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mymta/id1297605670?mt=8">App Store</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.mta.mymta&hl=en">Google Play</a> for navigating the subway. </li><li>Pool funds with others to buy regular per-ride <b><a href="http://web.mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm">MetroCards</a></b>. These can be shared by up to four people on each trip and are good for one transfer between subway/bus or between buses on uptown/crosstown routes within 2 hours.</li><ul><li>If you're 65 or older, present ID for a reduced fare MetroCard – $2.75 for two rides with the same transfer provisions noted above. <b>Note:</b> a 65+ MetroCard <b><i>cannot</i></b> be shared and you must find a live 'token booth' clerk to inspect your ID – reduced fare not available in machines.</li><li>If you reach the end of the Weekend with a balance on your MetroCard, return to New York more frequently! Or give your card to local-area Sherlockians.</li></ul></ul><ul><li>Download a ride-hailing app such as <a href="https://lyft.com/i/SCOTT726787" target="_blank">Lyft</a>, Uber, or <a href="https://my.gocurb.com/invite85u83u" target="_blank">Curb</a>. </li><ul><li>If you'd like a code for <b>Lyft</b>, use <a href="https://lyft.com/i/SCOTT726787">SCOTT726787</a> to sign up and receive a $5 credit towards rides.</li><li><b>For NYC taxis, </b><a href="https://my.gocurb.com/invite85u83u" target="_blank">download the Curb app</a> and use the code <b>85U83U</b> to get $5 when you create an account. You can either request a cab with it,  or when you're in a cab simply enter a 7-digit code displayed in the cab and it will pair with your device.</li></ul></ul><br /><h3>Logistics 📝</h3><ul><li>Bring your event payment confirmations, just in case of a glitch in the system. </li><li>Also, everything is pretty centrally located, but it's a good idea to have a list of your schedule with the addresses of the venues so that you don't suddenly find yourself asking, where the devil am I supposed to be right now? </li><li>The heat during the BSI dinner has been uncomfortable in years past in the Yale Club (potentially dangerously uncomfortable a few years ago) – if this happens again, vests/waistcoats are not advised. Unless you're <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcaric/8379354330/">Mattias Bostrom</a>. </li></ul><br /><h3>The Unscheduled 📅</h3><ul><li>If possible, make breakfast plans with other Sherlockians (unless you prefer to eat breakfast alone – saving energy for later conversations).</li><li>To some, the secret to enjoying the jam-packed weekend is to find private, unpublicized events for more intimate interactions. How to find these? “<i>You know my methods. Apply them</i>.” </li></ul><br /><h3>Dining 🍽️</h3>What? You’re not getting enough food between events? Thankfully there are gaps that allow a Sherlockian to venture places on his or her own. And of course, there are plenty of restaurants in and near Grand Central Station, which is in great proximity to the Yale Club and the Westin Grand Central Hotel.<br /><ul><li>The restaurant scene in NYC has changed drastically during the pandemic. Some old favorites may no longer be there; some may have restricted hours or dining arrangements.</li><li>Check <b><a href="https://www.opentable.com/landmark/restaurants-near-grand-central-station" target="_blank">Open Table</a></b> for restaurants that take reservations; they offer free booking and allow you to see availability of tables by time and by number of seats. </li><li>Several Sherlockians like to go to the <b><a href="http://www.oysterbarny.com/">Oyster Bar</a></b> for dinner. There are a number of <b><a href="https://www.grandcentralterminal.com/restaurants/" target="_blank">Grand Central Restaurants</a></b> inside. </li><li>For a more comprehensive listing of eateries nearby, check <b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/RestaurantsNear-g60763-d103371-Grand_Central_Terminal-New_York_City_New_York.html" target="_blank">TripAdvisor</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Restaurants+Near+Grand+Central+Station&find_loc=New+York%2C+NY" target="_blank">Yelp</a></b>,</li><li>And heaven forbid, don't forget about the <a href="http://www.redflamenyc.com/">Red Flame</a>, the perennial favorite next door to the Algonquin Hotel on W. 44th Street.</li></ul><br /><h3>Online 📱</h3>Whether you're in New York for the festivities or sequestered at home, it might be worthwhile to follow along online. Some ways to do that:<br /><ul><li>The official hashtag of the BSI Weekend is <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bsiweekend&src=typd">#BSIWeekend</a>.  </li><li>The Doylean Honors will be held <b>online </b>as well as in person on Thursday, January 16 at 11:15 am EST. <a href="http://acdsociety.com/Honors/Honors.html" target="_blank">Register at the ACD Society site</a>.</li></ul><br /><br /></div><div>That sums up our list. Do you have tips as well, dear readers? Please leave them in a comment below or drop us a line and let us know what your secrets are so we can all be beneficiaries.<br /><br /><br /><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">--</div></div>

