Do people put up Christmas lights in your town?

[gottaB]

[Longhorn]

1. There's a street in Austin, about a block long,

where not only does everyone decorate but they connect the lights from tree to tree and back and forth across the street. It's been an annual tradition for years now, featured on the news and such, and there's always a traffic jam of people coming to see it. Here's a link: http://www.crossroads.net/lights/

[gottaB]

3. In Portland, OR they have one on Peacock Lane

It's become a real attraction, with carolers and carriages and traffic cops.

Would you agree that Austin is a pretty liberal town? Portland is for sure.

[Longhorn]

7. Austin seems to be getting less liberal all the time!

There's been an influx of conservatives, especially with the high tech boom of the 80s, but Travis County still went overwhelmingly for Kerry -- a blue county in a sea of red! I now live in neighboring Hays County, which is "purple." We're one of the few places, however, that re-elected a Democratic state rep -- Patrick Rose -- in a mostly Republican district.

[jobycom]

14. We only had one Democrat lose on our ticket in Austin

Well, two if you count the Lamar Smith race, but that was west Austin.

Aside from Kelly White, who ran against a very popular incumbent, the Democrats swept Austin. Even in the state races, the Dems won Austin, but they lost in the rest of the state.

I was following the Yelonoski/Keel race, since a friend of mine ran against Yelonoski in the primaries. The thought was that whoever won that primary would be stompted by the better-financed and better known Keel, but Yelonoski won big.

Austin is still pretty damned liberal.

For the record, Bush got 42% of the vote, Kerry 56%, in Bush's former home town.

[jobycom]

15. One more observation on Austin

We use electronic voting, and it's the one system that even Bev Harris said was a good one. We have a Democratic elections supervisor (Forget her exact title) who knows what to look out for. Thus, it was an honest election. I suspect that if there had been more honest elections, more Democrats would have won statewide, and nationally.

[Longhorn]

16. I guess I'm comparing it to back in the 70s

when there were NO Republicans holding ANY office in Travis County. Of course, some of the parts of town where the Republicans do well didn't even exist in the 70s.

[jobycom]

17. Well, I was a kid in Mississippi in the 70s

So as you can imagine, anyone left of Jerry Falwell was a liberal to me back then.

You're right, I'm sure. But it's still a long way from conservative.

[jobycom]

6. Yes, and there's an Amy's ICe Cream and Mangia's Pizza right across

the street.

Great place to hang out for an evening. Eat pizza, walk the block, finish off with ice cream.

[Longhorn]

8. I haven't been to Amy's and Mangia's in forever!

Mostly because I've been dieting forever! We used to live near Deep Eddy and would walk down to Amy's from our house.

[jobycom]

12. I know what you mean

At Amy's, if you get their tiny serving, and don't eat anything else for the rest of the week, you can escape.

No hope for Mangia's, though. One Mangia fry with dipping sauce and you're toast.

[NoPasaran]

21. I put up my Christmas lights in South Austin yesterday

BLUE lights

[bryant69]

2. May I just say

Oh Lord please let it not turn out that liberalism has an opinion on the morality or immorality of putting up Christmas Lights.

They do put them up here and they look pretty nice.

Bryant
Check it out -- http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Killarney]

4. Yes. We have a large Xmas tree and a large manora

in town. The lights are gorgeous.

[genieroze]

5. People do, the town itself is too cheap. eom

[gottaB]

23. Our town puts up holiday lights

Many of the stores have Christmas lights and decorations. Some are generic. Some have both Chanukah displays and Christmas decorations. I haven't noticed any prominent Kwanzaa displays. I saw no signs of Eid being celebrated by the merchants in town, although there is a small mosque on the college campus.

[Selwynn]

9. Is there some place in the US this doesn't happen?

I love christmas lights, put them all over my house inside and out. :)

[gottaB]

11. 1211 Avenue of the Americas?

I dunno. I heard something about "Christmas under siege." Maybe in Manhattan people aren't allowed to put up Christmas lights.

[oldcoot]

18. Home Owners Associations

Some Home Owners Associations might have rules against Christmas lights because of the traffic from people driving through to look at the lights.

[gottaB]

22. Conversely, others require the display of Christmas lights

Most pressure of that sort is informal, I'd say.

If I were to lease a space at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, would I have to accept any genuine infringements upon my liberties? It seems like the the current occupants are free to say anything--provided that it's inflamatory and has no basis in fact. Is that a clause in their lease? The spread enmity clause?

[Tracer]

10. There's a neighborhood in my town ...

... all $1,000,000 + homes ... that puts on a lighting display that would knock your socks off! During the Christmas season, there is a constant stream of traffic cruising the circular street. I don't mind at all! If they want to do it and give the lookers a fun time, then I say "go for it"!

[gottaB]

13. I bet the local tv stations send a crew

The national networks ought to pick that up. I mean, really, how many times a day can they show Miracle on 34th Street?--or are they allowed to show that movie?

You know, if I were a loudmouth commentator for Fox News, and I wanted to stir up some passions about the corruption of our cherished traditions, I'd be raising Cain about the colorized version of Miracle on 34th Street. I say a boycott is in order. Contact Fox Movies and tell them how you feel!

[donheld]

19. Some do some don't

it usually looks good

[RedCloud]

20. The Orlando, Fl porno district...

seems to have Christmas lights flashing all year round!