AARoads Forum

I know it's only July, but I wanted 2 share this web page I came across.  I like all kinds of Christmas Lights, + especially C-7's (+ the twinkle lights) and mini lights:
http://yulelights.com/page2/jsp_pg2.htm  :coffee:

I LOVE Christmas decorations (Christmas lights are my favorite). I love getting on top of my house to put them up. My favorite are the LED muti-colored light> they save money last a LONG time and they are cool looking. I hate seeing houses with white lights only.
BigMatt

I had heard that the LED lights were not very bright, so improvements must have been made on them.  In support of the C-7 + C-9 twinkle lights, however, this quote from the Christmas Eve 1973 edition of TIME Magazine should be an incentive 2 always continue their manufacture:
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: A 6-ft. Christmas tree lit by 75 standard bulbs burning four hours a day would use 290 of power a week, a relatively harmless indulgence.  A tree decorated with 75 twinkle lights would expend 170 of electricity a week. :coffee:

LED lights aren't bright at all and the blue look purple-ish but i like them
BigMatt

Here's what I would call a prelude to Christmas Lights.  Today, in the supermarket where I work, I discovered what are called Candy Corn Lights (mini lights) to decorate for Autumn.  The top half of the lights are orange, while the bottom halves are yellow :coffee:

The problem with LED's is they are too directional and don't pump out enough light in all directions. Until this can be rectified the traditional filament bulb will reign supreme.

Quote from: Tom on October 07, 2009, 04:34:57 PM
Here's what I would call a prelude to Christmas Lights.  Today, in the supermarket where I work, I discovered what are called Candy Corn Lights (mini lights) to decorate for Autumn.  The top half of the lights are orange, while the bottom halves are yellow :coffee:

I hate the actuall candy corn, but I only have orange/red fake leaves to decorate for Autumn

Or, you could be like me and use the same Christmas lights you've been using for the past 10 years! Those old non-LED bulbs still work just fine, so I'm gonna keep using them.  :-D

Ive allways been into decorating for Christmas, last year we had our Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving!
BigMatt

Quote from: Tom on October 07, 2009, 04:34:57 PM
Here's what I would call a prelude to Christmas Lights.  Today, in the supermarket where I work, I discovered what are called Candy Corn Lights (mini lights) to decorate for Autumn.  The top half of the lights are orange, while the bottom halves are yellow :coffee:

I've not seen this style of light before. Each year I usually look for the more unusual sets. My favorites all time are these icicle lights I bought 15 years ago. They are the standard candlestick lights, but with plastic covers that are in the shape of transparent icicles. I also like the old-style bubble lights, and found those on sale at Sears years ago and still have them around somewhere.

One thing I've noticed about today's C-7 Christmas lights are that they're not pear shaped like I remember they were when I was a kid.  I wonder if there's a chance that manufacturers would go back to making them pear shaped, with some encouragement, of course. :coffee:   

I found this Christmas Star kind of impressive (not my photo):
http://yulelights.com/page6/bluestar.htm :coffee:

Merry Christmas, everybody. :coffee:

Mod edit: This is not a forum to discuss religion.

Quote from: Tom on October 12, 2009, 08:27:09 PM
One thing I've noticed about today's C-7 Christmas lights are that they're not pear shaped like I remember they were when I was a kid.  I wonder if there's a chance that manufacturers would go back to making them pear shaped, with some encouragement, of course. :coffee:   

I noticed this year that a store here in the Appleton area was selling high-voltage screw-in replacement C-7 and C-9 LED bulbs.  Available in both white and assorted colors, they were somewhat pricey at $12 and $14 for ten, respectively, but I would have liked to have seen one of those in operation to see how bright they are.

Mike

Here's the Christmas 1972 edition of LIFE Magazine filled with Christmas stories and pictures.  Enjoy.
http://books.google.com/books?id=2VYEAAAAMBAJ&source=gbs_all_issues_r&cad=1 :coffee:

I guess it's near time for me to figure out what I'm doing with the lights this year. I'll end up doing the lights outside.. again.. Haha.
BigMatt

It's October...

Quote from: Scott5114 on October 04, 2010, 01:19:02 AM
It's October...

early October, even.

Yea, it's not even Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes Day yet.

You have to wait until after Thanksgiving, unless that falls into the 'winterval mush', I mean 'holiday season'. Got to get other feasts and holidays done with before decorating for Christmas.

I cringe whenever Christmas is brought up before December 1, really. 25 days should be adequate lead time. If you are so dependent on Christmastime sales that you have to push the limits beyond Thanksgiving, your business model is a piece of fucking shit.


We're adults here.  We're allowed to use the occasional swear word.  Freedom of speech.

Mid-September is where you start getting Christmas foodstuffs in the supermarket where I shop. As soon as the 'Best Before' or 'Use by' dates becomes 26 December, then in comes the Stollen, Mince Pies, etc. The big seasonal section has gone 'World Cup offers', 'Summer Holiday', 'Back to School', 'Christmas' (though not the whole thing), 'Wine offer', 'Halloween' (I think a month is way too much of a lead-in for that - 2 weeks tops, if not less, in the UK) and will go back to 'Christmas' on November 1. At the moment, Christmas stuff is a smaller area tucked away, with a few offers, but it's still there - if they had decent mince pies, I'd have picked some up last week, but they didn't.

