(Yes I know signups aren't even open yet, I am just PREPARED okay?)

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Toby, the dog from the Great Mouse Detective film (which has a slightly different name, for the UK market), is based off the keen-nosed dog from The Sign of Four of the same name--he is probably intended to be this dog, but he's of a different breed. Holmes has apparently also taken to keeping the dog close at hand--in ACD canon, he lives with a keeper.

The "German music, introspective and I want to introspect" stuff Holmes is saying to Watson when Basil and Dawson and Olivia pick up Toby marks the film as occurring at the same time, in ACD canon, as "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League" (RHL)--though the time of day is wrong for this utterance, and I'm not sure this was said in Baker Street vs in THE street. Also interesting: RHL is published in 1891 and set in October of 1890*. GMD is explicitly set in 1897--the year of actual!Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, which, as in the film marked the 60th year of her reign.

What strikes me most about this parallel is how different the timing and the quality of relationships is. This takes place TEN YEARS into Holmes and Watson's friendship, after Watson's married and, per Scandal in Bohemia, they've had quite a rupture in their friendship. It's published four years into ACD's work on the canon, and two years before he tries to kill Holmes off by writing "Final Problem" (or one, in Canon Time). So what you have here is a Doylist/Watsonian gap of enormous proportions between the introduction of Basil and Dawson and that of Holmes and Watson, which might play out in Basil having quite different emotional relationships with his work and other people accordingly.

After all, Basil's material existence and his way of thinking about himself have not been affected by Dawson's presence as friend and biographer from his setting up in lodgings (essentially?) until this, his attainment of full adulthood. The AU!personality justification-spotting is possible, but seems something of a stretch--mostly what draws my eye is the sheer time-lag, the space it leaves in Basil's life for his vitriolic relationship with his nemesis to assume undue personal importance. It's perhaps important to remember that Holmes gives few to no personal fucks about his nemesis, and Basil is seemingly driven by and organized around this core--certainly the plot-action of the film is, and it relies on its protagonist to do this work.

Gentleman villain John Clay, while he doesn't really evoke Ratigan to me at all, shares his aristocratic pretensions--though little of R's deep anxiety regarding these. This is somewhat in contrast with Moriarty, who appears to give no such fucks. Clay is 'the third-cleverest man in London' at the time--presumably below the Holmeses? It's possible there's an element of paralleling Clay and R--the writers are fairly aware of the canon they're working with, down to that song in Ratigan's layer picking up the consistent ACD joke of Holmes obliquely referring to past exploits and flipping it, enforcing a degree of parallelism extra-textually.

Btw, this seems as good a time as any to point out the high-Dickensian bullshit humor of RHL. Why did I so strongly dislike this one as a child, circa 12 or 13? I trust my readings of Victorian lit from that period less and less now, I just don't think I knew how to deal with some of the period/stylistic shit. I also had some thoughts on the other one I listened to today, "A Case of Identity", but they're probably part of a larger post on Holmes: Non-Sociopath and maybe also on Watson as unreliable narrator (predicated on "Scandal in Bohemia").

* "The dates given in the story do not match the characters' descriptions of time passing. The date that Wilson sees the advertisement is April 27, 1890 and he has been at work for 8 weeks and says "Just two months ago."[2] Thus that happened by the end of June. However, the date on the door telling of the League being dissolved is that of October 9, 1890, six months after the ad was placed. The two previous dates are consistent and thus this October date is incorrect, if it has any meaning.

Dorothy L. Sayers analyzed this discrepancy and claims that the dates must have been August 4 and October 4 respectively.[3]"--per Wiki

sent off contract
flatmate email
read a little
saw Comedy of Errors
spoke to dad
spoke to grandma
made katsudon
made ikea plan
20 emails

Does anyone read Les Cites Obscures? (Have some nice pictures.) Let me know if you do or want to. Prepping to review the new translations. I LIKE them but often have zero idea wtf is going on. Between yesterday and today, have read:

The Great Walls of Samaris
The Tower
The Road to Armilia
The Invisible Frontier, Volume I
The Invisible Frontier, Volume 2
The Theory of a Grain of Sand, Volume 1

(and I've found Fever in Urbicand--so I could get you English copies of all of these?) I'm still trying to find English copies of:

Brüsel
The Leaning Girl
The Shadow of a Man
The Theory of a Grain of Sand, Volume 2

if anyone knows where these can be found.


