Wednesday, March 28, 2007

What We Still Don't Know - Are We Real (Documentary)

The secret White House comunication system

GWB43 is the name of an internet server owned by the Republican National Committee.

The White House has its own internal email system, ending in the .gov suffix, as mandated by the Presidential Records Act. The law requires that public business be conducted on a public server.

Yet documents made public in the course of the U.S. Attorney Purge scandal reveal that key Administration figures used such email addresses ending with "gwb43.com."

As Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) notes:
CREW has learned that to fulfill its statutory obligations under the PRA, the White House email system automatically copies all messages created by staff and sends them to the White House Office of Records Management for archiving. It appears that the White House deliberately bypassed the automatic archiving function of its own email system that was designed to ensure compliance with the PRA.
Karl Rove, we learn, does about 95% of his White House emailing from the RNC-controlled account, even though 100% of his salary is paid for by taxpayers. It is against the law for him to do partisan political work while in the White House. (During the Clinton years, allegations that Al Gore made phone calls to donors from the premises enraged Republican pundits.)

This writer makes the excellent point that the official White House communications channels are "hardened" against interception by foreign intelligence services. Can the same be said about the private RNC servers?

Did prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald know about this bypass when he subpoenaed White House emails pursuant to the Plamegate investigation? If he had, "Scooter" Libby might not have been the only one brought to trial.

We recently learned that Susan Ralston, the former assistant to Karl Rove, used three private e-mail accounts connected to the Republican party to provide "inside White House" information to Abramoff. Would Rove have been implicated in the Abramoff scandal if investigators knew about these "hidden" communications?

After one Abramoff/Ralston communication, a follow-up email to Jack Abramoff clearly states that people in the White House use private servers to conduct business of dubious legality:
Your email to Susan was forwarded to Ruben Barrales and on to Jen Farley, who read it to me last night. I don't know what to think about this, but she said is better not to put this stuff in writing in their email system because it might actually limit what they can do to help us, especially since there could be lawsuits, etc. Who knows?
This story by Joseph Hughes and Melissa McEwan compiles statements by George Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Michael Chertoff and Alberto Gonzales, all of whom have claimed that they do not use email for business. Oddly, Rice made this claim at the same time let slip that she had used email to communicate with Richard Clarke.

Dubya's stated reasoning for not entering the computer age is both disconcerting and inarticulate:
"I tend not to e-mail - not only tend not to e-mail, I don't e-mail, uh, because of, uh, the different record requests that could happen to a president. I don't want to receive e-mails, 'cause, you know, there's no telling what somebody would e-mail me and it would show up as, uh, you know, part of some kind of a story that - and I wouldn't be able to say, 'Well, I didn't read the e-mail' - 'But I sent it your address; how can you say you didn't?' So, in other words, I'm very cautious about e-mailing."
All very amusing, but can we really believe that in the modern age these people do not use the most convenient messaging system available?

Or could it be that all these people recall how Ollie North was tripped up by the discovery of certain emails?

If the Bush White House used GWB43 to route around history, we must ask a question straight out of the Parsifal legends: What is GWB43 and who does it serve?

The answer, surprisingly enough, takes us into the dark mysteries of the 2004 election in Ohio.

A list of domains that share mailservers and nameservers with gwb43 reveals numerous sites connected to either powerful Republicans or to the Religious Right. On the mailserver list, we find domains connected to Bush, Newt Gingrich, and ohiogop.org.

Here is the WHOIS info on GWB43:
Domain Name: GWB43.COM

Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:

Republican National Committee dns@RNCHQ.ORG

310 First Street SE

Washington, DC 20003

US

999 999 9999 fax: 999 999 9999

Record expires on 16-Jan-2008.

Record created on 16-Jan-2004.

Database last updated on 21-Mar-2007 17:45:46 EDT.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS1.CHA.SMARTECHCORP.NET

A.NS.TRESPASSERS-W.NET
"Trespassers-W.net"? This odd name derives, it seems, from a passage in A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh stories, in which the characters try to decipher a truncated sign which once read "Trespassers will be prosecuted." The server, in this case, belongs to a web design firm called Coptix, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

(Incidentally, it is against the law to provide a false telephone number in registration information.)

SMARTECHCORP refers to a hosting service named Smartech, also located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Their web page is here. They offer internet hosting, streaming media and so forth.

In 2000, Smartech merged with a company called NextLec, a telecommunications firm owned by the remarkable Mercer Reynolds, President Bush's close friend and controversial campaign fundraiser. Reynolds, who raised a record amount during the 2004 campaign, has been accused of selling access to the President.

The name Smartech appeared in stories arising out of the disputed 2004 election in Ohio. From a November 7, 2006 article by luaptifer at Daily Kos:
Ohio's election results are hosted on the same servers by the partisan companies that run websites like Georgewbush.com and many of the familiar Republican group sites.
More (also see here):
SOS Blackwell also neglected to inform that he outsourced Election Night hosting services to the provider of Internet operations for the Republican National Committee, SMARTech Corp. It's clear that most of the IP address space allocated to Smartechcorp, if it has a domain name, is operated by the RNC or its functionaries and allies.
The firm handles everything Republican:

On August 22, 2004, SMARTech Corp (smartechcorp.net) announced that it would be "hosting" the Republican National Convention in New York City, providing "convention speeches, video-on-demand 'streams' and live shots of events through powerful Web servers, most of which are at Smartech’s headquarters in downtown Chattanooga." The announcement stated that the "company also hosts the Bush-Cheney campaign Web site, at www.georgewbush.com, and the national committee’s site, www.GOP.com."

