Funny article from the WSJ  this past weekend… even funnier since this past week or two  featured James Bond movies on television… maybe we have a spy amongst us? HA!  

Lessons Learned From Bond—James Bond

The author of the latest 007 novel shares tricks of the espionage trade, from losing a tail to forging signatures

By JEFFERY DEAVER

Everett Collection

Secret agent man Sean Connery in ‘From Russia With Love’

One of
the greatest pleasures I get as a novelist is researching a field I
wasn’t previously familiar with, then incorporating the resulting
material into my novels.

For “Carte Blanche,” the newest James
Bond novel, I soaked up a number of fascinating factoids about
tradecraft—the subdued term for the techniques of espionage. My
knowledge will have faded in a few years, but in the short term, I’m a
bit of a spymaster. I thought I might share a few of the more useful
tricks of the trade, in case you find yourself tapped (recruited) by a
handler (the spy who supervises field agents) to help out the pros.

Apparently this happens quite frequently. At least according to Hollywood.

• To be a spy, you don’t need to break
into top-secret facilities, climb through air ducts and make your way
through laser beam fields. Yes, agents do some of that acrobatic stuff,
as well as sit in front of really neat high-def monitors, a la Jack
Bauer in “24,” while vacuuming up cellphone calls and emails. But a huge
amount of “product,” as intelligence is called, comes from open
sources, information available to everyone, found in newspapers, on TV,
in unclassified government, corporate and nonprofit reports and from
observations in public. You can be sure that somebody in Russia’s SVR,
one of the KGB’s successor agencies, is jotting down notes about this
article even as you read it.

For those who’ve always wanted the style and
skills of James Bond or one of the Bond girls, a “spy school” offers
classes in everything from hand-to-hand combat to deception detection.
WSJ’s Andy Jordan takes his camera to a session.

• Think you’re
being tailed? If you’re on foot in the city, never look behind you; the
agent will quickly hand off to another member of the surveillance team.
Find a commercial street with stores or restaurants whose entrances
have large, angled windows. They provide perfect mirrors to get a
glimpse of a tail. Take several random turns to verify that you’re the
target, but be sure to stop at several stores on your route and make
actual purchases to justify your complicated route and convince your
tail that you are oblivious to him.

What you do when you lead him into a dark alleyway is your own business.

• Are you the tailer rather than the
tailee? If you’re conducting surveillance or following somebody who is
frequently adopting disguises to throw you off, remember three
distinctive things about the target: height, proportion of shoulder
width to size of head and angle of foot (outward or inward pointing).
Even if the target changes clothes, makeup, hats, posture and hair
style, those three characteristics can’t be altered credibly or
consistently.

• If you need to disguise yourself,
remember that less is more. “Mission: Impossible” rubber masks and
prosthetics only work at considerable distance. For face-to-face
disguises, the most important trick is to use a dental apparatus to give
you bad teeth. The attention of the person you’re trying to fool will
automatically be drawn to your mouth, even if they try to maintain eye
contact.

Everett Collection

Daniel Craig in ‘Quantum of Solace’

• To
forge a subject’s signature—to, say, sign a document as part of a
misinformation assignment—copy it upside down. If you try to forge
handwriting without inverting it, your own script will affect the
results.

• Dead drops are locations where one
agent leaves an item, like classified documents or cash, for another to
retrieve later. Usually the objects are left in a CD, that is, a
concealment device. Outdoors, your best CDs are objects naturally found
on the ground and of little interest to passersby. They’re called
“sticks and bricks” because that’s often what they are: hollowed out
branches and fake stones. Freeze-dried dead animals are popular too.
Just make sure there’s no one around to wonder why you’re dropping a
dead rat into your attaché case.

