Celebrity activists offer the cure for what ails us

Sister appeals to death penalty supporters to avert execution

Georgia’s new security and immigration law kicks in

The Marine dropped to one knee and presented the folded flag to my mother...

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced his departure...

Almost 40 years ago, Dr. Laurence J. Peter collaborated with Raymond Hull...

No margarita mustache required

Kirk Waisner is the vice president of menu development at Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits...

Taking the “tini” out of sake cocktails

The first thing I felt when I heard I was going to have a C-section was vindication...

A look ahead at the impending theater season

The blueprint seems simple...

Reclaiming the debris of America’s appetite for consumption

We love a parade

I barely slept...

The Sunday Paper gives the presidential seal of approval to Arkansas

Happy continued hunting!

The FDA just approved a new birth control pill that stops a woman's period. Are there health risks associated with suppressing the normal menstruation process?

Tamarind sprouts anew with savory, satiating fare

Former Brave J.D. Drew finds what he’s looking for

Can America regain dominance over men’s tennis?

16-year-old Candace West scores a gig with the Silverbacks

The Buckhead Village has passed out like a one-night stand. But what will it look like in the morning?

Atlanta to get two single-sex public schools this fall

No Access
Georgia ranks 42 in nation for health care
By Colby Dunn

Authenticity vs. hypocrisy
By Mark Douglas

There are two conversations that are utterly wasting the time and energy of the American people...

Iran vs. Porn
By Eric Von Haessler

Grade inflation
By Bob Zaslavsky

Special Events

Hawks look to avoid past mistakes in ’07 draft

Bearing witness
‘Unembedded’ captures life in war-torn Iraq
BY NATALIE BENNETT

There are two sides to every story, as the saying goes. But for many stories, there are far more. The national touring exhibit “Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq,” based on the book of the same name, goes beyond the newspaper headlines and the political spin from both parties to capture the horror, the destruction and the day-to-day life of modern-day Iraq as seen by photographers Kael Alford, Thorne Anderson, Rita Leistner and Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. The Sunday Paper recently caught up with Alford—who gives a presentation entitled “State of War, State of Grace,” at the Atlanta Photography Group Gallery at noon on Saturday, June 30—to get her side of the story.

Sky painting
A pyro artist brings the works to the Fourth of July in Atlanta

Fireworks are almost as American as apple pie and baseball. In fact, these eye candy explosives are usually the backdrop to major league baseball games—a theatrical end to the drama played out on the diamond. Hi-TechFx pyrotechnician and fireworks artist Brian Panther recently designed the works for the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta. His work will once again grace the city’s sky with a display on the Fourth of July at Centennial Park. The Sunday Paper recently spoke to Panther about his unusual career—one that has him traveling to locations as far afield as Hong Kong. An occupational hazard? He can’t listen to a song without designing fireworks for it.

Radar

Would you like fries with that?

The Atlanta Botanical Garden was abuzz with excitement last Sunday as it celebrated Father’s Day with the aptly titled event “Bluegrass and Big Bugs.” There were plenty of activities for the whole family, including lawn games, a “hissing cockroach petting zoo” (um … OK), arts and crafts and something called a “Bugathlon.”

SUN 24
MAKE A SPLASH: Georgia native and New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant’s BAYOU BLING celebrity weekend fundraiser winds up today with a CELEBRITY POOL PARTY at the W Hotel at Perimeter Center at 3 p.m., and a MARDI GRAS SUNDAY BASH later tonight at the Velvet Room. Proceeds benefit at-risk inner-city youth in New Orleans, Atlanta and Grant’s hometown of Colquitt, Ga. For more information: www.edge3m.com.

A little help from my friends
By Caren West

After writing last week’s column about my father and our mutual appreciation of the “Wonder Years,” I couldn’t get the Beatles song “With a Little Help From My Friends” out of my head. As a result, I’ve been thinking a lot about my friends lately. I have a number of tried and true friends, the kind that will take you to the airport at the crack of dawn or help you move and barely complain. And because of my chosen profession in public relations (or maybe it chose me), I’ve had the good fortune to meet all kinds of characters, from Tony Bennett to Tony Hawk, while racking up a large number of fantastic acquaintances. I consider myself pretty damn lucky most days, even when I have a song stuck in my head for almost a week.

