I have to say the whole Christmas lights/controllers/music thing has had to grow on me, but it’s starting to get there, and this one definitely helps me out a bit.

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25,000 Angry Christmas Lights

We will say, however, we can only imagine what that garage door looks like in the daylight!

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Snowball Blaster – The Game

This gentleman programmed his Christmas lights to the song by Slayer, and … wow.  It may not be very “Christmasy”, but man is it ever impressive.  If you don’t watch it all, at least catch the last 40 seconds.

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Slayer Christmas Lights 2009

LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) have been improving over the past few years, and where they once just showed red, they now come in a wide assortment of colors.  Along with the improvements in the colors has also come drops in prices, and while not as cheap as the old incandescent bulbs, there are some definite advantages.

One of he most annoying things about most traditional light strings has to be the old “one burns out, the whole string goes out”.  Well, with LEDs, you get to skip that headache.  That along just about sells me on the concept.

Secondly, they draw less power.  Now, when you’re talking about a tree you won’t see a huge savings, but if you’re someone who heavily decorates the outside of your home, then you could see a significant reduction in your electrical bill for the holiday season.

Thirdly, and possibly the most important, if you use a real tree each year, the LEDs produce next to no heat.  Every year we hear stories about real trees catching on fire because someone forgot to keep it watered.  The less hear you have in or around the tree, the better.

Now, what we would suggest is possibly no making a change this year, but wait until after Christmas for the clearance sales and pick them up for next year.

Have you made the switch yet?  Do you like them?

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LED Christmas Light Cut Down On Electricity And Heat

The folks over at NeverEnoughLights.com (about four hours away from my home! I may have to go see it!) don’t do just one song, they do multiple songs!  Be sure to check out their site for the full selection of songs they’ve used each year since they started doing this in 2006.

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75,000 Christmas Lights Set To Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Nutrocker

Mr. Williams choreographed his Christmas lights to the the song “Wizard in Winter” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  Yes, this is all real, and Mr. Williams even circulated the instructions for how he did it.  No matter how many times I see this, I remain amazed … and jealous!

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Christmas Lights Gone Wild

Pictured to the right (click on the picture for a larger view) is the 2009 version of The Christmas Truck: an example of holiday spirit on wheels that was born out of one man driving a generator and a few strings of lights to his church in a $50 used pick-up.  Inspiration hit him while transporting the lights, and now for 25 years Kris Marshall has brought amusement to the residents of Dallas and Polk counties in Iowa.

Mr. Marshall told Jalopnik that he has used eight different trucks over the years, but it’s always a 2WD Chevy/GMC with a regular cab and eight-foot truck bed “the way a truck ought to look.”  It probably doesn’t hurt that he is also a GMC dealer.

Current estimates say that the truck has around 3,000 lights on it, and in the daylight it is a horror show to look at due to all the electrical wire and tape criss-crossing the vehicle.  It is, as you can guess, illegal to drive with a vehicle like this, however he has only received a few tickets over the years as most cops are in on the joke now.  We wouldn’t recommend tempting the law in your area though.

What are some of the craziest displays of Christmas lights you have ever seen?

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The Christmas Truck

Look, I know it’s cold out there, and I know no one enjoys taking down their decorations, but do you realize you are damaging them at this point?  Last weekend I went to Iowa to visit a friend; it was about a two hour drive, and even in that short drive I couldn’t believe the amount of Christmas decorations I saw still out on homes, and even some still lit up at night.

Don’t get me wrong, I take no personal offense at them still being lit up, I know some people do, but I am more concerned about electrical bills.  Don’t forget that you’re running up your bill each night they are on.

The biggest concern is the damage you are doing to them.  Even if your weather has been clear, the sun is beating down on them, bleaching out their colors, drying them out, making them fragile.  Unless you feel like having a cracked Nativity scene, or bulbs that have lost all of their coloring, you need to get them inside as soon as possible.

Inside the house?  Knock yourself out.  I have a Christmas tree I leave up all year round and enjoy.  I don’t do it out of laziness, I do it out of a love for the holiday.  Outside though is a different, get them in before they start getting damaged!

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Remember To Get Your Outside Christmas Decor Put Away

While we all seem to be more and more pinched for space in our homes, it can be nice to have all of our Christmas decorations and lights stored in one place so that we can easily access them any time we need to.  And, no, we don’t mean the attic.  Who wants to up there twice a year to bring them down and put them back up?

While the term “Christmas Closet” is the one most commonly thrown around, it can really be any centralized place in your home to keep all of your Christmas items.  With clearance sales right after Christmas each year, you should be stocking up for next year with your wrapping paper at least, and wouldn’t it be nice to have easy access to it?  What about keeping all of your lights and ornaments in plastic tubs, or at least clearly labeled boxes?

The other benefit to such a spot in your home is allowing you to keep gifts you buy throughout the year, and then being able to locate them at the appropriate time.  No one ever said you can only start your Christmas shopping in November or early December, you can actually do it all year long.  Check out those summer sales, and when you find the perfect gift, just put it in your Christmas closet so you can get to it later.  Heck, you have easy access to your wrapping paper, you could even wrap and tag it so it as completely ready.

What are you waiting for?  Get organized!

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Preparing For Christmas All Year Long With Your Christmas Closet

Make has a full explanation of how he did it, and it is completely beyond my technical capabilities, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate watching it.  And, yes, it really is a working version of the game.  Unbelievable.

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Christmas Light Hero