Suddenly things are better

All we've heard form Republicans is gloom and doom for the last three years. The American public apparently bought into it, and elected a bunch of Tea Party Republicans in 2010. But anyone with any sense knew that the recovery from the GOP induced recession would be a slow process.

Things were bound to get worse because of the election of Barack Obama as president. During the last few weeks of his campaign in 2008 I remember hearing callers on radio shows like Rush Limbaugh saying they were employers and were letting people go (i.e. firing them) because Obama was going to be elected.  In other words, they wanted things to look bad after his election. Limbaugh said he wanted president Obama to fail.

Apparently, they still feel that way. This sign is in Georgia.

I think Americans have opened their eyes to the Republican agenda (which is a spectrum of bad policy): do anything to keep Obama from getting re-elected (Mitch McConnell), even if it includes destroying the economy, and since it is no longer fashionable to hate black people, let's spread the hatred to brown people and gays, to point out a couple of things.

But of course all along we've been seeing signs of a recovering economy: stock market moving up, joblessness decreasing. Now, however, it's undeniable. Black Friday showed huge increases this year compared to last year, and predictions for cyber Monday (today) are the same.

Small business Saturday seemed to have good results also.  Even the president went into a small DC bookstore with his kids shopping on Saturday, at (gay friendly) Kramer Books on Dupont Circle.

So, if sales around the Christmas holiday are any indication of the mood of the country and the willingness of the public to forget the GOP hype and resume normal living, then this season may just be a turning point.

It's hard to imagine any of the Republican presidential candidates actually winning the general election after the things they have said and done (or denied doing). Even so, Democrats must realize that they can't take anything for granted, but with these indications that things are improving the wind will be let out of the sails of the GOP ship of fools.

It's not even December yet, but I am predicting a happy holiday season, and success for the democrats in 2012.

Business as usual

Bessemer Opinions poll responders are pretty smart, it seems.

I asked what would happen in Congress over the next two years.

39% said it would be business as usual. Only 3% predicted the Republicans and Democrats would work together.

Of course, the new congress is not even seated yet, but the lame ducks certainly aren't showing an indication of cooperation. Get the Tea Partiers in there and there won't be a chance of cooperation.

Republicans are blocking an extension of unemployment benefits in the house. This is their way of saying "Merry Christmas," to 2 million families that will have no assistance coming to them during the holidays.

I predict the more compassionate Democrats will still be able to get the benefits passed...probably a week after they expire at the end of this month.

Now let's see if the Republicans are willing to compromise on the tax cuts. They can't give a few billion to struggling families, but they are willing to give hundreds of billions to the nation's wealthiest.

There are many studies that show unemployment benefits act as more of a stimulus to the economy than tax breaks because those receiving the benefits spend the money on goods and services thus creating a need for production, while tax breaks to the wealthy obviously don't create jobs. I mean, look around you. Those tax breaks have been in place the entire time our economy was spiraling down, and while we have been in the slow recovery, and they aren't creating jobs now, so why should we think they would if they are extended?

I shudder to think what America will look like after the new congress begins to dismantle the economy. Let's enjoy ourselves while we can.

Adele

Twenty two year old Adele is set to release her second album, 21, in January 2011 (February in the U.S.).

This album has heavy influence from the American south and country music. She had never been exposed to country music until her group took a tour through the south.

She's a Grammy winning songwriter and powerful singer whose video's I've featured before.

Here's a song from that album, performed November 16 on Later...with Jools Holland.

DINO Davis and the truth about the economy

Our local DINO Artur Davis said on Tuesday that he will continue his opposition to health care reform. "I've said it's a no," he said.

What he's actually doing is ignoring the voters in his heavily Democratic district and pandering to the so called moderates* in Alabama in hopes of getting their votes in June. Or November.

I will be so glad not to be represented by Davis at the end of the current term. Maybe we can elect a congressional representative who sticks to the values that got them elected in the first place, rather than changing their stripes to meet the (supposed) expectations of a different electorate. I wouldn't be surprised if Davis' worst numbers come from the counties in his district.

Don't interpret that as an endorsement for Ron Sparks because I'm disappointed in him as well, after his comments about constitution reform. Somehow I will have to make a decision come June. Flip a coin? Throw a dart? Paint their names on two ping pong balls and make a lottery out of it? Cross over and vote for Roy Moore?

Meanwhile, Mooncat over at Left in Alabama posted this link to a Bloomberg story about the economy, and included this quote.

One year after U.S stocks hit their post-financial-crisis low on March 9, 2009, the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 Index has risen more than 68 percent, and it’s up more than 41 percent since Obama took office. Credit spreads have narrowed. Commodity prices have surged. Housing prices have stabilized.

“We’ve had a phenomenal run in asset classes across the board,” said Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist for Miller Tabak & Co. in New York. “If he was a Republican, we would hear a never-ending drumbeat of news stories about markets voting in favor of the president.”

How long will we keep hearing from the Party of No about the failing economy under Obama when in actuality, things are looking good? Or at least, better and on the way to good.

As Mooncat said, Obama's "done this with no help whatsoever from Republicans in Congress, who have voted NO on every single economic initiative."

Wake up, people.

*there are no moderates in Alabama, only progressives and teabaggers, it seems.

And now, in this wonderland we call Alabama, let's get freaky-deaky.

Gaga in Wonderland (possibly NSFW in Alabama)

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).