The bodies of five people have been found inside a burned vehicle in Pinal County, Arizona –only 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Border Patrol agents said the case is likely connected to drug cartel violence.
Sheriff’s officials explained that a Ford Expedition was spotted Saturday in the area which is known for drug smuggling activity. Authorities found tracks leading off the main road on Interstate 8, and found a vehicle that had burned, late night.
Agents inspected the vehicle and found five victims inside, burned beyond recognition. One person was in the rear passenger seat and the other four victims were found in the back of the vehicle.
Investigators could not immediately determine the gender or ethnicity of the victims and it’s unclear where they were from, but the Pinal County sheriff’s office has notified the Mexican Consulate.
Investigators will try to determine whether the victims were dead before the SUV was set ablaze or whether they were alive when the fire was started.
What’s the secret to quick (and healthy) weight loss?is there a secret? is it surgery?
Why so do many people who’ve had weight loss surgery gain their weight back?
I had a chance to chat for about an hour with Dr. Scott Laker, Director of Bariatric Surgery at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital.
I had tons of questions. Some of the answers surprised me, and some of the answers depressed me.
One of the more depressing tidbits: Dr. Laker says “If you look at studies, as many as 99% of people who attempt diet and exercise will eventually regain their lost weight and most times, will gain more weight than they lost.”
Can you be addicted to food?
Dr. Laker: “I am not an addiction specialist but what’s my hunch? YES food can certainly be an addiction, and sugar can be an addiction, and unless we change these addictive behaviors, no surgery, no diet is going to get you better.”
What are the risks of bariatric surgery?
Dr. Laker: “I’ll tell you there are more people dying because of NOT HAVING Bariatric surgery on an annual basis than those people dying as a result of a complication of Bariatrics. The risk of dying for a laproscopic gastric band is estimated at one of every ten thousand. It’s that rare. We generally quote people the risk of dying after a sleeve or gastric bypass is … very low.” Bariatric surgery does increase longevity and it’s got an incredible impact on diabetes.”
Is surgery the “easy” way out of a severe weight problem (as opposed to diet and exercise?)
Dr. Laker: “It’s not the easy way, it’s a different way. in some people I think it is a reasonable thing to refer to it as a “shortcut.” If you’re in your sixties and you have 200 pounds to lose, you don’t have a decade or even five years generally to get this off. And if we can offer the ability to get off 100, 125, or 150 pounds in a period of one to two years you’re changing that person’s underlying medical issues very quickly.”
When people have the surgery, why do so many patients gain their weight back–and why?
Dr. Laker: “It is possible to have all these operations and not lose weight. And everybody knows of somebody, or knows somebody who knows of somebody who had bariatric surgery, did great, only two years later regain it back. Weight regain is frustrating.”
What percentage of bariatric surgery patients gain their weight back?
Dr. Laker: “an estimated 25%.”
Why does that happen?
“I think the biggest issue is what we’re putting in our mouths. It’s human nature to desire things that are pleasurable.
And a lot of the foods that give us such great pleasure are high calorie, nutrient poor foods. what MY belief is, is it’s less of an issue with the operation, but more of an issue with the diet. If you’re not going to change your ways you should not entertain bariatric surgery. It’s extremely important for patients to understand that long-term success is absolutely predicated on changing dietary habits. Cookies should not be in the diet. We need to change our ways with or without surgery. The only sustainable diet is a diet that people feel they can eat as much as they want. And there is such a diet. but that diet is filled with vegetables and lean meats (in that order) and really minimizing the carbohydrates and even moderating fruits.”
If you conquer your addiction to food…will you develop other “replacement” addictions?”
Dr. Laker: “We have seen a transference of addiction. People develop alcoholism, drug addictions. You’re at risk for any type of addiction: gambling. It is kind of a transference of something underlying that is being satiated with a new type of indulgence.”
What role does depression play in the life of someone who is morbidly obese?
