Lucy Liu Is Not the First Female Watson

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "it's Lucy that brings me here" [STUD]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uvEd94qr8Tmrv3sENlCoodRqlGeghh5PUaAKwsO-wVB3V224D_yZw7QqXYmtxFL1hGsi8bIq_r7n0VOA-FccbButb_kLUyJ7zl7_KnSB6eN7gc5uGclUZTOg90Mp_SQYIvhBOB13Zkys/s1600/liu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uvEd94qr8Tmrv3sENlCoodRqlGeghh5PUaAKwsO-wVB3V224D_yZw7QqXYmtxFL1hGsi8bIq_r7n0VOA-FccbButb_kLUyJ7zl7_KnSB6eN7gc5uGclUZTOg90Mp_SQYIvhBOB13Zkys/s640/liu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> As we've <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/01/croo_20.html" rel="nofollow">previously</a> shared, CBS is planning <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/09/pushing-another-one-in-my-direction.html">a New York version</a> of the 21st century adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories, in the spirit of the BBC's "Sherlock." It is titled "Elementary" and the release date has not yet been determined.<br /> <br /> While we already knew that Jonny Lee Miller would play Holmes as a recovering drug addict, <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/lucy-liu-sherlock-holmes-watson-cbs-pilot-elementary-295560"><b><i>Hollywood Reporter</i> has just noted</b></a> that Lucy Liu - you read that correctly - of <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B003F1ERDC" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="7d4ccb9f619c75ee5a9f1f0190197c34" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Charlie's Angels" href="http://www.amazon.com/Charlies-Angels-Cameron-Diaz/dp/B003F1ERDC/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=7d4ccb9f619c75ee5a9f1f0190197c34&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3422206" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charlie's Angels</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3422206" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=7d4ccb9f619c75ee5a9f1f0190197c34&_cb=1454206631992" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> fame would play his sidekick as <b><i>Joan</i></b> Watson.<br /> <br /> <i>HR</i> dubiously states that this is the first time that Watson would be "played by a woman." We say "dubiously," because we would take issue with this technicality. Of course, Joanne Woodward portrayed <b><i>Dr. Mildred Watson</i></b>, who was treating George C. Scott's Justin Playfair who believed he was Sherlock Holmes in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00003TKF9/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00003TKF9" rel="nofollow"><b><i>They Might Be Giants</i></b></a>. And Margaret Colin played <i>Jane Watson</i>, a descendant of the good doctor, who brought a cryogenically frozen Holmes back to life in the 1987 CBS (yes, CBS!) television movie and pilot <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093850/" rel="nofollow"><i>The Return of Sherlock Holmes</i></a>.<br /> <br /> And lest you think CBS is new at this, in addition to the never picked up pilot of 1987, they also inflicted upon us the 1990 movie <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000244FZU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000244FZU" rel="nofollow"><b><i>The Hands of a Murderer</i></b></a> with Edward Woodward. Brace yourselves.<br /> <br /> Don't say we didn't warn you.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13822185@N08/4890368885/">bethany.egan (Flickr)</a></i></span><br /> <br /> <i>When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.</i><br /> <i><br /> </i><br /> --<br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PX7SVRY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00PX7SVRY&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=WNN2EWBLA47ZO23I" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00PX7SVRY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thebakerstree-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00PX7SVRY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />   <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000244FZU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000244FZU&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=3TNDOJANGNM7ZG3W" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000244FZU&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thebakerstree-20" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000244FZU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />

Lucy Liu Is Not the First Female Watson

"it's Lucy that brings me here" [STUD] As we've previously shared, CBS is planning a New York version of the 21st c...

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by Scott Monty

Episode 39: #BelieveInSherlock

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByM8UxJz9EwhTSRkJcAWxUSPKgz8ZyUm1vxUS6Q3Dx94lUtGjLdVPHutNPr8Z6BhnIJI3P4ngYIN3OBIeWZYN9W085CavBULGYXnSrGiDp_2aABBNUDUnhsYmTlHmy0u5V3abSaw-7fzK/s1600/believeinsherlock.PNG" style="display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByM8UxJz9EwhTSRkJcAWxUSPKgz8ZyUm1vxUS6Q3Dx94lUtGjLdVPHutNPr8Z6BhnIJI3P4ngYIN3OBIeWZYN9W085CavBULGYXnSrGiDp_2aABBNUDUnhsYmTlHmy0u5V3abSaw-7fzK/s1600/believeinsherlock.PNG" /></a></div> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/1849567/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/276d86/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe></div> <br /> <br /> When a fictional character's impact overflows to reality to affect what people are talking about, where they go and how they act, it's quite an accomplishment. When it happens in a nearly identical, if time-appropriate manner nearly 120 years apart, it must have something to to with Sherlock Holmes.<br /> <br /> As this podcast is all about Sherlock Holmes, you can rest assured that is indeed the case. But what of it? This updated and renewed interest in our beloved master is curious, but in the end, quite elementary. Much of the chatter and buzz seen on the Internet in particular, has been generated by the Robert Downey, Jr. outings in two films, and more recently by Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal in two seasons of the BBC television show <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004132HZS/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B004132HZS"><i>Sherlock</i></a>.<br /> <br /> In this episode, we welcome the ladies from another Sherlock Holmes-related podcast, the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetbabes.com/">Baker Street Babes</a>, namely Kristina Manente, Maria Fleischhack, and Ardy to discuss the machinations behind the movement that has taken hold across the world called "<b><i>Believe in Sherlock</i></b>." With the conclusion (in the U.K.) of the BBC's second season of the show with an episode titled "The Reichenbach Fall," you can probably imagine what the outcome was. We won't spoil it by giving away the details, but suffice it to say that there were some upset fans at the conclusion - so upset, in fact, that they took to the streets and the web alike, demonstrating their love of the character and their wish to see his good name cleared.<br /> <br /> We discuss the beginnings of this newfound and fervent interest in Holmes, as generated through the Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat-created series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman and get the perspective from Londoners who were not only there to witness the activities of this movement, but who contributed to and even instigated some of them. We'll conclude with a reading of the latest Editor's Gas-Lamp from the Winter 2011 (Vol. 61, No. 4) of the <i>Baker Street Journal</i>.<br /> <br /> <h4> <b>Links:</b></h4> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetbabes.com/">The Baker Street Babes</a><b style="font-style: italic;">  </b></li> <li><a href="http://earlfoolish.tumblr.com/post/15969467726/so-i-guess-you-all-have-heard-read-seen-the-news">The post that started it all</a> (earlfoolish.tumblr.com)</li> <li><a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.tumblr.com/post/16296064521/operation-221b-the-believe-in-sherlock-holmes">Operation: 221B swings into play</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/harrietpotter23/the-world-believes-in-sherlock-holmes-357q">The World Believes in Sherlock Holmes</a> (BuzzFeed)</li> <li><a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.tumblr.com/post/16692521495/28-01-12-to-mark-the-anniversary-of-sherlock">Signage at 187 Gower Street</a> (aka 221B Baker Street)</li> <li><a href="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/01/what-is-the-believeinsherlock-movement-and-how-did-it-get-so-widespread-so-quickly?utm_source=Feedburner%3A+Frontpage+Partial+RSS+Feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Torcom%2FFrontpage_Partial+%28Tor.com+Frontpage+Partial+-+Blog+and+Stories%29">An analysis of how it started</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meghan-okeefe/benedict-cumberbatch_b_1231634.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008">A bit about the Benedict Cumberbatch fascination</a></li> <li><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200241406014380769875.0004b74641f320b9bd5f3&msa=0&ll=56.559482,-1.054687&spn=107.163543,254.882812&iwloc=0004b75739e6297235496">A map of the movement across the globe</a></li> <li><i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/">The Baker Street Journal</a></i></li> </ul> <br /> <center> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0Y2LLs3xGUk" width="560"></iframe></center> <br /> <br /> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> <h4> <b>Listen now:</b></h4> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134349552&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock039.mp3"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TL5jgdrUh_nM_zlDgxql-jKOFGUVFqhoV6A2JtYklXOu4qmVDyRVbwGV6XrwXZgnG9awSwJ7td-txL1_4KGrpSf4igJLILOim4yJmX5pGTPIdMhCBYLyImSI5gs1MOMUZPAlpAgvtPdb/s1600/podcastIcon.gif" /></a></span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the nice box above. (File size: 39.9 MB, 43:30)</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or drop by our <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook page</a>.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> And as always, please visit our sponsors <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/">Wessex Press</a>.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /></div>

Episode 39: #BelieveInSherlock

When a fictional character's impact overflows to reality to affect what people are talking about, where they go and how they act,...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlocktron Has a New Home

