hack-watch : a skeptic in our midst..

Michael Peschardt, the highly likable BBC Australian based correspondent has outed himself as climate change skeptic.

Peschardt was appearing this morning on Kerri-Anne Kennerley's Morning Show during a segment where various journalists comment on newspaper headlines and expressed his view of Opposition Leader (see below) Malcolm Turnbull's successful negotiations with the government on climate change.

Peschardt who originally came to Oz to cover Alan Bond America's Cup bid, and never left, pondered why local politicians should be rushing in so soon before the Copenhagen climate change meeting this month (can't have Aussies making independent decisions !) and the dubious claim this week in the British media that researchers had "massaged" figures despite those researchers claims that hacked emails were being taken out of context.

But as fellow panelist Julie McCrossin-broadcaster, comedian, happy lesbian and journalist said :"now he's in trouble-he's quoting English newspapers "!
                                       ****************************
Earth to Fairfax Newspapers : today is Wednesday 25th November, always has been and always will be on the same day.
Not as your first edition announced this morning as it thudded on the doorstep :Thursday 26th November.

(The fact that dozens of sub-editors have been laid off and standards are falling is entirely co-incidental. )

an invite

A stiffy arrives with a request to share Christmas drinks at the splendiferous Point Piper mansion of Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and his charming wife Lucy, former Sydney Lord Mayor.

Rhodes scholar Turnbull, a cousin of the famous US based British actress Angela Lansbury and Lucy, the niece of art critic Robert Hughes are under attack from within the Liberal Party as the rather odd Kevin Andrews announces he will challenge Malcolm this week for the leadership role.

Andrews-who fortunately has a head of wavy hair that grows blacker as he ages, is one of the reasons his party was thrown into the wilderness 2 years ago. It was he that bungled the Dr Mohamed Haneef debacle when the hapless Indian doctor was arrested at Brisbane Airport on his way home to visit his new-born child and incarcerated illegally for nearly 3 weeks by Federal police, following the Glasgow Airport terrorist bombing.

Haneef was a distant relation of one of the bombers and despite a Scotland Yard terrorism expert visiting Oz and declaring there was nothing in the matter, Andrews solemnly intoned there was a case to answer-as the cards came crashing down around him.

Dr Haneef now lives in the Middle East and is still negotiating a compensation settlement some say will be as high as $5M.

Turnbull-urbane, intelligent and very very rich, inexplicably  incurs suspicion from his party colleagues and the public alike and is possibly more to the left of the political spectrum than the ruling Labor Party. As a former merchant banker and solicitor to media mogul Kerry Packer he is worth about $200M. As a barrister he successfully defended former MI5 boss Peter Wright when the UK government attempted to ban his 'Spycatcher' book about his life as a top spy and prosecuted the case in the English courts for compensation over the Maralinga nuclear bomb testing site.

Although it seems unlikely he will topple the most popular PM ever, Kevin Rudd, the Liberals would be foolhardy to ditch him this soon. RSVP-invite accepted !
                     **************************************************
footnote : The Maralinga bomb site makes Australia the most nuclear weapon bombed country on the planet with 8 major devices and numerous small ones being exploded between 1955 and 1963.

wedding bells in my head..

The side-show known as the Dr Geoffrey Edelsten / Brynne Gordon wedding rolls on as plans are announced for next Saturday's nuptials at Melbourne's Crown Casino.

Gordon 25, a fitness instructor from Las Vegas has claimed she isn't comfortable with all the attention-possibly why she invited media to the lunch the pair hosted on Friday at Bondi Beach's chic Iceberg's Restaurant , went for a photo-op walk on the beach after and asked press along to her wedding shower on the weekend, sans females and which had only muscle men in attendance.

Robbie Williams ( in Sydney for the ARIA Awards) has been nixed as entertainment after he asked for $450,000 to sing just one song. Instead local talent in the form of John Farnham will entertain guests along with the rather un-exciting host Richard Wilkins from Channel Nine. 

Fran Drescher and Seinfelds's  Jason Alexander will also tell a few jokes for a reputed $50,000 each and Edelsten, 65 (?) has announced it will be a "very traditional Jewish affair" and has requested guests donate to charity rather then give wedding gifts. Dr Geoff reckons the whole do will cost $2million !

So what's wrong with a rabbi and the local community hall then ?.

Lion King

Christian the Lion's John Rendall has landed back in town for a few months to work on the next stage of the growing industry surrounding the dead Kings Road feline.