Tips for Making the Most of the BSI Weekend

“ Let me have the straight tip and you won't be a loser ”  [SILV]  With the  BSI Weekend  coming up next month, we thought it might be h...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“the number of the chapter is immaterial<span style="text-align: left;">”</span> [VALL]</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxmwaMls6GoXq-yM73GDeY3BBan-zx0u7zlxN12NQ03kpYNUxV2G5eJnZq4Tt2GOYqtD1E4Yi4Idwralx5bs_h3SwQE-cRc_22cYg57HnbDGT1C8-nX9h8A4R12vEcNODSXAzy64kqSQKaRu-qluliuxIRpYgMjeXgqVe2q7lprpIYQiiDXQgs20eEUGb/s1000/Sherlock%20Holmes%20Crimes%20for%20Christmas%20-%20header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxmwaMls6GoXq-yM73GDeY3BBan-zx0u7zlxN12NQ03kpYNUxV2G5eJnZq4Tt2GOYqtD1E4Yi4Idwralx5bs_h3SwQE-cRc_22cYg57HnbDGT1C8-nX9h8A4R12vEcNODSXAzy64kqSQKaRu-qluliuxIRpYgMjeXgqVe2q7lprpIYQiiDXQgs20eEUGb/w640-h512/Sherlock%20Holmes%20Crimes%20for%20Christmas%20-%20header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I love an advent calendar. During a cold, dark month, where the pressure to do just the right thing for other people can become overwhelming, it’s nice to have a daily gift to oneself. </p><p>Here's a new style one, a type I wasn't previously familiar with, with content that's a gift for any Sherlockian: Derrick Belanger's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4fBDXK1" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas</a>. </i></p><div><div>Twelve traditionally styled stories are published with cliffhangers and labeled by date. You read the story setup on one day, then discover what happened the next, with content for every day during the month of December until Boxing Day. (I know, I'm telling you about this much too late for this month, but a) if you get the book now, you get more to read all at once or b) you can get really ahead on your shopping for December 2025, if you want.) </div><div><br /></div><div>It's tricky to make oneself stop, I find. But for anyone who remembers Encyclopedia Brown, it's fun to challenge yourself with figuring out the story's hook, the clue that reveals what happened. </div><div><br /></div><div>Watson narrates, as he should, and Inspectors Gregson and Lestrade make appearances in these stories. Tales involve a missing criminal, a cause of unusual death, a murderous frame-up, an art theft, a missing author, and more, all set during the holiday winter month. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><a href="https://amzn.to/4fBDXK1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br />Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas</a></i> by Derrick Belanger, published by Belanger Books, October 2024, is available in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon.  <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd066D2itQWBqAe7JjUHJYz53A818jEumJ3Sx9mxPpELtpfKAojZW4_3BOvBgLyQ7AyChvpRIXbRJNxNPes3rd8-IUMAKJa3oN34PLD-sReSnQXWicquMl5uk94rqnS3tdcsJjdodMWKATeDWSNRJwfTC0ysRxxLNO27GkvgSbF8g5OVtWx4IHwIi2BZK/s1499/Sherlock%20Holmes%20Crimes%20for%20Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd066D2itQWBqAe7JjUHJYz53A818jEumJ3Sx9mxPpELtpfKAojZW4_3BOvBgLyQ7AyChvpRIXbRJNxNPes3rd8-IUMAKJa3oN34PLD-sReSnQXWicquMl5uk94rqnS3tdcsJjdodMWKATeDWSNRJwfTC0ysRxxLNO27GkvgSbF8g5OVtWx4IHwIi2BZK/w133-h200/Sherlock%20Holmes%20Crimes%20for%20Christmas.jpg" width="133" /></a></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas

“the number of the chapter is immaterial ”  [VALL] I love an advent calendar. During a cold, dark month, where the pressure to do just the r...

