Happy Birthday, Arthur Conan Doyle

We are big Sherlock Holmes fans here at the Bonzuko hombu. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading these fantastic Victorian CSI stories, today would be the day to get started. Holmes and Watson are some of the most globally recognizable characters in literature, of any culture. Everyone knows that famous silhouette. Many even believe in Holmes so thoroughly they think he's a real person! When Doyle was sick of writing Holmes stories, he killed him off ("The Final Problem" came out in the 1890s), and the reaction was insane! People wore black armbands in mourning, and the letters Doyle got! Emotional letters, calling Doyle a murderer, asking how dare he...can you imagine? The only other literary phenomenon that even comes close to this today would have to be Harry Potter.

Do whatever you like to celebrate the birthday of a great writer today, but some of it must include reading his work! So school's out--this is fun reading, not work reading. :)

Image is the original illustration of Holmes and nemesis Moriarty from The Final Problem.

Videos are: 1) Doyle himself talking about Holmes and his interest in psychic phenomena; 2) Part 1 of a Bonzuko fave: The Solitary Cyclist. Jeremy Brett was the best film Holmes ever.

Another Dumb Thief

Maybe this is why I like stories about master thieves--you know, the old folktale about the thief that steals the manor lord's wedding ring and sheets out from under him, the Robin Hood variations, Arsene Lupin, Sherlock Holmes, Reynard the Fox, colorful Wild West outlaws, the Thief computer game... I've always loved the clever-thief archetype (which is why I often have stories about them here on Bonzuko's blog).

Could my love for clever thieves be because they are so very rare in real life?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTRxIwXbHJGUIojO6Y_Z-Jx22VPwD987HMBO1

BTW, Boing Boing is a stellar blog that is self-named "The directory of wonderful things." I concur. I would like to have a pint of homebrew with all those guys. ~Jenn

Gnarly as a Fiction Fractal

I love this. ~Jenn
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/18/seek-the-gnarl.html

Giving Ninja a Bad Name

Check this article out: http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=115593&catid=188

Calling this guy a "ninja" perpetuates a lame stereotype. But I guess a real ninja would appreciate the maintenance of mystique and distraction what from what they really do. It makes me sigh anyway. ~Jenn

Irony

I don't even know what to say. Should I nominate this for our IGAGI awards, or should we all just shake our heads and sigh for a bit?
~Jenn

Giant Emerald

My interest in the thief archetype peaked yesterday as this story popped up on Channel 2 news. Further brief Internet searching came up with this article from CNN.com. Apparently this is the biggest emerald ever, weighing in at 850 pounds! Not carats, pounds!

The whole thing just sounds shady, as it was apparently stolen from a warehouse in LA, and subsequently showed up in a warehouse in Vegas, and on e-Bay. E-Bay?? Who would actually buy a giant gem for 75 mil on e-Bay? This emerald was appraised at almost 450 mil. Wow. Not your typical cat burglar fare. I feel like writing a new Sherlock Holmes story about it. ~Jenn

Just like the game!

I've been playing my favorite game, Thief (when I haven't been grading finals, that is), and came across this news blip from comcast. This is weirdly cool--just like that one level in the game, with the spooky ghost that makes you find stuff in the abandoned insane asylum, and the nightmare music is playing, and you get trapped... I wonder what was going on with this guy. Maybe it's the adrenaline of burgling. Maybe it has something to do with the brightest full moon in 15 years. ~Jenn

Odd News - Malaysia burglar stuck for 3 days in haunted house

Algorithm March

Jason Braddock was asking about this infamous viral video (is it viral yet? I dunno...) that I absolutely adore. It begins to make sense (?!) when the ninjas join in. The dance is from a children's show called Pythagoras Switch from Japan.

And I think that Mr. Braddock has a BRILLIANT idea for using this choreography in an upcoming play he's directing. I'll tell you all if he gives me permission to. You never know, he may want to keep it to himself till it happens. Brilliant idea, though!!!

http://video.google.fr/videoplay?docid=-3722022205894297957&q

Now, I originally fell in love with this dance because of the ninjas. But it looks like this show does the Algorithm March all the time, with different groups of people. Here's them doing it with a soccer team: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX-41QnnbUE&feature=related And here with boxers/wrestlers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4DBxw9YMGs&feature=related . So much fun--it's a delightful movement puzzle that just makes me happy!

~Jenn

The Answer is: Lightsabers!

Since many of you have already guessed what this product is, we'll supply the answer.

Master Replicas makes the sweetest line of lightsabers you will ever wield. No, they don't telescope, but the light effect does. So that's pretty close. Though the instructions say not to fight with them, they actually make that clashing sound when they make contact with each other, so...hey, if you use good stage combat technique they are quite sturdy. The Unbeatable Bonzuko Team has fought stage-combat-wise with them in the vasty hombu living room and they are good as new.

On the Bonzuko Hombu wall hang four of these beauties: the lightsabers belonging to Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker (ep. IV), and two Yoda ones. The Yoda ones are arguably even cooler, as they are short. Jenn has even used the Luke one in her right hand and a Yoda one in her left, a-la Rapier & Dagger.

Which ones are next on our list? Mace Windu of course (hello, purple), the two-sided Darth Maul, and Obi-Wan's from ep. III. They also make Han Solo's blaster.

These coolest swords you'll ever own run around $100 each, sometimes more, sometimes on sale for less. We suggest going to Amazon.com and scoping out deals. Those available this summer should start saving pennies in the jar now, as this summer's Advanced Stage Combat class will be all about lightsaber technique. Yes, geeks, they make that noise when you whoosh them around, too. And the turn-on, turn-off noises, too. ~Unbeatable Bonzuko Team

Pictured above: Jenn, Jas, and John as Jedi.

Hint

So in a previous week, we tempted you with cryptic reference to a series of toys we know you'll love, and have wanted since 1977 if you've been alive that long. Here's a second hint about what they are:

"An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age."

Whadda?

?

We won't say much more for now. But we have a guilty product pleasure. We are sure you want to get one. Probably two.

Absolutely sure.

If there is anything more geekily and professionally satisfying at the same time, we don't even want to know about it.

You have wanted one since 1977. Or maybe only more recently ... if you are ... young? At least one of you may not even know yet, but you do want one. Bonzuko has a stock of four and counting. Stage props are integral to our business!

We'll keep you "posted!"
~JAS