Seriously? OMG! WTF? » 2006 » September
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2 cousins stole $1 million from the Songwriter’s Guild.
September 4th, 2006 under Arrested. [ Comments: none ]

Two cousins who admitted stealing more than $1 million from the Songwriters Guild of America could soon be singing "Jailhouse Rock."The cousins, Anthony Ray, 33, of Providence, R.I., and Nicole Williams, 27, of Brooklyn, admitted the theft last week when pleading guilty to conspiracy charges in Newark Federal Court. They face up to five years in prison.Authorities said that from August 2001 to June 2005, the cousins received a total of $1.2 million embezzled from the guild by a third relative, a royalties manager who was hired in 2001 to oversee its Weehawken, N.J., office.The unidentified manager allegedly funneled the money to Ray in a series of guild royalty checks, investigators with the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Postal Service found.Ray ultimately deposited a total of $802,721 in a Providence bank. The manager has not been charged and is still under investigation.The Songwriters Guild of America collects and distributes songwriting royalties for Quincy Jones, the estate of Ray Charles and other stars.Investigators said the theft was not immediately discovered because the funds came from an escrow account set aside for songwriters the guild has not located.The investigation began after the bank notified the IRS of large deposits by Ray – banks are required to report transactions over $10,000.Authorities said the IRS quizzed the royalties manager, who stalled them, and in the meantime, the three allegedly bought property in upstate New York in an attempt to hide the money.Guild President Rick Carnes, reached at his Nashville home, said, "They hid it well. Once we discovered the money was missing, we had to spend a fortune on accountants trying to trace it. We were sitting down for 18 months putting this thing together. But Anthony Ray couldn’t account for the money, so that brought the FBI in.""If any active songwriters hadn’t been paid the money due them, we would have found out sooner," said Carnes. "We had a system of checks and balances in place but since the accounts were dormant, no one noticed for awhile. We’ve got an ironclad method for avoiding this in the future, though."Charles Sanders, a lawyer for the guild, said, "We’re remaining hopeful that the money will be recovered. Cash reserves have been set aside for nonrecovered funds but we’re hoping it won’t be a large amount."In addition to the prison terms, Ray and Williams each face $250,000 in fines. And Ray faces an additional $100,000 fine on his guilty plea to tax evasion. The duo will be sentenced in December.

NY Daily News (Thanks Dad!) 

I bet they were taking money from the dead songwriter’s who no have estates to give the money to.

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CBS affils pull or postpone the 9/11 documentary
September 4th, 2006 under CBS. [ Comments: none ]

Broadcasters say hesitancy by some CBS network affiliates to air a Sept. 11 documentary next week proves there has been a chilling effect on free speech rights since federal regulators cracked down after Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed on TV in 2004.Actor Robert De Niro hosts the award-winning documentary that began as a quest to follow a rookie firefighter on an ordinary day, but resulted in the only known video of the first plane striking the World Trade Center. It includes profanity and some horrific scenes.Several dozen CBS affiliates have decided to either replace the documentary or delay its broadcast until after 10 p.m., when the Federal Communications Commission loosens restrictions – even though the film has already aired twice with little controversy."This is example No. 1" of the chilling effect over concerns about profanity, said Martin Franks, executive vice-president of CBS Corp."We don’t think it’s appropriate to sanitize the reality of the hell of Sept. 11," Franks said. "It shows the incredible stress that these heroes were under. To sanitize it in some way robs it of the horror they faced."Recently, Congress boosted the maximum fines the FCC can impose for indecency from $32,500 US to $325,000.The announcements to postpone or replace the documentary come as the Tupelo, Mississippi-based American Family Association readies its three million members to flood the FCC and CBS with complaints after the documentary airs, an effort that may trigger a close examination of the program by the FCC."This isn’t an issue of censorship. It’s an issue of responsibility to the public," said Randy Sharp, director of special projects for the group that describes itself as a 29-year-old organization that promotes the Biblical ethic of decency in American society."It’s a documentary," he said. "It shows firefighters in action and other people during the very frantic time of the attack on the twin towers. We know how terrible it was. We don’t have to be reminded of how we felt."The documentary first aired on the six-month and one-year anniversaries of the Sept. 11 attacks on the trade centre and the Pentagon. The latest showing will be on the eve of the five-year anniversary. It includes new interviews with many of the firefighters featured in the original program, describing how their lives have changed.Franks said it was an easy decision not to edit the language in the documentary. "It was a much more difficult decision five years ago when the emotions were much more raw and fresh," he said.Franks said it seemed "dishonest somehow" for the network to cover up the real language five years later because of the current regulatory environment. "What’s frustrating is the chilled environment in which we are having to operate," he said.

