Luxe Jewelry on webblog

August 8, 2010

Woman accused of stealing jewelry from dying frien

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 11:23 pm

A Barre woman who allegedly called 911 as her friend lay dying, then stripped the woman of her jewelry and credit cards as the ambulance arrived,tiffany key rings, has been charged with larceny.

Amy Grandone, 45, of 188 Broad St., Barre,tiffany bangles, called 911 July 28 to report that her friend, Elizabeth A. O’Brien of South Barre, was ill and needed an ambulance. Ms. O’Brien, 44, died after being taken to the hospital. Police became suspicious when Ms. Grandone brought the dead woman’s purse to the police station later that day instead of giving it to her family members who were at the hospital.

Court documents show that when the purse was returned to Ms. O’Brien’s husband, he noticed several items missing and the family later called police to say some of Ms. O’Brien’s jewelry could not be found.

Sgt. Robert J. Deschenes said he questioned Ms. Grandone,tiffany money clips, who at first denied taking anything. She later admitted that Ms. O’Brien owed her money "and if she was going to die the only way she could get her money back was to secure the jewelry and pawn it," according to a police report. She wrote in a statement, "The bracelets I took off when I heard the ambulance arrive. There were 3. All were gold – 2 had stones and one did not."

Ms. Grandone also told police Ms. O’Brien had given her jewelry several days earlier, including a necklace and a watch. Police recovered the missing jewelry from a Gardner pawn shop,tiffany pendants, the report said.

No cause of Ms. O’Brien’s death is listed in the police report.

In Western Worcester District Court yesterday, Ms. Grandone was released on personal recognizance, although Assistant District Attorney John F. Kennedy argued for a $10,000 bail, given the nature of the allegations.

She is charged with one count each of larceny of property valued at more than $250 and larceny of credit cards. She was ordered to stay away from Ms. O’Brien’s family, to surrender her passport and not to leave the state.

August 7, 2010

When Words Go Lightly to Screen

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 6:42 pm

The metamorphosis from paper to celluloid is never smooth, and the film "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" (1961) presented Paramount studios with an array of difficulties. Sam Wasson’s account of the making of the movie covers them all. En route, "Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M."–as appropriately slender as the 1958 Truman Capote novella from which the film was made–offers lots of savory tidbits. Capote,Tiffany earrings, for example, wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the lead character, Holly Golightly. Monroe’s acting coach,Tiffany bangles, Paula Strasberg, refused to let America’s reigning sex symbol impersonate "a lady of the evening," and the part went to Audrey Hepburn, who didn’t really want it.

"To think," Mr. Wasson begins, that the movie "almost didn’t come off . . . that the censors were railing against the script, that the studio wanted to cut ‘Moon River,’ that [director] Blake Edwards didn’t know how to end it." That Capote’s work "was considered unadaptable," Mr. Wasson writes, "seems almost funny today."

No, it doesn’t. The novella was unadaptable. Although the movie is fondly remembered by those who were very young in 1961, Capote’s acute character studies of a blithe, air-headed "socialite" who escorted wealthy men around Manhattan after dark, and of her colorful in-group, were hammered into a cinematic gallery of grotesques.

Caparisoned in smashing Givenchy ensembles and wielding a cigarette holder the size of a javelin, Audrey Hepburn did some elegant posing in lieu of acting; George Peppard was rigid and humorless as a romantic leading man–a hint of what was to come when he starred in the TV series "The A-Team." To bottom it all off, Mickey Rooney,Tiffany rings, badly miscast as Mr. Yunioshi, Holly’s Japanese neighbor, delivered a racist caricature.

There were a few alleviating moments–Buddy Ebsen as the yokel whom Holly Golightly married when she was 14; Patricia Neal as the woman who regards Peppard’s character as her boy-toy. Alas, they couldn’t hide an absence of plot, theme or wit. But because Capote is one of the central literary and social figures of 20th-century New York, because Audrey Hepburn became the most memorable Hollywood gamine since Lillian Gish, and because Blake Edwards went on to direct the Inspector Clouseau comedies, "Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M." (the title refers to the moment when Hepburn was filmed arriving at Tiffany’s in a cab) is as compelling as it is trivial.

A producer tries to convince Audrey that she’d be an ideal Holly. "You have a wonderful script," the star demurs, "but I can’t play a hooker." He purrs: "We don’t want to make a movie about a hooker. We want to make a movie about a dreamer of dreams." And she buys the line. In an effort to sanitize Paramount’s portrait of a demimondaine, the studio publicity department churned out reams of flapdoodle, defining Holly as a "kook" rather than a B-girl. After all, as one of the publicists observes, "the star is Audrey Hepburn, not Tawdry Hepburn."