Smartech shows up in this interesting information technology story from 2004, which outlines a still-unsolved mystery.

During election season, web surfers from outside the United States were not able to access Bush's Web site, GeorgeWBush.com, even though surfers within U.S. borders had no problem doing so. Why this oddity, and who was responsible? The site used network management technology from Akamai Technologies Inc. to restrict access. An Akamai spokesman referred all questions to the hosting company, Smartech. Yet Smartech's president said "All we do is host the site. I have no control over what's being done outside our servers."

Why would anyone within the party would want to restrict foreigners from looking at GeorgeWBush.com?

One possible answer: The intention was to restrict foreign intelligence services or CIA personnel (who cannot operate domestically) from learning about sensitive White House communications using the GWB43 server.

So, what does it mean that Ken Blackwell used Smartech for Ohio's election night hosting services?

One does not need to exercise much imagination to see how anyone using the net for nefarious purposes would want a "friendly" hosting company handling ultra-sensitive duties. Hosting companies keep records of who does what. If you are using computers to do something you don't want the world to know about, you don't want those records available to just anyone.

As the controversy over the 2004 elections gathered steam, Karl Rove made a joke about fixing the election returns from a computer in the White House basement. This remark struck some observers as the sort of jest that the villain in Rope might have uttered: "Yeah, sure, I strangled my friend for no good reason and hid his body in the cupboard! Now seriously, how about that drink...?"

The vote tabulators -- the "mother machines" as Teresa Kerry once put it -- had an online connection. Anyone using the internet to interfere with the data stream coming from or going to those computers would be fearful of an electronic "trail" tracking his actions.

Similarly, anyone in the White House using an RNC server to avoid incriminating emails entering the historical record would fear that the records would be subject to a subpoena served upon the hosting company.

That's why someone engaged in such activity would -- hypothetically -- want to use a company owned by the President's good friend. A private company can scrub such records whenever it wishes to do so, or it can neglect to keep them in the first place.

Now, I must stress that I have no evidence that Smartech is anything other than an honest, responsibly-run firm.

Michael Collins, a writer and "clean elections" activist, does not accuse Smartech or any other firm of wrongdoing, but he does offer this hypothetical tableau:

You're in the parallel universe in a country almost exactly like ours and you want to steal an election. How do you do it: You look at: what states are really valuable-now and in the past; your resources in those places of value; your logistical plans - can you execute in those states.

Then you take your goals and apply available technology. It's all about machines, which you can have switch votes, and networked tabulators, centralized tabulators. You get the "servicing" personnel to make sure that the pre-programmed vote switching software driven machines are put in place. Then you use a safe haven ISP as an operations base that will allow your mischief to take place without a lot of record keeping that can't be cleansed.

This is the core - the machines do their thing. You've got a safe haven ISP network provider, and you have the traditional techniques: over registering in favorable voting areas, voter suppression, voter disenfranchisement, and all around psy ops to keep the oppositions vote away.

Voila, you win the election. Who knows if this hypothetical applies? But it's fascinating isn't it?

Monday, March 19, 2007

A call to Beyonce

Beyonce Becomes New Face Of Samsung Music Phone

"Irreplaceable" star Beyonce Knowles has been tapped as the face of Samsung's newest music cell phone.

The soul diva was in New York City last Saturday shooting a tv commercial for the Samsung Ultra Music F300 phone - a brand-new device that comes with an FM radio and a Quick PC Sync function, allowing users to create and manage their music library. It also has a unique dual-face handset design. One side has a large screen with a sweep touch key for music control - just flip it over to the other side to use your mobile phone.

The worldwide campaign, which includes TV commercials, print ads global concert tours and other co-promotional activities, will kick off in April.


Britney is Crazy: Britney Spears' rehab romp

Britney Spears was caught romping in the bushes of her rehab centre with a mystery man.

The troubled singer played a game of tennis with the unnamed man, who is also receiving treatment at Malibu's Promises clinic, before they disappeared together.

The pair were later found frolicking in the foliage, of the grounds and had to be separated by security staff.

A source told Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "Britney and her new male friend decided to play a game of tennis. Britney is allowed a little more freedom now she's been in the centre a while.

"The next thing they had sneaked off into the bushes and were getting pretty passionate. They weren't actually having sex but there was definitely some groping. We had to step in to separate them.

"They were told off. They're in rehab and relationships between vulnerable people aren't really encouraged."

This is the second time Britney, 25, has been romantically linked with someone she has met at rehab.

Last week, it was reported that Britney was growing "very close" with rock guitarist Jason Filyaw, who she met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

The 33-year-old rocker claimed he and the shaven-haired singer had "found love" since meeting again in rehab. The pair had met once before in 2003 when they recorded some music together.

