Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Identity theft in Virginia

Talk about pertinent current events – in the WaPo day-before-yesterday was a story about this woman who, with her husband’s complicity, used someone else’s identity (“lost” drivers license, etc.) to get a mortgage on a $400k townhouse. The victim got suspicious when he received a refund check from the mortgage broker for overpayment of closing costs – for a mortgage he didn’t have, for a townhome he didn’t own.

What’s troublesome about the article is that WaPo seems to insinuate that all is well, because the guy wasn’t out any money (the thief was making payments) and the thief eventually was caught and now prosecuted. Furthermore, the woman is Hispanic with a slew of kids. WaPo doesn’t state as much, but I’m wondering about her immigration status as well. Poor, poor immigrant must use someone else’s docs to buy a home for her family. American Dream shouldn't be denied to immigrants, wah-wah! Like hell – DH Jeff and I probably couldn’t get a $400k mortgage – and we have good jobs with no kids!

The bottom line is that yes, the thief was caught and prosecuted (and should be to the full extent of the law!), and no, there weren’t any financial costs to the victim; however, it is up to him to clear up the situation with the bank regarding the mortgage, it’s up to him to correct his credit record with the reporting agencies, and up to him to do any other follow-up to clear his name. I’m sure he must feel very vulnerable and now wonders – is this it or is my name and credit still compromised, another bomb waiting to drop? Read the whole story here.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Las Vegas Eats

As promised, here are some of the restaurants that we really enjoyed while in Vegas and why.

Café Ba Ba Reeba, 3200 South Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (702) 258-1211. We both love tapas and this place was fun, had tasty, garlicky favorites, had some selections we hadn’t tried before (like these yummy mild peppers in sea salt), and reasonably priced (comparable to that of Jaleo’s here in DC). OT.

Todd’s Unique Dining, 4350 East Sunset, Henderson, NV 89014, (702) 259-8633. This was probably the star of our stay, restaurant-wise. The restaurant is actually in a strip mall and has a cozy, neighborhood feel to it. The service is pleasant and attentive. But the real draw is their exceptional food. For instance, I had a seared ahi filet over wasabi mashed potatoes, with a spray of enoki mushrooms – yum! The pricing is a bit high – best for a treat evening – but well-worth it. OT.

Emperor’s Garden, 4215 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas, NV 89102, 702-889-6777. This place has really good Chinese food – the Sichuan selections are spicy and full-flavored, with plenty of sauce to soak up with rice. Pleasantly different from the preparation here in DC and reasonably/comparably priced.

Verandah, Four Seasons Hotel/ Mandalay Bay Resort, 3960 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89119, (702) 632-5000. Beautiful ambience, exceptionally attentive and pleasant service (I did have to giggle when they brought a little foot stool for my purse), and wonderful food – very fresh ingredients with wonderful seasonings. The pricing is high, so again, best for a treat evening out once in a while. OT.

Honorable mention to the Charlie Palmer’s Restaurant lounge, right beside Verandah, Four Seasons Hotel, 3960 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89119, (702) 632-5120. Big, cushy chairs in little groupings around a coffee table, with soothing lighting and pleasant staff who don’t rush you. Very relaxing! Next time we go to Vegas, we’ll have to check out the restaurant.



OT = Listed on OpenTable.com, wherein you can make reservations online.

Book & movie review: The Children of Men

The Children of Men, by P.D. James, the book on which the recent film was based, is a dire what-if tale of a world without a future, caused by sudden, inexplicable universal sterility. The story unfolds twenty-five years after the last baby was born, around a middle-aged university professor in London, who had become detached from life and humanity far before this crisis. Through his journal entries the reader learns how society is dying: the emergent pathologies, the devolutions, the apathy. One day, however, a compelling young woman crosses his path and captures his attention. This is where the story takes off.


The basic premise of the book and film are the same (worldwide inability to procreate); however, James tells a much better, a much more psychologically and emotionally haunting story. I saw the movie first and thought that it was a pretty good story and well-acted (by Michael Caine, Clive Owen, Julianne Moore) despite the pro-illegal sob-story subplot. Then I read the book and thought, this a great story as is, but the Hollywood lefties had to impose their politics, ignore the book's well-crafted characters, nuances and compelling issues - pretty much dumped the whole plot of the book. Essentially, the film-makers took a neat idea from the book and fabricated their own, politically slanted and fractured narrative - in my mind, a much inferior one to the original.