A talent rep at Creative Management Associates pushes Mickey Rooney for the part of Mr. Yunioshi. A few years later, the rep finds himself meeting with another client, the director Akira Kurosawa. Chill time. "When he realized that I had been involved with the decision to cast Mickey Rooney as a Japanese man, he almost couldn’t talk to me. I felt awful. I was so embarrassed."

Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a co-founder of Ms. Magazine, thanks "Breakfast at Tiffany‘s" for her feminist liberation. To her, as to many other co-eds of the time, the movie represented the dawn of the modern woman. In their eyes, as she recounts to Mr. Wasson, Holly Golightly "was a single girl living a life of her own, and she could have an active sex life that wasn’t morally questionable. I had never seen that before." Inspired to adopt some of Holly’s "kookiness" for herself, Letty went out and bought a scooter, a dog, a rabbit and a duck.

The reviews were mixed, but Capote did not waver in his appraisal. The book, he said, was "rather bitter" and "real," but the film was "a mawkish valentine to New York City and Holly and, as a result, was thin and pretty, whereas it should have been rich and ugly. It bore as much resemblance to my work as the Rockettes do to [the Russian ballerina Galina] Ulanova."

Mr. Wasson brings a lively and impudent approach to his subject–he offers sub-headings like "Mr. Audrey Hepburn" (referring to Mel Ferrer, Hepburn’s unhappy husband) and "What Truman Capote Does in Bed" (he writes). Most of the anecdotes have a ring of authenticity, justifying the price of admission. Still,Tiffany bracelets, those of us old enough to have consumed the under-nourishing film the first time around should have the right to demand a senior discount.

Mr. Kanfer, a contributing editor of City Journal, is the author of "Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando" (2008).

August 5, 2010

Scents and self-representation

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 6:46 pm

 

"Whoop, whoop!" went the girls. Weep, weep! went the emotional super-fans. At Harrods last week, Jennifer Aniston (pictured) followed Britney Spears, Julio Iglesias and Luciano Pavarotti and launched her own perfume.

I sprayed a sample in the air and sniffed. "Jen sprays and then walks into the fragrance," said the PR person. "That’s so that you don’t over-spritz," Aniston told me. The scent was sweet, clean and sexy, with a top note of jasmine. "It was one of those first sense memory things," said Aniston of the flower,tiffany, one of her favourite childhood smells. "I had a specific idea of what I wanted that [fragrance] to be: a representation of myself, not what some ad agency’s representation of myself was. I’m usually pretty much misrepresented all the time." Not this time. According to Laurent Le Guernec, senior perfumer at International Flavors & Fragrances,Tiffany key rings, and official celebrity "nose", who has worked with Sarah Jessica Parker, Jay-Z and Sean John: "Jennifer was involved from the beginning – more than other celebrities". Aniston appeared at the first meeting with her favourite smells ("a candle, a L’Oreal hair serum, and a body lotion that I love"), and it was she who decided on the name: "It was in the 11th hour, so I was like,Tiffany pendants, ‘excuse me but f*** it, let’s just call it ‘Jennifer’." But will I wear it? Yes, it’s light and pretty and perfect for the day; it isn’t as cloying as celebrity fragrances – "Kate", one of Kate Moss’s earlier efforts,Tiffany bangles, comes to mind – and its sleek packaging is discreet enough to open in front of the family at Christmas without incurring extreme humiliation. But I like to smell of me, not someone else. Fortunately for Aniston, there are thousands of super-fans who disagree. ‘Jennifer’ is on sale at Harrods: 50ml, pound(s)29; 85ml, pound(s)36

Credit: By Nicola Copping

Launches with Partnerships with Beauty Gurus Laure

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 6:46 pm

Bellezabandida.com, the world’s first and only bilingual,Tiffany bangles, private sale event website focused on luxury beauty and lifestyle products, is launching with partnerships with acclaimed makeup artist and YouTube sensation Lauren Luke and celebrity stylist Ric Pipino, announced Diane Rankin, the company’s president and co-founder. The members-only site will enable visitors to browse, sample and buy prestige products from new and established brand names from around the world at prices discounted up to 70% off retail.

Luke will create a one-of-a-kind Latina "eye" especially for bellezabandida’s members and offer her popular cosmetics on the site. Pipino will offer his unique "hair care for your haircut" solution for all women.