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by Johanna Draper Carlson

Episode 301: Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“the preparation for submarine attack” [LAST] </h4><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uSU-YMveOzUhEYVdtJMZjLUI9lpadrlyCclvP-hgnh3LOXZJ5FWLYiwUnDsRr5qdosQwApBvFFJs3s-VWBXsCEzHQTs9tUg20DXsoo2zHOkHQTqCtJYE0CXq2ibCwKw7J7mg8v9b3I1zCefwxuP9tU5JQhbk4h3iHwcprtQZOnXumoS7AWExZwvs5sUn/s1390/ihearofsherlock301%20widescreen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1390" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uSU-YMveOzUhEYVdtJMZjLUI9lpadrlyCclvP-hgnh3LOXZJ5FWLYiwUnDsRr5qdosQwApBvFFJs3s-VWBXsCEzHQTs9tUg20DXsoo2zHOkHQTqCtJYE0CXq2ibCwKw7J7mg8v9b3I1zCefwxuP9tU5JQhbk4h3iHwcprtQZOnXumoS7AWExZwvs5sUn/w640-h424/ihearofsherlock301%20widescreen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p>Good storytellers transport us to other places and times by virtue of their ability to create interesting characters and pull us along as the plot unfolds.</p><p><i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i> begins with two already interesting characters who are concerned with justice, and through Mike Baron's skillful storytelling that we find ourselves following the two as they unravel a global criminal conspiracy. Illustrated by artist Richard Bonk, it represents what may be the greatest work of both of their professional careers.</p><p>As an Eisner Award-winning author, Baron has crowdfunded a number of his works before, and is continuing in that tradition with this book. Interested readers can support it at any of the links below.</p><p>We also have the Sherlockian News and some listener comments, Madeline Quiñones gives us her thirteenth installment of "A Chance of Listening," her review of Sherlockian podcasts. And of course we have a <b>Canonical Couplet</b> quiz for you to test your Sherlockian knowledge. The winner, chosen at random from all correct answers, will receive a copy of <i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i>. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by December 29, 2024 at 11:59 a.m. EDT. All listeners are eligible to play.</p><p>If you become a <a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank">supporter</a> of the show, not only will you help to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services, but we have thank-you gifts at certain tiers and ad-free versions of the episodes for all patrons.</p><p>For this episode, we have artwork from the book available for our supporters.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a data-patreon-widget-type="become-patron-button" href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2318606">Become a Patron!</a></p><div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock301.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size: 45 MB, 57:45</h3><iframe allowfullscreen="" data-dashlane-classification="other" data-dashlane-rid="3eccb566faff7137" height="192" mozallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/34463870/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/414851/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" style="border: none;" title="Embed Player" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.episodes.fm/258126625" target="_blank">Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere anywhere you get podcasts<br /></a></span><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere/id258126625?ls=1">Apple Podcasts</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/30WtRn1mnXfAtX7YaeRY5Y">Spotify</a>; listen to us <a href="https://www.episodes.fm/1198869691">wherever you listen to podcasts</a>.</h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><h2 style="margin: 0px;">Sponsors</h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><ul><li>Get MX Publishing's <a href="https://amzn.to/3YI2DLv">Advent Calendar books</a> and <a href="https://mxpublishing.com/products/2025-page-a-day-sherlock-holmes-calendar?_pos=1&_sid=36e7d8f1d&_ss=r" target="_blank">2025 page-a-day calendar</a>.</li></ul></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Would you care to advertise with us? You can find <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>. Let's chat!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><h2><b>Notes</b></h2><div>1:54 Intro and chatter</div><div>5:01 Sherlockian News</div><div>18:32 Interview with Mike Baron </div><div>47:15 Commentary </div><div>49:10 A Chance of Listening</div><div>51:31 Canonical Couplet</div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul></ul></div><h2><b>Links</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li><a href="https://baroncomics.com/" target="_blank">Baron Comics and Graphic Novels</a></li><li><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/big-studios/sherlock-holmes-leviathan" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i> on Kickstarter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sherlock-holmes-leviathan#/" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i> on IndieGoGo</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fundmycomic.com/leviathan" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i> on Fund My Comic</a> </li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3OxWUln" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Tenure</a> (Amazon)</li><ul></ul><ul></ul><li>Sherlockian News Links:</li><ul><li><a href="https://ihose.co/BSJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BSJ subscriptions</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/4klQz4F-ycc?si=ogpVbFgS5nIxuKza" target="_blank">The Stories of Sherlock Holmes</a> (YouTube)<br /></li><li><a href="https://www.agratreasurers.net/" target="_blank">Holmes, Doyle & Friends 2025 registration</a></li><li><a href="https://media.dlib.indiana.edu/media_objects/8g84nk258" target="_blank">BSI Trust 2024 Lecture: Mattias Boström</a> (Indiana University)</li><li><a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/2023/12/bsi-trust-lectures.html" target="_blank">Previous BSI Trust Lectures</a> (Baker Street Irregulars)</li><li><a href="https://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/sherlock-holmes-in-india-2025/" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes in India</a> (Sherlock Holmes Society of London)</li></ul><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihoseshows" target="_blank">The IHOSE Archives</a></li><li>Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at <a href="http://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock">linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock</a>.</li></ul><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery?indie=false&period=month#37883168" target="_blank"><img alt="goodpods top 100 mystery podcasts" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/leaderboard_badges/fiction_mystery_top50_month.png" style="height: 77px; width: 250px;" /></a><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery" style="color: #6f6f6f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 4px; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Goodpods Top 100 Mystery Podcasts</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><br /><br />