Identity Theft: what you can do - PSA

After returning from Las Vegas recently, I checked my credit card account online and almost had a heart attack when I noticed $8000 in pending charges. My first thought was some scumbag clerk or wait staff in Vegas had lifted my number and went to town. So I called the credit card company and learned that no, no credit card fraud, just my school accidently done multiple charges for the one tuition bill - and those pending repeat charges would just fall off eventually, not to worry. They have in the mean time, but thank goodness I called!

Short-story-long, my first thought was that this was a case of identity theft, which is BIG business and costs victims not only financially, but in hassle and time lost trying to correct the situation. Coincidentally, I had done a presentation last semester on identity theft and had put together a list of steps & contacts of what to do if you're victimized. Below is that list with links to government agencies' websites for more information and to submit a report online.

-----------
What should you do if you think your identity has been stolen?

1. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):
· By phone (FTC identity theft hotline): 1-877-438-4338
· Online: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.

2. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus:
· Equifax: 800-525-6285 or write to P.O. Box 740250, Atlanta, GA 30374-0250
· Experian: 888-397-3742, fax to 800-301-7196, or write to P.O. Box 1017, Allen, TX 75013.
· Trans Union: 800-680-7289 or write to P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634

The credit bureaus will place a fraud alert on your credit file, requesting creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. Once the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will automatically be notified to place fraud alerts. All three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.

3. Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.

4. File a police report.

5. Submit a copy of the report to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.

6. Call IRS at 1-800-829-1040 if you think your identity has been stolen and used inappropriately for tax purposes.

Sources: IRS, FTC, DOJ

Friday, July 27, 2007

Thoughts on the morning

I’ve successfully worked out in the mornings 3 days this week – very exciting! – and run for 2 of them. A few observations:

- It’s a very nice time to work out – peaceful, even.
- there are a lot of runners quietly running around at 6am.
- My butt and sometimes lower back hurts after a run even though I stretch before and after, and have proper running shoes. My courses are up and downhill as my courses are hilly. Maybe I just have to run more often?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Gangs & stuff

Sort of good news in Maryland: an MS-13 scumbag who orchestrated the gang rape of two teenage girls was sentenced to 37 years behind bars (evidently, this isn’t the same judge who dismissed charges of a Liberian child rapist in Montgomery County –see below). This criminal was caught and charged through a RICO operation. Yeah, RICO!

Now, although I’m gratified that this SOB will be behind bars for a long time, he’s still taking up public (taxpayer) resources – food, shelter, medical/dental, etc. And he’ll probably meet up with his MS-13 buddies already in prison – and still operate from the inside. And, ok, the article in WaPo mentioned that he spoke through an interpreter, which I take to mean he’s an illegal. And probably, too, are the scads of relatives present in the courtroom who, along with the defendant, wept at the injustice of the verdict. Read the whole thing for yourself, especially the part where the scumbag says that God knows his heart and that he didn’t do anything wrong. Rich. My only hope is that the system doesn’t allow time off for good behavior.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Oh, yeh, I'm back from Vegas

I guess from the last post, you've figured out that I'm back at the ol' homestead. Vegas was a blast, and not only in temperature.

Speaking of heat, though, the average high temp during our stay was 108 degrees Fahrenheit. At that temp, it does feel like a furnace, albeit a dry one. Here are some musts, if you're to remain healthy and conscious during your stay:

- water, water, water! And by "water" I mean H20, not soda or anything else. DH Jeff & I were constantly drinking water because the dry, hot air sucks the moisture right out of you. And fast. I've heard tales of dehydration and it's not pretty.

- sunblock, sunblock, sunblock! I used SPF 45 and sunbathed. Evidently I missed a spot or two and burned after only about two hours in the sun. I mean REALLY red in the missed parts. Those spray-sunblocks are good - just get someone to spray your back.

In up-coming posts, I'll share what we did & the best places to go (restaurants, etc.).

Miscarriage of justice writ large

In today's WaPo, there's an article that totally infuriated me - and not just in the usual outrage-y way, but in the where's-the-justice way, in the incompetent judge way, in the child-advocacy way. Ok, here's what it's about: in Montgomery County (MD), a Liberian man was charged with raping and repeatedly molesting a 7-year-old girl over a year's period. He was brought to trial. Now, the judge, a Katherine D. Savage, is dropping the charges because over the three year period of the trial, the courts couldn't retain a suitable interpreter for him under the period acceptable to uphold speedy trial rights.

