Up go the outdoor Chrismtas lights, down goes the telescope?

My new neighbors, who have up to now made little use of their new home's
outdoor lighting, recently installed just enough Christmas lights in their
front yard to seriously inhibit my observation of DSOs from the best spot on
my property. I don't know how late they leave them on. The lights were
burning when I left for work at 9:00 p.m. last night but off when I returned
home this morning at 6:30 a.m. (it's still dark in Lake Stevens, Washington
at that hour). Skies are forecast to be partly cloudy tonight and I'll be
ready with the scope if they kill the disruptive display early enough. If
they don't, attempting to bribe them with fruitcake would probably not do
any good. . .it could make the situation even worse!


Martin the grinch

On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 16:01:09 GMT, "Starstuffed"
wrote:

My new neighbors, who have up to now made little use of their new home's
outdoor lighting, recently installed just enough Christmas lights in their
front yard to seriously inhibit my observation of DSOs from the best spot on
my property. I don't know how late they leave them on. The lights were
burning when I left for work at 9:00 p.m. last night but off when I returned

Martin,

Why do you think God invented BB guns?

James

"Starstuffed" wrote in
nk.net:

My new neighbors, who have up to now made little use of their new
home's outdoor lighting, recently installed just enough Christmas
lights in their front yard to seriously inhibit my observation of DSOs
from the best spot on my property. I don't know how late they leave
them on. The lights were burning when I left for work at 9:00 p.m.
last night but off when I returned home this morning at 6:30 a.m.
(it's still dark in Lake Stevens, Washington at that hour). Skies are
forecast to be partly cloudy tonight and I'll be ready with the scope
if they kill the disruptive display early enough. If they don't,
attempting to bribe them with fruitcake would probably not do any
good. . .it could make the situation even worse!


Martin the grinch


Just hold it in, knowing that the lights will come down in a few weeks. I
wouldn't even mention it to them. It's funny how people will react if they
think they are being attacked.

Maybe some evening next summer, you'll get a chance to invite them over to
see what you do outside with your telescope, and then, you could casually
mention that extraneous light causes you problems (but even then, not
mentioning Christmas lights per se.)

Also, be glad that they haven't put up a sodium vapor night light!

"brocpuffs" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 16:01:09 GMT, "Starstuffed"
wrote:

My new neighbors, who have up to now made little use of their new home's
outdoor lighting, recently installed just enough Christmas lights in
their
front yard to seriously inhibit my observation of DSOs from the best spot
on
my property. I don't know how late they leave them on. The lights were
burning when I left for work at 9:00 p.m. last night but off when I
returned

Martin,

Why do you think God invented BB guns?

James


Sometimes honey catches more flies than vinegar. Have you tried the old, "If
you turn off the lights I'll show you a galaxy" line?

brocpuffs:
Why do you think God invented BB guns?

I had never thought about that. Was it so that people could be charged
with vandalism, destruction of property, and reckless endangerment? Not
that I haven't thought about taking an RPG to the klieg light that my
neighbor keeps on all night/365, and then claiming that God told me to
do it.

Davoud

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com

I was reading in the bathroom when I ran across an item written by
"Starstuffed" on Mon, 08 Dec
2003 16:01:09 GMT, which said:

My new neighbors, who have up to now made little use of their new home's
outdoor lighting, recently installed just enough Christmas lights in their
front yard to seriously inhibit my observation...

I've seen people here objections to the NYC temporary 9/11 memorial
lighting, and now I'm starting to see complaints about Christmas
displays. Are most amateur astronomers really that self-centered and
selfish?


-------------
Beady's 11th Law of Social Harmonics: "Your spouse is precisely the kind of person someone like you would choose to marry."

"Starstuffed" wrote in message ink.net...

My new neighbors, who have up to now made little use of their new home's
outdoor lighting, recently installed just enough Christmas lights in their
front yard to seriously inhibit my observation of DSOs from the best spot on
my property. I don't know how late they leave them on. The lights were
burning when I left for work at 9:00 p.m. last night but off when I returned
home this morning at 6:30 a.m. (it's still dark in Lake Stevens, Washington
at that hour). Skies are forecast to be partly cloudy tonight and I'll be
ready with the scope if they kill the disruptive display early enough.

Politely ask them to consider turning off their lights a little
earlier, although you might have to make some concessions, like
staying up later. Some people apparently leave their Christmas lights
on all night, but it probably wouldn't be difficult to convince them
that this is wasteful.

If
they don't, attempting to bribe them with fruitcake would probably not do
any good. . .it could make the situation even worse!

If you show them a nice DSO in your telescope, maybe they'd be more
sympathetic. If not, then point your telescope directly at their
garish Christmas lights, and let them look--serves them right! ;-)

If you must resort to bribing them with a gift, how about an automatic
timer which they could use to operate the lights in a more sensible
manner? If that doesn't work, then give them a fruitcake--serves them
right!


- Robert Cook

I've seen people here objections to the
NYC temporary 9/11 memorial lighting,

Many of us didn't see a barrage of spotlights pointed straight up as a
fitting memorial, especially when there was some interest in making it
permanent.
I'm starting to see complaints about
Christmas displays.

Yeah, but most of it's good natured...
Are most amateur astronomers really
that self-centered and selfish?

Oh come on. We like our hobby...
Marty

Fruitcake is for doorstops. Find out what they like to drink.

"Starstuffed" wrote in message
nk.net...
My new neighbors, who have up to now made little use of their new home's
outdoor lighting, recently installed just enough Christmas lights in their
front yard to seriously inhibit my observation of DSOs from the best spot
on
my property. I don't know how late they leave them on. The lights were
burning when I left for work at 9:00 p.m. last night but off when I
returned
home this morning at 6:30 a.m. (it's still dark in Lake Stevens,
Washington
at that hour). Skies are forecast to be partly cloudy tonight and I'll be
ready with the scope if they kill the disruptive display early enough. If
they don't, attempting to bribe them with fruitcake would probably not do
any good. . .it could make the situation even worse!


Martin the grinch

"John Beaderstadt" wrote in message
...
I was reading in the bathroom when I ran across an item written by
"Starstuffed" on Mon, 08 Dec
2003 16:01:09 GMT, which said:

My new neighbors, who have up to now made little use of their new home's
outdoor lighting, recently installed just enough Christmas lights in
their
front yard to seriously inhibit my observation...

I've seen people here objections to the NYC temporary 9/11 memorial
lighting, and now I'm starting to see complaints about Christmas
displays. Are most amateur astronomers really that self-centered and
selfish?

Well... in a word, "yes." *grin*