Episode 301: Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan

“the preparation for submarine attack” [LAST]  Good storytellers transport us to other places and times by virtue of their ability to create...

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by Scott Monty

Members of the Baker Street Irregulars Read 'The Blue Carbuncle'

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“Would you mind reading it to me aloud?” [STUD] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpKZgQTUr1Tptdqsz7hoACxnzLw7Ny7TMYnl2zUGASvWuNzbnMwIPqIyZFjyv22TqXBR2cLFt4Nrj8v-5aLeczhivKtnWZkrZPys3fiqVBzRhsQYsI7gz4m8bgXbIEJfzvbsfVqWNP5ORJnsYYS1jTodwwIomN6eKAxUmnJvYxEoU9xBkgOsWI3mNwPbp/s1275/2024%20BSI%20Reading%20of%20BLUE.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="1275" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpKZgQTUr1Tptdqsz7hoACxnzLw7Ny7TMYnl2zUGASvWuNzbnMwIPqIyZFjyv22TqXBR2cLFt4Nrj8v-5aLeczhivKtnWZkrZPys3fiqVBzRhsQYsI7gz4m8bgXbIEJfzvbsfVqWNP5ORJnsYYS1jTodwwIomN6eKAxUmnJvYxEoU9xBkgOsWI3mNwPbp/w640-h356/2024%20BSI%20Reading%20of%20BLUE.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>One of the annual traditions of Sherlockians around the world is to read "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" sometime in the Christmas season.</p><p>For some, it may take place while seated in a chair by the fire, with an eggnog close at hand. For others, it may be on Carbuncle Day (the second morning after Christmas). Whatever the tradition, it's al lovely way to acknowledge the only Sherlock Holmes Christmas story, which Christopher Morley rightly called "a Christmas story without slush."</p><p>Some enterprising members of the Baker Street Irregulars recently gathered to celebrate by holding <a href="https://youtu.be/ZvlovETrnhg?si=zgYEEcuNkapvlBiT" target="_blank">a round-robin style reading of the story</a>, shared by eight of them (pictured above, top row to bottom):</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Leslie S. Klinger ("The Abbey Grange")</li><li>Laurie R. King ("The Red Circle")</li><li>Daniel Stashower ("Thurston")</li><li>Dana Cameron ("The Giant Rat of Sumatra")</li><li>Lyndsay Faye ("Kitty Winter")</li><li>Nicholas Meyer ("A Fine Morocco Case")</li><li>Bonnie MacBird ("Art in the Blood")</li><li>S.J. Rozan ("The Imperial Palace at Peking")</li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZvlovETrnhg?si=ZC9jgyhlXYr4r5XD" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Will you be rereading "The Blue Carbuncle" this holiday season? What's your favorite way to enjoy it?</p><p><br /></p>

Members of the Baker Street Irregulars Read 'The Blue Carbuncle'

“Would you mind reading it to me aloud?” [STUD]  One of the annual traditions of Sherlockians around the world is to read "The Adventur...