Dr. Laker: “50% to 75% of patients we see are on antidepressants or an anti-anxiety (medication.) It’s very common. And these things have to be continuously addressed.”
If you lose a hundred pounds do you have to get plastic surgery to get rid of the wrinkly, excess skin?
Dr. Laker: “most people are not nearly as bothered by it, as much as they THINK they’re going to be bothered by it. If it is bothersome, I will not allow my patients to seek consultation with the plastic surgery department until at least 18 months. We want the weight loss to show that it is stopped before we undergo any of these procedures.”
What do you see in the future?
Dr. Laker: “what I don’t see in the future is a medication that gives the same results (as surgery.) I see bariatric surgery continuing a long while.”
Henry Ford West Bloomfield offers free seminars every month on weight loss surgery.
For more information, call (248) 661-7960 or visit this link.
From supermodels to rap to innocent men wrongly incarcerated, the films in the Documentary Premieres section at Sundance this year offer a wide array of topics from veteran filmmakers. There’s lots to choose from here, but here are the ones that have most caught my attention at this point. My must-see list is getting longer and longer; I may need to clone myself in order to see everything I want to this year. (Note: all descriptions from the Sundance Film Guide.)
About Face: the Supermodels, Then and now, Timothy Greenfield-SandersWhat It’s About: Portrait photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’s lush new film is an intimate view of the women whose images have defined our sense of beauty over the past five decades. an uncensored look at many of the biggest names in modeling, About Face: the Supermodels, Then and Now. reveals the stories behind the magazine covers displaying these multicultural pioneers. Each woman is candidly interviewed in the studio and shares her experiences, ideas on longevity, and philosophy of life in the fashion industry. Elegant archival footage and interviews with designer Calvin Klein and agency head Eileen Ford round out this absorbing chronicle.About Face: the Supermodels, Then and now. is a step back in time to a glamorous, yet complicated, era when drugs were rampant and women were routinely harassed and mistreated. the divergent attitudes among the women about everything from the business of modeling, to aging and plastic surgery, are fascinating and priceless. This insightful documentary celebrates the raw intelligence and staying power of these timeless icons.
Why It’s Interesting: I’m always interested in hearing other people’s takes on women and beauty, and this is one of the films pegged by Variety as a title buyers are targeting; HBO already has television rights. I quite liked The Black List: Volume One when it played Sundance in 2008, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Greenfield-Saunders tackles the topic of history’s hottest supermodels.
Ethel, Rory KennedyWhat It’s About: it would have satisfied even the most voracious history buffs if Rory Kennedy, youngest child of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, had enlisted her mother’s perspective simply as a fresh angle on the Kennedy years. but ETHEL is so much more. Intimate, humorous conversations and never-before-seen images from the family troves uncover an enthralling story of a vivacious, authentic heroine whose transformation—from rambunctious Republican firecracker to savvy Democratic campaigner to socially conscious single mother of 11—arcs definitively as her husband’s drama unfolds.
The film’s power surfaces as Ethel’s unique value system and the intrinsic connection between the family’s private and public lives come into focus. Tales of the young brood attending Senate hearings, of heartfelt letters RFK wrote as a way of incorporating them into momentous political occasions, and of each child’s assignment to a social-justice mission reveal the respect and love that fueled Ethel’s household—a microcosm for what this country can be. Ethel Kennedy stands alongside her husband as a beacon of integrity and hope.Why It’s Interesting. There’s just something about the Kennedys that makes them endlessly fascinating. will Rory Kennedy’s film about her mother play more like a television biopic, or a cinematic experience that begs to be seen on the big screen? As a doc filmmaker, she’s produced both, and she directed highly regarded doc Ghosts of Abu Ghraib back in 2007. My fondness for that film would incline me to see Rory Kennedy’s newest anyhow, even if the idea of her making a film about her mother wasn’t so potentially fascinating.
