ericharthen's Xanga

The New i-Phone...now with Halloween Apps!

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:57:07 GMT

The i-Phone just keeps coming out with more and more apps. Now they have a few that work perfectly for this time of year! Listen to the clip in the box below.

Our Dog Guinness Makes His Hollywood Debut!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:36:35 GMT

Our 5-year old wheaten terrier, Guinness, has begun what may be a very promising career as a Foley artist! Foley artists are the people responsible for creating the many, everyday sound effects in a film or television program. So thanks to our dear friend Gary, Guinness was able to supply his bark, and some panting for Sunday night's episode of Desperate Housewives. Unfortunately, there was no paycheck...it was just pro-bone-o work.

Here's the audio clip from the beginning of the show, where Guinness made his mark, or bark, at the end:

The Letterman Extortion Saga Continues...

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:19:16 GMT

Here's some audio taken from rehearsal on Thursday afternoon as Dave and Paul Schaffer prepared for his big announcement that night. Click on the play button in the box below:

It's been quite a week for David Letterman. Here's the latest:

CBS News employee Robert J. Halderman has pleaded not guilty to trying to blackmail Letterman for $2 million in a plot that spurred the TV host to acknowledge sexual relationships with female staffers on his show.

Halderman entered his plea as he was arraigned on an attempted grand larceny charge Friday in a Manhattan court. Bail has been set at $200,000, and Friday evening Halderman was released on bond.
Prosecutors say Halderman demanded $2 million last month in exchange for not releasing information that would ruin Letterman's reputation. Letterman told millions of viewers on his show Thursday the threat concerned sexual liaisons with women who work for him.

Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, a producer for the true-crime show "48 Hours," was arrested Thursday and indicted on one count of attempted first-degree grand larceny, punishable by five to 15 years upon conviction, District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said.

UPDATE -- UPDATE -- UPDATE -- 10/22/09

Apparently, things could get even dicier for David Letterman, with rumors of a sex tape. Check out this article from The Huffington Post.

Really? Sex with your staff, in the Ed Sullivan Theater?! My curiousity is going into overdrive...I wonder what that would've sounded like...

Shaq Needs Some Ratings

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:31:40 GMT

Shaquille O'Neal's new ABC reality show, Shaq Vs., where he takes on different athletes at the top of their respective sports, is not doing so well in the ratings.

Check out the L.A. Times Article.

Desperately seeking a reason to use my Shaq impression, I contributed to the following bit of comedy. In all seriousness, Shaq's voice is not an easy range to get into. I might need some icy-hot on my throat!

Click the play button in the box below:

Obama's Beer Gathering

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:51:06 GMT

The Beer Summit...The Suds Summit...The Audacity of Hops...lots has been made of this official White House get together, and I'm probably just adding to it--but President Barack Obama described it as "three folks having a drink at the end of the day and hopefully giving people an opportunity to listen to each other." Well, apparently it went over pretty good.

Click here for the reaction.

Let's bring everybody over to the house and chill out over a few cool brews. It seems so simple. Don't you wish everything could be solved like this? Peace in the Middle East? Iran? North Korea? Just sit down, crack open a cold one...and we're done.

Well, there is a beer that may just do the trick. Listen to the file below!

Ed McMahon - We'll Miss You!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:22:55 GMT

Ed McMahon's laugh went hand in hand with The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He was America's sidekick, pitchman, and all-around good guy.

In 2001, I had the pleasure of meeting Ed when I was working with the Mojo in the Morning show on WKQI-FM in Detroit. He was so kind and generous with his time. He told fun Hollywood stories, and was willing to play along with me when I jumped into my Johnny Carson impression.

Here's a sample from that interview:

After the interview, I asked Ed if he would mind recording some liners for us, and he didn't hesitate. He even recorded a personal message for my voice demo, which I still have on my website. After it was all said and done, we shook hands, said goodbye, and then his assistant came up to me and asked for my address or business card. I was suprised, thinking, 'what would he need with that?'. Well, a couple weeks later, I found out. Ed had sent me an autographed photo, personalized saying, "For Eric...Great Carson!...Ed McMahon" I couldn't believe it. Such a class act. Ed McMahon was one of the good guys.

Terminator: Recession

Fri, 22 May 2009 21:16:16 GMT

With Terminator: Salvation opening this holiday weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to parody California's Governator once again. Coming to theaters...it's Terminator: Bad Economy!

Ahnold and The Marijuana Debate

Fri, 08 May 2009 06:46:33 GMT

On Tuesday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that the legalization of marijuana was "a debate worth looking into." Pretty progressive Ahnold! Keep in mind this was a guy who used to toke with Cheech and Chong every now and then. I guess you have to keep your options open when your state is facing a 42 billion dollar budget shortfall. Read the New York Times article on this story by clicking here.

I'm wondering, what would it sound like if the Governator held a press conference where he shared is true feelings on the subject of marijuana legalization? Listen to the audio below by clicking on the play button in the white box.

Oh, I almost forgot...since the Swine Flu is still on the move, I thought I'd post this audio from President Obama's News Conference, marking his first 100 days in office. I had some fun altering some of his remarks regarding the Swine Flu. Enjoy!

Economic Troubles Hit Sesame Street

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:40:22 GMT

It looks like no one's immune from the bad economy...now Sesame Street is even feeling it! For the complete story, check out the article on Yahoo News

photos courtesy of Sesame Workshop and The Jim Henson Company

I started thinking about how this was going to affect the muppets who live on Sesame Street, and came up with this song parody, with the help of Kermit and friends...enjoy!

Michael Phelps vs. Richland County, SC

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:14:22 GMT

photo credit: News of the World and RCSD

Last Monday, the Richland County Sheriff's Department held a news conference down in South Carolina. Sheriff Leon Lott addressed the media, saying there was not enough evidence to bring Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps up on drug charges. As I listened to the sheriff's remarks, I heard some conflicting statements.

Here's the press conference as it aired:

And here's the twisted press conference:

Hope you had a laugh!