DAY BOOK
76 emails
wrote landlady
wrote repairman
wrote new flatmate about bills
wrote mom about driver's license and bank card
changed sheets
sorted laundry
TONS of dishes
tidied room
read 3 books of Les Cites Obscures
found more Les Cites Obscures
watched Russian Sherlock Holmes
asked editor q about personnel change
asked K to send contract
asked K to call men
coordinated w/ R about chores
made Meg grocery list
checked US account
checked UK account--or tried to
called help line about non-working password system--no luck, then card reader broke, so idek
ill
sulky/depressed
helped K find ingredients for dinner
watched a little Much Ado w Katy
talked through own work stuff
talked through K's work stuff

talked to An about package
tidied room a bit
made sautéed butternut squash
grocery shopping
laundry
dishes
counters
made pad thai
made 2 kinds banana bread
wrote Becky re: plans
dealt w/ 79 emails
read some Dogstar
took out a lot of cat litter
put away food

wrote writer
wrote AN few times
partial list for Sunday

edited SH piece
sent AS notes
got through 45 emails since last count
saw bad art exhibit w/ A
dinner w/ N&N&A
talked to N about SH stuff
talked to NC about CV stuff

***

List for Today

cooked dinner
bought M's spices for uni
made grocery list for a few days
bought K baking supplies
bought house necessities
grocery shopping 4 places
cleaned kitchen surfaces
swept floor
tidied lr
tidied br
dishes
did laundry
put away laundry
had friend over for dinner
read over fic I need to beta
wrote flatmate about flat issues
spoke to sister 1
spoke to sister 2
wrote handymen about flat issues
tried to work out moving logistics for M w/ M
since last count, 210 emails dealt w/

wrote 3171 words of paper (paper sitting at 3752--trimming)
full day of conference
many notes
tweeted conference
201 emails since last count
emailed editor re: SH issue
emailed theatres re: press
social media for Fringe piece

If I am ever commanded to network at a conference to save my life, GOODBYE FOREVER!! IT WAS NICE, PROBABLY?

ty'd source
ty'd journal editor, said something about future work
asked K to print something
wrote head of dept
shared article on social media
tidied room
made lunch
made dinner
applied for writing position
finished Howl's Moving Castle
dishes
talked to Meg re: plans for her arrival in UK tomorrow
separated out housewares for Meg's dorm
started a rough inventory about that
53 emails

finished review
made lunch
mailed off review
thought about menu for week
dishes
read a little bit
dealt with terrifying government student loan shit
looked up all refs for paper
formatted all refs for paper
hand-alphabetized everything so it didn't eat my formatting
sent off chapter (my whole body physically hurts from hunching)
31 emails
showed katy first 2 eps of thick of it

re-edited&sent editor corrections for Witch piece
dishes
helped Katy on twitter w/ her scavenger hunt
Sent AN a link for a piece
made dinner
cleaned up dinner
96 emails since last count
spoke to dad
more dishes
reread story for piece
1900 words notes (so some quotes, not all me) for DB piece
discussed plans for piece w/ MK

TODAY I:

cleaned up Witch review
sent off
emails back and forth with that editor
with Molly, edited living fuck out of ff as play paper
laundry
asked Jade for image for paper
dealt with SH book club proposal
social media hustled for an sj thing a bit
gave ff as play paper another pass
sent off
dishes
made dinner
tidied room a little
tidied kitchen a little, more dishes
watched S3 of DBZ Abridged while doing chores
took out cat litter
68 emails
read an article for prep

TODAY I:

finished Potted Sherlock review
wrote Beowulf review (together: 1378 words)
sent off to AN
word-counted other peoples' SFS to see how long mine could be
laundry: tons
watched Witch Who Came From The Sea
took 1897 words notes
dishes, in abundance
made Katy a shopping list
nap, exhausted
tidied bedroom a little
tidied kitchen
wrote 2412 word The Witch From the Sea review
talked to Aisha about DWJ conference logistics
mini panic attack
quick note to sister
emailed commissioner re: witch piece 2x
read 6 reviews from other people for Witch piece
talked to other sister about her uni books, obtained guac recipe
emailed elviaprose re work request
51 emails
emailed head of dept re: meeting

3790 + 1897 notes (slight overlap w/ review and notes, would be 5656 words)

LAST NIGHT:

emailed Diane
emailed Drew
emailed Abigail
emailed Erin
put away food

TODAY I:
did laundry
started reducing stock
put on 2nd batch stock
figured out how to finish pudding & did so
emailed Abigail extensively/sent files
dealt with repair guy
talked to flatmates about storage & drainage issues
emailed friends&colleagues articles/academic opportunities they might find useful
read&closed like 25 articles (seriously a LOT)
emailed assistant dean
emailed An re: package logistics
tidied room a little
made food plans w Katy
updated calendar
updated academic/critical pinboards
tried to organize my work-flow a bit
downloaded VLC
downloaded film I have to review
saved cat from choking to death
made part of dinner--hollandaise and asparagus
took a nap
responded to comment
arranged/paid for some of my books to be shipped
wrote An re: this
booked bus tickets for conference
made arrangements w my hostess
wrote conference re: misprint
wrote assistant dean to rearrange meeting
checked all my accounts
spoke to mom about card situation
sent Katy an article from Jstor
emailed bus ticket stuff to K so she could print
examined freezer and made menu plan for rest of week--emailed K about it
gathered crit I needed to write an article about film, made a pinboard of it
dealt w 71 emails

answered comments
lots of dishes
lots of laundry
cooked dinner
40 emails
talked to An about address
left comment on Katy's fic
sorted ebay clothes
spoke to sister, put aside sheet for her, made holiday plans
made some travel plans