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by Scott Monty

Review: The Strange Case of the Pharoah's Heart

<h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>"...drawn in Egyptian letters..." [STUD]  </b></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegaXuvu0g4vrprLFWf9kXBOCeuAVuRSMqWrgrhQJZlf1KFQHxFC8DjhqD6NoIcc0NKyGVQJyhxAHJcxGuH-Tp2pG2S8Z90DxntpVtiQWU0fKxjldyJa4lzo9VoW_gP-LpcYRKJlbHoU6ndHlYEeWWsz_8j8IFEGnw-7JpQWb0XcJot8ldFcVyzFATzaHL/s943/The%20Strange%20Case%20of%20the%20Pharoah's%20Heart%20-%20thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="943" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegaXuvu0g4vrprLFWf9kXBOCeuAVuRSMqWrgrhQJZlf1KFQHxFC8DjhqD6NoIcc0NKyGVQJyhxAHJcxGuH-Tp2pG2S8Z90DxntpVtiQWU0fKxjldyJa4lzo9VoW_gP-LpcYRKJlbHoU6ndHlYEeWWsz_8j8IFEGnw-7JpQWb0XcJot8ldFcVyzFATzaHL/w640-h480/The%20Strange%20Case%20of%20the%20Pharoah's%20Heart%20-%20thumb.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></b></h4><p>Sherlockian pastiche has always acquired inspiration from other literary works, famous historical figures and events, and even supernatural themes. Integrating several of these factors into a single story can lead to very irregular storytelling, focusing less on the mystery and more on the uniqueness of the theme.</p><p>Timothy Miller's <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/41uBRYG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Strange Case of the Pharoah's Heart</a></i></b> is a uniquely intriguing piece of Sherlockian writing, integrating real-life historical events and genre themes into a compelling read that deserves your attention.</p><p>Miller's premise is intriguing and unique: in 1923, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson had a serious falling-out over their belief systems. Sherlock Holmes has adopted the philosophy of spiritualism over his usual belief in deduction much to Dr. Watson's chagrin. Although they split, Watson is approached by Lady Evelyn Carnarvon whose father sponsored the expedition that discovered the <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/archaeologist-opens-tomb-of-king-tut" target="_blank">Tomb of Tutenkamen</a>. Soon, Holmes and Watson are joined by a third character, a woman named Estelle Roberts who is a medium who can communicate with the dead.</p><p>Miller's <b><i><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/93253/9781645060819" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Strange Case of the Pharoah's Heart</a></i></b> also takes a unique narrative approach, splitting the narration between Dr. James Watson and Estelle Roberts. While this may dismay Sherlockian purists, it provides great tension between the potentially rational and potentially supernatural. The dual narrative opens up the story, providing insights and perspectives that could be easily missed in a straightforward pastiche. As the mystery progresses, Miller introduces various characters who help both Holmes and Watson shine.</p><p>Describing the plot in greater detail would be unfair to Timothy Miller, as <b><i>The Strange Case of the Pharoah's Heart</i> </b>provides a great reading experience for Sherlockians. Without spoiling, the last three chapters serve as an afterword with moments of grace, serenity, and finality. </p><p><b><i>The Strange Case of the Pharoah's Heart</i></b> is a great Sherlockian work best enjoyed with an open heart and an eager mind, and worth seeking out.</p><p>Very highly recommended.</p><p>Available on <a href="https://amzn.to/41uBRYG">Amazon.com</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/93253/9781645060819">Bookshop.org</a>, or wherever books are sold. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiex0nmHHcSmWRZ0Rre2xdrBNthXoWCMgrmu_AvOBtReE3M9JU0ySIk83HkwYC08UceER5pqFPoEUhbc5xwS-1spxX6huxcmOiSyDZggCDUP98W0-GU1yo6ky0uT_iEGsAfKUmHLky8k3jfO6fec2yQGJ0Z0kwFFQybNh5bSulcT-Syz71vpCZYA7p09DD-/s1500/The%20Strange%20Case%20of%20the%20Pharoah's%20Heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="943" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiex0nmHHcSmWRZ0Rre2xdrBNthXoWCMgrmu_AvOBtReE3M9JU0ySIk83HkwYC08UceER5pqFPoEUhbc5xwS-1spxX6huxcmOiSyDZggCDUP98W0-GU1yo6ky0uT_iEGsAfKUmHLky8k3jfO6fec2yQGJ0Z0kwFFQybNh5bSulcT-Syz71vpCZYA7p09DD-/s320/The%20Strange%20Case%20of%20the%20Pharoah's%20Heart.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>(Note: a copy of the book was provided for review) </i></p>

