BS: Delightfully Tacky Places

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 09:50 AM

Today I passed a large house in a lovely garden, electric gates,the works,(which I'd often admired) in this area that means serious money. They had about half a dozen 8-foot inflatable Santas and snowmen and at least a dozen of those wire reindeers all over their lawn.
The whole district has gone downhill, my dears. Perhaps they are visiting colonials - we DO have an American School in the area and lots of US companies.

RtS
(Always in the BEST possible taste)

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: GUEST,Larry K
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 10:08 AM

There is an arcade on Mott Street in Chinatown NYC that has a rooster that plays tic tac toe.    I have brought numerous friends there to play the rooster.   The rooster has never lost.   (it only gets fed when it wins)

Most of my friends complained that the rooster got to go first.   HELLO- IT'S A ROOSTER.    A lot of tacky fun watching your friends lose to a rooster at tic tac toe.

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 10:24 AM

Since the Holiday Season is upon us, may I mention the Christmas Lights laid on by households who consider it the one time of the year when they can actually ANNOUNCE to the World, just how tacky their taste is?

I haven't seen the "new" lights on Oxford Street down in Londontown yet, but I think they're sponsored by one of the movie companies...so now it's official...Christmas is presented by Hollywood.

Tacky tacky tacky.

And while we're on the subject...just what is the tackiest kind of tree? I vote for those which are pink flocked...no...those which are white flocked, but are on a turn table and spin while lights turn it different colours...no wait...the ones which look like aluminium tinsel...THOSE with the turn tables and the different coloured lights...or maybe...

What I really want to know is why there aren't any Menorahs that are as tacky for Hanukkah? Come on Jews!

..xx..e

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Joybell
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 05:27 PM

Larry, What a wonderous thing. I'd love to see that! Are you allowed to bring along a pretty little pet hen to distract him? Or maybe go along wearing a chicken hawk outfit. Nah! That would be even more tacky. Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 07:16 PM

A few things that come to mind:

The Minnesota State Fair. I've heard it's the largest state fair in the US mainly because it's the only state fair located in a large urban area (Minneapolis/St. Paul). The downside is the farm-oriented stuff (silos, combines) gets less attention than the urban-oriented stuff (bungee jumping, riding lawnmowers). But, hey, in Minnesota we're all somewhat farm- (and forest-) oriented. Actually the official website is a bore. This guy's photo collection is better.

A few others that come to mind:
The Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota (a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul)
Palace Pier, Brighton, England. (The website is not particularly descriptive, but it is wonderfully tacky in its own right.)

These I know only by reputation:
Rock City, Tennessee
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: wysiwyg
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 09:19 PM

Wall Drug, hands down.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: kendall
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 02:13 PM

A tourist trap called South of the border in South Carolina, and Perry's Nut House in Belfast Maine

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 02:33 PM

oh, YES, kendall! I stumbled into "South of the Border" late one night...wow...I think it beats Wall Drug...though I have not been to Wall Drug for 30 years,,

but the shows and 'holiday decor' at Silver Dollar City are truly...ummm..'special...

also...the original inspiration for Malvina Reynold's "Little Boxes" (made of ticky-tacky)! I flew out of San Francisco in about 1972 and took photos of the rows of multi-colored pastel houses in cute rows on the hillside. Makes you wonder..............

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 02:41 PM

well, as you might guess, the idea has been made the subject of more than one WWW page......take a look

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 02:46 PM

and the carefully researched....Big Things of Canada!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 02:50 PM

the editor of "Big Things of Canada with one of his inspirations...

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Joybell
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 06:25 PM

We especially visited "The World's Biggest Playable Guitar"
(Narrandra New South Wales, Aus.) so as to try playing it. Tamworth, nearby, has a bigger guitar but the tourist guide tells you that Narrandra's one is better because it's "playable" Well! It's big. On the wall and within reach. The strings are made of telephone cable. We twanged the strings with great difficulty and it went "Thunk Thunk" in a dull sort of a way.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 06:55 PM

The American side of Niagra Falls was crumbling something fierce a while ago. It was decided to build a coffer dam to force the river to go around to the Canadian side while the strengthening project happened. Well, Carol and I decided to drive over to see the falls since we were close and we'd never seen it before.

We got there THE DAY THEY TURNED OFF Niagra Falls.

Now, that's tacky!

Art

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: LilyFestre
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 07:41 PM

How about that giant basket office building that Longaberger built out in Ohio? The baskets are nice...but that building is TACKY!!!!!!!!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Scoville
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 08:44 PM

I loved the Corn Palace when I saw it as a kid. That one and Lucy the Elephant.