Britney checked into the centre last month and is believed to be being treated for alcoholism.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

'Osaka ambitions' - Moreno and Martinez excel at Cuban Throwing Champs

Santiago, Cuba - Olympic and World Championships Hammer Throw silver medallist Yipsi Moreno and World Championships Javelin Throw finalist Guillermo Martinez produced the highest notes at the Cuban Throwing Champs Aurelio Janet Memorial, held last weekend (10-11March) in the eastern city of Santiago.

A week after erasing her national and CAC area record with 75.64m in Jamaica, Moreno, the 2001 and 2003 World champion, confirmed her good early season form with a 73.25 metre effort.

Guillermo Martinez throwing at the 2006 Cuban National Olympics
(Javier Clavelo Robinson)
Moreno’s series was 69.12, 73.25, 73.18, 71.25, foul and pass the final round.

“It boosts my confidence to stay consistent over 72-73 metres. I have had two on and off seasons, but things are back on the right path. I hope to keep improving and move up to the next level, 76-77 metres”, said 26-year old Moreno.

Arasay Thondike, who had reached 70 metres a week ago, was out of the competition due to some minor pain, while 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Yunaika Crawford missed the meet due to more serious injury. Moreno’s only real rival was herself.

Yuliet Díaz (60.65) and junior Ariannys Bichy (60.12) were distant second and third, respectively.

Yipsi Moreno (CUB)
(IAAF)
Moreno will try to successfully defend her Pan American Games crown in Rio de Janeiro, in July, and get on the top of the World Championships podium in Osaka a month later.

Martinez spears 83.84m

After opening his season with 82.16m in mid February, 2006 Central American and Caribbean Javelin Throw champion Guillermo Martinez proved again he is in great shape with another long throw of 83.84.

Martinez had a solid series with three other 80m plus efforts (82.00, 80.68, 83.84, 79.55, foul and 82.25).

Although his 2006 season ended in July after claiming his first international title in Cartagena, Colombia, 25-year-old Martinez smashed the six-year old national Javelin standard with an 87.17m toss at the Paris leg of the 2006 IAAF Golden League, where he beat 2004 Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway.

“I am very motivated this year with major goals like the Pan American Games and the World Championships. I want to keep Cuba’s Javelin Pan American success in Rio de Janeiro and make up in Osaka for the disappointing 10th place in Helsinki”, stated Martinez.

“My ultimate aim is to reach the 90m mark. It is possible and I will steadily get closer to it”, he added.

He was followed by Anier Boué (76.47) and CAC Games silver medallist Yudel Moreno (71.90).

Menendez sidelined

Expected to make her season’s debut, World and Olympic women’s Javelin Throw champion, Osleidys Menéndez is still trying to make a come back after being laid low due to tendonitis.

The World record holder resumed training in December and is expected to make her first outing of the year later this month or at the 2nd ALBA Games in Venezuela, April 28-May 12.

In her absence the competition in Santiago was taken by 2001 World Championships bronze medallist and 2006 World Cup runner-up Sonia Biset (59.95), in her first competition of 2007.

She was followed by Maria Caridad Alvarez (58.22) and 2005 World Youth Championships bronze medallist Yanet Cruz.

Other winners at the Throws Champs were 2004 Olympic women’s Shot Put champion Yumileidi Cumbá (17.95m), and Alexis Paumier (19.00) in the men’s Shot Put, CAC Games champions Yania Ferrales (61.02) and Yunior Lastre (57.90) respectively in the two Discus throws competitions, as well as Noleysi Vicet (71.70) in the men’s Hammer Throw.

Leonel Suarez becomes third Cuban 8000 decathlete

As guests at the Janet Memorial, the combined events specialists also produced good results, as Leonel Suarez became the third Cuban man ever to break the 8000 point mark with an 8185 tally. His results were 10.8, 7.25, 12.80, 2.14 and 49.0 on the first day. On the second, he produced 14.2, 42.10, 4.40, 70.35 and 4.27.02.

Suarez is close to the national record (8.252), set in 2000 by current national team coach and former World junior champion (1992) Raul Duany.

Runner-up, 19-year old Yunior Diaz, the 2005 Pan American Junior Championships silver medallist, also improved his decathlon best by over 500 points with a 7.902 tally (10.4, 7.55, 13.80, 1.93, 45.9/ 14.2, 36.97, 4.30, 52.40, 4.36.09).
CAC Games bronze medallist Gretchen Quintana, 22, also improved her heptathlon best with a 5.945 point total.

The Champs are named after the late Aurelio Janet, who became the first Cuban to break the 80m mark in the Javelin (80.10) to qualify for the 1968 Olympic final in Mexico City.

Katherine Heigl Makes Dollars for Scents

Katherine Heigl may not be leaving Grey's Anatomy, but that hasn't stopped her from sniffing around for other opportunities.

The actor has inked a deal with Coty Inc. to be the face of the first women's fragrance from Nautica, the company announced Tuesday.

"We are delighted to collaborate with Nautica and spokesmodel Katherine Heigl to introduce the new women's fragrance," Coty CEO Bernd Beetz said in a statement.

"Katherine is beautiful, graceful and an inspiring actress who best personifies the values of the Nautica brand."

After a tough few weeks on the job, Heigl could probably use that kind of flattery about now.

