Step Up 3D

Really... Another Step Up movie? Wasn't the first one enough??? Apparently not.

Step Up 3D is about a tight-knit group of New York City street dancers, including Luke (Malambri) and Natalie (Vinson), team up with NYU freshman Moose (Sevani), and find themselves pitted against the world's best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.

I dreaded going to this movie, but ended up enjoying it. The dancing is amazing... It makes the rest of the movie a little better.

McDonald's faces lawsuit over Happy Meals

Weeks after a Silicon Valley county became the first in the nation to ban toys from McDonald's Happy Meals and other food promotions aimed at children, a public health watchdog group called on the fast food giant to remove the playthings from all its meal packages.

Citing toys aimed at promoting the latest "Shrek" movie, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said that the plastic promotions lure children into McDonald's restaurants where they are then likely to order food that is too high in calories, fat and salt.

The organization on Tuesday served the fast food giant with a letter expressing its intent to sue if toys are not removed. The letter is legally required in several states, including California, before lawsuits can be brought under consumer protection statutes.

"McDonald's is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children," Stephen Gardner, litigation director for the advocacy group said in a statement. "McDonald's use of toys undercuts parental authority and exploits young children's developmental immaturity."

McDonald's disagreed strongly with that characterization, saying that its meals were "right-sized for kids" and that it offered healthful choices. Toys, said spokesman William Whitman, are "just one part of a fun, family experience at McDonald's."

The chain's menu now includes the option of apple slices instead of French fries, he said. And children can order milk or juice with their Happy Meals rather than soda. Since the apple slices, called "Apple Dippers" by the company because they include a caramel sauce for dipping, were introduced in 2008, customers have ordered them more than 100 million times in the U.S., Whitman said.

In April, Santa Clara County supervisors won praise from nutrition advocates but ridicule from many conservatives when they voted to ban toy promotions from fast food meals sold in unincorporated parts of the county. The supervisors gave fast food chains 90 days to voluntarily comply before the ordinance became effective.

Opponents of toys in fast food meals say the promotions are feeding the nation's obesity epidemic by making unhealthy food seem more desirable to children. But the food industry says that healthier choices are now available to children — and urges parents to take responsibility for what their kids order.

Courtesy of: LA Times

Joran van der Sloot Exclusive: FBI Not To Blame Says Ex-Agent Paul Lindsay

NEW YORK (CBS) Ever since the news broke that the FBI may have inadvertently funded Joran van der Sloot's trip to Peru, where he has now reportedly confessed to killing Stephany Flores, the agency has come under intense scrutiny and criticism, with some saying the Bureau is directly responsible for Flores' death.

So did the FBI fund the murder of a young Peruvian woman?

Crimesider spoke to ex-FBI homicide detective Paul Lindsay who says it's not as simple as that.

The problem, according to Lindsay, begins with good intentions and ends with jurisdictional limitations, mainly that the FBI has no jurisdiction run investigative operations in foreign countries.

Lindsay says FBI investigators probably thought that if they could get van der Sloot in a room with the alleged extortion money and get him to tell them the location of Natalee Holloway's body, that knowledge would be the same as a confession, and then Aruban authorities would be able to swoop in and arrest van der Sloot for murder.

That's because, Lindsay says, that's what they do in the US.

Lindsay says that the FBI formula for extortion stings is, "set 'em up, pay 'em off, get 'em to talk, never let them leave the room without handcuffs on."

It's that last step that has the FBI in hot water; they let van der Sloot leave the room. But, according to Lindsay, the FBI didn't have the power to stop him.

Lindsay believes that, because the Aruban police were calling the shots and the FBI was forced into the passenger seat by jurisdictional limitations, and because the Aruban police had already been burned by van der Sloot's "confessions" in the Holloway case more than once, those same police went the "trust but verify" route.

"They probably wanted to check [van der Sloot's] story" before arresting him and taking the chance of getting embarrassed by another false lead provided by a notoriously misleading suspect, Lindsay says.

But another important reason why Lindsay says the buck doesn't stop at the FBI's door lies in the payoff itself.

The FBI says it didn't provide the funds that were wired to van der Sloot's account - that the money came from "private funds." But Lindsay tells Crimesider that no matter where the money came from, the FBI can't legally be held responsible for how it was used.

He says the Bureau is no more responsible for Stephany Flores' murder than "you would be if your carburetor broke down and the guy you paid to fix it uses that money to buy a gun and kill somebody."

Lindsay said it's hard to know what went wrong with the investigation but he believes that the Birmingham-based FBI agents truly wanted to solve Natalee's case and bring justice to her family, even if they had to settle for "OJ justice" and bust van der Sloot for the lesser crime they could prove, rather than the greater crime they couldn't.