Review: The Strange Case of the Pharoah's Heart

"...drawn in Egyptian letters..." [STUD]   Sherlockian pastiche has always acquired inspiration from other literary works, famous ...

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by Gordon D

Baker Street Elementary – That's Lame

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“making my excuses” [SCAN] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nGbnFry8MYy68_1KvvAZREabJoCrJXUAzJQcy2ERCXJcJuvdqL1JOgOMQmVHzc2R6D-NGOz4GY7amh1Sx7nT17NnPzaeP_bGJhAvJ97oEVVcONbdohZ53GYXxVXaznYwHPousBCK6RKQwNh0K9YdRQpcEV9OmSj5Lvezfx9IsisxYuXuPxpbOX9ukWOe/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nGbnFry8MYy68_1KvvAZREabJoCrJXUAzJQcy2ERCXJcJuvdqL1JOgOMQmVHzc2R6D-NGOz4GY7amh1Sx7nT17NnPzaeP_bGJhAvJ97oEVVcONbdohZ53GYXxVXaznYwHPousBCK6RKQwNh0K9YdRQpcEV9OmSj5Lvezfx9IsisxYuXuPxpbOX9ukWOe/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>It isn't often that Sherlock Holmes makes a mistake. Or makes an excuse if he can't properly divine information from meager clues at hand.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And yet, that is exactly the position Watson placed him in when he tested Holmes's powers in the opening of <i>The Sign of Four</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Handing Holmes a pocket watch, Watson asks him for his “opinion upon the character or habits of the late owner,” who happens to be, unknown to Sherlock Holmes, Watson's own brother.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And in doing so, Watson admits to setting a trap for Holmes:</div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">“I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart, for the test was, as I thought, an impossible one, and I intended it as a lesson against the somewhat dogmatic tone which he occasionally assumed.” </div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Holmes quickly surveyed the watch and gave this excuse: “The watch has been recently cleaned, which robs me of my most suggestive facts.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In his mind, Watson took the victory lap:</div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">“In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch?”</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">However, the excuse submitted by Holmes was unnecessary, as he was able to discern a good number of facts about the watch's owner, who happened to be Watson's older brother:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><blockquote>“He was a man of untidy habits,—very untidy and careless. He was left with good prospects, but he threw away his chances, lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I can gather.”