blogwatch...

an occasional series bringing you the latest from the web..

Tacky Weddings..a must see if you are planing your nuptials. No word yet if Melbourne's most famous bridal couple Mr & Mrs Geoffrey Edelsten will feature.






our favourite  : Men Who Look Like Old Lesbians   ...it's more common than you think !

some light relief..

Marky Mark Wahlberg's workout video to get rid of those extra kilos over Christmas..

splitsville for the Murdochs ?

It's been reported by the Sydney Morning Herald's 'PS' columnist Andrew Hornery that Rupert and Wendy Murdoch may have split. The story apparently appeared first on the net blog crikey.com.au.

the Social Shuttle (c)

 Although denials have been issued by News Ltd representatives, Hornery has quoted Murdoch biographer Michael Woolf of Vanity Fair : ''It's the oldest trick in the book,'' .[the Murdochs] never deny anything because they know it will just inflame it regardless of whether it is true or not.''

Woolf's The Man Who Owns The News , published in 2008 wasn't the best-seller expected. Whilst initially getting Murdoch's co-operation and interviews with the Dirty Digger, the relationship between Woolf and Murdoch floundered and the writer has kept up a running dialogue since via his VF column on Murdoch's attempts to grapple with the 'new media', plunging circulations of his world-wide newspaper empire and the endless speculation on who will run the massive News Corp empire upon Rupert's demise. He also revealed how a top News Corp executive regularly referred to the 3 contenders, Murdoch's children James, Lachlan and Elisabeth  as "the cretins".

tSS reckons this isn't a credible tale. But hey-let's send it viral anyway !
 **************************************************************
Putting in a lively performance today in the 2 federal by-elections of is our newest political force The Australian Sex Party which is running on policies like:
* To create total equal rights in all areas of the law for gay, lesbian and transsexuals.
* Overturn racist laws that ban Aboriginal people from possessing erotic and sexual media in the Northern Territory.
* The listing of Viagra, Cialis and other drugs used to treat sexual dysfunction, on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
* Ensure the sexual rights and freedoms of the disabled and elderly.
Let the good times roll...here is their Bob Dylan inspired advert:

Rupert fibbed...

"An old monk shuffling around in Gucci loafers" is how Rupert Murdoch described the Dalai Lama. Not quite-sensible Hush Puppies is the choice of His Holiness and he ties his own laces as you can see in our exclusive (c) snap.

The Tibetian holy man was in Sydney for a 2 day science forum titled the Mind and it's Potential. And some of American's finest minds were on hand for the discussions including Dr. Martin Seligman who has been appointed by president Barack Obama to oversee the mental health of the USA's 1.1 million military troops.

Another guest was Dr. Paul Ekman (right)

 He's the inspiration for the TV series Lie to Me starring Tim Roth. Dr Ekman is currently working with the Pentagon and observing police in order to train them to recognise an impending violent act seconds before it occurs, via micro-

expressions, "enough time to take protective action," he says. Wow.

 The Dalai Lama has an extraordinary affect on people. As he works waiting fans and clutches their hands many either burst into tears or laughter. Even the Commonwealth coppers guarding him seemed to be on a high as one commented to tSS, that he had never enjoyed looking after an important figure so much. It's difficult to describe what this conference was about. You had to be there.There wasn't a dull moment and tSS came away on a high as well.

and so it came to pass..

So the tSS is 4 weeks out but as it was revealed just 5 minutes ago-our spooky prediction 3 months ago has come true. NSW has it's first female premier in the capable form of  Las Vegas born, American accented and former Colorado Teamster's Union organiser, 40 year old Kristina Keneally.

Keneally is the niece of Oscar winning author Tom Keneally who penned the bestseller Shindler's Ark which was turned into a blockbuster film by Steven Speilberg. Kristina was elected in a party room spill after premier Nathan Rees threw in the towel 30 minutes ago.
                        ******************************************************
# with the elevation of Tony Abbott 2  days ago to Federal Opposition Leader of the Liberal Party, tSS has slaughtered it's pet chook and studied the entrails. Ignoring our advice to stick with our pal Malcolm Turnbull and running with an Abbott/Bishop ticket ( Julie Bishop as deputy leader) the Liberals look likely to lose another 20 seats in next year's general election.
           Should PM Kevin Rudd pull a double dissolution with the full Senate up for grabs-the Greens will pick up an extra 2 seats giving it the balance of power in the upper house. 
(If only former treasurer Peter Costello had still been around-who could resist an Abbott & Costello team ?)
Prove me wrong.
(ps: we'll still be going to Mal's Christmas bash. We'll be bold here with another claim..a defection is in the air)

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation

An exhibition opens at Canberra's National War Museum today titled "of Love and War" which "looks at the impact of war on relationships and the ways in which Australians incorporated affairs of the heart into their wartime lives."