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "I have had no proof yet" [SIGN]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcd50DyYcS2pUuk4xgvb2kI7V0zhiNzYC3LTOeGucAhOnNl36rRtrXA8UBOOpZDlYHys-wVb96hbVX5qc2qTPpESnSDpmtE8eWUJ0h9AVZ5Zk4DXNuK9EmgY7gJyG6h_10rJZ4ol_GPbt/s1600/Frank+Wiles+-+Valley+of+Fear+Sherlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcd50DyYcS2pUuk4xgvb2kI7V0zhiNzYC3LTOeGucAhOnNl36rRtrXA8UBOOpZDlYHys-wVb96hbVX5qc2qTPpESnSDpmtE8eWUJ0h9AVZ5Zk4DXNuK9EmgY7gJyG6h_10rJZ4ol_GPbt/s640/Frank+Wiles+-+Valley+of+Fear+Sherlock.jpg" width="408" /></a></div> <br /> Recently, Sherlocktron, a long-time Internet information center for Sherlock Holmes, was forced to move to a new Internet service provider at <a href="http://sherlocktron.com/">http://sherlocktron.com/</a>. <br /> <br /> The site owner, Willis Frick, has now updated the files at the new web site. <b><i>But</i></b> he he is <b><i>looking for your help to make sure the listings are up to date</i></b>. <br /> <br /> At this point, he has been able to verify the Web addresses (URLs) and email addresses of the purveyors of Sherlockian items and of the society publications listed. However, many Sherlockian purveyors and societies do not have a means to contact them electronically to verify the information - and that is where he needs your help, dear readers.<br /> <br /> Please take a few minutes to looks at these files: <br /> <a href="http://sherlocktron.hostoi.com/pub.list.pdf%C2%A0">Sherlockian Publication List</a> (PDF)<br /> <a href="http://sherlocktron.hostoi.com/ads.list.pdf">Sherlockian Purveyor List</a> (PDF)<br /> <br /> If there are any additions, corrections or deletions required, please notify Willis by email: <b>sherlock1 [AT] cox [DOT] net.</b><mailto:sherlock1 cox.net=""><b> </b><br /></mailto:sherlock1><br /> <mailto:sherlock1 cox.net="">For information about these lists see:  </mailto:sherlock1><br /> <mailto:sherlock1 cox.net=""><a href="http://sherlocktron.hostoi.com/about.the.pub.listing.pdf">About Sherlockian Publications</a> (PDF)</mailto:sherlock1><br /> <mailto:sherlock1 cox.net=""><a href="http://sherlocktron.hostoi.com/about.the.ads.listing.pdf">About Sherlockian Purveyors</a> (PDF)<br /><br />It would be a wonderful gesture to extend to Willis, as he finishes up this project. After all, someday you may be looking for something Sherlockian or for a newsletter from a society, and this resource may come in handy.</mailto:sherlock1><br /> <mailto:sherlock1 cox.net=""><br /><i><br /></i>--</mailto:sherlock1>

Sherlocktron Has a New Home

"I have had no proof yet" [SIGN] Recently, Sherlocktron, a long-time Internet information center for Sherlock Holmes, was f...

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by Scott Monty

Remembering Nicol Williamson

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "baffled all those who have sought a solution" [FIVE]</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/AVvXsEhwk9ALwq-Yjf487GHizkYXHGRLvh_CF1O-MH7MgTraOWkfpG1XrNmZkLjRfxZjoWr2CKqViU-I9RxI9htpFdnEovMrppkcVdGLz0N7TpW4VFen20owgxP18I0hyphenhyphenZCln0lX12FztKdRxs9d/s1600/Seven-Percent-Williamson.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwk9ALwq-Yjf487GHizkYXHGRLvh_CF1O-MH7MgTraOWkfpG1XrNmZkLjRfxZjoWr2CKqViU-I9RxI9htpFdnEovMrppkcVdGLz0N7TpW4VFen20owgxP18I0hyphenhyphenZCln0lX12FztKdRxs9d/s640/Seven-Percent-Williamson.png" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> The three-time BAFTA-nominated actor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicol_Williamson">Nicol Williamson</a> has <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gXXf7k0AXdqqnt8kvEPoZ2NIEdQA?docId=7231bc1affc54ed282a2d07f0f8821f4">passed away</a> at the age of 75.<br /> <br /> To Sherlockians, he'll be most closely identified with the role of Sherlock Holmes in the 1976 film <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ETAMHS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005ETAMHS">The Seven Per-Cent Solution</a></i></b>. The book and the screenplay were both written by Nicholas Meyer, BSI ("A Fine Morocco Case"). Outside of the Holmesian world, he was probably best known for his turn as the wily wizard Merlin in Excalibur (1981).<br /> <br /> As Sherlock Holmes, he seemed as if he were cast against type, but he gave a convincing performance as a manic and overwrought consulting detective who was weaned off of his cocaine dependence by a once similarly afflicted Sigmund Freud. With Robert Duvall as his Watson and Alan Arkin as the venerable psychiatrist, the unlikely trio made for a memorable film.<br /> <br /> Below, we bring you a slideshow of some of the posters and lobby cards from the film. You can also <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/sets/72157629028037471/">view them on Flickr</a>.<div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a data-flickr-embed="true" data-footer="true" data-header="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/albums/72157629028037471" title="The Seven Per-Cent Solution"><img alt="The Seven Per-Cent Solution" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7146/6761008133_823e0028a1.jpg" width="640"/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><br /> Do you you have a memory or impression of how Williamson's performance (Sherlockian or not) struck you? Leave us a comment.<br /> <br /> <i>When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.</i><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <br /></div>

Remembering Nicol Williamson

"baffled all those who have sought a solution" [FIVE] The three-time BAFTA-nominated actor Nicol Williamson has passed awa...

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by Scott Monty

Episode 38: On Conan Doyle

<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0691151350" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3XxXgVT-zK-5fVtFHvxLpUk0hbmYUpduz6cO6uzGZXyXcA1mQ90ZBh9pIRBYukzZfPRstNkHOp4OEj2Ss12tXp8Ei0cCw9_4Xiqpkiawc5AQfLJThQ0Q9E5PeajVO46J_qFRM3kUpqsdD8UMNgfm-f7tCIupiSQ9ppJf-3PwU8qCDndc6_6ETs72KA/s2250/ihose38%20-%20On%20Conan%20Doyle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="2250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3XxXgVT-zK-5fVtFHvxLpUk0hbmYUpduz6cO6uzGZXyXcA1mQ90ZBh9pIRBYukzZfPRstNkHOp4OEj2Ss12tXp8Ei0cCw9_4Xiqpkiawc5AQfLJThQ0Q9E5PeajVO46J_qFRM3kUpqsdD8UMNgfm-f7tCIupiSQ9ppJf-3PwU8qCDndc6_6ETs72KA/s320/ihose38%20-%20On%20Conan%20Doyle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> <center><br /></center> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0712358412&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; border: none; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; margin: 0px;" width="1" />One of the great benefits of being a member of the Baker Street Irregulars is that we get to meet a lot of interesting and famous people. Chief among them are the literati, such as Michael Dirda, the Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic for the <i>Washington Post</i>, who makes his living by writing about the literati.<br /> <br />In this case, Michael himself is the author, having been tapped by the Princeton University Press to contribute to their "Writers on Writers" series with the volume <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/45nRUqJ">On Conan Doyle: Or, the Whole Art of Storytelling</a></i></b>. In it, he takes us through Conan Doyle's life and writings - many of which may not be familiar to the Sherlock Holmes fan - and gives us a perspective on many of them through the Canon.<br /> <br /> Burt and Scott had a chance to sit down with Michael at the Players in New York City during the 2012 Baker Street Irregulars Weekend - marking the first time our podcast has been recorded with the two hosts together in the same room.<br /> <br /> Rather than give you an Editor's Gas-Lamp in this episode, we asked Michael to read something from his own work.<br /> <br /> <h4> <b>Links:</b></h4> <ul> <li><b><i><b style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://amzn.to/45nRUqJ">On Conan Doyle: Or, the Whole Art of Storytelling</a></i></b>  </i></b>(Amazon)</li> <li><i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/">The Baker Street Journal</a></i></li> <li><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/03/25/LI2005032502159.html">Michael Dirda's content in the <i>Washington Post</i></a><br /> <i></i></li> </ul> <br /> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> <h4> <b>Listen now:</b></h4> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/1828424/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/212c42/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: none;" data-dashlane-rid="afa5bc748f2ec674" data-dashlane-frameid="3007" data-form-type="other"></iframe><br /></div> </div> <center> </center> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock038.mp3"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TL5jgdrUh_nM_zlDgxql-jKOFGUVFqhoV6A2JtYklXOu4qmVDyRVbwGV6XrwXZgnG9awSwJ7td-txL1_4KGrpSf4igJLILOim4yJmX5pGTPIdMhCBYLyImSI5gs1MOMUZPAlpAgvtPdb/s1600/podcastIcon.gif" /></a></span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the nice box above. (File size: 34.7 MB, 37:51)</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or drop by our <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook page</a>.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> And as always, please visit our sponsors <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/">Wessex Press</a>.<br /> <br /> <i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38489797@N00/8161024595">mcwetboy (Flickr)</a></i><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /><br /> <br /></div>

Episode 38: On Conan Doyle

One of the great benefits of being a member of the Baker Street Irregulars is that we get to meet a lot of interesting and famous people...

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by Scott Monty

New CBS Sherlock Holmes Drama Will Be Called "Elementary"

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "Elementary." [CROO]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4182504806/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="silv01 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="silv01" height="218" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2741/4182504806_6d27b302c5_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> <br /> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <blockquote class="tr_bq">      "Excellent!" I cried.<br />      "Elementary," said he.</blockquote> <br /> Of course, any Sherlockian considering him or herself worthy of the name knows that one particular instance in "The Crooked Man" is the only time Mr. Sherlock Holmes uses the word “elementary” in that context. Never in the canon does he actually say “Elementary, my dear Watson.” <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Nevertheless, it appears that CBS has hit upon the entirely original idea of updating the Sherlock Holmes stories for the modern day, and will title this show, ahem, <i>Elementary. </i><o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <i><br /></i></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/cbs-greenlights-dana-calvokevin-falls-legal-drama-pilot/">Deadline</a> is reporting that CBS has greenlit a pilot that would air in 2012 and would transport the Victorian detective to 21^st century New York. <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> This news comes, unsurprisingly, after the success of the second series of BBC’s <i>Sherlock, </i>as well as Guy Ritchie’s recent sequel, <i>Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows. <o:p></o:p></i></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <i><br /></i></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> As Holmes would also say, “<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data</span>” [SCAN] and so far, data is drastically lacking about this upcoming series. Aside from the screenwriter - Robert Doherty - <strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">nothing is yet known, making any speculation about the quality of the series difficult. One hopes, however, that the script and acting will transcend the title and be something rather than “elementary.”</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></span></strong></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <i><br /></i> <i>Anastasia writes at <a href="http://bookwormhermy.blogspot.com/">The Itinerant Bookworm</a>. This is her first contribution to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.</i><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /></div>

New CBS Sherlock Holmes Drama Will Be Called "Elementary"

"Elementary." [CROO]      "Excellent!" I cried.      "Elementary," said he. Of course, any Sherloc...

