The King of All Media has hidden two J.B. tickets in North Korea and the first lucky guy/gal to find it gets it….
Artie Lange
Artie Lange on Letterman | March 3, 2009
Artie Lange, Comedy, David LettermanGood stuff buddy…
Sulu Gets Married as Uhura and Chekov Look On
Stories
Toast the groom (and the other groom) with a tall mug of Romulan ale! George Takei of “Star Trek” fame tied the knot in Los Angeles on Sunday and People magazine was all over it like Captain Kirk on that green alien lady.
George Takei and his longtime partner, Brad Altman, were wed Sunday evening in a Buddhist ceremony in downtown Los Angeles.
“All I can remember is what the priest said,” Takei told People after the ceremony. “That this moment will never happen again. It’s something to savor.”
Nearly 200 of the couple’s friends attended the event, which began as a kimono-clad koto player plucked out tunes on the ancient Japanese stringed instrument. Afterward, the couple sipped sake from red lacquer cups, then said their vows to one another while standing within a circle of yellow rose petals.
A Scottish bagpiper led Takei, 71, and Altman, 54, to the reception on the grounds of the Japanese American National Museum. On the way, the couple, along with their maid of honor and best man (Takei’s former “Star Trek” costars Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig) flashed the “live long and prosper” hand sign to photographers and friends.
“I was fighting back the tears,” said Nichols, who played Uhura on the “Star Trek” series. “But they came oozing out anyway. I’m so happy that they’re both able to legally proclaim their commitment to one another after spending the past 21 years together.”
In May, Takei announced his plans to wed after California’s Supreme Court allowed gay marriage under the state’s Constitution.
Wait, does this mean Mr. Sulu is gay? Set red-state phasers on stunned!
But seriously, best wishes for Takei and Altman, and we hope didn’t get too many of these as wedding gifts.
— Geoff Boucher
Artie Lange Checks Into "Intensive" Rehab
Artie Lange, Eric the Midget, Fred Norris, Gary Dell'Abate, Greg Fitzsimmons, Howard Stern, Nick DePaulo, Robin Quivers, Ronnie the Limo Driver, Sal Governale, Scott Baio, Tim Sabean
Howard Stern‘s sidekick is finally in rehab. Artie Lange, who’s long overindulged with drugs and drink, was scheduled to attend close pal Bob Saget‘s Comedy Central roast on Sunday night, but never made it to LA. Instead, he checked himself into an intensive outpatient rehab program. A source said Lange “felt awful for not being there for Bob, but needed to make his health a priority.” Lange also canceled his stand-up shows this weekend, but plans to return to his regular gig on Stern’s Sirius radio show when it returns from hiatus. Lange’s rep, Lewis Kay, confirmed the news.
Get well buddy; we all love you-JT
Judge Rules White House Aides Can Be Subpoenaed
Afghanistan, AIPAC, Alberto Gonzales, Ari Fleisher, Bay Buchanan, Bill Kristol, Brit Hume, Brooke Hogan, Charles Krauthammer, David Addigton, David Iglesias, Dick Cheney, Elliot Abrams, Exxon, Frodo, George Bush, Harriet Miers, Hulk Hogan, Iraq, Irving Kristol, Jesse Ventura, Joseph Wilson, Judith Miller, Justice Department, Karen Hughes, Karl Rove, Luther Campbell, Matt Cooper, Michael Mukasey, Mobil, Monica Goodling, Pam Anderson, PNAC, Robert Luskin, Robert Novak, Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, Scooter Libby, Tim Russert, Tom Friedman, Valerie Plame, Viveca Novak
WASHINGTON — President Bush’s top advisers must honor subpoenas issued by Congress, a federal judge ruled on Thursday in a case that involves the firings of several United States attorneys but has much wider constitutional implications for all three branches of government.
“The executive’s current claim of absolute immunity from compelled Congressional process for senior presidential aides is without any support in the case law,” Judge John D. Bates ruled in United States District Court here.
Unless overturned on appeal, a former White House counsel, Harriet E. Miers, and the current White House chief of staff, Joshua B. Bolten, would be required to cooperate with the House Judiciary Committee, which has been investigating the controversial dismissal of the federal prosecutors in 2006.
While the ruling is the first in which a court has agreed to enforce a Congressional subpoena against the White House, Judge Bates called his 93-page decision “very limited” and emphasized that he could see the possibility of the dispute being resolved through political negotiations. The White House is almost certain to appeal the ruling.
It was the latest setback for the Bush administration, which maintains that current and former White House aides are immune from congressional subpoena. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to recommend that Karl Rove, a former top political adviser to President Bush, be cited for contempt for ignoring a subpoena and not appearing at a hearing on political interference by the White House at the Justice Department.
