A Date in New York City

Diary note for our New York readers (around 500 a day !)

photograph by Patrick McMullan (c) PMc

A missive arrives from New York (and America's) most famous social photographer Patrick McMullan (left):

"Next Wednesday I, alongside Jacqui Rosshandler and Arthur Shorin, am co-hosting a really exciting launch party for the revolutionary breath freshener, EATWHATEVER. It should be an absolutely 'kissable' event! Limited copies of my book KISS KISS will be available to buy and have signed. So check out the invite below, RSVP to eatwhatever@gita-group.com and meet up with us at the Museum of Sex next Wednesday at 8:30PM. Hope to see you all there!"

No party in New York , Miami or Los Angeles is complete without McMullan or one of his trusted snappers present. He visited Australia in the late 90's ( courtesy of the Social Shuttle) and hosted an exhibition in Kings Cross on the premises that are now Hugo's nightclub and welcomed a host of local social figures like Lady Sonia McMahon, Kirk Pengilly from INXS, Min Keating and Deeta Colvin. There's talk that McMullan may visit Sydney and Melbourne in the near future to check out the local scene.

Read Patrick's internet magazine PMc here.

First Ita Buttrose, now Rudy Giuliani

The rumours still roam about town that publishing identity Ita Buttrose may stand in the coming council elections for Lord Mayor, a role she has every chance of winning given her popularity and celebrity status. Despite being contacted by at least two media organisations Ms Buttrose's office has not returned calls with a denial. Perhaps she should take some advice from a former New York  mayor on her bid.

In a little reported conference ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani  told delegates at the Asia Pacific Cities Summit in Brisbane that he was still contemplating whether he would stand for the Republican party in the 2012 presidential primaries.

Giuliani said " “President Obama is an incumbent president, whether you agree or disagree with his policies, incumbent presidents have a very good chance of being re-elected.”

You can read Vanity Fair's report on Giuliani here and note that they have elevated (or demoted) Australia to being America’s most electorally significant state and claim : "But as they say: as Australia goes, so goes the nation "

Ita Buttrose : Missing In Action

Finally a daily newspaper has picked up on our tale that Ita Buttrose may be drafted in to run for Lord Mayor in council elections 9mainly ebcause we told the ungrateful bugger)

Our source is an Oxford Street businessman who represents several others who have requested anonymity.

The writer says he has had no response from his email or phone calls to Ms Buttrose which seems odd as Ita is known for being the epitome of good manners  (see : A Guide to Australian Etiquette)

Likewise last week the Shuttle received no response from an emailed request for a comment from Ms Buttrose on the claim. But why not ?. If the rumour is untrue it would be a simple matter to just say it isn't so. Silence says it may be true ! And when have we ever been wrong ?  Watch this space.

The Iron Lady-teaser

Famous Last Words # 1

19th January 2011 James Murdoch Chairman News International speaking about the phone hacking scandal at the News of The World newspaper :

"You talk about a reputation crisis – actually the business is doing really well. It shows what we were able to do is really put this problem in a box."

8th July 2011:

Sharon Sargeant Special

A brown paper parcel lands upon the Shuttle's desk and a mid-year (July '11 to July '12) calendar is revealed. But what a calendar!.

It's the latest offering from one of Sydney's most popular party girls Sharon Sargeant and to say it reveals many of Ms Sargeant's charms is an understatement.

Apparently the calendars are selling like hot cakes and each one comes with a personal note signed by Sharon.

Regular readers may recall Ms Sargeant first came to prominence when it was announced that she and the world's most famous private eye Frank Monte had become engaged over a long lunch at the uber smart restaurant Ottos in Woolloomooloo, not so long ago.

Monte & Sargeant (Getty)

Then the paparazzi snapped her having suffered a wardrobe malfunction and partying in Potts Point with pals after attending a Lady Ga Ga gig while Monte was in the USA. Soon she was discovered gate crashing a porn convention in Las Vegas and was photographed dancing with one of America's reining porn queens Claudia-Marie (a strong constitution is needed if you dare visit her website).

Weeks later Britain's Daily Mirror tabloid splashed even more pics across their pages with Ms Sargeant pictured escorting the British Rugby Team (then touring Australia and accompanied by Princess Anne's daughter Zara Phillips and her fiance Mike Tindall) to a million dollar gin palace and waving them off as they departed for a harbour cruise accompanied by some scantily clad lasses. Rugby bosses scrambled to assure the public it was an innocent outing.