My family once went to Graceland when we were on a trip and were completely depressed from visiting pretty much every Civil War site between Texas and East Tennessee. I don't normally go for the likes of Graceland but it was a nice break. We didn't get to see Elvis' cars, though.

Central City, Colorado, used to be delightfully tacky when I was a kid but since then it's been converted to casinos and is just plain tacky.

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 12:26 AM

well, I'll bet the "oh, my God!" road out the back way from Central City down to I-70 near Georgetown (which IS tacky) is still wild enough not to have casinos on it..*grin*

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: LadyJean
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 12:33 AM

I SAW IT ON THE NEWS TONIGHT!!! MADAME TUSSAUDS NATIVITY DISPLAY!!! IT HAS BECKHAM AND POSH SPICE AS JOSEPH AND MARY, AND TONY BLAIR, PRINCE PHILLIP, AND GEORGE W BUSH AS THE MAGI!! I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS THE ANGEL, BUT SHE WAS SOME KIND OF POP STAR. THEY ARE JUST ASKING FOR A LIGTHNING BOLT!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: dianavan
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 04:54 AM

That kind of over the top tacky is a political statement,

Good for them!

Subject: RE: BS: Delightfully Tacky Places
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 07:35 AM

From the front page of the Toowoomba Chronicle, 11/12/2004


Councillor shapes up for showdown with battlers

11.12.2004


A CLASS war is simmering.

Toowoomba City Council will check if it has the power to pass judgment
on a property based on looks alone.

It may be safe. It may not be unhealthy. But one councillor, in
particular, wants it to be the picture of "style and grace".

Cr Lyle Shelton has taken aim at 8 Stirling Street, saying it is an
unsightly disgrace.

Home owner Alex Law yesterday told The Chronicle that if he had all
the money in the world he would leave Toowoomba because he was tired
of being "harassed" by council.

He is a disabled pensioner who is flat out keeping his family afloat.

Not everyone on council agrees with Cr Shelton.

Cr Sue Englart said people should make their own choices.

"Not everyone is fortunate to live in flash homes...we have poor
people in this city and I won't support you knocking on doors and
telling them what you decide they should be doing with their home,"
she said.

Cr Michele Alroe added: "Besides, who's going to decide what's unsightly?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Song in Lord Farquaad's Kingdom:

Welcome to Dulac such a perfect town,
Here we have some rules let us lay them down:
Don't make waste, stay in line
And we'll get along fine.
Dulac is a perfect place.
Please keep off of the grass
Shine your shoes, wipe your...FACE
Dulac is, Dulac is, Dulac is a perfect place!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toowoomba Councilor and local Church leader, Lyle Shelton wishes to make Toowoomba a city of "style and grace".

Prominent local Neopagan and objector to the Australian Gospel Music
Festival (in its current form on its current site) Mr Alex Law faces
censor under Cr Sheltons proposed Local Law about "tidy" properties.

Mr Law, like other local Pagans has faced years of harassment from a
small number of Toowoomba City Council Officers over zealously and very selectively applying and enforcing the various nuisance regulations. At time Council Officers have declared flowerbeds to be "dangerously overgrown" on Mr Law's property with ignoring significantly more overgrown bed on adjacent properties. Mr Law has been forbidden to use lawn clippings to mulch his garden beds ("rats can live in them").

Recently, Mr Law, an invalid pensioner sought assistance form a
government agency to remove almost all flowers and shrubbery from his
yard, leaving a desolate wasteland. this has stopped the harassment over "excessive vegetation". Cr Shelton after locking horns with Mr Law at a planning meeting about future use of Queens Park, venue for the Australian gospel Music Festival (which Cr Shelton and his church have links to), has been carrying various complaints to council apparently in an orchestrated campaign to drive Mr Law from his home. According to the Toowoomba Chronicle (11/12/2004 fp & p8), Council engineers have deemed the house sound, blocking this latest avenue of complaint by Cr Shelton.

Thus, in order to drive the Witches and other Fairytale Creatures out of Toowoomba, Cr Shelton has taken a page from the bylaws of Dulac in the movie Shrek. "Toowoomba City Council will check to see if it has the power to pass judgment on a property based on looks alone." (The
Chronicle, fp, Saturday December 11, 2004).

After the positive article in The Chronicle, which avoids the religious controversy and paints the proposed new law in terms of a a class war, Mr Law has received telephone calls and visits from people from all walks of life and faiths offering sympathy and support. This proves that Cr Shelton's desire for a city of grace has already been met.

The Mayor of Toowoomba, Cr Dianne Thorley can be emailed at
   [e-mail]         

The Toowoomba Chronicle is at www.thechronicle.com.au