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by Scott Monty

The 2012 BSI Weekend Recap — Saturday

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "then on Saturday" [HOUN]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQHryeMn8lCwqAMjsgJGTCG4eJIRJPjjYgAkUYa2jbJWDjLAV36-70d9t37oksDzEQpIkaQBXsidBHqaqoAGAjpHUDgsgN0Saq_-OWKudZRBe_HhQ5V5sASZLAuNKG3H6bD9QNB07y6D9/s1600/IMG_4607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQHryeMn8lCwqAMjsgJGTCG4eJIRJPjjYgAkUYa2jbJWDjLAV36-70d9t37oksDzEQpIkaQBXsidBHqaqoAGAjpHUDgsgN0Saq_-OWKudZRBe_HhQ5V5sASZLAuNKG3H6bD9QNB07y6D9/s640/IMG_4607.JPG" width="480" /></a></div> <br /> The day after the BSI dinner and Gaslight Gala can be a bit of a paradox for some people. For after the dinners, some attendees gather to celebrate well into the night. It's an unwritten tradition to keep the newest investitured members of the Baker Street Irregulars awake until at least 2:21 a.m. That's not too rare when you're in the city that never sleeps, but with the doors of the Vendors Room opening at 9:00 a.m. sharp (and Jerry Margolin always jockeying to be the first in), it can be difficult to rouse yourself from an otherwise groggy state.<br /> <br /> This year's Vendors Room was packed with merchandise, from the new to the old and rare. The Baker Street Irregulars had its usual range of books available from the <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsimanuscriptseries.html">BSI Manuscript</a> and <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsiinternationalseries.html">BSI International</a> series, as well as <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/grandgamev2.html" style="font-weight: bold;"><i>The Grand Game Volume Two</i></a>, the continuation of the first volume edited by Leslie S. Klinger and Laurie R. King. In addition to the <i>Grand Game</i> compendium being completed, there was a very handsome <i><b><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/grandgamelimited.html">Grand Game Limited Edition</a></b></i> being offered for sale; you can order it online after March 30. There will be 100 box sets created, with gilt-stamped volumes, a companion index with an expansion of the origin of the Game and Ronald Knox, and a gold-stamped slipcase.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>The afternoon turned toward West 44th Street as Sherlockians descended on the New York Bar Association for the reception and auction. As usual, Don Novorsky hosted the event and recognized the previous evening's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/6697583377/">newly-investitured Irregulars</a>. Then, we we all treated to a fun little vaudeville routine by Jim Saunders and Henry Boote, who performed a Sherlock Holmes-inspired version of the old <a href="http://www.marx-brothers.org/marxology/shean.htm">Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean</a> bit. While we didn't record Jim and Henry, here you can have a look at what it looked like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkzAEGarl9Q">as performed by Charles Winniger and Al Shean</a>:<br /> <br /> <center> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HkzAEGarl9Q" width="420"></iframe></center> <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/6697551885/" title="BSI Raffle prize by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="BSI Raffle prize" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6697551885_2489a7e1ce_m.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The 2012 raffle prize</i></td></tr> </tbody></table> Directly after the performance, it was time for the drawing of the raffle prize. All weekend, raffle tickets were sold to raise money for the John H. Watson Fund, a self-exhausting fund that is available to all Sherlockians (BSI membership is not required) who wish to travel to New York for the annual Baker Street Irregulars weekend but who may not be able to afford to otherwise attend. This year's raffle prize was donated by Maggie Schpak, BSI ("The Soup Plate Medal"), who works in metallurgical costuming. It was a replica of Lady Frances Carfax's Spanish diamonds, which you can see to the right.<br /> <br /> Then it was time for another highlight of the weekend - the Sherlockian Year in Review, as given in verse by father and daughter team Al ("Inspector Gregory") and Betsy ("Lucy Ferrier") Rosenblatt. As usual, their observations and wit skewered events and individuals who made headlines throughout the year, and then turned toward the doings of the weekend. They even stopped mid-poem to break out in song to honor Henry Boote's Two Shilling award (sung to the tune of "Aunt Clara," of course).<br /> <br /> The final programmatic event was Peter Blau's professional auctioneering effort to raise money for the Watson Fund. This year, the items included original posters from <i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</i>, a hand-turned wooden fountain pen made from wood salvaged from the barque <i>Lone Star</i>, original artwork by Charles Meyer, BSI ("Adloph Meyer") and a handmade wooden collector's cabinet made by Joe Coppola ("The Stranger's Room"). And in a last-minute surprise appearance, a Peter Blau-ish powder blue blazer worn the previous evening in the skit was offered up by Scott Monty. Peter and Scott stood side by side, taking bids for the jacket. The winning bid was a Canonical $221 and the buyer plans to donate it to the <a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/">BSI Trust</a>.<br /> <br /> Afterwards, Sherlockians went their separate ways. Some caught trains, others joined up for an intimate dinner for 10 for Indian food, and many others got Lost in New York with a Bunch of Sherlockians at Pete's Tavern. The wrap-up brunch was hosted the following day by Lyndsay Faye at the Irish Rogue.<br /> <br /> We have a few photos from the weekend. If you'd like to see them, there's a slideshow embedded below on the site. If you're viewing this on email or an RSS reader, please click through to the full article, or <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/sets/72157628871829545/with/6697449965/">check out our set on Flickr</a>.<br /> <br /> If you weren't able to make it to the weekend this year, there's always next year! Set your calendar for <b>January 10-12, 2013</b>.<br /> <br /> <i>Do you have a memory or a first-person account of what happened at one of the events that we didn't cover? We'd love to hear about it in a comment below.</i><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

The 2012 BSI Weekend Recap — Saturday

"then on Saturday" [HOUN] The day after the BSI dinner and Gaslight Gala can be a bit of a paradox for some people. For aft...