UK Sunday Mirror

More shocking news when the Daily Telegraph exposed Sharon as the owner of an escort agency. But there's more than  meets the eye to this gal. Sargeant later on-sold the agency for a tidy sum to an American corporation and was spotted recently tooling around Bondi Beach and Double Bay in a gleaming black Ferrari. a gift to herself from the sale proceeds.

Now Sharon, who has been learning some nifty dance routines along side Lara Bingle ( left with Sharon) has been hailed by no less than the US Army. The US 509th Airborne Infantry have invited Sharon to be their mascot for the year and supply the troops in Afghanistan with a series of patriotic photographs to keep morale boosted on the long and lonely nights.
Our snap above and opposite are censored versions of what our US allies will be feasting their eyes upon and the calendar contains similar.

And after one snap appeared on Facebook, a British army unit has requested the same !. But is it Prince Harry's unit ?. He's partial to blonde's. The mind boggles.


You can order Sharon's calendar here...and you could always send one to our boys in Iraq and Afghanistan .

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Z-Sydney super yachts.com

Read It Here First : it's been 6 months since the Social Shuttle revealed that the luxury floating palace Z-Sydney owned by media mogul and billionaire James Packer would soon be for sale and so it has come to pass as reported in today's Sydney Morning Herald. The shining tub has played host to many Hollywood movie stars when they visit Sydney including Tom Cruise, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. It's your for around $22M.

Ita Buttrose For Sydney Lord Mayor ?

Ita Buttrose

More on the push by a group of inner Sydney businessmen who have become disgruntled with Clover Mayor, the local Sydney MP and Lord Mayor of Sydney.

Both the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph have followed up on our story about the growing anger over bike lanes that have sprung up around already crowded city streets. Much of the anger has been caused by the loss of hundreds of parking spaces which has resulted in increased parking fines for motorists which in turn funds the bike lanes which are used by only a handful of residents.

The Pedestrian Council of Australia has called the lanes a "compo time bomb ".
Clover Moore also seems to have lost support in the normally left leaning chain of inner city newspapers published by the Alternative Media Group.
The Shuttle has learnt that the business group plan to bring in publishing identity Ita Buttrose to run for Lord Mayor as an independent, an election she would have every chance of winning given her popularity and fame.

Not only does Ita have impeccable business and political connections she is seen as an astute business person in her own right having worked for the late media mogul Kerry Packer as well as being Editor in Chief of the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph for Rupert Murdoch and eventually her own publication ITA. She was also for many years the chairperson of National Advisory Committee on AIDS.

Clover Moore with Bill Clinton

Buttrose was behind the creation of the magazine CLEO which proved to be a money spinner for Packer and went on to edit his personal favourite publication the Australian Woman's Weekly that under Ita became  per capita, the largest-selling magazine in the world.

Ita was featured in the telemovie series  Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo earlier this year. Actress Asher Keddie played Ita in the series and will reprise the role in the follow-up series later this year.

Clover Moore has been the independent MP since 1988 and Lord Mayor since 2004. Her popularity has plummeted lately and she only just scrapped back into parliament in the state election earlier this year.

Fear & Loathing in Monte Carlo

What is happening in the ritzy playground of Monaco ?. Stories abound of the South African beauty Charlene Wittstock fleeing the principality over tales of her philandering fiance fathering children but then being 'persuaded' by French police in Nice to return after her passport was confiscated.

 Robert Eringer is a former investigative journalist who has also worked for the FBI and CIA, written a book on the mysterious Bilderberg group and 5 novels. For a few years he was Prince Albert's security expert and set up Monaco's intelligence service. He reported directly to Albert.
According to the former spymaster Monaco has changed for the worst since Albert took over from his father.

Erlinger says Albert is an 'habitual liar' and is ruining Monaco's reputation. He reckons Monegasques are "horrified by Albert's self-indulgence and self interest and are aghast at his clownish behaviour". And he says that Albert has fathered a third child, an eighteen month old boy whose mother is a waitress in a Moroccan  restaurant with a 'dubious reputation' in Nice.

wedding guest Sophie Edington

Erlinger says it was news of another illegitimate child that was the final straw for Wiittstock that saw her flee. Palace officials have threatened to sue for libel and legal letters have been sent to the French newspapers La Monde and L'Express that first broke the story of the prospective bride's flight but Erlinger says tellingly, those letters only demand the name of their informant. Apparently Albert is terrified there is a leak in his palace and according to Erlinger there are heaps more potential scandals to emerge. He says Albert's subjects are alarmed by the shady characters that have flocked into Monaco. Erlinger whose job included background checks on potential residents says he warned the Prince that many had dubious backgrounds but that Albert has ignored all his advice.

