Good
morning, Don.
Saw
the pictures of your snow – WOW! The gleam of the Christmas lights on the Rose
of Sharon tree are beautiful. And yeah, I’m sure they help people to see where
the road is. Ten days without school – I bet the kids are like in seventh
heaven! And the teachers are wondering how far into June they’re going to have
to keep the kids as kid thoughts turn from school to Summer Time! As I’ve been
on both sides of the results of too much snow, I can truthfully say I don’t know
which is harder - having to go to school later in June or teaching later in
June. 
I
wish I could say that the 3-day snow storm we just got rid of left feet of snow
here. It didn’t, at least not in the city. We got about 7 inches, but it is sugar
fine snow – a good breeze will blow it away. What made this storm dangerous for
us was the slush turned to ice covered by snow. Thursday morning, the
temperature was 55 degrees – by 2 in the afternoon, the temperature was about
30. The falling snow melted and froze on the streets. Coloradoans just aren’t
use to that kind of driving!
I
looked up “Texas Low” out of curiosity. And you’re right, ominous, forbidding,
big… it happens when an Alberta Clipper (moving west to east) collides with a
Texas Low (moving south to north). There was one last year in early February
that grounded just about everything in the northern states and lower Ontario. Karl
Gotthardt, author of the article “Severe Weather: When a Texas low and an
Alberta clipper collide,” said that it gave new meaning to the slogan “Don’t
Mess with Texas.” I hope you make it out
in between storms.
The
biggest question around here is whether or not the Super Bowl will be played.
There is the thought that it could be squeezed in between storms – we’ll see
how that works out. I understand the financial kickback to a city that hosts
the Super Bowl – but I’m not sure why people just refuse to admit that February
weather, also known as winter, is not Fall weather! There will snow, there will
be delays; people invested in the game are not going to be happy campers. Just have
the game in the south or in a stadium that has a roof and be done with it!
A
couple of my students had a rather loud discussion about Sherlock Holmes this
last week. One student was emphasizing that the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle series was not being
“honored” by the recent series and movies.
This
is when I realized that I’ve been following the Robert Downey Jr./Jude Law
movies, Sherlock with Benedict
Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman series and the most recent addition to the genre, Elementary with Jonny Lee/Lucy Lui. And
quite frankly, I find all of them contributing to the mystic of Sherlock
Holmes. I’m not offended by any of the representations. Each one has its own
twist that makes it different from the others and each is very watchable.
The Sherlock
Holmes
movies with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are action! Blow ‘em up run for your
life! Pure adrenalin rushes. Lestrade, Mycroft and Moriarty are just as they
are in the books. 
Sherlock, with Benedict
Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are also true to the Doyle characters. Andrew
Scott as Moriarty was exceptionally well done. In this day and age, to have a
main character that is condescending sometimes leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but
the chemistry between Cumberbatch and Freeman is electrifying. And other
characters are beginning to take on an important role. Mrs. Hudson, Molly
Hooper and brother Mycroft have been allowed by the writers to become important
pieces to the Holmes puzzle. 
The
greatest changes to the Sherlock legacy has been with the America TV series, Elementary. Not only has Sherlock
ditched England and Mrs. Hudson, and not only is Watson a woman (Lucy Lui) but
so is Moriarty (Natalie Dormer). There
have been some significant character changes in Sherlock’s character. Jonny Lee
still plays the character as condescending
and ego-centric, but there are cracks in the great Sherlock Holmes’s persona.
He is becoming aware of his fellow man and I have to admit, it is refreshing to
see the character grow. His brother Mycroft is a weaselly, but Capt. Gregson
(Aidan Quinn) takes the place of bumbling Lestrade and that too is refreshing.
I’ll
have to look into the internet radio stations. With everything else that is
available, it never crossed my mind that radio stations would also be
available. I think I should also look for TV stations, the storms in the east
have knocked out our dish reception.
You
guessed the riddle for my Julian Fellowes entry – a thumb drive which was
correct! (By the way, we have not returned to Downton Abby)
Your riddle? Book
covers? The dust bunnies have me a bit befuddled.
Here
is my contribution for the week:
Stacked high with edibles
Covered with elixir and a bouquet of spices
Placed lovingly into a vessel
Heated to just right
Always hits the spot
Gottahard,
K. (2.8.13) Severe Weather: When a Texas low and an Alberta clipper collide.
Retrieved from http://digitaljournal.com/article/343079#ixzz2sBwb5mLd
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