Paula Julie Abdul born June 19, 1962) is an American pop singer, record producer, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.
In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of Pop-R&B hits in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Her six number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 tie her for fifth among the female solo performers who have reached #1 there.She won a Grammy for “Best Music Video – Short Form” for “Opposites Attract” and twice won the “Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography”. Abdul has sold approximately 30 million albums worldwide since her singing debut in 1988.
After her initial period of success, she suffered a series of setbacks in her professional and personal life, until she found renewed fame and success in the 2000s as a judge on the television series, American Idol, for eight years, before departing from the show. Abdul has since been considering other TV show appearances, and working on a new album.
Background
Abdul was born in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, the daughter of Lorraine Abdul (née Rykiss), a concert pianist who once worked as film director Billy Wilder’s assistant, and Harry Abdul, a former livestock trader and owner of a sand and gravel business. Her father, a Syrian Jew, was born in Aleppo, Syria, raised in Brazil, and subsequently emigrated to the United States;Abdul’s mother, also Jewish, is originally from Minnedosa, Manitoba, and Abdul derives Canadian citizenship through her. She has a sister named Wendy, who is 7 years her senior. In 1977, she graduated from Van Nuys Junior High School and was voted girl with the funniest laugh.
An avid dancer, Abdul was inspired towards a show business career by Gene Kelly in the classic film Singin’ in the Rain as well as Debbie Allen, Fred Astaire, and Bob Fosse.
Abdul began taking dance lessons at an early age and showed a natural talent. She did classes of ballet, Jazz, and Tap while she was growing up. She attended Van Nuys High School, where she was a cheerleader and an honor student. At 15, she received a scholarship to a dance camp near Palm Springs, and in 1978 appeared in a low-budget Independent musical film, Junior High School.
Abdul studied broadcasting at the California State University at Northridge. During her first year (freshman), she was selected from a pool of 700 candidates for the cheerleading squad of the Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball team—the famed Laker Girls. Within three months, she became head choreographer. Six months later, she left the university to focus on her choreography and dancing career.
Career
Dance and choreography era (1982–1986)
Abdul was discovered by The Jacksons, after a few of the band members had watched her while attending a Los Angeles Lakers game.She was signed to do the choreography for the video to their single “Torture”.”My only problem was how to tell the Jacksons how to dance,” Abdul later recalled. “Imagine me telling them what routines to do. I was young, I was scared. I’m not quite sure how I got through that.”The success of the choreography in the video helped lead to Abdul’s then new career of choreographer in music videos.It was also due to the success of the video that Abdul was chosen to be the choreographer for the Jacksons’ Victory tour.
Abdul choreographed videos for several singers throughout the 1980s, including many videos for Janet Jackson during her Control era. In 1995, Abdul released a dance workout video entitled Paula Abdul’s Get Up and Dance! (re-released on DVD in 2003), a fast-paced, hip-hop style workout. In 1998 she released a second video called Cardio Dance (re-released on DVD in 2000). In December 2005, Abdul launched a cheerleading/fitness/dance DVD series called Cardio Cheer, which is marketed to children and teenage girls involved with cheerleading and dance.
In film, Abdul choreographed sequences for the giant keyboard scene involving Tom Hanks’s character in Big. Further credits include Coming to America, Action Jackson, Jerry Maguire, The Running Man, American Beauty (1999 film), Can’t Buy Me Love (film), and Oliver Stone’s, The Doors.[12] Television credits include The Tracey Ullman Show, American Music Awards, the Academy Awards, and several commercials, such as The King’s touchdown celebration, as seen in a string of popular Burger King television commercials that aired during the 2005–2006 NFL season.
Forever Your Girl era (1987–1990)
Paula Abdul, 1990
In 1987, Abdul used her savings to make a singing demo. Although her voice was relatively untrained, her exceptional dancing proved marketable to the visually-oriented, MTV-driven, pop music industry. She was a tireless worker, and relied on input from her vocal coach and producers to improve her sound.
In 1988, Abdul released her pop debut album, Forever Your Girl. The album took 62 weeks to hit #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart—the longest an album has been on the market before hitting #1—and spent 10 weeks there. The album eventually became multi-platinum in the spring and summer of 1989, and it spawned five American Top Three singles, four of them #1s (three in 1989 and one in 1990): “Straight Up”, “Forever Your Girl”, “Cold Hearted”, and “Opposites Attract”. A remix album, Shut Up and Dance, was also released and reached #7 on Billboard’s album chart, becoming one of the most successful remix albums to date. The Grammy award-winning video for “Opposites Attract” featured an animated cat named MC Skat Kat.
In the early 1990s, Yvette Marine, backing vocalist on Forever Your Girl, claimed that she sang “co-lead vocals” on the album and sued Paula and Virgin Records for compensation. After one month of court proceedings, Abdul and Virgin won the case.
Spellbound era (1991–1994)
Abdul’s follow-up album, 1991′s Spellbound, contained another string of hits, and sold 13 million copies worldwide.[citation needed] The first single from Spellbound was the ballad, “Rush, Rush”, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks, and was noted for its music video and Rebel Without a Cause motif featuring Keanu Reeves in the James Dean role. “Promise of a New Day”, the second release from the album, also hit No. 1, and it was followed by the Top 10 hit “Blowing Kisses in the Wind” and two Top 20 hits: “Vibeology” and “Will You Marry Me?”.The album, Spellbound, retained much of the dance-oriented formula heard on her debut album. The track “U” was written for Paula by Prince.
Abdul promoted the album through the “Under My Spell Tour”, which was named by an MTV contest for fans. This tour was nearly cancelled due to an accident during rehearsals. The tour began on schedule and ran from October 1991 to the summer of 1992. In 1991, Abdul embraced advertising and starred in a popular Diet Coke commercial in which she danced with a digital image of her idol, a young Gene Kelly.
