Black Rock refers to CBS’ corporate headquarters, not NBC’s at Rockefeller Center.

Oh, but wait… let’s celebrate the early lighting of a tree in an outdoor mall to usher in the holiday retail season.

That’s outrageous.

I know, you speak for the trees, but until Christmas tree felling threatens California’s forests, I’m going to worry as much about single trees, however old, as much as I do the cows that taste so meaty.

And there seems to be the implication either that I’m unaware of tree farms or that I think the Lumberjack Division of Caruso Incorporated callously tromped out into the High Sierra with direct orders to chop down a long-standing resident in some old-growth section. Nah. I’m pretty sure you’re right, this tree was grown with the intent of being killed for this shiny vapid purpose. There’s just something disappointing about felling such a tall fella — and for an end result that can most certainly be achieved artificially and without the long haul involved.

I’m also not terribly concerned with the cutting down live Christmas trees. Tree sellers grow the trees expressly for the purpose… they aren’t razing rain forests, or depleting the Redwoods, of evergreens or any other type of trees to sell. These things are farmed like other crops, and like other farmers, people who raise trees are probably more concerned about the environment than most people.

The drive from NorCal to Carusoville was likely the most enviornmentally damaging part of all.

AND I will bitch about cutting down a real live tree. I do it every year. I understand the concept of tree farms, friends do just that back east. I even understand that most of our municipal garbage services sort of recycle the unflocked trees for mulch. However it is still a stupid waste of resources to grow it, haul it and mulch it for barely a month of use. Seems like we could put all of that tree farm to better use….grow big enough to be lumber and help cleanse the air in the process.

I do a wicked…artificial tree myself every year. I learned how to “do” a tree properly back in the day when I was a Christmas Dept Manager at Bullock’s. You can do a gorgeous tree without all that waste.