Bah, Humbug!

I'm too tired to do anything dramatic for my 2000th so here is a top 10 list of my favourite "A Christmas Carol" adaptations. (Click that to actually read the book. People still read don't they?)

I just stumbled upon a Vincent Price rendition and that spurred me into making this list (in no discernible order) and though it has cheesy special effects, I'm putting it near the top.

I don't know where else to start, so I'll start with the earliest one I've seen.

Albert Finney as Scrooge a the musical version:

I'd be nearsighted if I neglected to add this one:

Oooh, George C. Scott as Scrooge: 

With ever-so-appropriately named Scrooge McDuck:

Gumby's Pony-pal Pokey has walked into a classic:

Michael Caine is inspired as Scrooge and the Muppets ain't so bad either:

Bill Murray has rarely been better!

Blackadder as Scrooge is incredible! 

This one Bugs me:

#1: Alistair Sim. Best...Scrooge...Ever! Nuff said.

Versions that I've never seen but would like to, "Make it so!"

The Stingiest Man in Town (live):

The Stingiest Man in Town (animated):

Daffy as Scrooge:

It looks like a Scooby-Doo episode but is true to the book, I don't ever recall seeing this:

Jetsons

Doctor Who:

Finally, A Klingon Christmas Carol!

ps. I'm in NO hurry to see this version. I wish Zemeckis would stop the Mo-cap!
I do wish though that I could find the WKRP episode! That was terrific.

Mikan If You Can.

I've been teaching all about the tradition of finding a Japanese Mandarin Orange (or みかん=Mikan) in one's Christmas Stocking from this article about the Oppenheimer brothers. I further elaborated that our family enjoyed a Mikan in our stockings annually and it was a challenge amongst us siblings to peel it in one unbroken peel. Whenever I chow down on a Mikan now, I get a tinge of nostalgia from my childhood. なつかしい!

Furthermore, I found these two blurbs about it in Japanese and have shown them to my co-workers who are too lazy to try it in English and I always get a なるほど (Oooh, I see!) everytime.

クリスマスオレンジクリスマスオレンジ・・・？実はこのクリスマスオレンジとは、温州みかんのことを言っているのです！何故クリスマスオレンジと呼んだのでしょう？日本では冬には当たり前のように食べられているみかんですが、遠く離れた国「カナダ」では「聖なる果実」とされているのです！カナダでクリスマスオレンジといわれるのは温州ミカンのことです。カナダには日本からクリスマスのために温州ミカンが毎年輸出されるのです！日本では赤い色を見ると「クリスマスだ！」と思いますが、カナダではクリスマスオレンジ＝温州みかんを見ると「クリスマスが来た！」と思うそうです！


海を渡ればクリスマスオレンジ

　みかんはカナダ、台湾、香港などに輸出されている。中でもカナダでは「クリスマスオレンジ」として珍重されている。そのルーツは、意外にもKINCHO大日本除虫菊（株）の創業者である上山英一郎氏まで遡る。1885（明治18）年、有田市でみかんを栽培していた上山氏が、福沢諭吉の勧めで渡米し、みかんの苗と除虫菊の苗を交換。それが北米にみかんを、日本に蚊取り線香をもたらした。カナダでは靴下にお菓子とみかんを入れて、家族で交換しあうそうだ。カナダの人たちは店頭に“みかん”が並ぶと、「今年もクリスマスが近いなあ」と思うそうな。

Imagine my surprise when I popped into the Station Conbini and found a pack of KitKat Littles featuring Mikan flavoured little choco-balls! They're tasty too!
I haven't seen this episode (or any other Dr. Who for that matter, I know: blasphemy!) but it apparently features Mikan prominently. I don't know which of these 10 parts it appears, so watch them starting here...

Oh yeah, I also get to recycle my "Obama likes Japanese Oranges" joke..."Yes, Mikan!"