LATER ON:
listened to two lectures, took notes
started stock
made a boiled pudding (still needs more boiling time tbh, will do tomorrow, have somehow fucked this up AGAIN eugh)
made chai
did a lot more dishes

For neveralarch mostly:

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since last count, 600 emails
edited Katy's fic
finished editing and posted my own
answered comments
saw Guardians of the Galaxy
watched Decoy Bride w Katy while working

LATER
dishes
listened to two lectures and took notes while doing dishes

Lost track while at Fringe. Suffice it to say: busy having fun and working both.

TODAY I:

Since last count, 222 emails
dishes
wrote 3000 words of reviews
traveled home from Edinburgh
much walking around w/ cases
got press tickets from Pleasance, sorted out mistake there
attended two shows
breakfast w in-laws
put away food
tidied kitchen a little
took all my antibiotics for hideous infection
packed up (K did the vast bulk of it)
sent 2 Worldcon emails
emails Abigail re: reviews
emailed theatre group re: coverage
unpacked suitcases
laundry

TODAY I:

dishes
laundry
made dinner
made most of a chai spice mix
looked through Fringe booklet a bit
went to Dulwich Picture Gallery and greek bakery w Ana and Rob
wrote editor things to do in London list
answered comments
freed the mouse
cleaned the room after (HUGE undertaking)
hauled all the workmen's shit out of the backgarden
helped with/coordinated the post workman clean up
sent offer to sister
emailed handymen
emailed Katy re: 2 contracts
emailed new flatmate and landlady re: contract
worldcon email
62 emails
contacted someone about cross-posting

Basically, a day on which I went out with people and did a fucking MASSIVE post-handymen clean. And also maybe sorted the new tenant issue, which can take bloody AGES, so that's good.

Day Book

sent Fringe emails (I get why people send a form letter right? It saves time. But on things where someone is asking you a specific question, a form letter is some enraging bullshit. SH planned coverage of the Fringe and so I need a press pass. The Fringe was v. vaguely like 'no you can't have one, but cover it anyway without one and maybe better luck next time?' Um--what specifically do we need to do to fix this? You know, it's not like the decision falls from the sky. I hope we can get it sorted, but like--you have to make it clear why we sub'd everything and it still wasn't enough for you.)
told Jon and Guilia about Charlotte moving out, spoke to G's person (she'll probs move in, and we like he, so that's all good)
wrote C re: her deposit
edited K's fic
edited M's fic x 2
talked to Emma re: tent (I turned down some additional possible Loncon responsibilities because jesus fuck I just CAN'T)
did laundry
did dishes
listened to some Nightvale while working (into the final ep! know now how I will write the piece on this!)
answered 2 comments
made myself crappy lunch&din
asked K to get milk
made plans for tomorrow
spoke to sister re: Tisha B'av:

Sister: Did you fast?
For Tisha B'av
Me: :/
Did I remember this holiday
is the q you should be asking
Sister: I sure did post enough about it for you to remember it sad face
Me: aha I don't think I saw!
but I checked fb
so idk why not
Sister: well, take a few minutes to remember the destruction of the temple and feel sad or something
Me: okay it will be a nice break from being ambivalent and angry about the current war
Sister: there are some fairly good list telling you what you should be watching on YouTube or Netflix today
Me: er, what sort of thing?
Sister: there are a couple good lectures on YouTube about how you should feel on Tisha b'Av this year regarding the current war
The Netflix lists are basically here is every Holocaust documentary on Netflix.
Me: mm
Sister: but, YouTube has a few fairly decent things. If you search Tisha b'Av you get a lot better results than just searching for Job or limitations [A/N: Lamentations, Siri?]. Searching for Job or Lamentations tends to get you a lot of crap from Christians
Me: ahah okay

God, that sister.

(or as elviaprose put it, "One Jew saw another eating on Tzom Gedaliah and asked why he wasn't fasting. He answered, "In the first place, if Gedaliah had not been killed, would he still be alive? And in the second place, if I had been killed, would Gedaliah fast for me? And in the third place, I don't fast on Yom Kippur, so why would I fast on Tzom Gedaliah?")


spoke to Meg (other sister) re: Sam's terrible teenage boy political opinions
answered some comments
tried to catch THIS FUCKING FUCKING MOUSE


"Sasa has brought in, or the hole the builders left in the door has allowed in, another mouse
it is running around our bedroom
I tried to chuck him so I could catch and release
but it got behind a bureau
and Katy advocated a death cat approach
so he has been allowed back to watch where the mouse was last seen
and I was like, we can't go to sleep until this is resolved
and she was like OH YES WE CAN
I mean I lived by a forest and Had Cats but do I want to sleep w one running around in the br no"<--readers this was HOURS ago. I can still HEAR it. Sleep is not for me.