Earlier this month, details of her salary dispute with ABC TV Studios were leaked to the press, with sources revealing that Heigl walked out on contract talks because she felt undervalued in comparison to costars such as Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh, leading to speculation that she might leave the show.

In response to reports on the matter, ABC issued a statement clarifying it had offered to "raise [Heigl's] compensation significantly above the terms of her current contract."

"We were surprised to see this gesture negatively reported in the press," the studio said, adding that Heigl was under contract and therefore Dr. Izzie Stevens would not be checking out of Seattle Grace.

Heigl fired back with a statement of her own, saying she was "embarrassed" and "disappointed" about the studio's decision to go public with the dispute.

"I dropped out of the renegotiation simply because I wanted to treat myself with the respect I was not getting from them," she said.

Pompeo, on the other hand, was reportedly treated with plenty of respect by the studio, which showed its appreciation by increasing her salary to an estimated $200,000-per-episode, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Also well respected were T.R. Knight, Justin Chambers, James T. Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson, who were each bumped up to about $125,000 per episode.

However, there was still no word on the kind of cash Heigl can expect to be earning in the upcoming season, nor on the projected paychecks of Oh, Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington.

While Heigl may be unhappy with the powers that be at Grey's Anatomy, on the subject of her new employer, she had only positive things to say.

"I am thrilled to work with Coty and Nautica on this new fragrance campaign," she said in a statement. "Partnering with these two highly successful companies makes this a very exciting and rewarding experience for me."

If only her day job were equally rewarding.

Key Tracks: Must-Hear Tracks From the New Albums

The best from the record reviews in the March 22nd issue

Listen to all of this issue's Key Tracks

The Stooges "Trollin'"
The Stooges "Trollin' " "My dick is turning into a tree!" Iggy Pop screams as Ron Asheton lays on the wah-wah pedal as if the last thirty-five years hadn't happened.
[Listen]- [Review]

Jesse Malin "Prisoners of Paradise"
A banging adrenaline shot that's one of the best Replacements rips of this decade.
[Review]

Gary Allan "Smoke Rings in the Dark"
Gorgeous, slow-burning country ballad that recalls Roy Orbison at his early-1960s peak.
[Listen]- [Review]

Joss Stone "Headturner"
Sexy, Motown-esque pop that would have sounded just fine on Christina Aguilera's last disc.
[Review]

Listen to all of this issue's Key Tracks

More: Listen to more choice cuts from the CD reviews section

kelly ripa

Date of Birth
2 October 1970, Stratford, New Jersey, USA more

Mini Biography
Kelly Ripa had been performing in her senior high school play, The Ugly Duckling... more

Trivia
Married her "All My Children" (1970) co-star, Mark Consuelos, on May 1, 1996. They... more

Awards
5 wins & 12 nominations more

Photo Gallery (see all 55 photos)

Filmography
Jump to filmography as: Actress, Producer, Self, Archive Footage
Actress:
  1. Delgo (2007) (in production) (voice) .... Kurrin
  2. Fly Me to the Moon (2007) (post-production) (voice) .... Nat's mom

  3. Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade (2006) (TV) .... Host
  4. "Hope & Faith" .... Faith Fairfield (38 episodes, 2003-2006)
    - Faith Knows Squat (2006) TV Episode .... Faith Fairfield
    - Hope's Float (2006) TV Episode .... Faith Fairfield
    - Charley Shoots Faith (2006) TV Episode .... Faith Fairfield
    - The Marriage: Part 1 (2005) TV Episode .... Faith Fairfield
    - Season Finale (2005) TV Episode .... Faith Fairfield
    (33 more)
  5. "1-800-Missing" .... Melody (1 episode, 2005)
    ... aka Missing (UK) (USA: second season title)
    - Looking for Mr. Wright (2005) TV Episode .... Melody
  6. "Duck Dodgers" .... The New Cadet (1 episode, 2004)
    ... aka Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (USA: long title)
    - The New Cadet/The Love Duck (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... The New Cadet
  7. Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time (2003) (TV) (voice) .... Future Bonnie
    ... aka Disney's Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time (USA: complete title)
  8. Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003) (V) (voice) .... Dr. Roxanne 'Rocky' Ballantine
  9. "Ed" .... Jennifer Bradley (3 episodes, 2002)
    - The Wedding (2002) TV Episode .... Jennifer Bradley
    - May the Best Man Win (2002) TV Episode .... Jennifer Bradley
    - Things to Do Today (2002) TV Episode .... Jennifer Bradley
  10. Someone to Love (2001) (TV) .... Michelle
  11. "The Parkers" (1 episode, 2000)
    - Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (2000) TV Episode

  12. The Stand-In (1999) .... Jennifer
  13. "All My Children" .... Hayley Vaughan Santos (1 episode, 1990-2002)
    ... aka All My Children: The Summer of Seduction (USA: promotional title)
    - Episode dated 18 February 1998 (1998) TV Episode .... Hayley Vaughan Santos
  14. Marvin's Room (1996) .... Coral
Producer:
  1. Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade (2004) (TV) (executive producer)
Self:
  1. Something You Should Know: The Duran Duran Fan Documentary (2006) (V) (completed) .... Herself

