Sunday, December 2, 2007
Don Rickles, Mr. Warmth
Eighty-one-year-old Don Rickles is the subject of “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project,” an HBO documentary premiering Sunday directed by John Landis. Read about it in the Times arts coverage here and watch this clip (left) with Ed McMahon looking back at the comedian’s relationship with Johnny Carson and “The Tonight Show.”
Sam Vasquez Last Martial Arts Fight, Dies
Sam Vasquez of Houston may have become the first fighter to die from injuries sustained in mixed martial arts competition in North America.
A report by The Fight Network cited the Harris County (Texas) medical examiner’s office confirming Vasquez’s death at 8:15 p.m. Friday. The cause of death was not released.
Vasquez had been battling for his life since taking a hard right to the chin from 21-year old Vince Libardi on Oct. 20 during a Renegades Extreme Fighting show at the Toyota Center in Houston. The blow knocked Vasquez out and he was rushed to St. Joseph Medical Center, where he stayed until moving to hospice care on Monday.
The 35-year-old Vasquez was competing in the featherweight division (145 pound weight class) in the third match of a 12-match card promoted by Saul Soliz, the longtime boxing coach of Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Tito Ortiz. The show was overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Calls to the department on Sunday were not immediately returned.
After taking a flurry of punches from Libardi, Vasquez collapsed in the ring and the fight was waved off at 2:50 of the third round. Emergency medical technicians worked on him in the ring for several minutes until he suffered what appeared to be a seizure and was rushed to the hospital.
Vasquez’s condition worsened from there. On Nov. 4, two weeks after being admitted, he underwent the first of two surgeries to relieve the pressure of a large clot in his brain, then had a massive stroke on Nov. 9 and was placed in a medically induced coma.
Vasquez, who had a seven-year-old son, came into the match with a 1-1 record, and had not fought in 13 months. Libardi, 14 years Vasquez’s junior, entered the match with seven pro fights and 10 rounds of action over three fights in the time since Vasquez had last fought in Sept. 2006.
“There was nothing out of the ordinary,” Paul Erickson, who was at ringside taking photos, said in an interview with The Fight Network. “They scrambled and hit the cage. Sammy stood up and looked a little wobbly. Then he went down and the referee called the doctor in. It didn’t seem like anything was out of the ordinary. Sammy was winded and looked exhausted, but he wasn’t unconscious when they carried him out. Everyone was puzzled at the time because no one could tell when or where he was injured.“
MMA had until recently been considered highly controversial, and a group of critics led by Sen. John McCain caused it to be banned in several states in the mid-to-late 1990s and pressured cable companies to not air its pay-per-view events.
In the past two-and-a-half years, though, the sport exploded in popularity due to television exposure of UFC, the sport’s major league franchise. UFC’s success has spawned hundreds of smaller promotions around North America with many states now holding more MMA events than boxing events.
Mixed martial arts officials and fans have long noted that there had never been a death in a sanctioned MMA match, a statistic no other combat sport could claim.
The only confirmed death prior to government oversight came when 31-year-old Douglas Dedge of Chipley, Fla. passed away on March 18, 1998, from severe brain injuries suffered in a match two days earlier at a non-sanctioned event called World Super Challenge in Russia. Dedge had passed out in a training session leading up to the fight, but went through with the match anyway.
A report by The Fight Network cited the Harris County (Texas) medical examiner’s office confirming Vasquez’s death at 8:15 p.m. Friday. The cause of death was not released.
Vasquez had been battling for his life since taking a hard right to the chin from 21-year old Vince Libardi on Oct. 20 during a Renegades Extreme Fighting show at the Toyota Center in Houston. The blow knocked Vasquez out and he was rushed to St. Joseph Medical Center, where he stayed until moving to hospice care on Monday.
The 35-year-old Vasquez was competing in the featherweight division (145 pound weight class) in the third match of a 12-match card promoted by Saul Soliz, the longtime boxing coach of Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Tito Ortiz. The show was overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Calls to the department on Sunday were not immediately returned.
After taking a flurry of punches from Libardi, Vasquez collapsed in the ring and the fight was waved off at 2:50 of the third round. Emergency medical technicians worked on him in the ring for several minutes until he suffered what appeared to be a seizure and was rushed to the hospital.