"We created bellezabandida to redefine and improve online shopping for prestige beauty products and unite all women in a celebration of beauty," said Rankin, part of the company’s team of nationally known beauty,tiffany, technology,Tiffany earrings, product development, marketing and business leaders. "We’re passionate about making luxury products more accessible to all women,Tiffany pendants, including Latinas, whom we believe will be very excited about our bellezabandida’s affordable prices, selection of top-quality products and social shopping features."

"We’re thrilled about our partnerships with Lauren Luke and Ric Pipino, who share our vision to help all women enhance the distinct qualities that make each of them uniquely beautiful," Rankin added. "These world-renowned beauty and style experts are the first of several who will become part of bellezabandida’s platform and support our mission."

Keywords: Bellezabandida.com.

Green fashions, jewelry + beauty for the eco-trend

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 6:44 pm

GreenEnvy, an online retailer of eco-friendly fashion,Tiffany bangles, jewelry, beauty products and accessories has recently launched its official website, LoveGreenEnvy.com. GreenEnvy offers eco-trendy consumers everyday fashion, beauty, jewelry and accessory products with an environmental twist.

"We created a collection of trendy everyday products that gave consumers eco-friendly and ethical options across all fashion and beauty categories," said Cindy Keizman of GreenEnvy.

GreenEnvy has also recently expanded its jewelry line with the introduction of 15 new items. Made using the most fashionable recycled or reclaimed metals,Tiffany Sets, wood and threads, the new earrings are perfect for every occasion.

Other products include flip flops made from recycled rubber, organic and natural fabric clothing and bags, a complete line of bath and beauty products that are non-toxic and even organic snacks.

Additionally, GreenEnvy is dedicated to supporting organizations that are committed to creating an equitable and sustainable world, and has set up a charitable giving program whereby a portion of each sale goes to a different green charity every month.

About GreenEnvy

GreenEnvy, www.LoveGreenEnvy.com,Tiffany Watches, is the brainchild of a trendy, international fashion designer and a philanthropic, business savvy vegetarian! With experience, trend awareness and a dedication to environmentally responsible fashion and beauty products, GreenEnvy’s team of designers have developed a line of products that utilize recycled materials, organic fabrics,Tiffany key rings, and natural ingredients – reducing the impact on our environment and your health.

SOURCE GreenEnvy

August 4, 2010

Online fashion seller ModCloth finds social commer

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 8:46 pm

On a recent Wednesday, a collection of young writers gathers on couches in the corner of an office in the Strip District. It’s a meeting that brings them together every morning at 10:30.

A daschund dozes off on one writer’s lap as 31-year-old blogger Richard Brown, a lover of all things "Star Trek" and Western wear, leads the discussion.

Wearing a black and teal bolo, he holds up clothes, jewelry and other knickknacks as if he’s playing show and tell. His colleagues throw out catchy names for the items to post on the company’s website.

"Grape Expectations" for a "stylishly novel" purple dress, "Strike a Rose" for a floral top and "Truffle Shuffle" for a pair of mushroom salt and pepper shakers.

It’s another brainstorming session for one of the fastest growing fashion start-ups in the region — ModCloth.

This online retailer,Tiffany Money Clips, begun in 2002 by high school sweethearts Eric and Susan Gregg Koger, has become something of a Cinderella story.

It started the summer before Eric and Susan, living in Florida at the time, entered college at Carnegie Mellon University. Susan, now 25, who loved "thrifting," often bought more clothes than she could wear, so Eric, now 26,Tiffany bracelets, suggested selling the excess online. After graduating from CMU in 2006,Tiffany bangles, the young couple decided to expand their small, dorm-room business into a full-time enterprise, offering women all over the world vintage-inspired clothing from independent designers.

Blossoming into a successful business — with an office in the Strip District and distribution center on the South Side near Station Square — ModCloth became profitable in 2009 and now employs more than 150 people.

Last year, Mr. Koger told Bloomberg Businessweek that ModCloth earned around $1 million a month in sales and more than 1.25 million people visit the website monthly.

The Kogers, now married and living in Friendship, announced plans to again expand their operations after raising $19.8 million in funding from Accel Partners. The company moved its new headquarters to San Francisco in May and opened a supply chain operation in Los Angeles.

The Pittsburgh offices will continue to serve as the hub for customer support and distribution.

ModCloth has five buyers traveling all over America to search for inventory that suits the company’s style. Eighteen percent of its revenue comes from international customers and about 70 percent of the inventory comes from California, which is one of the main reasons why ModCloth moved its headquarters there.

Its top four designers are Coral & Jade Apparel, BB Dakota, Tulle and Ryu.