  2. "The Knights of Prosperity" .... Herself (1 episode, 2007)
    - Operation: Oswald Montecristo (2007) TV Episode .... Herself
  3. "Entertainment Tonight" .... Herself (2 episodes, 2006-2007)
    ... aka E.T. (USA: informal title)
    ... aka ET Weekend (Australia: weekend title)
    ... aka Entertainment This Week (weekend title)
    ... aka This Week in Entertainment (USA: weekend title)
    - Episode dated 2 February 2007 (2007) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 31 October 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Herself
  4. "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" .... Herself / ... (9 episodes, 2001-2006)
    ... aka Live with Regis (USA: new title)
    ... aka Live with Regis & Kelly (USA: new title)
    - Episode dated 8 December 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 17 November 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Herself - Host
    - Episode dated 10 August 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Herself - Host
    - Episode dated 26 May 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Herself - Host
    - Episode dated 25 April 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Host
    (4 more)
  5. 6ABC Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2006) (TV) .... Herself
  6. "Jimmy Kimmel Live" .... Herself (1 episode, 2006)
    - Episode dated 27 February 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Herself
  7. "Saturday Night Live" .... Herself / ... (3 episodes, 2003-2006)
    ... aka SNL (USA: informal title)
    ... aka SNL 25 (USA: alternative title)
    - Episode #31.12 (2006) TV Episode (uncredited) .... Herself
    - Episode #29.15 (2004) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode #29.4 (2003) TV Episode .... Herself - Host
  8. Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade (2005) (TV) .... Host
  9. 6ABC Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2005) (TV) .... Herself
  10. "Late Show with David Letterman" .... Herself (5 episodes, 2004-2005)
    ... aka Late Show Backstage (USA: title for episodes with guest hosts)
    ... aka The Late Show (USA: informal short title)
    - Episode dated 9 November 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 25 May 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 16 February 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 22 September 2004 (2004) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 29 April 2004 (2004) TV Episode .... Herself
  11. The WIN Awards (2005) (TV) .... Herself
  12. Kermit: A Frog's Life (2005) (V) (uncredited) .... Herself
  13. "Under the Pink Carpet" .... Herself (1 episode, 2005)
    - Bright Lights/Out City (2005) TV Episode .... Herself
  14. Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade (2004) (TV) .... Herself (Host)
  15. "The Tony Danza Show" .... Herself (1 episode, 2004)
    - Episode #1.50 (2004) TV Episode .... Herself
  16. "The View" .... Herself (2 episodes, 2004)
    - Episode dated 1 October 2004 (2004) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 4 April 2006 (????) TV Episode .... Herself
  17. "The Wayne Brady Show" .... Herself (1 episode, 2004)
    - Episode dated 5 February 2004 (2004) TV Episode .... Herself
  18. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" .... Herself (2 episodes, 2002-2004)
    - Episode dated 19 January 2004 (2004) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 1 January 2002 (2002) TV Episode .... Herself
  19. Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade (2003) (TV) .... Herself (Host)
  20. Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) .... Herself
  21. "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" .... Herself (1 episode, 2003)
    - Episode dated 16 December 2003 (2003) TV Episode .... Herself
  22. Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special (2003) (TV) .... Herself
  23. "Intimate Portrait" .... Herself (3 episodes, 2001-2003)
    - Susan Lucci (2003) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Finola Hughes (2002) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Kelly Ripa (2001) TV Episode .... Herself
  24. Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade (2002) (TV) .... Herself (Host)
  25. It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) (TV) .... Herself
  26. "The Anna Nicole Show" .... Herself (1 episode, 2002)
    - NYC Publicity Tour (2002) TV Episode .... Herself
  27. Regis and Kelly in Prime Time (2002) (TV) .... Host
  28. The 29th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (2002) (TV) .... Herself
  29. "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" .... Herself (9 episodes, 1998-2002)
    - Episode dated 14 March 2002 (2002) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 19 November 2001 (2001) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 5 September 2001 (2001) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 8 February 2001 (2001) TV Episode .... Herself
    - Episode dated 27 December 2000 (2000) TV Episode .... Herself
    (4 more)
  30. "One Life to Live" .... Herself (1 episode, 2002)
    - Episode dated 19 February 2002 (2002) TV Episode .... Herself
  31. "Family Guy" .... Herself (1 episode, 2002)
    ... aka Padre de familia (USA: Spanish title)
    - Family Guy Viewer Mail #1 (2002) TV Episode (voice) .... Herself
  32. The 27th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (2000) (TV) .... Herself

  33. The 26th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (1999) (TV) .... Herself - Nominee
  34. "Road Rules" .... Herself (1 episode, 1997)
    ... aka Road Rules USA: The First Adventure (USA: first season title)
    ... aka Road Rules USA: The Second Adventure (USA: second season title)
    - Road Rules on All My Children (1997) TV Episode .... Herself
  35. 50 Years of Soaps: An All-Star Celebration (1994) (TV) .... Herself
  36. All My Children: Behind the Scenes (1994) (V) (also archive footage) .... Herself/Hayley Vaughan Santos

  37. "Dance Party USA" (1986) TV Series .... Herself - Dancer
  1. "Biography"
    - All My Children (2003) TV Episode .... Haley Vaughn Santos
  2. Soaps' Most Unforgettable Love Stories (1998) (TV)

Biography of Regis Philbin

Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality best known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, singer and presenter at various events.

