On Friday, Oct. 24, the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of execution for Troy Davis who was convicted of the Aug. 19, 1989 murder of 27-year-old Savannah police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail.
 The stay was granted on the same day that more than 100 members of the clergy sent a letter to Gov. Sonny Perdue stating, "We are distressed by the inability of the appeals courts to provide a hearing or new trial to examine evidence that Troy Davis did not murder Mark MacPhail. We are distressed that in a case based solely on witness testimony the unprecedented number of witness recantations has not impressed the courts enough to re-examine the case. 

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1. Red, blue, and green: Let the candidates take advantage of information releasing the names of those who have already voted, resulting in one less flyer clogging your mailbox.

 

2. Avoid indecent exposure: Revel in the security of the secret ballot and assuage fears of mail fraud without waiting in line with the two-thirds of registered voters who procrastinated. Visit sos.georgia.gov/elections for locations and times, and your democratic duty amounts to five easy minutes, on your terms.

 

3. Pinching pennies: The price of democracy runs steep: Television ads in Ohio alone cost the presidential hopefuls more than $5.5 million—that’s roughly 1.5 million gallons of gas. Chump change for politicians, maybe, but in this economic downturn, why not help Georgia save some extra spare change? Shorter lines on Election Day reduce the financial strain of running polling stations.

 

4. It’s just convenient: If you’ve ever overslept, worked late or simply forgot to vote on Election Day, you’ll appreciate the flexibility of being able to cast your ballot without being restricted to one measly day.—Anne Lee Dabney 

Photo: Lisa F. Young

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My Dad didn’t want to join the union, so he was singled out for abuse by his pro-union co-workers. There were death threats from union members, so he would load his .45 and take it to work with him when he left at 5 a.m. each morning. It is not at all an exaggeration to say that we lived in fear.  Now, the Democrats want to do away with secret balloting, exposing anti-union employees to harassment and perhaps even violent attacks. (Full article and comments)

There are many theories about the famous red sole of the shoes created by Parisian designer Christian Louboutin. Most say the red soles of the luxury shoes came about after Louboutin grabbed a bottle of red nail polish from an assistant who was doing her nails nearby and painted the soles. But sources close to the designer say he originally got his inspiration at a much younger age, before he even began designing shoes. Find out for yourself this Friday from 1-4 p.m. at Jeffrey in Phipps Plaza where M. Louboutin makes his first visit to the ATL to meet, greet and sign red soles for the shoe-enviable. Recession? Yes. Great Depression No. 2? Maybe, but Jeffrey manager Don Purcell is anticipating a footwear-feeding frenzy, even at price points hovering around $1,000 a pair. Ooh la la!
Jeffrey is located inside Phipps Plaza at 3500 Peachtree Road NE, 404-237-9000. (Full article and comments)

Every now and then we get a letter to the editor that thoroughly speaks for itself. This one came to us along with a photo from a cell phone which means that this person on public assistance has a posher phone than I do. 

(In response to “Who’s Going to Report on ‘President Obama’?” Stephanie Ramage, News & Views, Oct. 19) U cant stop us.ramage is on a rampage against Obama because he is black.GET OVER IT HONEY! HE WON!
     Somebody should slap the taste of evil out of Stephanie Ramage’s mouth. She is wicked. GOD hears and sees everything. She will get hers on judgment day. Anyhow, who can we trust to report on how people living on Georgia streets will survive? The same people who fought for our country, that are now homeless and mentally ill? Who will report the fact that thousands of women pile up at the local family and children services office for government assistance because the economy won’t grant them a job? 

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The phrase "the end of an era" is trotted out so often that it's all but lost its meaning, but this is one occasion where it really fits. Atlanta Braves announcer Pete Van Wieren announced his retirement today, capping a 33-year career calling Braves games on radio and television. 

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Russell Shorto, author of the brand new, mesmerizing non-fiction book, “Descartes' Bones” will be on hand for a book signing at the Georgia Center for the Book/Dekalb Library, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur, Georgia, at 7:15pm on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

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If you're having trouble finding my column this week, here it is: (Full article and comments)

Handyman, TV star and ADD advocate Ty Pennington (pictured) is 44 on Oct. 19. If you ask us, his career needs an “Extreme Makeover.”

 

Alpharetta resident Evander Holyfield, who turns 46 on Oct. 19, may go to jail for child support. Can’t a former heavyweight champ catch a break?

 

Rapper Snoop Dogg is 37 on Oct. 20. Love your music, Snoop, but we’ll never forgive you for that whole “izzle” craze from a few years back.

 

Musical genius “Weird Al” Yankovic is 49 on Oct. 23. Hey, changing the words to famous people’s songs is harder than it looks.

 

Atlanta’s own Monica is 28 on Oct. 24. No, not Monica Pearson. The singer. You know—“The Boy is Mine”? Yeah, her.

 

Statuesque “I Kissed a Girl” singer Katy Perry is 24 on Oct. 25. Can you say “One hit wonder”?

 

Atlanta’s first lady of “Crunk & B,” Ciara is 23 on Oct. 25. Can't wait for that new album, girlfriend. 

Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

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In the Radar item "A Little Tennis, A Lot of Love" in the Oct. 19 print edition of The Sunday Paper, we state that the Advanta World Team Tennis Smash Hits charity event hosted by Elton John and Billie Jean King at Kennesaw State University on Sunday, Oct. 12 raised more than $40,000 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund.

That's technically correct, but it should have read that the celebrity tennis tournament raised more than $400,000 for the charities. We regret the error. (Full article and comments)