Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective

Those of you who know me, most likely know of my *cough cough* border-line obsession with anything "Sherlock Holmes".

I love practically every version of the fictional detective from the brilliant Basil Rathbone to the masterful Benedict Cumberbatch (well, besides the Robert Downey Jr. movies. I hated those.).

221B Baker Street is familiar territory to me.



Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce


Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke


Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman ("modern" adaption TV show)

So, Savannah, why on earth are you so obsessed with a fictional character?

First off, I do not like calling it an "obsession".

I prefer the terms, "fondness" or "fascination".

What's so wonderful about this Sherlock guy, anyways?

1. He's a detective- I have always loved detective stories, murder mysteries, and the like, so the Holmes series has always appealed to me because of the genre.

2. He is still extremely popular, with many devoted fans from 1878 to present day- The stories and the character are timeless. The world just can't get enough of Sherlock.

3. He's not your average sleuth- Sherlock is a consulting detective. "The only one in the world." Scotland Yard consults him, when they are out of their league in a case, which is almost always. He also takes clients, who go to him when they need help with some rather unusual cases.

4. Not all of the Holmes cases involve murder- There are many stories, where murder or a death is not even mentioned. The Sherlock Holmes canon has very unique cases, that involve anything from ciphers to hidden passageways.

5. The Science of Deduction- This long-term fascination with the consulting detective, mostly has to do with his amazing deduction skills. He can tell a person's past and present, just by a single glance. He is the most observant man in the world (though fictional).

What exactly is "deduction"?

The dictionary defines the term as:
"Logic- a. The process of reasoning in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the stated premises; inference by reasoning from the general to the specific.

b. A conclusion reached by this process."

Sherlock uses this method to solve the many crimes that come his way.

"Let me run over the principal steps. We approached the case, you remember, with an absolutely blank mind, which is always an advantage. We had formed no theories. We were simply there to observe and to draw inferences from our observations."

Sherlock Holmes 

-The Adventure of the Cardboard Box

Basically, the steps of Sherlock Holmes' deductive reasoning are:

1. Begin with an open mind- draw no conclusions about a situation or individual until all data is received. Do not let a "hypothesis" become your "theory". It can affect your over all conclusion.

2. Observe- even the seemingly insignificant details count!

3. Draw a theory from what you see- this is when you put all off your facts and observations together, without an unbiased mind.

4. Narrow it down to reach a conclusion - "Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth." (Sherlock Holmes, "The Sign of the Four")

EXAMPLE: You meet a young man for the first time, and you observe that he has a gold band on his left ring finger. That must means he is married. He looks to be about in his mid-twenties, so he is old enough to have a wife, and the obvious fact of the ring proves your theory.

The above example was an extremely simple one, just to help you further understand  the method of observation and deduction, but it is also proof that we perform deductions, subconsciously, without even thinking about it!

If you see a ring, on an individual's left ring finger, which is where a wedding ring is meant to be worn, and that person looks to be a proper age to be married, than you instantly assume they are married.

Of course, a significant amount of study and work, goes into deducing and observing at Holmesian level, and is practically impossible, unless you devote your lifetime to those methods.

So, to wrap this post up, Sherlock Holmes has always been one of my favorite fictional characters, as I have read the entire canon 2-3 times, and have watched almost every version of the timeless consulting detective.

Obviously, I didn't go into the "deductive reasoning" methods, too far, because this post really isn't supposed to be focused on that, and there are a lot of significant things, I left out in my shortened, watered-down explanation.

If you would like to read more about observation and deduction, preferably based of Sherlock Holmes, I would suggest the book, "How to Think Like Sherlock" by Daniel Smith.

It dives into the methodology of the detective a bit more deeply, and is a very interesting read!

Fellow Sherlockians, share this post, and reply in the comments below! 

Even if you're not a Sherlockian, you're welcome to comment, anyways. :P

Thanks for reading!