Cusack point blank
The ‘1408’ star on Stephen King, the supernatural and the F-word
BY BERT OSBORNE

John Cusack's new movie “1408” isn't exactly a one-man show, but he does spend a majority of his time holed up by himself in a creepy hotel room, reacting to a lot of computer-generated special effects. Based on a Stephen King short story, the film casts Cusack (“Say Anything,” “The Grifters,” “Being John Malkovich,” “High Fidelity”) as the skeptical author of several books about presumably haunted digs, who learns the hard way to believe in the supernatural. Cusack, who turns 41 this week, discusses the movie during a recent interview in Los Angeles.

Serious lounging
The Sunday Paper takes a siesta in Grand Cayman
By Susan L. Meyers

A letter to Micah
By Lisa Baron

To my new baby—I need you to know that I started watching out for you from the moment I saw the little pink line on my e.p.t. home pregnancy test.

Bling brothers, cougars and Betties: Your field guide to Atlanta’s dating scene
By Blane Bachelor

From Buckhead to Virginia Highland, Atlanta’s rolling hills teem with various species of singles. But if you’re new to town—summer is the height of moving season, after all—it can be difficult to classify them in the wild. So I’ve created a handy guide to the most prominent creatures in Atlanta’s dating environs. Learn about their habits and habitats, and you just might snag one of these fine specimens.

MEDICAL EDGE FROM MAYO CLINIC
NEW MOM REPORTS DIVERSE SYMPTOMS

Q. I had a baby seven months ago and suffer from postpartum depression, so I’m on an antidepressant. I have other symptoms, as well. I breastfed my son for only three weeks, yet at the moment I have nipple pain. Also, my lymph nodes under my arms are sore and I have a pain in my uterus. Can you please give me an idea of what all this is about, or is it just my body going back to normal?

Courage under fire
Suspenseful drama sports a low-key ‘Heart’
BY STEVE WARREN

“A Mighty Heart” has a couple of things working against it. If you’ve seen “Missing” and “Harrison’s Flowers,” you may feel you’ve seen it all before. And as is common with authorized retellings of recent history, certain people are portrayed as almost too saintly to be believed. Angelina Jolie’s Mariane Pearl is the kind of person we all like to think we’d be under similar circumstances, harboring no hatred for any nationality or religion for what happens to her family.

Umphrey’s McGee
“The Bottom Half”
(Sci Fidelity)

Spilling Rosa Mexicano’s Secrets
By Hope S. Philbrick

There’s rice in them thar hills

More than a decent backup
The future’s bright for star prospect Saltalamacchia
BY MICHAEL MAHAN

You’d think catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia would be feeling the pressure. After all, there are a lot of expectations for the 22-year-old Atlanta Braves rookie to live up to. He’s in the middle of his first full season in the major leagues. His team’s in the middle of a pennant race. Oh, and the Braves already have an all-star catcher in teammate Brian McCann.

Stark raving mad
New book tries too hard to slam Andruw
BY ADAM KROHN

ESPN senior baseball writer Jayson Stark's book "The Stark Truth: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players in Baseball History" hit bookstores earlier this month, and he couldn’t resist writing something inflammatory to stir up sales. In the book, Stark dubs some of the game's greatest athletes—including Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Reggie Jackson and Lou Brock—as among the most overrated players of all time.

Go fish: Salmon

With summer in full-throttle, it’s time to look to the ocean for a bounty of heat-quenching options, in particular, fresh water salmon. Besides being rich in omega-3, this fish pairs with almost any sauce or vegetable and is an ideal companion to white wines. And when it comes to avoiding super size meals, salmon has a light touch, but still packs a wallop of flavor.

Festivals and Happenings

2007 Summer Shake
The Snake Nation Social Club hosts this party to benefit the Atlanta History Center’s education outreach program. Features live music by the Whigs. Tickets $75 in advance and $90 at the door. 7 p.m. Fri. June 22 on the lawn of the Swan House at the Atlanta History Center. 404-814-4016. www.atlantahistorycenter.com.

Bluegrass & Big Bugs
The Atlanta Botanical Garden’s fifth annual Father’s Day festival, featuring crafts, old-fashioned games, bluegrass music and more, surrounded by David Rogers’ “Big Bugs & Killer Plants” exhibit. Noon Sun. June 17 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. 404-876-5859. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.

THIS WEEK'S GRUMBLES

Click Image for Larger Version


Grumbles Archives

Chocolate, beer and mojitoritas, oh my!