Is their business model a piece of shit? 1 in every 7 pounds spent in the UK is spent in that company's stores, IIRC - they must be doing something right. Pretty much every supermarket in the UK that is large enough to have a seasonal aisle has it full of Christmas stuff from November 1 onwards, if not before - clearly there must be enough people buying stuff to make it worth it.

To be fair, we don't have Thanksgiving and Halloween is small, and November 5th has gotten smaller in recent years (partially with the massive growth in Halloween beyond showing more horror movies on TV in the last 10 years), there's not much in the way.

Sorry if I rattled anybody's cage, but how would you like to work for a store where it's Christmas all year, as the following examples show:
http://www.bronners.com
http://www.canterburyvillage.com
http://www.hitchingpost.com

...and my wife is already playing a CD of Christmas Carols by Johnny Mathis when we're driving to and from MSU Spartan football games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvn5Ztny76c :coffee:

I went by Bronners several years ago when I was in Frankenmuth, and I would have liked to stop, but unfortunately I didn't have time.

I love Christmas, but it doesn't really seem like the Christmas season for me until after Thanksgiving. I love Christmas music too, but one trend that has kind of annoyed me in recent years are the number of radio stations that start playing Christmas music nonstop from about the beginning of November. After listening to Christmas music that long, you're sick of it by the time Christmas Day actually comes.

About 2 years ago, a radio station in Petoskey, Michigan started playing Christmas Carols Nov. 15, and there must have been some complaints because the next year they went back to starting the day after Thanksgiving. :coffee:

Quote from: Scott5114 on October 04, 2010, 10:33:10 AM
I cringe whenever Christmas is brought up before December 1, really. 25 days should be adequate lead time. If you are so dependent on Christmastime sales that you have to push the limits beyond Thanksgiving, your business model is a piece of fucking shit.


We're adults here.  We're allowed to use the occasional swear word.  Freedom of speech.

So why do we have a censored word list, hmmmm?   :coffee:

fuckety fuck shit mcnuggets from planet anal fisting... and kittens.  motherfucking kittens.

I fucking hate christmas music.  The only music that is worse than reggae or modern country, or "Mexican Polka."  Fuck that shit.

Quote from: US71 on October 04, 2010, 10:29:51 PM

Quote from: Scott5114 on October 04, 2010, 10:33:10 AM
I cringe whenever Christmas is brought up before December 1, really. 25 days should be adequate lead time. If you are so dependent on Christmastime sales that you have to push the limits beyond Thanksgiving, your business model is a piece of fucking shit.


We're adults here.  We're allowed to use the occasional swear word.  Freedom of speech.

So why do we have a censored word list, hmmmm?   :coffee:

This is a discussion for the moderator forum, not here.  The censored word list is to keep out very certain racial and gender offensive words.  The word "shit" not only isn't racial or gender oriented, it's sometimes very appropriate (such as "this traffic law is bullshit" or "this job came out looking like shit").

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 04, 2010, 10:33:26 PM
fuckety fuck shit mcnuggets from planet anal fisting... and kittens.  motherfucking kittens.

Well fuckety fuck fuck.

Back to being on topic: I saw ridiculous traffic by the mall today.  I'm not sure if it was actually mall related or (more likely) weather related.  Please tell me christmas items aren't already being advertised.

Quote from: AlpsROADS on October 04, 2010, 10:34:45 PM
This is a discussion for the moderator forum, not here.  The censored word list is to keep out very certain racial and gender offensive words.  The word "shit" not only isn't racial or gender oriented, it's sometimes very appropriate (such as "this traffic law is bullshit" or "this job came out looking like shit").

what, I can't say l---c or m--g or h--7?  

I'LL H--7 YOU ALL!

LILAC!  MOOG!

Quote from: AlpsROADS on October 04, 2010, 10:37:18 PM
Back to being on topic: I saw ridiculous traffic by the mall today.  I'm not sure if it was actually mall related or (more likely) weather related.  Please tell me christmas items aren't already being advertised.

I heard an ad for a church today on the radio that was bashing religion.  Basically "we're not a religion".  

Quote from: AlpsROADS on October 04, 2010, 10:37:18 PM
Back to being on topic: I saw ridiculous traffic by the mall today.  I'm not sure if it was actually mall related or (more likely) weather related.  Please tell me christmas items aren't already being advertised.

Only Halloween stuff here.  Nothing about Christmas has shown up yet.

I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything about putting anything up now did I? No, and I usually put stuff up around Thanksgiving week.. So yeah..

And racial? I can't say nothing about Mexicans? Y'all don't have to live with them like we do here.. My school's prolly 60% "Hispanic"... So yeeeahhhh..
BigMatt

Ok guys, can we please stop with the crazy amount of swearing in this thread.  I mean, one word is fine, but what has been being done in this thread now is just going crazy.  Thanks. ;)

^ HOLIDAY RELATED WORD
How's this?