A Fierce Green Fire, mark KitchellWhat It’s About: In the twenty-first century, the idea that we are all connected is almost a cliché, though it is little understood and rarely acted upon. One twentieth-century social movement understood this concept at its core. it is, in the eyes of many, the most important ever: the environmental movement. it seeks nothing less than saving the planet from its most destructive force—humanity.
Inspired by new York Times environmental journalist, Philip Shabecoff’s, book, director mark Kitchell returns to the Sundance Film Festival (Berkeley in the Sixties won the documentary Audience Award in 1990) with a must-see film, shot and edited over four years, that documents crucial moments in the history of environmental activism. Dramatic personalities and lush archival images—many never seen before—bring pivotal moments to life in five chapters depicting five stories across five decades. Each illustrates the power of activism and commitment at a unique historical moment, often at tremendous personal cost. A film that will inspire and provoke, A Fierce Green Fire challenges us to rethink our past, our present, and our future on Earth.
Why It’s Interesting: I know, another environmental doc at Sundance? Snore. Expect that this film isn’t just about the environment, it’s about environmental activism, which makes it a hot topic in our current political climate.
Something from Nothing: the Art of Rap
What It’s About: Visually luscious and drenched with the big beats of classic cuts and freestyle rhyming by some of the masters of the music, SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a performance documentary about the runaway juggernaut that is hip-hop. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is Ice-T. the practitioner/filmmaker, with codirector Andy Baybutt, takes us on a personal journey into the asphalt roots of the music that saved his life.
This film is not about stardom, bling, or beef; it’s about craft and skill—what goes on inside the minds and erupts from the pens of rap legends. Ice-T travels from coast to coast, engaging intimately with the likes of Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Caz, Nas, Mos Def, Eminem, Chuck D, KRS-One, Run-DMC, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg. what emerges is a mighty soul tribute to the original American art form that brought poetry to a new generation.
Why It’s Interesting: Hey, it’s Ice-T, and it’s his directorial debut. About the craft of rap. it will have lots of music clips of rap masters, and I’m hoping that Ice-T’s insider perspective might offer a compelling take on the topic. the title’s a little clunky, but they can work on that if it gets sold. Check it out.
West of Memphis, Amy BergWhat It’s About: For many people, the case of the West Memphis Three has become synonymous with wrongful conviction. despite a lack of physical evidence, three Arkansas teenagers were found guilty in 1994 of the ritual murder of three eight-year-old boys. Media attention led to an outpouring of support that has helped to keep them in the public consciousness for nearly two decades.
Director Amy Berg examines the crime and its aftermath, providing a voice for the victims’ families, including those with doubts about whether the right people are behind bars. Rather than focus on the accused, the film follows their supporters—including loved ones, attorneys, and celebrity advocates such as Eddie Vedder and Peter Jackson—as they seek the truth. With the help of a former FBI profiler, a less sensational, yet still chilling, motive and suspect emerge—ones, shockingly, never investigated.
With compelling, immediate access, West of Memphis follows the story of the West Memphis Three to its dramatic and unexpected conclusion, raising serious questions about justice and its compromises.
Why It’s Interesting: Yes, the Paradise Lost films followed this story for years, and you could argue that they’ve said much of what there is to say about the West Memphis Three. but Amy Berg, who previously made the outstanding, Oscar-nominated doc Deliver us From Evil (which was on my top ten list in 2006) is sure to have a compelling take on the topic that will make West of Memphis one of the docs to catch at Sundance this year.
Deanna Delamotta discovers why designer Tom Ford is ‘all about eyebrows’, while Deborah Linton is persuaded by a Giorgio Armani make-up artist to go for glamour.
these internationally renowned designer types like to be addressed formally…
Tom Ford is known as Mr Ford and Giorgio Armani is known as Mr Armani.
Tom (sorry to be so familiar) still looks like a pin-up at 50 but the Texan-born, new Mexico-raised designer is one of the most successful fashion names in the business – despite the fact that he didn’t study fashion.
he trained in architecture and his understanding of lines and shapes inform his understanding of the female form.
he left architecture to work in the new York fashion world and in 1990 was hired by Gucci to design their womenswear collection.
