Author: Brad Keefauver

At the latest meeting of the John H. Watson Society, we decided the Worst Watson to date with a bracket tournament that reduced sixteen screen Watsons to a single Worst Watson. Who was voted the Worst Watson? It was definitely Dudley Moore from “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” who beat out Anthony O’Donnell in “Xango De Baker Street” in the final round. But in determining the worst of Watsons, the question was raised as to the best of Watsons.

How would we determine the best of Watsons? How do we reduce bias and perform the a more “scientific” determination of Watsonian quality than a silly bracket tournament or popularity contest? After some discussion, we decided that coming up with twenty characteristics of a true Dr. Watson that we could use to rate Watsons would be a great start. So what qualities? Display of friendship? Moustache? Wound carrying? Medical abilities? Verbal abilities of a writer?

In the comments below, we’re going to start collecting qualities in our initial efforts to build a matrix of perfect Watson qualities, based on the John H. Watson of the Original Canon. Let us know what qualities you think should be included in our search for the Best Watson Ever!

Don’t get so wrapped up in finishing the annual John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt that you miss out on our August meeting! Yes, it’s a busy month, with school and such starting up again, but we still have important business to attend to, and you might want to be present when Decisions of Great Import are being made. What decisions?

Well, nothing less than picking the Worst Watson of All Time. Nigel Bruce has suffered long enough, and it’s time to point out that there are far worse Watsons out there. And to make that point, we’re holding a Worst Watson Tournament, in that classic bracket play-off fashion, as our society narrows down the field from sixteen worst Wats-ons to a single Wats-off, the true king of bad Watsonery!

And, yes, you are invited to this frabulous Zoom meeting.
When: Aug 27, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kcuuhpjovE9KFQbFARcOyqYE3AIiAfk_0

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

August is almost here, and you know what that means! It’s Treasure Hunt time again, so this coming Saturday, July 23, the bull pups and friends will gather on Zoom for a virtual training montage to get in shape for running with the pack next month.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtcu6vqj8sE9xPLUdUWP8QJExL8KLRilgW

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

And while you’re waiting for Saturday, here’s the weekly episode of our society’s podcast if you aren’t subscribed on your favorite podcast service: https://watsonianweekly.libsyn.com/july-18-2022-somebody-takes-it-in-the-face-will-it-be-watson (Don’t expect it to last you until Saturday though — it’s not quite fifteen minutes.)

Hi there,

You are invited to a Zoom meeting. (Yes, I just pasted the standard Zoom invitation to start this post.)
When: Jun 25, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

What’s the theme? “Summer Watson!”

What’s that mean? That’s what we’ll be figuring out! One of those men’s one-piece swimsuits with the wide stripes and a straw hat for a trip to the beach? Sitting around Baker Street in his boxers sweltering in the heat? Heading out to the street for a halfpenny Italian ice? Let’s find out!

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErcuyqpj0qH9PDjCuntbHF1sDhTyy_WTUj

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Also, don’t forget the latest episode of The Watsonian Weekly, where we don’t even mention that the meeting is coming up (but you read it here anyway).

https://watsonianweekly.libsyn.com/june-20-2022-i-gout-yer-james-right-here

Care to spare Watson fifteen minutes or so out of your Week? Well, here’s another episode of the world’s only all-Watson-centered podcast for the Watson lover in you.

https://watsonianweekly.libsyn.com/june-6-2022-fielding-watsons-abernetty-business

Sure, next Saturday is a holiday weekend in the US, but what’s more important, family, friends, cook-outs, and travel? Or talking about John H. Watson and eggs? (And the usual random off-topic chat that fills up the last hour and a half.) Join your fellow bull pups and friends for a Saturday hang that always goes where no Sherlock Holmes society will go. (Because we’re a Watson society!)

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Saturday, May 28, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMldeCsqTgjE9z1Y_jOOkZcAQEBMCdOVmWR

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

This Saturday, April 23, the bull pups and friends will be gathering on Zoom once again to discuss John Watson’s relationships with horses and whatever else we ramble on about. (Maybe we shouldn’t make bull pup Maddy talk about 221B Con — she’s done two podcasts on it already.) Think there’s not much of an equine Watson to discuss? You might be surprised — but you have to saddle up for Saturday’s Zoom to find out!