</blockquote></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">That'll teach anyone to doubt Sherlock Holmes. Meanwhile, it's not clear that the lessons taught at Baker Street Elementary are getting through...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7sHDpLf7246QalYT8_9AZQduPLtJxM6K-i_f3L2H436D4ZZOMzkMWXk1xAo1lpSa3hh16MCMT5rv2hbBtDPm4LBOd8_n_5ZWEGKJysUI7dRX8GP_UH2iY3EDI-ZeET9pu-ciMUecaZvxyHsg66cA-aEA9s-UviFSrAR4_m_h_foBK_nOaJ-GXQuSx0Pi/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7sHDpLf7246QalYT8_9AZQduPLtJxM6K-i_f3L2H436D4ZZOMzkMWXk1xAo1lpSa3hh16MCMT5rv2hbBtDPm4LBOd8_n_5ZWEGKJysUI7dRX8GP_UH2iY3EDI-ZeET9pu-ciMUecaZvxyHsg66cA-aEA9s-UviFSrAR4_m_h_foBK_nOaJ-GXQuSx0Pi/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJEA-LpAEvJaq4J_2UU87jhJp9DH0eZshGWrTFNSr6o4oO5mRw4DCAL8T1fihCuAlw1QM6TK-8VyNm8c-Z-iUqWHnvmGh8OGXPJ9oDTNzkC8IzVBDWbNwGA5GVmzIiRyMY01LCsdZGdLfNLyVAvOnS6mog8SSKyFZI7EDXIC4J16F03ztjYp6ku4QtEut/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJEA-LpAEvJaq4J_2UU87jhJp9DH0eZshGWrTFNSr6o4oO5mRw4DCAL8T1fihCuAlw1QM6TK-8VyNm8c-Z-iUqWHnvmGh8OGXPJ9oDTNzkC8IzVBDWbNwGA5GVmzIiRyMY01LCsdZGdLfNLyVAvOnS6mog8SSKyFZI7EDXIC4J16F03ztjYp6ku4QtEut/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOLX7SoRW6CUgn611tGB2a1o2rzEa6qwuO0bSlSUNLZDB49cDEetISCWyvAK-bdEGUmAoxKmB_RHKDc6w_GLml0dl0iBmbD4Dw5-HZKh4-H8r2g0PuXIXUORXzXgm8f0K17rvX9FrHXO1pJLa6HCBiiaQxBIrI7bjPFS_YszOaieTzoGBfNnlStS9IeHd/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOLX7SoRW6CUgn611tGB2a1o2rzEa6qwuO0bSlSUNLZDB49cDEetISCWyvAK-bdEGUmAoxKmB_RHKDc6w_GLml0dl0iBmbD4Dw5-HZKh4-H8r2g0PuXIXUORXzXgm8f0K17rvX9FrHXO1pJLa6HCBiiaQxBIrI7bjPFS_YszOaieTzoGBfNnlStS9IeHd/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPx4PNBOaB5Zg4NyrXY2jH8pXoVJM-y5FeOdp3rPpMnhRUt9tccXRx3n7CsO4NslHDlnYx7AOaTiGgpUjLHO4p8Iv4zXyZbZ3ryfFuvYWLFyu8aucQFFBoapd0stFrY_Jz5DYpLbDsD4EAGnCbKhlSRO8ZZpPFbxd3wqmRWyvCbrz7MqhDCNOv6CucPdlP/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPx4PNBOaB5Zg4NyrXY2jH8pXoVJM-y5FeOdp3rPpMnhRUt9tccXRx3n7CsO4NslHDlnYx7AOaTiGgpUjLHO4p8Iv4zXyZbZ3ryfFuvYWLFyu8aucQFFBoapd0stFrY_Jz5DYpLbDsD4EAGnCbKhlSRO8ZZpPFbxd3wqmRWyvCbrz7MqhDCNOv6CucPdlP/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20192.5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><i>Baker Street Elementary</i></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.bakerstreetelementary.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">www.bakerstreetelementary.org</a><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">.</span></div><div><div><br /></div><div><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Baker Street Elementary – That's Lame