Why I Hate Painting My Nails

It is a truth universally acknowledged that...
Girls should paint their nails.

Ok, who comes up with this stuff?

Painting nails intimidates me.

You see all these articulate, complicated paint jobs of cuteness...




And then, I decide to paint mine:




FAIL

Reasons Why I Hate Painting My Nails:

1. I'm too lazy
2. I don't think anyone's weird enough to inspect my nails.
3. If I paint them, they will most likely end up looking way worse than my natural nails.
4. The process of drying the nail polish takes about 20 minutes.
5. Your nails can't touch anything somewhat solid for the next 24 hours after painting them, or  a part will wear off or smudge.

The Blonde Genius

We all know the stereotype.

Blonde = dumb.

Oh, joy. My life is complete.

It is so refreshing to walk into a room and people instantly assume I'm clueless, ditsy, and gullible just because of my hair color! <----Sarcasm

What I don't understand is the fact that the color "blonde", is the most popular hair dye color in the world.

Why is that?

Why would a woman want to dye her lovely, natural hair, the color that is associated with stupidity?

Is it because they consider that hair color, attractive?

If so, that's just ridiculous, because if you're pretty, you're pretty, no matter what your hair color is.

You can be extremely unattractive and no hair dye will change what the rest of you looks like.

The point of this post, is to fight against the annoying increase of stereotyping blondes.

Well... that, and I sort of have something called "writer's block". 

Go figure.

I may be gullible and just plain stupid, but if I am, please refrain from blaming it on my hair color. 

So, there are two main categories blondes are placed in (thank you, Hollywood... -_-):

1. The Jerk- Almost every teen girl movie out there, has the mean girl as a beautiful, popular, egotistal, self absorbent blonde. A sociopath of sorts. She always has the best looking boyfriends, and a little clique of clingy friends. She's typically a cheerleader or prom queen (if not both), and is the ultimate girly girl, obsessed with the color pink, carrying a puppy around in her purse, and bedazzling her name on her towels. She is rude, thoughtless of others, and just plain horrid.

2. The Naive Simpleton- This blonde, is the girl who is constantly not understanding the jokes, or who is zoned out during the most important times. She laughs at everything, even if she doesn't know why, and is the slowest to understand even the most uncomplicated things. This, is the most well-known blonde stereotype, thanks to blonde actress Marilyn Monroe who made popular the trend, by portraying her characters as stupid and dimwitted.

3. The Bombshell- I believe this one speaks for itself. The bombshell blonde is literally the "perfect" woman (at least, in the eyes of the media). She is gorgeous, confident, and always has a trail of men following behind her. She is a major flirt, and uses her beauty to get what she wants.

Apparently, Hollywood left out an important "type", in their defining blonde females.

They forgot that blondes can be normal.

Blondes can be just as intelligent, if not more so, than brunettes, redheads, or any other hair color!

16 year old Lauren Marbe from the UK, scored 161 on a MENSA test, which would rank her intelligence higher than Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates and Albert Einstein!

You go, Lauren! *cheers*

In summary, this post was a bit of a rant for me, that I've been storing inside my mind for a good long while.

Next time you feel tempted to tease a blonde about her intelligence, specifically because of her hair color, remember that she has feelings, and that it's not always fun to be thought of as "the dumb one"

Dating 101

Boy meets girl.
Boy and girl like each other.
Boy asks girl out.
They date for about two weeks, break up over text, and by the next week are dating someone else, until eventually they find "the one", and get married after living with each other for months.

The typical dating cycle.

In my opinion, there's something wrong with this picture.

Should finding a  future spouse, be so casual?

I believe in a little word called, "courting".

Yes, I know... it sounds old-fashioned and weird, but it's a good way to find a future spouse!

So what is courtship, anyways?

