Uh, who cut my tree down?

It seemed like a normal evening. After working out, I went outside to fire up the grill. I then took out the garbage. As I walked back to the house, I noticed a pile of branches laying next to the tree by the street.

Hmm...what is going on?

I look at the heap and notice that someone came by and trimmed a bunch of branches down. Ok. But who? I looked up and down the streets (I live on a corner) and do not see any other trees that have been trimmed. I check the tree in the front of the house and it is untouched.

I assume the city did this but am not quite sure. Wouldn't they notify me of such an event? If it was the city, they better not hit me up with a bill for this.

Now I wonder if it my responsibility to notify the city to pick up the wood, or will it lay there on my lawn?

There is all kinds of bad news out there in the world today. Poverty in the city of Milwaukee has risen. For some this is serious issue. But I can't help but feel this is taken out of context yet again. How can I say this? I am poor. It has already been documented. Thus I look at a story like this and don't feel much compassion for these people. I feel they should maybe heed the words a wise man said. If there are no jobs, affordable housing, or education here in Milwaukee, then instead of spending money on counseling, food and shelter, the organizations that are "helping" these people should hire U-Hauls and move them to where all this stuff is. Name the wise man that came up with that idea.

The devastation in New Orleans is bad enough that we do not need scumbags out there looting every store they come across. Worse are the people who try to justify the people's actions when they are carting jewelry in buckets down the street. Food I can justify. Necklaces I can't. Both are still wrong, but one will rot to nothing.

I guess the thing that really ticks me off about the devastation in the area is that the U.S. will foot the bill to fix everything. There will be no outpouring of support from the world. Granted, we do not need it. But will those Hollywood stars put forth an effort to raise some cash for these people? How about the ex-Presidents?

With all these people in need, we will still have a totally fake and staged protest continue in Crawford. Since they hired all these people to be there to make it look like they supported the cowardly Cindy Sheehan, why not use that money to help the people in Biloxi, Gulfport and New Orleans? Oh wait. I thought they cared about this country. I forgot they hate America. It is a shame they cannot put aside their political shortcomings to go help a fellow human being. Slugs will be slugs.

Gas prices took a major jump. We are paying $3 a gallon in Milwaukee. And yet there are still moronic people who think the war against terrorism is about oil. Gas is actually getting to a point of catching up with inflation. Fair value. That hurts to say.

Worse yet, some airlines are canceling flights because of a shortage of jet fuel. They fear refineries may produce more gasoline that jet fuel. Midwest better not cancel my Vegas flight. I can see it now, one week from today sitting at a bar recalling a bad beat story with Tammy the bartender.