Hedonists, take note: Indulge for a cause on June 21 for the seventh annual Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fundraiser. This year the theme is—drum roll—chocolate. That’s right, you are powerless. You cannot resist. Especially under the spell of Chef Ron Eyster of Food 101, who, along with many of Atlanta’s finest pastry chefs, will provide tastings of the serotonin-releasing substance, legal in all 50 states. Sip chocolate martinis, chocolate lager and chocolate espresso before indulging yet again—this time in a full dinner buffet. Savage chocolate beasts should be soothed by musical entertainment from Joanne and e’MuRj and the Jeni Michelson Trio. The event also features a live auction, a cash bar and free valet parking. The cost is $65 in advance and $75 at the door. All proceeds benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For more information, call 404-325-6973 or visit www.chocolateforcf.org.

Genarlow Wilson’s Reversal of Fortune
By Maynard Eaton

After a whirlwind week of emotional upheaval, Genarlow Wilson—the ill-fated former Atlanta high school student whose 2005 conviction and 10-year prison sentence at age 17 for engaging in consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old has garnered him national attention—cannot be considered for release until a July 5 bond hearing before Douglas County Superior Court Judge David T. Emerson.

Get Sorbonnized
By Bob Zaslavsky

Farewell, Tony Blair. Bienvenu, Nicolas Sarkozy.

The United States may have a new lapdog in Europe, and in the most surprising of places—France. Newly elected President Sarkozy recently announced plans to reform French education, beginning

More is better
By Stephanie Ramage
Last week, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, writing about a May 24 Muslim funeral procession in Iraq that was attacked by a suicide bomber, ventured that “bin Ladenism”—anti-American violence fueled by religious idealism—is dead.

Paris Envy
By Eric Von Haessler

Watching the ballad of Paris Hilton play out over the past few weeks has been a blast, no doubt. Her fairy-tale world wrecked on the hard rocks of reality—all televised and commented upon in real time, every moment judged from a professional peanut gallery chock-full of pundits who can’t really know why the hell they are there, or what the hell they’re really talking about.

Is it possible to separate who you are from what you do?
Mark Douglas

In what some would construe as an attempt to court liberal favor, President Bush has taken yet another swipe at Christians by nominating James Holsinger as surgeon general.

Fighting over the Winecoff
Legal battle continues over fate of notorious downtown hotel
By Josh Clark

Traffic ticket trauma
Sunday Paper column and letters result in audit for Atlanta city court
By Stephanie Ramage

Sunday + 6

SUN 17
HANG WITH SOME REAL MEN: Sample up to 150 dishes, enjoy live music and rub elbows with a cornucopia of celebrities at REAL MEN COOK FOR CHARITY 2007 this afternoon at the Foundry at Puritan Mill. This annual Father's Day event celebrates the importance of fathers and family, with more than 100 "real men" dishing out delicious fare. Luminaries include KYLE MASSEY (“That’s So Raven,” “Cory in the House”), his brother CHRIS MASSEY (“Zoey 101”), MYRA J of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, WSB-TV’s JOVITA MOORE, ANDREW YOUNG, Congressman JOHN LEWIS and countless others. Proceeds benefit the Grass Roots Institute, Real Men Charities, the Lupus Foundation of America Georgia Chapter an the Giving Tree Adoption Resource Agency. 404-344-8496. www.realmencook.com. this afternoon at the Foundry at Puritan Mill. This annual Father’s Day event celebrates the importance of fathers and family, with more than 100 “real men” dishing out delicious dishes. Luminaries include

What would you think if I sang out of tune?
By Caren West

My father and I used to religiously watch the “Wonder Years” together. To this day, I’m convinced that it’s one of the all-time greatest television series ever created. I’m a complete sucker for shows that center on the rites of passage—the internal struggles that the Kevin Arnolds and Winnie Coppers in all of us endured as we became adults. And although I love that show, what I truly cherish are the times that I got to hunker down on the couch and hang out with my dad, who also taught me to love the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Slam dunk
Chris Jackson takes an unlikely path to football success
BY EARLE MCDONALD

Chris Jackson’s is not the typical story of a football player dedicating his life to the game from an early age.

It’s that time of year when restless children are shipped off to a variety of camps...

Summer on the Southside
By Jason Tesauro and Phineas Mollod

“[T]he waiter brought Fallow a vodka Southside, and … complaining … about the condition of the mint, he drank it and ordered another. He could remember nothing … his whole body felt sore. [Awakened early the next morning], he crawled across the carpet to the exploding telephone and lay down beside it.”

Get a clue: ‘Nancy