Head Over Heels era (1995–1996)
By 1995 Paula Abdul had recovered from her battle with the eating disorder bulimia nervosa and prepared to return to the spotlight with her new album Head Over Heels.[citation needed] The first single off the album, “My Love Is for Real” featured a fusion of R&B and traditional Middle Eastern instruments, and was performed with Yemeni-Israeli singer Ofra Haza. Its accompanying Lawrence of Arabia-inspired music video was played in theaters across the world as a preface to the film Clueless. It was a hit in the clubs (peaking at #1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart), and the single made it to #28 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
The second single was called, “Crazy Cool” and peaked at #13 on the dance charts. “Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up” served as the third single from the album. To date Head Over Heels has sold 3 million copies worldwide.
Mercury Comeback Attempt (1997–2001)
Overcoming her personal problems, Abdul took a break from the music industry. In 2000, Abdul’s Paula Abdul: Greatest Hits CD was released by Virgin Records (with whom Abdul was already no longer affiliated). It featured all of her hit singles and other noteworthy tracks. The song “Bend Time Back ‘Round” had previously been heard only on the 1992 soundtrack for the hit television series Beverly Hills, 90210.
In 1997, Abdul signed to Mercury Records, and co-wrote “Spinning Around” along with fellow American Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi; a dance-pop track intended to be the lead single off her new album. The album never materialized and “Spinning Around” was given to Kylie Minogue as a single. The song became highly successful and re-launched Minogue’s career, as it was intended to do for Abdul, and reached #1 in numerous countries.
American Idol (2002–2009)
In 2002, Abdul appeared as one of three judges for the reality television music competition show American Idol. Abdul, along with fellow judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson (joined by Kara DioGuardi in 2009) were to evaluate the talent of a large group of young amateur singers, eliminate most of them in various audition rounds, and then judge the finalists as American television viewers voted on which finalists would continue to each successive round, until all but the winner were eliminated. Abdul won praise as a sympathetic and compassionate judge. She seemed especially kind compared to fellow judge Simon Cowell, who was often blunt in his appraisals of the contestants’ performances. When she realized that Cowell’s over-the-top judging style was heartbreaking for many young contestants, Abdul was so horrified, she considered leaving the show. Although their differences often resulted in extremely heated on-air exchanges and confrontations, Cowell says he played a major role in convincing Abdul not to leave the show.
Now a bona fide television celebrity, Abdul accepted a second assignment as reporter for Entertainment Tonight.
On March 28, 2006 Fox announced that Abdul had signed to stay on American Idol as a judge for at least three more years. Later that year, fellow American Idol judge Simon Cowell invited her to be a guest judge at some of the early auditions for the third series of his similar UK talent show The X Factor. Abdul was present at the initial audition of the eventual winner, Leona Lewis.
The week of May 14 to May 18, 2007 (the week before the season 6 finale), Abdul broke her nose when she tried to “avoid tripping over her pet chihuahua”. She was present at the May 22 performance and the May 23 finale.
Abdul’s American Idol wardrobe often includes a number of necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings that she designs, and she often gives show contestants custom-designed jewelry. In 2007, Paula Abdul Jewelry launched its nationwide consumer debut on QVC, with the tagline “fashion jewelry designed with heart and soul”.Paula’s first QVC appearance resulted in 15 sellouts of her first jewelry collection involving more than 34,000 pieces.In an interview with the Los Angeles Times on July 18, 2009, Paula’s manager David Sonenberg told the newspaper that, “Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on ‘Idol’.”This came about as a result of stalled negotiations between Paula and the show. Later on her Twitter page, Paula responded to her fans’ messages of support by stating: “I’m actually moved to tears upon reading the enormous amount of tweets showing me your kindness, love, & undying support. God bless all of you!,” continuing, “If it weren’t for you, this specific time and situation would feel a whole lot worse!”. On August 4, 2009, after numerous contract negotiations, Abdul confirmed that she would not be returning to Idol for its ninth season.The Times cited reports Abdul had been earning as much as $5 million per season and that she was reportedly seeking as much as $20 million to return.
On August 18, 2009 it was reported that Abdul was negotiating to return to Idol after not taking part in season nine of Dancing with the Stars.Two days later, Abdul’s manager said that there were not any talks with Fox, but they were not ruling anything out.
Abdul claimed her departure from Idol was not about money, but that she had to stand on her principle.
On September 9, 2009 Ellen DeGeneres was confirmed as Abdul’s successor for Idol.
Second Comeback (2007–2009)
Her second greatest-hits CD, entitled Greatest Hits: Straight Up!, was released by Virgin on May 8, 2007. This album was put together by Virgin Records, with whom Abdul was no longer signed as a recording artist. At this time, they also released the music videos to all six of her #1 singles to iTunes.
Bravo announced a reality television series following Abdul through her day-to-day life, called Hey Paula. The series was produced by Scott Sternberg Productions and debuted on June 28, 2007.[26] Paula’s behavior as depicted on the show has been described as ‘erratic’ by comedian Rosie O’Donnell.and decried by numerous fans and critics.
In January 2008, Paula returned to the music charts for the first time in nearly 13 years with the single “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow”, which is the first track on the album Randy Jackson’s Music Club Vol 1. The song debuted on On Air with Ryan Seacrest.The song was a modest comeback hit for Paula, peaking at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Paula’s MTV show “RAH!” premiered in January 2009. The 90-minute special featured five collegiate cheerleading squads, which competed in a series of challenges in order to be crowned the winner by Paula.A snippet of Paula’s latest single “Boombox”, a cover of a Kylie Minogue song, also premiered on the show. On May 5, 2009, Paula debuted her new song “I’m Just Here for the Music” (originally an unreleased song from Kylie Minogue’s ninth album Body Language) on the Ryan Seacrest Radio KIIS-FM show. On May 6, 2009, Paula performed her new song on the American Idol results show. On May 8, 2009, Paula released “I’m Just Here For The Music” to the US iTunes Store. The album was supposed to be released in July 2009, however it has remained unreleased for unknown reasons.