When it started, ModCloth sold exclusively vintage products. Since 2006,Tiffany Sets, the company has added vintage-inspired clothing. The company posts between 10 and 55 vintage-inspired products and one or two vintage items on the website daily.

"The vintage items sell quickly because they’re one of a kind, more special. We don’t have as many vintage items anymore," said ModCloth’s merchandising manager Ashley Guge. "But at the heart, we’re still vintage."

Modcloth employees take great care in how they present their products on the website.

Its products arrive at the Strip District office on Smallman Street from the distribution center. Workers steam the clothes, prep them and put them on mannequins to be photographed.

The photographers shoot through the computer and the images are transferred to image specialists who edit the pictures. Since customers don’t see the actual product before they buy it, one difficult part of this process is making sure that the picture looks like the product. After this process is finished, the product goes onto the website.

There are no desks or cubicles in ModCloth’s Strip District office — just oddly shaped tables with flat-screen computer monitors and an assortment of dogs that come to the office as often as the employees do. A Pomeranian, a Jack Russell terrier, a Yorkie and several pugs roam the office or sit obediently next to their owners’ sides. Susan Koger’s pug, Winston, is the company’s mascot.

At the brainstorming session, the writers discuss and manage the company’s newsletters, stylebook and blog.

Each of the writers’ projects varies throughout the week. They blog three to five posts a day about fashion, food, music, books and more.

Aside from interacting with customers on Facebook and Twitter, ModCloth has a popular feature on its website called "Be the Buyer," in which customers can choose which clothes they like. The products that get the most votes become part of ModCloth’s inventory. Shoppers can vote on items they want to see in stock, help name and describe products and suggest styling tips.

"We’re trying to democratize fashion so a lot of the features like ‘Be the Buyer’ allow our customers to choose items that wouldn’t have gone into production otherwise," said Alicia Barnes, 25, ModCloth’s public relations manager. "We want to continue with features like that and make the site more of a community and more of a social shopping experience for customers."

Last November, Modcloth added ModStylists to its staff to act as personal shopping assistants and to answer shopping and style questions. The ModStylists guide customers and give advice from how to accessorize to what to wear to an event.

"Our department offers style advice to our customers and they can chat, e-mail or call us … live chats are our most popular medium," said Nicole Czapinski, 26, a ModStylist, wearing a bird-shaped, plastic pin in her hair.

Sharon Vaknin, a blogger for CNET News, wrote that it’s rare for a company to have such an interactive relationship with its customers.

"Without the customer-company separation, ModCloth is more like a best friend who gives you fashion advice, shares her favorite recipes, and joins your book club," she wrote in March. "Wait, we’re still talking about a clothing store, right?"

Mrs. Koger said the interaction has been effective.

"We have genuine conversations with our customers and listen to their opinions through social networking, our blog and ideas like ‘Be the Buyer,’ " she said.

"ModCloth is my life’s work and what I’m passionate about, so I hope that we’re able to continue to grow and do new, innovative things."

Sonya Chun: schun@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1944.

August 3, 2010

Investigation alleges smuggling into Anchorage jai

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 11:25 pm

A state corrections officer helped members of a major drug conspiracy smuggle cocaine, heroin and marijuana — as well as syringes — into the Anchorage jail, where he passed the drugs to a prisoner who then sold them to other inmates, according to the U.S. attorney.

Patrick Sherman, 46, is one of eight defendants recently indicted on federal drug conspiracy charges in the case, which involved drugs being smuggled to Alaska in secret compartments in coolers,Tiffany Money Clips, with thousands of dollars in profits being sent to Central America.

The person authorities claim was Sherman’s drug source, 26-year-old Brandy Leanne Barnes, was also indicted on drug conspiracy charges following the two-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Alaska State Troopers, the U.S. attorney said.

How long Sherman, who goes by "2.5," had dealt drugs in the jail isn’t known. Authorities investigating the drug ring turned their attention his way in December 2008 after learning that Barnes had been calling someone in the jail, Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Russo said.

Investigators got phone recordings of Barnes talking with an unnamed prisoner and realized that Sherman was helping them smuggle drugs and syringes into the jail and that Barnes was paying Sherman for each delivery, he said.

"They were delivering to him drugs, and those drugs were being distributed in the jail,Tiffany key rings," Russo said. "He received the prepackaged controlled substances from Barnes herself and others, and then he delivered drugs to someone who was an inmate. That inmate then resold them inside the jail."

Sherman started with the Department of Corrections on Sept. 5, 2003, and left the job on Feb. 4, 2009, said Darice Walter, a human resources manager with the Department of Administration.