You are invited to a Zoom meeting, then!
When: Apr 23, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvd-isqD4oHd3Ir3RXmIfRN4texBj0UFjl

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Are you a past, present, or future member of the John H. Watson Society in Atlanta this weekend for 221B Con 2022? Want to see your fellow Watsonians live and in person? We’re getting together for a couple of casual gatherings before the pre-and-post con Zooms mentioned earlier, and you’re invited!

We’ll be gathering for lunch in the hotel bar at 1:00 PM on Friday, and pulling together a second event Sunday night (pizza maybe?) about 6. Drop by, drop in, drop over, but if you want to be sure we save you a seat, DM @BradKeefauver on Twitter to let us know you’re coming. Hope to see you soon!

It’s the week before 221B Con, and with bull pups on panels, the John H. Watson Society is going to be well represented. Somebody should have taken notes on that at our last meeting, but the latest Watsonian Weekly wanders through the schedule even though the host doesn’t remember who is on what panel.

https://watsonianweekly.libsyn.com/april-4-2022-will-watson-be-at-221b

There are also going to be two John H. Watson Society zooms, Friday afternoon and Sunday evening, hosted by Madeline Quinones. Here are the links to reserve your spot for those:

Friday, pre-con:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvde2pqz0vHNVUn3JnWDpcROkoAIPC-QlX

Sunday, post-con:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpdeiqqzMvE9Q9LWcU9ipG9r3r2TMyNUW_

We hope to see you somewhere next weekend!

You know the drill — join your fellow Watsonians for an hour or two of chat on whatever topics we wander into. This month’s theme “The Toys of John H. Watson” is whatever those words bring to mind — hopefully nothing dark or murderous after last month! March is rolling by at the speed of a hoop and stick being played with by a little Johnny Watson, so take a minute to catch your breath with us.

You are invited to THE Zoom meeting.
When: Mar 26, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada — who knows what that is in Portsmouth after we did the Daylight Savings switcheroo!)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAodeyrpz8jHtMvLiyA1q0Dpd3CLN59_S2C

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Remember the movie “Without A Clue,” where Watson was the secret genius of Baker Street and Sherlock Holmes was a foolish actor? So take that premise, but keep the Sherlock Holmes we know at full genius level. THEN make Watson a criminal mastermind of a level that Holmes did not even suspect — Eurus Holmes level. How many hidden crimes documented in plain sight in the Canon could he have been responsible for?

“The late Irene Adler?” “The late Elias Whitney?” Paul Thomas Miller has opened up a Pandora’s box, a can of poisonous worms, a horrific possibility that simply must be examined by the John H. Watson Society, whether we want to believe it or not, and your JHWS meeting host is running with it.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting to discuss the full ramifications of this dark path.
When? Feb 26, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada), 6:00 PM Portsmouth Time (UK and Bullpup Buck), and whatever works for the rest of the zones to match those.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrf-yrqT0jHdLVvqFXIPQcY-jnYFzaP5Fd

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Since last weekend was a very special “Sherlock Holmes Birthday Weekend” gathering of the John H. Watson Society and friends, and since our actual monthly meetings tend to happen without speakers, agendas, or much planning . . . well, why not have a meeting on our normal weekend of the month?

So here’s our last minute meeting details for any of you Watson fans who just want to show up and see what happens:

When: Jan 22, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsf-2upz8iG9ONAvF0THmQOsSVOqh6sHzI

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

This week’s Watsonian Weekly is a whole lot of talk (but not all of it, sad to say) from Saturday’s meeting of the John H. Watson Society. Enjoy!

https://watsonianweekly.libsyn.com/january-17-2022-a-whole-lotta-watson-for-ya

This Saturday, at a very abnormal time for us, the John H. Watson Society will be joining in on the weekend festivities with a 2:30 PM EST Zoom gathering to celebrate the birthday of John’s best friend (and etc.) Sherlock Holmes. It’s a little hard to play “Pin The Tail On Holmes or Watson” on Zoom, even if they both identified themselves on the animal in question (Watson in “Reigate Squires,” Holmes in “Bruce-Partington Plans.”) but we’ll figure out something appropriate, especially if you help in the comments below.