In the 10 years that he headed the house of Gucci, he is credited with steering the brand to extraordinary success and making it a fashion must have again.
After leaving Gucci Group 2004 he launched his own eye make-up and fragrance collections while developing his menswear range as well as directing the Oscar-nominated film A Single Man.
when it comes to the female face, Mr Ford says it’s all about the eye brows: “Brows must be groomed and natural looking,” he says. “The eyebrow is the one and only thing you can alter on your face without cosmetic surgery. you can’t move your nose, but you can move your eyebrows.
“If you’ve got a round face, you should not have round eye brows. you should have an arch. The angle of the brow will lend an angular quality to your face. If you have an overly angular face, on the other hand, you might want a softer rounded brow because it will soften all the sharp lines. you can do an awful lot with the eye brow. I’m about structured, beautiful, arched, thick brows.”
So don’t go near a Tom Ford counter if you like to pluck your eyebrows to within an inch of their lives. think Denis Healey rather than Jodie Marsh!
and his fixation with architectural symmetry also informs Mr Ford’s thoughts about applying highlighter: “We all, whether we are conscious of it or not, respond as human beings to symmetry. Symmetry is considered beautiful in our society.
“If applying highlighter and you have one cheek higher than the other don’t apply it on the your real cheekbone but in line with the better cheek so that you’re creating an artificial high in the same spot, giving the illusion of symmetry. you can make your face appear more symmetrical through the use of cosmetics – but you need to understand your facial architecture first and foremost.”
Deborah Linton goes for red-carpet glamour
Red lips are a favourite with some of the most glamorous celebs and a trademark for the likes of Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera.
With stunning Megan Fox as a postergirl, Giorgio Armani Cosmetics have grabbed the trend and run with it this winter.
As a girl who has never veered from nude lips, mascara and a sweep of bronze I wanted to learn how to ditch the barely there look and go for A-lister glamour.
“Try it at home while you’re cleaning,” says Armani’s international make-up artist, Cesar Santos, aware that many of us would be nervous of trying such a bold new look. but now, with winter upon us, is the time to turn up the heat with your make-up.
“When you’re wearing a lot of black, white and grey, you need some warmth,” he says. ”Use colour in the face. think of it as your look, maybe your signature can be red lips, it does not have to just be your clothes but your make-up too.”
Cesar, a Brazilian who was inspired to come to Britain over 20 years ago after hearing the music of Manchester bands The Smiths and Joy Division, now works for Mr Armani.
Cate Blanchett, Penelope Cruz and Kim Cattrall are among the A-list beauties he has made up and he Lady Helen Taylor’s make up for nine years.
he explains how to achieve the perfect cupid-bow pout using the season’s signature lipstick, Rouge D’Armani 400.
“Use concealer on the edge of the lips first, then redefine with a pencil. you can get a beautiful definition. then apply the lipstick.”
Sensitive to the vibrancy of bright red lips, he keeps the eyes simple, using GAC’s eyes to kill shadows and stretch mascara (which, like the red lips, I’m sold on and can see my bank balance taking a hit!)
Underneath, he has applied Luminous Silk foundation – widely name-checked by red carpet make-up artists and stars the likes of Kim Kardashian as the best in the business.
Its success rests in the brand’s microfil technology which allows the wearer to build up long-lasting coverage.
it is the same magic formula that creates the vibrant red of the lipstick, which, remarkably, stays on until ten o’clock at night, without retouching, and survives lunch, dinner and an exceptionally glamorous gym work out.
<a href="http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/life_and_style/s/1465034_the-eyebrows-have-it-for-the-marvellous-mister-fordtag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/life_and_style/s/1465034_the-eyebrows-have-it-for-the-marvellous-mister-fordMon, 14 Nov 2011 14:30:42 GMT”>The eyebrows have it for the marvellous Mister Ford
