The price of suffering

Bob Geldof found some time in his busy schedule to fly to Asutralia and deliver a speech about world poverty at the eighth annual Diversity@Work business awards at Crown Palladium in Melbourne.

It's unquestionably inspiring to raise the issue of those who have so little, and only slightly undermined by reports in the Herald Sun that Geldof took an AUS$100,000 fee.

It's possible, of course, that Geldof took the money and passed it on those in poverty without making a song and dance about it. What's curious, though, is that Tim Costello of World Vision, who shared the platform, says that he didn't get a fee. All rather odd.

Victoria Newton claims James Morrison "got hammered"

For a gossip columnist who normally has a "cut and paste from the press release" approach to her work, Victoria Newton is taking a strict line with James Morrison. Morrison cancelled his Melbourne date, with apologies:

“I am absolutely gutted I have had to cancel this show in Melbourne.

“I have been looking forward to bringing the band here for so long. I hope to be back in the not too distant future.”

Newton, though, suggests this is a lie:

You’d think popstars could come up with more original excuses than “doctor’s orders”.[...]
Wouldn’t it be really refreshing for a rocker to just say: “You know what? I got hammered on Bundaberg Rum with all the hot chicks in the hotel bar last night.

“Then I woke up with a mouth like a taxi driver’s underpants.”

We wonder why she's decided she no longer needs favours from Morrison or his press team.