When: Jan 15, 2022 01:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqduGoqzwrEtfhaa86i5ltHAcskecexI4F

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We know, you’ve got all that Christmas shopping to do, family showing up so as not to compete with some other side of the family next weekend, Spiderman: No Way Home matinees, and a thousand other virus-prone things to keep you busy this Saturday, but your good doctor Watson would surely want you to stay inside and come to the John H. Watson Society zoom gathering at the usual time.

Will there be a program? Will bull pup Calder just try to get you to help him plan the Sherlock’s birthday weekend zoom party (and potential Saturday JHWS event)? You just never know with our merry band.

But, all that said, you are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Dec 18, 2021 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvc-2upj0sG90upFLyfo1Kw-U697Afd5XM

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Rather than waiting to call upon Sherlock Holmes AFTER Christmas, the John H. Watson Society will be avoiding a holiday conflict by moving our meeting up a week to December 18. And here’s the registration link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvc-2upj0sG90upFLyfo1Kw-U697Afd5XM

Join us for some unexpected Blue Carbuncle fun and all the usual Watsonian chatter, in directions even more unexpected — you don’t even have to be a JHWS member to attend!

Did we ever mention that you don’t have to be a card-carrying member of the John H. Watson Society to attend a meeting of the JHWS? (Hint: We don’t have membership cards.)

Our next meeting is tomorrow (Saturday, November 27th at) at the magical hour of 10 AM PDT, 11 AM MDT, 12 Noon CDT, 1 PM EDT, 6 PM BST, 7 PM CEST, etc. , and in the grand tradition of the best pub trivia we’ll be testing Watson knowledge while we share some as well. Calculate and double-calculate what time that happens in your time zone and join us for some fun.

The registration link is  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vduihrj0tHdI1bceHd20aq5eKeP8XxO2n

Here we go again! Yes, it may be a holiday weekend in one of the countries we’re based in, but when is a meeting of the John H. Watson Society anything but a holiday? We’re going to have some fun little Watson pub trivia that you can enjoy even if you don’t have his immortal words memorized, along with the usual chatter, so take a break last Saturday of the month for a visit.

When is it happening? Saturday, November 27th at 10 AM PDT, 11 AM MDT, 12 Noon CDT, 1 PM EDT, 6 PM BST, 7 PM CEST, etc. — and be sure to double check that time against your local time zone. Need a reminder? Get a Watson reminder buddy!

If you haven’t got a Watson reminder buddy, if you’d like to get invited to the Zoom, and or if you haven’t gotten the link already from some back-alley source, just email podcast@johnhwatsonsociety.com to get in on the event.

Time again to summon the Society of Watson to speak of the things of which no one else speaks. And this being October, as the darkness claims the land, and the spirits of the dead come closer to the veil, even matters Watsonian must turn to shadowed tales of . . . well, you’ll just have to come to the October meeting to find out! 

When is it happening? Saturday, October 23rd at 10 AM PDT, 11 AM MDT, 12 Noon CDT, 1 PM EDT, 6 PM BST, 7 PM CEST, etc. — and be sure to double check that time against your local time zone (especially if your name rhymes with “Doll Lomax Killer”).

If you’d like to get invited to the Zoom, and haven’t gotten the link already from some back-alley source, just email podcast@johnhwatsonsociety.com to get in on the event.

John H. Watson: Doctor, writer, detective agency partner, and. . . . documentary film-maker?

At the next meeting of the John H. Watson Society — Saturday, September 25th at 10 AM PDT, 11 AM MDT, 12 Noon CDT, 1 PM EDT, 6 PM BST, 7 PM CEST, etc. — we’re indulging a couple of conspiracy theorists and testing Watson’s documentary footage with a JHWS-meeting sized group of test subjects. You may have heard of this sort of experimentation being done before on janitors and robots in isolated space stations, but rest assured — no robots will be present at this meeting.

If you’d like to get invited to the Zoom, and haven’t gotten the link already from some back-alley source, just email podcast@johnhwatsonsociety.com to get in on the event.

And while you’re feeling in mood for being open to the great panorama of life that includes John H. Watson, M.D. take a listen the the latest episode of our society’s own podcast, the Watsonian Weekly at https://watsonianweekly.libsyn.com/september-20-2021-three-continents-of-watsonians and wherever fine podcasts are streamed. (Want to be on the Watsonian Weekly? Got ideas or just a hankering to do Watsonian audio content? Just write to podcast@johnhwatsonsociety.com and find out how. )