It's a McDilda!

Gleemonex recently posted her annoyance (too gentle of a word, mayhaps) at today's super-sized Christmas adornments. And apparently, it's a sentiment that's sweeping the nation.

I read in today's newspaper an article that begins with the paragraphs below. While an interesting article, I was especially struck by the fellow's last name. Poor guy. I can only imagine the ribbing he took as a kid.

Abominable Snowmen: The War on Lawn Decorations
Over-the-Top Displays Inspire Loud Complaints, Even Rage; An Inflatable Santa Beheaded

Jim McDilda's holiday display last year included a 28-foot lighted arch, a 50-foot tree, 50,000 lights and dozens of animated silhouettes. The spectacle -- he needed a crane to set it all up -- lit up the sky and drew thousands of gawking visitors to his Redding, Calif., house.

But nearby neighbors weren't so thrilled. Cars, limos and tour buses clogged the cul-de-sac, and trash was strewn across lawns. Christmas music blasting from Mr. McDilda's display kept neighbors awake. They complained to the city, which required that Mr. McDilda get a special-events permit and demanded that he remove the nearby cargo containers he used to store the display most of the year. After months of sniping between Mr. McDilda and the city, he decided to throw in the towel. This year, his house is unadorned.

"They gave me so much trouble, they took the fun out of it," he says.

Look out, Santa: There's a backlash brewing against over-the-top holiday displays. With community associations ramping up holiday decorating contests (some in the hopes of attracting potential home buyers) and manufacturers pitching an increasing variety of yard decor -- think 8-foot inflatable snowmen -- some homeowners and cities have had enough.

Disgruntled neighbors complain of everything from traffic to wasted electricity. In places like Redding and Aurora, Ill., people called for the city to crack down on loud music or decorations that linger after holidays. Police in some areas of the country even report that the growing number of blow-up Santas adorning people's yards are targets for stabbing and other forms of violent deflation.