Author Topic: Lights, Brokies, lights!  (Read 39502 times)

Offline serious crayons

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Lights, Brokies, lights!
« on: December 05, 2008, 11:31:59 am »
This topic is for the discussion of all aspects of holiday light displays, indoors and out, elaborate and simple, tacky and otherwise (hopefully it won't overlap too much with Chuck's "tacky Christmas displays" thread. It is for answering such questions as

1) Do you put up lights? Why or why not?

2) What do you like and dislike in other people's light displays? What are your favorite colors of lights?

3) Do you drive around and look at lights at this time of the year?

4) How do you plug the outside ones in? (I've always wondered about this because some of my homes have not had outdoor outlets.)

5) Do you like those big old-fashioned bulbs? (I noticed HerrKaiser mentioned that he does, in the Christmas quiz, and I do too.)

Etc.

BTW, the title of this topic is in honor of my younger son. When he was about three and we were driving at night around the holidays, he would see some fancy light display and cry out to his older brother, "Lights, [name of older son], lights!"




Offline CellarDweller

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Re: Lights, Brokies, lights!
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2008, 01:33:25 pm »
1) Do you put up lights? Why or why not?

My family has always put Christmas lights up.  I can't ever remember a time that we didn't.

2) What do you like and dislike in other people's light displays? What are your favorite colors of lights?

I hate the big inflatable monstrosities that everyone seems to put up.  I like multicolor smaller lights, however, the white ones are pretty too.

3) Do you drive around and look at lights at this time of the year?

Absofuckinluely!  I try to take pics of the really tacky ones!  ;D

4) How do you plug the outside ones in? (I've always wondered about this because some of my homes have not had outdoor outlets.)

Our house only recently has outside outlets.  In the past, we had an extension cord that ran through one of the windows, to the front porch.

5) Do you like those big old-fashioned bulbs? (I noticed HerrKaiser mentioned that he does, in the Christmas quiz, and I do too.)

I prefer the smaller lights, in multi color.  Or all blue.  I love blue lights, but they are darker.


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Lights, Brokies, lights!
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2008, 01:43:11 pm »
1) Do you put up lights? Why or why not? Living in a high-rise condo, I feel I don't have a place for outdoor lights, though in the past I have noticed that some of my neighbors have put lights on their balcony railings. My dad still puts up outdoor lights at his house.

2) What do you like and dislike in other people's light displays? What are your favorite colors of lights? I don't much care for those light-up plastic figures, regardless of whether the figures are Santas, snowmen, manger scenes, carolers, or whatever. I also don't like to see too much stuff crammed into a front yard display. During the energy crisis of the 1970s when displays went minimalist, I really developed a liking for plain white lights. I like the icicle lights, too.

3) Do you drive around and look at lights at this time of the year? Sometimes.

4) How do you plug the outside ones in? (I've always wondered about this because some of my homes have not had outdoor outlets.) Well, my dad used to have this plug-thingy. I don't know what it was properly called, but you could screw it into the front porch light socket instead of a bulb, and it had electrical outlets where you could plug in the lights. It was a way of temporarily turning an outdoor light fixture into an electrical outlet.

5) Do you like those big old-fashioned bulbs? (I noticed HerrKaiser mentioned that he does, in the Christmas quiz, and I do too.) I do have a residual fondness for those big outdoor lights. That's what my dad used to decorate when I was a small boy, before the energy crisis and the invention or popularity of the minilights. I also fondly remember their smaller cousins that you used on the indoor Christmas tree. I think one type of bulb was called a C-3 and the other a C-7, but I can never remember which was which.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Lights, Brokies, lights!
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2008, 01:45:07 pm »
I love blue lights.

"Attention K-Mart shoppers"?  ;D  ;)  :-*
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Lights, Brokies, lights!
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2008, 02:32:20 pm »
I love blue lights, too! Though I've wondered if those signify Hanukkah. If so, I may have to start celebrating Hanukkah instead, because I way prefer them to red and green.

Another thing I've noticed more this year is lights in a more limited palette of blue and green with a few reds -- but no yellow, orange or white. I find that color combination really striking. I also like just blue and green, or just blue and purple, or a couple of different shades of purple (that must be Prince's house).