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by Scott Monty

The 2012 BSI Weekend Recap — Friday

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "Today is Friday" [CARD]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5O3-mousSE-D9Y9stl06lhdRdEZ-QRDuCWgrYLQv_zX47wafSh7FpWYb2gUa0Atwn1gow-gczSVb-zO4THzjBwDIi0Y3uM7mEeeQgRDiOAK8zoiBd9-2gCInEKPMNYLI3J_b7WzdgAsn/s1600/IMG_4533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5O3-mousSE-D9Y9stl06lhdRdEZ-QRDuCWgrYLQv_zX47wafSh7FpWYb2gUa0Atwn1gow-gczSVb-zO4THzjBwDIi0Y3uM7mEeeQgRDiOAK8zoiBd9-2gCInEKPMNYLI3J_b7WzdgAsn/s640/IMG_4533.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Friday is always a hectic day during the BSI Weekend. From impromptu breakfasts to early pilgrimages down to Tribeca to see <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/10/infinitely-more-mysterious-devi.html">Otto Penzler's offerings as the Mysterious Bookshop</a>, there are plenty of mind- and waist-expanding opportunities to be had before running off to...lunch.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>The William Gillette Lunch</b></h3> The Gillette Lunch has been in place for many years, having been first established in the early days of the BSI as an opportunity for those traveling from out of town to gather before the BSI dinner. Susan Rice and Mickey Fromkin have been running this event for a couple of decades, after it was handed down to them from Lisa McGaw.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3zzPxiWPW7V5NNkInCsk9jZq2T7zQC1weZnrftTjLoJgpTbC1eg9uXi9t15K_ia8A8IzycLW0Bmtp2sxuJd9xiwZMWLCzLnUup-IeW4xSZezJWN0Uj3HO200fEC9ELRCu5qTRdgZKase/s1600/IMG_4540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3zzPxiWPW7V5NNkInCsk9jZq2T7zQC1weZnrftTjLoJgpTbC1eg9uXi9t15K_ia8A8IzycLW0Bmtp2sxuJd9xiwZMWLCzLnUup-IeW4xSZezJWN0Uj3HO200fEC9ELRCu5qTRdgZKase/s640/IMG_4540.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Susan Rice - all smiles</i></td></tr> </tbody></table> Guests are welcomed to the quickly overflowing bar area of <a href="http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=63709c1ff5d9d35a61c4186a878d6a7d&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bakerstreetblog.com%2Fsearch%2Flabel%2Fbsi2010&v=1&libid=1326557509698&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.moranschelsea.com%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bakerstreetblog.com%2Fsearch%2Flabel%2Fbsi2011&title=The%20Baker%20Street%20Blog&txt=Moran%27s%20Chelsea%20Restaurant&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13265577788861">Moran's Chelsea</a> restaurant (an aptly named or aptly selected venue, as the case may be) and conversation quickly rises, along with the temperature of the facility. But all is well as we wind our way into the substantial dining area and prepare for the welcome from Susan. We remember William Gillette of course, but also the founders and previous administrators. After a quick promotion of the <a href="http://www.beaconsociety.com/">Beacon Society</a> - the group that promotes educating the young on Sherlock Holmes via the original stories - we dine.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> After lunch come the skits. In this case were treated to two: a "Tonight Show" (c. 1895) rendition of Carnac the Magnificent; and the Friends of Bogey's of Baker Street giving us their fanciful interpretation of Sherlock Holmes on the <i>Titanic</i>. The iceberg even got a starring role.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHGdaIqmaYoPAa_Tt2Tvu89-2r1mUuFxWz5xfkOguKhyphenhyphenhw_R0GMts5M4YxY9h5rF1ILMacz3zI-73HUpec7oZZM0SMTmr5jrVD_JpovfWAchGdG1a8ASnF70pzfhqhFaoh06neyrTIidY/s1600/IMG_4558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHGdaIqmaYoPAa_Tt2Tvu89-2r1mUuFxWz5xfkOguKhyphenhyphenhw_R0GMts5M4YxY9h5rF1ILMacz3zI-73HUpec7oZZM0SMTmr5jrVD_JpovfWAchGdG1a8ASnF70pzfhqhFaoh06neyrTIidY/s640/IMG_4558.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Iceberg right ahead!</i></td></tr> </tbody></table> We all wended our way to our respective hotels, some walking in the bracing cold in a futile attempt to burn some calories before attending another meal in three hours or so.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>The BSI Dinner</b></h3> We attended the BSI dinner (as we have for the last 17 years), so we can only report on that. [<i>Ed. note: if you attended the Gaslight Gala, we'd be delighted to have a writeup of what happened there. Please click on the Tip button at the top of the site.</i>]<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0PntLs0J1qVB81UDV1g1IPb0AIUCUy5KXTUMTqghDPm1unJFqjzyEhTXS2jDVuVwjcxdMw-AZaFt2kwUnzWo0uw6ukMdPLHBBfRw6zJn3jZ6zJZIMRQ0d0n4kWBPbGgtPUnZHQcFdaI1/s1600/IMG_4584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0PntLs0J1qVB81UDV1g1IPb0AIUCUy5KXTUMTqghDPm1unJFqjzyEhTXS2jDVuVwjcxdMw-AZaFt2kwUnzWo0uw6ukMdPLHBBfRw6zJn3jZ6zJZIMRQ0d0n4kWBPbGgtPUnZHQcFdaI1/s640/IMG_4584.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Connie Keane</i></td></tr> </tbody></table> Prior to the dinner, it is always the custom to name "The Woman" of the year - typically the spouse of a BSI who has supported and encouraged her husband's work and in many cases who has been a co-conspirator in support of the BSI. This year it was Connie Keane, wife of Michael Keane who manages the <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale.html">BSI Publications</a>. As it turns out, it was Connie who first encouraged Michael's interest in Sherlock Holmes, so as Leslie Klinger (who introduced Connie at the reception) put it, "Michael Keane would not exist if it weren't for Connie!" She did however put her foot down when Michael wanted to name their son Sherlock.<br /> <br /> The dinner kicked off with the normal routine: our annual photograph taken with a 100 year-old camera, as well as welcome remarks from "Wiggins," the head of the BSI. He noted that this year marks a number of anniversaries: the 125th anniversary of the publication of <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>; the 175th anniversary of Dr. Joseph Bell's birth; the 120th anniversary of the birth of Basil Rathbone; and the 75th anniversary of the death of William Gillette. Mike also noted that the BSI Publications have produced an enormous amount of content in the last 11 years; in the last year alone, titles like <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsiinternationalseries.html">Italy and Sherlock Holmes</a></i>, <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsimanuscriptseries.html">Bohemian Souls</a></i>, two <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/christmasannuals.html">Baker Street Journal Christmas Annuals</a></i>, and two volumes and a special edition of <i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/grandgamev2.html">The Grand Game</a>.</i>  In addition to those remarks, Wiggins also bestowed the Benefactor Award on Glen Miranker, who has very generously given of his time, materials and resources to support the <a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/">BSI Trust</a>. "For the sake of the trust," [MUSG] indeed.<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgForjzlnE7O9fsSidLcw9vRDIvdsifQr9cFnoIcfcmKk1UQPHoy2ySW0Gza2ws6Nx9eVIlruoQ8x5mFBP5b6KwjMRYus4qyLnPOErChuiW1AOiB0LUJ42iYdje7MKoRQXLsXjBjxyb437/s1600/IMG_4588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgForjzlnE7O9fsSidLcw9vRDIvdsifQr9cFnoIcfcmKk1UQPHoy2ySW0Gza2ws6Nx9eVIlruoQ8x5mFBP5b6KwjMRYus4qyLnPOErChuiW1AOiB0LUJ42iYdje7MKoRQXLsXjBjxyb437/s640/IMG_4588.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>For this camera, it's always 1895</i></td></tr> </tbody></table> Tom Francis, on behalf of the Trust, accepted a trove of materials that were donated by the <a href="http://special.lib.umn.edu/rare/holmes.phtml">Sherlock Holmes Collections</a> of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Tom cautioned all attendees to save and donate their BSI correspondence, because "we don't know which of these clowns are going to become important" down the road. That got a great laugh from those assembled, but also served as a great reminder - especially in this digital age - that correspondence is to be treasured and preserved for future generations, to help tell our story.<br /> <br /> The rest of the program unfolded splendidly, with toasts given by Lyndsay Faye, Andrew Solberg, Jim Saunders and Don Novorsky, and the reading of the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2010/04/curious-constitution-sign.html">BSI's Constitution and Buy-Laws</a> by Costa Rossakis. Papers were read by Barbara Rusch, Burt Wolder and Bob Katz - or more appropriately, talks were given by Burt and Bob, who each performed the amazing feat of speaking without notes. As the theme of the evening was "His Last Bow," Burt covered the Chicago connection, with an interesting conclusion as to who Martha was (we'll won't spoil the surprise, as it's likely to appear in the <b><i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">Baker Street Journal</a></i></b> - which you should subscribe to, if you don't already). And Bob shuffled off to Buffalo to look at the connection between England and New York in 1912.<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bT8uPrwjJh_x-wPzX1ENGbO5VKzPRbQfq8uYCSW0TkZowoTDovDPwS37wEjnQpCO2zKo8CGilOfxpLYnG-MvQOScJZgbTl1t6RHLEkheI0P-sz5B8cxThwFHsmVz-gqZes7hRXeAmHOi/s1600/IMG_4595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bT8uPrwjJh_x-wPzX1ENGbO5VKzPRbQfq8uYCSW0TkZowoTDovDPwS37wEjnQpCO2zKo8CGilOfxpLYnG-MvQOScJZgbTl1t6RHLEkheI0P-sz5B8cxThwFHsmVz-gqZes7hRXeAmHOi/s640/IMG_4595.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Will the real Peter Blau please stand up?</i></td></tr> </tbody></table> In a bit of comic relief Paul Singleton and Scott Monty performed an updated "Two Thousand Year-Old Man" routine, modeled after the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=two+thousand+reiner+brooks&oq=two+thousand+reiner+brooks&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=375l4300l0l4452l19l17l0l15l1l0l117l186l1.1l2l0">Carl Reiner / Mel Brooks collaboration</a>. In this case, the Mel Brooks character looked and sounded an awful lot like Peter Blau.<br /> <br /> Vinnie Brosnan recited the Musgrave Ritual and the audience replied with the appropriate answers. Otto Penzler took us back in time to the House of El Dieff as we remembered old Irregular Lou David Feldman, who was a bookseller extraordinaire. Otto recalled Lou's so-called "warehouse" where he kept many volumes; to Otto's surprise on his first visit, it was actually an apartment at 63rd Street and Park Avenue in New York.<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotp85YH6ZoLagV4QxkTygEdapwbNtdwTUVWCiBzWryy0rVVkvtG-XWHjFVgWZC_dzKnjY1_jJjDHWJA43jl9-R7pG1ibEdMp_qTVv_twedCicJRz2pMm2LCKJgt_4UbgyyaYocR9FEOKA/s1600/IMG_4596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotp85YH6ZoLagV4QxkTygEdapwbNtdwTUVWCiBzWryy0rVVkvtG-XWHjFVgWZC_dzKnjY1_jJjDHWJA43jl9-R7pG1ibEdMp_qTVv_twedCicJRz2pMm2LCKJgt_4UbgyyaYocR9FEOKA/s640/IMG_4596.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Henry Boote tickling the ivories</i></td></tr> </tbody></table> In a surprise move, Wiggins called up Henry Boote and referred to him officially as the Music Director of the BSI before bestowing on Henry a well-deserved Two Shilling Award, given to Irregulars who have gone above and beyond in their service to the organization. Henry then took to the piano, where he performed a series of "His Last Bow"-inspired songs. He cleverly rewrote the lyrics to "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," "Chicago," and "When Irish Eyes are Smiling," followed by the traditional "Aunt Clara."<br /> <br /> Then of course, it was time for Francine Kitts to solemnly <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/search/label/terrace">stand on the terrace</a> for the following six Irregulars: Jason Pierre Rouby ("Vanderbuilt and the Yeggman"), Dr. George L. John ("Sir Jasper Meek"), Peter Wood ("The Second Stain"), J. Warren Scheideman ("Count Von und zu Grafenstein"), Dr. Bruce L. Crawford ("The Solitary Cyclist"), James H. Bready ("The Disappearance of James Phillamore"). They will all be sorely missed by friends, family and Sherlockians alike.<br /> <br /> Before we moved on to the final portion of the program Wiggins called up Mary Anne Bradley to receive an Editor's Award for her 2011 <i>Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual, The First Lady: Lenore Glen Offord.</i><br /> <br /> And then, the moment we were all waiting for - the reading of the 2012 Honours List.<br /> <ul> <li>"Thucidydes" - Mark Schwartz</li> <li>"Birdy Edwards" - Phil Bergem</li> <li>"Helen Stoner" - Helen Dorey</li> <li>"Thorneycroft Huxtable" - Peter Accardo</li> <li>"Baritsu" -  <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Akane Higashiyama</span></li> <li>"Inspector Lestrade" - Don Hobbs</li> <li>"John Hector McFarlane" - Donny Zaldin</li> <li>"Mary Morstan" - Mary Anne Bradley</li> </ul> <br /> The evening concluded with Marsha Pollak reading Bill Schweikert's poem "<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/10/episode-12-bob-thomalen-part-2.html">A Long Evening with Holmes</a>," and the assembled members and guests then disassembled.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> --</div> <div> <br /> <ul><br /></ul> </div>

The 2012 BSI Weekend Recap — Friday

"Today is Friday" [CARD] Friday is always a hectic day during the BSI Weekend. From impromptu breakfasts to early pilgrimages...

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by Scott Monty

Did Sherlock Holmes Have Asperger Syndrome?

