#268 - What? It's the Eve already? Shit!

The oh-so-great Fandom Lounge has cheerily informed me that Keanu Reeves is angling to play Spike Spiegel for a live-action Cowboy Bebop movie.



Fox News has begun development of a dramedy about a quartet of female werewolves living in New York. The title? "Bitches." This could either be really awesome or Really Fucking Disastrous (to the point that it Requires Random Capitals). Not that I'd necessarily be following this series' run, since I don't watch TV, but...

HOLY CRAP THIS IS TOTALLY NOT SAFE FOR SANE MINDS WORK: Vagina-shaped soap-on-a-rope, with that added touch of the ultimate in femininity: her menstruation! Guys, I don't even know. I just don't know.

Because I don't know when or how to shut up about Vienna Teng, here's another interview with her about her latest album, in which we get a better idea of the kinds of tracks featured on Inland Territory. lkjaldkfjaldjfadlkjf WANT NAO PLZ. I've got a lot to look forward to next year: Vienna Teng's new album, Jim Butcher's new Dresden Files book, Kanon Wakeshima's album...

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You know what's really tasty? Brazilian Pudding Pocky.

I had no idea what it was before, but I saw some at Mitsuwa Marketplace when I went up there about a week and a half ago, and I went "Ooh! Pretty box!" and snatched two to try it out. Delish. I'mma gonna have to stock some more soon.

Also, I sat down recently and finally plunked out a reasonable sounding cover for the first ED to Bomberman Jetters, Chiisana Koro no Chiisana Kioku (Little Memories of When I Was). I also managed to do some stuff for the second ED, Love Letter, but I haven't nailed down a playable piano arrangement yet. That'll come when I actually sit down and listen to the song again, instead of doing it from memory at 3AM in the morning. Dear gods, I miss this anime. It's innocent and sweet, but surprisingly deep in many places, and it has a stellar soundtrack and well-done animation and background art.

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Just came back from my parish's celebration of the final night of Simbang Gabi. My parents had volunteered me to be a reader for a special themed segment in the middle of mass, which is why a hellbound heathen like myself was there.

The Simbang Gabi is based on the Misa del Gallo, the traditional midnight mass in most Spanish-speaking countries. However, in the Philippines, the mass occurs every night over the span of the nine days prior to Chrismas Eve. (I suppose stretching it out over nine days is a variation on the prevalent trend called "Filipino time". Also, our Simbang Gabi mass started at 7PM, not 12AM. That's either really early or really late, depending on how you view things.)

(Interestingly enough, there was a recent post on hellenic_pagans regarding Hellenic versions of winter holidays and celebrations. One of the suggestions posted was a modern festival called the Heliogenna, intended to honor the sun god Helios (and other gods!) during the winter solstice. Depending on your tastes, it can either be a three-day festival or a nine-day festival, with the winter solstice falling right in the middle of the things.)

Various Tagalog carols and hymns were sung in place of the usual hymns at the Simbang Gabi here. Even if the sound system were clearer than glass, I wouldn't have been able to understand any of it. However, the two Tagalog carols I'm familiar with, and which I have a certain fondness for, are Pasko na Naman (Christmas is Here) and Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit (Christmas Has Arrived...don't ask me what the difference is between the two titles). Interesting factoid: Ang Pasko ay Sumapit was apparently originally composed in Cebuano. Viva la bisdaks!

Parol: The traditional star decoration used in the Philippines to represent, among other things, the star above Bethlehem that led the three kings to baby Jesus.

Parole: The conditional release of a person from prison before the end of their maximum sentence.

Spelling: It Counts, Bitches!

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Also, I just found out that my aunt wants me to drag my keyboard over to her house when we go there tomorrow for the Christmas party so that I can entertain the folk there. Well, I suppose it's better than sitting around wondering when the hell I get to go home.

-Reileen
the first thing at Christmas that's such a pain to me is finding a Christmas tree