Other interesting facts:

- the accused [sexual predator/child molester scumbag] attended high school in Montgomery County, where presumably the standard operating language is English;

- the accused [sexual predator/child molester scumbag] was taking classes at a community college in Maryland, where presumably the standard operating language is English;

- a court-appointed psychiatrist recommended that "an interpreter be appointed." (WaPo, July 22, 2007). The court followed suit and was evidently bound by this recommendation. I have to wonder why the shrink recommended that, why the justification.

- Montgomery County cannot retry this scumbag again for these charges;

- WaPo claims to have found at least one agency that could provide Vai (a tribal language spoken in Liberia & Sierra Leone) interpreters at short notice.

- the prosecution not only had DNA evidence against the accused, but eye witnesses to the crimes.

- the accused is free to go now.

The prosecution will probably appeal, but what the hey - the guy is free as a bird to rape and molest again, and the victim has received absolutely no justice under our wonderful legal system. The scumbag's rights were upheld, the victim's were - well - at best, theoretical. Now she and her parents must live in the fear that this rapist (a relative, no less), is released back into her community.

The moral of the story? Let's see...If you're raped, make damn sure your rapist speaks & understands English, and understands that what he was doing was actually wrong (that wasn't brought up in the article, but judging from the incidence of rape by all types - UN "peacekeepers", child soldiers, other soldiers, every other Moslem male, etc, in many parts of Africa, I'll make the leap that the accused was bringing up the cultural variance defense). Or maybe: we gratefully import poverty, crime & all sorts of predation in the name of a multi-culti sense of diversity - and our courts happily evidence the kind of incompetence and disfunctionality existent in the courts in countries from which these criminals come. And if you're a kid, you quite literally screwed. Your parents can't protect you everywhere, not even (especially???) from predatory relatives. The courts won't protect you either.

Our justice system, specifically in Montgomery County, specifically in the court of Judge Savage (interesting name, huh, considering the case and her action in it?), failed miserably in bringing to justice a heinous criminal and henceforth, failed in protecting not only this 7-year-old from further injury, but other children who are vulnerable to this free violent criminal. I would not be surprised, nor particularly troubled, if this community took it upon itself to exact a justice unanswered by our supposed rule of law.

A further thought: perhaps the moral of the story is to promptly kill your or child's attacker, because the court system, especially certain judges, will focus solely on the constitutional rights of the accused and disregard the wellbeing of the victim and society at large.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Hiatus

Well, as of late I've been pretty good about posting; however, for the next week and change, I'll be off to Vegas with DH Jeff to see the in-laws and I will be having TOO MUCH FUN to post. Sorry about that but facts are facts. BUT I'm going to take notes on my favorite places (besides the Wynn Hotel) out there & post my thoughts, well, post-vacation. heh. See you then, renewed!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

On depression

There's a good article in the Health section of WaPo yesterday (7/10/07) on depression from a sufferer's perspective. I can identify with much of what she says about not wanting to use meds to alleviate it; feeling like it was the easy way out; feeling relief and a sense of optimism and purpose when the meds kicked in; acknowledging that meds can make things more tolerable; but they don't magically resolve anything; however, they can be a good and useful tool when dealing with depression. Check it out.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Morning workout update

Well, this might be an emerging habit after all. I mean working out in the morning. Yesterday, both of us worked out early in the AM & today, I went to AM spin class. If we can keep this going, it'll be a major coup! For now, I'm basking in the well-accomplished week. Yippee!

5 things: hot sauces

In the continuing series of 5 things, I’ve decided that today’s highlighted items are of a hot sauce persuasion. Now, my philosophy on hot sauces is that the perfect one is thick, chunky, garlicky and at the same time, capable of making your nose run and your mouth burn. Smoky, chipotle flavors are good too. Thin, vinegary varieties are at the lower end of pleasure – ok as a stopgap when having nothing else and when faced with bland airline food. The bounty of available thicker, hotter & tastier sauces available make this a moot point. So…here are my 5 favorites of the moment:

1. Uncle Brutha’s Fire Sauce No. 9: Chile verde, garlic & ginger. This is the most flavorful, spicy, garlicky, wonderful sauce I’ve had the pleasure to sweat over in a while. Has a nice thick consistency. My personal favorite of the moment. Can be purchased online or at Whole Foods.