Featured in the exhibition will be works by the great Australian WW1 war artist George Washington Lambert. Lambert, one of the first of the colonies great artists has an extraordinary link with one of the world's most enduring and possibly greatest rock'n'roll bands, The Who.       
                                                                                  self-portrait :G.W.Lambert

Born in St Petersburg, Russia to an American father and English mother, Lambert's family emigrated to Australia via Germany in 1887 when Lambert was 13 years old. Winning a variety of art prizes and a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy in London, Lambert was hailed as fine portraitist and won numerous awards in the UK before returning home. In 1917 he became the official Gallipoli artist for the Australian government.

left : Pete Townshend & Kit Lambert

Fast forward to 1966 and a young ex-British army officer and budding film director sets out in London with partner Chris Stamp to find the ultimate rock band after watching the success of The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

George Washington's grandson Kit Lambert was successful in his bid and launched the re-badged High Numbers onto the world as The Who. The Who's success has never waned and the band's music is still being used in current US TV shows. It was Lambert who patiently tutored Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey into seeing music in a new way. And thus a new genre-the rock opera Tommy was born.

The influences for Tommy came from George Washington's son, and Kit's father, Constant Lambert, the English classical composer and conductor who swept a young rising ballet star of her feet. A scandal swept London society when it was revealed that a 16 year old Margot Fonteyn had become pregnant to Constant. An abortion followed.

There was a running theme through the male Lambert's psyche-all were convinced they would die young. And so they did. George at 57, Constant and Kit, both at 46.

# of Love and War runs to 5th May 2010                                                           
                                                      
                                                           Christopher Wood's portrait of Constant Lambert

                                                                               

Hollywood appointment

                                                                                                Marie Sutton & Gordy Willesee

Jetting out to LA today is Gordana Willesee, wife of former TV presenter turned media mogul and more recently, re-confirmed Catholic Mike Willesee.

Gordana, a make-up artist who fell for Willesee while working at the Channel Nine studios, will be checking out the latest make-up techniques at various Hollywood studios and hopes to put them into practical use back in Sydney.

Gordana's the top favourite to touch-up major celebrities before they walk the red carpet at film premieres and has worked with some of the world's major movie stars.

  She took time off for a quick lunch at Ottos at Woolloomooloo Wharf with tSS and society maven Marie Sutton and brought us up to date on some of her husband's latest projects. Following the success of his Signs From God documentary in the USA in which Willesee explores various incidents of stigmata around the world, he is busy writing a book on the same subject.

Willesee is also pushing for further research on the Shroud of Turin and is backing a scientific analysis to see if  the artifact contains the blood of Jesus Christ. The Shroud goes on public display next year for six weeks at Chapel of the Shroud in the Turin Cathedral.

The Willesee's have impecable Catholic credentials with Mike re-discovering his faith in recent years. Gordana showed us the tiny Rosary beads that bear the Papal seal given to her when she and her husband had a private audience with Pope Benedict on his recent Australian visit. Recently at an exhibition opened by Cardinal Pell, Mike snapped up all 12 life size decorated statues of Christ which now decorate the large garden of his Centenniel Park's mansion, forming a pathway to his private chapel.

And when Gordana returns with her new skills she has her first client lined up-Hugh Grant when he attends the premiere of his latest flick Did You Hear About the Morgans?. But not before she is joined by Mike in LA who intends to whisk her off for a week at the Waldorf Astoria for Gordana's first visit to New York. 

Congrats, but who are you?

The New York Post discovers Dr Geoffey Edelsten & Brynne Gordon on their big wedding day except for one thing-they have no idea who they are.

Talk about fame by association. The Murdoch rag has run a piece about Seinfeld's Jason Alexander and Nanny star Fran Drescher who jetted in to attend the nuptials of the wacky pair but revealed the 2 stars hadn't actually met the bridal couple. Drescher and Alexander co-hosted the "glittering"wedding on Saturday at Melbourne's Crown Casino. They weren't alone as local radio and TV stars turned up clutching invites not knowing the bride and groom either.