The Department of Corrections said Sherman had worked only at the Anchorage jail before he resigned two months after the drug dealing surfaced. The department declined to comment further.

Court records indicate Sherman was released from custody on $10,000 unsecured bond Thursday. His lawyer did not return a call seeking comment.

The source of the drugs was a conspiracy that imported and sold more than five kilograms of cocaine,Tiffany pendants, more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, more than one kilogram of heroin as well as Oxycodone, according to prosecutors.

The drugs were imported by Daniel Isaac Meza, 35, and Edwin Giovanni Enriquez, 32, who distributed the dope to a network of associates, according to prosecutors. The conspirators frequently disposed their cell phones to avoid detection and smuggled the drugs in blue Coleman coolers they had altered to accommodate drugs hidden in the walls.

"It was fairly sophisticated," Russo said. "You have to destroy two coolers to make one. Basically you take out the insulation and put the two coolers together without the insulation and it makes convenient pockets for drugs of up to five kilos."

The indictment alleges that more than 100 grams of heroin were found in Meza’s freezer in July and that Meza and Enriquez’s subordinates sold cocaine or methamphetamine to government informants more than 20 times.

Meza and Enriquez are accused of distributing the drugs to several wholesale dealers below them, including Barnes and two unnamed co-conspirators, who in turn distributed it to dealers Billy Walter Fuller, 40, and Cori Jean Hillar, 38, the indictment says.

The indictment alleges that Fuller regularly got cocaine in amounts of up to 10 ounces and passed it out to smaller dealers including Michael George Raab, 44, and Debbie Beisinaiz, 41.

All were charged with the drug conspiracy, and Meza and Raab were also charged with multiple counts of international money laundering relating to drug trafficking for allegedly sending drug proceeds to Mexico, Columbia and El Salvador on multiple occasions in an attempt to conceal the source of the money,Tiffany bangles, according to the Internal Revenue Service, which helped in the investigation.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

Ex-assistant county attorney is accused of importi

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 11:24 pm

A former assistant Hennepin County attorney was accused in charges filed Thursday of running a high-dollar online prostitution ring that connected women from other countries with regular customers dubbed "Minnesota Nice Guys."

It’s been more than two years since Minneapolis police started looking at alleged ringleader John St. Marie and a customer list of 30 business owners,Tiffany necklaces, lawyers, accountants and mortgage bankers in their early 40s to mid-60s who allegedly met the women at some of Minneapolis’ finest hotels.

The group got its name because members had clean backgrounds, regarded themselves as above mistreating the women and paid well, investigators said. One women charged her clients $500 an hour.

St. Marie, 66, was charged with six felony counts of promoting prostitution, but none of the Nice Guys has yet to be charged. Police presented cases to the Minneapolis city attorney’s office, which is reviewing them for possible misdemeanor prostitution charges.

Jim Dahlquist, St. Marie’s attorney, said that although a long time elapsed between the start of the investigation and the charges, "I’m sure they [authorities] will have an explanation that will be somewhat plausible."

The accusations against St. Marie became public in a Star Tribune article more than a year ago. St. Marie declined to comment Thursday.

The charges were filed in neighboring Ramsey County to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. County Attorney Susan Gaertner said the charging delay was due to the case’s complexity and her office’s need to place a higher priority on cases with a higher public safety concern.

The year-long Nice Guys investigation, headed by the police department’s Violent Offender Task Force,Tiffany bangles, also helped bring down MyFastPass.com, the Twin Cities’ largest locally owned prostitution website. The site was started in 2005 by a 47-year-old Woodbury woman who ran an illicit massage business in downtown Minneapolis for several years. Investigators discovered a database of more than 350 prostitutes and johns using her site, according to documents. The woman hasn’t been charged.

Investigators said the Nice Guys ring was one of the most unusual they’ve seen in Minnesota and that its activities show just how sophisticated sex-trafficking networks have become. The group operated for three years, its members getting weekly e-mails advertising women who flew into town from Florida.

The investigation started in July 2008 after Sgt. Matt Wente and his partner, Sgt. Grant Snyder, got an anonymous e-mail from a john who said St. Marie was supplying illegal immigrants for prostitution. According to police, the e-mailer made contact with St. Marie at the Erotic Review, an international website for self-described "hobbyists" looking for high-dollar escorts.

On the site, St. Marie had "high status" because he was frequently praised in reviews for the quality of women he lured to Minnesota, police said.

St. Marie booked the women’s flights and rooms and scheduled trysts between them and the other Nice Guys, the charges said. None of the women was forced into prostitution, but police said many fell into the business because they needed money. None is from the United States.

