Only 3....

Went and saw Cheaper By the Dozen with my Mom and Grandma yesterday afternoon. The theater was pretty full, lots of kids. It was fun. For me it drew a little tear. There was a point when one of the kids said "If you weren't around, we'd only be...11!" And for me I can relate. Growing up with four of us, we were always four. Our name always blended when one of did something wrong (or all of us.) Paul, Sarah, Laura, Karen! Or as Paul coined 2 days before he died...the girls were collectively "Slaren."

Today would have been Paul's 33rd birthday. And I miss being 4...now we are only 3. It is all very strange. Sitting around the dining room table and there being an extra place. Yes, I know spouses and boyfriends have filled chairs...but it's not the same. We aren't 4 or 6 as a whole, we are missing a very important component. Only 3....

Happy Birthday Paul

Oh, and I know...

Oh and I see that the Daily Dave shows up 2 times in the Cool People section. Yes, he is cool, 2 times cool? I don't know about that...but it seems the old listing I had for him disappeared in the template and I can't find it to delete it. Working on that...

What's Work?

I am about at the point that I can't remember what it is like to work. Well, I have worked at the jewelry store 1 more time than the "real job." I am liking this lifestyle. So now I must figure out how to keep it. Being a woman of lesiure? Could I do that? Wake up about 9:30 everyday...lay around in my bathrobe watching The View...."doing lunch"...seeing a movie in the MIDDLE of the day...mmm...what a life! So I need to win the lotto or get a MUCH better paying job :-)

Vacation continues....

I finally! got to sleep in today. And boy did it ever feel good.

So you like my holiday self portrait? I took it on my dad's new spiffy digital camera...I didn't think that it would show up in other places... ;-)

We are about to go off for some after Christmas shopping (Hallmark, The Dollar Store and Bealls Outlet). Hopefully I can find next years Christmas cards and some wrapping paper at nicely discounted rates..

Ta ta.

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to drop by and wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Hubby and I are lazin' around the house until we go off to his mom's for some festive eating (if you have ever eaten a holiday meal at a Hungarian home you would know just how festive).

We had a nice Christmas Eve. Worked and made some money at the store. Came home and had a cat nap because we were tired and I had the wonderful luck of having a Christmas Eve migrain. Then it was off to my parents for a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. Pretty traditional. Ham, cranberry's, green beans, sweet potatoes, scalloped potatoes and the biggest apple pie in existence I think. (It came from Cosco and it was HUGGGEE! - I am NOT exaggerating on this one!) Then we sat around the Christmas tree and exchanges gifts. Hubby and I now have got enough new clothes to take us through next year (THANKS everyone!) and some other fun things. Including receiving one of my fav. Disney movies on DVD Sleeping Beauty. (Favorite part? The fares fighting over Aurora's dress color.."Pink! ... Blue!...Pink....Blue!" Then it was getting all gussied up and off to midnight mass. We had a whole pew for the family. After celebrating mass it was on home for some chatting and some food. Then around 2:30 or so hubby and I plodded home finally and collapsed in bed exhausted. Got up a little before 11 and exchanged gifts. Hubbies favorite gift? A new shredder that makes paper into tiny tiny confetti...(he was excited.)

Well...I better be off. There's lots of Christmas left to enjoy! From me and hubby.. We want to wish all of our family and friends a magical, fun filled, safe and peaceful Christmas. We love you guys!

Happy Christmas Eve!

Just a brief note to make sure I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! I have to go and grab my bagel and run to open the store for hopefully a busy day...but I wanted to make sure all my family and friends knew that I was thinking about them today and have high hopes that you holidays are awesome!

How did they do it?

Mother Trib's e-mail has been down since yesterday afternoon. It has been something I, and the rest of the world, have grown very dependant on. I think I am going through withdrawl! Must have e-mail!!

Well, this is my last day of working, here, for the year. Tomorrow I become the jeweler's wife and work with him while the last minute shoppers, hopefully lots, stumble in looking for something. I will be checking in to tell of my vacation. I am hoping to do a little redesign on the site.

Now back to work...I have to get lots done before I can leave this joint tonight.

Happy Winter Solstice!

I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy and healthy Winter Solstice! Today is the first day of Winter, the shorted amount of day light of the year and the official beginning of winter. Although it has been feeling like Winter for a while (even here in Florida!). Visit the web site I have listed above to learn about the ancient festival day. It's really cool.

Just another reason to celebrate!

"God Bless Us One and All"

Finished A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens last Thursday night. What a great book! It took me a little bit to get used to Dickens style, I have been reading easier books recently I guess. But once I got by that, wow! There were many differences between the book and the movies/TV shows I have seen. I recommend that if you get the chance to read it...esp. if it can be around the holidays. It remindes you of what is important in life.

Applause!

I am happy to announce The Daily Dave has re-opened for business! We have missed his humor and creativity. Check it out today!

Moi?

I received an e-mail from Hatch.com, I have a link to them at the left, telling me that they have included Sarah Says in their blog listings. (I wonder if they search first for sights that had them listed and as a courtesy added us.) But reguardless, I am happy that they didn't visit my little site and left thinking, man this site sucks, we would NEVER associate with it.

So for those 20 and 30 somethings visit Hatch.com...it's cool, and it's now a little cooler since I am included. ;-)

Butter Makes Anything Yummy!

Went to my parents house to visit with my Grandma who came in yesterday from Toledo, Ohio. Had a lovely dinner of some yummy vegetable soup. Then me and mom went to work making some Spritz cookies (read butter, butter and MORE butter!) They go through a cookie press and make lots of little shaped cookies that are WONDERFUL! They are so good I left my cookie press there in case we need to make some more.
A good thing to remember, when it comes to baking NEVER substitute butter for anything else!

Quote of the Day

I was having a nice lunch with the recently returned and well Skippy Simanoff today. We were talking about if we were teachers the grades we think we would like to teach. He said he would like to teach kindergartners...and how it is hard to for men to teach this age because of all the PC things and concerns...

This is how he started out by saying...
"If I were a man..."

Relaxing Night...

Spent a quiet night at home last night with my hubby watching a movie. Watched Drum Line which we borrowed from the bro-in-law when we visited Jax. It was fun. Lots of cool music and dancing. Very upbeat and something that required little thinking, which is what I/we needed. It reminded me of my brother. He played in the high school band and loved it. I always was sad that he didn't get to march in college, because at the time USF didn't have one and being an Engineering student would have made it hard. Just the love of it all.

Tomorrow Return of the King premiers (well tonight at midnight I understand.) I really want to see it...but I'll give it a weekend or 2, I'm not one for being the first to see any movie. There's so many I would love to see. Something's Gotta Give, Cold Mountain when it comes out...and that Fish movie sounds interesting...and then Seabiscuit came out today on DVD, I still really want to see that. On top of it I need to see White Christmas for it to feel Christmasey to me...I LOVE that movie! Ok, enough babbling...back to work....with visions of vacation days dancing in my head!

Wow! What a Weekend!

Man, I need to come to work to relax a little.

This weekend was VERY busy. It started out Fri. night at church with dinner and a concert. It was cool. It started with Fr. John playing the drums, Ron the music director on the base guitar, and a lead guitarist and keyboardist playing Christmas favorites such as I'll have a Blue Christmas and Rockin' Around the Christmas tree. Then it was the children's and adult choirs for more Christmas singin'.

Then we find out my Bro-in law is coming for a suprise visit. So we wait to chat with him after the concert. Then off to good friend Aaron's home for watching of Christmas Vacation, a Christmas tradition.

Saturday was long too. Worked at the jewelry store. Then went to a friends home to watch the boat parade in Maderia Beach, which was really cool. Only in Florida would you see boats all lit up with music and dancing and all sorts of fun. It's a great way to celebrate! Then it was off to have drinks with the visiting Bro-in-law and his bro.

Sunday, church, brunch, decorate Christmas tree with Mom, Christmas shopping and eventually eating dinner with some friends. They were at that restaurant because a big wrestling event was on and they wanted to watch that.

Wrestling is an interesting animal. There were people there of all ages. Literally! From grandma's with white hair to kids. And they were all cheering. And everyone KNOWS it's only entertainment (read into this NOT REAL) and they love it the same. I was a good sport, I made it more than 1 hour. (Yes Aaron, I had to mention this :-)

Eventually home and to bed. I did NOT want to get up this morning as you can see why. I am looking forward to a few Silent Nights.

But I am happy to report I am not in full swing in the Christmas spirit! Just have a few things left to buy for Christmas...and some cookies to bake...and soon, very soon a week and 1/2 of vacation!

Wheeeeeeeeee!

Elf Name

Update on the Elf names. My sister Karen has been dubbed Coupon because of her def shopping ways. (She doesn't know it yet :-) and Laura Crumbcake, or maybe Fruitcake since I am Sugarplum (a fruit). I think Fruitcake is good thought. What would your elf name be?

Elfen Name

I have been told my Pat Kane that I have been given an elf name, just in time for the holidays. I have been named Sugarplum. I like it. It makes me smile. I'm on my way to being ready for Christmas. Dave Simanoff is Crumpet and Pat is Mixer. Pick an elf name and tell me what it is!

Hate to Admit this, I'm Cranky About Christmas

I was talking to a co-worker and I admitted outloud that I was putting up Christmas decorations last night and I was cranky the whole time. I was doing it to have it done and I wasn't having the best time. I never thought that I would be one of those people who was so tired and cranky at this time of the year. I don't even have kids and other distractions that really make you tired.

I am going to a Christmas concert tonight at Church, maybe it will put me in that holiday spirit...I need some...badly.

Brain..not working...must stop typing!