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "a technical character" [SPEC]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtDz3W5AhR-kXgxZ28PnAkeRLkXsHBWkGl8LcqFJUVqACSP8a57SU7MrO8Htbe0i9w9tvpTqRwHsUMUVYyIBEAmWbvB9fX0hKhsfB_C7on6BMelCMwYdLtt_LoBXQeHbfSnXqc67uMggY/s1600/IMG_4515.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtDz3W5AhR-kXgxZ28PnAkeRLkXsHBWkGl8LcqFJUVqACSP8a57SU7MrO8Htbe0i9w9tvpTqRwHsUMUVYyIBEAmWbvB9fX0hKhsfB_C7on6BMelCMwYdLtt_LoBXQeHbfSnXqc67uMggY/s640/IMG_4515.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> The BSI 2012 Weekend officially began with the Thursday evening Distinguished Speaker Lecture. In this case, we were honored to have Dr. Lisa Sanders join us.<br /> <br /> Dr. Sanders has written a column for the <i>New York Times</i> since 2002 called "<a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/health/columns/diagnosis/">Diagnosis</a>" and it is this column that was the basis of her becoming the technical adviser for <a href="https://amzn.to/36BSozR" rel="nofollow"><b><i>House, M.D.</i></b></a> She is also the author of  <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3paDc34" rel="nofollow">Every Patient Tells a Story</a></i></b>. She joined us at the Manhattan Club on January 12 to give the talk <i><b>"Is Holmes Crazy as a Fox, or Just Plain Crazy?"</b></i><br /> <br /> Dr. Sanders opened by saying how thrilled she was to be around people who have the same passion that she does, for she has been a Sherlockian for most of her life In fact, it is her interest in Holmes - having devoured all of the stories and everything related to Sherlock Holmes - that led to her fascination with diagnosis, eventually leading to her becoming a physician after a mid-life crisis. She gave a nod to House, saying that he is not her ideal Holmes, but then "neither is Robert Downey. Jr.," to which the audience responded with a round of applause.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>Dr. Sanders noted how important Sherlock Holmes was in her life. Her interest in the character opened her up to a new way of looking at diagnosis. She acknowledged the original inspiration behind Holmes, Dr. Joseph Bell (see <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/05/great-teacher-cree_30.html#.U-pZn_ldWAU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Story of Dr. Joseph Bell</a>" and <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/02/insignificant-looking-man-inspired-me_20.html#.U-pZsPldWAU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Sherlock Holmes</a>"), who himself was a master diagnostician. So she began to try to piece together a differential diagnosis for Holmes's behavior. What is that odd behavior that Holmes displays toward Watson when they first met? In her lecture, Dr. Sanders said would try to diagnose it.<br /> <br /> <h4> <b>Was Sherlock Holmes Bipolar?</b></h4> In his introduction to <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/36ttzG1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Complete Sherlock Holmes</a></i></b>, Kyle Freeman wrote that Holmes was bipolar. Dr. Sanders understands the basis for this differential diagnosis of bipolar disorder:  Holmes not speaking for days on end, contrasted with fits of high energy. "If that ain't bipolar disorder, what is?" she remarked.<br /> <br /> She continued, citing the opening of <i>The Sign of Four</i>, with Holmes in a depressed state, using cocaine multiple times a day for many months. To continue, she posited that if one agrees with this diagnosis, one might subscribe to the theory of Moriarty as a figment of Holmes' imagination. After all, he never told Watson about his "Napoleon of crime" prior to "The Final Problem," and even then, Watson never saw Moriarty in the flesh; he took Holmes's word for it. But the mugging, bricks falling, carriage nearly running Holmes over - all could be classified as classic mania, with delusions and paranoia. But Dr. Sanders trusts the intelligence and medical observation of Dr. Watson enough to dissuade her that this was in fact the case.<br /> <br /> <h4> <b>Was it A.D.D.? </b></h4> Online article supposes Holmes was suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. Supported by examples of hyper-focus, the constant self-medicating, either with drugs or activity. But Sanders pointed out that the American Psychological Association's <i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV)</i> states that such a diagnosis requires <u>deficit</u> of attention. There was very little evidence to support Holmes lacking attention.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h4> <b>Sherlock Holmes Suffered from Asperger's Syndrome<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></h4> Finally, Dr. Sanders settled on her diagnosis. "I think he has Asperger's Syndrome," she stated. A murmur went over the crowd. In justifying her diagnosis, she half playfully said "I'm a doctor, not a lawyer. That means I didn't leave anything out," looking toward some lawyers in the room, to a fit of laughter from the audience. The comparison of doctors and lawyers would continue to be a theme throughout the room on this evening.<br /> <br /> She continued, saying that Asperger's Syndrome, which has been placed in the <a href="http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94">Autism Spectrum Disorder</a> (ASD), has a number of characteristics that were present in Sherlock Holmes's behavior. Here we give you the proposed DSM-V diagnosis of ASD:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays, and manifest by all 3 of the following:<br />    1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity; ranging from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back and forth conversation through reduced sharing of interests, emotions, and affect and response to total lack of initiation of social interaction,<br />    2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction; ranging from poorly integrated- verbal and nonverbal communication, through abnormalities in eye contact and body-language, or deficits in understanding and use of nonverbal communication, to total lack of facial expression or gestures.<br />    3. Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships, appropriate to developmental level (beyond those with caregivers); ranging from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit different social contexts through difficulties in sharing imaginative play and in making friends to an apparent absence of interest in people. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities as manifested by at least two of the following:<br />    1. Stereotyped or repetitive speech, motor movements, or use of objects; (such as simple motor stereotypies, echolalia, repetitive use of objects, or idiosyncratic phrases).<br />    2. Excessive adherence to routines, ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior, or excessive resistance to change; (such as motoric rituals, insistence on same route or food, repetitive questioning or extreme distress at small changes).<br />    3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus; (such as strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).<br />    4. Hyper-or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment; (such as apparent indifference to pain/heat/cold, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, fascination with lights or spinning objects). </blockquote> <br /> Dr. Sanders ticked off her list:<br /> <ol> <li>Deficits of social-emotional reciprocity. Think of the scene when Watson first met Holmes: Holmes was more interested showing off his test than interacting with Watson.</li> <li>Difficulty in developing and maintaining relationships. Holmes had only one friend.</li> <li>Lack of picking up on social or emotional cues. Holmes reaction to Watson's write-up of <i>A Study in Scarlet</i> was not very empathetic. Similarly, he thinks of Watson's brother as a case study rather than as a relation of Watson in <i>The Sign of Four</i>.</li> <li>Restricted repetitive patterns of behavior. Holmes only knows what he knows, as evidenced from Watson's list "Sherlock Holmes: His Limits." [STUD] In addition, the strange interest that manifested through monographs - footprints, tobacco ash, etc.  </li> </ol> She didn't go through the entire list, but made a strong enough case with her facts. In addition, she took <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html">an Asperger's test that was developed by Simon Baron Cohen</a> (you can take it too by clicking the link), answering as if she were Holmes. She scored 38 out of 50; anything over 30 is considered Asperger's.<br /> <br /> In terms of evolution and why this disorder still exists today, Dr. Sanders cited advantages of being solitary, thinking on your own, seeing things differently, particularly in hunter/gatherer times. The notion of being a loner (fox) versus part of a pack (dog) could sometimes benefit individuals in the tribe who simply didn't go along with the group-think. <br /> <br /> That concluded the lecture, which led to a few questions from the audience.<br /> <br /> One attendee mentioned the book <a href="https://amzn.to/3LUqBe5" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time</a> and said that he himself concluded Holmes did <u>not</u> suffer from Asperger's because of some emotional expressions Holmes made toward Watson. He wondered if we need to look at the survey again. Dr. Sanders remarked that one of the things working against this diagnosis is that Holmes could understand the motivation behind people's behavior; whether or not he had empathy, he understood how emotions influenced actions.<br /> <br /> Another audience member asked, "What's the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?" Your editor retorted, "The difference between a doctor and a lawyer," which brought down the house. Dr. Sanders, with help from the audience concluded that one is crazy and can't see reality; the other doesn't care about others or doesn't have guilt.<br /> <br /> A final question was regarding <i>House</i> - the attendee asking which came first, the creation of Gregory House or the influence of Holmes on the character/series? Dr. Sanders said that David Shore wanted to do a medical show, while Paul Attanasio wanted something related to Sherlock Holmes.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <br />

Did Sherlock Holmes Have Asperger Syndrome?

"a technical character" [SPEC] The BSI 2012 Weekend officially began with the Thursday evening Distinguished Speaker Lecture....

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by Scott Monty

"Would You Be Afraid to Sleep in the Same Room with a Lunatic..." [VALL]

