Note from a viewer

[dsz071]

So this is my first year with a LOR show. The show is very simple, about 6,000 lights, 32 channels, 2 inflatables, no mega trees, no arches, just a simple 20 minute show. Anyway, I think it's gone really well. I would guess I have an average of maybe 15-20 cars per day stop and watch for a few minutes. So today I had to go pick the wife up from work and when we got home a noticed a piece of notebook paper in the handle of our screen door on the front porch. Here's what it says.... word for word....

 

Dear neighbors -

The lights are great! We tuned into the station, of course.

(You could stand to lose the blow-ups though.)

Thanks for your display!

 

Then they signed their names. I do appreciate them taking the time to stop and watch. I also appreciate them taking the time to write the note. But WTF is with the shot at my inflatables? I have one on each side of the display, they don't block anything, and they're both Snoopy! Who doesn't like Snoopy? Anyways, Just thought I'd share the note with you all. Anyone else ever get a backasswards compliment from a viewer?

[k6ccc]

Maybe they just don't like inflatables (personally I'm not a big fan of them - although I would not suggest that you lose them in a note).

[George Simmons]

I didn't send the note, but it represents my feelings towards blow ups also.  I think their beauty is in the eye of their owners.    And how in the world does one sequence a blow up?  

[dsz071]

lmao.... After starting with LOR this year I am absolutely on board with no more inflatables. I'd rather spend the cash on lights or controllers. With that being said, the only reason they are still around at all is because my wife is a Snoopy freak... and the fact that they still work. But still, why leave a note about it? Ah, well. Merry Christmas I guess.

[Ken Benedict]

I had a visitor knock on the door after watching the Christmas Can Can talking trees and said he was offended at the Jewish remark in the song.

The remark is at 1:32 if you watch the video.

 

This was my show on a friends house, so my friend wanted it removed.

Reluctantly, I removed it from the lineup.

 

Shucks.

[dgrant]

I don't do inflatables either mostly because it feels like it detracts from the lights. Now at Halloween, I have lots of them but Halloween is the lady of the house's display, not mine. I do fade some of the Halloween lights out there and there is music but no formal sequencing....she didn't want that. Christmas is all mine. One of my songs is Snoopy's Christmas, Red Baron. I needed a Snoopy out there and all I could find was blowups. I had one of the members here(DougP I think it was) create a wireframe of Snoopy on his doghouse. I ran the lights on it and so on then all of a sudden last year, at Lowes, they suddenly had the one I wanted in yard art Christmas items. There was only one and I got it instantly and haven't seen any since. So both are in my display now. I also had him create the Chipmunks characters which are illuminated with LED floods.

[MikeyRo]

I didn't send the note, but it represents my feelings towards blow ups also.  I think their beauty is in the eye of their owners.    And how in the world does one sequence a blow up?  

I used a couple of blow-ups at Halloween.  I went into the inflatable, rewired it so that the fan ran constantly and the lights were on a separate plug that I connected to a channel.  I made the plugs so that I could plug the lights back in to the blower circuit if I wanted to use it as a regular inflatable again at some time.   

[Orville]

I'm with the others on not liking in"flat"ables either.  When they go off, it looks like a bunch of plastic all crumpled in the yard, which to me, looks lie trash when off.  

 

They look good when in operation, but during their off times, I just wouldn't want anything in my display to look like some kind of trash when not in use.  

 

No offense to those that love them and use them, but if I were to put one in my display it would have to run 24/7 during the season.  

 

And it also seems most folks that have used them have had them vandalized by someone poking holes or stabbing them in a way they can't be repaired.   Or so I've heard from a few folks around my area that have had them cut, stabbed, ripped and poked and had to end up just throwing them out because of such vandalization.

[dsz071]

I know exactly what you guys mean. At our old house, before I started even dreaming of animated displays, I think at one point we had 7-8 inflatables and 3-4 of them were vandalized. The 2 I have out this year are the only 2 we have left and they stay on 24/7 because I do hate how they look when not on. If they still work next year when I got to put the display up, they will be up again so I guess I can expect another note in my door.

[Orville]

I know exactly what you guys mean. At our old house, before I started even dreaming of animated displays, I think at one point we had 7-8 inflatables and 3-4 of them were vandalized. The 2 I have out this year are the only 2 we have left and they stay on 24/7 because I do hate how they look when not on. If they still work next year when I got to put the display up, they will be up again so I guess I can expect another note in my door.

Or worse, if they don't like them that much, they'd be the 1st folks I'd be looking at if something happened to them.  Not saying they would be the culprits, but if I received a note like that and next year, they got vandalized, I'd be very suspicious of the ones that told me to "lose them".

 

I've seen some inflatables I really would not mind having, mainly Halloween, but because of the cost, and the high risk of vandalism, they seem to face more than any other item in a display I just won't fool with them,

 

Some of those inflatables, if they could make a blowmold out of them, I'd love to have a BM of some of them, but seems the manufacturers think in"flat"ables are the way to go.  reason for the quotes around flat in inflatable, because that's what they do when not in operation or if vandalized.

 

 Thats just too much money for me to invest, those things are expen$ive for what they are.  

 

Maybe if they were more reasonably priced for the flimsy plastic they're made from, like $10-$20, I'd probably have maybe 1 or 2, possibly more in my Halloween display, but I just can't justify $80+ for an item that may get vandalized and not even get full use of it, nor would you be able to get a refund on one that was vandalized either, just too much money out of my pocket for something I feel I might only get a few days use out of, then have to trash it.