Vasquez’s condition worsened from there. On Nov. 4, two weeks after being admitted, he underwent the first of two surgeries to relieve the pressure of a large clot in his brain, then had a massive stroke on Nov. 9 and was placed in a medically induced coma.
Vasquez, who had a seven-year-old son, came into the match with a 1-1 record, and had not fought in 13 months. Libardi, 14 years Vasquez’s junior, entered the match with seven pro fights and 10 rounds of action over three fights in the time since Vasquez had last fought in Sept. 2006.
“There was nothing out of the ordinary,” Paul Erickson, who was at ringside taking photos, said in an interview with The Fight Network. “They scrambled and hit the cage. Sammy stood up and looked a little wobbly. Then he went down and the referee called the doctor in. It didn’t seem like anything was out of the ordinary. Sammy was winded and looked exhausted, but he wasn’t unconscious when they carried him out. Everyone was puzzled at the time because no one could tell when or where he was injured.“
MMA had until recently been considered highly controversial, and a group of critics led by Sen. John McCain caused it to be banned in several states in the mid-to-late 1990s and pressured cable companies to not air its pay-per-view events.
In the past two-and-a-half years, though, the sport exploded in popularity due to television exposure of UFC, the sport’s major league franchise. UFC’s success has spawned hundreds of smaller promotions around North America with many states now holding more MMA events than boxing events.
Mixed martial arts officials and fans have long noted that there had never been a death in a sanctioned MMA match, a statistic no other combat sport could claim.
The only confirmed death prior to government oversight came when 31-year-old Douglas Dedge of Chipley, Fla. passed away on March 18, 1998, from severe brain injuries suffered in a match two days earlier at a non-sanctioned event called World Super Challenge in Russia. Dedge had passed out in a training session leading up to the fight, but went through with the match anyway.
Courtney Kardashian Shocking News Story
Kim Kardashian recently claimed she has been robbed of $50,000 worth of jewelry and other valuables at the JKF airport. The NY Post reports that authorities believe Kardashian’s claim might have been a publicity stunt.
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The reality and sex tape star claimed diamonds, a Cartier watch, digital camera and laptop were stolen from her bags on November 8, but she never filed a police report.
Kardashian insists that she was robbed and says she plans to look for her stolen belongings on her reality show.
“I’m pissed. I want my stuff back,” she said.
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The reality and sex tape star claimed diamonds, a Cartier watch, digital camera and laptop were stolen from her bags on November 8, but she never filed a police report.
Kardashian insists that she was robbed and says she plans to look for her stolen belongings on her reality show.
“I’m pissed. I want my stuff back,” she said.
Pictures of Hollis Woods
Most Christmas movies are so pat, we know the ending from the start. Though adults may sit with children watching Frosty or Rudolph and enjoy these chestnuts, there are never enough new, great holiday movies.
Pictures of Hollis Woods, a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie on CBS Sunday, December 2, is that rare film. It stars Sissy Spacek as a retired art teacher whose heart exceeds her abilities, who takes in foster kid Hollis Woods (Jodelle Ferland).
Hollis, named after a section in Queens, N.Y., was left on a street corner when she was but an hour old. Understandably, she has a tough shell. A gifted artist who sketches works of beauty, Hollis is perfectly played by Ferland (Good Luck Chuck). Hollis has bounced around the foster care system and runs away when unhappy, leaving her with a spotty school record and a reputation as difficult. Given that she's 12, she must remain a ward of the state.
As they drive to yet another home, Edna Reilly (Alfre Woodard) says, "I'm a social worker, not a magician. We are running out of options for you."
Finally, it looks as if the right match is made. Josie Cahill (Spacek) continues to sculpt and paint in the warm home she shares with ornery cat Henry.
Pictures of Hollis Woods, a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie on CBS Sunday, December 2, is that rare film. It stars Sissy Spacek as a retired art teacher whose heart exceeds her abilities, who takes in foster kid Hollis Woods (Jodelle Ferland).
