This building on Vermont, just north of Finley, always goes just a little kitsch-crazy around Christmas. This is but a sampling of the cheery Yuletide gimcracks festooned across the grounds. Of course, this little slice o' the North Pole right here in Southern California must be experienced at night for the full, cheesy (yet potentially heartwarming, depending on how maudlin you become during the holidays) effect.

As for myself, this kind of display arouses mixed emotions. On one hand, I applaud the anonymous designer for his/her complete, unapologetic lack of restraint (not to mention taste). On the other hand, this kind of treacly crap contributes to Christmas' suffocating aura of forced smiles and phony bonhomie, sending the less religious (or downright heathen) amongst us straight to the spiked eggnog, fingers in ears to ward off yet another rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

  ¶ 6:07 PM