Christmas Carol Musing.

Thought for the day: Does "the thought" really count if I had no idea what I was thinking when I bought it?

Finished the Eden of the East movies...technically today. More like last night, but after I posted, so, blah.

They were, of course, very well done. Mr. Outside's true identity will not surprise anyone who was paying very close attention to certain scenes from the series. Also, Takizawa's mother is a bitch. Just saying. Also, a couple of days ago I switched my Firefox persona to an Eden of the East theme. Today I downloaded adblocker.
There is a text message on the adblocker bar, which read: "I Pray For Your Continuing Service As A Savior."
God I love fandom sometimes.

So, moving on, I attempted to find another series to watch. I started Axis Powers Hetalia.

No.

Just...no. Which is weird, because the feel I got from the fandom at-large was that I would love this. But there aren't really episodes, not full-fledged ones, anyway. They're something like ten minutes long. No, thank you, I'd like more plot than that. But I GET more plot from fanworks. This is just one of those weird times when I enjoy the fandom more than the material. Probably the only time, actually.

Anyway, I've also started Baccano! which looks good so far. Immortality, Roaring 20s, general weirdness...Yes, this should do nicely.

Also, musing on A Christmas Carol versions. Personal favorites are Muppets, and the one that shows up on TNT every year with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge. From the Muppets, I've got a number of the songs stuck in my head.
"We're Marley and Marley, our hearts were painted black! We should have known our evil deeds would put us both in shackles!"

Meanwhile, the TNT version has the fullness of the Ghost of Christmas Present; it's a rather grim scene in the end, but that would have been out of place for the Muppets.

Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge: Is there no chance that boy will be spared?
The Ghost of Christmas Present: Not if the future remains unaltered. But so what if he dies? If he's going to do it he'd better do it quick and decrease the surplus population. If you be a man in your heart forbear that wicked cant until you've discovered what the surplus really is and where it is. Will you decided what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be that in the sight of Heaven you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions, like this poor man's child. Oh God, to hear the insect on the leaf pronouncing there is too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust! 

As I said, hardly appropriate for the Muppets "No, I am a LARGE Absent Minded Spirit! Ahohohohohoho!"

Another version I'm rather fond of is a musical version with Kelsey Grammer in lead. In fact most of the good ones, barring Sir Stewart's work above, are musicals. Perhaps that's a tendency in us, for this story. Indeed, for most stories, this time of year. Last year's Doctor Who Christmas Special was a pastiche of A Christmas Carol, in that magnificent way only Steven Moffat can pull off. SPOILERS: Ultimately, the "Ghost of Christmas Future" bit is NOT the Doctor taking the Scrooge character to see his own death - it's bringing his younger self to see what a bitter old man he's become. Very well done, Mr. Moffat, very well done.

This years is apparently a Narnia pastiche: "The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe". Is it wrong that, given the title formula, I'm assuming the Widow will be at least a little villainous? Or the Doctor will have to save her from herself? Probably Moffat will take the premise and make it do little dances. That's his style. And make it terrifying without killing anything, because that's ALSO his style, the scary, brilliant bastard.

But I've gone rather far afield from my intent; I brought up last year's special because of this description of the winter holiday season:

On every world, wherever people are, in the deepest part of the winter, at the exact midpoint, everybody stops, and turns, and hugs, as if to say "Well done. Well done, everyone! We're halfway out of the dark." Back on Earth, we called this Christmas, or the Winter Solstice.

I love that line. And it's mostly true. Nearly every culture has some sort of something that occurs around this time of year, or did at one time. And, do you know, it's almost always called The Feast of Lights? Or something similar? Hannukkah also falls this week this year, and Christmas is on a Sunday. It's one of those years, I think; at the close, everything begins to line up. Or maybe we just really, really need to have something to celebrate.

I re-read The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett this week. I'll muse some more on that book later, probably either tomorrow night or Christmas Eve. Yes, Christmas Eve sounds perfect for it. Look for it then.

By the time I expect most of you to read this, it will be December 22, the Winter Solstice. Thus I leave you with this happy thought.

Well done, everyone. We're halfway out of the dark.