Post Idol Era (2009–present)
Paula hosted the 2009 VH1 Divas live in September. She also performed a medley of the majority of her number 1 hits “Straight Up”, “Cold Hearted”, “Opposites Attract”, and “Forever Your Girl”. Also on the program Paula poked fun at her Idol replacement Ellen DeGeneres, which was highly publicized in the media.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it has been confirmed that Paula will be brought on board for the American version of the U.K.’s hit talent show, X Factor, as a judge alongside Simon Cowell.Cowell will also produce the show. It will air during the Summer and Fall on Fox, when American Idol is not on.On May 26, 2010 she appeared on the finale of American Idol season 9.
Abdul will serve as lead judge, executive producer, creative partner, mentor and coach on CBS’ new dancing competition, Got to Dance set to debut midseason of the 2010/11 TV schedule.In 2009 she also appeared on a television series as a guest judge on Drop Dead Diva.She will return to the second season of the series in 2010.
Personal life
Abdul was married to Emilio Estevez from 1992-1994.
In April 2005, Abdul revealed that she suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (CRPS) that causes chronic pain.
Paula practices Judaism[39] and is proud of her heritage. She once stated, “My father is a Syrian Jew whose family immigrated to Brazil. My mother is Canadian with Jewish roots. My dream is to come to Israel for a real holiday.” In November 2006, Israeli Tourist Minister Isaac Herzog invited her to Israel, Abdul responding with a hug, adding, “I will come; you have helped me make a dream come true.”
On Valentine’s Day 2006, Abdul appeared on Dr. Phil as part of a prime time special on love and relationships. She was set up on two dates and Phil McGraw gave her advice.
Paula is also a dog lover who is currently raising awareness about National Guide Dog Month in May 2009 and she is teaming up with Dick Van Patten to help people with blindness to have more independence through the help of guide dogs.
In mid July 2007, Abdul announced that she had begun dating J.T. Torregiani, a estaurant owner 12 years her junior.[43] She told Access Hollywood: “He is a good guy. Things are looking upwards. It’s looking good right now. I wasn’t even looking for someone and that’s what usually happens.”[44] Paula and JT broke up in June 2008,citing their hectic work schedules.
Controversies
This article’s Criticism or Controversy section(s) may mean the article does not present a neutral point of view of the subject. It may be better to integrate the material in those sections into the article as a whole.
Corey Clark
In May 2005, ABC’s news magazine Primetime Live reported claims by Season 2 American Idol contestant Corey Clark that he and Abdul had an affair during that season, and that she had coached him on how to succeed in the competition. The fact that Clark came forward at a time when he was marketing a CD and trying to get a book deal was seen as suspicious by some, but Clark maintains that his career was being prejudiced because of his relationship with Abdul and that is why he came forward with the information to clear his name. For the most part, Abdul refused to comment on Clark’s allegations. Simon Cowell came to Abdul’s defense, calling Corey Clark a creep and stating “It was just somebody using her to get a lot of publicity for an appalling record, full stop.”[46] At the height of the debacle, Abdul appeared in a Saturday Night Live skit, making light of the situation.While Fox launched an investigation, Abdul received numerous calls of support from celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Kelly Ripa; Barbara Walters even addressed the camera during an episode of ABC’s The View to say she was sad to be part of an operation that would report Clark’s flimsy tabloid claims under the guise of a news story. In August 2005 the Fox network confirmed that she would be returning to the show, as the investigation had found “insufficient evidence that the communications between Mr. Clark and Ms. Abdul in any way aided his performance”.
Legal issues
On December 20, 2004, Abdul was driving her Mercedes on an L.A.-area freeway when she changed lanes and hit another vehicle. The driver and passenger snapped a photograph with a cell phone camera and wrote down the license plate number of the car, which was traced to Abdul. On March 24, 2005, Abdul was fined $900 and given 24 months of informal probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor hit-and-run driving in Los Angeles. In addition to the fines she was ordered to pay $775 for damage to the other car.
On April 4, 2006, Abdul filed a report at a Hollywood police station claiming she had been a victim of battery at a private party at about 1 a.m. April 2, according to L.A.P.D. spokesman police Lt. Paul Vernon. “According to Abdul, the man at the party argued with her, grabbed her by the arm and threw her against a wall”, Vernon said. “She said she had sustained a concussion and spinal injuries”.
Substance abuse allegations
Substance abuse allegations arose as the result of what some described as “erratic behavior”by Abdul during episodes of American Idol. After reading these allegations on message boards, Abdul told People magazine in April 2005 that she suffered from chronic pain for years following a “cheerleading accident” at age 17 and was diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) in November 2004.Abdul says she is now pain-free following treatment, including the anti-inflammatory medication Enbrel.
Allegations arose again in January 2007 when videos circulated on the Internet of Abdul appearing to sway in her chair and slur her speech during a set of interviews.Abdul’s publicist attributed this to fatigue and technical difficulties during the recording of the interviews.It was revealed on the Bravo show Hey Paula, which had followed Abdul with a video camera prior to the interviews, that Abdul had not been sleeping, perhaps suffering from some mild form of insomnia.
In February 2007, Abdul told Us Weekly that she had never been drunk or used illegal drugs and called the allegations “lies”.
In a March 2007 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Abdul joked that her scrutinized behavior was caused by her being “abducted by aliens”.
In several interviews given in the late 2000s, Paula claimed to have been left in debilitating pain after a 1992 car accident and a 1993 plane crash that required 15 spinal surgeries and which left her dependent on pain medication for years.