Appearing on television since the late 1950s, Philbin is often called (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) "the hardest working man in show business", whose work has been primarily in American television.[citation needed]

His trademarks include his excited manner, his New York accent, and irreverent ad-libs. He is most widely known for Live with Regis and Kelly, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and his most recent show, America's Got Talent.

Early life and career

Philbin was named after Regis High School, a Manhattan Jesuit private school his father briefly attended, and after Jesuit Saint Francis Xavier. His father, Frank Philbin, was Irish and his mother, Florence Philbin, was Arbëreshë, an ethnic Albanian living in Italy. Although he was born in Manhattan, New York, they lived in the Van Nest/Morris Park section of the Bronx. It had always been believed that Philbin grew up an only child, but on the February 1, 2007 broadcast of Live with Regis and Kelly, Philbin announced that he did have a brother, Frank M. Philbin, who had passed away from Non-Hodgekins Lymphoma several days earlier. It had been believed that Philbin was an only child as he had always stated, but he said that his brother, 20 years younger than Regis, had asked Regis to not speak of him on television or in the press.

He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx in 1949 before attending The University of Notre Dame, where he graduated in 1953 with a sociology degree. He later served in the United States Navy and went through a few behind-the-scenes jobs in television and radio before moving into the broadcasting arena.

His first talk show was The Regis Philbin Show on KGTV in San Diego, California. For budgetary reasons he had no writing staff, leading him to begin each show with what has become his hallmark, the "host chat" segment (influenced by Jack Paar), where he engages his audience (and later on, his co-host) in discussions about his life and the day's events.

Philbin gained his first national exposure in 1967 as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show (1967-1969). Bishop liked to tease Philbin, but the teasing stopped after Philbin walked off the set during a live broadcast, and stayed away for several days.

[edit] Talk show career

Philbin continued in several hosting and other television roles, and by the late 1970s, was a fixture on Los Angeles morning television. From 1975 to 1983, he co-hosted A.M. Los Angeles, a local morning talk show on KABC-TV, first with Sarah Purcell, then with Cyndy Garvey (then wife of Steve Garvey). Philbin's presence brought the show from the bottom of the local ratings to number one.

In 1981, Philbin and Mary Hart co-hosted a national morning variety series for NBC. The show lasted 18 weeks.

Garvey left Los Angeles and relocated to New York City in 1983. Philbin rejoined Garvey on The Morning Show, another locally-produced morning WABC-TV talk show. At the time, the 9 am time slot for WABC suffered from low ratings. After Garvey departed again, and Ann Abernathy briefly shared co-hosting duties, Philbin was paired with Kathie Lee Johnson (later Kathie Lee Gifford) in June 1985, and ratings improved significantly. The show became nationally syndicated in September 1988 as Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, and the success continued. Ironically, Regis and Kathie Lee would replace A.M. Los Angeles when the latter was cancelled in 1991.

In the 1980s, Philbin hosted Lifestyles with Regis Philbin on the Lifetime television network.

When Gifford departed in 2000, the show was named Live with Regis. Philbin would always have a guest co-host until an official replacement was found. Philbin won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2001 for "Outstanding Talk Show Host", his only Emmy as of 2006. Kelly Ripa was chosen as the permanent co-host in 2001, and the show was renamed Live with Regis and Kelly. Their chemistry has proven successful as the show continues to enjoy high ratings.

Philbin set a Guinness World Record for "Most Hours on Camera" on his August 20, 2004 Live show (replacing Hugh Downs), which gave him a total of 15,188 hours on television. On the September 14, 2006 episode of Live, his record was updated to 15,662 hours. His on-air time continues to accumulate.

Philbin has a four-year contract to remain with Live with Regis and Kelly until September 2009.[1]

[edit] Game show career

Philbin was also a game show host. He hosted The Neighbors, a short-lived game show on ABC in 1975, where a female contestant had to guess which of her woman neighbors said gossipy things about her. He was also a field reporter for ABC's Almost Anything Goes, an American adaptation of the British game show It's a Knockout. Both shows suffered from poor ratings. Undeterred by failure, Philbin's most recent game show hosting duties have been much more successful. He was the original host of the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, another ABC game show that had its roots in Britain. Millionaire was a big ratings success in its 1999 debut when it was intended as an occasional special series. ABC aired Millionaire as a regular series with frequent episodes, but its viewership slowly declined. After Millionaire was cancelled for its excessiveness that dragged the ABC network down, it was retooled in 2002 as a syndicated series hosted by Meredith Vieira, which continues today. ABC brought back Millionaire in 2004 with Philbin, retitled Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire, a related series that was aired on a more limited basis.

Philbin won a Daytime Emmy for "Outstanding Game Show Host" in 2001, as host of Who Wants to Be a Millioniare.

