You call that a Christmas tree? At least they have a rink

You can call me a traditionalist. You can call me Jewish (I am). You may even call me a dweller of a semi-arid environment that naturally was mostly tree-less until settlers came along.

But I do know a good Christmas tree when I see one. And I do know that this tree -- erected this week at L.A. Live outside Staples Center -- is not a good one. If I'm not mistaken, it's not even a tree. It's the kind of thing you may find in a closet at the utility company.

On the plus side, L.A. Live has also erected a tiny ice rink. There's another rink down the street at Pershing Square. Both are small. But so is the rink in Pasadena that will never be replaced because some members of the Pasadena City Council despise children and want to ensure they end up on the streets, making money only by whoring themselves and gobbling up prolific amounts of crack, spunk and God-knows-what-else.

On a more cheery note, the Kings beat Ottawa last night for their third win in a row. They couldn't score on a 5-on-3 for more than two minutes, but that's only a trifle detail.

Back to the tree. A friend of mine reviewing this post has suggested that it appears to have escaped from NASA. I recently read that many parts of the U.S. are having a glut of Christmas trees. Would it really have been that hard to find a real big tree and chop it down?

--Steve Hymon