The Recovery has begun...and lots more

Birmingham News update. Remember on Tuesday I said I received a paper after a phone call. Well, later that day I received another paper, so it was a two for one day.

Yesterday and today the paper delivery was as it should be. I guess things are back to normal, at least at this address.






If you are on Facebook, look me up and check my album of Pictures from the Past, to see me during my college days.



Some of the comments are pretty funny.

Should I grow the hair and beard back and dye the hair dark again?







A few tweets:

Bessemer is going to have the best trash cans in the county, at $1400 a piece. I expect to see something about this in the Western Tribune.

U. S. Davis Cup team members Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan are identical twins. One plays left handed and the other right handed. Plus...

OK. See more pictures from the ATP 2009 Official Calendar of tennis stars.

Richard Shelby is one of the few Republican senators supporting the budget. I guess so, he was one of the top "earmarkers" (#2).

Regions employee tells Bessemer Opinions the last two weeks have been very difficult, when asked to comment on big wigs getting big stock options and little guys getting benefits cut. "Screwed" is how Steve Shannon described the move on 960 AM yesterday.

Story of the Day

Brewton pharmacist hands out homegrown stimulus

A small-town pharmacist intrigued by the government's economic stimulus plan decided to launch his own version with $16,000 in $2 bills, and area stores have already felt the impact.

Danny Cottrell gave each of his full-time employees $700 and part-timers $300. He asked them to donate 15 percent to charity and spend the rest locally, particularly downtown, where store owners say that business has been lean.

Picture credit Press-Register/John David Mercer

His employees were nervous before the handout, thinking he might deliver bad news during their staff meeting. Instead he handed out envelopes with the cash inside.

"I was so worried, I made myself physically sick," said Lana Jackson. "But
spending it has been fun. It feels like you are doing a good deed."

The $2 bills were used so how and where the money was spent could be monitored. Cottrell wanted the money spent in downtown stores, and it has been.

Our President said we all need to do our part in this recovery effort, and Cottrell certainly has done his. Sort of reminds you of what Leonard Abess Jr did. Remember, President Obama mentioned him in his address to congress. (Read here what Abess said in 1987).

We have said all along that it's not just the president's job to get the country back on track. It's everyone's job. Now we have evidence that people are doing just that. Inspired by our president, the Recovery is underway.

Go to the Recovery link and see how the money is being distributed. Look at the timeline (under the "About" tab) and you will see that yesterday was the day Federal Agencies were to begin reporting their use of funds. Go to the Impact tab and learn how each state is using the money (notice Alabama's recovery site is not up yet...but it will be).