Boy meets girl.
Boy and girl become friends and talk in a group.
Boy and girl pray about their future, (separately, of course) as they wait until the right time.
Years, months, or in rare occasions, even weeks later, the boy talks to his parents and makes a decision.
Does he really want to pursue a relationship with a particular girl?
Does he really want to spend the rest of his life with that girl?
Is the Lord leading him in a particular direction concerning a particular female?

If the answer to all those questions is "yes", then it's time for action.

What happens next?

The boy talks, privately, to the girl's father, expressing his admiration for his daughter, and asks permission to court her, with the intention of marriage later on down the road.
Over the course of the next few weeks, the father talks to mother about the boy, then they talk to the daughter, if they are both in agreement.
They pray as a family about it, waiting for the Lord's direction.
Once, the family comes to a decision... the courtship can officially begin.

What exactly do you do during a courtship?

Well, courtship is practically the same thing as dating, except the guy and girl are never alone, together (understandably, of course).
They are always in a group environment, with one or two mature adults, as their friendship grows, and they learn more about each other.

How long does it last?

A courtship can last from a week (though not advisable) to a few years. It all depends on the age and maturity of the couple. Are they ready to get married? Buy a home? Start a family? Is their relationship growing in the Lord? Do they have the same standards and convictions?
If the answer is "yes", then it's time to get engaged, and a few months later, marriage follows.

What are the "physical boundaries" in a courtship?

The boundaries in a courtship can vary with the couple and their family.

When I'm courting, holding hands is the extent of physical touching, for me.
No hugs, no kissing (until my wedding day), nor anything else.
I'm ok with sitting next to my "suitor" and an occasional arm around my shoulder is permissible.
In fact, I wouldn't mind that at all. ;)


Anyways, to wrap this post up, I just wanted to give my thoughts on dating and explain courtship.

I hope I clarified a few things and didn't confuse ya'll too much!

The next post will be much more interesting, I promise! ;)

To Gnaw or Not to Gnaw...That, is the Question.

My grandma and I went to Chili's for lunch, today.

The conversation went as follows:

"Ummm... so do I hold the bone and bite off of it, then?" 

I glanced down at the rack of ribs on the plate in front of me , oozing with barbecue sauce (ok, "oozing" probably wasn't the best word to use in this situation.)

"Why not?" My grandma wondered.

I snuck a peak at the full booth directly across from us. 

My gaze moved to the tables behind and in front of us.

"You want me to actually bite into a rib, with all these people watching?!" I gasped.

"Savannah. No one's watching you eat."

"I can feel their stares penetrating through my soul!"

"Just eat it. Who cares what they think. It's not like you're going to see them, again.

She had a good point.

So, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly held the rib up to my mouth, prepared for the worst (biting into a piece of fat, for example).

After taking a small bite, my eyes flew open, and I scanned the premises for enemy spies.

No one must ever know my secret.

As I took my second bite, I decided to keep my eyes open and alert.

Suddenly, I caught movement in my peripheral vision coming from the left side of me.

My head snapped around, only to be looking into the eyes of.... 

"Would you like a refill?"

Our disgustingly optimistic waitress held out her jug of water, with a plastered Colgate smile on her face.

I let my rib drop onto my plate.

*slow motion falling*

I was caught red-handed.

I considered my options of escape.

I could always slide, undetected, underneath our table.

But then, there was always the threat of dust bunnies and month old chewed gum.

"Ma'am?" 

I shook my head to focus, as the waitress waited for me to reply.

I had to move... and I had to move fast.

"Bathroom. Too much water." I managed to mutter before bolting from our booth to the bathroom, locking myself in a stall.

Oh, the humiliation I had suffered!

Never shall I lay my fingers on another rib!

Ok... maybe the above story was a bit of an exaggeration. 

But, the internal debate of "to gnaw or not gnaw" is a question that nags us all, when seated in any eating establishments.

Have you ever had any awkward eating situations?

