Thursday, December 08, 2005

It was bound to happen

Article link: Car crash, heavy traffic turn out Christmas light show

For those of you who refuse to believe this was a true story, hopefully this will be enough proof. And for those who appreciated the artistry, this is a sad day.
DEERFIELD TWP. — Sheriff's deputies asked the owner who lit up his house with 25,000 Christmas lights synched to music to turn off the display after a traffic accident Tuesday night.

Deerfield Twp. resident Carson Williams agreed to shut down his holiday decorations indefinitely.

Williams told a Cincinnati television station that sheriff's deputies could not reach the traffic accident because of the traffic lined up in his neighborhood.

The display caught attention across the nation on network TV and on the Internet because the lights on the Williams house and filling their yard are synchronized by computer with music broadcast to car radios. There are three songs in the 12-minute display: Frosty the Snowman by the Jackson 5; God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood and Wizards of Winter by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.


This amazing technological display of holiday excess has apparently become its own worst enemy. Enough folks wanted to come by and see the place that traffic came to a standstill. We hope they can find some solution to the problem so that more people can enjoy Mr. Williams' handiwork.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

More Christmas Light Mania


My last post seems to have generated a little interest, so I thought I might search around and find some other holiday display links to feed the demand.

First on the list? UglyChristmasLights.com. What happens when someone runs amok at Target with a charge card and a new holiday light sale? You'll find out on this site. This particular image looks like a display that Clark Griswold would have drooled over.

Wondering how that amazing synchronized display was done? The creator, Carson Williams of Mason, OH, detailed the whole thing here. He has since rebuilt the equipment (it's all home built, designed by he and his brother). The music is broadcast over FM by a small transmitter connected to a PC, so neighbors don't hear it.

Want to see more of his handiwork? Here's another (Windows Media Player)

Want to create your own version? Check out the folks at Animated Lighting. They sell kits that let you do the same kind of thing on a smaller scale. Not cheap, but hey, what is? Or buy the actual equipment he used from Light-O-Rama.

Got a favorite link of your own? Drop it into the comments by clicking below. I'll keep an eye out for more.