Peace Corps' 50th Birthday!

When my son, Jon said he wanted to be a Peace Corps Volunteer, Art and I didn't jump up and down with joy. We were more apprehensive about the conditions in which he would be required to live in. Jon grew up in a middle class neighborhood and didn't want for much although he'll tell you we refused to buy the kids those Nintendo type computer games. Oh yes... he was quite deprived.

The Peace Corps sent him to Mali in west Africa where he worked for 27 months. He lived in a mud compound in a village called Koro Bada, cut off from the comforts that he grew up with. He met wonderful, interesting people, learned a new culture and language and grew up. He also nearly died of malaria.

Whereas I couldn't get him to enjoy reading books at home, in Koro Bada he devoured them and read everything he could find. He had lots of time to read with no television. He was rather appalled that I had not read Moby Dick. This photo is the library at the Corps stage house.


Jon saw how people there often ate the same thing day after day, ground up millet called toh.


We sent him things to share with the villagers. The soccer ball we sent was played with until the skin of the ball had completely fallen off. Here Jon is playing Frisbee with some children.

The Peace Corps held an essay contest for teachers where there would be 50 winners around the U.S. Winning teachers would be able to have a Peace Corps Volunteer talk to their class on a speaker phone. Incredibly, I won! My class could not wait to ask Jon a thousand questions.


Jon traveled to a larger town where he would be able to speak to my class. My students still remember that day. They could hardly believe they were speaking to Jon in Africa.

Throughout all the time Jon was in Mali and after his return, all my classes learned more about Africa than I'd ever taught any class before. They also learned more about maps and geography, culture and customs because of the interest he generated.

One of Jon's Malian teacher friends even came to America and taught my class about his country. That was really incredible.

The Peace Corps celebrated their 50th Birthday yesterday. John Kennedy started the program to help improve the lives of impoverished people in other countries. Many volunteers go hoping to do just that. I think it's more than that. Because of Jon's service my 1st grade classes, the entire first grade team as well as several of the other grades learned about Mali. I think the impact of the Peace Corps is a bridge of understanding that goes two ways.

I'd like to wish the Peace Corps a happy birthday with hopes for another 50 years!

3rd Blogaversary!

Phew! I've written 956 posts in the last three years. I said I was going to relax a bit after writing a post a day for 8 months. We'll see about that.

I would like to thank you all very much for being my wonderful cyber friends and family these past three years. I have learned so much from you and have come to care about you just as I do my neighbors who live close by. I'm looking forward to the next three years together!

I love you guys!

Lost Wedding Rings

We were at our morning Tai Chi class doing our exercises. One of the routines involved shaking our fingers over our heads. Wouldn't you know it? Art's wedding ring flew off his finger into the grass. He didn't even know in what direction it sailed.

Everybody stayed after class to look for it even though we had to leave to help a cousin.

This brought to mind the fact that this is the 4th ring that Art has gone through!

The first ring was damaged when he was doing electrical work without turning off the breaker for the circuit he was working on. (He left it on because he needed a light in the attic where he was working.) There was melted wire attached to the ring so it was too uncomfortable to wear. It took a long while for his hand to heal from the burns he received. He's a lot more careful now!

The second one was a ring our daughter, Tiffany made for him in a high school jewelry class. Eventually, it broke.

The third one was created by a Native American artist and absolutely beautiful! Alas! It was lost when he was raking fall leaves in Illinois. We never did find that one no matter how much we looked. We couldn't find another one we liked quite as much.

We bought the 4th one in New Mexico when we visited our son, Jon.

When we arrived home later in the afternoon, mom said there'd been three excited phone calls from our Tai Chi friends. The ring was found! The class had formed a long line and spanned the park area where we have our lessons. We could hardly believe it! We were so very touched by their efforts.

Art is planning to put his ring in his pocket when we go to our next Tai Chi class. I think that's a wonderful idea!

Hmmm.... Maybe I'd better check to make sure his pocket doesn't have a hole in it.

Dentists, Bones and Fosamax

Art and I both went to see the dentist for our 6 month teeth cleaning. When my new dentist saw my records she said, "I see you take Fosamax. I just want to warn you that it does make tooth extractions very complicated so you want to really take good care of your teeth." That really scared me so I researched it a little on the web.

Here's a great link about Fosamax and Tooth Extractions that I found.

I've been taking Fosamax (for osteoporosis) for about seven and a half years. When I mentioned it to my nurse practitioner she said I had nothing to worry about. Then she consulted her computer and said I could give it a rest for a year and take another bone scan.

I've heard that there is also the possibility that long term use of Fosamax can cause brittle bones.

Sigh... what to think. What to do...

Well... on the positive side, the dental hygienist smiled and said, "You must be flossing and taking care of your teeth because your teeth show good dental hygiene."

I can smile to that.

Saying Good Bye to a Grandson

My mother spent a lot of time with her two eldest grandsons in Hawaii when they were little. They loved her Lemon Chicken, Blueberry Cream Cheese pie and everything else she cooked.

We haven't been able to see Shawn much because he was entertaning at night in Waikiki and was constantly traveling and performing among the Pacific islands, west coast and Japan.

Now Shawn is moving to Los Angeles where he'll be getting married to his Jeni. We're very happy for him. Mom wanted to make him Lemon Chicken one last time. I loved seeing them together. She wanted to give her wedding rings to Shawn, her eldest grandson. She told him her marriage lasted 56 years and hoped his marriage would also last as long.


Mom also gave him a card with a wedding gift and he was so touched that he was overcome with emotion. I felt badly then that we hadn't made even more of an effort to get them together because he was telling her of all his precious memories of those days when she used to cook for him when he stayed over.

Here my sister-in-law, Nancy is reading mom's card to him. We selected a card that he could feel since he has been blind from birth.

We're wishing Shawn a happy future in L.A. and hope there will be even more opportunity there for him to enjoy his professional life as a musician as well as life with the woman he is happy to have found.

Goober Peas?

People in Hawaii used to like to eat their peanuts boiled. Art's family restaurant/soda fountain even sold them in their shop. They are/were a popular snack food...here in Hawaii, that is. I've not seen them on sale lately though.

When we moved to Chicago, I prepared some for Art to share with people at his EPA office. I brought some to my school also. Most people really didn't like it. They said it tasted like boiled potatoes with the wrong consistency. However, we discovered that people who grew up in the Southern States did like it and were familiar with it.

We also learned that boiled peanuts used to be called goober peas in the days of the Confederacy. Here's a video of Burl Ives and Johnny Cash singing Goober Peas (Boiled Peanuts).



Tiffany asked me to make some for her when they were visiting in December. I prepared some a few days ago for Art who really loves it. It does take a bit of doing because I soak it overnight first before boiling it for about 1.5 hours in lightly salted water. Here's another recipe I found on-line.

Have you ever had boiled peanuts? Do you like it?

Republicans and Religious Diversity

Art pointed out another article from the Star Advertiser which resonated with both of us.

It's something that former Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle is quoted as saying. She was citing the Republican "party's frequent practice of opening events with Christian prayers though people like her, are of different faiths."

Lingle said she respects her Christian, Catholic and Mormon friends but wonders what Jews, Buddhists and people of other faiths at GOP events think when "they are never given the respect when prayers are given."

She warned the Republican Party that, "When you send the message out of exclusivity, people don't want to join your group."

I remember Art mentioning when he used to work for the U.S.E.P.A. that at work related lunches a Christian prayer would often be given before the meal. He wondered, too what his colleagues of the Jewish or other faiths must be feeling.

It was the same for me at our Illinois school when I first started working there. I knew of several teachers who were of the Jewish faith and did mention my concern to the principal. I felt school should be a place where all children and teachers of different faiths should be respected and loved. I see too often how it is just assumed that you must be Christian.

Our country needs to get past this in order to get along with the rest of the world. What we (our country and world) need is love, understanding and respect for all the different faiths and views.

But then, that's just our opinion. We were never huge fans of Governor Lingle (who campaigned for Sarah Palin), but we sure do agree with her on this.

ALSO: I have friends/relatives who may read this and are wondering if I'm referring to the different parties we've attended that had a Christian, Jewish, etc. prayer involved at their homes. That was a private party, not public, and we were happy to take part. We've also had people who came to our house and asked to give a Christian prayer. It's OK, we respect your desire to say a prayer in your own way and you are welcome to do so. We just ask for the same respect and kindness.

OK... I'll get off my soapbox now.

Post Suggestion From My Angry Daughter

This article by the American Heart Association begins:

"Today, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963. With good reason, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking."

My daughter, Tiffany called yesterday with steam shooting out of her ears. "I have something for you to blog about!" she said. "Do you know what Rush Limbaugh said?"

"I really don't want to do a post about Rush Limbaugh," I smiled, while appreciating her wanting to help me come up with something to post about. "I don't want to give him the space or time of day on my blog. He is such a ...." (Never mind. I try to be civil on my blog. I do try.)

This is what I got from EW.com:

"On his radio show yesterday, Rush Limbaugh went on a three-minute rant, blasting First Lady Michelle Obama and her Let’s Move initiative directed at fighting childhood obesity, after she and her family were spotted at a restaurant in Vail eating short ribs. He called Obama a hypocrite for encouraging people to eat “cardboard and tofu… roots, and berries and tree bark” when “it doesn’t look like Michelle Obama follows her own nutritionary, dietary advice…I’m trying to say that our First Lady does not project the image of women that you might see on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, or of a woman Alex Rodriguez might date every six months or what have you.”

Why doesn't every single American recognize that this man is an absolute......? (I'm being civil.) Why does he have a radio show that transmits his venom and stupidity across our country? For that matter, why does Sarah Palin and Michele Bachman not want Michelle Obama to encourage parents to provide their children with a healthier diet?


And really...Does Rush Limbaugh only want people with swim suit model bodies to give dietary advice? I know a lot of people who won't be listening to their doctors from now on.

I'm adding a press photo of Michelle Obama here because I sure don't want to look at Limbaugh's face on my blog every time I open it.

Could This Be True?

I saw this on Abraham Lincoln's Blog. It's about a man in Japan who has discovered a way to convert plastic to oil.



I'm as perplexed as Abe as to why this isn't in the news and why we're not buying it up right away. We could really use this in Hawaii if it is a viable option.

I just showed this to Art who worked for the U.S. EPA and is an environmental engineer. He had quite a few questions:

* "How much energy would it take to convert the plastic to oil or whatever since it looks like he does have to plug his machine into something?

* What kind of waste product is left after this process?

* What is the chemical composition of the liquid once gas has been pumped into it?

* Because there are different kinds of plastics being put into this process, would there be inconsistencies in the final product?

* How much more processing or refining would it take to make the liquid into a standard fuel such as auto gasoline, kerosene, etc.?

* What would that cost be in energy, material and money? Would that create even more waste?

* Is there any sort of toxic gas that is released from this process?

* Has this scientist submitted his invention to a peer review? Hopefully he has patented it.

If this is an economical and safe alternative, go for it!"

My 3rd "Great Aloha Run"

You know you've got good friends if they're willing to risk pain, wake up at an ungodly hour, and walk with you for 8.15 miles in a Charity event.

It's true that I didn't want to do this. I'm not a fan of walking in the tropical sun or getting up when it's still dark outside. Art wanted to run the 8.15 miles and have me do the walk. Actually, he just wanted me to get out there to train and exercise. I refused to walk 8.15 miles by myself.

My brother and sister-in-law said they would act as back-up instead, to pick me up if something happened. Several other friends just chuckled. Art's cousin (who walked with me last year) couldn't because her knee is injured.

I figured Diane (my childhood friend from kindergarten) would also say, "No." However, she and her husband, Dave took pity on me and said, "Sure we'll do it."

I nearly dropped the phone.

That's Diane and Dave with me at the Great Aloha Run EXPO this past Saturday where we picked up our tracking devices and bib numbers.


Diane has back problems and my knee has been hurting me. I took Aleve before we left for the race. However, a half hour before we were due to leave, Diane called to say she suddenly came down with a bad stomach. Dave said he would still walk with me.


We left the house at 4:30 AM, a half hour before last year and it made all the difference. We didn't have to wait 45 minutes in traffic and sailed right through to the Aloha Stadium where we quickly caught the chartered bus to Honolulu's Aloha Tower.


The Star Spangled Banner was sung before the start of the race, followed by our Hawaii anthem, Hawaii Ponoi.


Art left to join the Runners.

Dave and I stayed on the right with the Walkers. Most of the following photos were taken by Dave using my camera. He is an amazing professional photographer.


With 25,000 runners and walkers, it took a while to walk to the starting gate. I could hear our racing chip go off as we passed through the gate.

And we were off. That's Honolulu in the background.


Just as it was getting a bit too warm, the race course took us under the viaduct.

Then there were a few little hills to go up and down as we neared Aloha Stadium. School bands and radio stations lined our way throughout the race course. We passed alongside Pearl Harbor.

And suddenly we were at the finish line! Dave is such great company that he completely distracted me from concentrating on my bum knees.

We bettered our times from the past two years by about 15 minutes or so.


The time listed here is not quite right. Our actual time according to Dave's iPhone was more like 2 hours 42 minutes. Last year, it took me and Art's cousin 3 hours 1 minute.


We collected our Finisher t-shirts, banana, water and pastry for our efforts. Art's finishing time for the 8.15 mile run was 1 hour 18 minutes.

Dave and I shared a burst of euphoria about finishing without a mishap and bettering our time. We enjoyed catching up and sharing some of our philosophy about life throughout our 2 hour 42 minute 44 second walk. We missed Diane, but we're thinking she may agree to walk in next year's Great Aloha Run.

I thought this would be my last Aloha Run, but now I'm thinking... who knows? Maybe.

Leaping Into Blogging

I began this blog in a Leap Year on February 29th, 2008 so technically I should only truly celebrate my Blogaversary every 4 years. Ah well. The funny thing is I don't think I even thought about the significance of the day when I finally began. It seems incredible to think I've been doing this for almost three years now. I started the blog as we prepared to move to Hawaii. I'd tried several times to do a blog, but couldn't get past a title. I'd read that people often did themes for their blogs and had some catchy name to reflect their interest. But, what was I interested in? Sigh.


I finally gave up and decided to just leap in using the generic Musings. Dina (who was a dear friend in Illinois) of Jerusalem Hills Daily Photo encouraged, cajoled, nudged, held my hand through the set-up. It just struck me as so incredible that here was Dina in Israel, e-mail texting back and forth with me, walking me through creating my blog life until I could fly on my own.

In July of last year, on a whim, I somehow started writing a post a day. I guess I just wanted to see if I could do it. I plan to continue this until my Blogaversary (sort of) in 10 days. I'll do it until March 1st. Then... I plan to relax a bit. Maybe.

The Firefighter Who Refused to Help

Art pointed out an article that was in the Honolulu Star Advertiser yesterday morning. It's about a firefighter who refused to respond to last month's Arizona shooting leaving so many people dead and dying. Mark Ekstrum's unit is supposed to be specially trained to respond to handle large medical emergencies, but was dispatched 90 minutes after the shooting because they had to find a replacement for him. He refused to go because he apparently didn't like Gifford's political views.

I was completely thunderstruck. Are you kidding? They were going to discipline him but since he was already a 28 year veteran, he just retired before his superiors could do anything.

My son was a firefighter in New Mexico for 2 years before he returned to university full-time. I can just imagine how he and his firefighter friends must be feeling right now. It just boggles your mind.

There are stupid people in every profession. I'm glad this guy is no longer in a place to do any more harm.

POSTSCRIPT 1: I just called my son and talked to him about the incident. He was puzzled to hear about a crew that was specially trained to do this kind of emergency because he says they are all trained to handle emergencies. He's sure that there would have been many fire stations responding to this emergency and it wouldn't have all been left up to Ekstrum's fire station. He suggested I do more research on this. I did and found this one from CBS. This story is really firing up the web right now. I'm actually feeling rather sorry for Mr. Ekstrum. One moment's stupidity has just ruined his life.

POSTSCRIPT 2: Here's another link that Art found on Yahoo news from the Arizona Daily Star. I don't know what to think. As I recall... our son said when the bell rang, they jumped into their boots and had to be out the door in 60 seconds or something like that. I didn't think that would give you time to philosophize over the situation.

Hard Drive Ready to Die

When my daughter, son-in-law (Ed) and granddaughter were here in December, Ed upgraded my computer. Unfortunately the Seagate Barracuda hard drive (bought at Best Buy) is drowning. It keeps giving me these horrible gasps warning me that it's ready to die at any minute so I should back things up. I was hoping it was maybe a mistake?

We were talking to my daughter and granddaughter on Skype and my son-in-law called so we did a three way conference. He's in Texas now, but was able to get into our computer here in Hawaii by magic and search to find what was wrong. He then did the backing up for us.


Ed verified that yes, our hard drive is actually malfunctioning and ready to die.

Doggone it! However, the Seagate does have a 5 year warranty so Ed took care of finding out the model #s, codes, etc. and is having them mail another hard drive out to us in a couple of days.

Then the plan is to take an "image" off the dying hard drive and transferring all the data onto the new one. That's where we'll be calling my brother, Dennis over to connect the correct wires, etc.

Thank goodness!

Poor Ed. He's stressed and tired from his job in another state, called to say hello to his daughter and had to work on his in-laws' computer from afar. I sure do love that guy! I wish everybody could have a son-in-law like Ed. I also wish I could send an andagi (Okinawan pastry) that he loves to him right now.

Epitaphs

Lately, and I don't know why, I've been occasionally checking out the Obituaries. I'm seeing with a bit of discomfort that there are a number of people younger than me listed there...

...which got me thinking about what I'd want printed on my obituary.

When we were in Egypt we saw that many of the wealthy Egyptians of long ago must have had lots to say on their epitaphs because there were a lot of hieroglyphs at their rather awesome tombs. I wished I could read them.


We went to one of the most famous cemeteries in Japan last year at Koyasan. My mother and aunt had a great time telling us about all the very famous and historical figures who are buried there.

This one really tickled our funny bone though. It's dedicated to termites. Shiro ari literally means white ants but they must be termites. We hate termites in Hawaii. This monument was put up by an extermination company who must have felt sorry for all the termites they'd exterminated.


This rather small and neglected grave is where Nobunaga Oda is buried. He is extremely famous (having conquered and unifying a third of Japan). However, the fact that he did wipe out a bunch of Buddhist monks and families might be why he is relegated to this puny grave. I wonder what his epitaph is. Probably not very nice, if any. The termites have a fancier monument than he does.


In 1993 we took our nephew, Barry to the Granary Burying Ground near the Boston Commons. It was very interesting to read all the epitaphs carved into the tombstones.

Here's some famous epitaphs we found on the Internet:

Isaac Newton: Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night:
God said, 'Let Newton be!' and all was light.

Bette Davis: She did it the hard way.

Benjamin Franklin: The body of Benjamin Franklin, printer (like the cover of an old book, its contents worn out, and stript of its lettering and gilding) lies here, food for worms. Yet the work itself shall not lost, for it will, as he believed, appear once more In a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by its Author

Winston Churchill: I am ready to meet my Maker.
Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

John Brown (Unknown dentist): Stranger! Approach this spot with gravity! John Brown is filling his last cavity.

Since Art and I won't be buried with a tombstone, I guess we don't have to worry about an epitaph. We plan to have our ashes scattered or be interred at Punchbowl National Cemetery. If I had to plan one, perhaps I would write, "Daughter, Wife, Mother, Teacher; Not necessarily in that order."

So what would you want your epitaph be?

10 Things Mom Loves!

Art wanted me to post what mom loves, too. However, mom had quite a difficult time coming up with her 10. She says she's suffered so much in her young life that she now feels she loves everything and can't choose because she's so content and happy.

It's nice to hear, but with a little coaxing, here's her ten things that keep making her happy.

1. Studying history
It's really extraordinary that she can remember how many shoguns there were in Japan, when they lived, their entire life history and even those of their relatives, what wars were fought in each time period, etc., but she can't remember what she ate the day before.

2. Reading
I have a strong memory as a child of always finding my mother with an open book in her hand, sitting with an erect (Buddhist) posture immersed in her reading. This is after waking up at 4:00 AM to prepare everyone's lunches, going to work, doing laundry, and cooking dinner. She couldn't understand why I didn't want to read Les Miserables when I was in the 4th grade as she did. I suspect that worried her. I don't want to tell her that I still haven't read it. Saw the musical though. Maybe I'll upload the classic on my Kindle.


3. Cooking
The whole family is very happy that she loves to cook.

4. Watching the NHK (Japanese TV Broadcasting Company) videos that my aunt tapes for her.
My aunts are all history buffs and support each other's hunger for knowledge. One of my aunts continuously video tapes educational programs for mom.

5. Flowers
Her mother taught Ikebana and Ikenobo flower arrangement and passed on a love of flowers to her. She in turn has passed that love on to me.

6. Listening to music
Another strong childhood memory I have is of mom singing while she cooked and did laundry. She does have a beautiful voice. Perhaps her genes were passed on to her grandson, Shawn who is a professional singer and musician.

7. Gardening
I'm not sure how good she is, but she is determined.


8. Spending time with family
She doesn't see them enough, but really loves to have everybody around.


9. Chocolate fountains
I have no idea what it is about chocolate fountains that captured her fancy so much. However, she happens to really LOVE the idea of dunking things into chocolate.

10. Plum wine
She keeps telling everybody she's not an alcoholic. She isn't. I can testify to that. However, her whole family has an uncanny ability to hold (and enjoy) their liquor...


This Christmas, my cousin and daughter both gave mom chocolate covered liquors. That nicely took care of #9 and #10.

10 Things Art Loves (and not in any special order)

1. His t-shirt collection
(Wouldn't you know it?)



2. Winter weather in Hawaii
He loves walking around in shorts and seeing beautiful orange sunsets in the evening all year long. He extra loves living in shorts and t-shirts throughout the year. Long pants are only for weddings and funerals now.

3. Fruits and nuts, especially watermelons, blueberries and pistachios (I notice he especially loves blueberries in pies.)


4. Battery Operated Tools
He's including his electric toothbrush.

5. Traveling
He loves the planning, organizing, researching part. Good thing because it would make me crazy.


6. Science Fiction
Books, movies, you name it!

7. Reading the Sunday Newspaper with a cup of black coffee in peace and quiet before I come and mess it up.

8. Jogging
He likes getting up before the birds do and running around the neighborhood. It gets too hot later on in the day to exert that kind of energy.


9. Siestas

10. Watching PBS (Public Television)
Sometimes he combines #9 and #10.

Tomorrow will be mom's turn.

10 Things I LOVE (not counting people)

In honor of Valentine's Day I thought I'd try to think of 10 things I love. I'm not counting people because that would wipe out all 10 spots if I did that.

1. My computer!
Without it I wouldn't be able to blog or Skype and I can't go a day without that. (I should have just made this category TECHNOLOGY because I'm falling in love with my Kindle now, too.)

Art just looked over my shoulder and said, "Aren't you going to list your camera?"

To which I said, "I'll do your 10 tomorrow."

2. Chocolate (DARK)

3. Japanese food
Misoyaki butterfish, sushi, namasu (pickled veggies), mochi (glutinous rice)... I love them all, but not natto (fermented stinky soybeans), sashimi (raw fish) or a few other things that my mother and Art happen to love.

4. Solar Panels
(I loved our last $30.00 electric bill) and all other energy saving devices including the Prius.


5. National Parks
I'm looking forward to going back to Yellowstone and Glacier again, especially since we'll be taking KC and Tiffany with us this time. The photo above was taken at Sequoia National Park with Tif and Jon.


6. Spring
I love the euphoria that spring brings and miss it here in Hawaii. I remember the smell of spring, the beauty of spring, the exuberance of spring, the feel of spring. This April photo was taken under the cherry blossoms in Vancouver, Canada as we were being showered by its petals. It's called hanafubuki (flower blizzard) in Japanese. Mom said she could die peacefully after having felt the delirious, swirling joy of the experience.

7. Wildlife
I guess that's why I love the national parks so much.

8. Illinois because of all the people and places I love there. It will always be my home away from home.

9. My eco-bags that dangle from my backpack
I use them ALL the time.

10. Traveling
I love meeting people and seeing beauty around the world. I really feel that talking to people with different backgrounds and ideas opens your mind to understanding.

So what things do you love?

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!

Virus or Scam or Crazy Person

I just got this e-mail in my Hotmail account. It had been separated as JUNK and rightfully so. I thought Hotmail had made a mistake at first. Here's what it said.

DEAR ACCOUNT USER,
This is email from Windows Live Customer Service® and we are sending it to all account user for safety. Due to the anonymous registration of our account which is causing congestion to our service, so we are shutting down some account and your account was among those to be deleted. The purpose of this email is for you to verify that you are the owner of this account and you are still using it by filling the information below after clicking on the reply button:.......

(Then they asked for name, address, and other personal information.)

Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052

After following the instructions in the sheet, your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Thanks for your attention to this request. We apologize for any inconveniences.

Warning!!! Account owner that refuses to update his/her account after two weeks of receiving this warning will lose his or her account permanently.

Sincerely,
The Windows Live Hotmail Team

I just DELETED this message, of course but I could see that there must have been people who would fall for something like this. I had to read it carefully to see the grammatical errors in the message. I wonder what they're planning to do with the information. Identify theft? Shiver... It's sad to know there are so many criminal, crazy people out in cyber space.