In May 2009, Ladies’ Home Journal posted an article on its Web site that said Abdul told them she attended the La Costa Resort and Spa the previous year to recover from physical dependence on prescription pain medications.The medications, prescribed due to injuries and her RSD diagnosis, included a pain patch, nerve medication, and a muscle relaxant. According to the article, Abdul said the medications made her “get weird” at times and that she suffered from physical withdrawal symptoms during her recovery.
Later that same week, though, in an interview with Detroit radio station WKQI, Abdul rejected the article’s accuracy. She told the radio station she never checked into a rehab clinic and never had a drug abuse problem.
Were Miami (BNO News) – Hurricane warnings on Saturday evening at Earl tropical storm, named storm of the 2010 season hurricanes in the Atlantic, is still to move in the direction of the Leeward Islands.
Ast starting from 11:00 (0300 UTC), located about 520 miles Earl (835 km) east of the Leeward Islands in the North is moving toward the west near 20 miles (32 kilometers) per hour.
Forecasters said weather in the United States and the Miami-based National Hurricane Center) Earl and maximum sustained winds near 65 miles (100 kilometers) per hour, and high wind. It is expected to be strengthened further in the coming hours, and is expected to become a hurricane storm on Sunday.
And issued a hurricane warning at 11 pm Ast (0300 UTC) for Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy. And a hurricane watch was issued for St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, and the British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. “Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” said Miami-based center.
Forecasters say that a gradual shift in the direction of the west and northwest is expected on Sunday and Monday. It is expected to pass near the Earl or more of the northern Leeward Islands late on Sunday or Monday as a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson scale, wind storm, with winds 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour.
According to expectations, it is expected that the circumstances of the hurricane to reach the islands within the warning on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Danielle, which is located 335 miles (575 kilometers) east of Bermuda, heading north and north-east, away from the islands. The hurricane has sustained winds of 105 miles (165 kilometers) per hour, making it a Category 2 hurricane.
The NHC dangerous surfing conditions does not diminish the near Bermuda on Sunday, which swells from the hurricane is likely to cause serious disruption of currents over the weekend along parts of the eastern coast of the United States.
He has been working on the completion of this step – arm triangle – for more than a year. If the end seemed familiar to fight fans, there is a reason but it is exactly the throttle newborn heavyweight champion current Brock Lesnar used to cope with rival Shane Carwin in July – a Lesnar after the completion of the development of training to spend time with Couture.
After the game, fashion design pay respect to Tony (0-1), and the boxer trash talk, which backed up his words and arrived at the Octagon. Said Tony anyone to hear – including the newborn Dana White, who gave Tony wants to fight in the newborn – that has the power to hit Couture important discipline of the fighting in a match in a shadow. At the same time, “said Couture Tony spent nine months training” is a real short to take everything you need to know. “
Couture needed only 15 seconds to get used to the position of Tony before the shooting for the legs and the use of its Olympic-caliber wrestling him to the mat. Couture spent two minutes Tony earth, and the bombing by the search for the request. It was Tony, Tony, repulsed the first attempt to strangle, but once in fashion design is closed, no choice but to take advantage of it.
And culminated in August of a superb fashion design, which co-starred in Hollywood and consumer – who spent two weeks at the top of the box office in North America.
Couture said, with a smile: “It was a hell of a month.”
Whether you’re a fan or a casual follower of the fight against militants, and 118 newborn Thanks to everyone for something to participate in major events pitting lightweight champion Frankie B. C. Edgar against bin side by side with Couture, Tony match-up.
Edgar (01/12) and will be to defeat for the second time the man he calls the greatest light in the history of MMA.
“This is just great for me to fight him for the last Lguetal it made me force myself to make the best of me, and now I have to do it again,” said Edgar.
Ben (15-6-1) says he still feels the sting of the loss of resolution is debatable to Edgar in April.
“It’s definitely motivation. If people put Frankie and the underdog, and this is exactly what I feel. I’m the underdog. I’m the guy who does not want to allow the sport pass him, and I want to stay at the forefront of this whole thing.”
In other pay-per-view games in the newborn 118:
Took – Demian Maia (13-2) his first step up the peace average, easily beating Mario Miranda (02/12) by unanimous decision in a match since losing Maya first title shot against Anderson Silva in April.
And scored all three judges in the game 30-27.
- Received Gray Maynard (10-0 (1), (NC) shot the first lightweight title newborn at the same time denied the existence of a crack in the belt, the third Boston native Kenny Florian (14-5). Maynard using his wrestling to control the the final 11 minutes of the game, winning a unanimous decision over Florian sadness to determine Division number (1) the opponent.
Scored two of the judges in the match 30-27, while the third was 29-28.
“Feeling good, man. I get really, really happy in the end to the scene where you get a chance at the belt,” said Maynard.
- Nate Diaz (13-5) continues to rise in the welterweight ranks, and put on a clinic against the hometown favorite Marcus Davis (17-7). Diaz turned the right side of the face Davis in a scene from a horror movie by the bottleneck at the end of the day to Maine native at 4:02 of the third round.
“I feel good,” said Diaz. “Marcus Davis is a hell of fighters.”
In the opening match in the newborn 118:
- Get on the reaction resulted from the crowd, Joe Lauzon (18-5) put on the performance of a star in the loop. He needed only 2:01 to lock in armbar and Gabe Ruediger (17-6) with regards to light.
- Nick Lentz (21-3-2) won a unanimous decision on the winner, Andre (12-4-1) in a fit of light. Two judges scored in the third game 30-27, while losing 29-28.
- Put an end to a run of three games lost, Dan Miller (12-4 (1), (North Carolina) suffocated by John Salter (5-2) at 1:53 of the second round in their average.