Sorry for the lack of posts. I have BEEN very busy. With some well deserved time off coming up for the holidays, I have to get those 8 days of work into this, next week and then the following Monday & Tues. Lots to do. At this point my brain is numb. And my fingers, well I don't feel them almost anymore. So bear with me...this will be an interesting week and some for me...and I need to get my Christmas shopping and cards finished...so much caffine will be needed.

Mr. Happy Crack

Ok, I will admit, I didn't find this myself, I stole it from Dave Barry's Blog. But this is one of the funniest things I have seen in a LONG time! Please put your hands together for Mr. Happy Crack!

If you need a laugh, this WILL provide it!

Cool thing...

I had a cool experience last night.

Yesterday was a feast day in the Catholic Church so we go to Mass.
Our church has a Vietnamese mission attached to it and they use our building for a Vietnamese language mass. They are building a facility adjacent to our building where they will have a community center and such. But until then they are sharing our building. They shared mass with us. What was so cool was how it was mixed. The first reading was in English, the second in Vietnamese, two songs were in Vietnamese and two of the alter servers had traditional Vietnamese touches to their robes, beautiful red silken additions.
I thought the whole thing was cool. That the same mass around the world is being said in so many different ways. I addition, that evening we have a section of deaf people using sign language in conjunction. So all these elements are going on.
Thinking back I have been privaleged to meet Catholics from many different lands in the past six months. First their was a young priest from Poland, who just happened to be born in the same city as some of my forefathers, then the young nun who was from Ghana in Africa and then the Vietnamese families and clergy who came last night.
It really gave me pause. All these people around the world celebrating mass in the same way but at the same time using their culture to beautify it and make it their own.
Just really cool and I thought I would share it with you.

Split Pea Ode

My ode to Split Pea Soup.

All fall I have been dreaming
about a lovely soup made of peas.
Made from peas with carrots and ham and spices
it makes me smile everytime I get a bowl.
So I give a big cheer for my Mom because she made me some
and boy was it good I can't wait till the next time.
So here's my song about the soup made from peas
I know it looks kinda gross but boy does it taste good!

Mr. Picassohead

Ok, this is a REALLY fun web site. Thanks to Pat Kane for mentioning it to me. If you fancy yourself an artist and want to design something that looks like a Picasso this is the place for you. (Laura this may not apply to you because you already paint sometimes in this style.) Enjoy! Go visit:

Mr. Picassohead

Fast Company | The Wal-Mart You Don't Know

If you have a few moments, check out this article: Fast Company | The Wal-Mart You Don't Know. It's about Wal-Mart and what it has helped cause in this country. It is fascinating.

Healthy meals from your dishwasher?

This was my favorite headline of the day so far. Healthy meals from your dishwasher? What's next? Healthy meals from your cars engine?

The Bible’s Lost Stories

I read this weeks cover story in Newsweek about women in the Bible and how many think their roles have been either misinterpreted or just changed because the male hierarchy of the church didn't want to give true legitimacy to women and the power they could/should be able to hold.The Bibles Lost Stories

This story has come to a head it seems because of the recent best seller called the The Da Vinici Code. Part of it talks about that Mary Magdalene, a close follower of Jesus, was actually much closer to him than a friend, confidant or believer, but his wife. It is very controversial and the Catholic church, which if you don't know, I am Catholic, believes the book to be very anti-Catholic and speculative.

I thought the article was very interesting. Just by reading the bible, I know that Jesus was close to many women and respected them. In fact women are important in the life andgenealogyy of Jesus named, so they weren't unimportant. There are women named throughout his genealogy. And I could believe that Mary (some are saying her name should really be Miriam) was an apostle of Christ or a close follower. Being Jesus was unconventional and all that wouldn'tsurprisee me.) But I am unsure about him being married. Yes it was typical for Jewish men of the time to be married, but there was nothing typical about this man. It seems simplistic to me. And so many of the things in the Da Vinci code seemed to be aimed at conspiracies and tarnishing the church traditions I'm just not there with it. But I would believe that women did have a greater role in the church and I believe we should continue to receive more. I am for tradition, that is one of the great things about belonging to this church, the age-old traditions and not changing something just for the heck of it. But I am for the survival of the church and giving women and girls a true sense that they do have a vital role in the church. Women do so much in most churches. They keep so many programs running but the roles are so limited. Anyways, read the story and see what you think. I am worried that some women will want to change things just to put women in roles so they can be there and not because they historically should be there. We must tread carefully.

Finally..some sense..

I was reading some stories off the web today and I came across a brief about Spike Lee criticising some forms of rap music. I thought it was very interesting. He said:

"I've always felt you can feel the progress of African Americans by listening to their music," Lee said. "Some of this 'gangsta rap" stuff, it's not doing anybody any good. This stuff is really dangerous."
He said some black adults equate education, good grammar and good grades with "being white," but when he was growing up, those things were seen as positive goals.
"You were not ridiculed if you spoke correct English," he said. Lee urged the audience to make their voices heard by not buying or viewing anything that portrays blacks in a negative way.
"We buy all this stuff, not even thinking about what's behind it ... Think about the power that we have," the 46-year-old said. "We can't just sit back and think it doesn't affect us. We have to do something about it. We have to be more choosy about the types of stuff we support."


I had always felt the same way. I never understood why having successful habits were bad and equated with one race or another. It's called being grown up. Why would you call women degrading names and talk about killing people so easily? And to think it doesn't affect your children or the way people see you.

Thank you Spike! Someone in the African American community had to have the guts to stand up and say those things. I'm glad you did it.

At Last...

I got a chance to listen to Cyndi Lauper's new CD At Last while driving to Jacksonville. At first I was disappointed to learn that it was an album of standards, other peoples music. I am one of those people who believe that artists should record new stuff, not something that was already good by someone else. I think it's a cop out.

This CD is an exception. Cyndi Lauper finally is showing the world what her voice is capable of doing. She sings so many different formats and does it well. The duet Makin' Whoopee with Tony Bennett is excellent.

I am looking so forward now for a new album from her of new material. At last Cyndi

I'm Baack

Got it at 4:30 a.m. last night from Jacksonville. We were visiting my sisters and their significant others and went to the Bucs-Jaguars game, which very unfortunately we lost. It was fun though. It was the 10th anniversary for the Jax team so there were cool fireworks and such. But, it was cold in the 30's by the time we left and we still lost. I believe the penalties cost them the game again. Them hubby and I hit the road and were "Crusin' together for the next 4 hours." I guess you could tell it was cold because the coffee machine was empty at both rest stops we stopped at. And we really needed the extra caffine, but we made due with sharing an over-sized Snickers and caffinated Diet Pepsi. I got to sleep in, but Hubby didn't, I'm sure he will be exhausted once his espresso runs low.
Well, lots to do, so type more later.

Finally Finished

Finished Reversible Errors by Scott Turow the other night. It took me a while. While it wasn't a huge book, it was on the dense side at times. I enjoyed it.

Plot:

A grisly murder took place in the early 90's. The police fingered a man, got him convicted and he is getting ready to be executed. A lawyer is hired by the government to look into the case for his final appeals. From there the book is about the discoveries that will lead them to find if this is the real murderer or not. Lots of twists and turns and some surprises.

Now I'm reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I saw a book on my bookshelf that has 4 different Dickens books inside and I decided now was as good as ever to read this story. I have seen the movies many times but never got around to the book. So far it is good. It isn't easy being it's Dickens, but the descriptions are really great. Describing the chains attached to Scrooges partner and the sounds that they make. And bringing out Scrooges not-so-rosey personality. I think I am going to enjoy it. Will let you know later.

Turkey Day Debriefing

Thanksgiving was a very nice day.

Hubby and I got up at a good time (not because we woke up but because the children in the apartment next door were wrestling (what sounded like that) and making lots of noise.
Had a small breakfast and read the paper and the 10,000 ads. Then exercised to make room for the days bountiful meal later that day.
Went and visited my father-in-law, he was at the jewelry store setting up for the weekends big sale. Got looks at a $50,000+ diamond ring, $50,000+ Burmese ruby and diamond necklace and a similarly priced tanzinite and diamond necklace. Anyone who is thinking about buying something like that for their sweetie for Christmas or Hanukkah let me know.

Then it was back home to pick up the pumpkin pies that my friend Glen made and off to my sister's in-laws for dinner.
There was of course tons of food and you didn't know where to begin. Everything from turkey of course, 2 types of stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, rolls, sweet potatoes, corn pudding-like dish and an onion dish. Then of course there was pumpkin and apple pie. So we were happily full at the end.

Hubby went to visit with his parents and he ended up chowing some over there because so many of his traditional Hungarian treats were there.

Back at the in-laws we played cards and chatted and had a good ole' time. I am happy to report that I actually won a game a cards. They say it's because I was keeping score...

Then back home.

Happy belated turkey day to all. I am off tomorrow to Jacksonville to enjoy some time with my sisters and the rest of the family. And to watch, hopefully, the Bucs beat the Jaguars Sunday night.

Oh, and an update, my mom's brother is doing much better after his heart surgery. There were some close calls but he seems to be improving. Thanks for all your prayers and we ask for continued prayers, he still has ways to go.

Politically Correctness Runs Amuck!

Was scrolling to CNN.com today when I saw this headline:
'Master' and 'slave' computer labels unacceptable, officials say

Some person in LA saw some electrical equipment with the master and slave labels on them. And they were offended and filed a discrimination suite.

So now you can no longer use the term master or slave without risking offending someone. Even with it has nothing to do with people but inadimite objects. Most often you see the terms used in computer equipment and refers to the primary and secondary hard drives, one being a slave to the other. And now these electronic manufactures have to spend a lot of money to change labels and to reliable other things. Some people just are taking this political correctness thing a little too far. So maybe Britney Spears should take out the word "Slave" in her "I'm a Slave For You."
And in Les Miserable the Master of the House song should be out.

