Business Casual

Georgia’s Sen. Johnny Isakson consulted an eminent UGA scientist to come up with what may be an answer to the embryonic stem cell research debate.

Atlanta is leading the country in attracting hordes of well-educated 25- to 34-year-olds, a much-coveted group.

Some of us are lucky enough to have colleagues who can provide a sounding board or offer counsel ranging from a simple, "Why?' to a more direct, "Are you out of your mind?"

In the process of becoming a destination and a desirable place to live, Decatur has chosen to embrace diversity, maintain a good school system, do some serious civic planning and keep its downtown looking spiffy.

Fall is going by in its usual blur. One day you’re taking a wool sweater out of a plastic bag and the next thing you know, someone is reminding you how many shopping days are left before Christmas.

It was the 9-to-5er's equivalent of a dark and stormy night - a gray and chilly morning - technically spring, but feeling a whole lot like winter. The office was icy and dank. Our heating system was in rebellion. Not working.

It's not surprising that a Gwinnett mother was trying to force the school system to remove the Harry Potter books from school library shelves because she believes the books run counter to her Christian beliefs. It's not even especially surprising that she admits she has not read the books. Troubling, but not surprising.

The best office I ever had was a small architectural jewel with a real fireplace; but it was physically removed from the people I needed easy access to and often eerily quiet. It should have been a great place to get work done, but it wasn't. It was just too isolated.

When I worked for a magazine that was owned by a big corporation headquartered in New York, the HR office would send someone down once a year to explain changes in benefits and give us a chance to ask questions.

Last September, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I was happy to find an out-of-the-way station selling gas for $3.05 per gallon. Barely three months later, I paid $1.90 a gallon at my regular station and felt foolishly grateful for the lower price.