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 ...

+ Read more »

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...

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by Scott Monty

"The Two Gentlemen Passed Us" [HOUN]

It's the end of the year and we're catching up on some of the passings that have occurred over the past couple of months. The following are a pair of BSI obituaries of some longstanding members of the Baker Street Irregulars.<br /> <br /> <b><span style="font-size: large;">J. Warren Scheideman</span></b><br /> J. Warren Scheideman, BSI ("Count Von und Zu Grafenstein") died in a suburb of Chicago on August 25, 2011 at the age of 69. He received his degrees from De Paul University and went on to become a member of the faculty in 1984, moderating poetry readings and teaching things as diverse as Film Noir and Science Fiction. A new course in Film Noir, being taught now, stated on its syllabus,<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "This course is dedicated to Warren Scheideman who hatched its plot, investigated its subject, and taught its lessons to many students across many years." </blockquote> One of his colleagues wrote that Warren’s dissertation on the analysis of curriculum was remarkable, and added that the faculty and students had been inspired and enlightened by his brilliance and thoughtfulness. He wrote a 452-page book on adult learning, which was published by the University and has become an important volume in the world of adult education.<br /> <br /> Warren was a member of The Hounds of the Baskerville [sic] and Hugo's Companions. He was widely published in many Sherlockian journals, including the Baker Street Journal and Canadian Holmes, with titles such as "Hugh Boone's Twists on Victorian Society." He was invested into The Baker Street Irregulars in 1982 as "Count Von und Zu Grafenstein."<br /> <br /> <b><span style="font-size: large;">James H. Bready</span></b><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_Frgaoeo_1aQVD0wkMhHngNejviJHzx7gH_cKnKadEu27i85X1DyA36hQv-VhS2o1hHuITTNpM_lIokU69pX1SQJN_tes__mzArYhpMBpiilmfRRz6-uo5gYPHdqwNVDx-ObPLrQwdU/s1600/bready-james.preview.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/AVvXsEhJ_Frgaoeo_1aQVD0wkMhHngNejviJHzx7gH_cKnKadEu27i85X1DyA36hQv-VhS2o1hHuITTNpM_lIokU69pX1SQJN_tes__mzArYhpMBpiilmfRRz6-uo5gYPHdqwNVDx-ObPLrQwdU/s1600/bready-james.preview.jpg" /></a></div> James H. Bready, BSI ("The Disappearance of James Phillamore") died in Baltimore on October 29, 2011 at the age of 92. He graduated from Haverford College in 1939 and earned his Master's degree from Harvard University. <br /> During World War II, Mr. Bready served almost five years in the Army's Counterintelligence Corps in the European Theater. Discharged at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, 1945, at Fort George G. Meade, Mr. Bready, still dressed in his uniform, began working as a <i>Baltimore Evening Sun</i> copy editor at 8:30 the next morning. During his long career, Mr. Bready was a general assignment reporter and later feature writer, editorial writer and columnist. He was <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-bready-letter-20111102,0,1598202.story">remembered by his former paper here</a>.<br /> <br /> In 1949, Mr. Bready had interviewed Evelyn Waugh, the English novelist who was visiting Baltimore. His counterpart at <i>The Baltimore Sun</i>, who was also assigned to do an article on the writer, was Russell Baker. Mr. Baker recalled meeting Mr. Bready in his 1989 memoir, saying that "The imagination, wit, and graceful lilt of his writing made him one of the glories of the <i>Evening Sun</i>." <br /> <br /> In 1954, Bready's first "Books and Authors" column appeared in the <i>Sunday Sun</i>. He became the paper's arbiter of the Baltimore literary scene, vetting books and assigning them for review. At a time when bylines were rationed conservatively and not necessarily a reporter's birthright, Bready was in the position to offer both a book's author, and its reviewer, some ink. This power, coupled with his fair treatment of the region's writers, made Bready a popular name in Baltimore. The column ran biweekly and then monthly through 2005. <br /> <br /> For 30 years until 1984, Mr. Bready was the Baltimore correspondent for <i>Time</i>, <i>Life</i> and <i>Fortune</i> magazines, and had been <i>Encyclopaedia Britannica's</i> designated writer for its entry on Maryland. <br /> Mr. Bready was also the author of several books, <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&x=0&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&y=0&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=The%20Home%20Team%20bready&url=search-alias%3Daps">The Home Team</a></i></b>, an illustrated history of Baltimore baseball, and <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080185833X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=080185833X">Baseball in Baltimore</a></i></b> published in 1998, which is still sold on Amazon. <br /> <br /> Mr. Bready was a longtime member of the <a href="http://www.baltimorebottleclub.org/">Baltimore Antique Bottle Club</a> and had amassed through the years an extensive collection of material related to Maryland rye whiskey. In his retirement he wrote the first detailed study of pre-Prohibition Maryland rye, which was published by the Maryland Historical Society. <br /> <br /> Mr. Bready was a member of The Six Napoleons of Baltimore and served as their Gasogene in 1954-55. He was invested in The Baker Street Irregulars in 1955 as "The Disappearance of James Phillimore." <br /> <br /> --<br /> <i>Please remember these fine men <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/search/label/terrace">and all previous Irregulars whom we have remembered</a> in these pages. May they rest in eternal peace on the other side of the Reichenbach Falls.</i><br /> <i><br /></i>

"The Two Gentlemen Passed Us" [HOUN]

It's the end of the year and we're catching up on some of the passings that have occurred over the past couple of months. The follow...