When will it end?

You can read the story here:

Master/Slave Story

NASCARS Beginnings

We were watching the History Channel, I think, or the National Geographic channel, one of those. And it was talking about the origins of NASCAR.

It seems it all started in Georgia, big surprise, with guys who were running moon shine from the law. They got pretty good at driving fast and as in good ole' boy fashion, they would sit on their porches bragging about how they out ran the law. Next thing you know they are racing each other through corn fields to see who was faster. Next thing they are going round and round in circles on a track trying to prove who was the faster driver. And all of this started with moonshine. They were saying its the part of NASCAR history they don't like too much to talk about. I don't know why. It's really cool and it just proves that it got started by some true good ol' boys. Now it's just good ol' boys and girls with more money and still lots of booze.

I just thought it was an interesting tidbit that I would share.

Back to Work...

Here I am at work again. It's a short week luckily, but I still have to get in 5 days of work in that time. My stuff still runs holiday or not.

Weekend was nice. Spent time with friends and family. Went shopping and got a good amount of stuff bought..not much left to do in that department. But there's still all the other stuff that comes with the holiday. Got the Christmas cards out and made my list to make sure I have the addresses and everything else. I have to get those going. And then there is the issue of my completely sloppy home. It is a mess! I seriously need to work on that.

I need to stop and catch a bite to eat..chat with you later.

Sounds of Silence on Sarah Says

Well, it looks like either no one likes Simon & Garfunkel, or more probable, no one is reading Sarah Says :-(


But that's OK, I will go on, just to hear myself type really.

I'm off to start my Christmas shopping. We are going up to Jacksonvill enext weekend and I want to take along all of the gifts for my sister and bro-in-law so I don't have to ship them. So I have made my list and checked it twice, I'll decide if they were naughty or nice, which with Laura, I suppose it may be been naughty :-).

I can't believe the holidays are here already..just seemed like yesterday it was the 4th of July. Not that I want it to be hot like that again...just enjoying the comforts of Florida in the Fall.

So off I go...wish me luck!

Sounds of Silence...

If you haven't been about able to tell by some of my headlines and some of the sayings I am using this week I have been listening to Simon and Garfunkel this week. I can't help it, they are just so good. I am bummed, as I know my mom and dad are that we/they won't be attending the Old Friends tour when it comes to Tampa next month. So I must just listen to their music. I only have one CD Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits. It's not that long, but has a nice selection.

Q. So, do you dig Simon & Garfunkel too? And if so, what songs do you find groovy? I love I am a Rock, and Sounds of Silence....Among others, it is SO hard to choose!

Great New Word:

In an e-mail the word Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia popped up. You will never guess what it is the phobia is of..
long words! Check out a definition -->
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia - Wiktionary

Say A Little Prayer for Him..

I wanted to offer up a prayer for my mom's oldest brother Mike. Today he is undergoing open heart surgery in Indiana. May God watch over him.

Nothing to See Here, Time to Move Along.

Just feeling kinda enh today. Just finished a piece of cheese cake celebrating a birthday at work and I am ready for a nap. I know there's lots going on in the world today. The Michael Jackson thingy (ew! and imagine him in jail without makeup? ew!), the conflicts in the middle east, the gay marriage debate, a little more than 1 month of shopping days until Christmas, blah, blah blah, blah. Just enh.

Another Day..Another Biz Staffer Gone...

With a heavy heart I have to annouce that friend and co-worker and desk mate, Andrew Meadows has decided to leave for greener or shall I say oranger pastures. He is a new PR (or flak as we in the news biz call them) for the Florida Department of Citrus. He gets a big raise and lots of new challenges. We wish him well, but we can't say that we aren't bummed.

Apple Bottoms

Ok, so I was watching either MTV or VHI (I think it was VH1 because I love the 80's Strikes Back was on first) and a show called Nelly's Search for Apple Bottoms came on. I guess there is a new clothing line that he is head of designed for women who are amply endowed in the rear end area. It was a show to find the women who would be the lines model. Lots of men oogeling women in tiny clothes. I don't know why I watched it to tell you the truth..but I couldn't look away.

Back..kinda

I spent yesterday at home sick. It went like this mostly...

Got up and called in sick about 8:30.
Drank a nice cup of tea and talked with hubby because I knew he wouldn't be home until after 10 p.m. again.
Layed in bed...layed in bed some more and blew my nose. Tried to comprehend this weeks West Wing that I had taped the night before. Being half loopy on drugs makes understanding the show even harder than normal.
Ate something about 1 ish.
Slept off and on until about 4:15.
Watched the end of Oprah.
Snoozed until about 6.
Got up to eat (made pancakes).
Layed on the couch until 10, reading occaisionally and drifting off occaisionally.
Went back to bed. Watched ER, kinda. Read a little.
11 p.m., took generic niquil and went to sleep.

Very exciting. But effective. I am feeling better than yesterday, tired, but better.

Blah

I seem to have caught a cold. My nose is running and my head is sore. Have to get lots done today though...blah!

Happy Birthday to You!

A BIG happy birthday to my mom! Hope you have a wonderful day!
Happy birthday to YOOUUU! Happy Birthday to Yoouu! Happy Birthday to my Mom! Happy Birthday to you!

And Yes! Tonight you can open you gifts! :-)

Thanks

Just wanted to wish everyone a pleasant Veteran's Day. I want to thank anyone who has put his or her life on the line so that we can continue to be free here in America. I appreciate all you have done.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

I am very excited. I have been invited to attend an upcoming showing of a Sing-a-Long of the Wizard of Oz at the wonderful and fantastic Tampa Theater. I shall have to start brushing up on the songs, although I have to say I do know every song pretty much by heart.

"We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!"

What Does it Mean?

What does it mean when you dream you are a little boy in pioneer times?

Just one of the bizarre dreams I had last night.

4-day School Weeks?

Ok, I know this article takes place in Kentucky (and 10 other states), but it still scares me. In order to save money some school districts are shaving a day off the school week. It seems like the school boards have no clue what they are doing any more. The school days are extended by 30 minutes at the end of the day and eight Mondays they are in session. So American kids need less school? Especially with all these standardized tests in so many states. And what are parents who work supposed to do with younger children? Especially ones who can't afford more child care? So there will be more children wandering around with no supervision?

You can find the CNN story here --->
CNN.com - Cash-strapped schools going to four-day week - Nov. 7, 2003

Happy Birthday to You!!!

Here's a BIG Happy Birthday out to my dad. Here's wishes of having a great birthday and many MANY more!

"Happy birthday to Youuu! Happy Birthday to You!!! Happy Birthday to My Dad!
Happy Birthday to Youuuuuu!"

"Do You Hear the People Sing?"

I got the urge to listen to Les Miserables last night, the original London cast from 1985 of course. It is one of my favorite musicals. The passion, emotion and the singing, you can't help but sing along. I drove into work listening to it too. With the new speakers in my car is sounds really cool. I will be singing songs in my head all day, and I can see that I might be swaying every now and then cause I'm getting into it.

"He slept a summer by my side...and filled my head with endless wonder.."

Ok Eww!

Just read a story about a clothing-optional restaurant in Key West called Naked Lunch. You can go and in take your clothes off and eat a burger. Oh my, so EWW! And the people working there, naked! (Not the chef I guess, but the bartender and the wait staff.) People sitting on chairs, NAKED! And I guess the majority of the patrons are older too! 40's-60's. So older naked people!! EWWWWWWWWWWWW!!

From Cheese to Pancakes

Dave and his very complimentary spouse Britt seem to have gotten a little food poisoning from eating at I-Hop over the weekend. Sister Chef says most likely it had to do with some cross contamination, with some meat or something.

This set off a range of pancake songs. I have to say I love breakfast foods. So it's not too hard to come up with songs like:

­­­ when you're feeling hungry...
... for breakfast food ...
... what ya gonna eat?
... hot pancakes!

­­­ Pancakes are tasty ... pancakes are fun ... if you don't eat a pancake
... your breakfast isn't done!

Pankcakes...sticky, warm and buttery pancakes, I love the way they are...

It's a pancake life for me it's a pancake life for me! Instead of cereal we get pancakes, instead of waffles it's pancakes I-I crave...it's a pancake life!

There's others...but I sent them yesterday and I can't remember what I wrote...but you get the idea...Pancakes are yummy! I don't know if as yummy as cheese, but up there! Especially the ones my mom makes...she's really talented in breakfast making department.

Oh, How I Love My Cheeses!

I finally cracked open the wonderful small wheel of New England Aged Cheddar my lil'l sis. Laura gave me. It was wonderful. I don't know if I have ever had a better cheddar. It even came with that fancy wax coating. I LOVE cheese and stuff like this makes me wish I could afford to buy the better stuff. You just savor it as it melts in your mouth. MMM! This a cheese you eat with wine. (Although I'm not too picky, I eat about anything with the wine!)

So I got back to the cheese song from Anamaniacs:
"Oh, how I love my cheeses, cheese from around the world. Cheese that pleases, cheese from around the world!" I actually started singing this as I munched that cheese last night. :-)

Happy Monday Folks-I Guess

I am so sleepy today. It seems that at the time I have to get up recently that I am in that really deep sleep mode and it is so hard for me to get up. And then I am yawning all day. I am sure the overcast and off and on rainy conditions can't be helpful. But it could be that I would just rather be a home cuddled up under a blanket in bed taking a nap.

Sarah's Book Club

Finally started to read something. Reversible Errors by Scott Turow. It is a legal thriller dealing with the death penalty. I haven't gotten too far, I think 15 pages, but this could be interesting. I'll let you know.

Happy All Hallows Eve!