Although Judge Bates did not specifically say so, his ruling, if sustained on appeal, might apply as well to Mr. Rove and his refusal to testify.
The House has already voted to hold Ms. Miers and Mr. Bolten in contempt for refusing to testify or to provide documents about the dismissals of the United States attorneys, which critics of the administration have suggested were driven by an improper mix of politics and decisions about who should, or should not, be prosecuted.
Judge Bates, who was appointed to the bench by President Bush in 2001, said Ms. Miers cannot simply ignore a subpoena to appear but must state her refusal in person. Moreover, he ruled, both she and Mr. Bolten must provide all non-privileged documents related to the dismissals.
Ms. Miers and Mr. Bolten, citing legal advice from the White House, have refused for months to comply with Congressional subpoenas. The White House has repeatedly invoked executive privilege, the doctrine that allows the advice that a president gets from his close advisers to remain confidential.
In essence, Judges Bates held that whatever immunity from Congressional subpoenas that executive branch officials might enjoy, it is not “absolute.” And in any event, he said, it is up to the courts, not the executive branch, to determine the scope of its immunity in particular cases.
“We are reviewing the decision,” Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman, said. Before the decision was handed down, several lawyers said it would almost surely be appealed, no matter which way it turned, because of its importance.
Democrats in Congress issued statements in which they were quick to claim victory in the struggle with the administration over the dismissals of the federal prosecutors and other occurences in the Justice Department, and that they looked forward to hearing from the appropriate White House officials.
“I have long pointed out that this administration’s claims of executive privilege and immunity, which White House officials have used to justify refusing to even show up when served with congressional subpoenas, are wrong,” said Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Leahy’s House counterpart in the House had a similar reaction.
“Today’s landmark ruling is a ringing reaffirmation of the fundamental principle of checks and balances and the basic American idea that no person is above the law,” said Representative John D. Conyers, the Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
After Eighteen Months, The F.C.C. Approves Sirius/XM Merger
Stories
CNET
Updated at 4:45 p.m. PDT to clarify that portable receivers are capable of receiving live program signals.
The marriage of satellite radio providers Sirius and XM has finally received the blessing of the Federal Communications Commission on Friday. Now we can all finally get the game we want.
For many prospective customers, a key sticking point was the different selections of sports programming offered exclusively by each provider. A few years back, I wanted to make a present of a Sirius subscription to a friend who spends a lot of time driving around Northern California, especially in places that don’t get AM/FM signals. After sampling XM and Sirius’ music selections, I knew that she would enjoy the Sirius offerings over the XM offerings. But XM broadcasts more games of the sports she enjoyed–just not all of them. There really wasn’t a clear winner. So, to keep from saddling her with the wrong or incomplete service, I opted against the gift. Basically, the lack of a comprehensive offering cost the industry a customer.
I suspect that this was a dilemma faced by many listeners who were in search of more than their local radio stations could offer. But the merger means that listeners will be able to choose from a menu to add programming a la carte. For subscribers, this is a big win in programming. You can also bet that the prospect of replacing existing receivers will irritate early adopters.
Critics, however, will tell you that the merger will result in a monopoly. While the elimination of immediate industry competition will create a de facto monopoly, satellite radio is not the only source of music, talk, or sports broadcasting available to consumers. People are getting their music from many sources today. Besides satellite radio, people are finding their favorite tunes on Internet radio, MP3 players, music-playing cell phones and even traditional terrestrial radio.
To tell the truth, I don’t listen to terrestrial radio, or traditional free radio, much anymore, unless there is a game I can’t get on television. Indeed, “free radio” offers one of the more exciting and attractive music options in the form of HD radio. Unfortunately, some four years after HD radio hit airwaves, consumers have not embraced the new format, which ultimately suffers in comparison with satellite radio because of its limited range. If I weren’t so pleased with Sirius’ music programming and the fact that it’s offered as part of my Dish subscription, I would probably spring for an HD receiver to plug into my A/V home receiver. But I keep waiting for an affordable A/V receiver to come on the market that has HD radio built in as part of the tuner. When that happens, expect home satellite subscriptions to wane a little.
(Disclosure: I listen to music-only Sirius at home via Dish Network and a complete subscription in my wife’s car. The only financial interest I have in either company comes in the form of monthly subscription bills.)
You might think that the satellite industry has the upper hand in broadcasting. But while we’re on the topic of things we’re waiting for, let’s look at some of the things the satellite industry can improve. While Sirius now touts portable units as being capable of receiving live signals, many users complain of spotty or poor reception while on the go. Also, while traffic and weather reports for a few metropolitan areas is great, satellite radio can’t provide the same content as local news radio stations, so it would be nice have a portable unit that also gets AM/FM radio stations.
As a prerequisite for FCC approval, the companies agreed to freeze subscription rates for three years. If they try to jack the prices on consumers, expect consumers to change the dial, especially with the wide variety of options that are available to consumers today.
Artie Lange and Baba Booey Attacked in Afghanistan
StoriesNo Injuries Reported as Convoy is Attacked After USO Show
Howard Stern comics bombed, no joke
Thursday, July 3rd 2008, 4:00 AM
Howard Stern pals Gary Dell’Abate and Artie Lange came under fire after performing a comedy show in Afghanistan.
Howard Stern nearly lost his closest cohorts in Afghanistan this week.
Stern’s Sirius radio show producer Gary Dell’Abate, show regular Artie Lange and comedians Nick DiPaolo, Jim Florentine and Dave Attell had just finished a comedy show for troops in Kandahar when the base came under attack.
“Everything was going fine until the end,” a friend of the comics, who heard from them by cell phone, tells us. “They were all done with their sets, and they were headed in a car convoy to a meet-and-greet elsewhere, but they only made it about 20 yards.
“The military base they were on came under mortar fire, and the convoy was turned around.”
Troops led the comics into a secure bunker, where they all waited for a very unfunny 35 minutes as the shelling continued.
Eventually it stopped, and the comedians, all uninjured, went on to continue the USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour at other undisclosed locations in the Persian Gulf. Tony Burton, Dell’Abate’s rep, confirmed the incident but couldn’t comment.
Before they left for Afghanistan, callers like lawyer Dominic Barbara phoned in to the Stern show and wondered if the comics, especially those like Dell’Abate, who has children, should be risking their lives.
But Dell’Abate seemed most concerned about the 22-hour flight to the country, saying he’d never flown longer than seven hours.
Lange seemed most worried about what material they could use, given the Army’s orders not to make jokes involving President Bush, sex, race, religion, drugs or drinking.
Any safety fears he may have had surely disappeared when he heard how desperate the troops are for entertainment. In fact, when the soldiers heard they were getting a show, they were ecstatic, according to the Stern fan site Marksfriggin.com.
So far, Scarlett Johansson, Robin Williams, Kid Rock, Toby Keith, Morgan Freeman, Jessica Simpson, Kelli Pickler and bands O.A.R. and Five for Fighting have been among the few courageous enough to go to the war zones to bring soldiers a bit of cheer.
But Stern himself may have had the last word on the tour when he joked, “Why is Gary going, anyway? He’s not even funny.”
No worries: Dell’Abate is serving as the tour’s emcee.
Losses at XM and Sirius as They Pursue a Merger
Artie Lange, Beetlejuice, Fred Norris, Gary Dell'Abate, George Takei, Howard Stern, J.D. Harmeyer, Kenneth Keith Callenbach, Lisa Lampanelli, Mark The Bagger, Ralph Cirella, Richard Christy, Robin Quivers, Sal the Stockbroker, Sirius, XM
Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, the pay radio stations that are seeking to merge, both reported solid gains in subscribers on Monday although both also posted quarterly losses.
Sirus said that its quarterly net loss narrowed to $104.1 million, or 7 cents a share, from a net loss of $144.7 million, or 10 cents a share, a year earlier.
At XM, the net loss increased to $129 million, or 42 cents a share, compared with $122 million, or 40 cents a share, a year earlier.
Sirius’s acquisition of XM is still awaiting the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. The Justice Department approved the deal in March.
Revenue at Sirius, the satellite radio home of the shock jock Howard Stern and the National Football League, climbed 33 percent, to $270.4 million.
The company, based in New York, added 322,534 net subscribers and ended the quarter with about 8.6 million, up 31 percent from 6.6 million one year ago.
The Washington-based XM, whose program lineup includes Major League Baseball and Oprah Winfrey, said it added 303,000 net subscribers and ended the quarter on March 31 with 9.33 million subscribers. That is up from 7.91 million in the first quarter of 2007.
Revenue rose to $308 million, which was lower than the average analyst forecast of $313 million.
XM and Sirius hope to persuade regulators that their merger would provide consumers with more choice in radio programming and could lead to lower prices in some cases.
Shares of Sirius closed up 14 cents, or 5.1 percent, at $2.87 on Nasdaq.
XM closed up 50 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $12.30, also on Nasdaq.
The New York Herald Sun 