More worrying is the fact that the feared Russian Mafia  now have foothold in the tiny country. Erlinger no longer works for Albert and he's launched a lawsuit in the US against Albert and Monaco for unpaid wages.

Lady Mary-invited

The Shuttle went to Monaco once in the 1980s. That was on a junket hosted by Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi who owned a European magazine we worked for at the time. Three days spent lazing on his luxury boat Nabila (later sold to Donald Trump) and nights at the casino were enormous fun. We never went back but we did meet Prince Albert a few years ago at a party in Sydney hosted by Lady Mary Fairfax at her home Fairwater which doubles as the Monaco Consulate. Lady Mary has been invited to the wedding but is too frail to attend.

Today begins three days of celebrations for the royal wedding and Australian guests will include swimmer Sophie Edington , a long time friend of Wittstock's. British and European royalty and celebrities like Karl Lagerfeld will pack the principality for the celebrations that  Monaco residents hope will bring back the glamor days of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. Robert Erlinger isn't feeling too positive about that happening.
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While nearly 500 people were celebrating at the Finger Wharf in Woolloomoloo on Thursday for the Variety charity and a host of local show-biz star were entertaining, a tragedy was being played out right next door.

Yesterday the news broke that former Australian Idol judge Jay Dee Springbett  had been found dead in his apartment directly opposite the wharf. Jay worked for Sony Music and was originally from the UK. He was instrumental in the careers of many local stars like Human Nature and Jessica Mauboy

Sony boss Denis Handlin had become worried that he hadn't heard from Springbett and phoned local police who discovered Jay's body in the early hours of Friday morning.

It's been reported that Jay may have been suffering from a heart defect. Friends say he was enthusiastically making plans to holiday with his wife Louis McCole and his two small daughters. Denis Handlin says he will set up a fund in Jay's name so his daughters are financially cared for and music pals like Natalie Bassingthwaighte have rallied around to support them.

Russell Crowe Unhappy With Waiters

Word came at about Mid-day. Russell Crowe who occupies the penthouse at the end of the Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo was unhappy with the noise.

Glen Wheeler & Maria Venuti

It was the annual Variety day when the kid's charity takes over seven iconic restaurants along the wharf for a long lunch while a number of local show biz stars entertain.
Russell wasn't unhappy for too long when he heard what the event was for and although invited to join the throng he declined but sent a very large cheque instead.

Over $200,000 was raised.

And that's what it's all about. Raising lots of money for kids. The theme was a Wharfies day and there was one special treat-The Singing Waiters.

If you haven't seen them check them out in our video. They are one of the most successful corporate acts of all time. Three opera singers pose as waiters at a party, serving drinks. Then they burst into opera favourites to the surprise of the party goers. So successful is the act that it has been franchised around the world-to the UK , USA , Asia and Europe.

Benny Elias, Sami Lukas

Country music star John Williamson & Meg Doyle

Dame Edna Attacked

There has been much chatter around the coffee bars of Double Bay about Dame Edna Everage's appearance at the Black &  White Charity lunch last Tuesday.

One tabloid journalist has ripped into the Dame over the reputed $35,000 fee charged by manager Barry Humphreys. Odd given the same hack is noted for their free-loading at charity events.

Although she received loud laughter throughout the room and was the draw card for the $295 ticket price, at a time when the charity dollar is hard to get, she has come in for criticism over her digs at  the Double Bay set, senior citizens and one lady in a wheel chair.

One prominent couple told the Shuttle today they were still fuming about Edna wishing she could "speak Hungarian" and other comments in reference to that large Eastern Suburbs ethnic community which they perceived as anti-Semitic remarks.

However the lady in the wheel chair who was the butt of many of Edna's digs was former B & W president Marno Parsons ( in our pic greeting Dame Edna in the Green Room after the show) who also sponsored the event. Marno and Dame Edna warmly embraced and chatted like old pals.