There's this house near here that has those icicle lights hanging from the top of the front porch -- except instead of the usual white ones, these are beautiful cobalt blue. Then on the bushes below, there's a sprinkling of the limited-palette blue/green/red lights. It's beautiful. There's another one nearby that has a single tree heavily outlined in that limited palette. Also really nice.

Other lights and dislights:

1) Like everybody else, apparently, except the people who have them, I hate those huge plastic or inflatable figures. They're sort of the decor equivalent of corny Christmas letters.

2) I used to really like the all-white look, but I think it's been overdone. I did see one all-white house I thought was pretty original because, it emphasized different textures: icicles and regular lights and little snowflake-shaped lights, strategically placed.

3) I think in general I prefer outdoor displays that are a bit underplayed to those that go way overboard. But those way overboard ones are undeniably riveting. Anybody know how much that kind of thing adds to the electricity bill? Do you feel it's frowned upon in these environmentally-conscious days? What if you went way overboard -- but used all green lights?  ;D

4) In lights strung on deciduous trees, I much prefer the ones that follow the outlines of the trunk and branches rather than those that are strung horizontally from branch to branch.

5) For tree lights, I'm kind of sick of those ordinary little lights you get at Walgreen's or Target, but they're so cheap and readily available they're hard to resist.

BTW, the questions above are meant as a guideline or jumping off point. You're welcome to answer them individually, but this isn't a survey format, so don't feel obliged to follow them exactly.





Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Lights, Brokies, lights!
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2008, 02:48:33 pm »
I love blue lights, too! Though I've wondered if those signify Hanukkah. If so, I may have to start celebrating Hanukkah instead, because I way prefer them to red and green.

BTW, anybody know where a goy can get a little menorah?

Quote
I used to really like the all-white look, but I think it's been overdone. I did see one all-white house I thought was pretty original because, it emphasized different textures: icicles and regular lights and little snowflake-shaped lights, strategically placed.

Have to admit I'm far from tired of it. My "ideal" is a house with white icicle lights on the gables and eaves, the shrubbery wrapped in white lights, and single white candles in each window.  :)

Quote
For tree lights, I'm kind of sick of those ordinary little lights you get at Walgreen's or Target, but they're so cheap and readily available they're hard to resist.

Heh, those light sets are so cheap you can practically buy them new every year and throw 'em away after the holidays.  :-\

"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Kelda

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Re: Lights, Brokies, lights!
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2008, 05:47:36 pm »
1) Do you put up lights? Why or why not?

I love lights. So yes, I do. I have a small set outdoors nd lots on my tree and a set draped across my coffee table.

2) What do you like and dislike in other people's light displays? What are your favorite colors of lights?

Plain white,not sparkling just on all the time. Lovely!

3) Do you drive around and look at lights at this time of the year?

Sometimes

4) How do you plug the outside ones in? (I've always wondered about this because some of my homes have not had outdoor outlets.)

I don't think outdoor outlightd are common at all here. In fat I know noone with outside power. For the small set of lights, the wire fits under the front door.

5) Do you like those big old-fashioned bulbs? (I noticed HerrKaiser mentioned that he does, in the Christmas quiz, and I do too.)

I dont even know what you mean here? Pictures?

Etc.

BTW, the title of this topic is in honor of my younger son. When he was about three and we were driving at night around the holidays, he would see some fancy light display and cry out to his older brother, "Lights, [name of older son], lights!"




[/quote]
http://www.idbrass.com

Please use the following links when shopping online -It will help us raise money without costing you a penny.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/idb

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Offline CellarDweller

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Re: Lights, Brokies, lights!
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2008, 04:31:35 pm »
5) Do you like those big old-fashioned bulbs? (I noticed HerrKaiser mentioned that he does, in the Christmas quiz, and I do too.)

I dont even know what you mean here? Pictures?


the smaller lights (sometimes known as "twikle lights") are in a strand, and are already in the "sockets" when you get them and plug them in, very small lights.






The "old fashioned" Christmas lights are colored bulbs you have to twist into sockets, are are usually the size of  a "night light" often used in a child's bedroom.








Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline Kelda

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Re: Lights, Brokies, lights!
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2008, 05:38:57 pm »
aha! Thankyou Chuck!!
http://www.idbrass.com

Please use the following links when shopping online -It will help us raise money without costing you a penny.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/idb

http://idb.easysearch.org.uk/

Offline CellarDweller

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Re: Lights, Brokies, lights!
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2008, 06:26:03 pm »
you're welcome!


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!