Politics and Beliefs!

lights are all about randomness, otherwise they end up looking like those stupid net lights lazy people drape over their bushes and look horrid because all of the lights are evenly spaced.

 

I agree, but if you're outlining the eaves/edges of your house, then it really should be evenly spaced. If you take two nails and put them at either end of your string of lights and just drape the string between them it looks all tacky. Random is good for bushes/trees but when you're defining a straight line, you need order.

 

In my travels I've seen many colored lights. They are usually on a house that has a rusted out refrigerator on the front porch, a tipped over big wheel, (Minus 1 pedal) in the front yard, along side a Little Tikes sandbox that does double duty as a wading pool during the summer month's. Also there is usually a broken down car in the side yard. There is usually plastic over the windows ("Winterizing"),
and a Sears air conditioning unit in the front window. You can usually see the frame and wheels through the ripped skirting. Also there is always a bulb or two burnt out. Usually it is nothing elaborate, a string or two strung along the eave of the flat, tin roof. You can most definately plan on seeing the silver, artificial
Christmas tree with blue, twinkling lights proudly displayed in the picture window. Also there is always heavy, black, thick smoke gushing out of an 8" round flue popping up through the roof. (To this day I'm not sure where this smoke is coming from). There are always "real" icicles hanging from the gutter. These are the ones that just keep building up due to the thawing during the day, and the freezing at night. I can only assume that this is caused by a clogged downspout, probably from a couple of kids, out of boredom during the summer month's, throwing the ball over the roof to each other. Now with a flat roof, how this could have "rolled" into the gutter is beyond me. There is usually no driveway, but if there is it is a few pieces of gravel strewn over the grass. And for whatever reason, there is always a plastic bird bath, displayed in the center of the front yard. Now theses lights are always a mixture of reds, greens, blues, and yellows. Oh how I miss my old neighborhood, especially around the Holidays.

 

You forgot to mention the engine hanging from the tree in teh front yard, the kiddie plastic swimmin pool full of motor oil, and the lantern-holding 'lawn jockey' with a little santa hat on it.

I know these neighborhoods well, coming from Tennessee. Once, I saw a tree in someones front yard that had those cheap 'icicles' (the thin strips of silver foil) all over it. The wind had blown about 3/4 of them off and they were all over the yard (I use the term yard loosly). Another scourge of the planet is that horrible spray on snow in a can. %*$%@&%(# I can't begin to count the number of trailers that I've seen that have 'MERY CRISMAS' on the picture window in spray snow. There's just no accounting for taste sometimes.

 

wow -- we need to get out more.
Maybe a field trip one year.... I have never seen these things.
But, think about this.... these people, in this obvious sad situation, are happy
and maybe this is all they have.

 

It's still an eyesore. If that's all I had, I woudln't put it up in the first place. Eye of the beholder, I guess...

 

I moved this from the "Proposed toll increase on the Greeenway" topic:

Homer, he's gotta be another right-wing "troll." Is there anyone other than the guy we got running the country into the ground who could have some of these views? Or do all the Republicans really think this way?

 

yeah, I don't like saggy icicle lights either.
I have to say, I don't like sloppy and messy looking stuff.

 

Sounds like VA's eastern shore!

 

I don't think he's a troll. Troll's disrupt forums for fun and usually don't mean what they say. I just don't get that vibe from him.

Believe it or not, I know some Repubs who are actually very good people. And then I've met some Dems who make my skin crawl (Doug Wilder). I'm disturbed by the radical poles on both sides.

 

Homer: Maybe you're right about smythla not being a "troll." You hear the Republicans spewing the same tripe on Fox News. Maybe smythla will go to a homeless shelter over the holidays and give them a plastic turkey just like his leader did for our troops!

 

I'm a Republican, but more centrist leaning. Some of my beliefs are far right (Cut welfare back, deport the illegals) but most are pretty liberal/centrist (pro-choice, pro-woman).

It's just as bad when you make comments like the above, I don't recall seeing any sort of plastic turkey on Thanksgiving day over in Iraq...I also don't recall seeing any Democrats making their way over there to talk to the troops and give them the thumbs up and a pat on the back.

If you don't like Fox News, don't watch it...there are plenty of other (read: all) liberal leaning networks you can tune to.

...and re: the toll road. A income-based toll is ridiculous and impossible to implement. What would you want people to do, carry around a little card with them everywhere with their household income on it? If they can't afford the toll, they have plenty of other methods to access 28/267. Do you think your scheme would work for say, Saks 5th or Neiman Marcus? Fur coats $4000 but if you're poor...$50!

 

Even if you are a republican, you have to admit that our president is a buffoon. He's taken us backwards, brought us from the highest surplus to the highest deficit in history, and alienated not only our allies, but people in his own party. I've never seen a Harvard grad bumble their words so much. As Robin Williams would say: Some people are born great, some people achieve greatness, and some people get it as a graduation gift.

I too am close to the middle politically, but this is not the man I want to represent me.

 

Sure, he's an idiot. I agree with you on all counts except alienating some of our our allies. The only reason France and Germany didn't want to support us is because they ahd significant buisness dealings with the old leadership of Iraq...plus France has always been a limp-wristed 'fancy lad' in global conflicts. I didn't vote so I can't be blamed for putting him in office.

Looks like recently, the economy is turning around...just in time for the elections next year. I don't want Bush around another four years, but the choices from the other side aren't that appealing to me either. Perhaps I'll back Al Sharpton.

 

I suppose you were for "Freedom Fries" too, eh?

 

No, thats retarded to go renaming things due to the current diplomatic situation. However, I do my best not to purchase anything French unless I can help it (Evian being the exception), not only because of the current situation, but just because they are panty-waists in general.

 

Better than the tripe being spewed by pseudo-liberals!

I have no interest in feeding the homeless for the "holidays". I find it interesting that people are all about compassion during the "holidays" and we have to make sure that the poor and homeless get a good meal for Thanksgiving and that the welfare kids get expensive Playstations as Christmas presents. Yet these same people don't give a rat's behind about the homeless at any other time of the year.

Talk about hypocrites!

 

Brim, Do you listen to O'Reilly?

 

Not really. I find him abrasive and rude to his guests.

 

Speaking of a rat’s behind’s, my biggest political gripe is the animal rights crowd. Especially P.E.T.A. When it comes down to a lab rat being tested for a possible cure for a Human the rat loses in my book. PETA is out every year protesting hunters, fisherman, McDonalds and even Thanksgiving but you never see them protesting when D.C. declares war on rats. What’s the matter PETA? Don’t the alley rats deserve the same protection as lab rats?
Don’t get me wrong. I love animals. Especially marinated slowly roasted.