Sherlockian Potpourri
By Don Hobbs

1. Today is the most hyped day in American sports. Today is Super Bowl Sunday. You might be an Indianapolis Colt fan or a Chicago Bears fan but there is nothing Sherlockian about the Big-Game. However, both cities have strong Sherlockian societies. Chicago has more societies than Sherlock Holmes can shake a single-stick at and Indianapolis has The Illustrious Clients, the very model of Sherlockian goodness. I am very jaded about today. It is not really Super Bowl Sunday for me because the Dallas Cowboys are not playing. I will attend today's meeting of The Diogenes Club of Dallas instead of watching the Big Game.
2. I was talking to some young friends the other day and the subject of The Beatles came up. I told them I was in at the local Skaggs-Albertson's with my parents when I heard the first track of "Rubber Soul". Luckily, the store was unpacking cases of the album* and I bought it. I was in Oklahoma City visiting relatives when I heard that "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was out. My cousin, Nicky, drove me to the local record shop where I promptly laid down the $5.95 for my own copy which I still have today. I could go on and tell you the exact spot on earth where I was when each of the subsequent Beatles albums were released but I will spare everyone that beating. The point is the release of a new Beatles album during my youth was a monumental event. It is like those of us who were alive in November 1963, know exactly where we were during those dark times or where we were when the Challenger exploded. Big events put mental-time stamps on us and we can recall every detail of that particular moment for the rest of our lives.

 *An album is a 12" vinyl disc that has grooves on both side. When place on a turntable, a needle is placed in the groove and music emanates from it.

3. This made me wonder about Sherlockians and Holmesians before there were Sherlockians and Holmesians. I mean the young people in the 1890's. Did the arrival of a new Sherlock Holmes story in the Strand or Collier's have that lasting effect on the readers of the time? I can imagine some elderly Londoner, hunkered down in a tube station during the London Blitz dotting to some scared youngster about where he was when he read for the first time "The Man With the Twisted Lip" or "The Speckled Band." Just something to think about.
4. On another front, The Galactic Sherlock Holmes is nearly complete. I am in severe need of help with my Bengali and Burmese books. I have repeatedly sent email messages to the national societies of both language speakers but failed to get a response. I have found Thai, Russian, and Greek speakers who have completed the bibliographic sections of their respective languages for me. Come on you "B" language speakers and help me out.  I will give credit in the contributor's section.
5. One last item concerning the Tamil translation. After a persistent search of the Internet, I finally found the address to Manjari the magazine that is publishing "The Red-headed League" in three consecutive issues. I have ordered several copies of each. Now it is just the old waiting game. I still have faith in the International Postal Service. I will report further on this when more information is available.

Happy Collecting!!