“making my excuses” [SCAN]  It isn't often that Sherlock Holmes makes a mistake. Or makes an excuse if he can't properly divine info...

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by Scott Monty

The Sherlockian Game Gets a Word in the Dictionary

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “we wrestled for it all” [VALL] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ9U_G_WPbeuqXUHF9nR1BeRRyTvLAA-Z2s1yJ3TGE_lv6cmUAJHu0XWpcTzROCAJJWVzXRb1P6XHEe6Rl3XHOcRCWdelgnoX1HpUqMJrD3uCsB6jNaVqXy3dz_x1A7XB0QDKIaNWVimPBkowzUdE3k6L9hjLDoaldNTPSOoY1sauU68a37NXj01PO78B/s3670/FINA%20-%20Death%20of%20Sherlock%20Holmes%20color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2753" data-original-width="3670" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ9U_G_WPbeuqXUHF9nR1BeRRyTvLAA-Z2s1yJ3TGE_lv6cmUAJHu0XWpcTzROCAJJWVzXRb1P6XHEe6Rl3XHOcRCWdelgnoX1HpUqMJrD3uCsB6jNaVqXy3dz_x1A7XB0QDKIaNWVimPBkowzUdE3k6L9hjLDoaldNTPSOoY1sauU68a37NXj01PO78B/w640-h480/FINA%20-%20Death%20of%20Sherlock%20Holmes%20color.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>For over a century, Sherlockians have "played the game," a tradition of applying a range of literary criticism to the Sherlock Holmes stories.</p><p>The tradition formally began with a paper delivered by Ronald A. Knox at Oxford in 1911 titled "Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes." This was well covered in <i><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/2670720/77416/2029?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abebooks.com%2Fservlet%2FSearchResults%3Fbi%3D0%26bx%3Doff%26cm_sp%3DSearchF-_-Advs-_-Result%26ds%3D30%26prc%3DUSD%26recentlyadded%3Dall%26rgn%3Dww%26rollup%3Don%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3DRonald%2520Knox%2520and%2520Sherlock%2520Holmes%26xdesc%3Doff%26xpod%3Doff" target="_blank">Ronald Knox and Sherlock Holmes: The Origin of Sherlockian Studies</a></i> by Michael J. Crowe (Gasogene Books, 2011).</p><p>Other Sherlockian scholars followed, notably H.W. Bell, Vincent Starrett, S.C. Roberts, Christopher Morley, and others. In 1946, Dorothy L. Sayers picked up the ball and ran with it in her essays in <i><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/2670720/77416/2029?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abebooks.com%2Fservlet%2FSearchResults%3Fan%3DDorothy%2520L.%2520Sayers%26bi%3D0%26bx%3Doff%26cm_sp%3DSearchF-_-Advs-_-Result%26ds%3D30%26prc%3DUSD%26recentlyadded%3Dall%26rgn%3Dww%26rollup%3Don%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3DUnpopular%2520Opinions%26xdesc%3Doff%26xpod%3Doff%26yrh%3D1946%26yrl%3D1946" target="_blank">Unpopular Opinions</a></i>. Readers and collectors can still find moderately-priced editions <a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/2670720/77416/2029?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abebooks.com%2Fservlet%2FSearchResults%3Fan%3DDorothy%2520L.%2520Sayers%26bi%3D0%26bx%3Doff%26cm_sp%3DSearchF-_-Advs-_-Result%26ds%3D30%26prc%3DUSD%26recentlyadded%3Dall%26rgn%3Dww%26rollup%3Don%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3DUnpopular%2520Opinions%26xdesc%3Doff%26xpod%3Doff%26yrh%3D1946%26yrl%3D1946" target="_blank">on Abebooks</a>.</p><p>In the Foreword, Sayers explained the game:</p><blockquote><p>"The game of applying the methods of the "Higher Criticism" to the Sherlock Holmes canon was begun, many years ago, by Monsignor Ronald Knox, with the aim of showing that, by those methods, one could disintegrate a modern classic as speciously as a certain school of critics have endeavoured to disintegrate the Bible. Since then, the thing has become a hobby among a select set of jesters here and in America. The rule of the game is that it must be played as solemnly as a county cricket match at Lord's: the slightest touch of extravagance or burlesque ruins the atmosphere."</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>It took over 100 years and a different medium and topic, but the concept has been recognized by the dictionary.</p><p>In late 2023, Merriam-Webster officially added "<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kayfabe" target="_blank">kayfabe</a>" to the dictionary.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>kay·​fabe [kā-ˌfāb] </p><p>1 : the tacit agreement between professional wrestlers and their fans to pretend that overtly staged wrestling events, stories, characters, etc., are genuine</p><p><i>broadly </i>: tacit agreement to behave as if something is real, sincere, or genuine when it is not</p><p>2 : the playacting involved in maintaining kayfabe</p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>So when someone asks you what this whole Sherlockian thing is about, you can tell them that it's a literary kayfabe.</p><p>If they laugh at you, just put them in a full nelson.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Further reading:</h3><p><a href="https://ihose.co/BSJ" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a><br /><i><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/2670720/77416/2029?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abebooks.com%2Fservlet%2FSearchResults%3Fan%3DWilliam%2520S.%2520Baring-Gould%26cm_sp%3DSearchF-_-home-_-Results%26ref_%3Dsearch_f_hp%26sts%3Dt%26tn%3DThe%2520Annotated%2520Sherlock%2520Holmes" target="_blank">The Annotated Sherlock Holmes</a></i><br /><i><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/93253/9780393058000" target="_blank">The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes</a></i> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>

The Sherlockian Game Gets a Word in the Dictionary

 “we wrestled for it all” [VALL]  For over a century, Sherlockians have "played the game," a tradition of applying a range of lite...

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by Scott Monty