Rendall and his partner, Anthony 'Ace' Bourke, a descendant of the controversial Irish Governor of NSW, Sir Richard Bourke, found world-wide fame when a grainy film of them greeting their former pet lion Christian, who they had returned to Africa in the care of animal conservationist George Adamson, greeted them like a long lost friend. The youtube film was viewed by millions.

At Saturday's Paspaley Polo in The Park , Rendall filled in the Shuttle with the latest plans that include  a feature film,, a lecture tour and a range of children's toys. Rendall's 2 sons are studying at a local school and university.

Rendall also has a daughter Tallulah by London publicist Liz Brewer who is starring in the current Ladette to Lady TV show where rough Aussie gals are 'finished off' after a good dressing down by Brewer and others  in the imaginary Eggleston Hall Finishing School. Observant viewers of the high camp show have noticed how portraits and furniture in the series seems to move from room to room. The heritage listed house is available for weddings, parties and bar mitzvahs.

The unruly lasses receive a nicely framed diploma after a winner is chosen as Chief Ladette to Lady by a bunch of new age aristocrats that include former used car dealers and Colonel Blimp  types who pass these days for the landed gentry, along with the delightful Lady Georgia Campbell.

that publicist guide in full...an occasional series

Cracking the so-called social scene isn't as easy as it seems. Talent and beauty is all very well but why not take the fast track and hire a publicist. But not just any PR will do. As one of the richest woman in Australia, Lady Mary Fairfax (right) found when she bought the most expensive apartment in New York in 1990-the penthouse of the Pierre Hotel which came complete with it's own ballroom and 4 amazing terraces overlooking Central Park and the NY skyline.

Lady Mary's Sydney parties were legendary-US presidents and the British Royal family members were regulars. Lady Fairfax is the Honoury Consul for Monaco and her palatial harbourside mansion Fairwater the Consulate with Prince Rainier and Prince Albert dropping in as household guests.

She had all the qualities to crack the New York scene-she is mega-rich, a noted philanthropist, has impeccable credentials and top-notch connections and was a regular guest at the Ronald Reagan White House. But did Lady Mary hire the right PR firm ?. An expensive publicist isn't always the best and in the end you are only as good as your publicist's connections.

Whilst New York's social media was intrigued by the media mogulette from Down Under, she really needed 3 of the most connected PRs in town to infiltrate New York's snooty upper class. The Pierre apartment remained largely empty for years except for the occasional visit from Lady Mary's loyal chauffeur and his wife who acted as a part-time caretakers. In 1999, she sold it for the knock-down price of $21M to a hedge fund manager. She was asking $35M.

             *******************

Lady Mary may have done better with New York public relation's expert R.Couri Hay.

 Couri Hay is one of Andy Warhol's Factory survivors and a refugee from the legendary nightclub Studio 54 for which he was the publicist and has an amazing handle on the local media from  alternative publications to direct lines to the all-powerful Cindy Adams, Richard Johnson, and Michael Musto. Hay is an often featured commentator on diverse TV shows from Geraldo At Large to Larry King Live.

And he has the Hamptons wrapped up. If you can't make it in the Hamptons-forget New York.

clients: the Ritz Carlton Hotel, British Airways, department store Bergdof Goodman, fashion label Fendi, private eye Frank Monte, jewelers Bulgari & Harry Winston, magazine Ocean Drive and the American Ballet Theater.

the shame file..

Mystery still surrounds the ownership of the website Australia's Worst Journalist.

Here's the site's current top ten : Broadcaster Derryn Hinch (right) has been knocked off the top spot by Jamie Packer biographer Paul Barry.

• Paul Barry: A FAILURE YET AGAIN
• Adam Shand and Nick Coe : A Current Affair
• Kate McClymont : Sydney Morning Herald
• Jill Singer : Herald Sun
• Nick Tabakoff : The Daily Telegraph
• Ben Butler : Herald Sun
• Richard Hinds : Sydney Morning Herald
• Annette Sharp : The Daily Telegraph
• Andrew Hornery : Sydney Morning Herald

Annette Sharp cycling with actor Russell Crowe

The fact they have all written derogatory stories about soon-to-be married Dr Geoffrey Edelsten is entirely co-incidental.
Some of our best friends are journalists. Some of our best friends are these journalists. What a hoot.

what is this man doing ?

In Hyde Park near Whitlam Square. Just at the beginning of the Golden Gay Mile of Oxford Street.

It's a statue of  Captain Cook donated to Sydney by the good folk of Yorkshire, Cook's birthplace.

a strange exhibition..