Jam! 

The AFA needs to get a life, this is a documentary that needs to be aired as is with profanity. I bet you every one of the members of the AFA said holy sh!t when they saw the planes hit the WTC on 9/11, so who are they to judge?

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Kate Moss does erotic short films
September 4th, 2006 under Pete Doherty/Kate Moss. [ Comments: none ]

Lingerie designer Agent Provocateur has persuaded Kate Moss to make her movie debut – in a series of erotic short films.In the four four-minute movies, which will be released over a period of weeks on the firm’s website, Miss Moss can be seen in various states of undress acting out a dream sequence.The film marks the first time Miss Moss has taken a speaking part on film – though she did recently speak on a television advert for Virgin mobile.In the accompanying voice-over for the first film Miss Moss’s dulcet Croydon tones can be heard saying: "That was such a strange dream. I was in this big, empty house. I was lying on the floor and there was a chalk mark around my body – like in a crime scene. I got up, but it was like I floated up. My body was weightless. "I could hear the sound of the sea, big waves crashing, and I could also hear some music somewhere, like someone was having a party."The music was coming from one of the rooms. One of the doors opened and a woman came out. ‘You’re Miss X, right?’"And so the monologue goes on.In the third movie, Miss Moss actually strips bare. The films, made over two nights in a mansion in London’s Portland Place, are directed by movie veteran Mike Figgis, maker of Leaving Las Vegas."She was insecure about her voice. But she’s got a nice voice," said Figgis.The company’s website crashed yesterday after thousands logged on to see the first of the four films.

Daily Mail 

For those of you want to see the video you can do so here. I wonder if Pete can watch them in rehab?

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Pete Doherty sentence postponed
September 4th, 2006 under Pete Doherty/Kate Moss. [ Comments: none ]

A magistrate on Monday deferred sentencing rock singer Pete Doherty on a string of drug offences, although the Babyshambles frontman could still be jailed for up to six months.Doherty, 27, who some tabloid newspapers continue to link romantically with model Kate Moss, was told at Thames Magistrates Court in east London to appear again on December 4, according to media reports.The singer had pleaded guilty on August 18 to four charges of possessing class A drugs including heroin and cocaine and one charge of possessing cannabis.He had been arrested in April, just hours after receiving a community order for previous drug offences.Doherty had been released on bail on condition he check into a health clinic and observe a night-time curfew.Monday’s sentencing was deferred to give him more time in the clinic.

Reuters 

How does he keep avoiding jail time?

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Chris Rock’s Oscar joke upset Jude Law
September 4th, 2006 under Chris Rock, Oscars. [ Comments: 1 ]

JUDE Law has spoken for the first time about his Oscar night humiliation.He said compere Chris Rock had "crossed the line" when he ridiculed the actor at last year’s awards ceremony.Jude, 33, added: "At first I laughed because I didn’t think he knew who I was. Then I got angry as his remarks became personal. My friends were livid."In front of millions of TV viewers and an A-list audience, Rock said: "Who is Jude Law? Why’s he in every movie I have seen for the last four years? He’s in everything."Even the movies he’s not in, if you look at the credits he made cupcakes or something."But Jude said: "It’s unfortunate I had five or six films come out at the same time."And he told how he was touched when Sean Penn defended him as he presented an Oscar.His All The King’s Men co-star said: "I just want to answer our host’s question about who Jude Law is – he’s one of our finest actors."

Daily Mirror

I wish he would’ve said something a year and a half ago. 

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