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by Francine Kitts

"The Second Morning After Christmas" [BLUE]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <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/AVvXsEj10NcRe2iB8M8EeQQOVgc_wZv4iZU9dWbJNyaZxp3fIAIl_igtv62P3Yt7U89p_j7MEwGWdZPBBncvXvzR38ufhWNZwTGJfHn7_j2HeoajWPttCgajWMoqxQ7oisOkIOslmcmhkD172M18/s1600/BLUEBSI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10NcRe2iB8M8EeQQOVgc_wZv4iZU9dWbJNyaZxp3fIAIl_igtv62P3Yt7U89p_j7MEwGWdZPBBncvXvzR38ufhWNZwTGJfHn7_j2HeoajWPttCgajWMoqxQ7oisOkIOslmcmhkD172M18/s320/BLUEBSI.jpg" width="228" /></a></div> It's that time of the year when we reach into the archives and pull out one of the old favorites that seems to survive the test of time.<br /> <br /> Not only do we recycle the content, but we ignore our editorial mandate to avoid reusing a quote for the post title. However, in the case of "The Second Morning After Christmas" [BLUE] which has been used in <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2006/12/second-morning-after-christmas-blue_27.html"><b>2006</b></a>, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2008/12/second-morning-after-christmas-blue_27.html"><b>2008</b></a>, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/12/second-morning-after-christmas-blue_27.html" style="font-weight: bold;">2009</a> and <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/12/second-morning-after-christmas-blue_25.html" style="font-weight: bold;">2010</a>, we find that we have a post that continues to please, so we'll continue the tradition. Just as the <i>Wall Street Journal</i> annually reproduces a 1949 editorial written by Vermont Royster called "<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204464404577112431986005786.html">In Hoc Anno Domini</a>," we saw no reason to avoid replication here.<br /> <br /> If this is new to you, please feel free to share and use this at your own Sherlockian society holiday meetings. The only thing we ask is that you attribute the poem to its rightful author. <br /> <br /> So, we bring you "Two Days After Christmas," a tribute to "The Blue Carbuncle" in the style of Clement Moore's <a href="http://iment.com/maida//familytree/henry/xmas/poemvariants/troysentinel1823.htm" style="color: #003366;">A Visit from St. Nick</a>.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center> <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/24531783/Two-Days-After-Christmas" 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 Two Days After Christmas on Scribd">Two Days After Christmas</a> <object align="middle" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="500" id="doc_918193272192160" name="doc_918193272192160" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24531783&access_key=key-8qfi6uwtitozfa777tp&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="play" value="true"> <param name="loop" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showall"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="devicefont" value="false"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="menu" value="true"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="salign" value=""> <param name="mode" value="list"> <embed src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24531783&access_key=key-8qfi6uwtitozfa777tp&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="opaque" devicefont="false" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="doc_918193272192160_object" menu="true" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" mode="list" height="500" width="100%"></embed> </object> </center> <br /> <br /> <br /> For those of you inclined more to listening rather than reading, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/12/special-episode-compliments-of-season.html">here's the audio version, courtesy of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>.<br /> <br /> <b>A note about the lead image for this post:</b><br /> This is the dust jacket from the first book to be published by the Baker Street Irregulars. The deluxe edition included "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" with blue-tinged plates of two of the Sidney Paget illustrations from the original <i>Strand Magazine</i>. It also included an essay by Edgar W. Smith, BSI titled "The Story of the Blue Carbuncle," as well as "A Note on the Baker Street Irregulars." We have included a link below to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YE59BW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000YE59BW%22">purchase this through Amazon</a>.<br /> <br /> We have the pleasure and honor of wishing you "the compliments of the season."<br /> <br /> <br /> <i>Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site. </i><i>Thank you for your generosity.</i><br /> <i>-- </i><br /> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="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=B000YE59BW" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="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=B0037AV3KG" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="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=B0046BVA44" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

"The Second Morning After Christmas" [BLUE]

It's that time of the year when we reach into the archives and pull out one of the old favorites that seems to survive the test of...

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by Scott Monty

The Blue Carbuncle, As Told via Animated Gif

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "It arrived upon Christmas morning." [BLUE]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa-2QGQ3dNhof4x2hmhI7ZINX_fa9O0oKww8KShn6O7_Uc1tgNHBAf1xa89SeYQ7QIMOUcCXLMfNH21mVwK4Gmbryjo5IQyVP5U5Bk1wDA9WGmZCzD-yZo_GnVRTeeSSLTVRVyOfy_0N4/s1600/Whorl+-+BLUE.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa-2QGQ3dNhof4x2hmhI7ZINX_fa9O0oKww8KShn6O7_Uc1tgNHBAf1xa89SeYQ7QIMOUcCXLMfNH21mVwK4Gmbryjo5IQyVP5U5Bk1wDA9WGmZCzD-yZo_GnVRTeeSSLTVRVyOfy_0N4/s640/Whorl+-+BLUE.gif" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <br /> Usually we save our Christmas greetings on this site for "the second morning after Christmas." But in this case, we found a relic from our digital version of Holmes's own "large tin box" [MUSG] containing notes of his early cases. <br /> <br /> In our own instance, the artifact is an animated gif that we found and sought permission (some four years ago) from a member of <a href="http://www.holmesian.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=473&st=20">Holmesian.net</a> named "whorl". We had misplaced the image, and then did not have an appropriate hosting service to be able to share it with you. <br /> <br /> Now, on Christmas morning, that has all been solved. We're proud and honored to bring you <b><a href="http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj88/scottmonty/stick_BLUE-1.gif">The Bloo Sparkly</a></b> (click for the fullsize image), a retelling of "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" with stick figures, which you can see below. <i><b>If you're reading this on a feed reader or via email, please click on "I Hear of Sherlock" in the header of the email to advance to the website to see the animation</b></i>. The slides advance automatically, so if you need to start over, just hit F5 or refresh your browser to start over. <br /> <br /> <br /> We hope that your holiday is an enjoyable one. Expect to see us back here again in two days (i.e. "the second morning after Christmas" [BLUE]). <br /> <i><br /></i> <br /> --

The Blue Carbuncle, As Told via Animated Gif

"It arrived upon Christmas morning." [BLUE] Usually we save our Christmas greetings on this site for "the second m...

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by Scott Monty

“Those Shots Must Have Told Him that the Game was Up.” [HOUN]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaPt9o7xAwHEaT_-aeS8gY-mn9nv-C9FeJ8nQNO4EIzJonsdYwwtCG1ioVyQbnx8Csd1CmZKGII7ytb3yolvIUUG0c_pk6-Rj6lkmMXAWhcd-i3lGIWBbzNn4mc-tbLoSDIiW_GZpPuXq/s1600/GAME32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaPt9o7xAwHEaT_-aeS8gY-mn9nv-C9FeJ8nQNO4EIzJonsdYwwtCG1ioVyQbnx8Csd1CmZKGII7ytb3yolvIUUG0c_pk6-Rj6lkmMXAWhcd-i3lGIWBbzNn4mc-tbLoSDIiW_GZpPuXq/s640/GAME32.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><i>Editor's note</i>: this is another review in our continuing series from our contributors. If you would like to contribute to the site, please <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/about-me.html">click here</a>.<br /><br /> It has been three years since the original Guy Ritchie reboot of the Sherlock Holmes film franchise. At the time, Holmes hadn't been seen on the big screen in years, and excitement for this new take on the classic character was huge. We were promised a faster, rougher Holmes from the director of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000093FLA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000093FLA%22"><i>Snatch</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00007ELEP/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00007ELEP"><i>Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels</i></a>, and that’s exactly what we got. The best part? It was fun, if not exactly true to the original characters and tales as told by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.<br /><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /><a href="http://sherlockholmes2.warnerbros.com/"><i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</i></a> opened this weekend to a substantially different reception. While the original film brought in over $60 million it’s first weekend, GAME barely topped out at $40 million. Were we all just tired of waiting three years to see more of Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes? Or have we seen all that Ritchie had to offer and just don’t feel the need to pay to see any more?<br /><br />Part of this reviewer’s personal apathy towards seeing the film was the fact that, yes, I enjoyed seeing the original <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OQCV6A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001OQCV6A"><i>Sherlock Holmes</i></a> for Christmas in 2009, but that’s before the BBC television series, <i>Sherlock</i>, had aired. Seeing Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman embody the fully-modernized Holmes and Watson in Mark Gatiss and Stephen Moffat’s three episode series is everything you hoped the big-budget Ritchie film would be: clever, exciting, and extremely well done. If <i>Sherlock</i> didn’t exist as a series, then maybe, just maybe, GAME wouldn’t have disappointed quite as much as it did.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUxqel4YLhm-1kxzmc4LCZBfCcUXwFAaGln-z_IkEXaiBbTiwqluhi6zU0iUvNRNEceTQs96WHPZkaY_K3GYkuK2zzV4MOn9uTUv4ho6p7mdc0WqSBwMSTaEI121vJLSMnKx2Ehk97m_w/s1600/GAME02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUxqel4YLhm-1kxzmc4LCZBfCcUXwFAaGln-z_IkEXaiBbTiwqluhi6zU0iUvNRNEceTQs96WHPZkaY_K3GYkuK2zzV4MOn9uTUv4ho6p7mdc0WqSBwMSTaEI121vJLSMnKx2Ehk97m_w/s640/GAME02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <i><div class="MsoNormal"> <i><br /></i></div> Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</i> finds Watson (the handsomely-mustachioed Jude Law) about to marry, and Holmes teetering on the edge of psychosis. Is Holmes manic, has he lost his edge? the film seems to ask. The film never misses a moment of making Holmes seem, well, incredibly ridiculous—whether he is downing a glass of formaldehyde rather than brandy, or trotting along on a tiny pony while everyone else rushes by on their full-sized horses. If the filmmaker’s objective was to make Holmes look downright silly, rather than classically brilliant, or even heroic, then consider this movie a success.<br /><br />The film is much more an action film than a well-written mystery, centering around the machinations of Holmes’ latest obsession, Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris, whom Americans will recognize from the AMC series <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YABIQ6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000YABIQ6"><i>Mad Men</i></a>). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the climax happens at Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, which is not an incredibly exciting plot point to anyone who knows anything about the canon of Holmes stories.<br /><br />That being said, there were some very beautiful shots in the film. The scene with Holmes, Watson, and their gypsy companion, played by Noomi Rapace, running through the woods while under heavy artillery fire leaps to mind. My viewing companion (not a Holmes aficionado) enjoyed the film very much, so I believe it stands on its own as an enjoyable time at the movies. I can’t help my reservations at recommending the film, though. Any movie that sets out to make the Great Detective seem silly overall is doing the legacy quite an injustice. <br /><br />Word is that the green light has been given to a third film as well, so we’ll just have to endure more action-packed ridiculousness from the Ritchie group. All of this Hollywood Holmes stuff just leaves me wondering, ‘When does the BBC “Sherlock” air in the US?’ This reviewer is ready to see some really taut storytelling and acting as befits the great Sherlock Holmes. </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div> <i>Jill Brumer is a small business owner, college drama professor, and all around creative type who has lived all over the States. She has her father to thank for purchasing her first Sherlock Holmes story when she was twelve years old- the fascination has never stopped!</i>--<br /> <br />

“Those Shots Must Have Told Him that the Game was Up.” [HOUN]

Editor's note : this is another review in our continuing series from our contributors. If you would like to contribute to the site, pl...

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by Scott Monty

"You Will Find That the Clips Are Too" [GOLD]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/6540058639/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Sherlock Series 2 BBC Poster by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="Sherlock Series 2 BBC Poster" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6540058639_770c819209_m.jpg" width="164" /></a>The BBC series "<b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018ttws">Sherlock</a></b>" is making is second series run on BBC One this holiday season.<br /><br />If you <b><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2010/10/something-more-modern-houn.html">missed the first one</a></b> (viewed in the United States on Masterpiece Mystery), you're in for a real treat. The series takes the original stories and characters and updates them for the 21st century. Watson is returning from Afghanistan (strange how some conflicts never end) and Holmes is an oddity of a consulting/science machine that lives alone in Baker Street. The two share rooms and Watson is there to chronicle Holmes's cases (albeit with <b><a href="http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/">Dr. Watson's Blog</a></b> rather than the <i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2007/01/i-even-embodied-it-in-small-brochure.html"><b>Strand Magazine</b></a></i>). And instead of chemical retorts and tobacco ash research, Holmes relies on GPS and his iPhone, among other devices.<br /><br />Lest you thumb your nose at such a modernization of the character, o traditional Sherlock Holmes fan, let us remind you that the Basil Rathbone series was almost, in its entirety, set in modern-day England. This new series manages to update the stories while paying proper respect to the stories from which inspired it. The co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are each students of the Canon.<br /><br />Here we have <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAFD3D45AD81DC848">a two-video playlist</a></b> of clips from the upcoming season.<br /><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="244" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLAFD3D45AD81DC848&hl=en_US" width="480"></iframe></center><br /><i><br /></i><br />The episodes should be truly excellent, with titles like "A Scandal in Belgravia," "The Hounds of Baskerville," and "The Reichenbach Fall," all clearly taken from "A Scandal in Bohemia," <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> and "The Final Problem."<br /><br />Have you seen the first series? What are your expectations from the second? Let us know in a comment here on the site.<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 /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="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=B004132I20" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>  <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="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=B00499LTLM" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>  <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="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=B004132HZS" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

"You Will Find That the Clips Are Too" [GOLD]

The BBC series " Sherlock " is making is second series run on BBC One this holiday season. If you missed the first one (viewed in...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - a First Review

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "The curious sequel of our investigation" [SOLI]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6464325839_eb75b1df37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6464325839_eb75b1df37.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> [<i>Editor's note</i>: the following is the first is a series of reviews by contributors to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.]<br /> <br /> I should start by mentioning that I enjoyed Guy Ritchie’s first <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OQCV6K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001OQCV6K"><i>Sherlock Holmes</i></a>. There were elements that grated, but I thought it was an overall fun action film. To quote Roger Ebert, “The less I thought about Sherlock Holmes, the more I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes.” For the sequel, “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” I was already familiar with Guy Ritchie’s version of Holmes’ world and was able to become a little more immersed in the story, having established the rules of the game in the first film. Though there were certainly still points that could have been improved upon, I left the theater with a grin on my face.<br /> <br /> The film starts with Watson at his typewriter, establishing right away that this is all one long flashback - we are viewing his account of the adventure. The year is 1891, and a series of bombings throughout Europe have led to the straining of already tense relations of the continent’s nations, particularly those between France and Germany.<br /> <br /> To assure the viewer of exactly what we are in for, as if we didn’t know, things start with a very loud bang - literally. Along with an explosion, we see Holmes in disguise, Holmes fighting multiple opponents in the same slow-motion style as was utilized in the first film, our first glimpse of Moriarty being delightfully creepy without becoming melodramatic, and a character ends a brief cameo by being murdered. All of this happens before the opening credits.<br /> <br /> I should take a moment to point out that it is not all one massive adrenaline rush. I thought the movie was well paced for an action film, and there are a few quieter moments that are taken advantage of, particularly the wedding of Dr. John Watson and Miss Mary Morstan. It is a brief scene, but in it we see Holmes’ reaction to his best and only friend getting married, and it is appropriately bittersweet. On the other end of the emotional spectrum are moments of suspense given weight by Jared Harris’ shiver-inducing performance as Moriarty. When Holmes and his archenemy meet face to face for the first time, it is all restrained gentility and diabolical undertones. They even manage to work in a nod to the original Canon.<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.sunjournal.com/files/imagecache/story_large/2011/12/14/ENCsherlockP121611.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://www.sunjournal.com/files/imagecache/story_large/2011/12/14/ENCsherlockP121611.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span> As I said before, this is a sequel and works within the already established changes of the first film. Differences from what fans of the Great Detective might expect are to be, well, expected. This time there were two elements that sort of threw me off, though as more of a mild annoyance than anything else. Holmes is seen in disguise many times in this film, and while that is excellent in concept, the disguises themselves were obviously designed to get a chuckle from the audience, rather than show Holmes’ skill in the art. Then there’s Mycroft Holmes. Stephen Fry gives an excellent performance, he rejoices in the character’s stuffy aristocratic omniscience, is given a fun tweak in calling Holmes “Shirley” just to annoy his brother... and then we see him in his office, nude. Not doing anything in particular, apparently just preferring not to wear clothes while he goes over correspondence and tells an understandably flustered Mrs. Watson (who is nicely utilized - take that Doyle) that he is starting to understand why a man might possibly want to associate with “a person of your, ah... gender.” The scene is funny, no denying it, but very superfluous.<br /> <br /> The only issue I had with the film itself, outside of Canonical derivations, was one sequence in which the heroes and company are running through a forest and the slow-motion I had grown accustomed to seeing for the majority of Holmes’ fight scenes becomes so excessive it killed the momentum of the film at that point. Lots of explosions? Fine, it’s a Guy Ritchie film with anarchist bombers and steampunk weapon manufacturers (automatic pistol, anyone?), there will be lots of explosions. An over-the-top moment for the villain to torture his nemesis while singing along to opera? The cliche actually works well, which was somewhat surprising, thanks largely to the torture itself being relatively mild and Jared Harris obviously enjoying being evil so much. The slow-motion, however, works when Holmes is narrating his thought process for each fight, but to have an entire scene of running with explosions and trees shattering from artillery fire all done in jerky stop and go slow-motion is too much. They’re trying to escape - just let them run!<br /> <br /> One thing I think many people had problems with in the first film was Robert Downey Jr’s performance. I have to admit, it grows on me. His Holmes is manically obsessed with Moriarty, to the point where the start of the film made me wince a little. “Please don’t let him be this crazy the entire film”, I thought to myself. <br /> <br /> Fortunately, while maintaining his own brand of a quirkier, scruffier Holmes, the craziness gives way to a comparatively much more Holmes-ish intensity. His fights are all well choreographed, more like dances with weaponry than fights, and Downey gets to display some of his martial arts knowledge by working it into Holmes’ demonstrations of bartitsu. He also gives something of a justification for his character’s strange behavior. While dancing around a room in which he knows an assassin is hiding, his partner (a rather two-dimensional gypsy played by the lovely Noomi Rapace) asks, “What do you see?” His response? “Everything. That is my curse.” As was hinted in the first film, this is a Holmes who literally observes everything, and can’t turn it off. No wonder he’s a little crazy.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/peoplescritic/files/2011/12/Sherlock2.jpg"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://blog.seattlepi.com/peoplescritic/files/2011/12/Sherlock2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <br /> Fortunately for him, and us, he has Watson. I loved Jude Law’s portrayal of the Good Doctor in the first film, and he does not disappoint this time either. Watson primarily provides backup with his trusty revolver, but he is still granted some clever moments of ingenuity. Law’s portrayal of Watson, in addition to maintaining a slight limp through the whole film, is every bit the soldier, a soldier who simply wants to have his honeymoon in peace and quiet but who will also follow his frien<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">d no matter what because he knows he is needed. </span><br /> <div> <div> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div> <div> <h4> [POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT]</h4> They maintain the “Odd-Couple” bickering that was seen in the first film, but there are some small touches this time around that add shades of a deeper bond to their friendship, making them a little more believably best friends rather than just action hero partners. For example, during Watson’s very impromptu bachelor’s party (Holmes is not the best best-man in the world) the doctor declares that he is going to gamble. Holmes’ response is that Watson should give him the wedding ring, a request which Watson scoffs at and derides as Holmes has never professed any interest in performing his ‘best man’ duties. Holmes, mildly abashed, very quietly protests that he doesn’t want Watson losing the ring on a bet. This reference to Watson’s “gambling problem” (the fact that Holmes keeps his cheque book locked up and that Watson is ‘familiar with the turf’ at the very least) also illustrates how much Holmes really does watch out for his friend. Similarly, Watson gets to display how much he cares about Holmes a couple of times, once when he thinks Holmes has died, and once when he... well. Thinks Holmes has died. The first happens on a train. The second happens at a peace conference by a waterfall in Switzerland. <br /> <br /> It is a great scene. I knew what was coming and I still gasped.<br /> <br /> The Russian playwright Anton Chekov once said, "If in Act I you have a pistol hanging on the wall, then it must fire in the last act." Apparently, the writers behind “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” must have studied, or at least Googled, Anton Chekov. Every reference made to everything throughout, no matter how ridiculous it may have seemed initially, gets used and/or referenced and/or wrapped up at a later time... except, of course, for the fate of Holmes and Moriarty. We know Holmes lives - so does anyone in the audience who hasn’t read the books by the very end - but it is still a classic (campy?) question mark ending, with just enough being left open for the next film in the franchise to expand upon. And, to be honest, this time I’m rather looking forward to it.</div> <div> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div> <div> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div> <i>Kate writes at <a href="http://www.thediaryofdrwatts.com/">The Diary of Dr. Watts</a>.</i><br /> --</div>

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - a First Review

"The curious sequel of our investigation" [SOLI] [ Editor's note : the following is the first is a series of reviews by c...

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by Katie Magnusson

"Still, Elementary As It Was" [BLAN]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkuWtv65KxW4U0KlfiEq2txDmw_trsb7You3kIntPfOnxRyCiBghYMPCG3wxiKh-YU9LnoUAV8Lj6Adnqqss8Df0O08u-kt7od65GuPt0mbS4OobJJcjLY_29UihRloNZ3otk2r5Ji37E/s1600/GAME-Poster3.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/AVvXsEjmkuWtv65KxW4U0KlfiEq2txDmw_trsb7You3kIntPfOnxRyCiBghYMPCG3wxiKh-YU9LnoUAV8Lj6Adnqqss8Df0O08u-kt7od65GuPt0mbS4OobJJcjLY_29UihRloNZ3otk2r5Ji37E/s200/GAME-Poster3.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>The latest stills and posters are out for <b><i><a href="http://www.odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_info/m12941/Sherlock_Holmes_A_Game_Of_Shadows/">Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</a></i></b>. It's a reminder that production has ceased and we're in the home stretch for the screening, which will be on December 16. If you happen to live in the UK, you can see the film (alternatively known in some circles as "<a href="http://www.odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_info/m12941/Sherlock_Holmes_A_Game_Of_Shadows/" style="font-weight: bold;">Sherlock Holmes 2</a>") at your local ODEON cinema - click through to find the one nearest you.<br /><br />And while we have a good sense as to what to expect from the last film, there is no doubt that the sequel brings to us a certain level of intrigue, as it features not only Holmes's archenemy Professor Moriarty, but also his brother Mycroft Holmes. Both characters seem to have more hair than their <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181732661/">original</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4182496698/">illustrations</a> in "The Final Problem" and "The Greek Interpreter," respectively.<br /><br />You can have a look for yourself at the 60 images (stills, posters, etc.) <b><a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/movie-stills/gallery/3086/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-stills">on the Yahoo! Movies site</a></b>.<br /><br />We've included some of the stylized posters here for your enjoyment. If you're reading this on email or an RSS reader, please click through to see the slideshow.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><iframe align="center" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?group_id=&user_id=39297597@N00&set_id=72157627058381653&text=" width="500"></iframe><br /><small>Created with <a href="http://www.admarket.se/" title="Admarket.se">Admarket's</a> <a href="http://flickrslidr.com/" title="flickrSLiDR">flickrSLiDR</a>.</small></center><br /><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 />--

"Still, Elementary As It Was" [BLAN]

The latest stills and posters are out for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows . It's a reminder that production has ceased and we're ...

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by Scott Monty

New York's Department of Health Rules the Algonquin Cat a Health Hazard

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b>"a cat-like love of personal cleanliness" [HOUN] </b></h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PqnMeOTjI-mhe-wb8H8_mby91LFO9_OsqdD60rFitl5FNZf-9YyahF4XcU2yxGj_qL3VeOggxmWNa0_Ihe7PjaCEGGEfpRbwTI2hXKWW2oS80qW3EntUj1tFgftxwFmOM_LPuJuLyESQ/s1600/Matilda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PqnMeOTjI-mhe-wb8H8_mby91LFO9_OsqdD60rFitl5FNZf-9YyahF4XcU2yxGj_qL3VeOggxmWNa0_Ihe7PjaCEGGEfpRbwTI2hXKWW2oS80qW3EntUj1tFgftxwFmOM_LPuJuLyESQ/s1600/Matilda.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> It's amazing to think, but it looks like the end is near for the famed lobby cat of the <a href="http://www.algonquinhotel.com/">Algonquin Hotel</a>.<br /> <br /> The Algonquin Hotel, which until recently was the unofficial headquarters of the <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">Baker Street Irregulars weekend</a>, has had a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquin_Hotel#Hotel_traditions">tradition </a>in place since the 1930s, when Frank Case owned and ran the hotel that was the favorite of the literati in New York. There was always <a href="http://www.algonquinhotel.com/algonquin-cat">a cat in residence</a>, which had the run of the hotel (except the cooking and dining areas). While the original cat was named Rusty, because of the theatrical connections, he was known as Hamlet. In the course of the hotel's history, there have been 10 cats, males always being referred to as Hamlet and females as Matilda.<br /> <br /> Now it seems that New York City is cracking down on this health hazard (as the city's Department of Health would have us believe). Last week came the news that <b><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/meow_trage_at_algonquin_73LjLIUVYEdf5HITLCeroJ">the city is banishing Matilda from interacting with the guests in the hotel lobby</a></b>, forcing the hotel staff to keep her behind the front desk. So technically, she's no longer the "lobby cat," she's just the hotel cat.<br /> <br /> It's almost a relief that the BSI has relocated to the Yale Club just down the street. We find it hard to believe the tried-and-true Sherlockians descending on New York in chilly January, searching fruitlessly for little Matilda as they wait in the lobby.<br /> <br /> If you'd care to express your opinion directly to Matilda or the Algonquin, there are ways to do so.<br /> <ul> <li>Matilda/Hamlet have <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Matilda-The-Algonquin-Cat/51291379554" style="font-weight: bold;">their own Facebook page</a> - perhaps you can "like" it and show your support</li> <li>You may <b><a href="mailto:matildaalgonquincat@algonquinhotel.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">send an email</a></b> directly</li> <li>You can tweet the hotel staff at <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/algonquinNYC" style="font-weight: bold;">@AlgonquinNYC</a> or visit <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlgonquinHotel">their Facebook page</a></b>.</li> </ul> <br /> Since the hotel simply has to comply with DOH wishes, perhaps you can direct any negative opinions or feedback to the NYC Department of Health:<br /> <ul> <li>Give them a 140-character piece of your mind on Twitter: <b><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/nychealthy">@NYCHealthy</a></b></li> <li>Drop by their <b><a href="http://nychealth.tumblr.com/">Tumblr blog</a></b> and leave a comment</li> <li>Sorry, no Facebook page for them. Although they do have <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/public/public.shtml#smedia">pages for condoms, HIV status, healthy eating, poison prevention and smoking cessation</a>.</li> </ul> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGICz0j44ztfksqPm_oA32eSLelcayw4NMQ4b2ZNeXpj9YkQS4WpA2HBwaCLgcTrWUl1lu93yydumuZfC-CST6ztAVM3eRWwfsly0OIJFnH5BfNM_Em3gGLffTS6hZrFG_EWfVDV8LjDvX/s1600/AlgonquinEarlyBird.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGICz0j44ztfksqPm_oA32eSLelcayw4NMQ4b2ZNeXpj9YkQS4WpA2HBwaCLgcTrWUl1lu93yydumuZfC-CST6ztAVM3eRWwfsly0OIJFnH5BfNM_Em3gGLffTS6hZrFG_EWfVDV8LjDvX/s1600/AlgonquinEarlyBird.PNG" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> We wonder what Holmes would have made of all of this...<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "194490347X"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "db464ebb01307d3bedfa28a660cf1438"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "1942545444"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "c6a7be5a439682737a82c6c329302a04"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /></div>

New York's Department of Health Rules the Algonquin Cat a Health Hazard

"a cat-like love of personal cleanliness" [HOUN]  It's amazing to think, but it looks like the end is near for the famed...

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by Scott Monty

"Yes It Is, Ted" [VALL]

The <a href="http://ted.com/">TED</a> Talks have become a global stage for the world's innovators in the arts and sciences, all in 18 minutes. In this presentation, <b><a href="http://blog.ted.com/2011/09/26/a-doctors-touch-abraham-verghese-on-ted-com/">Stanford's Dr. Abraham Verghese reminds us</a></b> of the importance of physical observation of and contact with the patient - essential, Vergheses says, in this computer-coordinated and genomic-centered age. <br /><br /><center><object height="374" width="526"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param><param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talk/stream/2011G/Blank/AbrahamVerghese_2011G-320k.mp4&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/AbrahamVerghese_2011G-embed.jpg&vw=512&vh=288&ap=0&ti=1231&lang=en&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=abraham_verghese_a_doctor_s_touch;year=2011;theme=medicine_without_borders;event=TEDGlobal+2011;tag=Culture;tag=Science;tag=communication;tag=health;tag=health+care;tag=medicine;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" /> <embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="526" height="374" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talk/stream/2011G/Blank/AbrahamVerghese_2011G-320k.mp4&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/AbrahamVerghese_2011G-embed.jpg&vw=512&vh=288&ap=0&ti=1231&lang=en&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=abraham_verghese_a_doctor_s_touch;year=2011;theme=medicine_without_borders;event=TEDGlobal+2011;tag=Culture;tag=Science;tag=communication;tag=health;tag=health+care;tag=medicine;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;"></embed></object></center><div><br /></div>Verghese is a writer as well as a physician, and the role models he presents in this talk from <a href="http://conferences.ted.com/TEDGlobal2011/">TEDGlobal 2011</a> recorded in Edinburgh, Scotland  include, not surprisingly, Arthur Conan Doyle and a certain Dr. Joseph Bell...<div><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 />--</div>

"Yes It Is, Ted" [VALL]

The TED Talks have become a global stage for the world's innovators in the arts and sciences, all in 18 minutes. In this presentation, ...

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by Scott Monty

Episode 37: The Lost Conan Doyle Manuscript

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>“I have in my pocket a manuscript,” [HOUN] </b></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hYgxoyewhHvDAuxEPshDNRXJuPq3ejrYHD-j2Y5GOXnJ_CSiz4BZ-6UT68vZuqqn2mT0-T-a4tZbBbQ46euKh-sx5IWfBhag2VJxq4de8FiWanElESHO57Ipj8oT12a7Wa577VU1KA7o6_PBI8Yznk71yBxWxnPMTB2XhN-SPYB91Ol3WN665NaC5w/s787/ihose37%20-%20Smith%20Lost%20Manuscript.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="787" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hYgxoyewhHvDAuxEPshDNRXJuPq3ejrYHD-j2Y5GOXnJ_CSiz4BZ-6UT68vZuqqn2mT0-T-a4tZbBbQ46euKh-sx5IWfBhag2VJxq4de8FiWanElESHO57Ipj8oT12a7Wa577VU1KA7o6_PBI8Yznk71yBxWxnPMTB2XhN-SPYB91Ol3WN665NaC5w/w640-h490/ihose37%20-%20Smith%20Lost%20Manuscript.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> You may recall that we had <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/11/episode-13-arthur-conan-doyle-life-in.html">Jon Lellenberg and Daniel Stashower on the show</a> [Episode 13] when they published <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3jQzgzF">Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters</a></i></b> in 2007. The pair has returned with another publication, but this time it's one that is even more intriguing.<br /> <br /> In 1883, when he was just twenty-three, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/2GMf6bT">The Narrative of John Smith</a></b></i> while he was living in Portsmouth and struggling to establish himself as both a doctor and a writer. He had already succeeded in having a number of short stories published in leading magazines of the day, such as <i>Blackwood’s</i>, <i>All the Year Round</i>, <i>London Society</i>, and the <i>Boy’s Own Paper </i>— but as was the accepted practice of literary journals of the time, his stories had been published anonymously. Thus, Conan Doyle knew that in order to truly establish his name as a writer, he would have to write a novel.<br /> <br /> The only wrinkle is that once Conan Doyle finished this novel, it went missing in the post, never to be seen again.<br /> <br /> Join Burt and Scott as we discover how this lost manuscript has made its way to publication, some 125 years after it was first written, and why it had never before made its way to the public eye.<br /> <br /> As to the Editor's Gas-Lamp for this episode...well, we'll make that our little surprise that you can discover within the show.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock037.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] 51.9 MB | 56:39</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134349205&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /> <br /> <b>Links:</b><br /> <ul> <li><b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2GMf6bT">The Narrative of John Smith</a></i></b> (Amazon)</li> <li><a href="http://www.bl.uk/">The British Library</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.conandoylecollection.co.uk/">The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection</a><i></i></li><li>Episode 13: <a href="ihose.co/ihose13" target="_blank">Arthur Conan Doyle - A Life in Letters</a></li></ul> <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;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://amzn.to/2GMf6bT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuoDpbzp-DxO5GFKMM0O91-S2kll0sndAAA7monPuDutNQfZIf2Yw63T7nHU0PL9yGLI4j0KWeXg0GYTA-CFxRmUMRWyIAsWF9OjjFV6x57bnqDNT5yoG9dSw83CFXT8xpsHLn_KMRxRi/s1600/Conan+Doyle+Lost+Manuscript.jpg" width="215" /></a></div> <br /> 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 /><br /></div><script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "0712358412"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "f8c20ec970e6ce9d34a4fad94d653dd7"; </script> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script> </div>

Episode 37: The Lost Conan Doyle Manuscript

“I have in my pocket a manuscript,” [HOUN]  You may recall that we had Jon Lellenberg and Daniel Stashower on the show  [Episode 13] when t...

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by Scott Monty

"Many Thanks to You" [NAVA]

Enjoy this <a href="http://g.co/doodle/65fbyb">BSI-themed turkey</a> for Thanksgiving [hint: check the feather colors].<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItu4ZnavHKqZmSVW50o8NAq_a6XobMvWB-T52K6-As1si1YYI1Kgeu8uyfiJiAWBMNK0cCnqZUZn8ou49I1nOWnIO4cpW3WA4Q881mBL_GJZaEL3CG6OPsMUGW3tvPjZ-5WcvBoL7NzS-/s1600/Google+Doodle+Turkey.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItu4ZnavHKqZmSVW50o8NAq_a6XobMvWB-T52K6-As1si1YYI1Kgeu8uyfiJiAWBMNK0cCnqZUZn8ou49I1nOWnIO4cpW3WA4Q881mBL_GJZaEL3CG6OPsMUGW3tvPjZ-5WcvBoL7NzS-/s1600/Google+Doodle+Turkey.PNG" /></a></div><br /><br />You can customize and share your own <b><a href="http://g.co/doodle/65fbyb">on the Google homepage</a></b>.<br /><br />If you're celebrating the American holiday of Thanksgiving this week, we wish you the best. If not, we hope you have some turkey and enjoy that just the same.<br /><br />For our part, we'd like to express our sincere thanks for having you with us here on the <a href="http://bakerstreetblog.com/">Baker Street Blog</a>. If you look at the <b><i>"File It In Our Archives" [RETI]</i></b> header over in the right column of our site, you'll see that we've created 99 posts this year. That's more than in any of the last three years. And it's because we have your readership.<br /><br />We're thankful for having such a unique and unending source of material for you and we're grateful that we have a such a unique audience as yourselves. We hope to be able to continue these efforts indefinitely. If you'd like to help in any way, please see the "<b><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/about-me.html">About</a></b>" tab on our site for how you can do so.<br /><br />And until next time, thank you.<br /><br />--<br /><br />

"Many Thanks to You" [NAVA]

Enjoy this  BSI-themed turkey for Thanksgiving [hint: check the feather colors]. You can customize and share your own on the Google homepag...

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by Scott Monty