Behind the protest is John Ziegler. According to IMDB, he is a documentary filmmaker and director of Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted. Hmm. He couldn't possibly have any commercial interest in this situation, could he?

Purex® is taking bids until April 29 on tote bags designed and autographed by celebrities. Proceeds will go to charity. Paul Shaffer's bag is shown here.

CHEERS to David Letterman for airing a segment with stand-up Bill Hicks that the Late Show host banned in 1993. Letterman screened the entire set—in which Hicks (who died of pancreatic cancer soon afterward) mocked everyone from pro-lifers to nonsmokers—and publicly apologized to the comic's charmingly plain-spoken mother, Mary. Better Late than never, Dave.

For the 12th year, Late Show fan Marilyn Sargent has written her wonderful 'Twas My Night at the Late Show. This year's version is on YouTube. Don't miss it. I'm not giving away any spoilers. You'll love being surprised. Marilyn's the master of inside Late Show jokes, so if you've not been watching lately, some of this will go over your head. Enjoy!

Paul Shaffer was one of 46 people honored on Friday in Ottawa with the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award, reports the Vancouver Sun. He was awarded the rank of Member in the Order of Canada at Rideau Hall by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean.

Paul is a very orderly Canadian. This is a much-deserved honor. Seriously, Paul has often generously given of his time to help others in need.

I get these requests every few days, and I have helped people with segments many times. I have never accepted profit for doing this. Please understand the following: I don't have a recording of every episode. I archive comedy segments that I especially like, as well as interviews with fabulous female celebrities. I have 530 hours on tape from 4,700+ hours of episodes. I virtually never record musical acts from the show.

I will be happy to check my Late Show episode logs to help you figure out the date and episode number. I will answer you truthfully as to whether I have what you want. When I don't, I invariably get a follow-up e-mail, "Well, who can help me?" I will not refer you to other fans, so please don't ask.

TICKET INFO STRAIGHT FROM THE LATE SHOW

• Read the sign on the Ed Sullivan Theater door.

ONLINE TICKET REQUESTS

• Submit your request online using the form on the Late Show Web site.

STANDBY TICKET REQUESTS

• By Telephone
  "Standby tickets are available by calling (212) 247-6497 starting at 11:00 a.m. on the day of the taping you wish to attend. Your name will be taken and you will be placed on our standby list in the order we receive your call. You will be asked to check in to the theater at a specific time, approximately 1 hour before the taping. You will only be admitted to the actual taping in the event seats remain after all of the regularly ticketed guests are accommodated. We will keep the above phone line open for approximately 30-60 minutes or until we fill our allocation of standby slots, which varies from day to day. As with all of our tickets, all attendees must present a government-issued picture I.D. to match the name(s) given on the phone."

  OR

• In-Person Requests
  Here's the link for the latest info from the Late Show site. The show says, "If you would like to submit an audience ticket request in person, representatives will be in the Ed Sullivan Theater lobby: Monday - Friday: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 P.M. and Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Getting in line before 9 A.M. is not allowed."

  Please follow the link above for complete and up-to-date policies.

• Group Tickets
  Here's the link for complete info from the Late Show site. Be aware that the group tickets policy changes fairly often. The following is quoted from the Late Show:

  "We have a limited number of openings for groups interested in attending a taping during the months of December 2007, January 2008 and February 2008! Please note that there are no group tickets available for tapings anytime past February 2008 at this time. Check back here at a later date if you are looking to request dates beyond February.

  Groups must meet the following criteria:

  1. Groups must equal 10-20 people in number.

  2. Everyone in the group must be at least 18 years of age and present government issued photo identification upon arrival for the show.

GENERAL TICKET INFORMATION

1. They will contact as many people who have submitted requests as ticket availability will allow. They will not be able to call everyone who submits.

2. A ticket will only be issued to those individuals who correctly answer a random trivia question about the show. Each person answering their question correctly will be entitled to two tickets provided that the guest's name is submitted on the entry form.

3. You may be contacted at any time, from within a day of submitting your request to the day before the show, depending on when and if openings occur.

4. Tickets are non-transferable. The only guests who will be accommodated will be the names you submit to us on the form.

5. A government-issued picture I.D., with birth date and address, is required. This information must match the information submitted with your request. Due to the large volume of requests, each individual may only apply for tickets no more than once in any six month period. Individuals who have attended the show are not eligible to attend for another six months from the date of attendance.

6. The minimum age to attend the show is 18 years old.

7. The Late Show taping schedule varies. It is not uncommon for two episodes to be taped in one day. Friday's show is usually taped second on Monday.

8. Additional Policies: "Please note that we receive many more requests for tickets than we are able to fulfill, and that we therefore cannot guarantee availability. We reserve the right to deny admission at any time. Shows may cancel and schedules and/or audience requirements may alter at any time. We require all audience members to follow our rules and regulations as a condition of attending the show. Without limiting the foregoing, we do not allow cell phones, pagers, cameras, sound recorders or other recording devices in the theater."

9. Google has Late Show ticket info. It's unknown how up-to-date their material is.