- Overcoming the significant reduction in the first round, Greg Soto (8-1) won a unanimous decision on Osipczak Nick (5-3) in a welterweight contest. And scored all three judges in the game 29-28.
- Mike Pierce (11-3) dominated from start to finish his welterweight bout against Amilcar Alves (11-2), using Kimura finally to win to win at 3:11 of the third round.
Follow Nick Colon for the tweets and keep it locked here for the live action after each fight happens. Latest updates are first for your lack-of-scrolling pleasure.
Let’s do this!
12:10 AM
Poor Frankie Edgar. As he steps into the Octagon, a fight breaks out and everyone gets distracted. The Lightweight Champion is bouncing and full of energy, coming out to Notorious BIG.
Penn is out to his normal Hawaiian music. Fans are standing but are considerably less into this than Couture/Toney. Fans are into Penn pretty big here.
Results after we’re done…here we go!
11:55 PM
Randy Couture def. James Toney by 1st round submission (3:19) via arm triangle
Insane atmosphere and everything went down exactly as expected. Couture waited and took down Toney with a single leg without even the hint of a swing from Toney.
The rest of the bout was classic Couture ground and pound. Couture just unloaded on punches and the crowd chants just kept getting louder and louder. At one point, the fans were chanting “UFC”. I never thought I’d see a home team at a UFC event.
Toney held on with both arms but couldn’t do anything. Eventually Couture worked in a side choke and then an arm triangle to which James eventually waved off to. Yes, he waved off…not even a tap. By my count, Toney got one punch in…feebly on the ground.
Toney was wobbly post-fight getting up. The place went insane at the finish. I’m surprised Dana didn’t run into the Octagon and hug Randy. At one point, I felt sorry for Toney who looked completely lost.
Both guys shook hands afterward. Couture is king of Boston for the night and seemed super excited post-fight.
No breaks…BJ Penn/Frankie Edgar up next!
11:50 PM
EVERYONE is standing for the intros. Toney comes out to some hard hip-hop while Couture is out to Van Halen (I think?) This has that big fight feel.
Buffer is going on and on about Couture’s accomplishments. Seems to really be driving home the UFC vs. boxing deal.
Back in a few with the results…here we go!
11:40 PM
Demian Maia def. Mario Miranda by unanimous decision
Judges had it 30-27 for Maia.
If you like jiu-jitsu, you’d like this fight. Otherwise, this was entirely skippable.
Maia exhibited superior body control for 15 minutes, attempting rear naked chokes and armbars. However, Miranda was just good enough to work out of them. It didn’t help that Maia’s punches just don’t have the force to deliver any damage while on the ground.
Miranda couldn’t stop the takedowns and wasn’t good enough in his striking to do any damage up top. Who do you match Maia up with to have a good fight?
The crowd was a bit restless and there was booing throughout. I’m surprised this fight went on 3rd instead of Florian/Maynard. There were a lot of empty seats during the bout.
Boxer Mickey Ward and the Boston Celtics’ Glen Davis were shown. Toney/Couture up next.
11:10 PM
Gray Maynard def. Kenny Florian by unanimous decision
Two judges had it 30-27 and one had 29-28.
Ladies and gents, we have a new No. 1 155-pound contender.
Maynard did what he needed to do and grinded out a unanimous decision over Florian, who never could get out of the starting blocks.
Maynard scored a takedown in the first to win a tentative round and used effective body control on t he ground in the 2nd and 3rd for the win. Florian just looked out of it, perhaps buckling to the pressure of fighting in his hometown.
There was a small chance for Florian in the 3rd when he was looking to lock on an armbar but he couldn’t secure.
Ugh. Can they bring the WEC 155-pounders up yet?
Chuck Liddell and Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker were shown and both got the same pop. Crazy night. Mario Miranda and Demian Maia is up next.
10:45 PM
Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard up next. Florian out to a Dropkick Murphys song and the people are into it. Seems a little quieter than Lauzon for some reason.
10:35 PM
Nate Diaz def. Marcus Davis by 3rd round submission (anaconda choke) at 4:02
This was the night that Marcus Davis officially got old.
Diaz, quite unpopular with the crowd, dominated the ex-boxer Davis with striking throughout the first and second, opening up a nasty cut above Davis’ right eye. The blood looked to bother Davis throughout the fight.
Diaz kept taunting throughout the first, but Davis couldn’t match Diaz’s speed and made him look really slow. The end came in the 3rd when Diaz got Davis with a takedown and got a side choke (anaconda?) for the tap. Davis was clearly out, but Yves Lavigne made the call a few seconds too late.
Davis was on the deck for a while, but walked out under his own power. Diaz said post-fight that he broke his hand in the 2nd.
Diaz is a great asset for the UFC: an unpopular guy that people like to boo that also wins fights. He continues to get better.
10:15 PM
Marcus Davis and Nate Diaz are up. House is about 95% full. Monitors cut off some seats in the upper bowl. Very, very loud so far.
Davis out first to ‘Jump Around’ by House of Pain. People love it…even the ring girls whom Alex Karalexis is trying to impress with his form of dancing. Diaz out to 2Pac. East Coast vs. West Coast!
Back in a few minutes…
9:55 PM
We got the Teenage Wasteland open. Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh man. Marcus Davis and Nate Diaz up first to kick off the PPV.
9:37 PM
Joe Lauzon def. Gabe Ruediger by 1st round submission (armbar) at 2:01
Good lord, did it get loud in here.
Massachusetts guy Lauzon dominated Ruediger, getting several takedowns and the crowd was going ballistic. He started laying in shots on the ground, eventually got another takedown after a stand-up and just seamlessly transitioned into an armbar for the tap.
Ruediger didn’t bother shaking hands afterward. Kinda weak.
“Shipping Up To Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys is now playing. It’s a freaking party in here.
Kenny Florian? The floor is yours.
Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis up next, so we’re off for 20 minutes.