• If you think your dead drop has been
compromised and is under surveillance, go on the offensive against the
enemy; try a Trojan Horse operation. Leave a double concealment device,
one with two hidden compartments, at the drop. The CD’s first
compartment, which can be opened, should contain a large sum of money or
secret documents (stolen from the enemy). In the second chamber, which
can’t be opened, put a tracker or listening device. Once the enemy
agents take it back to their safe house, it’s sure to be scanned for
radio or data transmissions; make sure the unit has timing software so
that it will not start sending signals for two or three days.

Everett Collection

Marceline Day in ‘Detectives,’ 1928.

• A good
way to get a listening device into the home of a target is to adopt an
NOC (non-official cover) as a salesman—of household items, for instance.
Follow the target’s spouse to the grocery store and gently ding his or
her car with your own. Apologize profusely and say that you’d prefer not
to report the accident to your insurance company. Give the spouse much
more money than it would cost to fix the damage (cash is too suspicious;
use a check from an account set up under your NOC). Then further make
nice by giving away one of your samples, like an expensive salt and
pepper set, which will, of course, have a transmitter inside—again,
timed for delayed transmission.

• If you’re concerned that someone is
tapping your mobile or land line, you can always come up with a
prearranged vocabulary of code words to convey messages in the course of
what seems to be an innocent conversation. Or use silent calling, in
which a certain interval of silence between pick-up and hang-up conveys a
message. Five seconds means to do X, 10 seconds is Y, etc.

• Who hasn’t spent sleepless nights
worried about double agents? Moles have existed since the profession of
espionage began. Motivation is the prime criterion in deciding if
someone spying for you is legitimate. Apply the MICE test: Is he working
for you because of the Money, out of Ideology, because he’s being
Coerced or because of his Ego? If he doesn’t score high on any of those
measures, he could be a double.

• If you’re a spy, you have to
communicate, sharing with your handler both operational information and
the product you’ve gathered. Most spies avoid public meetings, and
instead use covert communications (covcom) or clandestine communications
(clancom) to swap information.

Covcom occurs when the message itself
is detectable (though possibly encrypted), but the sender and recipient
are unknown. Classic techniques include using anonymous email accounts
and broadcasting information via radio. Clancom is when the message
itself is hidden. Steganography is the art of hiding information, and
the practice is thousands of years old. In the mid-20th century
microdots were the preferred form of steganography, and spy agencies’
technical services departments vied to outdo their opponents in making
the messages smaller and smaller.

Today spies use computer
steganography, in which the binary codes of photos, videos or music are
modified to contain digital messages. To the naked eye and ear, these
seem to be just any other digital media. But after being downloaded by
the recipient, they can be quickly processed by special software, and
the message extracted.

You might have noticed that I’ve
neglected to offer any insight into one particular aspect of espionage.
In reality, spies rarely assassinate anyone. Accordingly, and for the
sake of personal liability, I thought I’d avoid helpful hints I’ve
learned about targeted killings. If you really need some help in that
department, the best I’ll offer is that drone strikes seem to work
pretty well.

—Mr. Deaver is the author of 27 novels. “Carte Blanche” is due out June 14.

More In Life & Culture

• Email
• Printer Friendly
• Order Reprints
• Share:
  • 

  • 

  • 

  • 

  • 

  • 

  • 

  • 

  • 

  • 

•  

• Journal Community

Add a Comment

We welcome your thoughtful comments. Please comply with our Community rules. All comments will display your real name.

Want to participate in the discussion?

• Register for Free

Or log in or become a subscriber now for complete Journal access.

Track replies to my comment

• Go to Comments tab

• Clear
• Post

Login with Facebook

Share articles and post your comments on Facebook
What’s this?