The NYP also brings us the riveting news that the buxom Brynne hails from Brad Pitt's hometown of Shawnee in Oklahoma but ponders on how much Drescher & Alexander were being paid. We can illuminate here-$40K each plus first class travel and a suite at the Crown. Not bad for a lazy weekend Down Under.

And don't be surprised if the good Doc brings us news in the coming weeks of a fabulous investment he has and we can get in on the ground floor if we're lucky. He's that kinda guy.

no joy for Justin

Sydney nightclub mogul Justin Hemmes had his application against police rejected today in the Supreme Court.
Hemmes had applied to have an order overturned- from licensing police to class his Ivy and Establishment venues from today as 'type 2' venues . The classification forces bars to close earlier than usual with alcohol served only in plastic beakers as opposed to glass and is applied when there have been over 12 assaults reported.

Despite Hemmes claiming his various bars have up to 2 million patrons a year passing through without incident and that he had no time to order enough plastic beakers, the judge rejected his application with the comment: "it would have been prudent to anticipate any development" .

 This is a blow to Hemmes who is possibly one of the most gentlemanly hosts and has always had excellent security at his nite-spots. Hemmes is expected to appeal.

Santa Baby...

The last time tSS encountered the diminutive Bob Dylan was a year ago in the now closed Ritz Carlton Hotel in Double Bay. That was the inn were Princess Diana hid out on her last ever charity visit to Oz in 1996 and where INXS frontman Michael Hutchence hanged himself. The evening before his death tSS had shared drinks with Hutchence in the hotel bar.

Dylan and a friend entered a lift along with tSS and being near the operating buttons became slightly agitated as the elevator failed to respond to his repeated finger stabbing. "Swipe your room-key" was our advice and -voila !-the lift began to rise as Dylan gratefully responded, "thank's man, you saved my life". A slight exageration-he was only going one  floor. As he alighted holding 2 plastic beakers of take-away coffee tSS was rewarded with a  friendly wave.

Later we learned he had just returned from Graeme Goldberg's DeeBees cafe where he had spotted hanging amongst the flags of the world fluttering outside,a Jewish kippah and asked the waiter why it was there. That was enough to bring Goldberg from his office and 20 minutes later, Dylan left clutching his takeaway coffee after posing for a snap and signing an autograph which now takes pride of place amongst dozens of similar celebrity snaps lining the cafe's walls.

And that's by way of introducing Dylan's new Yuletide offering- Must Be Santa

Exclusive !-famous cottager to attend Mardi Gras

tSS can confirm that singer George Michael will be the guest star at the 2010 Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney.

Promoter Paul Dainty announced Michael's tour on Thursday and now a shift in dates has one show in Sydney scheduled for February 26th-the Mardi Gras is on the 28th February.

  It’s George Michael’s first Aussie tour since 1988 and both Dainty and the office for the Mardi Gras have refused to comment-which basically confirms he will be present.

The gay pride event, the largest of it's kind in the world , began as a political protest in 1978 when a group of protesters marched up Sydney's Oxford Street to protest the Stonewall Riots in New York. Hundreds of police officers weighed into the marchers with batons and 53 were arrested with claims of vicious bashings in police vans. 

These days the police march in the 2 kilometre parade along with thousands of gays and lesbians and colourful floats with parents and children of the marchers, representatives of the police, armed services, firefighters and hundreds of drag queens walking side by side to Fox Studios where a mass orgy party begins at 10pm and ends around 12 hours later. Politicians from the Prime Minister down send their best wishes and crowds of spectators have at times, numbered up to one million..

top Aussies..

The Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend magazine has published it's list of the Most Influential Australians of the past 50 years and feminist Germaine Greer has come out tops, chosen by a panel of 8 judges that included conservative historian Geoffrey Blainey, former Labor Party chairman and top egghead Barry Jones and publisher Louise Adler.

Greer was chosen  "for revolutionising how women thought about themselves and forcing men to rethink women, too." Coming in third is the antique clock collector and former Labor PM Paul Keating for "formenting the culture wars and refashioning the economy". 

 Scot's born chef and best-selling cook-book writer Margaret Fulton, philosopher Peter Singer and builder A.V.Jennings received kudos for changing the way people cook, think and view homes they live in.