<br /> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">"would you be afraid to sleep in the same room with a lunatic?" [VALL]</span></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/AVvXsEhjYuhD4dUaxOyF9jzmiTH3wkUC-wLoY_l46ruJDIMZDcqYe9BZG3wIPaqvDqVI0nS9I-0V12d_pZwhOLi4nhHGCMfD7EVOhB3hEUyZa8GToVGXQrhgKLGAu-dyKTNNPfr0b1sf8rRIH4gP/s1600/sherlock_bbc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYuhD4dUaxOyF9jzmiTH3wkUC-wLoY_l46ruJDIMZDcqYe9BZG3wIPaqvDqVI0nS9I-0V12d_pZwhOLi4nhHGCMfD7EVOhB3hEUyZa8GToVGXQrhgKLGAu-dyKTNNPfr0b1sf8rRIH4gP/s640/sherlock_bbc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>Viewers in the UK were treated last night to the latest episode of BBC Sherlock's second season, arguably the most anticipated Sherlockian adaptation in years and certainly one of television's most popular dramas. The <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8998621/Sherlock-The-Hounds-of-Baskerville-BBC-One-review.html">well-received "Hounds of Baskerville,"</a> with a clever--occasionally frenetically clever--script by Mark Gatiss, followed in "A Scandal in Belgravia's" footsteps with cunning modern twists to the traditional canon. <br /> <br /> Henry Knight, as played by Russell Tovey, is one of the series' most affecting clients to date, playing a young man whose father was murdered before his eyes upon the moors--slain by, he believes, a gigantic hound. Is the monster, now a thriving local tourist attraction, the mutant product of a nearby secret military lab by the name of Baskerville? Or is Knight the victim of a series of hallucinogenic delusions? Sherlock and John travel to Dartmoor to discover the truth, and experience a number of terrifying impediments in their quest.<br /> <br /> Benedict Cumberbatch, who was just <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8998228/Sherlock-the-20-greatest-Sherlock-Holmes.html?image=19">named by the Telegraph</a> as the greatest Sherlock Holmes of all time, begins the episode manic and off-balanced--wielding a harpoon and covered in blood, having just taken the tube home, in a satisfying nod to BLAC and the benefits of exercise before breakfast. He is desperate for brainwork and for cigarettes, chewing the wallpaper in ways that called to my mind Brett's animated interpretation rather than the very still, contained Sherlock of season one. But he soon settles into the case, with John--whose opportunity to pull rank at a military base is gut-deep satisfying--at his side, pursuing an elusive horror that in every way tests each man's mettle.<br /> <br /> Gatiss's sly references to canon are interwoven effortlessly; a village scene in which Sherlock attempts to draw out the local hound expert by telling John he's lost a bet is a perfect replica of the exchange with the goose vendor in BLUE, right down to the "pink 'un" in his back pocket. Sherlock's reference to John as a "conductor of light" will not go unnoticed by a single enthusiast, to my mind, and the arc of the story as regards Sherlock adapting to the unnatural (for him) sensations of both fear and friendship is deftly executed.<br /> <br /> Martin Freeman's John Watson strikes a phenomenal balance between loyalty and an unwillingness to deal with weapons-grade Sherlock snark. "Oh, please," he sighs after a Holmesian deduction, "can we not do this, this time? You being all mysterious with your...cheekbones, and turning your coat collar up so you look cool?" His grounded, wry John is a phenomenal counterpart to our hero, and in some ways this episode is laying the groundwork for the next installment; with a title like "The Reichenbach Fall," Sherlockian hearts will doubtless crack worldwide come this time next Sunday.<br /> <br /> There is a<a href="http://cumberbatchweb.tumblr.com/post/15530338644/the-hounds-of-baskerville-bafta-screening-q-a"> transcript of the thoughtful Q&A</a> on the episode with Gatiss, Cumberbatch, and Sue Vertue, though spoiler warnings do apply here.<br /> <br /> For Europeans, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005UL537Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakstrblo-21&linkCode=as2&camp=211189&creative=374929&creativeASIN=B005UL537Y">pre-ordering season two</a> is as simple as the click of a button. As for season one, if you <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-One-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326141468&sr=8-1">haven't yet obtained it</a>, then what are you doing here? <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33753530@N00/5794322886/">andiezoe (Flickr)</a></span><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <br />

"Would You Be Afraid to Sleep in the Same Room with a Lunatic..." [VALL]

"would you be afraid to sleep in the same room with a lunatic?" [VALL] Viewers in the UK were treated last night to the lat...

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by Scott Monty

"We Are, As Usual, The Irregulars" [LADY]

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "we are, as usual, the irregulars" [LADY]</h4> <br /> On January 2nd, 2012, <i>The Times</i> of London featured a very special comic insert....one which is of particular interest to Sherlockians and graphic literature fans alike, and helped set a proper tone for 2012<br /> <br /> As you can see by the embedded graphic below (click to enlarge), the <i>Times </i>featured a junior insert featuring <a href="http://www.thebakerstreetirregulars.com/" target="_blank">The Baker Street Irregulars</a> - characters who are the centerpiece of a graphic novel series by Tony Lee (who also finished a terrific run on IDW's <b><i><a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B005M2A4D4">Doctor Who</a></i></b> series) and Dan Boultwood for Franklin Watts/EDGE Books. There are currently four stories available in graphic novel form, and this series has been featured in this very blog (see <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/06/full-approval-cree_10.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Baker Street Irregulars — A New Graphical Series"</a>)<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/6621925625/" title="Baker Street Irregulars Comic - Times of London by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="Baker Street Irregulars Comic - Times of London" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6621925625_a9e865aa1a_z.jpg" width="523" /></a></div> <br /> The <i>Times</i> story - named "The Adventure of the New Year's Necklace" is a great, New Years Day-themed tale, taking place in 1892 between "The Final Problem [FINA]" and "The Empty House [EMPT]". All of Mr. Lee's stories are "in canon", and some well-known Sherlockians provide guidance and input. This is a great all-ages series to engage  the next generation of Sherlockians (including my 9 year-old godson, who received a copy of <b><i><a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0553328255">The Complete Sherlock Holmes</a></i></b> from his godfather), and is well worth checking out.<br /> <br /> (Some information for this post taken from the <a href="http://geekygirlslovescifi.blogspot.com/2012/01/first-look-lee-boultwoods-baker-street.html" target="_blank"><b>Geeky Girls </b>blog</a>).<br /> <i><br /></i> <i>Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>.</i><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

"We Are, As Usual, The Irregulars" [LADY]

"we are, as usual, the irregulars" [LADY] On January 2nd, 2012, The Times of London featured a very special comic insert....on...

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by Scott Monty

#BSIWeekend — the Official Hashtag of the 2012 BSI Weekend

<br /> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "a very pretty hash you have made" [LADY]</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/AVvXsEgID0ydlSd_1ozyiv7BxEmHvxu80pqwhZn1h_w6zTlH_k0DwInvWcIvhMlgGgFH51pN9JGz3B3u_8lH1uHzu2cS-c_Q9vm3eL_f6W6TBiYLKbdNdyebFl3dhAD5uKIn3YLS4YmS2kKWLRqp/s1600/Hash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgID0ydlSd_1ozyiv7BxEmHvxu80pqwhZn1h_w6zTlH_k0DwInvWcIvhMlgGgFH51pN9JGz3B3u_8lH1uHzu2cS-c_Q9vm3eL_f6W6TBiYLKbdNdyebFl3dhAD5uKIn3YLS4YmS2kKWLRqp/s640/Hash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> At this time next week, we'll be in at the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/">Baker Street Irregulars Weekend</a> in New York City, preparing for a few days of interaction with fellow Sherlockians and Holmesians from around the country and a few from around the world.<br /> <br /> There are a variety of events (see the embedded guide below - or click through to the post if you're reading this on email or RSS) that will keep us busy throughout the weekend, but if you're not there, we'd like to keep you updated on what we Irregulars experience. After all, we're supposed to be able to "go everywhere, see everything and overhear everyone."<br /> <br /> Throughout the weekend, we'll be making updates via the <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">@IHearofSherlock</a> Twitter handle and we'll be using the what's called a <i><b>hashtag</b></i> on Twitter. A hashtag (or #) is placed in front of a word to make it a topic of conversation that anyone can see, regardless of who they're following on Twitter.<br /> <br /> Our hashtag is <b>#bsiweekend</b>.  If you're attending and would like to tweet, please use #bsiweekend in all of your tweets. We'll pick it up and make it available to everyone on the <b>BSI WEEKEND NEWS</b> sidebar over at <b><a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">http://bsiweekend.com</a></b> and in <b>"Every Nerve in a Twitter" [TWIS]</b> in the sidebar here on this site.<br /> <br /> We'll also try to bring you photos as quickly as possible as the weekend unfolds. Stay tuned here and on our <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook page</a> for more information.<br /> <br /> And if you're at the event and can provide additional coverage, <a href="mailto:bakerstreetblog@gmail.com">we'd love to hear from you</a>. In the meantime, if you're planning to attend, download and print this handy one-page reference to keep you on track during the weekend:<br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: "trebuchet" , "trebuchet ms" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/71062982/The-2012-BSI-Weekend" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View The 2012 BSI Weekend on Scribd">The 2012 BSI Weekend</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_27014" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/71062982/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-h576m1zersde9ejz4tn" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); </script><br /><i><br /></i></span><br /> To see previous BSI Weekend coverage on this site, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/bsiweekend">please click here</a>. <br /> <br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: "trebuchet" , "trebuchet ms" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">--</span><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: "trebuchet" , "trebuchet ms" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>

#BSIWeekend — the Official Hashtag of the 2012 BSI Weekend

"a very pretty hash you have made" [LADY] At this time next week, we'll be in at the Baker Street Irregulars Weekend ...