Police did surveillance in hotel rooms of several johns who were set up by women who worked for St. Marie but cooperated with police once the investigation began. The women shared customer lists with investigators and at their direction scheduled more appointments with the Nice Guys, the charges said.

One time, police said, they saw a man drive to his son’s baseball game after a hotel rendezvous St. Marie arranged.

Police recorded a conversation between St. Marie and a prostitute about her appointments at a townhouse in Chaska, the charges said. The woman told police that in exchange for sex, St. Marie paid for her airline tickets and hotel stays,Tiffany key rings, the charges said. Investigators posed as Nice Guys online and had conversations in which St. Marie admitted "that he was a pimp,Tiffany Watches," the charges said.

At various times, investigators detained, interviewed and released at least six Nice Guys. Police found one of the women’s appointment schedules during a search of St. Marie’s computer. St. Marie has never been arrested in connection with the case, and his attorney said Thursday he has cooperated with authorities. St. Marie, who uses a wheelchair because of childhood polio, started the Nice Guys ring shortly after he retired from the Hennepin County attorney’s office in 2003, police say. St. Marie didn’t prosecute cases, but spent most of his 28-year career representing social service agencies and approving or revoking family foster care licenses.

He also worked in the office’s Human Services Division, civilly committing mentally ill and chemically dependent people.

St. Marie can move only his neck and the fingers of his left hand. He said he feels relatively healthy but as a child never expected to make it to 66. Gaertner said his health would be most relevant if the case "gets to sentencing or the disposition phase."

David Chanen –612-673-4465

Washington Credit Union Cracks Card Skimming Ring

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 11:23 pm

A worker at a local Wendy’s restaurant in Seattle was arrested yesterday, along with two alleged accomplices, and charged with identity theft after she allegedly used a "skimmer" to steal credit card information from as many as 135 customers.

The investigation was initiated by the King County Sheriff’s office after evidence was brought to it by a fraud investigator at Washington-based credit union BECU, who had linked violations to several member accounts to the Tukwila Wendy’s restaurant on International Boulevard. "The credit union notified them of fraudulent credit card activity,Tiffany bangles," Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecutor’s office told Credit Union Journal yesterday.

The Wendy’s worker was identified as 33-year-old Maria DeHoyos-Ortiz. During the nine-month investigation that followed, King County detectives came to believe DeHoyos-Ortiz was lifting credit card information using a handheld "skimmer," a credit card reader that stored identifying information contained on a card’s magnetic strip. That information was copied onto forged credit cards, which were then used at Puget Sound-area stores.

A search of DeHoyos-Ortiz’s home and car uncovered 14 Playstation 3 machines, as well as several skimmers, a credit card encoder and credit card stock, according to charging documents. Prosecutors said she had a skimmer on her person when she was arrested July 21 at the Wendy’s restaurant.

Gregg Kats,Tiffany pendants, vice president of risk management for BECU, said the credit union began its own internal investigation after several members reported fraud and the credit union identified the common point of compromise as the Wendy’s location. "We worked on this for eight to 10 months, then we turned it over to law enforcement,Tiffany earrings," he said. "And sure enough, there she was. They even found a skimmer in her pocket."

Losses in the case are at least $75,000 and continue to mount every day, according to prosecutors. About 60% of those losses accrued to BECU, which the credit union will eat, according to Kats, whose team is working on dozens of fraud cases at any one time.

DeHoyos-Ortiz has been charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree identity theft, nine counts of second-degree identity theft and two counts of unlawful factoring, the crime of unlawfully copying a credit card.

Two other suspects,Tiffany rings, identified as Ricardo Ramacho and Linzy Hopkins, have been charged in the case with using cards created with the stolen credit card data.

July 31, 2010

Favorite high school boyfriends of screen and stag

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 6:57 pm

There is a lot to like about "Footloose," the movie-turned-musical about a small town that bans dancing — the music, the choreography, the tractors. But mainly we love hero Ren McCormack. And by love, we mean "in love," as in, "Wouldn’t it be rad to slow dance with Ren McCormack to Kenny Loggins in an abandoned grain silo?"

Along with Lloyd Dobler from "Say Anything," Jim Stark from "Rebel Without a Cause" and, everyone’s favorite hottie, Romeo from "Romeo and Juliet,Charm pendant," Ren ranks among the best teenage boyfriends from screen and stage. He’s wounded but not weak, dangerous but never cruel, caring without being creepy.