Writer Patrick White, much beloved by intellectuals earned a guernsey and the singing budgie Kylie Minogue clocked in at number 20 for, as Blainey puts it : "showing what the girl next door could do"

handy guide to those climate skeptic Liberal Party MPs

As featured in Climategate in the Telegraph.co.uk

Tony Abbott MP: known as the 'Mad Monk'. Disciple of the late Catholic powerbroker , communist conspiracy nutter,anti-capitalist and Franco & Mussolini admirer B.A.Santamaria-who caused the split within the Labor Party that kept it out of power for 2 decades. The Mad Monk looks like doing the same favour to his Liberal Party.

Senator Erca Abetz : known as the Tasmanian Devil  Born in Stuttgart, West Germany and makes Attila the Hun look like a Girl Guide. Great-nephew of SS-Brigadeführer Otto Abetz, Nazi German ambassador to Vichy France from 1940 to 1944.

Sophe Mirrabella MP : "Ginger Group" member who wants tax cuts for the rich and reduced spending.on the poor. Denies there was a 'Stolen Children Generation' and when pregnant was told by Labor's Belinda Neal MP in Parliament "if you think evil thoughts you will give birth to a devil "

Senator Nick Minchin : Liberal Party Senate leader and right-winger who wants compulsory voting abolished, total privatisation of anything not nailed down and abolition of labour market controls. Famous quote as the infamous WorkChoices went down in flames at the last general election : "The Australian public don't seem to agree with our policies-in fact they violently disagree"

Tony Smith MP : former research assistant at the conservative think tank Institute of Public Affairs Championed the abolition of compulsory student union fees for which a decade of new university students vow to never forgive him for. No other distinguishing features.

more woes

As Justin Hemmes ponders a decline in fortune at his $50M Ivy nightclub complex with the economic dowturn, local police at The Rock's police station have classed the club and his nearby restaurant and bar complex Establishment, with a 'level two' restriction under new laws that come into force next Tuesday.

The restrictions are applied to venues that have had 12 to 18 reported assaults but as Hemmes points out-this number pales in comparison with the over 2 million visitors who pass through his venues each year. Not helping his cause is the alleged sexual assault of a female patron last month.

The restrictions can have a dramatic affect on liquor sales with bars having to cease serving alcohol 30 mnutes before closing time and with drinks served in plastic beakers, something that would not help the uber-chic feel of Hemmes' watering holes. It's reported Justin borrowed heavily to build Ivy after the amazing success of Establishment with it's award winning restaurants, boutique hotel and various bars.

Earlier this year Hemmes put up for sale the mansion that sits above his parents harbourside, abbey style home where Justin still lives. The house was used as a guest lodge but was passed in with a bid of only $6M just as the financial crunch hit like a tsunami wave.

Hemmes is currently appealing in the NSW Supreme Court with cries of foul that the arbitary imposition of the restrictions is unfair.

On the brighter side, Justin's recently ill dad John, and mum Merivale, both looking a picture of health, gave tSS a cheery wave today as they cruised up leafy Macleay Street in Potts Point in the latest Roll's convertible. Both are justly proud of Justin's entrepreneurial achievments which have surpassed his father and mother's fashion and property empire, and daughter Bettina's skills in decorating her brothers nite-spots.
On Tuesday night Justin's Hemmesphere bar played host to a small select reception for visiting singer Robbie Williams who was the special guest star at last night's ARIA Awards.
             ***************************************************************
Distant Cousins ? # 1:

     
 Luke Steele                                                                                                             Billy Idol

                                                                                    

tango success in the US

Hearty congratulations to tSS friend and local TV presenter Kym Johnson who has just won the American Dancing With The Stars with a perfectly executed tango with Donny Osmond.

pretty in pink

As Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull survives a leadership spill-for now, that lovely lass from the Welsh village of Barry, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard is featured in the new Christmas edition of the Australian Women's Weekly out tomorrow.

Gillard 48, one the countries most popular political figures who has impressed many in her tough role as Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and is tipped to be the next, and first female PM, shows off her soft side as she describes returning to her father's mining village in Wales to visit relatives.

Living with hairdresser Tim Mathieson Gillard,a former left-wing socialist leader is regarded as stodgy PM Kevin Rudd's best asset. Liberal knockers who have described the pic (above) as a "publicity stunt" can look forward to the article on their very own shadow treasurer Joe Hockey in the same mag who is bathed in a pink glow as he describes the joys of fatherhood.

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.