How Charlie Brown killed the aluminum Christmas tree

[Kurusu]

Yup. How EVER did we survive our childhoods? Ungrounded AC sockets, no seat belts or fire alarms, smoking was more prevalent... I guess we've just replaced old hazards by new ones, like being glued to iPhones while crossing intersections or driving

Wow! Great minds do think alike.

 

[oldbrownhat]

... I guess we've just replaced old hazards by new ones, like being glued to iPhones while crossing intersections or driving

As in this example:
Vancouver driver busted with cellphone, tablet attached to steering wheel

Then there's this, which frankly beggars belief:

YouTuber discovers that cementing your head into a microwave is a bad idea

Old lethal hazards vs. new lethal hazards, ably assisted by human stupidity!

 

[rwsmith]

It wasn't until we were grown...

...that my Dad resorted to a plastic tree. They just don't have the sense or feeling of wonder that a live tree has. When I was a little kid, my Dad got a tree that began to shed its needles after a few days. He took it outside and spray painted it white to stick the needles on. That was a very special tree.

 

[oldbrownhat]

...that my Dad resorted to a plastic tree. They just don't have the sense or feeling of wonder that a live tree has. When I was a little kid, my Dad got a tree that began to shed its needles after a few days. He took it outside and spray painted it white to stick the needles on. That was a very special tree.

So very true. A plastic or aluminum tree simply has no soul!

 

[Fishslayer]

Some years ago the wife & I went for a fiber optic tree. The glass strands all met in the trunk & that beast was HEAVY!

It had a halogen bulb with color wheel in the base. It was semi-awesome.

Nowadays they have programmable LEDs in the base so you can get any number of combos & effects.

I donated that tree to Goodwill 2 years ago. Just not motivated anymore.

 

[loknload]

I remember as a kid we had a neighbor who had one of those aluminum trees with the color wheel, as a kid I thought it was horrible!
We always had a fresh cut live tree with strings of colored lights and tinsel.
Many years later I found that my wife's grandmother had one of those aluminum ones set up in her basement,with the color wheel. Used it for Christmas and never took it down. After all those years I still thought it was horrible!
So it's interesting to find out that good ole Charlie Brown caused the demise of the aluminum Christmas tree!

 

[oldbrownhat]

...So it's interesting to find out that good ole Charlie Brown caused the demise of the aluminum Christmas tree!

"You're a good man, Charlie Brown" (even if you're a blockhead.)

Merry Christmas all

 

[TX-Dennis]

When I was a little kid in the early 60s my grandmother had one of the aluminum trees with a color wheel. I thought the tree was ugly, but the color wheel thing was pretty exciting to a little kid. She finally got tired of that tree and sold it in a garage sale when I was about 10 or so. I wasn't sad to see the tree go, but that color wheel . . . man, I wanted that thing. For what, I don't really know. But it was cool, don't you know.

I still love A Charlie Brown Christmas. Especially the part where Linus tells Charlie Brown what Christmas is really all about. We all need to be reminded now and then.

 

[dave201]

American Flyer train set up under the tree. Tinsel would fall on the track and really spark when the train ran over it. Train made smoke by taking a rubber pill like thingy and dripping whatever it was down the smokestack. Can still remember the good smells. Mother made candy like popcorn balls and hung them on the tree. Bubblers and big round gaudy lights would be strung and chicken wire shaped like stars were hung. Much of the decorations were homemade cause mom stayed home while pop worked. We were a close family back then. We were happy get a few gifts and enjoy the season. Sad the children of today can't really appreciate or see what us older folks had in a much simpler time