Courtesy of: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20007505-504083.html

Joran van der Sloot Confession: Defense Says It's Bogus

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) Joran van der Sloot's new attorney says his client's confession doesn't hold water - and he's asking a judge to throw it out, saying it was made without proper representation.

Van der Sloot's attorney, Maximo Altez, said Thursday that his client's confession was void on the grounds that he made it in the presence of a defense lawyer who was appointed by police.

But the chief of Peru's criminal police, Gen. Cesar Guardia, dismissed the lawyer's claim, saying that not only was van der Sloot properly represented by his government-appointed defense attorney, the Dutch translator present during the interrogation was assigned by the Dutch Embassy.

"The incriminatory elements were so powerful that he had to confess," Guardia said, adding that the evidence included blood stains found on Van der Sloot's clothing.

Van der Sloot was moved Thursday across downtown Lima, protected by a bulletproof vest, to a cell at the prosecutor's office where officials were preparing to file charges in the May 30 killing of Stephany Flores, who police say he met playing poker at a casino three days earlier.

Altez could not be reached directly for comment, but a person answering his cell phone identified himself as the lawyer's secretary and said Altez was unavailable. Later calls went unanswered.

If tried and convicted on murder charges, Van der Sloot would face from 15 to 35 years in prison.

Courtesy of: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20007436-504083.html

Joran Van Der Sloot Arrested

Joran Vander Sloot, Top suspect in the murder of 21-year-old Peruvian girl, Stephany Flores Ramirez, was arrested by the police in Chile some days ago where he was busy watching Latin America Poker Tour. He was handed over to Peruvian police through Inter Pol. Authorities knew that he played Poker so they continued keeping their eyes at poker events. Gen. Cesar Guardia, chief of Peru’s criminal police, said that they did not want to give information of this case due to the sensitivity of the case. Last year, he had won over $12,000 at Party Poker while he also plays Titan Poker. The news of his arrest was confirmed by high officials who said that it was a great victory for them and they have continued working on both of the cases.

21-year-old Stephany was brutally killed in her hotel room last month. He was suspected in this case due to two reasons, first, the hotel that was registered after his name second, a video was also surfaced which showed van der Sloot and the victim together. That footage was taken just one day before her murder. Criminal lawyer, Julio Rodriguez, said that van der Sloot could be sent in jail for a term of 35 years. Moreover, the court could send him in jail for life.

Natalie Holloway was another girl known as the victim of this man who was kidnapped during his high school trip in Aruba in 2005. Though, van der Sloot was caught for several times but he never charged. The arrest would be a great relief for the souls of these two innocent girls.

Courtesy of: http://news.puggal.com/joran-van-der-sloot-40761/

Ruby's Diner in Rancho shuts down without notice

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – The Ruby's Diner in Plaza Antonio permanently closed its doors Monday – much to the surprise of diners and employees.

The restaurant closure was effective immediately Monday morning, Ruby's vice president of marketing Kimberly Myers said.

Irvine-based Ruby Restaurant Group had been in the process of purchasing the Rancho location out of bankruptcy since October. It had been a franchise operation owned by John D. Gantes, who operated 110 restaurants in four states until he filed for bankruptcy in late 2008.

Myers was unable to comment on the amount of debt left behind by Gantes. However, she said Ruby Restaurant Group viewed the bankruptcy as a good opportunity to "get full control of the assets."

However, "it (the location) needed to be delivered free and clear of liens, and that was unable to happen, so we were unable to complete the acquisition," Myers said.

Myers called Monday's closure "recent activity, all transpiring in recent days." Myers said employees were not notified until today because it had all happened so quickly, but that managers had been notified several days ago.

A manager who picked up the phone at the Plaza Antonio location declined to comment except to say "we're done here" and that she was busy packing the place.

The Plaza Antonio location had 44 employees, Myers said. She said the company is extending offers to relocate as many employees as possible to other Ruby's locations.

Customers were surprised by news of the closure. Coto de Caza resident Victoria Corbin said she was saddened.

"I would take my mother-in-law there every Wednesday for breakfast ... the atmosphere in there was so nice for her to enjoy," Corbin said.

Corbin said they were such frequent customers that their servers usually knew their order without having to ask.

"Everybody there was just so friendly and nice," Corbin said. "It's just going to be sad that it's going to be gone.... I think it's going to be really missed."

Contact the writer: 949-454-7343 or kchu@ocregister.com

Courtesy of: http://www.ocregister.com

A Little Bit Of Everything Blog Introduction

I LOVE trying new things... The latest, the greatest, I have to try them ALL. I try everything from new make-up, hair things, workout DVDs, to the latest sports-bras! I am always sharing with my friends and family, my latest finds. And I figured I would also share them with everyone else. Stay tuned for the latest and greatest!