[robigd]

My wife suggested we add inflatables, but I have always seen them as "lazy" decorations that have no business among a display you spent all year creating.

[robigd]

I had a visitor knock on the door after watching the Christmas Can Can talking trees and said he was offended at the Jewish remark in the song.

The remark is at 1:32 if you watch the video.

 

This was my show on a friends house, so my friend wanted it removed.

Reluctantly, I removed it from the lineup.

 

Shucks.

 

I would have a hard time verbally restraining myself if someone came to my door with a comment like that and would probably put the sequence in the schedule to play every other song just out of spite. Kudos to you for being a better man than I would have been.

 

Also, for what it's worth, I am Jewish.

[LORisAwesome]

I'm with the others on not liking in"flat"ables either.  When they go off, it looks like a bunch of plastic all crumpled in the yard, which to me, looks lie trash when off.  

 

They look good when in operation, but during their off times, I just wouldn't want anything in my display to look like some kind of trash when not in use.  

 

No offense to those that love them and use them, but if I were to put one in my display it would have to run 24/7 during the season.  

 

And it also seems most folks that have used them have had them vandalized by someone poking holes or stabbing them in a way they can't be repaired.   Or so I've heard from a few folks around my area that have had them cut, stabbed, ripped and poked and had to end up just throwing them out because of such vandalization.

I have always liked the inflatables. (Yes, i have had one or two vandalized).    I don't understand why people shut them off during the day though.  They look fine during the day.

 

Some people have seperated the light in the inflatable from the motor circuit.  It is my understanding it is pretty easy to do using some vampire plugs.  Once that is done, you can connect the lights to a LOR channel.

 

Jerry

[mjdamico23]

Well, at least they like your lights. I don't mind inflatables as I had several up over the years but spread out so it doesn't look cluttered. Only this year I put out one cause it has sparkling lights that go with the music. But do not lose the blow up especially if it isn't blocking anything. Kids love them too!

[Herbaclaus]

I have asked alot of kids this year to walk me up to their "favorite" element in in my show and its consistently my big inflatable snow man that sits in a darker back location.

 

If they like them (younger kids).....I will keep 1-3 out. Little kids love them.....way better than our high tech stuff.

[dknahoolewa]

I'm not a fan of blow-ups either. But what ever the kids like the kids get.

All the children that come to my display rave over the singing christmas trees. I've been trying to out do them for two year and yet they are still the most popular.

[Orville]

I had a visitor knock on the door after watching the Christmas Can Can talking trees and said he was offended at the Jewish remark in the song.

The remark is at 1:32 if you watch the video.

 

This was my show on a friends house, so my friend wanted it removed.

Reluctantly, I removed it from the lineup.

 

Shucks.

I know a lot of "Jewish" folks and they thought the song was hilarious!  

 

They saw absolutely nothing wrong with the comments in the song, they didn't poke any fun at the Jewish community at all.  Just stated there there were other holidays, which they're are, can't spell it to save my life, but I have some neighbors that are Jewish, and they said they wouldn't allow one person to have them remove the song, they thought it was very cunny and saw no offense to anyone in the song.

 

Apparently the person that was offended wasn't really Jewish or just had a chip on the shoulder!

 

I wouldn't have removed it, but since it was on a friends house, well, you have to respect their concerns, but if it would have been me {if I was the person whose house your show was set at}, before I would request the song be removed, I'd have researched it and checked with the Jewish community to see just how many really felt the song was offensive.

 

But as you see, we have a fellow LOR user that is Jewish, and even HE wouldn't have removed it.  So that ought to tell you something right there!

 

I really think this was just one person with their own issues and the song didn't really have a thing to do with it, just gave them something to gripe and moan about.

Ugh, no edit: cunny = "funny" and forgot, the word I can't spell to save my life, "Hannukah".

[ItsMeBobO]

I had a visitor knock on the door after watching the Christmas Can Can talking trees and said he was offended at the Jewish remark in the song.

The remark is at 1:32 if you watch the video.

 

This was my show on a friends house, so my friend wanted it removed.

Reluctantly, I removed it from the lineup.

 

Shucks.

Sorry this happened.   Sad that some people are so sensitive.     That song is a favorite in my show and I consider it acknowledgement that all, not just Christians, are welcome to enjoy the lights.   Also have had the Adam Sandler Hannukah song in prior years with no complaints.  

[1983ss454]

I had a visitor knock on the door after watching the Christmas Can Can talking trees and said he was offended at the Jewish remark in the song.

The remark is at 1:32 if you watch the video.

 

This was my show on a friends house, so my friend wanted it removed.

Reluctantly, I removed it from the lineup.

 

Shucks.

Unfortunatly in today's society you have some really over sensitive people, I would have told them to stick it. Just my 2 cents. Don't like it, don't pay attention to it. Have had Jehovah's witnesses show up at my display for years complaining we can't do it because it offends them. You can fill in the blanks for yourself what they were told lol

[jerry72]

I am with a few others here, i like the inflatables and will keep them because of the kids. Does not feel like Christmas with out the Santa and Snowman in the yard. And as others have said, easy to re wire the lights of the inflatables and make them part of your light show.