In November 2005, ABC announced that Philbin would host the network's revival of This Is Your Life. But in August 2006, he reported that his option on the contract for the show had lapsed and he declined to renew it.[2]

Philbin hosted the first season of America's Got Talent, a Simon Cowell-produced amateur talent search show on NBC, during the summer of 2006. He flew between New York City and Los Angeles multiple times during that time period in order to participate in both Live with Regis and Kelly and America's Got Talent. His difficulty with commuting both cities was an issue, therefore, he will be replaced in 2007 by trashy talk show legend Jerry Springer.[3]

[edit] Other television appearances

[edit] Host

Philbin hosted the Miss America pageant with Kathie Lee Gifford from 1991 to 1995, and solo in 1996.[4] He has also co-hosted televisied parades from the Walt Disney World Resort: the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade with Gifford (much of the 1990s), Kelly Ripa (2002—), and Ryan Seacrest (2005—), and the Walt Disney World Easter Parade with Joan Lunden (1990s).

On December 31, 2004, Philbin filled in for Dick Clark on ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, as Clark was recovering from a minor stroke. Philbin claimed to have interrupted his previously planned vacation to perform to do the show. During CNN's New Year's Eve special, hosted by Anderson Cooper, revelers in Times Square told CNN reporter Jason Carroll that Philbin was all right filling in for Clark, though they had Cooper and Carroll.[5]

The following year, Philbin hosted FOX's New Year's Eve Live special with Jillian Barberie, which put him in direct competition with Dick Clark (who co-hosted with Ryan Seacrest). Later that evening, after hosting FOX's New Year's Eve special, he appeared on Fox News Channel's New Year's Eve special, hosted by FNC anchors Mike Jerrick and Juliet Huddy, and shared his thoughts about hosting the special on Fox.

Philbin was also the host of the finale of The Apprentice 2 on December 16, 2004.

[edit] Guest appearances

Regis Philbin appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman, although he would be unseen by viewers without HDTV or who live too far away from an affiliate's transmitter to get a digital, high-definition CBS signal
Regis Philbin appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman, although he would be unseen by viewers without HDTV or who live too far away from an affiliate's transmitter to get a digital, high-definition CBS signal

Philbin makes regular guest appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman where he gives David Letterman no great help in controlling the show, being simultaneously his usual urbane self and the "guest from hell" (being a fellow TV host), as they show a heartfelt respect for each other.[6] He also appears on other late night talk shows, such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Perhaps to bring good luck, some premiering talk shows, such as The View and The Tony Danza Show, had signed Philbin to be their first guest.

Philbin was a celebrity guest at WrestleMania VII in Los Angeles in 1991, commentating on the main event between Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter. On December 25, 2000, Regis appeared as a panelist on the 1st season championship game on the ESPN game show 2 Minute Drill.

On February 28, 2004, Philbin also guest starred in a Lilo and Stitch episode called Drowsy.

On May 15, 2006, Philbin appeared as a special guest alongside Howie Mandel for a 2-hour special episode of Deal or No Deal on NBC.

Philbin has appeared three times on Celebrity Jeopardy!, the most appearances for any competing celebrity on the game show Jeopardy!. He played for Cardinal Hayes High School, his alma mater. In November 2006, he won his competition and earned $50,000 for the school.

[edit] Written and musical works

In addition to being a television personality, Philbin is also an author and singer, drawing on the success of his talk show.

Philbin's two autobiographies (with co-author Bill Zehme), I'm Only One Man! (1995) and Who Wants To Be Me? (2000), are written in the conversational and anecdotal style of his host chats. The former book follows a year (1994-1995) in his life recalling, among other things, his personal life, his memories with celebrities, and work on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. The latter book is a response to the success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and deals with more antics about the show and his life.

As a singer, Philbin can best be described as a crooner in the style of his favorite singers: Dean Martin, Perry Como, and Frank Sinatra. He tested the musical waters with his 1968 pop vocal release, It's Time For Regis! After receiving poor reviews, Philbin was reluctant to record another studio album, but he occasionally sang on Live, usually duetting with another person. After 36 years, he recorded When You're Smiling (2004), a more mature-sounding pop standards album. The Regis Philbin Christmas Album was released September 2005 according to Amazon.com but was made widely available that November in time for the holiday season. This album features several duets, with close friend Donald Trump ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"), Steve Tyrell ("Marshmallow World"), and wife Joy ("Baby It's Cold Outside" and "Winter Wonderland"). A special edition of the album was produced with tracks recorded with the Notre Dame Glee Club.[7] He is said to enjoy the music recording experience more now than on his first recording. Philbin is signed on to Hollywood Records.

[edit] Personal life

Joy and Regis Philbin attend the Time 100 2006 gala.
Joy and Regis Philbin attend the Time 100 2006 gala.

Philbin has been married twice and has four children. He was married to Kay Faylan from 1955 to 1968, and to interior decorator Joy Senese in 1970, to whom he still remains married. His children are Amy, Daniel (both with Kay), Joanna, and Jennifer (J.J.) (both with Joy). Joy Philbin occasionally co-hosts with Regis. On Live, he often mentions Joy, and to a lesser degree, Joanna, J.J. and Danny.

Rumors circulate that Philbin once dated Barbara Walters in the 1960s, but that has yet to be proven.