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by Scott Monty

"He Has a European Fame" [REDC]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGINe7QqvpBZsv7Yoz1mqgfuh1t1VwoAzbQgumppBfVK3rVGjZsUjaqOqAHctn1pnxjYJlss6_l99YSNKzz-3QyKLrS6yGVF0Nzfe4QjbDqlN4TAhdAZuaUt_bt7YQHu3CbMOq_HnzM7Ln/s1600/Sherlock2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGINe7QqvpBZsv7Yoz1mqgfuh1t1VwoAzbQgumppBfVK3rVGjZsUjaqOqAHctn1pnxjYJlss6_l99YSNKzz-3QyKLrS6yGVF0Nzfe4QjbDqlN4TAhdAZuaUt_bt7YQHu3CbMOq_HnzM7Ln/s200/Sherlock2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>If you reside in the U.K., then you undoubtedly tuned in on January 1 for the BBC's airing of the long-anticipated second season of the popular and acclaimed series "<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018ttws">Sherlock</a>," which <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005UL537Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakstrblo-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B005UL537Y"><b>is now available for pre-ordering on Amazon.co.uk</b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thebakstrblo-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B005UL537Y" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (for European-compatible DVD players only).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/last-nights-tv-sherlock-bbc-1-6283989.html">By all accounts</a>, we're off to another <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8985109/Sherlock-BBC-One-review.html">solid start</a> with the first episode, "A Scandal in Belgravia," in which Irene Adler is portrayed as a dominatrix to royalty. It had to be a little saucier than simply a photograph in this day and age, and some sexual peccadilloes would seem to fit the bill this time around.<br /><br />We've been fortunate enough to see the episode and we're satisfied that the series will again be a success. It opens where last season left off, with Jim Moriarty taunting Holmes and Watson poolside until he's distracted by a more important issue. Back in Baker Street again, we see a parade of clients coming through the sitting room and Watson dutifully chronicling the interesting cases on <a href="http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/">his blog</a>, with titles such as "<a href="http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/blog/16june">The Geek Interpreter</a>," which involves a trio of misfits whose comic book tales are coming to life and "<a href="http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/blog/13july">The Speckled Blonde</a>," in which a female corpse showed no cause of death other than some spots all over her body.<br /><br />The two get into a spat about whose web site is more popular - Watson's, that attracts new clients, or Holmes's, that enumerates 240 (note the increase by 100) varieties of tobacco ash. Lestrade calls them "an internet phenomenon," after which the press are seen snapping photos and noting the attraction of "<a href="http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/blog/12august">Hat-Man and Robin</a>." In a funny aside, a number of times, Holmes gets flustered about Watson's blog counter being stuck at 1895...<br /><br />The two are summoned to none other than Buckingham Palace for a client (rather than royalty coming to Baker Street) and find that Irene Adler has some compromising photographs of one of the members of the royal family. As a dominatrix, she routinely blackmails her clients, but in this case, she has the photos for "insurance." Holmes and Watson make a raid on her flat in Belgravia in a scene reminiscent of the kind old clergyman finding his way into Briony Lodge.<br /><br />We'll leave the synopsis at that for now, as the full 90-minute episode held many twists and turns, with appearances by Mrs. Hudson and quite a bit of Mycroft again. The ending was...well, we won't spoil it. :-)<br /><br />This first episode was quite well done and really ties to the overall arc of the series, as we can see it developing.<br /><br /><u>If you're in Europe</u>, you may<b> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005UL537Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakstrblo-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B005UL537Y">pre-order season 2 of the BBC series "Sherlock" here</a></b>. No word on U.S.-compatible availability at this time. We'll be ready and waiting when the U.S. premiere happens. And if you haven't yet <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004132HZS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004132HZS">purchased season 1, what are you waiting for</a></b>?<br /><br /><i>When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.</i><br />--<br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thebakstrblo-21&o=2&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B005UL537Y" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>    <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004132HZS&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

"He Has a European Fame" [REDC]

If you reside in the U.K., then you undoubtedly tuned in on January 1 for the BBC's airing of the long-anticipated second season of the ...

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by Scott Monty

"Where All Gossip Is Welcome" [VALL] - December 2011

<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN_PS7Fjc41uB79BLQ7V_9MUcAzaUgY50Pl3zfplavu2ka1sEl6c88Nqdhop4jZRNr14Y_J2iWvPbL6e264UwY5znxdMv2ReH3xVdaNSknlKuFqhchFncT8qv6Ws4NhZSlFFWvhmP2VPI/s1600/blackpeter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN_PS7Fjc41uB79BLQ7V_9MUcAzaUgY50Pl3zfplavu2ka1sEl6c88Nqdhop4jZRNr14Y_J2iWvPbL6e264UwY5znxdMv2ReH3xVdaNSknlKuFqhchFncT8qv6Ws4NhZSlFFWvhmP2VPI/s1600/blackpeter.jpg" /></a></div>This is the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlockian or Doylean gossip, published in print form since 1971, as <a href="http://sherlocktron.hostoi.com/scuttle.htm">a text-only digital archive on Sherlocktron</a> since 1985, and <a href="http://www.scribd.com/collections/2834548/Scuttlebutt-from-the-Spermaceti-Press">a visual archive on Scribd</a> since 2011. In agreement with Peter Blau, we've arranged to publish facsimiles of the print newsletter here, so online readers can see what the newsletter looks like. Below the scan you can find links to the sites mentioned in the text - in most cases, directly to the article, video or publication, to save you from having to search for the terms.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The following is the December 2011 issue; please feel free to share it via email, social network, or embed it on your own site.</div><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/76920782/Scuttlebutt-from-the-Spermaceti-Press-December-2011" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press December 2011 on Scribd">Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press December 2011</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_82128" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/76920782/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-unzs18xih3a37rmqqvk" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); </script> <br /><br /><b>Links from this issue:</b><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.brookingslibrary.org/Jan12.pdf">Brookings Library - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle "A Life Explored"</a></li><li><a href="http://sherlockholmes-thegame.com/">Frogwares' The Testament of Sherlock Holmes game</a></li><li><a href="http://www.burnettviolins.co.uk/acd_violin.html">"Sherlock" violin from Burnett Violins</a></li><li><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/CustomZombie/search?search_query=sherlock&search_submit=&search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5513594&shopname=CustomZombie">Custom Zombie artwork, including Sherlock Bones</a></li><li><a href="http://www.criminalelement.com/features/series/sherlockiana?WTmc_id=undefined">Sherlockian content on Criminal Element</a></li><li>Kim Newman's Professor Moriarty: The Hound of the D'Urbervilles (Professor Moriarty Novels)<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0857682830" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0857682830/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0857682830">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0857682830/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakstrblo-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0857682830">Amazon UK</a></li><li>Kim Newman's <i>Anno Dracula</i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0857680838" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0857680838/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0857680838">Amazon</a>) or Anno Dracula (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0857680838/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakstrblo-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0857680838">Amazon UK</a>)</li><li><a href="http://www.johnnyalucard.com/">Kim Newman's web site</a></li><li><a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/89oao4y">"Everything You Need to Know About Professor Moriarty"</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pawky-Humorists/250554538311591">The Pawky Humorists</a> (Facebook)</li><li><a href="http://www.ash-tree.bc.ca/eBooks.htm">Ash-Tree Press eBooks</a>, including <i>The Thames Horror and Other Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i></li><li><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=alfred+swaine+taylor&btnG=Search+Books&tbm=bks&tbo=1">Alfred Swain Taylor in Google Books</a></li><li><a href="http://www.wicktheatre.co.uk/">Wick Theatre Company</a> ("The Hound of the Baskervilles" Jan. 11-14, 2012)</li><li><a href="http://www.shanepeacock.ca/">Shane Peacock</a></li><li><a href="http://www.dialanartist.com/portfoliolist.htm?it=4&ar=176">Bob Schochet's art</a></li><li><a href="http://www.jpeterman.com/Deerstalker-Cap">Deerstalker hat from J. Peterman</a></li><li><a href="http://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/magazines/articleitem.asp?article=1124">Deb Weissler's miniatures</a></li><li><a href="http://llauctions.auctionflex.com/showlots.ap?co=23728&weid=20908&weiid=0&mindate=20111213&maxdate=20121213&keyword=twidle&lso=lotnumasc&pagenum=1&lang=En">Arthur Twidle artwork auction</a> (January 4, 2012)</li><li><a href="http://www.lbplayhouse.org/">Long Beach Playhouse</a> ("Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Feb. 25 - Mar. 24, 2012)</li><li><a href="http://www.sherlocktron.hostoi.com/Sherlocktron.html">Sherlocktron's new home</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.com/e_times11-12.html">Sherlockian E-Times</a></li><li><a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/">Box Office Mojo</a></li><li><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2011/12/28/144372381/sherlock-holmes-and-the-adventure-in-good-music">"Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure in Good Music"</a> (NPR Deceptive Decadence blog)</li><li><a href="http://www.npr.org/search/index.php?searchinput=Sherlock">Search results for "Sherlock" on npr.org</a></li><li><a href="http://www.anthonyhorowitz.com/">Anthony Horowitz's web site</a></li><li>Anthony Horowitz's The House of Silk on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316196991/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316196991">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005I5482S/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakstrblo-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B005I5482S">Amazon UK</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lbshakespeare.org/audio.php">Long Beach Shakespeare Company's reading of "The Blue Carbuncle"</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlockology.com/">Sherlockology</a></li><li><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8983337/Sherlock-the-universal-language-of-crime-fighting.html">BBC's "Sherlock" in a variety of languages</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlocktron.hostoi.com/scuttle.htm">Text archive of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press</a> (on Sherlocktron)</li><li><a href="http://www.scribd.com/collections/2834548/Scuttlebutt-from-the-Spermaceti-Press">Visual archive of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press</a> (on Scribd)</li></ul><br /><br /><i>When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.</i><br />--

"Where All Gossip Is Welcome" [VALL] - December 2011

This is the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlock...