2. Uncle Brutha’s Fire Sauce No. 10: Four chiles & garlic. From the same company as #1 above. Smoky, full-flavored, garlicky and with the same thick consistency as #1. Can be purchased online or at Whole Foods.

3. King Street Blues Chipotle Kick Pepper Sauce. Smoky, full-flavored, garlicky and with thick consistency. DH Jeff’s personal favorite of the moment. Personally, I prefer the Uncle Brutha’s chipotle sauce (#2 above) to this, but they’re very similar. Can be purchased at Whole Foods or I reckon, at the local King Street Blues restaurants (Arlington & Alexandria, VA).

4. D.L. Jardine’s Blazin’ Saddle Habanero Pepper Sauce. This is a nice, bright, spicy habanero (is that redundant?) sauce with a slightly thinner consistency than #s 1-3 above. Still in Renée range of thickness though. Can be purchased online, Whole Foods, or at any hot sauce emporium.

5. D.L. Jardine’s Texas Kicker Habanero Pepper Sauce. Another nice, bright, spicy habanero sauce from the D.L. Jardine’s family of sauces. This sauce is at the threshold of the acceptable thickness and consistency. Any thinner and you’ve got, well, Tabasco sauce. Can be purchased online, Whole Foods, or at any hot sauce emporium.

Honorable mentions to Melinda’s family of hot sauces* and Day of the Dead Hot Sauces. For those chile heads in your world, samplers of these make great gifts!


* Just a quick visit to Melinda’s web site revealed new varieties which I haven’t had the opportunity to taste. Honorable mention is primarily for the XXXtra Hot Sauce, readily available at grocery and gourmet stores. I’ll get back to you when I’ve had a chance to try the new ones. Wahoo! New potential favorites!

Run, Nic, run!

I must confess, I'm between bemused and smitten with the new French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. He's pro-American, law and order, his own man - and not Chirac. Now I have one more reason to like him: in today's WaPo is an article about how he just loves to run (usually in his favorite NYPD tshirt!), which is causing a complete uproar in the French press and with French intellectuals because evidently it's "un-French" to jog. Sarkozy could care less. Ha! Read the whole article here.

Photo credit: Remy De La Mauviniere, Associated Press; Washington Post, July 7, 2007.

Monday, July 02, 2007

More from the religion of heinous violence

Well, if you've been keeping up on current events, then you know about the whole Glasgow airport thing and the cars and stuff. And I suppose, you know by now that these actions were not taken by a bunch a sparked-up Presbyterian grandmothers from Boise, right?

My question is, why does the West think it can continue to appease, placate, pander to or just ignore these folks whose mission is to kill-kill-kill us? This must stop and we (the broad Western "we") must put our collective foot down. These actions are not just criminal, they're terrorist in nature. They will not stop. Why aren't we really fighting back?

I fear it's getting to be too late & the civilized world is done for. I'd love to see someone prove me wrong, but unless we start taking decisive action against this threat, it will be too late. Writing on wall, people!

Wonders never cease

Ok, so maybe it's not quite a pattern yet, but it cannot be called a complete fluke. Speaking of my early morning exercise, that is. This morning, I actually got myself up, pulled on clothes and running shoes & went running, then to the gym for some weights.

The mere fact that I was able to wrench myself from a perfectly comfortable bed with my perfectly cuddly husband this morning at 5:45am (imagine!) and actually was able to leave the apartment without wimping out and diving back into bed is noteworthy, don't you think?

Oh, if I could do this 5 times a week! Wow, having my whole evening free! Not having to motivate myself after work! Not having to fight crowds at the gym! Going to work knowing I've done right by my body! Wahoo!

Ok, here's the test: tomorrow morning, 6:15am, there's a spin class at the gym. Let's see if BOTH Renee & Jeff can make it! Wow, then when class is over, we could toddle down to Whole Foods and grab some coffee and noshes on the way home! I'm so excited! We must actualize this plan! Wahoo!

UPDATE: We didn't make it to spin, but we went and did weights. Anyhow, we made it to the gym! This could be a trend...