Today is the eve of All Hallows. In the Catholic Church's celebration of All Saints and All Souls Day. When we celebrate and recoginize the Saints of the church and the family and friends who have died. It can be a difficult time for those who have recently lost someone. But it is a time to reflect and remember and it can be good. This weekend I will be thinking especially of my brother Paul.

It's quiet here at work....in the newsroom it's business as usual for the most part, minus the boss being gone and many of the other bosses being out too. In the other parts of the media general campus there are people happily dressed up in various costumes...we are scrooges here in the newsroom, plus its hard to interview people dressed up ya know?

The IT department put on a haunted house. It was pretty scary actually. It was me, Cherie-who's-so-scary and Dave who laughs out loud when he is scared. It started with me in the back and by the end Dave was cowering behind me. I don't think anything got done in that department today.

Went out to lunch with Dave and boyfriend Britt at La Terisita (the restaurant you could feed a family of 4 for $4.) Ok so I exaggerate a little, but not by much. It was hard to come back to work. I just wanted to go outside and play. It is sooo nice here in Florida today. The sun is shining and it is about 80. Perfect ghouling weather.

Not sure what we are doing tonight. Hopefully something fun.

Happy Halloween to all my friends!

"Japanese adults cuddle furry toys"

Ok. And I thought American's were a little wacky. For example, the fact that Jerry Springer is still on TV, reality TV is a hit and our obsession with big cars, namely enormous SUVs. But after reading the article listed below, I have to worry about the Japanese. Adults who have taken to cuddling with stuffed animals? And lots of them are doing it too. Click on the link below to get a good laugh.

Yahoo! News - Japanese adults cuddle furry toys

Fish Fry

My lovely hubby brought home a bucket of mackerel from his fishing trip yesterday. Should be very yummy. Although we have so much of it he could open a small fish restaurant. Unfortunately he has gem class tonight so I won't be eating any since it isn't prepared (cut up enough) for me to cook it. I'll cook fish, but I'll leave the other stuff to anyone who wants to do it.

So do you like fish and if so what's your fav.? I'll be liken the mackerel for the next few days. :-)

Wheew!

My yearly self-eval and follow-up with the bosses finished up today. It went well I think. I am happy it's over. It is always stressful ya know?

I've got Louis Armstrong's It's a Wonderful World stuck in my head today. What's stuck in your head?

Good Read

Dad excorcised the demons out of the power supply (replaced the fried thing) and my computer is good as new. Yeah!

Finished The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks last night. I enjoyed it. It was typical Sparks, romance, mushiness but this time with a twist of a mystery. It was pretty exciting at times. I enjoy his descriptiveness. And I enjoyed the main character's relationship with her great danek, he had great personality. I am not sure what I reading next. I have lots of stuff to read, not sure what I will pick up. Who knows what'll be next. I did add a new CD that I have been into all weekend. It's a compilation disk by friend and co-worker Dave Simanoff titled Skiptember/Skiptober. It chronicles the past 2 months of his life. If you want a copy...you gotta ask him..:-) It's pretty darn good though. Just in case he happens to be reading this, I'm not to sure since he doesn't comment much anymore.. :-( Still going through Daily Dave withdrawl!

It's Monday Again?

Wow. Weekends sure do go fast don't they? It's Friday afternoon and you have the windows down in your car and your listening to some great music and you are excited about starting the weekend. Then, it's Saturday night and then Sunday night. And here it is Monday morning the next thing you know. It just amazes me sometimes.

Ever had your computer smoke? Ok folks, this is the second time my computer has. I took it over to my dad because it seemed to be having electrical problems (I don't even mess with anything electrical and since it's his specialialty...) he plugs it in and zzzz! sparks fly and there's black smoke pouring out of the back. The power supply conked out. I am just happy the computer is ok. Oh yeah, and that my dad didn't lose his eyebrows! I am beginning to wonder if my computer may need to have its demons excorcised. :-)

Ok, too funny NOT to share

Dean of the business news department of the Tampa Tribune, Jerry Stockfisch, brought in 4 wooden planes to be launched off the fourth floor balcony. Now they are doing construction to the building and they have the area by the railing taped off and some of the tiles pulled up. We climb over the tape, and go right up to the railing, a place we know we shouldn't be, but we do. Then, the four planes are launched to our great delight. We are reveling in how cool we think we are when we turn around only to see the Publisher of the paper standing there giving a tour. Totally busted!

It was sooo funny! But we are still sad because our friend Jerry is moving to Tally. We'll miss him.

Funny Phrase

Ok, here's a great web site what was suggested by fellow Biz Staffer Cherie Jacobs. It's called The word spy. Here's one of my favorite phrases of the moment.

The Word Spy - butt call

New Listing

I've add Hatch Magazine to the distractions section. Jon Horowitz is a former editor/writer for the Wall Street Journal. He launched this web site that is aimed at 20 somethings. Take a look, it can be fun.

Top O' the Mornin' To Ye

Just wanted to say hi to every one. I have found myself without much to say. Just wanted to I am thankful for all my wonderful family and friends that I have. Thankful for being alive, thankful I am employed (I don't think that everyday) and thankful to be healthy. What other things are people thankful for?

I love Fall in Florida

I love this time of the year in Florida. The bright blue skys, a temperate temperature and the comfortable evenings. I love driving down the road with my windows opened with the music cranked. I love having the windows open at home (haven't got there yet because we are only on one side of the building and there is not cross ventilation and it gets warm easily) but I am sure it is soon to happen. Kinda puts a spring in your step. Writing about it makes me smile.

I saw babies everywhere...

There were babies EVERYWHERE in the newsroom yesterday it seemed. There were 4 tiny ones making their way through the place. And boy were they cute, so were the girls.

We were talking about weird baby names because of this and there was an article in the Trib's features section about the strange names people are giving their kids these days. Included where L'oreal, Celica and Buckshoot. Skippy Simanoff and I decided you should have your parental rights taken away if you say that naming your kid after a car is a good idea.

I have always been a fan of old, traditional names. I have one, Sarah, yes it is at the top of popularity for little girls these days, but it has been around since the time of Abraham. There is a history with these old names, people in your family before have had them. Looking back at my mother's side of her family, her name, Anne, is the most common women's name. There were prob. at least 100 Anne Kinder's (her maiden name) since 1600. And I think that is cool. It gives you a sense of history, of place. I don't know, maybe I am old-fashioned and missing some point of giving your child a name that you think is unique. But I don't think so and I'm OK with being labeled old-fashioned in this case. Just not labeled old. :-)

The Granny

I am sad that I finished the last Agnes Browne book, the Granny, last night. The books were great. The four books spanned the life a Agnes with great detail and fun. There are so many things right with this series, I am so lucky that I picked up The Young Wan at work and decided to read it. They are short and easy, but full of life, action and humor.

On to the Gurdian by Nicholas Sparks. I am expecting some mushy stuff since he is known for that, but this one is supposed to be a suspense novel. I shall find out soon enough.

Excited

Me, my hubby, parents and yes, Grandma will be going to the Sarah Brightman concert in January! I got prime tickets Friday from an Internet pre-sale. The concert hasn't officially been annouced even. And yes, while it is in Lakeland, 2 hours isn't that far to drive. I am excited. I really enjoy her recent albumn Harem. Lots of middle eastern influences. I am so excited!

Book Review

Kitchen Confidential was an interesting read. Anthony (Tony) Bourdain has certainly lived quite the interesting life. He learned to love food from his family visits to France and decided he was going to be a cook/chef. He worked his way up from dishwasher in a seafood chef on the East coast and started working up the line, going to the CIA (no not the Central Intelligence Agency but rather the Cullinary Institute of America when at the time it was a hard place to get into and it meant a lot.

He then started his run at many east coast, mainly New York restaurants, as he says, he helped many restaraunts that were on their way down go out of business. Along the way he works at and for some illustreous restaurants (the famed Rainbow Room - which sounded like a an big assembly line to me) and working for a man he calls BigFoot who taught him a lot and even some members of what he would consider the mob.

The man had a really bad drug problem and discovered he wasn't going to make it, live, if he didn't fix himself. Towards the end there is a great chapter about when he is asked by Las Halles (the restaurant he is head chef in NY) to go and help the Tokoyo restaurant become more French. His experience with the truely local food there is great. He didn't want to leave in the end.

There are points when he can get tiring and boisterous. You can see his potential and there are so many times he screwed it up for himself. But then you do come away with respect for anyone who chooses to cook as their calling. It is hard work. Most work 6 days, long days too. You always work the holidays, always standing, often in the extreme hot and you could harm yourself in many ways just by doing the job you set out to do. Then there is the language barriers because so many of the cooks in our country are not from here. And it's not the Europeans usually, but from Spanish speaking countries in our hemisphere so he reminds you it is essential to speak Spanish.

After reading this there are few delusions that being a cook is a hard job, not like the jobs the perky people have on the Food Network where they don't get dirty, have everything prepped for them and don't have to answer to a crowded restaurant
audience that is very particular.

Anyone who thinks they might want to do this as a job should read this, it's an eye-opener.

Finished another

Finished Kitchen Confidential last night. Will have my thoughts on it later. Basically, the man is damn crazy and anyone who professionally cooks is too. (Sorry Laura, you know it's true more than anyone.)

Strippin' the night away!

Started stripping the paint off the piano bench last night. It's going OK. And with the weather so lovely it was nice to be outside. Strippin' will continue tonight.

Tasty Lunch

I had a pleasant lunch with some colleagues today, from the design desk at the paper. We walked downtown to Shalimar, an Indian restaurant. My new mantra, you don't know if you will like something unless you try it. And I am glad I did!

What was really cool is that there was a buffet so I could try a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I had some vegetable soup (very tasty and smooth), a spinach and cottage cheese mixture that was wonderful (even though I am not a big spinach fan), buttered chicken (YUM!) beef curry (spicy), a turkey dish with a tiny grain that was spicy too (good), and a vegetable thing that was fried (not my favorite). To finish it off was a mango desert, kinda like a thick jello, more creamy and with something crunchy in it (not sure what). The best part was the bread, the naan. It was so warm, and soft and scrumptious! I would have loved to take some with me.

Thanks to Pat Kane of Mr. Doodles Dog's fame for suggesting it. I would def. return. Next time Skippy must come too!

Red Sox or Cubs?

Ok guys, I always am rooting for the under dogs it seems (except for the Bucs last year) and this baseball playoffs have got me in a bind. If the Sox win the series with the Yankees and the Cubs finish of the dang Marlins, there will be a World Series with 2 teams I would LOVE to see win. I mean come on. I am leaning toward the Cubs cause of the goat curse thing, cause it's weird, but then there is intense pressure from a certain friend who happens to be from Massachusetts and is a die-hard Sox fan. What does one do?
Maybe I am ahead of myself, the Sox could lose and so could the Cubs. But the prospects are mind boggling!

Quote - Unquote

Quote for the Day:

"It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well."
Renee Descartes
French Philospopher

Raised by a pack of French poodles..?

Ok, this whole Jessica Simpson thing is really funny to me, I can't help but stop and watching it when it's on. Here's MSN's take.
Raised by a pack of French poodles

Great Show

If you get the chance, there's a great show on the Discovery Channel called We Built This City. And yes, they use that song from StarShip as the opening music. It's a series about the development of different large cities around the world. Watched London and Paris last night until Midnight and then taped New York. There's history about how the cities were started and goes on to talk about the the challenges the cities went through including problems with the geography and how they deal with it, disease, and the infrastructure that they came to have. It may sound dry, but actually it is really interesting and presented very well.

Sharing

In case you don't get the Tampa Tribune I wanted to share my friend and co-worker, Cherie Jacobs article about working at Busch Garden's Howl o" Scream.

Go to TBO.com and scroll down to the bottom. There's a picture of her being "scarey." You can read the article she wrote or listen to her talk about it. All in all it's a good time. :-)

Congrats!

I wanted to send out a BIG congratulations of one of my most favorite cousins Dave Becker and his soon-to-be wife Kim up in the Fort as I remember him calling the town. That Ft. Wayne, Ind., to those unfamiliar with Indiana.

They are getting married today and we are so happy for them! We wish we could be there but Mom and Dad brought our happy wishes with them.

Tune it in!

I have added Radio.Free.Tampa to the But Seriously..section. Meet a guy who has something to say about just about everyone including the Tampa Bay area. Tune it in to get the real scoop!

You can find it here!

Welcome Aboard!

Stop the presses! My sister and her hubby have set up a blog from Jacksonville, Fla. (yes, it suprised me too that they not only have computers there, there is Internet service!)

Check out the insane world of the K_C's here!
You will also be able to keep up with them because they are now listed under the Cool People section!

The Terminator?

So the guy is an action movie star and so now he is the new gov. for the largest state in the union? This is one of the times that I am happy to be living in Florida :-)

The media should be happy, lots of sound bytes.

Thank heavens!

Came across this article today that says beer DOES NOT make you fat and in fact may help women lose weight. Yeah!!! You can read the story here.

Tired

Dumb me stayed up and watched the Bucs on Monday night football. They started so well and then it all fell apart. In a few ways I am OK with it. I think Tony Dungy is a nice guy and did so much for the Bucs and then Gruden came in and just had to make some minor adjustments and BAM, there'a s Super Bowl. Sad cause I don't like to see the Bucs lose.

Aaron: I am happy to see your Red Sox won. I still want a Cubs/Sox World Series. That would be cool.

I think there will be coffee in my future today.

Take a look!

I took a look at St. Matthew's web site (my church) and noticed they have photos of the animal blessings. I am in a photo, if you go to page 2 I am in the third photo. If you look just past the dog closest to the center I am there with a light blue sweater on and light brown capris pants. You can find the photos here. Of course there are the photos of the llamas! Oh, the guy with the green robes on and the long hair is our pastor Father John. He's our hippy, motorcycle-riding priest. (He's really cool actually.) The older gent. in the white robe is decon Bernie. He's really cool too, complete with an earring.

Wonderful Weekend

Had a great weekend. Fri. night I spent the evening with the hubby. We had a nice dinner, watched a little TV and then went for a great drive. We drove down to Pass-a-Grille Beach, and walked on the beach. The we drove all the way back up the beach through Clearwater Beach with the windows wide open listening to the first 2 Cranberries CDs.

Saturday I worked of course and then we hung out and had dinner with some good friends. Then it was home to watch the end of the very exciting USF Bulls vs. Louisville football game.

Sunday went to church, there was the blessing of the animals because it was the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, he was known to care for animals and thus is the Patron Saint of Animals and the Environment. At the blessing there were four llamas. Yes, I typed that, llamas. To go along with the usual dogs, cats and birds. Then went with my dad to Home Depot (a favorite place of his) and got the materials to strip the paint off the piano bench. I am starting small first. This is my first paint stripping try. Then had a yummy dinner with my parents, which before Mom kicked my butt and Dads butt as usual in a game of Scrabble, one day I will win!
Still reading Kitchen Confidential. It is interesting. The guy is a hoot. About 1/2 the book to go.

Insurance Hurts My Brain

Just got back from a company meeting about health insurance. I have such a pit in my stomach. It brings it to reality that I don't know how I can ever afford to start a family. I can barely afford the coverage now for me and my husband. And we are rarely sick. A baby? Oye! How do people afford this?

Miss ya Dave

Wanted to say that the Daily Dave will be missed. He was the inspiration for Sarah Says and I'm sure for many others. It was a highlight to read your musings daily. And your haiku's are/were second to none. I'm sorry to see your site go away. :-(

Correction

Sarah Says has a policy of correcting mistakes or mistatements,which since I don't always re-read what I type, it can be often. So I strive to the highest blogging standards and thus I have to correct an earlier post.

Pat Kane did not make the yummy Barfi (Indian (as in the country) fudge) that I sampled this morning. She bought it. And I also misspelled Barfi.

Quote and Question of the Day

"Always be kinder than necessary."
- James M. Barrie (Scottish Novelist)

Question of the Day:
Q. What's the weirdest thing you ever ate?

A. I have eaten frog legs. And then today I had a wonderful concotion called Barfee. It's Indian Fudge. Pat Kane from Mr. Doodle Dog's fame made it. It is actually sweetend condensed milk in pretty colors (red, white and green, the colors of the Indian Flag I suppose) or as I noted to her I kind of looks like candy watermelon. It was yummy, just a bad name.

The Chisellers Was Great

Finished reading the The Chisellers by Brendan O'Carroll. Another fun read. Agnes Brownes 7 kids are growing up and making good, for the most part and Agnes finds love. One more of the series to go, The Granny. I will be getting that one from my mom shortly.

In the meantime I am reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. He has the show on the Food Network where he travels around the world to out of the way places and eats sometimes cool and sometimes gross things.
The book is a look into the food industries culture. My sister, who is if you don't know, is a chef at a 5-diamond resort in North Florida and lent me the book. I like his conversational style so far and he is brash. I know I am going to find out somethings about the industry that I may not want to know, but I'm forging ahead with it.

We'll Miss Ya Jerry

Jerry Stockfisch, a great friend and an amazing writer, just informed the Biz Team he is taking a job up at the Trib.'s Tallahassee office. His wife works for the gov. up there and made the decision that it's easier to be together than traveling back and forth.

We'll miss ya Jer. Feel free to come visit us any time. :-)

Fall stops by Florida

Today is beautiful here in Central Florida. The temp. was in the low 70's when I walked out the front door this morning. In the summer we are lucky if it hits the 70's in the middle of the night. And it is only supposed to be in the low 80's today.

I love this time of the year when the humidity calms down and the temperature dips a bit. I love it when it is cool enough to snuggle under a blanket in the evenings while watching a movie or reading a good book.

The only bad part? Old people from Canada start arriving shortly and decide they must drive slowly on the Interstate. And that they have to drive during rush-hour when everyone is trying to get home from work.

But I won't think about that yet. Right now the weather is nice and I'm enjoying it!

Question of the day:
What's your ideal weather conditions?
My A. Clear sunny days with highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's. (Can't get too cold you know, my hair HATES really cold weather as do I.)

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!!!!!!

Well, I am 1/2 way through a lovely cup of coffee. (It was a flavored version that someone brought in, and that's the main reason I am drinking it, cause the stuff here normally is gross.)

"I feel happy!" As said in a Monty Pythonesq way. :-)

It's amazing how perky I feel now. I just know I will crash and burn later tonight, but I don't care, I feel good now.

Man I sound pathetic!

Question of the Day Returns!

After a strange week last week I am bringing back the daily question for a second trial run.

Q. What's your favorite holiday of the year?
Sarah's A. Christmas. I love all the family traditions and the decorations and the lights. Something about a Christmas tree gets me smiling.

Another One Bites the Dust

I finished reading The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll Saturday. It is the first in the Agenes Browne trilogy. This books was so funny at times I found myself laughing outloud. Now I've moved onto the second book The Chisellers. I am enjoying it too. I'm sure it won't be too long till I finish this one.

Movie Weekend

Friday night hubby and I stayed in and watched the Godfather III. We have had the trilogy for a while now and finally got around to watching this one. You know it's like 3 hours so you have to have actual time set aside.
It wasn't as good as the first two, being it was made so many years apart. But I did enjoy it. There was the intensity, the great music and Al Pachino (in my mind you can't go wrong with Pachino). Now there is the multiple hours of extras to watch.

On Saturday we saw Secondhand Lions. What a nice movie. Lots of great storytelling, a beautiful setting and superb acting from Michael Cain, Robert Duvall and a favorite of mine Haley Joel Osment. It is very funny at times and touching at others. I could see myself owning this one on DVD. I left the theater smiling.

How Sarah Got Her Groove Back?

I have been feeling Blah for a while now. Let down of vacation time gone by, turning 29 and looking back at what I have done with myself (or not really) and mourning the one year anniversary of the death of my brother. All this in a few short weeks.

I am not sure what happened this morning, but once I got out of bed (it was really overcast Ok) and started my day, for some reason I felt a little better. I have been mulling over what to write about recently for a small feature for 3 weeks and this morning it just came. I even got to allow myself to go out to lunch today with Skippy and his fab. significant other Britt and had a great time. I found myself smiling more than not.

Is it because it is Friday? I don't know. I'm not sure how or why I seem to have got my groove back, but I have.

Groovey!

Journalism's Objectivity?

Below is an article written by Suzie Siegel, a former Tampa Tribune reporter and editor who now lives in Texas. She wrote this article about the myth of journalists objectivity for the Jouralism and Womens Symposium's newsletter. It is excellent. I have placed the text below because it was sent to me in an e-mail. If you don't want to read it that's cool. But I encourage you to read it.

When I was a working journalist, a few newsroom critics accused me of pushing a feminist agenda.
They were right.
My agenda was to improve conditions for women inside our newsroom and coverage of women inside our pages. But opponents saw a feminist agenda as more subversive – a breach in their belief that journalists must be objective.
They were right about that, too, but didn’t realize they were not objective, either.
They thought that being a feminist made me biased. It didn’t occur to them that not being a feminist was also a political stance. No one is neutral. You challenge the system, or you support it, even if it’s just with your silence and inaction.
Feminist philosophers have challenged objectivity. If journalists stopped pursuing it, they might have a shot at diversity, and maybe even truth.
In Just the Facts: How “Objectivity” Came to Define American Journalism, David Mindich traces its rise in the 19th century. Journalism took on the methods of science: detachment, nonpartisanship, reliance on facts, and balance.
Journalists make some exceptions for columns and features, but for news, they are supposed to put aside feelings, biases, beliefs, experiences, cultural norms, values – everything that makes them an individual. But what if people can’t catalog everything that has influenced them? What if a residue of prejudice remains? What if they can’t tease apart mixed feelings?
Stories are more than lists of facts; journalists describe what they perceive. They often interpret what others say. They use their judgment to decide which issues and events to cover, whom to quote, which quotes to use, what material to include, what photos or film to shoot, how to edit it, how to play the story, etc.
They are not scientists staring into a petri dish. News coverage influences stories. How can journalists be objective when they are part of the action?
Those who think objectivity is an impossible ideal may still strive to be fair and balanced. But they, too, must make subjective decisions about whom to quote, which arguments have merit, etc. Outside their writing, they can express feelings and opinions as much as they like – as long as their bosses don’t mind and the public doesn’t find out. “Fair and balanced” is in the eye of the beholder. Exhibit A: the Fox News Channel.
More than a decade ago, Sandy Nelson lost her reporting job because she worked for gay rights on her own time. The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Tacoma (Washington) News Tribune, saying it had a right to maintain “the appearance of objectivity.”
The myth of objectivity has become the dirty little secret of the profession.
Before the 20th century, many newspapers trumpeted biases to attract readers who shared their views or wanted another opinion. Now, when few cities have more than one daily newspaper, and a few corporations monopolize the media, it makes sense to claim objectivity.
Media owners want readers, viewers and listeners to think they can get all sides, all viewpoints, from just one source. And they do not want to offend advertisers. This translates into a lowest-common-denominator journalism that supports the status quo.
By continually cutting staff, the bosses leave little time for in-depth pieces. Those focus more on individual wrongdoing than systematic issues. The media pulls down powerful people from time to time, but does little to challenge the system that bestows that power. Thus, a journalist may vow to nail a politician, but is unlikely to say, “I’m going to expose capitalism.”
A publisher blew up one day because I wrote on the longevity of Ms. magazine and another story on the growth of feminist bookstores, including a local one, for the features section. He complained there was too much feminism in the paper that day.
But bosses don’t have to yell to make their point. Often when I wrote on controversial issues, I received little feedback. If I featured an alligator farm, however, I was praised for my writing and humor.
Many journalists accept and reinforce the norms of the culture, both in and outside the newsroom. Welcome to “The Matrix.”
In the past, for example, most believed domestic violence was a personal problem, with no larger implications for society. The women’s movement drew attention to domestic violence. Nevertheless, media coverage rarely links it to sexism – beliefs that men are superior and have a right to control women.
Another example: Editors questioned whether a gay colleague could cover issues of sexual orientation. Heterosexuals were considered unbiased, even though many of the men ridiculed gays.
The myth of objectivity breeds cynicism. Journalists who wanted to change the world find they can’t be advocates. They try to make stories fair to the point of quoting the usual extremist, even when they know those arguments can be picked apart. But who has time or space for that? The truth be damned.
The myth of objectivity also counteracts diversity. If any good journalist can be objective, if they can produce fair stories, why seek employees with different backgrounds, experiences, etc.?
Many feminists rely on differences when reporting information. Donna Haraway, writing in Simians, Cyborgs, and Women, says people shouldn’t mimic 19th-century scientists who thought of themselves as apart and invisible from that which they studied. People must connect with other points of view. No one view can encompass all perspectives.
Consider a team assembled for a disaster. It may include a person who knows business, one familiar with the neighborhood, one who’s bilingual, one who has experience with such a disaster, and one good at getting colorful details. They may file from different locations, at different times. People putting together footage or rewriting copy know the situation will change.
That’s how journalists could envision their business in general. They can gather only pieces of the truth, in hopes of creating as complete a picture as possible. They need people who look differently, not just ones who look different. They must recognize that they aren’t looking at the picture; they’re in it.

The "Biscuit" is Great!

Finished Seabiscuit: An American Legend the other night. Just as the newly engaged Cherie Jacobs said, the book was great. Author Laura Hillenbrand did a wonderful job of helping those uninitiated in horse racing understand it. By reading her words you can clearly see the races and intimatly get to know the people who surrounded The Biscuit.

One of the most impressive parts was the chapter she talks about the jockies and the horrible life they lived in the early 20th Century. They earned very little money and were subject to having to constantly reduce their weight so they could make the correct mount weight that a horse would be assigned. They did crazy things to keep their weights down to between 100-110 pounds for the most part. They were in constant danger but had no health insurance and when they did get hurt it was lucky if they were able to be taken to the hospital immediately or at all. And if they were hurt, they couldn't show it for fear the owners wouldn't let them ride.

I was amazed at how big Seabiscuit's races were. In 1938 this horse had more headlines than the president of the United States and Hitler. It was like the Super Bowl every time he stepped onto the track.

Even if your not a horse race fan I would reccomend this book. It is a good read. Now I will have to get myself to the movies.

My next book is Brendan O'Carroll's The Mammy. He is the author of The Young Wan that I read earlier. I am looking forward to another funny book on Agnes Browne. The book is based in Dublin and centers around Agenes who just lost her husband in a car accident and now has to raise 7 children. I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh, go read Seabiscuit!

One Year Ago Today.

One year ago today my family lost a son and a brother, a cousin, a nephew, a grandson.

One year ago today many lost a friend, a confidant, a leader, an organizer, a listener.

One year ago today my brother Paul died unexpectedly. One year ago today parts of my family's hearts died too.

It still hurts. A lot.

There are so many times I read things or hear things I would have wanted to make sure I told him. Jokes and goofey stories and breaking news that I thought I would have heard first only to be told he knew. Although the one thing I didn't get to tell him before he died is how much I thought of him. How much he meant to me. How much I love him.

Paul I miss and love you.

It's Happy Birthday Around the World!

Here's how to wish others a Happy Birthday from other countries:
French Joyeux Anniversaire !
German Alles Gute zum Geburtstag
Italian Buon Compleanno!
Portuguse Feliz aniversario!
Spanish ¡Feliz Cumpleaños!
and for those who can pronounce these:
Korean 축 생일!
Chinese 生日快乐!
and
Japanese 誕生日おめでとう!


And I want to thank my co-workers for the lovely cake...it was tasty. (The trick to getting the chocolate cakes - get the cake on the way into work, they go first.) It was very yummy though...Thanks!

The Madisonness Must End

Gene Weingarten's Sunday column from the Washington Post was great. It is about the trend of naming children names that shouldn't be names. Madison is the name he uses as the main example. I have to say hooray Gene, I have been thinking those things for a long time.

Check out his column here.

They Say It's My Birthday!

Yes, it is true, today is my birthday. I am now officially 29. I can't believe I had to type that, 29. The last year in my 20's, although my Uncle Mike would say I am now in my 30th year, but I am not ready for that one.

Besides being the first day of Fall, here's some famous people who share my birthday:

Singer Ani DiFranco (1970)
Actor Jason Alexander from Seinfeld fame (1959)
The boss and singer Bruce Springsteen (1949)
Actor Micky Rooney (1920)

Some important things that have happened on September 23 through out the ages are:

1642 The first commencement at Harvard College in Cambridge, MA, was held.
1779 John Paul Jones, commander of the American warship Bon Homme, was quoted as saying, "I have not yet begun to fight!"
1780 John Andre, a British spy, was captured with papers revealing that Benedict Arnold was going to surrender West Point, NY, to the British.
1806 The Lewis and Clark expedition reached St. Louis, MO, and ended the trip to the Pacific Northwest.
1838 Victoria Chaflin Woodhull was born. She became the first female candidate for the U.S. Presidency.
1939 Sigmund Freud died in London. He was recognized as the founder of psychoanalysis.
1952 Richard Nixon gave his "Checkers Speech." At the time he was a candidate for U.S. Vice President.
1962 New York's Philharmonic Hall opened. It was the first unit of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The hall was later renamed the Avery Fisher Hall.
1974 Sarah Anne Knupke was born in Ft. Wayne, Indiana at about 7 in the morning.
1990 Iraq publicly threatened to destroy Middle East oil fields and to attack Israel if any nation tried to force it from Kuwait.
1991 U.N. weapons inspectors find documents detailing Iraq's secret nuclear weapons program. The find in Baghdad triggered a standoff with authorities in Iraq.
1993 The Israeli parliament ratified the Israel-PLO accord.
1999 A 17-month-old girl fell 230 feet from the Capilano Suspension bridge in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The girl had bruises, but no broken limbs from the fall onto a rocky ledge.

And my horoscope for today reads:

You are sincere, helpful and always concerned about everyone else. You are dedicated and loyal and can easily find a solution to any problem that may crop up.

Chocolate...

Just finished watching the movie Chocolate. Makes you want to chow down on some. What a great movie. I highly recommend it. Just make sure there is some chocolate in the house, you are going to want to have some when it's over.

Birthday Week

I am at home today enjoying a day off in honor of my birthday. Usually I take the day off from work but since it is Tuesday this year I thought it would be nice to have a 3 day weekend. In honor of the occasion of the week of my 29th birthday there will be extra tidbits about the week I was born and birthday fun in general.

And here's today's birthday-themed question:

What is your favorite birthday cake flavor?

My answer: Chocolate frosting and yellow cake, but chocolate on top of chocolate is always nice too.

Another Congrats!

A BIG congratulations to good friend Roy Coe on getting his first BIG job out of college! The main speaker at his graduation hired him. We are very proud of you Roy, we will have to have a drink soon to celebrate!

Awwww!

A priceless quote from co-worker and new father Andrew Meadows:

"You don't know what it's like to write a song until you have a baby, you don't know the kind of things that have come out of my mouth recently.

To which my and the newly engaged Cherie Jacobs said awww! And she responded. "Andrew that's the kind of thing that makes women all schmoopy!"

My Question of the Day

Happy Friday! And in observance of this great day of the week here's my question of the day:

For $20,000 would you go for three months without washing, brushing your teeth, or using deodorant? You could not explain your reason to anyone. (Assume that there would be no long-term effect on your career.)

Movie Night

Watched Real Genius last night. It is one of my hubby's fav. movies and I have to say I enjoy it too. It's another college movie but it's about the super smart kids at an exclusive science and technology school. There are lots of silly pranks but with a twist, like turning the hall into an ice skating rink with a substance that evaporates or wiring a guys braces so he thinks God is talking to him. It's silly but it makes for a good time. And being it's from 1985 it is really fun to see all the old computer equipment, clothes and Laslo, the guys who lives in Mitch and Chris's closet.

My Question of the Day

If you could have been present for any event in history what would it be and why?

New Feature

Sarah Says introduces Sarah's Question of the Day. I'm looking to start converstations with an interesting or different question.

Sept. 17, 2003:

If a movie were made about your life, what would the theme song be?

Congrats!

A big congratulations to good friend Jennifer "Ziggy" Ziegler for getting her first "real" job after college. She worked really hard and went through many hard times in the past few years. Just wanted to let you know I am proud of ya (as if you don't know).

Your job stink?

Ok, I will admit my job isn't the best, but in the scheme of things it ain't too bad. After reading this article I think mine is ok. Check out some of the job titles...if you don't get a chuckle out of it, I don't know what makes you laugh.

Cry Babies!

The first group of patients to receive medical marjuana in Canda want their money back because it tastes disguesting. Check out this story. What do they want? The primo stuff? It's from the government, what do they expect?

Recall Vote Delay!?

I see that the California governor's recall has been postponed to March? No!! That means we will have to keep hearing about it. Can't we make it stop?

Congrats!

A BIG congratulations to co-worker Cherie Jacobs and now fiancee Bill on getting engaged while on their romantic trip to Colorado last week. She didn't tell anyone, saying that she was waiting for the observant reporters to see it and comment. One did. I noticed a ring, but because of my tiredness I was trying to figure out if it was her right or left hand I noticed. I made a note to check in the afternoon, but my boss Katrina beat me to the punch.

I am so happy for ya girl! He's definitely a keeper!

Monday again?

I can't believe it's Monday again. It was not easy to get out of bed for sure. From having family home to graduation festivities to having a cold that hasn't completely left me yet I am tired to say the least.

When is it nap time?

Yuck

Not feeling well today. Cold got the best of me and I am taking it easy today.

Hungry?

Added Tribune editor of fun stuff Jeff Houck to the list of cool people. If you're a little hungry for a good ole' time this is the place. Go and visit his Side Salad.

Way to go!

Tonight, good friend and bro-in-law's brother, Roy Coe, will graduate from ITT Technical Institute with a specialty in computer assisted drawing. He has worked very hard and done very well. We are all proud of you and know you will go far!

And yes, this weekend, we are ready to party!

Remember

Just a reminder to take to a moment sometime today to remember those innocent people who lost their lives 2 years ago today in New York, at the Pentagon and in a field in Pennsylvania. It's a time for reflection and prayer. Amen and God Bless America. And don't forget to hug and tell those you love what they mean to you every day because you don't know the day that will be your or their last.

The Blog Gods Own Me!

25 %

My weblog owns 25 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

Well according to this little quiz I am owned 25 percent by my blog. That's a lot, I was thinking maybe 5 or 6 percent. Thanks to Jeff Houck's Side Salad for pointing this little quiz out.

Update!

If I would have read the paper that I work at this morning I would have seen that Simon and Garfunkel WILL be coming to Tampa! Waiting for ticket info.

Parsely, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme!

Just in! Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel will begin a 28 city North American tour starting in Oct. outside of Detroit. You can see the story at MSN.com here! I hope they come to Tampa! WoooHoo!

Friend Found

I got an e-mail from an old friend from high school and college, Glen Owens. He said he had yahoo'ed my maiden name and Sarah Says popped up. I'm not sure why that popped up since I don't use my maiden name here, but it did.
We both used to frequent computer bulletin boards (before the Internet took hold) to chat with others and play games. He hung out and had a good ol' time. I've added his on-line journal to my list of favorites. To give you a heads up, he is currently dealing with the prospect of bone cancer and will be getting some very important test results soon. Glen my prayers are with you in this most important time.

Uggh!

Seems that my lovely hubby has thoughtfully given me the cold that he had last week. At least at the moment I am not blowing my nose every 2 minutes. Even using Puffs Plus with the lotion your nose gets mighty sore. I'm not sure if it is making the transition to my chest or not, but my ears keep popping, and I'm not sure what that means. But I'm still on the vacation high for the moment.

I am also happy because my favorite football team gave out a big but whoopin' on the Philly Eagles last night on Monday night football. It wasn't pretty, but in the end the Bucs did the job!

What I Say Out Loud?

What do you folks say about having a sound clip that accompanies Sarah Says when you open the site? Something like... "Welcome to Sarah Says.." or "Sarah Says Today.."

What do you guys think??

It's the Day After..

The day after vacation is over. What a day. I spent more than 2 hours trying to get through 437 e-mails (most of them SPAM by the way), too many phone messages and a pile of mail. And I almost found my desk! Oye! But I still have the vacation glow. I am rested still and refuse to have a bad day. They can start tomorrow.

Forgot to mention last night that I got a piano yesterday! Thanks to my sister's in-laws Paul and Linda for giving it to me and helping me get it from there to my parents who are storing it until we leave the apartment hopefully next year.
And big thanks to Roy who christened his brand new truck by hauling it across town. NO I was not going to move a piano to the second floor if I didn't have to. All it needs it some TLC (I'm stripping the paint) and a tuning and I have a great piano. What's so cool is that it is from the 40's (in-law's dad's mothers piano!) and it's in great shape otherwise. I am sooo excited! I have to read about wood stripping and then I'll get started! Couldn't say no to a free piano.

New book..

I'm reading Seabiscut now. Yes, the same one in the movies. It is great so far. Will let you know what comes of it. Check out the link under what I'm reading now for more info. at Amazon.com.

I've Found Waldo!

In case anyone is wondering I know exactly where Waldo is. Central Florida! A tiny berg near Gainsville. It is famous for being a speed trap. Luckily someone bought a billboard and put Waldo is a Speed Trap! I came away unscathed.

Howdy From J-Ville

Am enjoying my stay with my 2 sisters. Drove around the beach area a lot today and got to see where both worked. Sister 2 (Karen) has a cushy office with a door! Imagine that! A door! And Sister 1 (Laura) works at the ultra-posh Pontre Viedra club as a cook where she makes yummy things. I have photos but am having technical difficulties so I can't get them up yet...trying later.

Just checking in to say hi! Vacation RULES!

Sarah Says Gets a New Look!

I've got the blues! Thanks to my Dad for figuring out all those annoying color codes in this system I now no longer have the burnt oranges. Let me know what you think.

Just about to be leaving for a visit with my sisters in Jacksonville. Should be fun. Will be taking photos and checking it.

Happy Labor Day!

Bye-bye!

Ok folks, as soon as my boss gets back to me about something little I will be off for the next week.
But do not fret! I will check in during the week to bring you what's up in my life! I know you are very pleased to know you won't be completely Sarahless for a week!
Ta Ta!

Let's Pause 4 a Moment So I can Vent!