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by Scott Monty

"I Am Now About to Summarize" [ENGR]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWRehREmo1D3TSiAC2jTRjSvIlI2vhMgOOiMdQnR-0dNttkUkA8a4Wbw9SXir1DsL9a3boclbaVc_qQYMFGQZNWkYi4EemrHF7hMk_n_8vx887fhf-K4T07d0lr6BU2DSvzaKaaPSYDkz/s1600/BSICamera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWRehREmo1D3TSiAC2jTRjSvIlI2vhMgOOiMdQnR-0dNttkUkA8a4Wbw9SXir1DsL9a3boclbaVc_qQYMFGQZNWkYi4EemrHF7hMk_n_8vx887fhf-K4T07d0lr6BU2DSvzaKaaPSYDkz/s200/BSICamera.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As we bid farewell to 2011, we thought it was only appropriate to take a look back at how our little site progressed throughout the year. We offer you, dear reader, this snapshot of activity on the Baker Street Blog and hope that you find it useful. This was a year of growth and change, and our aim is to continue to bring you the best of the news of Sherlock Holmes and popular culture.<br /><br />A note about the image to the left: for those of you not familiar, that is the state of the art photographic technology that's traditionally used at the <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">BSI Dinner</a>.<br /><br />Now then. Let's look at a few areas of interest and see if we can make anything of it all. We're looking forward to receiving your feedback in the form of emails and comments.<br /><br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">"There Are the Numbers" [SILV]</span></b><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNUZYvCo2bRjxi7Ordu1wCmUpfGYJ41pVclU_vD_5ecEs05Uu88KYK-U4dyVHpkM0lI9_CciNr9SsF_xn1Q6b20uGcYZVfnfibZ2-2kSuBDBkDR3mlK-Ui31_Me81L_gSv9Gc9ETdcfUV/s1600/file-archives.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNUZYvCo2bRjxi7Ordu1wCmUpfGYJ41pVclU_vD_5ecEs05Uu88KYK-U4dyVHpkM0lI9_CciNr9SsF_xn1Q6b20uGcYZVfnfibZ2-2kSuBDBkDR3mlK-Ui31_Me81L_gSv9Gc9ETdcfUV/s1600/file-archives.PNG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See this in the sidebar on the site.</td></tr></tbody></table>By the numbers, this was a particularly successful year. In the seven years that the Baker Street Blog has been in existence, 2011 marks our third most productive year in terms of the number of posts. As you can see if you're viewing this on <a href="http://bakerstreetblog.com/">bakerstreetblog.com</a>, the section in the far right sidebar titled <b>"File It In Our Archives" [RETI]</b> contains a count of how many posts we've made each year. The total for this year stands at 109 posts, following 2006 and 2007 at 144 and 152, respectively. And early in the year <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/03/i-would-willingly-give-five-hundred.html">we reached our 500th post</a> - a testament to our commitment and the longevity of this subject. We encourage you to browse through the archives by title, date or by label - each post we make is labeled with an appropriate category so you can find all of the same types of articles grouped together by using the label function under <b>"Some Other Topic" [BERY]</b> just above the archives function.<br /><br />In addition to what we created, it's also helpful to note your contributions as well. You left some 200 comments throughout the course of the year. Every post here contains a comment section. We absolutely love hearing from you, whether it's a debate, an affirmation, additional information or anything else. It adds to our dialog.<br /><br />Off the site, we also saw some growth as well. Both the <b><a href="http://sherlockholmes.ning.com/">Sherlock Holmes Social Network</a></b> and the <b><a href="http://facebook.com/bakerstreetblog">Baker Street Blog Facebook page</a></b> experienced a boost in participants, with over 770 members at the SHSN and over 700 on Facebook. We also established <a href="https://plus.google.com/117572265970390008416/posts">a Google+ page</a> as that nascent social network is taking off. And our Twitter account (<a href="http://twitter.com/bakerstreetblog">@BakerStreetBlog</a>) continues its upward trajectory with some 2,300 followers. All of these sites, as well as our RSS and email service, are designed to alert you of updates to the site and other interesting content. If you haven't connected with us on any of those platforms yet, we recommend you choose one that appeals to you and do so.<br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">"The Constable's Features Broadened" [STUD]</span></b><br />We're very proud to have been able to expand some of the features we offer here on the site in 2011. If you're reading this in email or an RSS reader, we recommend clicking through to the site to see these features in context.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li>We <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/01/i-think-we-must-begin-illu.html">began the year with live tweeting of the BSI weekend</a> using the Twitter hashtag #bsiweekend and including a constantly updating widget in the sidebar of the site that would pull in all mentions of that hashtag.</li><li>Also in January, we began to feature all of the URLs and visual scans from Peter Blau's monthly newsletter <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/search/label/scuttlebutt">Scuttlebutt From the Spermaceti Press</a>.</li><li>In February, we initiated a column by Steve Doyle, author of <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470484446/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470484446">Sherlock Holmes For Dummies</a></i></b>, in which he could expand on topics that he didn't have room to cover in his book, or offer updates based on new information. We called it "<a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/search/label/Sherlock%20Holmes%20for%20Dummies">From the Dummy's Chair</a>." While we haven't had a submission in a while, perhaps a few comments or emails could convince Steve to contribute again.</li><li>We expanded the way you can subscribe to our updates. Now, in addition to our RSS feed and email updates (which mails as often as we update the site), we now offer <a href="http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=63709c1ff5d9d35a61c4186a878d6a7d&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bakerstreetblog.com%2Fp%2Fabout-me.html&v=1&libid=1325344333086&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.feedblitz.com%2Ff%2F%3FSub%3D740755&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bakerstreetblog.com%2Fp%2Fnew-here.html&title=About%20%7C%20The%20Baker%20Street%20Blog&txt=click%20here&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13253449313951">weekly summary emails</a> to catch you up on everything we've posted throughout the week.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5XicN1C0Vz0wjVIdbuyaEJuyPomDa5I7zmBk8P7n7zAd3ID5dzqkTaMjTR_q_OCUkSYXzRMSLBroQrAE9qkqWE_syBl7xux6eGiPr7rzcz0Xgae9aVmq79G9caaw2-Pu2hEmYziN2yeC/s1600/Tip-Donate.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5XicN1C0Vz0wjVIdbuyaEJuyPomDa5I7zmBk8P7n7zAd3ID5dzqkTaMjTR_q_OCUkSYXzRMSLBroQrAE9qkqWE_syBl7xux6eGiPr7rzcz0Xgae9aVmq79G9caaw2-Pu2hEmYziN2yeC/s320/Tip-Donate.PNG" width="272" /></a></div><ul><li>In the spirit of Holmes's own strategy of using the Irregulars to "go everywhere, see everything, overhear everyone," we instituted the <a href="mailto:bakerstreetblog@gmail.com">Tip button</a> (<b>"Let Me Have the Straight Tip" [SILV]</b>) that sends us an email if you know of something that we should cover.</li><li>As you can imagine, our site does have operating costs, and we included a <span style="color: red;">Support Us button</span> (<b>"Something to Support It" [HOUN]</b>) that allows you to make a donation of any amount via PayPal. We thank you for the support in 2011 and hope you can help us continue to offset these costs.</li><li>Since about midway through the year, we've been using a system called <a href="http://paper.li/BakerStreetBlog/1306000545">Paper.li</a> that auto-aggregates content about Sherlock Holmes as mentioned on Twitter. It gets tweeted out automatically from <a href="http://twitter.com/bakerstreetblog">our Twitter account</a> and is embedded as The Sherlock Holmes Daily over on the left in the widget titled <b>"Every Nerve in a Twitter" [TWIS]</b>.</li><li>In the last few months, we also discovered a service called <a href="http://www.scoop.it/t/sherlock-holmes/">Scoop.it</a> that allows <i>us</i> to control the content we share. Many times, there are articles or newsy items that don't give us much to write about (or we don't have the time), so we quickly share it via our Sherlock Holmes Scoop. As with the Paper.li content, we share that over on the left under the heading <b>"A Bit of News" [REDH]</b>.</li></ul><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"It Was Up at the Top" [SIGN]</b></span><br />If you direct your attention to the top of the page, you'll find that we added some navigation regarding the basics of the site. These are items that either previously did not exist or that were jumbled in the sidebar areas.<br /><ul><li>The <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/about-me.html">About</a> tab explains why the site exists and gives anyone an opportunity to become a correspondent.</li><li>For those who are <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/new-here.html">New Here</a>, we provided an introduction to the site, calling out some of the features.</li><li>The myriad and messy content of the sidebar was aggregated into a <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/resources.html">Resources</a> section - everything from references, BSI content, links to other Sherlockian blogs, other people, international societies and publications.</li><li>We began tracking <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/holmes-on-facebook.html">Sherlock Holmes entities on Facebook</a>. If you know of a Sherlockian society, group or other body that has a presence on Facebook, please use the form to keep the database up to date. We're only as good as you make us!</li><li>As you know, the title of every post is taken from the Canon. We abbreviate the story title with Jay Finlay Christ's four-letter codes, which we have made clear in the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/title-abbreviations.html">Titles section</a>.</li></ul><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">"Contributed to the Literature of the Subject" [REDH]</span></b><br />The expansion of the site has been much more than the features. In 2011, we also expanded our writing staff. Traditionally, this effort was the work of a single person. In March, <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/03/intelligence-of-your-correspondent-vall.html">we announced that we were expanding the authorship of the site</a>, opening it up to contributors who had an interest in a variety of topics related to Sherlock Holmes. Approximately 1/3 of our posts this year were from contributors - people like Gordon (entertainment - movies, comics, theatre, television), Jill (imbibables, gaming), Francine (terrace), Steve ("Dummies"), Athenae (historical), Kate (general), Jennifer (historical), Marc (general), Ann (books) and Jacquelynn (Undershaw). We're always looking for more; if you have an idea or would like to contribute, <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/about-me.html">please click here</a>.<br /><br />A few highlights from our contributors:<br /><ul><li>Jill Brumer shared <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/08/your-good-man-should-have-no-want-of.html">some</a> <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/04/as-cool-as-ice-abbe.html">drink recipes</a> with us as part of the Sherlock Holmes drinking game and also penned <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/12/those-shots-must-have-told-him-that.html">one of the reviews</a> for <i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</i>.</li><li>Kate provided <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/12/curious-sequel-of-our-investigation.html">another review</a> as well as <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/05/playing-game-with-us-norw.html">a look at a Sherlock Holmes video game</a>.</li><li>Gordon Dymowski was our most prolific contributor, with no fewer than 14 articles. From covering <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/06/every-modern-improvement-milv.html">movies that might</a> not have <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/06/horror-of-destroying-documents-musg.html">caught the average Sherlockian's</a> attention to <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/10/out-of-black-shadows-twis.html">some of the lost classics</a> and from <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/03/rare-fits-of-laughter-stud.html">comedic theater</a> to <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/09/sound-of-galloping-across-moor-houn.html">radio recreations</a>, he is able to discover and interpret some of the most interesting bits of minutiae about our hobby that others might miss. </li></ul><br />So that wraps up 2011 for the Baker Street Blog. It was a great year for us; what did you think? We're looking forward to continuing to provide this service to the Sherlockian world in 2012 and look forward to your suggestions, feedback and tips.<br /><br /><i>When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.</i><br />--<br /><br />

"I Am Now About to Summarize" [ENGR]

As we bid farewell to 2011, we thought it was only appropriate to take a look back at how our little site progressed throughout the year. We...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty