Sherlock's Fun Facts and Trivia

[Carol the Dabbler]

That was the Final Jeopardy answer, Arcadia! ;) The question is:

 

Who is Dr. John H. Watson?

 

[Arcadia]

I stand corrected! (Apparently I would not do well on that show, if I can't even grasp the basic premise... :d )

 

Actually, only one person got the right answer, the other two answered "Sherlock Holmes." Clearly they are not following the right TV shows.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Other than TAB, though, I can't offhand think of any adaptation that's actually narrated by Watson. Odd. I guess you'd have to read the originals to know that.

 

Added: I assume you meant to say "the right question.". ;)

[Arcadia]

   !!!

[Van Buren Supernova]

Have never watched Jeopardy, it's nice that they use John. I would never know that answer/question :p a year ago.

 

Regarding quick money, it's always the temptation, some people hate to.. work, but they want good life and always try yo find short cut. It's much more difficult to get away from crime now, but the balance is, there are much more ways to do crime.

 

Stupid crooks are one thing, but psychopaths who harm others for much less are even more appalling. Like case below, I am not sure about the percentage of wicked, stupidity and cruelty.

(Let's say this is related to Sherlock because it involves psychopaths).

 

 

A group of crooks known as Murder Trust believed it's a good idea to get money using a homeless man named Michael Malloy (known as Iron Mike, you will soon know why), someone they encountered frequently in a bar. They bought three life insurances for him, hoping that he would drink to his death soon and even gave him open tab by one of the crooks who was the bar's owner.

 

Malloy drank everyday but he was fine, so they mixed his drink with antifreeze, then replaced it with wood alcohol. When he came back again alive and well, so they added turpentine, horse liniment and even rat poison, he lived.

 

So they fed him spoiled sardine sandwiches, raw oeyster and whisky, carpenter tacks and metal shavings, yet he lived.

 

So one night, when the temperature reached -14F/-26C, they dragged him out to snow after he passed out from drinking, took off his cloth and dumped five gallons of water on him and left him to death.

Yet, Malloy went back to the bar the next night.

 

They then hired a cab to run him down, there was no obituary or news for a while so the group went impatient, ran another homeless man and stuffed Malloy's identification on him hoping that he was finally declared death and they would be able to cash the money.

 

The man survived, and once again, Mike Malloy himself went back to the bar as if nothing happened.

 

The group finally went for straight approach, shoving a gas line down his throat and turned it on, killing him within an hour.

They were caught and sent to electric chair executions at Sing Sing.

The amount of life insurance they aimed was $3500 in 1933 which is around $63000-65000 in 2016.

 

[Shadow Dweller]

:O That could be a plotline for mystery movie, a man who made a deal with [insert supernatural being here] to be resurrected each time he died from those people's scheme until the time they finally becomes careless enough to be caught.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Or maybe he was actually quintuplets (since it's never twins ;) ).

[Shadow Dweller]

Possible plotlines for an episode of the new Alfred Hitchcock Presents ^^

[Carol the Dabbler]

Is there really talk of such a show? Or are you speaking hypothetically?

[Van Buren Supernova]

Wait, if he was quintuplets and all of them kept wasting their life drinking, passing out and being killed, wouldn't anyone feel sympathetic a bit with the killer? XD Maybe I would.

[Shadow Dweller]

Is there really talk of such a show? Or are you speaking hypothetically?

Hypothetically but considering the recent trend of revivals (the latest I heard is MacGyver), it is not impossible to happen.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

I wouldn't revive MacGyver directly.  (Enjoyed the original too much to see different cast in the respective roles)  Now a son of MacGyver show could work.  The last episode he found out he was a dad so it could work.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Wonder if that's why they included that plot point -- to leave the door open for a sequel?

[Van Buren Supernova]

I imagine Macgyver would be much more difficult to do in modern setting, and it probably ends up like 24 style(?) which I don't mind. Looking at current trend, everything good (or even bad) will be reboot eventually, just like unnecessary sequels that could be bad or worse.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Moriarty could be based on Adam Worth, the real life Napoleon of Crime. According to Dr. Briggs, Conan Doyle revealed it in the conversation with him.

 

 

Adam Worth was born in German, with various criminal exploits in Europe and became criminal mastermind in England. Those who worked in his scheme never knew his name, and he prohibited his subordinate to use violence. He got his nickname from Scotland Yard Detective and another Scotland Yard inspector made it a personal mission to capture him.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

... he prohibited his subordinate to use violence.

... unlike "our" Moriarty, who feels free to have little old ladies blown to smithereens (along with a dozen or two neighbors), just to get Sherlock's attention.  Conan Doyle's original may have avoided violence, though -- does anyone remember enough of ACD's references to him to say?  Near as I recall, he's only mentioned in "Final Problem," "Empty House," and "Valley of Fear."

[Van Buren Supernova]

 

... he prohibited his subordinate to use violence.

... unlike "our" Moriarty, who feels free to have little old ladies blown to smithereens (along with a dozen or two neighbors), just to get Sherlock's attention. Conan Doyle's original may have avoided violence, though -- does anyone remember enough of ACD's references to him to say? Near as I recall, he's only mentioned in "Final Problem," "Empty House," and "Valley of Fear."

To be fair, Adam Worth did it to keep low profile, I don't know to what extent he avoided it for moral reason.

 

And I (still) haven't read the book. To be honest, I don't find it very captivating so it's easy for me to abandon it for some other things that I need to read or do.

[Van Buren Supernova]

 

 

 

 

Not sure where it belongs, but I was watching V for Vendetta and realized that the final scene of blowing up the parliament, reminded me very much of the planned attack in TEH. A train full of explosives and the way it was shown...

 

I also realized that this film might be the reason why I like Stephen Fry so much.