I was listening to the radio on the way into work today. I almost couldn't believe what I was listening to. (Note I said almost.) This jackass named Billy Graham (no, not the preacher guy) was spouting off about the gay agenda in this country and that they are trying to take over and brainwash your kids into being gay.
This all sprouted from a staged kiss between Madonna and Britney Spears on the MTV Music Video Awards show last night by the way.
A women even called up to say she no longer has a television at home because she is afraid TV will turn her daughters gay.
And the proof of this all according to Graham is Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Boy Meet's Boy and the recent Supreme Court ruling. That the liberal media is trying to turn EVERYONE gay.
So now, people are just turning gay by watching a show with gay people? Am I going to turn stupid if I listen to people like Graham who are getting their close-minded, uneducated, ultra-conservative agenda on the airwaves? No, just get mad that there are so many people like him in this country.

Sorry for the diatribe. I just needed to vent.

Here's Sarah!

Yes, that is me standing behind the Lombardi Trophy AND wearing a World Champion Bucs Super Bowl ring. Pretty cool eh? I'll be showcasing some of the others in the Biz Team soon too.

Toga! Toga! Toga!

Spent last evening with some friends watching Animal House on a newly purchased DVD. While I thought the movie was silly and the ending I could see the "classic" monkier mention, I guess I expected more. It was a bunch of guys goofing off in school who in the end enact revenge for them getting kicked out of school. Not like the true college classic Revenge of the Nerds. Where the Geeks who were wronged triumphed in a really cool way.
Ok, the Toga party was fun and the whole thing at the African American bar was funny...but I just didn't think I would call it one of the best movies out there.
So what's your favorite collge themed movie?

Was wondering..

I have been following the case of Terry Schiavo in the news closely. She is the Tampa Bay women who went into a coma after her heart stopped beating because of a believed lack of potassium. She is in what some call a persistent vegitative state.
I started out believing that it would be best if she did die. How could anyone want to live like that? But then I learned more about her husband, and the more I learned, the more I got mad at him and changed my tune. He was awarded a lot of money for her care a while ago. Although, instead of having doctors trying to help her he had them give her the minimal care. And then moved on with a girlfriend and a new child. If she dies he gets the money and can get married. In order for her to die they need to disconnect her feeding tube. If you stopped feeding me I would die too. Food is not life support. And from what I have read it is a very painful way to die. Instead of divorcing her and giving guardianship over to her parents, who desperately want that and to give care that might actually help her, he is prolonging this and causing pain for those who love her the most.
She had no living will, so we don't know her wishes. (Another reason why every adult should have a living will with those things spelled out.) But I do know that starving a person to death isn't right. There are people who really care about her and are willing to step up and make sure she gets the right care, but they can't because some selfish SOB can't take his eye off the prize, the money.
Am I crazy?

Mars Causing Chaos?

Check out this article from Reuters about those who say Mars being so close to Earth is causing many problems and will cause more because the planet has evil magic because you know its named after the Roman god of war. They explain the recent terror attacks in the Middle East and say that there will be earthquakes, fires and and even snow. (As if there would be no earthquakes, fires or snow somewhere on the planet without Mars being close?

The article can be found here.

Cane River

I finished Cane River by Lalita Tademy last night. What an AWESOME read. Tademy takes mountains of genealogical information about her family and transforms it into a great novel. From census, plantation, court and other legal documents that were found about the women in her family (concentrating on Elisabeth, Suzette, Philomene and Emily) she weaves a tale of what she believes these former slaves went through living in French-speaking Louisina. She included photos of the women she is telling the story of and some of the documents that told the story of their lives. There are bill of sales for slaves, wills in which people were bought and sold, old newspaper stories, etc. This backs up what she writes and makes it so real.
These women had nothing, not even the dignity of a last name, and found ways to survive and not have their spirits broken.
Anyone interested in genealogy this is a great read. And anyone who is interested in a compelling story of women who overcame more than any of us living today in America could understand it is also a great read.

Feelin' Perky!

Well, after a monsterous cup of crappy office coffee I am feelin' fine. I am typin' really, really, REALLY fast right now and am getting LOTS of work done. Maybe I should drink bad coffee every day so I could get all of my work done by the end of 2 days instead of 5! Sounds fabulous to me.

Shhh!

Not too loud..have a headache! I think the wine and the beer from last night got me.

Story of the Day! Go WSJ!

This is a story about the women guerrilla soldiers in Liberia. It's a great read. Look for the Florida connection towards the bottom. This is an example of great writing, and I would love to see picture of some of the things described! And imagine being on a battlefield and seeing men dressed like women, in wedding dresses!

In Liberia's war, woman commanded fear, followers
By YAROSLAV TROFIMOV
The Wall Street Journal

TUBMANBURG, Liberia … In this country, which has endured a
long and violent civil war, a slender 22-year-old woman in a
pink strapless top elicits special dread.

She is known as Colonel Black Diamond, and she commands the
main rebel movement's ""Women's Artillery Commandos.'' It was
this all-women unit that helped spearhead the rebels' push into
the heart of the capital city of Monrovia earlier this month.
That victory, and the seizure of Liberia's second-largest city
by a smaller rebel group, led to the exile of former president
Charles Taylor and a peace pact signed this week.

""Women can do something here, and we show they can do it
better than men,'' said Black Diamond, surrounded by fellow
gunwomen in this jungle town, a few days after her Monrovia
victory. A pistol and a cellular phone hung from her trendy,
wide leather belt. Her jeans were embroidered with roses. Her
fellow guerrillas were equally fashionable, wearing
tight-fitting jeans, leopard-print blouses and an assortment of
jewelry. The number of women in her unit, she said, is a
military secret. ""Men think they can get all over you because
they are stronger, but we can fight more,'' said Black Diamond,
who refuses to divulge her real name. Her fellow soldiers
murmured in assent.

""We fight better than men because we are disadvantaged,''
said an aide, Marie Teeah, 27, who sported a red bandana and
pink fingernails.

Under the terms of the peace agreement, an interim
government will assume control of Liberia in October. On
Thursday, Gyude Bryant, a businessman who is independent of
both rebels and the current administration, was chosen to lead
that government. Meanwhile, in the wake of Mr. Taylor's
departure, a Nigerian-led force, assisted by more than 100 U.S.
Marines, is keeping the fighters apart in Liberia.

It often was pain inflicted by men that brought Black
Diamond and her fellow women into the war. Her unit is part of
Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, the obscure
rebel movement, headed by a Guinea-based used-car salesman,
that emerged from the jungle to briefly seize half of Monrovia.
Many of the women in Black Diamond's battalion joined the group
after suffering from a depressingly common occurrence in West
African wars … rape by soldiers high on alcohol or drugs, who
often were HIV-positive.

Black Diamond said she personally had a ""bad experience''
with soldiers loyal to Mr. Taylor. She added that her mother
was killed by his troops during an attack on refugee camps in
Guinea. Joining the rebels was a natural way to get back at Mr.
Taylor's regime, said Black Diamond.

Male children as young as five have long been recruited into
both guerrilla and pro-government militias in Liberia, Sierra
Leone and other West African countries. But it is uncommon for
women's units to join front-line action. The more common
feminine figures on the battlefields are male soldiers in wigs
or women's clothes, including wedding gowns. This military
cross-dressing frightens some fighters, who believe an evil
spirit has overtaken their opponents. Other guerrilla devotees
of female dress believe that bullets won't hit them if they've
assumed another identity.

The involvement of real women is especially surprising given
that the main rebel group, to which Black Diamond belongs, is
dominated by the mostly Muslim Mandingo tribe. Still, the
group's chief of staff, General Abdullah Sherif, didn't seem to
mind the decidedly un-Islamic looks of Black Diamond's troops
as he drove around Tubmanburg. Shacks in the headquarters town
of the victorious rebels are brimming with supplies they looted
just days ago from the Monrovia port.

Fellow guerrillas speak of Black Diamond and her fighters
with awe, and even male soldiers around her are quick to follow
her orders. She also caught the attention of military men and
civilians in Monrovia. ""These women have no pity, no
sympathy,'' said Corporal Thompson W. Dahn of Mr. Taylor's
Anti-Terrorist Unit militia, who went up against Black
Diamond's women earlier this month. ""They shoot, they get
naked themselves, and they drive me fearful.''

Fighters on all sides of the war were known for killing
civilians. Black Diamond's unit shelled central Monrovia's
Mamba Point neighborhood with mortars, killing hundreds of
people, including some who took refuge in the American
embassy's residential compound.

""The women were the most wicked,'' said Bill Kollie, a
Monrovia truck driver who has had to deal with both rebel and
government checkpoints across the nation. ""If women stop you
at a checkpoint, you can't beg them like you can do with men.
They executed many civilians.''

Jacques Klein, the top United Nations official for Liberia,
agreed. ""Women are always the most fearsome,'' said Mr. Klein,
an American, who is assembling an international peacekeeping
force to disarm militias. Sitting in his office just a few
hundred yards from where Black Diamond's mortars landed, he
dismissed the colonel and her rebel companions as
""superstitious people who intimidate the innocent.'' Then he
added half-jokingly: ""Women are always to be feared. Have you
been to Florida? It is full of women with blue hair who have
killed their husbands.''

The Women's Artillery fighters celebrated the cease-fire by
firing mortars into the jungle. Taking a break from working on
her hairdo, Black Diamond said that her fighters are eager to
return to what they were doing before the war. ""Some will go
back to school, others back to the farm,'' she said. After
leaving Monrovia for the jungle as an 18-year-old, the colonel
herself isn't yet sure what civilian life has in store for her.
""If Taylor tired of the war, I'm tired,'' she said. ""What
will I do? It's gotta be better than it was before.''