TORRANCE, Calif. It is a nibble weird that a guy who describes his relationship to Christmas as "hostile" runs around greater Los Angeles in a floppy red Santa hat and answers his iPhone, "Merry Christmas, this is Scotty Claus!"
But bummed as false merriment and gift obligations render him, Scott Martin -- landscape architect and tree hugger in a literal sense -- was unnerved by the sight of post-Christmas trees lying about like so much discarded sausage casing.
What people really ought to do, he reasoned, was rent a Christmas tree, and return it, alive, to the nursery after the season.
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As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
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