70 emails

DAY BOOK:

Attended play for review
edited story
posted (MASSIVE FUCKING PALAVER)
wrote a lot of SH emails re: Fringe
finished booklet category
wrote several emails to panelists
wrote to EE re: hangout space
talked/wrote re: house issue
tried to use up K's going off fruit, ended up throwing lots out
flat email
useful convo w ER re reviews
tidied living room
hunted large needle (no luck) &found bag and patch
folded some laundry/put in airing
took out cat litter
45 emails
welcome to night vale while working

TODAY I:

dishes
laundry
took a walk
gave VHS to charity shop
edited some fic
dealt w/ PH email from Katy
tried to sell on DVDs--didn't work
little bit of grocery shopping&visited pharmacy w K
got Rosie a present
wrote Emma re: Worldcon
compared panel choices w Katy
wrote Abigail re: SH
figured out SH short story review option/found examples of that type of review
wrote Abigail re: fruit
threw out spoiled fruit
47 emails
listened to night vale while working
sorted through DVDs and pajammas to get rid of w Katy

TODAY I:

tidied the bedroom a little
tidied the living room a little
readdressed mis-sent mail
went to store closing w Katy
went grocery shopping w Katy
took out cat litter
cleaned cat litter box top
cleaned cat food and water bowls
did a ton of dishes
did a TON of laundry (so so so much backed-up laundry, from J&R's vacation/from the repair guys' not /really/ enabling us to launder for a week/for the upcoming work trip and vacation)
listened to Welcome to Night Vale while working
closed a lot of tabs
put away food
made iced tea/condensed dregs into a bottle
warned J&R about oven timer and sales
found lids for some of R's jars
62 emails

The God Abandons Antony

When suddenly, at midnight, you hear
an invisible procession going by
with exquisite music, voices,
don’t mourn your luck that’s failing now,
work gone wrong, your plans
all proving deceptive—don’t mourn them uselessly.
As one long prepared, and graced with courage,
say goodbye to her, the Alexandria that is leaving.
Above all, don’t fool yourself, don’t say
it was a dream, your ears deceived you:
don’t degrade yourself with empty hopes like these.
As one long prepared, and graced with courage,
as is right for you who proved worthy of this kind of city,
go firmly to the window
and listen with deep emotion, but not
with the whining, the pleas of a coward;
listen—your final delectation—to the voices,
to the exquisite music of that strange procession,
and say goodbye to her, to the Alexandria you are losing.


Translated by Edmund Keeley/Philip Sherrard

(C.P. Cavafy, Collected Poems. Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Edited by George Savidis. Revised Edition. Princeton University Press, 1992)

(hat tip to elviaprose)

Today I:

(over the past several days since last count, 404 emails--maybe a few more)
made dinner
dishes
read hugo short stories
looked at hugo art
looked at hugo fanart
read hugo comics
read hugo novelettes
filled out hugo ballot
wrote many angry letters to uni and had a lot of complex long talks
wrote WTNV about covering them
Wrote Abigail about Fringe
applied for Fringe press pass
put away food
fiddled with an engram for research
updated goodreads

a thing that just happened:

Me: oh wow! look at that butterfly! it's so beautiful - and it looks totally different on the inside and the outside.
K: *nods*
Me: i hope sasa [our cat] doesn't kill it.
K: i'm sure he won't.
Me: because he's so rubbish? (the other day he looked at a sleeping mouse for a long time and did nothing. a week before that, a fly walked over his paw - and he did nothing)
K: and he's in the corrid-
sasa: *runs in*
K: sasa! come back-
sasa: *jumps up in one swoop and pats butterfly with paw*
K: D:

X-posted (with appropriate dialog tag changes) from my gf's journal

TODAY I HANDLED:

- 52 emails
- wrote 10ish worldcon emails
- had a good convo w an artist/activist in the caf
- went to doctor's
- felt ill
- went to pharmacy
- shopped for reductions at a couple stores
- vac'd room, couch
- dusted
- changed sheets
- tidied a little
- condensed lard
- started three kinds of ham
- read
- spoke to sister
- found a Chesterton article for later
- found a quote I needed
- made some plans w Katy

38 emails
traveled back to London
180odd pages of book on train
spent a lot of time trying to deal w painful paronychia
sat on beach
wrote 2 phd emails
wrote 5ish worldcon emails