Hollis, named after a section in Queens, N.Y., was left on a street corner when she was but an hour old. Understandably, she has a tough shell. A gifted artist who sketches works of beauty, Hollis is perfectly played by Ferland (Good Luck Chuck). Hollis has bounced around the foster care system and runs away when unhappy, leaving her with a spotty school record and a reputation as difficult. Given that she's 12, she must remain a ward of the state.
As they drive to yet another home, Edna Reilly (Alfre Woodard) says, "I'm a social worker, not a magician. We are running out of options for you."
Finally, it looks as if the right match is made. Josie Cahill (Spacek) continues to sculpt and paint in the warm home she shares with ornery cat Henry.
Jessica Sierra Denied Bond, Facing 11 Years in Jail
American Idol contestant Jessica Sierra's bond was arrested for disorderly intoxication and bond was denied. There is now potential for her to recieve 11 years in prison. Her arrest may have also violated her recent plea agreement. Police say she refused to leave the Full Moon Saloon at 2am Saturday where she was causing a disturbance.
Cops say they asked her to leave at which time she crossed the street and began fighting with a friend, pushing and yelling at onlookers. She argued and wrestled with officers before being arrested.
"Obviously the bar scene isn't working out well for you, I would suggest you find another form of entertainment" were the words of the Judge.
Just last month Sierra pled guilty to battery and cocaine possession charges, agreeing to a term of 12 months probation. In April incident where she threw a glass at a patron at the Hyde Park Cafe in South Tampa. Deputies found cocaine on her as she was booked into the jail. Prosecutors warned her any further arrests could negate the terms of her plea deal.
Sierra was a finalist on the 2005 season of Idol. Sierra spent several months in a California rehab facility after her first arrest and was scheduled to appear on VH1's reality show "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" early next year.
Cops say they asked her to leave at which time she crossed the street and began fighting with a friend, pushing and yelling at onlookers. She argued and wrestled with officers before being arrested.
"Obviously the bar scene isn't working out well for you, I would suggest you find another form of entertainment" were the words of the Judge.
Just last month Sierra pled guilty to battery and cocaine possession charges, agreeing to a term of 12 months probation. In April incident where she threw a glass at a patron at the Hyde Park Cafe in South Tampa. Deputies found cocaine on her as she was booked into the jail. Prosecutors warned her any further arrests could negate the terms of her plea deal.
Sierra was a finalist on the 2005 season of Idol. Sierra spent several months in a California rehab facility after her first arrest and was scheduled to appear on VH1's reality show "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" early next year.
Selona Skin Care Products
Selona skin care offers a wide variety of products. This post is merely a review of what Selona skin care products created by ULTA offer. These products have been quite hot this year and Selona skin care products have a pretty wide range. The following is a simple list of the products that are offered.
Currently as of December 2007 Selona skin care products is offering a $100 dollar traveling kit which includes a Selona Leather Travel Bag as well as, Selona Pure Moisture Body Cream, Selona Exfoliating Body Scrub Selona Pure Moisture Body Wash, Selona Pure Moisture Facial Cream, and a Selona $15 Luxury Gift Certificate. Selona skin care products include individual products that you will enjoy as well. If you want to get a top quality product, this is it.
Currently as of December 2007 Selona skin care products is offering a $100 dollar traveling kit which includes a Selona Leather Travel Bag as well as, Selona Pure Moisture Body Cream, Selona Exfoliating Body Scrub Selona Pure Moisture Body Wash, Selona Pure Moisture Facial Cream, and a Selona $15 Luxury Gift Certificate. Selona skin care products include individual products that you will enjoy as well. If you want to get a top quality product, this is it.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Miss World 2007, Check Her Out
Miss China Zhang Zi Lin was crowned as the new Miss World in a grand ceremony at Sanya China.
The 23 year old Zhang Zi Lin beat 106 other contestants from all around the globe.
The first runner-up was Angola's Micaela Reis, followed by Mexico's Carolina Moran Gordillo as second runner-up. The other two finalists were Valene Maharaj from Trinidad & Tobago and Annie Oliv from Sweden.
India's entry Sarah Jane did not make it into the top ten.
The top ten were Angola, Austria, China PR, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Grenada, Hong Kong China, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, United States and Venezuela.
The Miss World Organisation used Saturday's 57th contest to spread the message about HIV/AIDS as it coincides with World AIDS Day.
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