The Best Moments in Life

1. Eating pickled okra- This, I tried for the first time, yesterday, and it was absolutely unbelievable! (Is it odd that food is at the top of this list?)

2. Drinking a cup of hot tea (or coffee) while reading a novel- Something that never gets old.

3. Lying down in bed after putting on fresh sheets- Don't judge me. You know you secretly agree.

4. Playing the violin outside, in 60 degree weather for as long as you want- Ok... it's probably just me on this one.

5. Using your credit card- I just got my card, a few months ago, so I can't get enough of it! I relish the sense of power as I strut up to the register and swipe my card (after about 4 other tries of swiping it upside down).

6. Faking a British accent and actually having people believe you- Once, I say at least one sentence out loud in that accent in public, I have practically everyone giddily gawking at me, like I'm some oddity that escaped from Ripley's Believe It or Not.

7. Getting something for free at the store, because the register was wrong- The best example, is when I got 3 packs of Dove dark chocolate, without having to pay for it. God bless faulty cash registers.

8. Yelling "Green!" at a red light and it instantly turns green- "How did you do that??!!" they ask me. "Magic." I whisper in reply.

9. Over-hearing your parents discussing in hushed tones the option of eating at Cracker Barrel on a Sunday afternoon- It give me something to look forward to! *drum roll* The Sunday special home-style fried chicken! Oh, wait... I'm gluten-free, now, and fried chicken has breadcrumbs and bread has... *sigh of hopelessness* gluten. I'm going to go cry in a corner, now.

10. Successfully completing an Algebra problem- "Ok... 3 down and... *scans page* uh.... 27 more to go." What a blessing.

11. Having someone ask to sit next to you (most likely a female, in my case)- "I want to sit next to Savannah!" is the best phrase in the universe. It means someone actually likes me enough to put up with my random craziness! That, my friends, is a rare find.

12. Spinning around in an office chair- Admit it. We've all done this at some point in our lives. Some of us more than others. The weirder ones of the bunch like to add annoying, loud sound effects to the twirling. (i.e. "Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!")

13. Seeing you got a text- "Ding!". A sound we all hope to hear every second of the day.

14. Being so tired that anything and everything is hilarious- This happened to me, at church, tonight. I can only imagine how ridiculous I looked. I can't even remember half of what I said or did. Honestly, it's all a bit of a blur.

15. The feeling of satisfaction after finishing a blog post- Now, that is something I could get used to...


What are your "favourite moments in life"?

Spending time with family?
Hanging out with friends?
Watching your favourite movie?
Playing a sport?

Write them in the comments below!

Welcome to my Little Corner of the World Wide Web (Well that sounds rather diabolical...)

Why the Blog, Savannah?

In short...
Because it's fun.
That, and I feel like I need to do something different, this year.
I want to meet new people, be an inspiration, and just... be me.
Therefore, this little blog.

Who are you, anways?

I'm just an average sixteen year old girl that loves God and has a muriad of hobbies!

Hobbies?

Yes. "Hobbies". I know... I hate the word, too.

Would you care to list them?

Perhaps.. I mean, this is public for everyone and anyone to see.
*sigh*
Ok, ok, here we go: reading, writing, acting, recording audiobooks, singing, playing the violin and piano, drinking coffee (that counts, right?), shopping, star-gazing, and faking a British accent.

Reading? Ew! 

You are entitled to your personal opinion on the above subject... and I, my friend, am entitled to mine.
The Bible, Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, Sherlock Holmes, The Chronicles of Narnia, anything Jane Austen, and practically any Christian fantasy/sci-fi novels, are my personal favourites.
I have a broad reading range.

So whats the theme of this blog, anyways?

*scratches head*
Well, the thing is... I don't have a theme.
Shocking, right?
This blog represents my brain- a jumbled up mixture of disoriented thoughts and ideas.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the random scribblings of a *gasp* Christian homeschooler, who has nothing better to do than to write incessant jibber-jabber, all under the guise of "entertainment".