And we thought we recognised Dame Edna's stunning red feathered creation she wore on the day. Here she is wearing it at an Andre Riel concert where she sang the Peter Allen song 'I Still Call Australia Home'. The song was huge hit for the late Allen who gave the rights to Qantas for their advertising campaigns and in return received first class travel on their flights throughout the world.

Liz Brewer, Ita Buttrose & International Terrorists

Madame Aracti has drawn our attention to a new book published in the UK by one of that countries top public relations experts Liz Brewer.

Liz was once married to Australian John Rendell of Christian The Lion fame and is the mother of chanteuse and songwriter Tallulah Rendell who wowed audiences in Sydney recently. She was also one of the hosts on the reality TV show Aussie Ladette To Lady where she attempted to convert a bunch of rough and tumble young girls into genteel lasses, suitable enough to mingle with the more refined classes .

party planner Liz Brewer (right) and celebs including
Ivana Trump & NCIS actor Michael Weatherly

Ms Brewer has just published a new book Ultimate Guide to Party Planning & Etiquette which is flying off British book shelves in a country where trying to keep up the standards expected is becoming increasingly difficult in the new 'chav' culture sweeping that great isle.

And Liz knows her stuff having organised some of the top bashes in London for celebrities like Shirley Bassey and Ivana Trump. She's been around celebrities and high society for most of her career that began on the Algarve in Portugal when she opened a nightclub and attracted big names like Paul McCartney and Cliff Richard.

But we also have our own tome - the recently published colonial version : A Guide to Australian Etiquette-for all occasions, from weddings to work by publishing icon Ita Buttrose who was featured in the TV drama Paper Giants-The Birth of Cleo that depicted the 1970's when Kerry Packer lost the contract to publish a local version of Cosmopolitan and instead, under the auspices of Buttrose came up with the top selling magazine Cleo that has been going gangbusters ever since.

Ita Buttrose &Betty Churcher
at the B &W lunch

Ita was a special guest at the Black & White Charity lunch last Tuesday which featured Dame Edna Everage who reminded the audience and Ita that it was her on the 1974 cover that rocketed Cleo to a staggering circulation of nearly half a million copies although it was Ita's idea to feature, for the first time, a man in a dress as she reminded the Dame.

Cleo-1974

Dame Edna retorted that she had no idea who Ita was at the time and thought her name was a reference to an International Terrorist group.

Both books are required reading if one is  to attempt climbing the social ladder in either capitals and from Liz Brewer's interview on Madame Arcati we learn both cities suffer from similar problems. Like the eternal gatecrasher. Liz gives some handy hints to seeing them off and we feel concurs with our view of the local half dozen who plague events here - if they bring nothing to the event in appearance, manners, humour or intellect, what's the point of them ?.

But back to Ita's guide to surviving the sophistication of Australian culture. There are many crossover areas in both Liz Brewer's book and Ita's but the local version give us some much needed tips with a local flavour :

if suffering from bad breath consult your dentist

are you constantly farting ?..avoid spicy food

do you constantly chew gum, smack you're gums and make popping noises ? Don't !

don't let your dog jump in a pond especially if there is green algae !

don't pig out on bread at the dinner table and leave only crumbs

urinating in public is revolting

spitting in public is uncivilised  ...and so on.

Ita also gives some helpful advice on weddings : what to do when the best man is a woman, how to dress for a Muslim wedding, what to do when you run into your ex ! and a host of veritable survival hints even at the football : no player should ever pretend to be their best mate in an attempt to have sex with another player's wife : if a girl has had too much too drink it's best to call a taxi to take her home and most importantly : you never watch a player's mate and his girlfriend having sex!

How can you live without this book ?

Another Web Find

Madelaine Zammit of South Australia who is only 16 has a net hit on her hands with this song that is zooming up the youtube charts.

The Shuttle was alerted to it a few days ago after a reader saw our piece on Cody Simpson who hit the big time in the US after he was spotted on youtube by an American producer. Our reader thought that there were similarities in Simpson and Madelaine's voice.

Quite a few blogs have published the video as well as the Sydney Morning Herald. We reckon Madelaine has a hit on her hands with this song about the problems one can face on Facebook etc. And she has a great voice.But why isn't she on Australia's Got Talent ?. She would give Jack Vidgen a run for his money.

Appropriately she has her own Facebook page with 6000 members :