Here, Go! magazine rips a page from the high school sweeties yearbook. The boys span the ages, but they all are dreamy (or at least adorkable), masters of the meaningful gesture (making snow, killing rivals, kicking away broken glass) and loyal to their gals despite their flaws (mean parents, snobby friends, desire to butcher entire student body).

Plus, we talk to two actors who are well-acquainted with being teen idols: Zac Efron, who stars in the new film "Charlie St. Cloud," and Curtis Holbrook, who plays Ren in "Footloose" at the Muny.

——

PAULIE BLEEKER

Played by Michael Cera in "Juno" (2007)

Lowdown: Accepts Juno’s decision to give up his oops-baby for adoption. Good at rocking tiny track shorts and matching sweatbands.

Quoted: "I don’t like Katrina. She smells like soup."

——

TROY BOLTON

Played by Zac Efron in the "High School Musical" series (2006-2008)

Lowdown: Defies the odds and deflects ridicule by balancing basketball and musical theater. Good at multitasking and spontaneous hallway dance numbers.

Voted: Most likely to appear in "Footloose."

——

LANDON CARTER

Played by Shane West in "A Walk to Remember" (2002)

Lowdown: Makes all of dying Jamie’s wishes come true. Good at hugging.

Voted: Most likely to star with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson in "The Bucket List 2."

——

EDWARD CULLEN

Played by Robert Pattinson in the "Twilight" series (2008-present)

Lowdown: Resists the urge to turn his girlfriend into supper. Good at fighting rogue vampires, werewolves and wrinkles.

Voted: Most likely to develop "Sucker," a new line of pigmented powders for men.

——

DEREK

Played by Sean Patrick Thomas in "Save the Last Dance" (2001)

Lowdown: Keeps ballerina Sara on her toes. Excels at dirty dancing and chemistry, both the organic and sexual kind.

Quoted: "Let’s put some S-E-X in those H-I-Ps!"

——

LLOYD DOBLER

Played by John Cusack in "Say Anything" (1989)

Lowdown: Woos Diane Court, a brain trapped inside the body of a game-show hostess. Good at kickboxing, sport of the future; bad at selling, buying and processing.

Voted: Most likely to develop a lightweight boom box.

——

DEAN FORESTER

Played by Jared Padalecki in "Gilmore Girls" (2000-2005)

Lowdown: Understands fast-talking Rory Gilmore. Good at building cars and bagging groceries; bad at marriage.

Voted: Most likely to investigate the supernatural.

——

DAN HUMPHREY

Played by Penn Badgley on "Gossip Girl" (2007-present)

Lowdown: Catches the eye of Upper East Side socialite Serena van der Woodsen, despite his Brooklyn background. Good at carrying a flame and sparking rumors.

Quoted: "If you ever need someone to talk to. Or not talk to. I’d be happy to do either."

——

LAURIE (Theodore Laurence)

Played by Peter Lawford in "Little Women" (1949)

Lowdown: Jumps into the March girls’ world with glee because their busy, idealistic home is so much cooler than the cold mansion where he’s growing up. Good at acting sickly and romantic.

Voted: Most likely to have an affair with his sister-in-law.

——

NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM

Played by Matthew Lewis in the "Harry Potter" series (2001-present)

Lowdown: Wows Hufflepuff Hannah Abbott with his decency and loyalty. Good at Herbology and finding swords in surprising places.

Voted: Most likely to become a professor at Hogwarts.

——

REN McCORMACK

Played by Kevin Bacon in "Footloose" (1984)

Lowdown: Accepts Ariel despite her promiscuous past and total lack of rhythm. Good at dancing in warehouses, reading Kurt Vonnegut, combing the Bible for God’s explicit endorsement of "boppin.’"

Voted: Most likely to be connected to anybody famous.

——

ROMEO MONTAGUE

Played by Leonard Whiting in "Romeo and Juliet" (1968)

Lowdown: When he says he’d die for you, he means it. Good at wall-climbing and going without sleep; bad at planning ahead.

Quoted: "Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, /Take him and cut him out in little stars,/ And he will make the face of heaven so fine/ That all the world will be in love with night." — Juliet

——

MOONDOGGIE

Played by James Darren in "Gidget" (1959)

Lowdown: Declares "although she’s not king size, her finger is ring-size. Gidget is the one for me." Good at surfing and kissing short girls.

Voted: Most likely to name child Starbunny.

——

MURRAY

Played by Donald Faison in "Clueless" (1995)

Lowdown: Reveals to Dionne that underneath his street-smart facade, he is a caring and articulate Baldwin. Boasts good gaydar and hats.