Philbin spends his time between his home in Greenwich, Connecticut and his apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan near the WABC-TV studios. Radio personality Howard Stern is a neighbor of his in the Millennium Tower Building located at 101 W 67th Street. He also has a home in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

He had a strong bond to his family cat Ashley, who was blind in his final years.[8]

Philbin follows the professional sports world extensively, especially baseball and football. He is an avid fan of the New York Yankees and a proud supporter of his alma mater, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish -- so proud, in fact, that Philbin narrated the two audio CDs that accompanied Joe Garner's book, Echoes of Notre Dame Football: Great and Memorable Moments of the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame football coaches, such as Charlie Weis, Tyrone Willingham and Lou Holtz have appeared on Live.

He is known to have trouble handling new technologies. He does not own a cell phone, use computers, and is frequently confused with operating electronics (such as remote controls and DVD players). It is often noted, however, that Regis does not completely reject the technology; he simply has Joy make calls and send e-mails for him.[9]

On March 12, 2007, Philbin announced that he would undergo triple bypass surgery later that week, as he had experienced chest pains and shortness of breath the previous two weeks and doctors found plaque in his arteries. [10] He said, "Darn it, I don't want to do it. Nobody wants to do it, I guess. But they tell me. And I had a second opinion, I did all those things [tests for heart disease], and so [the doctors] are all in agreement that it should be the bypass. And so that's what I'm going to do."[11] In addition, Philbin talked with David Letterman, for whom Philbin substituted for on the Late Show with David Letterman during Letterman's own quintuple bypass surgery.[10] The bypass procedure will require Philbin to be absent from Live with Regis and Kelly for some time. He previously had an angioplasty in 1993.[12]

[edit] Regis Philbin in popular culture

[edit] Persona

Philbin has a distinctive and excitable voice with a strong New York accent that is often imitated by others, usually in parodies involving him. Notable impersonators include Ben Affleck, Frank Caliendo, Dana Carvey, Jimmy Fallon, Darrell Hammond, Alex Borstein, Tom Hanks, Conan O'Brien, Mike O'Meara, Eric McCormack and even Kelly Ripa. Carvey and Hammond performed their impressions of him on Saturday Night Live. Fans voted for Hammond and Fallon to receive the "Best Regis" award during Live with Regis and Kelly's "Relly Awards."

He was cast as car salesman Handsome Hal on Hope & Faith mainly because of his voice and mannerisms.

He was chosen as the voice of a minor female character in Shrek the Third: Mabel, the sister of the Ugly Stepsister (played by Larry King).

In the Animaniacs episode "West Side Pigeons" (a Goodfeathers musical parody of West Side Story), a key plot element involves toppling a statue of Martin Scorsese -- and replacing it with one of Philbin.

[edit] Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

During the successful first run of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Philbin popularized the monochromatic look in men's formalwear that emphasizes color rather than pattern in ties and dress shirts. His "look" was basically a suit, shirt and tie coordinated in solid, slightly varying shades of the same, usually dark or muted, color.[6] A Van Heusen clothing line based on this look, called Regis, was short-lived.[13]

When Philbin hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, he used the phrase "Is that your final answer?" whenever he had to verify a contestant's answer. Adoped from Chris Tarrant, this became Philbin's catch phrase during his tenure with the show.

[edit] Awards and recognition

[edit] Selected filmography

Philbin has made brief appearances in several films where he plays himself or his own character, except as noted.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

[edit] References

  1. ^ United Press International (2005-12-25). Regis Philbin inks 'Live' contract. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved on 2007-02-16.
  2. ^ "ABC Contemplates Life Without Regis", Broadcasting & Cable, August 30, 2006.
  3. ^ [1], Retrieved on 2007-03-05
  4. ^ Miss America FAQ
  5. ^ [2]
  6. ^ a b Larry King Weekend Transcript, November 17, 2002. Larry King Live (2002-11-17). Retrieved on 2007-02-16.
  7. ^ University of Notre Dame Alumni Association Newsletter, October 2005. Retrieved on 2007-02-16.
  8. ^ Starr, Michael (2004-01-06). Regis Feline Blue. New York Post, reprinted. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
  9. ^ Noted in a late-2005 broadcast episode of LIVE, by Joy Philbin.
  10. ^ a b Regis Philbin to Undergo Bypass Surgery. Extra (2007-03-12). Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
  11. ^ Surgery forces Regis Philbin to cancel McCallum appearance. The Desert Sun (2007-03-12). Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
  12. ^ Kokenes, Chris (2007-03-12). Regis Philbin to have bypass surgery. CNN. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
  13. ^ Keller, Julie (2000-06-16). EXTRA: Shopping for Regis. Hollywood.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-16.
  14. ^ Jason Manheim (July 7, 005). Regis Philbin, Winner of the 2005 PR.com "Best Celebrity Nickname" Award. PR.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  15. ^ National Association of Broadcasters (December 8, 2005). Regis Philbin to Be Inducted into NAB Television Hall of Fame. Press release. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.

[edit] External links



Personal Quotes

"I had a blocked artery. The great thing about it was that all the people sitting at home, watching on the couch, feeling the same thing...got up and called the doctor. I still get letters thanking me for saving people's lives."


Where Are They Now

(February 2006) Has announced that he signed a new contract to continue hosting "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" (1989) for 4 more years. The new contract also gives Regis an option to leave the show after 2 years, as well as giving him an extra day off every week.