As long as it's on topic.

Quote from: BigMatt on October 04, 2010, 10:39:21 PM
I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything about putting anything up now did I? No, and I usually put stuff up around Thanksgiving week.. So yeah..

And racial? I can't say nothing about Mexicans? Y'all don't have to live with them like we do here.. My school's prolly 60% "Hispanic"... So yeeeahhhh..
BigMatt

It would be in poor taste, but you certainly can't use your favorite epithet against them.  "Mexicans" is enough of a swear word. (:

Touché BigMatt. LOL.

But it needs to be on topic. ;)

Quote from: BigMatt on October 04, 2010, 10:46:11 PM
^ BUNNIES
How's this?

degenerate and soulless.

Quote from: AlpsROADS on October 04, 2010, 10:34:45 PM
This is a discussion for the moderator forum, not here.  The censored word list is to keep out very certain racial and gender offensive words.  The word "shit" not only isn't racial or gender oriented, it's sometimes very appropriate (such as "this traffic law is bullshit" or "this job came out looking like shit").

Can I say "honky"?  What about "cracker"?  What about "peckerwood"?

True... Seeing as half of them get mad when I say "You little Mexican". None of them will mess with a 6' dude (me).. So.. yeah...
BigMatt

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on October 04, 2010, 10:47:37 PM
Touché BigMatt. LOL.

But it needs to be on topic. ;)

It's in the off topic forum.  So technically it doesn't have to be on topic.

OOOH, HE JUST TOLD YOU!
BigMatt. Hmm what's the point of keeping saying this? Everyone knows it's me.. Heh heh

Quote from: bugo on October 04, 2010, 10:53:51 PM

It's in the off topic forum.  So technically it doesn't have to be on topic.

every topic should maintain its cohesion.

therefore, Matt, for maximal impact, you should start a thread called "shit kittens of the universe" or something similar.

Quote from: bugo on October 04, 2010, 10:53:51 PM

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on October 04, 2010, 10:47:37 PM
Touché BigMatt. LOL.

But it needs to be on topic. ;)

It's in the off topic forum.  So technically it doesn't have to be on topic.

Still, it's still polite to keep it on topic inside of a specific thread. ;)

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 04, 2010, 10:56:36 PM
therefore, Matt, for maximal impact, you should start a thread called "shit kittens of the universe" or something similar.

Well I'll go make that... It could be a thread for not caring about what people say and it could be a bunch of random shit. Yeah that'd be cool.
BigMatt

Back on topic...yep, Christmas shopping has started here. And local media has picked up on it (http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=520933).

I don't even think about Christmas until December 23rd...the other 363 days of the year, I don't really care. Last year, our Christmas tree didn't even get put up until the evening of the 24th...and it came down on the 26th.

My mother asked me this morning what I wanted for Christmas...I told her I'd tell her what I wanted in late December. :D

Quote from: cu2010 on October 04, 2010, 11:17:53 PM
I don't even think about Christmas until December 23rd...the other 363 days of the year, I don't really care. Last year, our Christmas tree didn't even get put up until the evening of the 24th...and it came down on the 26th.

I wouldn't think of xmas at all if it weren't for getting that horrible xmas music shoved down your throat 24/7.  Every time you go in the store they play that shit.  If I had my way I wouldn't shop from the end of October until the beginning of January.  I'll stick to my Pantera.

At some point radio stations start mixing in holiday themed music.  I can't stand that - I want rock and roll, not "I Am Santa Claus" every time Black Sabbath chords are played.  If I wanted holiday music, I'd tune in to a holiday station.  Pick one station to play all the holiday music, or pick an hour every day that I can tune into your competitor.  That would be reasonable.  I think we've gotten far too commercialized if late September/early October is buying season for a holiday three months away with two other major holidays between (Halloween/Thanksgiving in terms of retail marketing, Columbus Day/Thanksgiving in terms of Federal holidays).  I don't do gift shopping till the week before the holiday usually, because why should I?

Quote from: AlpsROADS on October 04, 2010, 11:28:42 PM
At some point radio stations start mixing in holiday themed music.  I can't stand that - I want rock and roll, not "I Am Santa Claus" every time Black Sabbath chords are played.  If I wanted holiday music, I'd tune in to a holiday station.  Pick one station to play all the holiday music, or pick an hour every day that I can tune into your competitor.  That would be reasonable.  I think we've gotten far too commercialized if late September/early October is buying season for a holiday three months away with two other major holidays between (Halloween/Thanksgiving in terms of retail marketing, Columbus Day/Thanksgiving in terms of Federal holidays).  I don't do gift shopping till the week before the holiday usually, because why should I?

I don't even bother with the radio.  It's either shuffle play in iTunes, my iPod, or sports talk radio or occasionally NPR.  Radio sucks.

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on October 04, 2010, 10:43:29 PM
Ok guys, can we please stop with the crazy amount of swearing in this thread.  I mean, one word is fine, but what has been being done in this thread now is just going crazy.  Thanks. ;)

"I (state your full name here) do solemnly swear...."

:spin:

Mike