9:30 PM
Joe Lauzon and Gabe Ruediger is up next. Crowd shown video of top guys walking in and Couture/Penn heavily cheered while Toney/Edgar loudly booed.
Lauzon is the first local guy of the night coming out. Both guys are getting intros and Ruediger is getting killed here. Out in headphones to block some of the noise out?
Lauzon out to ‘Move’ by Thousand Foot Krutch. I’m a New England guy and got some goosebumps here.
Back in a few with the results, y’all.
9:25 PM
Nik Lentz def. Andre Winner by unanimous decision
Two judges had it 30-27 while another had it 29-28.
Bland fight to open up the Spike show. Lentz was content to grind Winner up against the cage and try for takedowns, while Winner couldn’t do anything to get free. He wanted to bang and Winner did not.
In the 3rd round, Winner opened up the round with throwing kicks and punches but Lentz didn’t want any part and it was back to the floor. Bleh. Considering what we’ve seen so far, people here HATED this fight.
Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz came out at varying points over the last 15 minutes and are in a competition for best dressed.
SI’s Chris Mannix and ESPN/Boston globe Bob Ryan in the house. I am really wondering what Ryan is thinking.
9:05 PM
Nik Lentz and Andre Winner up first but get no intros, ala old school WWF jobbers. (Yes, I know it’s WWE.)
8:50 PM
Dan Miller def. John Salter via 2nd round submission (1:53) with an anaconda choke
Both guys were content to stand and bang in the 1st round, but Salter got two takedowns to win the round. Miller kept up the attack in the 2nd round and stuffed a Salter takedown, working into a side choke that Salter tapped to.
Miller let out a loud yell afterward as he really, really needed that win. Crowd popped huge for the finish and he got the first Rogan interview which people went crazy for.
We have a quick break until the Spike show starts at 9 pm.
8:36 PM
Dan Miller out to CCR (or John Fogerty) while John Salter comes out Thirty Seconds to Mars.
8:30 PM
Greg Soto def. Nick Osipczak by unanimous decision (three 29-28 scores)
Fans popped for Soto coming out as he’s fired up. Osipczak came to some cool British rap.
Really great fight. Soto just wore him down with punches and knees as the fight wore on, even with a nasty cut above his left eye. People loved it. I had it 29-27 Soto as the 3rd round was dominant.
1st round: Osip with hard right kick that buckled Soto followed by some hard shots. Soto worked for the takedown and got it. Osip with hard elbows from the bottom as Soto takes him down. Osip seems fine to trade but so is soto, who got cut and is bleeding from his left eye. That’s a tough round to judge. 10-9 Osip.
2nd round: Osip staggers him with punch and knees. Fight goes to the ground and Soto has his back and crowd is going nuts. People chanting USA. Osip teased an armbar and people went nuts. Soto nearly full mounted and dropping shots. Both guys are wearing as the round goes on. 10-9 Soto
3rd round: Soto got a takedown and people popped. Soto is laying in knees to the side while in side control and is doing everything to finish.Osip looks gassed. Soto gets his back…head and arm triangle……Osip does theok. Osip in a bad way…knees to ribs…ground and pound…Osip surviving but no doing anything..punches to side of head…crowd wanted a finish but popped huge at the end. 10-8 Soto.
USA chants at the end. Unreal.
8:05 PM
Mike Pierce def. Amilcar Alves via submission (kimura) at 3:11 of the 3rd round
This fight was extremely boring and was saved in the 3rd round. Early on, it was simply Pierce taking Alves down and staying active enough to win the rounds, nothing more or less. The biggest pops of the fight were the kimura and the entrances of Shaquille O’Neal and Clay Guida.
No, they’re not sitting together.
The 3rd round started with Double-A throwing kicks, but Pierce got the takedown and kept working for the kimura on Alves’ right arm. Eventually, he clamped it in enough to get a tap. The crowd loved the finish as everything up to this point was pretty bland.
Alves looked overmatched, but Pierce isn’t a striker and couldn’t do much else than grapple and control.
7:40 PM
Go time!
Alves out first to something with very, very loud bass while Pierce is out to a hip hop song. Is there a rule that everyone must wear flat brims hats? This trend is ridiculous.
7:37 PM
First in-stand fight of the evening. Apparently, a guy took a swing and tumbled down down the stairs in the upper level and almost flew off the balcony. Oh boy.
7:26 PM
Nothing yet. Still holding. Arena is nearing half full. C’mon Boston…where are ya?
7:15 PM
Joe Rogan is walking in so we’re getting close. Interesting mix of media tonight with lots of print guys, especially old school boxing writer Ron Borges as part of the Herald’s core of writers.
7:00 PM
Arena is very sparse right now. Surprising for a first-time crowed, but we’ll see what happens in 30 minutes.
Nick and I are three rows back in press row, about 20 feet from the cage. No chance of blood spatter on us unless someone gets hit really, really hard.
Scott Jorgensen, Jorge Rivera and Bart Palaszewski are in the row behind us.
Susan Berman (1945-2000) was a journalist and author, who was the daughter of Davie Berman, a mob figure in Las Vegas. She wrote extensively about her late-in-life realization of where her father in a criminal empire. She was murdered execution style with a nine millimeter pistol in hand on Christmas Eve 2000 Benedict Canyon, California.
Biography
Berman’s father was a mob figure Davie Berman, who had replaced Bugsy Siegel in Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel after Siegel’s murder by the Mafia. Berman always maintained that her father has mysteriously deceased on an operating table when she was 12. Berman also believed her mother, Gladys’ overdose suicide a year later under mysterious circumstances.
Susan Berman is affectionately known as a “Jewish Mafia princess. “In 1981 appeared the memoirs Berman Easy Street about life as the daughter of a gangster. Susan Berman was represented in the 1970 by the William Morris Agency, who spoke with several Hollywood producers interested in the book adaptation of Berman’s In a scenario. The film rights were purchased from Berman, but the film project never got off the ground.