Young Lestrade was a bonus. :D

I like V for Vendetta, didn't realize Rupert Grave was in that.

 

They are related indeed, I believe both V for Vendetta and TEH were inspired by the history of Gunpowder Plot and Guy Fawkes.

 

One of the tradition of 5^th of November is bonfire and burning of the effigy of Guy Fawkes across England. Penny for the guy is the term used by children to ask money for fireworks, taking their home-made Guy made out of old clothes stuffed with paper and straw to the street.

 

P.S: Guy Fawkes also inspires a reputable activist hacker group known as Anonymous, it’s good read but fun fact for another day as I don't have any write-up now.

A promise is a promise.

 

I just spent whole morning and more to read about this while my untouched works are creating a retaining wall around me, but no regret, one has to prioritize. :p

[Van Buren Supernova]

Just like our sleuth, people can be heroes in their own ways.

 

A controversial leaderless hacktivist group, Anonymous, is a concept of online community acting anonymously in coordinated manner, usually toward a loosely self-agreed goal, it is using Guy Fawkes masks potrayed in V for Vendetta for their public identity. Some experts have criticized the group for jeopardizing ongoing investigation and risking tainting evidence, but supporters have called the group digital Robin Hood, and it was voted as one of the "100 most influential people" in the world by Times in 2012.

 

 

 

Various examples of how Anonymous saves the day/the world:

 

- Operation DarkNet, Anonymous forces more than 40 child pornography sites offline, the group has continued its action by releasing the internet addresses of alleged pedophiles online, using information collected from the sites it had earlier shut down and invited FBI and interpol to follow up.

 

- After reaffirming its "war" with Isis days following Paris attack, anonymous takes down thousands of twitter accounts and reports thousands of Youtube video, and also launches effort to knock Isis-affiliated group offline.

The group also has 'lighter' ways, like planning to irritate Isis to death by Rickrolling them, and following Orlando's gay club attack, an Anonymous hacker takes control of more than 200 accounts belonging to Isis supporter and gives them gay-friendly makeover.

 

- The Judge Rotenberg Center is a school known for using cruel and inhuman methods, such as withholding food and administering electric shocks claiming to treat conditions such as autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Five children are known to have died at the school. In 2012, Anonymous hacked JRC's website and publicly posted online the names and addresses of its founder, principal, sponsors, and supporters, hoping that such publicity will put pressure on the school to abandon its aggressive behavior modification techniques.

 

- Operation Myanmar, launches cyber attack and defacement of more than 100 Myanmar websites as protest for killing Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar.

 

- Operation Refugee Outreach:

In the main Anonymous website, it provides a list of materials and charitable organizations that people can contribute to in order to better serve those in need, and Operation Safe Winter is a campaign to raise awareness about life on the street through collection, collation and redistribution of resources.

 

- Operation RollRedRoll, Anonymous expose of high profile Steubenville rape case, that was allegedly covered up by the sport school's authority, ends up in one of the most notorious members of the hacker collective, Deric Lostutter, getting raid by the FBI and facing more prison time than the rapist.

Read his story here:

Anonymous vs. Steubenville

 

- And many more.

[Arcadia]

I am glad to know some of them, at least, use their skills for humanitarian ends. I'm afraid I've only heard about the political ones before, and am a bit conflicted about that ... I like to see evidence of having a conscience from people who belong to groups like Anonymous. All too often the impression I get is they just want to show off how smart they are.

[Van Buren Supernova]

I'm not sure how likely it is, because being anonymous, it's hard to claim credit at all if they keep that anonymity spirit.

 

Agree there are some questionable missions, it tends to happen with their loose concept. I believe they don't have particular guideline, but if there is one 'No oppression' is what they go with. And every Anon always has some missions they disagree with, which could be a relief and could say a lot. They don't blindly support any mission proposal. There are also operation that sparks disagreement among them, for example, the recent Operation Trump, because of different point of view. I think in a way they can actually limit their own power if needed to.

 

It's controversial, and sometimes the effectiveness is questionable and sometimes there are side damages. It's up to everyone how they feel about the group. I keep my mind open as I don't know enough, but from what I know this could be a workable concept, and hopefully majority of them have good conscience. Heck, I dream of ability to do something virtual but useful too if I could, but constant fighting with multiquote and apps already occupy me too much. :p

[Van Buren Supernova]

Sherlock is part of ACD's world.

Apparently ACD is part of BBC Sherlock's world too.

The article says:

In a twist worthy of Conan Doyle's novella, Mr. Sherlock Holmes was yesterday revealed to be an expert witness at the trial of 'Jim' Moriarty.

 

Described by many commentators as trial of the century, the case has all the ingredients of a block buster film. The royal family, Scotland yard, the world of finance and greed, the 'underclass' of prisoners out to seek revenge as they enjoy their fifteen minutes of freedom. The case is riddled with irony and intrigue but perhaps reflects a deeper malaise that seems to be at the heart of a society.

 

Mr. Holmes, a man of few words, declined to comment when asked about his involvement in the case. ...

[Carol the Dabbler]

Doesn't sound like Doyle is able to concentrate on his beloved historical novels in BBC Sherlock's world either. Maybe he's paying his bills by writing stories about Sheridan Hope and his loyal sidekick Ormond Sacker!

 

 

 

(Those were his original names for the characters that mercifully became Holmes and Watson.)

[J.P.]

Oh, cool. The both worlds cross over. What would be if our universe with the canon collided with Sherlock's universe with some different cannon? Like Elementary... Confusing, I know, but I remember that funny movie Last Action Hero... Actually, it's a material for a fanfic. Probably done already.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yup, and I'm sure more than once. Somebody recently posted a link around here someplace to an amusing little story where four Watsons (original, Nigel Bruce, "our" John, and Joan) cooperate to rescue their four Holmeses.