Love and Community

So the FIFA World Cup is over now. I didn't watch any games, but apparently the final game was in a New Jersey stadium and had a halftime show. People said the Muppets were there, so I found a YouTube link afterward. Nice use of the Electric Mayhem band, and then starting at 10 minutes, there were Muppets and Sesame Street Muppets among the children singing about love. That's nice. Somewhat rushed and more like a cameo, with no dialogue.

I'm also glad that Trump got booed. He's always trying to steal glory for himself, while at the same time pretending he's so in danger that he needs the stupid ballroom bunker.

Congratulations to Spain, though I still don't care about sports. For the fans I guess it was a bit of joy, community, and fun to relieve the darkness. An escape from war and terror and pestilence.

Meanwhile, the big Odyssey movie came out this weekend. I don't care for Nolan's non-linear storytellling, so I didn't see it. But I'm glad that it did well at the box office. All the racists complaining about Lupita as Helen of Troy are so stupid and out of touch. Meanwhile, Sam Neill died, so I'm gonna try to watch all my favorite movies of his.

Professor and Colonel, chapter 2

So here's part 2 of the story. This part is more sketchy and not fully fleshed out; it's more like an outline, in present tense, with incomplete sentences and scenes. I have story ideas all the time, but not enough time to execute them. If I did write out the whole thing, it might develop and expand to many chapters rather than one. There are references to canon stories like VALL, DYIN, FINA, EMPT, and MAZA.

Fandom: Sherlock Holmes
Story: chapter 2 of The Professor and the Colonel
Pairing: Moriarty/Moran, Holmes/Watson
Warnings: slash, internalized homophobia, asexual Holmes, depression and suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide

The Professor and the Colonel

Forgive an indulgence. I just remembered this sketch/story I wrote in 2011. It was a plot bunny on the Holmesslash mailing list, inspired by Chapter 2 of Valley of Fear, when Holmes speaks of breaking into Moriarty's office "with the most unexpected results." In fact, maybe I should call it "Unexpected Results" instead, since only the first chapter is about Moriarty and Moran? Sorry that I keep changing present tense to past tense and vice versa. It would take time for me to fully clean it up. I'll post the second chapter in a day or two.

Fandom: Sherlock Holmes
Story: chapter 1 of The Professor and the Colonel
Pairing: Moriarty/Moran, Holmes/Watson
Warnings: slash, internalized homophobia, gay sex not described explicitly

Chronology part 17

Chronology of these short stories.

• CHAS - January 4-14, 1898
• SOLI - April 23, 1898. I changed the year from 1895, so that the date is actually Saturday, and the case doesn't conflict with 3STU

First published in March 1904, CHAS features the master blackmailer Charles Augustus Milverton, whose visiting card only vaguely calls him an "Agent." Watson says it has been "years since" this case happened and that someone concerned, probably the murderous woman, is now "beyond reach of human law" i.e. dead. Watson tells us he will conceal the date "or any other fact" that could give someone a clue.

Idiot Cultists

I have the day off but I'm bruised and achy due to falling down yesterday. I'm sad to hear that Bonnie Tyler died. I looked for the CD I bought of hers years ago, but can't find it. I hope I didn't sell it.

Meanwhile I'm glad that the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, but it's concerning how close the vote was. The 14th amendment is plain language, and the landmark Wong Kim Ark ruling helped Chinese people finally get be citizens despite the racist Chinese Exclusion Act. But a lot of American-born Asians are still treated as perpetual foreigners to this day. Always asking "where are you from?" when you actually mean, "what's your race?"

People finally abandoned Graham Platner due to the rape allegation. But he's had red flags ever since the Nazi tattoo, so I don't understand why it took so long for people to drop him. Why on earth would I trust a Nazi liar with no previous goverment experience, and a bad history? I'm supposed to believe he's super sincere about leftwing ideals, the working class, and protecting people's rights? Plus his obnoxious fans would constantly frame the Senate race as him vs. Susan Collins, not acknowledging that there were other Democratic candidates still in the race. Even after Janet Mills dropped out, there were still other candidates in the race, and Mainers had ranked-choice voting to push progressive leaders in the primary. But no, they clung to Platner cultishly, even after months of time to find a better candidate. People were saying, "oh that bad behavior was just a phase. He's all better now." Telling women and minorities to shut up about their doubts and vote for the disingenuous asshole, for the good of the country. When the fuck will "progressive" white men shut up and vote like how we tell them to, for the good of the country?

Some people are STILL supporting Platner even now and whining about the "Establishment" corruptly sabotaging him. As if Susan Collins wouldn't have attacked him the same way, with much worse timing, in the general election. Blame Platner for being a fucking shitbag liar. He better stop dragging his feet and officially leave (he's yet to do the paperwork to drop out) so that Maine Democrats can pick someone before it's too late! Fucking Nazi.

Chronology part 16

Chronology of these short stories.

• ABBE - late January 1897
• MISS - February 1897
• DEVI - March 16, 1897
• REDC - October 1897, or maybe winter

ABBE begins on a "bitterly cold night and frosty morning, towards the end of the winter of '97" when Holmes wakes Watson up, announcing that the game is afoot. He doesn't even let Watson say anything, just urging him to get dressed before dawn. They skip breakfast and take a cab to the train station in silence. Only after they have hot tea on the train does Holmes explain himself by showing him the note from Stanley Hopkins, dated at 3:30 AM that morning. The reason for choosing January rather than February will arise later.