Several published accounts have speculated about possible links between Berman’s murder and disappearance of Kathie Durst 1982-wife of Berman’s college friend and heir to a New York real estate fortune, Robert Durst. Durst was considered a prime suspect in the disappearance of his wife, along with one other person of interest, but he was never charged in the case. Berman was a friend of Durst after the disappearance of his wife, and large cash donations Durst gave Berman in the months before the death of Berman’s. [1] Nearly two decades after the disappearance of Kathie Durst’s, New York State Police, at the request of Jeanine Pirro, the public prosecutor at the time in New York Westchester County, Susan contacted to interview her about the Durst case. She was slain within a few days of the query.
Berman lived right on the Sunset Strip Alta Loma Road in West Hollywood for several years prior to the transition to its final residence in Benedict Canyon. Nyle Brenner, Berman’s manager, told the Los Angeles Times days after the murder that “many details of personal life Ms. Berman are unclear” and added “she had already married in the 1980s and later helped the back of the two children of a friend. “Berman’s relationships were layered, often deep and mysterious. She kept close ties with friends on Alta Loma Road, where she once lived, the Las Vegas Strip and in New York City, including Durst.
Berman was a published author and a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles with a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. She was a staff reporter for The San Francisco Examiner, and he wrote to Francis Ford Coppola’s City Magazine, the Evening Show on KPIX Westinghouse and the People’s Republic show on CBS. She was a contributing writer for New York, Cosmopolitan, Family Circle. Berman said “Driver, Give a soldier a lift!” and “Lady Las Vegas,” the release of an A & E special which Berman was a co-writer together.
At the time of her death, she was working on a project for Showtime with attorney Kevin Norte. The title of the project was Sin City and was planned as a Showtime version of the HBO hit “The Sopranos
Health and elegant and the brightest hair is all about women, love and the desire to have. After that great poetry can not be life or death to your look, it’s always worth the extra effort. To make the hair have a healthy way to maintain that we must deal with a lot of care … Care.
Such beautiful clothes, fashion, and other accessories, sewing pattern, and it is also an essential part of your look attractive and charming. In fact, health, and the brightest and was one of the elements that add personality to your brand.
After that great poetry can not be life or death to your look, it’s always worth the extra effort. But if you do not have enough time in your life is busy and hectic, you do not have to worry about. Just read and the application of this method is the central Hair Care Tips and adds a great look to your hair, your features as well.
Hair-care system:
Excessive use of these in your diet is very harmful to your hair:
* Candy
* Chocolate
* Cakes
* Cookies
Try your level best to replace them with fresh fruits and green vegetables in your diet to help in the care of your hair.
Rinse your hair:
The best way to wash hair with Shikakai powder and Ritha. It has no chemicals or other side effects. Ritha and Shikakai powder is available in any grocery store or the nearest public.
Shampoo:
* Dry hair: eggs, herbal shampoo or shampoo for dry hair.
* Normal hair: Shampoo for normal hair fruit shampoos or henna is good.
Oily hair: Shampoo Lemon
Hair Oil:
Oil your hair at least once a week. If you have dry hair, then the oil twice a week. Hair oil gives the necessary moisturizers to your hair. Herbal hair oil provides the energy required with a drink.
Cream rinse:
* Henna: Henna conditions and the color of your hair.
* Dry hair: add a little milk, water, egg yolk, 1 – 2egg in henna. This mixture does not dry your hair and make it soft and manageable. Applicants per month.
* Normal for greasy hair: Add some water and lemon juice and egg yolks in henna. You can apply henna every two weeks.
* Home-made air conditioners:
* Add a quarter cup of vinegar in half a bucket of water. This gives a good shine to your hair. Mix curds and egg yolks together, and applied for 1 hour.
Hair tonic:
Try powder hair tonic water Put oil in the powder 4 tsp – and boil, then subside, and the application of them. This will stop hair loss and renewal, and nourishes your hair.
Comb regularly:
Comb your hair regularly is usually good, because this is another way to massage the tissue and promote hair growth. Moreover, with a broad brush, comb and separate the overlap between the teeth and prevents hair loss and damage. Use a series of gentle hills, which also ensure that regularly used and ill-treatment can be damaging to comb your hair, in some cases.
Dry hair:
Hair is often dry air is the best way. However, it is proposed always natural, because the life of the hair, and also enhances the lifting of your hair.
Trim:
Trimming or cutting the hair on a regular basis, not just to get rid of split ends and prevent the formation of split ends. Moreover, the more you cut your hair, as far as to grow strongly, but not in length. That had not been cut, and extended high-end grow up in hair, hair loss at the end of the day limit. In addition, the division ends usually at the top of white at the end of each chapter to look very ugly, and expressly states that it is not healthy.
Beautiful, healthy hair and shiny, attractive and quality with these simple tips and the right hair, you can achieve these days everyone.
he expected Islamabad – More rain is drowning in flood-ravaged Pakistan on Saturday and even the heaviest rains in the coming days, we accelerated and exacerbated the crisis, and radical Islamic groups to fill gaps in a partial response to the government.
Have been affected by Pakistani authorities estimate up to 13 million people across the country in South Asia through the rising waters. And killed about 1500 people, mostly in the northwestern part of the region most affected.
Heavy flooding, which began about two weeks ago had washed away roads and bridges, and lines of communication are many, have hampered rescue efforts. Justified the continuing monsoon rains in many of the helicopters in an attempt to rescue people and aid the phrase, including six helicopters on loan from U.S. troops manned in Afghanistan.
The national government was formed in response and chaos in some cases, and confidence in its ability to meet the decision shook President Asif Ali Zardari to travel to France and Europe in the midst of the crisis.