Available to WSJ.com Subscribers

• 

  Key Allies of J.P. Morgan Chief Are Expected to Leave

• 

  Studies Signal Major Shift in Cancer War

• 

  U.S. Companies Race to Catch Up in Africa

• 

  Drone Attacks Split U.S. Officials

Video

• 
  
  
• 
  
  

• 
   
  

  Plaxico Burress Released From Prison
  

  0:36

• 
   
  

  Competitive Eating Season Heats Up
  

  1:53

• 
   
  

  The Only Good Mine is an Old Mine
  

  3:24

Powered by seatGeek.com

Upcoming Concerts:

• 
  CONCERT
  Katy Perry
  Friday June 17, 2011 at 7:30 pm
  Get Tickets  »
  
  
• 
  CONCERT
  Glee Tour – East Rutherford
  Thursday June 16, 2011 at 8:00 pm
  Get Tickets  »
  
  
• 
  CONCERT
  Stevie Wonder
  Monday June 13, 2011 at 7:00 pm
  Get Tickets  »
  
  
• 
  CONCERT
  New Kids on the Block with Backstreet Boys
  Sunday June 12, 2011 at 7:30 pm
  Get Tickets  »
  
  
• 
  CONCERT
  New Kids on the Block with Backstreet Boys
  Monday June 13, 2011 at 7:30 pm
  Get Tickets  »
  
  

See More Concerts From Seat Geek  »

More in Life & Culture

• Nadal May Not Be Halfway Done
  

• MTV Movie Awards 2011: Photos of the Night
  

• Fifth ‘X-Men’ Grosses $56 Million
  

• Film’s Producer Holds Back Wizardry
  

• Where the World Comes to Dance
  

Most Popular

• Read
• Emailed
• Video
• Commented
• Searches

• 1.

  Violence Flares Up at Israeli Border
  

• 2.

  Hamburg Restaurants Just Say No to Vegetables
  

• 3.

  Time to Buy a Home?
  

• 4.

  Opinion: Noonan: Obama and the Debt Crisis
  

• 5.

  Indian School Law Tests Rich and Poor
  

• Most Read Articles Feed

Latest Headlines

• After the Flood, Farmers Try to Dig In
  

• Questions Linger on Getting Debt Deal
  

• Goldman to Fight Senate Report
  

• Diamond Withdraws as Fed Nominee
  

• High Court Rejects GE Superfund Challenge
  

• Arizona Fires Force More Evacuations
  

• Musician Andrew Gold Dies
  

• Ex-Giant Burress Released From Jail
  

• Santorum Enters Race, Takes Aim at Obama
  

• Range Fires Ignite Dispute
  

• More Headlines

Editors’ Picks

• 

  U.S. Companies Race to Catch Up in Africa
  

• 

  Yemen Leader’s Exit Prompts Joy, Fear
  

• 

  David Skeel: The Real Cost of the Auto Bailouts
  

• 

  The New Best Coupon-Clipping Sites
  

• 

  Sitcom Parodies Draw Blood, Crowds
  

• 

  After the Flood, Farmers Try to Dig In
  

• 

  ‘Annoying Orange’ Gets Merchandise Savvy
  

• 

  Bulls, Bears in Tug of War on Bank Stocks
  

• 

  Range Fires Ignite Dispute
  

• 

  Should Young Adult Books Explore Difficult Issues?
  

• 

  Recall Roundup: Motorcycles With Loose Handlebars
  

 Very interesting article and company   LIGHTBANK   article in this last weekend “s weekend journal:

Groupon’s billionare in waiting:  

in article  ” he ( Eric Lefkofsky ) says  his focus is on Groupon and the more than  20 companies  he and Mr. Keywell have funded through their $100 million fund called LIGHTBANK. ” 

here is a link from their website  lightbank.com 

for a video  from fox:

embeded youtube video on eric lefkofsky and brad keywell by lightbank chicago<object width=”640″ height=”390″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/IDJCZSrW_XY&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3″></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowScriptAccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/IDJCZSrW_XY&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowfullscreen=”true” allowScriptAccess=”always” width=”640″ height=”390″></embed></object>

 I  know i’ve mentioned selfish people before…  and mentioned horrid phone calls before.. but i wanted to mention Joel Osteen’s sermon today…  about  using words to encourage people.. using words to compliment people… and using words to make a person feel better… to change their day possibly change their lives…

 So i have had some people who have made a huge impact on my life by the encouragement they have given me at  different time in my life and then of course there have been the bully girls and boys who have done  nothing but damage my life.. mostly to better their own… i guess…  they are just  selfish.. just  petty and mean spirited .. just rotten to the core.. the people  who twist a conversation into  the wrong conversation.. a bunch of  really horrid girls  who try to continually make me  into this horrid person…. nonsense and lies by twisting what  was  said and how it was said… ..

just today…  i tried to call my mom on 239-598-1515 to tell about a few movies or television programs i thought she might like to see… and to discuss…  or WSJ articles she might like to  talk about….  there was  a movie that i thought she had seen ages ago  and would appreciate that was on the television this morning while i was on the treadmill…  it was with sally field  called “not without my  daughter”  really touching how loyal and devoted this mother was  to bringing her self and her daughter back to America… amidst such a very harsh time period in history…
The way i grew up in Saudi was very different… especially since we were in  an American compound run  by  the oil company…. and both my parents are American…. though we had friends from all over the world… and   got to travel everywhere as well…

anyway… we Skyped and used the phone and  then i got to Skype with Scott… which was nice…   There was this really horrid show about gypsies and travelers… and their  weddings.. and i just had to call and see if my mom had seen it..   the conversation started out alright.. then the conversation got completely twisted… whoever it was on the  phone was trying to make me sound like i was  this horrible daughter…   when in fact we had had a lovely day watching television movies… and even the sunday when she came over and i bought  all these groceries and made both chicken and lamb.. and got her a  cake…  the whole day was fine… was fine until i tried to speak  with her when she was on her second nap of the day…. and she wasn’t acting  like my mom… and i told her so.. and then she wanted to leave…  she even twisted it around to say that i told her to leave.. which i never did….. and this conversation was brought  up on the phone.  and twisted…all around without a moment to defend y self or to say what actually happened…  anyway.. the clever nasty girl on the phone..     then tried to make it sound like i was just mean to my mother.. so i had to remind her the i bought her a cake .. i was the one who took my mom to the Ritz for different holidays.. and bought her presents.. and wrote her all the beautiful cards she has displayed at  her house.. and wrote all the beautiful inscriptions into the books i gave her that  still remain in her  house …

So due to the conversation that wasn’t all that nice…instead of having a phone message of 4 businesses.. i now have a  phone message to my mother’s house that had one message…  and a girl who cackling about how she/ manipulated my life again  probably for the worse right?

when i got to Skype Scott.. and he recognized that i was the original Mary jean Ziska…. its nice to have someone  a friend to recognize me.. instead of the imposters who are not only stealing from my mom.. and from my life and from my business…  

It was also the same person who is bent on making sure that people thinking  the  babysitting  business is her  and only hers… so this brings me to another topic.. about  how  this evil person who is stealing my mother’s business… and has been…. and has used funds intended to make her business and her life better.. for god only knows what…..for example:     ages ago i had someone on the phone make this executive decision to make up new business cards without my mother’s name on them… an without my name  on them… but using the information from her business..   and thus being able to use the company  liability insurance or  what ever it is someone who  steals identities… and I’m assuming now that they steal business identities as well….  So will they be able to  use her liability insurance?  or claim they are the owner or the daughter of the owner?  

Gerard”s  friend from Boston who live d in Marco island…  told me that is what not only Gerard  did this type of scam to steal businesses…  but a company who was a home watch  company had done the same thing… by creating  cards and printed information   using practically the same name …. here is another question..if these criminals have stolen phone numbers… to businesses… by either spoofing or even gaining  access to the voice mail messages.. how long can a legitimate business  last when the criminals are involved? stealing and lying and cheating  everyone out of  a business  hard working and honest people  have put our live our heart and our soul into? 

speaking of twisting conversations…  the person on the phone a couple of times  also mentioned that no one would ever hire me because of the information i put into this blog… that somehow it is my fault  that a bunch of people have stolen from  me.. have lied to me.. and have bullied me… have trespassed… and committed all sorts of crimes and have not been held culpable for any of them .. let alone pay damages or had criminal charges  brought against them  YET…..    the worst part of it.they got away with it.. an no one stopped them.. at least not yet….  but karma.. God… or what ever  you believe…   even joel osteen mentioned speaking nice and  kind words will bring nice and kind words back into your life…  and great people who encourage and support and love you will never   change into mean and horrible people who cut you down or discourage you or lie about you… it just doesn’t work that way….

 so i originally wanted to write about  people who are honest and encouraging… and loving…  and supportive  of your hopes and dreams…  Gloria Fletcher… always told me that he had complete confidence… whatever the situation.. and whether she actually did have complete confidence or not… she told me  she did… whether it was a situation with an old roommate… or a situation in a class or for  project.. or even when i was  dealing with  business or  any situation.. she gave me the confidence to believe in myself… to know that i had problem solving skills.. and to use them to my best  ability…  to create a solution for whatever life might throw my way..

My mother… was another confidence builder and a great dream supporter……. when I  started my  first business… she was right there helping me to make critical decisions.. to tell me everything will be  alright… to encourage me when i didn’t know if i had any talent… and to  tell everyone she knew   about what i was doing and trying to get  to see my portfolio…. HA!  My mom was always there to tell me there was a g
reat guy in my future… that  i deserved a really special and wonderful guy who treated me well… who loved me… and  who could give  me and the family we would create a wonderful life together….

My dad was a man who actually really wanted me to be happy…  he was really proud of how i was independent and went off  to boarding school not acting like  i was afraid… but was  pretty brave … at 14 looking at boarding school as an adventure…. i remember him at the airport ….  giving me a big hug and telling me how proud he was of me… i also remember when i  was grown and had started my own business how  he became my biggest fan…. a business i stated as a hobby… that practically no one thought  i could do.. not because i didn’t have the talent… or the work ethic… or the ambition…  but it seemed to be so uncharacteristic of my personality….    but he always thought i could accomplish  any project… and when he saw finished projects.. i think he was as amazed as i was at times…HA!    

My friend pattie berndt, she was sooo supportive of my starting my own business.. of learning  the ins  and outs of turning my hobby into a business.. and so supportive  of giving  me mentors and clients…

.My sister  Maura…

My sister Mattie……    

 so its almost 11:00pm… actually i tried to call my mom around 10:45pm.. there was this Meryl strep movie on  i think it was called the river… I missed the ending  because i was switching back and forth from t a movie with demi moore… called the juror.. i knew my mom would have loved both movies.. and since the  river was just  started .. i wanted to share that withe her… but instead i got someone who actually sounded drunk..i know my mom barely drinks… and would have actually loved to talk about the movies.. or watch the movies..  but i guess once again i  wasn t’  talking to a friend or to  my mom… since it was her cellphone that called back.. and her cellphone was the person who wanted me to forward the email  that i got from scott renshaw  the one about god that he sent to me…  and  the info on a couple who was looking to purchase a home… i wonder which of the whore to door service girls was on the other end of the phone line… this time..  there is a certain person  who has to go and brush his teeth before his visitors show up and tonight i saw a guy on a golf cart all in light blue outfit… headed  i think to  visit the girl with the gold Cadillac in 1404… same girl  who once was waiting for me to  leave my condo when i was supposed to go to  a movie with an elderly  Irish man i met at church… don’t think it was his daughter..  but  its too weird how these people manipulate lives..and play god… and lie ….

also  this mother on the phone was very unaccepting of me talking  about the “whore to door girls”… so to me when they protest.. like when they stick up for karne kahel… it make me realize that it was not my mom..or my friend… or but possibly one of the actual  girls… or some of her relatives… or someone who wants to steal a life..or an identity… or even a business  there can be no good that comes from lying…    but then i don’t have to live without a conscious.. but i guess since so many of these girls care nothing about anyone but themselves.. well i guess in a way they don’t have to live without a consciousness as well… may god never have mercy on their souls… they ruin lives.. and don’t really even care.. they steal friends.. steal opportunities .. and ruin lives… who do they really think  they are?    i wonder how many actual friends  i have been able to actually speak with  these past 8 years? …last night someone actually remembered  a pop corn popper Jill  burns and i used in college… it almost felt like speaking with  a real friend…and their haven’t been that many of those…. you know real friends… genuine friends.. …  some one who knows you and actually likes you…. and wants to make sure your life  is alright.. and wants to make sure no one is hurting you… and that your hopes and dreams can come true…. no games of taping Skype conversations.. or manipulating phone calls … or trying to make your  life horrid ….

honestly i can’ t wait to sue these people…civilly and criminally….. all  who allowed all of this to happen… who  manipulated all of this for their own selfish intent.. and who condoned the harm and destruction it caused… .

good night fake friends…those of you who were too busy to even pretend to be friends..let alone  family…
 

From: “lsrenshaw@yahoo.com”
<lsrenshaw@yahoo.com>
To:
whatabtmary@yahoo.com
Sent:
Friday, May 27, 2011 2:28 PM
Subject: WSJ.com – Big Banks Join Battle for Online
Payments

* Please note, the sender’s email address has not been verified.       You have received the following link from lsrenshaw@yahoo.com:             Click the following to access the sent link:       WSJ.com – Big Banks Join Battle for Online Payments* This article will be available to non-subscribers of the Online Journal for up to seven days after it is e-mailed.                 Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click here for more information.   *This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your

first  injury of the summer… o.k. little injury… hopefully the only  injury of the summer.. i was walking so much on the treadmill… i got a blister… think it started out fairly small….  but then I kept trying to just put a band aide.. and keep going…  never did anything about it.. and from the toe rubbing on the shoes…  it  went  all raw.. and a bit infected.. and swollen… skyping my mom… she was ready to make me to go to an emergency room… i hate doctors and hospitals… and instead spent a day pouring hydrogen peroxide…  and  guess what?  its actually getting better…. only draw back… is that i cant get on the treadmill for  a few days.. but perhaps.. i can bike ride? or don’t know if the pool is a good idea.. ( not that I’ve really been swimming lately Ha!… but  i remember loking at movies where people are stranded and have to do a tremendous amount of walking  to try to get help….  i remember always thinking that cant really hurt that bad…  or that that they should just  wrap them up and keep moving… or the feet just look  bad …… raw  feet.. but now I’m thinking a bit differently ….  they would really hurt.. and i hope  this doesn’t happen again… even if its just a few toes….   HA!

With the latest buzz on lincked ..  and their stock taking off… i went on Google today to see about one of my favorite services… SKYPE…. i honestly think everyone should have SKYPE.. and have ON STAR…HA!   what great services… and what great businesses….. and by reading  about the company… Skype.. I luv it even  more!   a Swedish company…  I loved visiting Sweden and  met the best people… made  two friends ages ago from Sweden when i went to school in France.. Thomas and Claes…   so i  thought I’d post the info on the company….  but guess there ae no stock options… darn… and  such a great company… oh well…..

Here is the info i am posting on skype…. just  copied and pasted: 

Hi all you Skype Pioneers!

Happy to tell you all that the service works great for me too!

Skype needs very little money which is the great thing about the company!
The financing so far has been achieved through only one outside
investor. The investor (known to date) is Draper Investment Company.,
established by American venture capitalist William H. Draper III.

I agree though that the company idea is just great
We all must realize that the way we can make money
from Skype is by using the service and tell our friends to use it too.
Over time we will save thousands of dollars.

Other interesting facts:

Skype is founded by Niklas Zennstrom from Sweden. The whole management
team is swedish. Sweden is also the home of Ericsson, the largest
manufacturer of mobile phone systems in the world. Zennstrom started his
career within the media conglomerate Kinnevik which operates a fixed
and a mobile phone network in Sweden, the rest of scandinavia and the
baltic states.

Through his work on the webportal Everyday.com, Zennstrom came in touch
with the brilliant estonian software developers that have developed
Skype. First they did it with KaZaa and now they do it with Skype!

Sweden, and particularly Stockholm, was (in the boom-days)called
“Wireless Valley”. The bubble, blew but it is still definitely a good
description of Stockholm and Sweden except it may have to be extended to
“Telecom valley” in order to fully reflect that the innovation such as
the worlds first cell-phone network and the knowledge to create Skype
was created in the swedish research environment.

*World no 1 acclaimed telco quality expertise
*Low-cost expertise
*Abundant access to expert resources since Ericsson has been cutting back in their workforce.

Just too bad that it had to be an american investor that put all the money into Skype…

Skype (or Skyper as originally called) was founded in july 2002 with the
company description: “Developing software focused on next generation
resource sharing for mobile communications”. The seed round of financing
was completed on Oct 2, 2002. Geoffrey Prentice is the one in charge of
financing issues.

I am afraid that that the Telcos (including Sweden’s Ericsson through
its traditional customers ) should be really shaken up by this TRULY
DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY!!!
Read the bestselling books of Harvard Professor Christensen and you know what I’m talking about.

Myself, I just love this kind of entrepreneurship!

Keep up the good work guys

Kick Mr Gates’ ass.
And for all of us: NEVER turn any P2P-service into a proprietary
platform that puts restraints on societal development. The success
depends, and only depends on the feeling of sharing! All you inventors
will get your monetary benefits anyway, trust me.

 So that movie was on last night again… the one  with a the karne kahel  look alike… thought she was  British  heavier she has the same face oh and with red hair instead of blond hair… … same face as the  little girl  who stole my khaki  cashmere sweater… 

It was called  the bad mother’s handbook.… the actress  who actually played a woman named karen was:  Catherine Tate 

i copied and pasted the info… if your interested… I  almost laugh at the irony….  life imitating art.. or art imitating life… i couldn’t watch  most of the  movie…especially when she played this horrid and mean person…who  verbally abused and belittled her daughter…. her own daughter…  uck… since it was on tv. I’m assuming that somehow she had this transformation and probably became this caring and thoughtful person.. .. but  then not all televisions shows are anything like real life… right?

The Bad Mother’s Handbook

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009)

The Bad Mother’s Handbook
The Bad Mother’s Handbook DVD Cover
Genre	Comedy drama
Starring	Catherine Tate Anne Reid Holly Grainger Robert Pattinson
Music by	Mark Russell
Country	United Kingdom
Original channel	ITV
Release date	February 19, 2007
Running time	90 minutes

The Bad Mother’s Handbook was a one-off television drama based on the best-selling novel: The Bad Mother’s Handbook by Kate Long. It was broadcast on ITV on 19 February 2007, starring Catherine Tate, Anne Reid, Holly Grainger and Robert Pattinson. According to BARB, the show received strong viewing figures of 6.09 million^[1].

[edit] Plot

The Bad Mother’s Handbook depicts the story of one year in the lives
of three women. In this television adaptation of Kate Long’s best
selling novel, Catherine Tate plays Karen, who is a frustrated woman in
her thirties whose whole life and identity are shattered when she
discovers a long-kept secret. Holly Grainger plays Karen’s clever and
hormonal teenage daughter Charlotte, while Anne Reid appears as Karen’s
mother, Nan, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Robert Pattinson is also
a supporting character as lovable yet nerdy, Daniel Gale. The movie
presents an insight into the life of motherhood and childhood, dwelling
on the themes that no two mothers are alike, but that ultimately love is
the most important thing of all.