Archive for January, 2007
Esther Reed / Brooke Henson Identity Theft Case
Caught this article this morning: Woman steals another’s identity, gets into Ivy League.
Brooke Henson was 20-years-old when she went missing seven years ago. Another girl named Esther Reed has been missing for about the same time. During those seven years, Esther, a high school dropout, took on Brooke’s identity and got into Harvard and Columbia using Brooke’s identity.
To be fair to Esther, though, she took the GED (high school equivalency diploma) and SAT (college admission) tests herself only using Brooke’s identity, so she did earn her university spots for the most part, right?
Esther is now missing again, by the way, now that her two identities have been discovered; let’s hope she’s OK somewhere.
Up until now, I’m following. Mostly.
But then two odd facts stand out in the article for very different reasons:
On the serious tip:
(1) Authorities are investigating Esther’s contacts in two of the United States military academies (Navy in Annapolis, MD and Army at West Point, NY) as well as some international money transfers she’s received.
“Officials want to make sure she’s not a spy.”
Really? That was definitely a turn I wasn’t expecting.
It also says the Army is investigating. Admittedly, I don’t know much about the inner workings of high level government, but why is the Army investigating? Don’t we have, like, a Federal Bureau of Investigation or something for things like this?
And doesn’t this involve potential international terrorism? What exactly does Homeland Security do these days?
All I’m saying is that I’m worried that the Army is being overworked, what with the war and all. Maybe someone else could handle the Ivy League mystery.
And on the not so serious tip:
(2) Esther had a high IQ but poor grades in school, so an English teacher encouraged her to join the speech team. None of this is odd to me. The following sentence from the article, though, is: “Reed won competitions with the speech team, and 10 years later her name is still on plaques at the high school.”
What do you mean still? Are plaques normally plated over to make room for new speech team winners? Or, in the spirit of Everything’s About Me, should I be going back to my high school and making sure my name hasn’t been erased from plaques (assuming it’s on any)?
Spies. International Terrorism. High School Plaque Tampering.
CNN.com can be scary in the morning.
My Birthday Gifts Have Arrived!
Here’s the postmark:
Today is January 18.
My birthday is October 18.
At least the number of the day is right.
Thank you Poste Italiane (and Jenn)!
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[tags]italian postal service, poste italiane, post office, life in italy[/tags]
Love Thursday: Flowering Surprises
During my first date with P, he disappeared for a few minutes while snipping a miniature rose off of a nearby bush. Keeping his reputation safe as village flower thief, the other day when he took the chicken photos, he also showed up with something else for me–our first mandorla blossom this season. This wasn’t technically thieving, though, as the tree is ours.
FYI, usually February brings these dainty flowers, but I suppose the temperate weather has fooled them.
In the sunshine:
And at sunset:
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
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[tags]love thursday, mandorla, almonds, almond blossoms, blossoms, flowers[/tags]
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Spaghetti with Artichokes
Today’s What’s Cooking Wednesday is a recipe that I’ve never even heard of outside of P’s family, so this is some secret information. Delicious too. And it also, again, involves eggs. I told you we get a lot of them.
Spaghetti con Carciofi
(Spaghetti with Artichokes)
(serves 4)
5 artichokes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 small cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
2 tablespoons parsley
3 eggs
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
salt to taste
1. Clean the artichokes, cut them into wedges, and remember to put them in lemon water as you go so they don’t lose their color. Boil the artichokes in unsalted water until they are about half way to tender. Remove and drain.
2. Put on water for the pasta, and prepare pasta when water is ready.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and cheese and set aside.
4. In a medium skillet, heat up olive oil and then sauté garlic until lightly golden brown. Add parsley and artichokes, coat them in the oil, and cook for about 15 minutes or until tender.
5. Add the egg and cheese to skillet and let cook until eggs harden, adding breadcrumbs at the very end and combining them well with the mixture. Add salt to taste.
6. For ease of mixing together the pasta and the sauce, remove large pieces of artichokes and set aside. Combine pasta with the remaining mixture and then garnish with the artichoke wedges for serving.
Buon appetito!
Why You Should Blog
Blogging is a funny thing. Just since I’ve started a month and a half ago, I’ve made virtual acquaintances in different parts of the world, finding things in common with people with whom I probably wouldn’t have crossed paths otherwise.
On the other hand, I don’t know very many fellow bloggers personally (only one comes to mind!), but since I’ve started, many of my nonblogging friends have expressed interest in joining the blogosphere. I’m sure others have thought about it but haven’t gone so far as to admit it.
So this post is for those of you thinking of supporting a new addiction scribbling down tidbits about yourselves, experiences, and emotions on this wonderful invention called the World Wide Web.
For me writing is a release, a way to sort through thoughts and feelings, a relaxation tool, a socially acceptable form of anger management, and just plain fun. Now, with the help of the Internet, I can share as much or as little of this process with the world as I wish–and leave a record behind to boot.
I am inspired today, in particular, because I have been exchanging emails with a dear friend (who even started out virtual if I’m not mistaken) *and* because I came across a rather apropos article called “Write for Your Life” by one of my favorite writers, Anna Quindlen, today, in which she writes the following:
The age of technology has both revived the use of writing and provided ever more reasons for its spiritual solace. E-mails are letters, after all, more lasting than phone calls, even if many of them r 2 cursory 4 u. And the physical isolation they and other arms-length cyber-advances create makes talking to yourself more important than ever. That’s also what writing is: not just a legacy, but therapy.
I will also add–and it’s free!
So I hope more of you will share yourself with us in this unique way, although if you’re still a little shy, a simple journal would make me happy too.
Come on in, folks–the water’s fine!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
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