Floods receded slightly on Friday in the north-west of the country, but heavy rain in the evening and Saturday morning, while rising rivers and streams. Farooq said Pakistan Meteorological House is expected to torrential rains in Afghanistan to take things further during the next 36 hours, swelling the Kabul River has grown in the north-west Pakistan.
This probably means more of sadness and Punjab and Sindh provinces, as well as a flood of new flow of the river east and south.
Authorities have adopted a variety of fees on the number of persons from among the 175 million people of Pakistan affected by the floods.
The United Nations has been touched four million people, including 1.5 million seriously, which means that homes were damaged or destroyed. But Pakistani authorities have put the figure much higher.
Punjab and North West, and displaced flood of 12 million people, “said Amal Masoud, a national disaster official of the Department of the Authority. Sindh province, were evacuated about 1 million people, or being helped out of their homes,” said Jam Saifullah, the region’s minister for irrigation.
The United Nations said the disaster was an “equal footing” with the Kashmir earthquake in 2005 – which killed about 73000 people – in terms of the number of people who need assistance and damage to infrastructure.
About 30 000 Pakistani soldiers and to rebuild bridges and the provision of food and setting up relief camps in the northwestern part of the country, which is a key battleground in the war against al Qaeda and the Taliban. Was donated by foreign countries and the United Nations millions of dollars.
U.S. soldiers have been printed in the war effort in Afghanistan to run four helicopters Chinook and Black Hawk, and six to evacuate people from the Swat Valley, northwest of the country, support the campaign there. About 85 U.S. troops involved, although the rain was not much traffic.
Also help in the relief efforts of Islamic charities, such as e-Falah Foundation Insaniat, which Western officials believe is linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group accused of bomb attacks in Mumbai in 2008. The Brotherhood is officially banned, but not ban appeal in court and enforced unevenly.
The Director of Hafiz Abdul Rauf is the group in 1912 to provide medical and food for 100,000 people every day. And helped the institution after the earthquake in Kashmir under a different name.
“The next step, and will begin to provide shelter, but is currently providing food and medicine to flood victims is our priority,” said Rauf.
He criticized government officials, saying it does not do much to hold press conferences and ads. But he was satisfied with the efforts of the United States.
“All the help and donate to is welcome,” he said.
Oakland, California, fans and media gathered at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California to see UFC fighters weighing 117 to for the weekend’s UFC event.
When it comes down to weighing the UFC, one of the things that people expect is the most intense potential acaraments among participants of the billboard.
Anderson Silva and Chael Sonne Sonne-especially-but have been a wave of propaganda into this matter, and the anticipation before their gaze down at this time had built two were weighing on its way to the stage.
As did the conference yesterday Sonne press prior to the fight, Silva came to his opponent’s face after he directed his attention in the direction of the crowd, while Sonne Stared the left side of champion’s face.
One item of note: Thiago Alves weighed a half pound over the limit of 171 pounds for his fight with Jon Fitch. He will compete in the fight in this weight.
Here are the rest of the ceremony heavy on results for UFC 117.
MAIN CARD
Chael Sonnen (185 lbs.) vs. Anderson Silva (184.5 lbs.)
Thiago Alves (171.5 lbs) vs. Jon Fitch (170.5 lbs.)
Ricardo Almeida (170.5 lbs.) vs. Matt Hughes (170.5 lbs.)
Junior dos Santos (240 lbs.) vs. Roy Nelson (263 lbs.)
Rafael Dos Anjos (156 lbs.) vs. Clay Guida (156 lbs.)
Preliminary card
Rick Story (169 lbs.) vs. Dustin Hazelett (169.5 lbs.)
Rodney Wallace (206 lbs.) vs. Phil Davis (205.5 lbs.)
Charlie Brenneman (171 lbs.) vs. Johnny Hendricks (171 lbs.)
Todd Brown (206 lbs.) vs. Tim Boetsch (206 lbs.)
Christian Morecraft (263 lbs.) vs. Stefan Struve (247 lbs.)
Dennis Hallman (171 lbs.) vs. Ben Saunders (171 lbs.)
From Beijing to Berlin, it seemed that Usain Bolt and his long, were turbocharged walks more than a match for anyone over 100 meters. But Tyson Gay upset the defending world and Olympic champions Friday in a race between the two fastest runners in history.
Gay beat the Jamaican at the DN Galan meet in 9.84 seconds, competing for the same stadium in Stockholm, where Bolt recently lost a race two years ago.
The American seemed to be in complete control against the world record-holder. The pair went side by side Gay, comfortable looking, pulled away. Bolt was to keep tension and finished in 9.97 seconds.
Tennis
Thanks to players like Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi then, and, lately, Andy Roddick, it began to be always at least one man from the United States in tennis’ top 10 since the computer rankings in 1973. In strip is the end of next week.
With Roddick sliding from No. 9 to no better than No. 12 when the new rankings issued Monday, said the ATP, there will be zero for the first time U.S. men to be among the top 10.
Pro Basketball
Even after losing all those games and an embarrassing sexual harassment suit has Isiah Thomas a seat at the New York Knicks. Thomas was reinstated Friday by the team as a consultant, two years after he was fired as coach and president.
College Football
Defending national champion Alabama is No. 1 the head of the USA Today preseason coaches’ poll.
Boise State begins the season ranked fifth The Broncos, like Alabama, finished last season 14-0.
The Crimson Tide got 55 out of 59 possible first place votes. The other four went to Ohio State and No. 2 in the newspaper is the ranking. Florida is third, followed by Texas.
Motorsport
San Jose-raised AJ Allmendinger, 28, in his fourth full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup has signed a multiyear contract extension with Richard Petty Motorsports.
# A person familiar with the 2011 NASCAR schedule said that the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, is a second race to come next