Quoted: "Street slang is an increasingly valid form of expression. Most of the feminine pronouns do have mocking, but not necessarily misogynistic,tiffany money clips, undertones."

——

TOMMY ROSS

Played by William Katt in "Carrie" (1976)

Lowdown: Falls for Carrie, despite her mommy issues and taste for blood. Good at wearing crowns and taking pity.

Voted: Most likely to do nothing because, you know, Carrie killed him.

——

JAKE RYAN

Played by Michael Schoeffling in "Sixteen Candles" (1984)

Lowdown: Picks overlooked sophomore Samantha Baker over his prom-queen girlfriend. Good at wearing sweater vests,tiffany rings, throwing parties and driving a Porsche.

Quoted: "I want a serious girlfriend. Somebody I can love, that’s gonna love me back. Is that psycho?"

——

MATT SARACEN

Played by Zach Gilford in "Friday Night Lights" (2006-present)

Lowdown: Wins over the coach’s daughter with his awkward pauses and sweet smile. Good at taking care of granny, enduring his girlfriend’s many mood swings and winning the big game.

Voted: Most likely to never return to Dillon, Texas.

——

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

Played by Johnny Depp in "Edward Scissorhands" (1990)

Lowdown: Shows Kim that her thuggish jock boyfriend is the town’s real freak show. Good at transforming shrubs into adorable forest animals and shaving ice into snow for Kim’s twirling pleasure.

Voted: Least likely to win a "rock, paper, scissors" competition.

——

SIEGFRIED

Played by many big-voiced — or vocally suicidal — tenors over the years in the last two operas of Richard Wagner’s four-opera cycle "Der Ring des Nibelungen": "Siegfried" and "Gotterdammerung" (1876)

Lowdown: Emerges as the hero Brunnhilde hungered for. Loves fighting dragons, walking through impenetrable fire, cougars.

Quoted: "I still haven’t learned fear!"

——

A.C. SLATER

Played by Mario Lopez in "Saved by the Bell" (1989-93)

Lowdown: Turns feminist Jessie into his "Mama." Good at nicknames, dimples and casual flexing.

Quoted: "You macho pig!" — Jessie Spano; "Oink, oink, baby." — Slater

——

JIM STARK

Played by James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955)

Lowdown: Plays house with Judy after killing her boyfriend in a chickie run. (It was the least he could do.) Good at knife fights and astronomy.

Quoted: "You’re tearing me apart!"

——

SEAWEED J. STUBBS

Played by Elijah Kelley in "Hairspray" (2007)

Lowdown: Teaches Baltimore that race doesn’t matter to two hearts in love. Good at detention and cutting a rug.

Quoted: "The darker the chocolate, the richer the taste. … Run and tell that."

——

BRANDON TEENA

Played by Hilary Swank in "Boys Don’t Cry" (1999)

Lowdown: Proves the best boyfriends are always good friends, but not necessarily boys. Likes masking tape and shoplifting.

Quoted: "I hate your life,tiffany bangles, too."

——

JOHN TRUETT

Played by Tom Drake in "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944)

Lowdown: Complies with all the romantic plans that next-door neighbor Esther Smith cooks up. Good at baseball, turning down the gas lamps and having the right address.

Quoted: "You’ve got a mighty strong grip for a girl."

——

STEVE URKEL

Played by Jaleel White in "Family Matters" (1989-1998)

Lowdown: Persuades Laura Winslow to finally say yes to Mr. "Did I Do That?" after countless pratfalls, date rejections and sincerely sweet pickup lines. Good at the Urkel dance.

Voted: Most likely to wear suspenders at his wedding.

——

BRANDON WALSH

Played by Jason Priestley in "Beverly Hills, 90210" (1990)

Lowdown: Knows how to treat ‘sensitive, seductive, tortured" Kelly Taylor, unlike a certain bad boy. You know who you are, Dylan. Good at upholding Midwestern values and partying at the Peach Pit.

Voted: Most likely to die in a freak blow-drying accident.

——

PACEY WITTER

Played by Joshua Jackson in "Dawson’s Creek" (1998-2003)

Lowdown: Is a faithful and supportive boyfriend to Andie McPhee and, later, Joey Potter. Good at wooing English teachers, dating girls with gender-ambiguous first names and dabbling in a variety of careers.

Quoted: "You reminded me of what I’m capable of feeling. It’s like I was walking around seeing my life through a smudged window, and then I saw you and the smudges were gone."

Contributors: Diane Toroian Keaggy, Gabe Hartwig, Jody Mitori, Evan S. Benn, Sarah Bryan Miller, Aisha Sultan and Judith Newmark

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress