My father grew up loving the Sherlock Holmes stories. He wasn’t the only one, of course, and Sherlock has remained a driving force in modern culture since he was first invented by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Now that the books are in the public domain, there are a lot of new Holmes stories coming out, which is great. But if you want to go back to the originals and you enjoy audiobooks, consider this collection of 19 Sherlock Holmes short stories on the BBC, narrated by actor Hugh Bonneville: Sherlock Holmes Short Stories.
His adventures have been enjoyed by audiences around the world for over a century with new generations discovering his thrilling tales through blockbuster films, television series, and even video games.
Now, the great detectives’ most famous mysteries are being brought to life in the new podcast Sherlock Holmes Short Stories hosted by Hugh Bonneville.
This has been quite a week. Even if you don’t pay attention to the news or the markets or any of the other crazy happening over the past few days, you may have noticed the stress on the faces of those who do.
So. Today seems like a fine day to take a little walk on a beach and try to relax:)
There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.
Global trade is very much in the news these days. While many of the current moves from the US seem designed to take the country back to a time when every country stood on its own, those times have, arguably, been much exaggerated. There are many historical examples of interconnectivity, from the Egyptians to the Greeks to the Romans to the Silk Road and many more, but I recently saw a very cool map that brought this idea home.
Even before the modern era, the Afro-Eurasian world was deeply interconnected through trade.
I found this map to be a fascinating look into a network of world trade during an era many might assume was very insular. The only thing I wish it included is travel times. How long, for example, would it have taken for cardamom to get from India to Venice to Oslo and into a loaf of braided bread?
Here’s the map from Martin Jan Månsson, part of his website, The Age of Trade:
“Let’s put it this way: if you are a novelist, I think you start out with a 20 word idea, and you work at it and you wind up with a 200,000 word novel. We, picture-book people, or at least I, start out with 200,000 words and I reduce it to 20.”
Mr Man is under the weather today, and I can feel the virus measuring me up as its next target. Not fun, but we have tea, cough drops, hot sauce, chicken soup, and Buckley’s, so we’ll manage!
You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.
Today, I wrote a 200-word story (a double drabble?) inspired by modern politics, and those who are willing to sacrifice everything for power.
The muted roar of the crowd echoed through the green room. He gave himself a final check in the mirror and checked for consensus updates.
:: Tie too tight, one response said.
He loosened the half Windsor.
:: Hair too perfect, another said.
A quick head toss fixed that.
:: Walk more like a gorilla.
What the hell was he supposed to do with that kind of feedback? He expanded his stance, arms bent at the elbow, and strutted side to side.
His reflection sighed.
:: Accept all changes?
The button flashed green on his behavioral adjustment interface.
He stared at the screen. He used to enjoy this job. Before they promised him power. All he had to do was agree to a chip in his head and external control of his every move.
Was it worth it?
The crowd cheered his campaign’s warmup act. What a difference from the old days, when sincerely held speeches were met with yawns. Now all he had to do was read three-word slogans from the crowd-sourced teleprompter.
Booker’s speech officially surpassed the previous record set in 1957 by noted segregationist Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes to oppose the Civil Rights Act.
I’ll post my story tomorrow. Today, I want to celebrate the fact that we have representatives who will stand up for their people and beliefs, and share their conviction and purpose with us all.
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