The invitation to Justin Hemmes Ivy said 6pm for the opening of their Voyeur exhibtion of sexy snaps taken around the precint of Hemme's amazing multi-million dollar nightclub venture. One slight hitch-there seemed to be no photographs and few guests but heaps of champagne and nibbles. Perhaps the other invites are still in the post.

         At least we spotted marketing executive Sharon Sargent who brightens up any room. Sharon says she's threatening to attend the Polo In The Park this Saturday at Centenniel Park, wearing something sensational. Can't wait.

                                       ******************************************


The furore erupting over Demi Moore's photoshopped snap on the cover of W Magazine and described as "the"worst Photoshop ever" is another discovery of the excellent blog Photoshop Disasters. Check it out-it's good fun.

 *************

And have a look at the very amusing Angry people in local newspapers, the sympathy blog for hapless local tabloid snappers.The entire Shuttle staff have worked on local newspapers at some stage -we feel their pain.

a little light entertainent...

It's not our usual patch but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

One of our favourite publicists was handling the press conference for wrestler Hulk Hogan and a bunch of his burly colleagues. Five minutes into the presser a ginormous bruiser spotted a giggling Shuttler and demanded to know "what are you laughing at..?". I pointed at Hulk.

All hell broke loose...bodies went flying..Hulk Hogan was thrown off the stage and landed at my feet. His attacker began to pound the Hulk's head right in front of me.

The blows rained down. Blood flowed. Amazingly the attacker was able to inflict terrible wounds by punching at the Hulk's head whilst missing by at least 6 inches. Perhaps he has special powers.

The poor Hulk was helped off as an aide shouted "is there a doctor in the house ?".

I've always wanted to hear someone say that.

Rudi's shorts up for grabs

A pair of leather Rudolf Nureyev's shorts will be auctioned tomorrow night at Australia House in the Strand in London to aid the Tait Memorial Trust. Designed and signed by Yves St Laurent and presented to the ballet star in 1961, the funds raised will go to scholarships to be awarded to young Australian dancers studying ballet in the UK.

The Tait Trust was set up by Isla Baring in 1992 to honour her parents Sir Frank and Lady Viola Tait who played an important part in the establishment of theatre and the performing arts in Australia. Dame Joan Sutherland, Barry Humphries and the Countess of Harewood are patrons. Actors Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward will be at the Tait-a-Tait night which will be a celebration of Tchaikovsky ballet music with young Aussie dancers performing and a recital by distinguished pianist Leslie Howard.Tickets are £45 and can still be had by emailing info@taitmemorialtrust.org or by phone/fax to 020 7385 2719.

 Will they be these shorts ?. In the 1960's Nureyev made his first visit to Australia with Sir Robert Helpmann. Staying at Sydney's Sebel Town House, on his second night he wandered down to the notorious gay beat in nearby Rushcutters Bay park. He chose the wrong night with the "pretty police' out in force-young handsome officers sent out to public conveniences to attract gay men with gay sex highly illegal (although rampant) at the time. The following day, after much diplomatic action late into the night to suppress Rudi's name, a small newspaper article appeared under the headline: "Leather shorted Pervert arrested in Park". A week later Nureyev flew out when charges were quietly dropped, presumably with his leather shorts intact.

Friends said later Nureyev would describe the scene almost imitating an Aussie accent correctly . Apparently he really fancied the young copper who slapped handcuffs on him, and thought it was part of a sex game. As he was hauled away he announced "I am the great Nureyev ! ", to which the plod said "I don't care who the fuck you are mate, you're nicked"

the Shuttle on the Today show..

"A grey gadabout" is how he's described but the Social Shuttle's snapper Bill Ranken takes it in his stride.

At 80 Ranken has seen it all and reckons he wouldn't be impressed :  "even if Jesus Christ walked through the Harbour Heads-unless there was a smart homecoming party for him."

Watch the Today show at ninemsn as they follow Bill on the party circuit and interview him at Graeme Goldberg's DeeBees cafe.

what a difference a year makes..

A year ago he was a happy-go-lucky young actor about town but now armed with a Hollywood publicist actor Sam Worthington has returned to Oz and is refusing all photograph opportunities as he rides the Avatar publicity circuit.

The December world-wide release of the James Cameron's 3D space epic is certain to catapult Worthington into instant international stardom and make Sam a new movie heart throb. Avatar is predicted to be the blockbuster's blockbuster. Here is an earlier Shuttle snap of Worthington-he hasn't changed much. He's still a nice chap.