Stateside with Gavin Wood in West Hollywood BIRTHDAYS GALORE IN SHOWBIZ WORLD

■ Hi everyone, remotely from my suite at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites in West Hollywood comes this week’s news.

Molly’s 80th celebration

■ The biggest birthday celebrated by all of Australia is the 80th birthday for pop music and television guru Ian Alexander Meldrum AM.

I was fortunate to host the private party which was put on by Jayco Caravans owner Gerry Ryan on the Princes Deck at the Prince Hotel in Acland St, St Kilda.

It was a beautiful night with Molly’s friends. John Blackman brought Dicky Knee to the party, Red Symons, Wilbur Wilde, Billy Slater and Russell Morris were some of Molly’s friends enjoying the night.

Ramada Hotel and Suites West Hollywood Managing Director Alan Johnson and international film director Rod Hardy also celebrated their birthdays as well as King of Pop Normie Rowe

I am very lucky to be celebrating my birthday next week, so it’s celebrations all round and a great big Happy Birthday to all.

Butter shortage

■ Grandma’s favourite sugar cookies might be missing a crucial ingredient. While inflation has infiltrated much of the grocery store, few items have been affected more than butter, which, could spell a holiday disaster.

The problem starts with cows, rising costs for feed and labour have led farmers to reduce their cattle herds, causing a series of ripple effects: Milk production was down 1 per cent through June, compared to a typical annual growth rate of 1.5 per cent-2.5 per cent,

The dairy pecking order gives bottlers first priority; then manufacturers of ice cream, yogurt, and cheese; then butter churns, which have been left in short supply. Making matters worse, butter churns usually produce most of their butter in the first half of the year, storing it in preparation for the holidays.

How bad is it? Some might say we’re nearing a meltdown: Butter prices are up 25 per cent , trailing only eggs the leading grocery store inflation item, up 40 per cent.

Butter in cold storage facilities was down 21 per cent in July to its lowest level since 2017. Butter producers are telling retailers not to offer heavy discounts during the holidays in case they can’t replenish supply, and some bakers are now hoarding butter to build up their own “butter army” for the holidays.

On top of all this, the latest foodie trend, with 10.5B+ views on TikTok, is charcuterie-style “butter boards.” Of course, a solution to all this would be turning to margarine.

Weapons billions

■ The leading manufacturers of assault rifles used to perpetrate the deadliest mass shootings in the United States have collected more than $1 billion in revenue over the past decade as gun violence across the country has surged, according to a House investigation set to be presented on Capitol Hill.

The findings, released before a congressional hearing on the marketing of assault rifles, indicate that the gun industry has thrived by selling and marketing military-grade weapons to civilians, specifically targeting and playing to the insecurities of young men, while some have made thinly veiled references to white supremacist groups.

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform opened an investigation into the gun manufacturing industry in May after the gun massacre in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers and a racially motivated mass shooting in a Buffalo supermarket that killed 10 people.

Ageing process

■ Being unhappy or experiencing loneliness accelerates the aging process more than smoking, according to new research.

An international team says unhappiness damages the body’s biological clock, increasing the risk for Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses.

The team reports that they detected aging acceleration among people with a history of stroke, liver and lung diseases, smoking, and in people with a vulnerable mental state.

Interestingly, feeling hopeless, unhappy, and lonely displayed a connection to increasing a patient’s biological age more than the harmful impact of smoking.

Out and About Care eats into bottom line

■ With the help of a consulting firm, the Providence hospital system trained staff to wring money out of patients, even those eligible for free care.

In 2018, senior executives at one of the country’s largest nonprofit hospital chains, Providence, were frustrated. They were spending hundreds of millions of dollars providing free health care to patients. It was eating into their bottom line.

The executives, led by Providence’s chief financial officer at the time, devised a solution: a program called RevUp.

Rev-Up provided Providence’s employees with a detailed playbook for wringing money out of patients even those who were supposed to receive free care because of their low incomes, a New York Times investigation found.

In training materials, members of the hospital staff were instructed how to approach patients and pressure them to pay. “Ask every patient, every time,” the materials said.

Instead of using “weak” phrases like “Would you mind paying?” employees were told to ask how patients wanted to pay.

Soliciting money “is part of your role. It’s not an option.” If patients did not pay, Providence sent debt collectors to pursue them.

Cheating the Govt.

■ Nearly 50 people in Minnesota have been charged with laundering an estimated $250 million in pandemic relief aid, which was intended to provide meals to children from lowerincome families.

The case is the largest fraud scheme to take advantage of federal pandemic programs, according to the US Justice Department.

Prosecutors claim 47 individuals tied to Minnesota-based non-profit Feeding Our Future falsely reported serving tens of thousands of meals to children across 250 sites and sought reimbursement for the cost of those meals from the Department of Agriculture’s Federal Child Nutrition Program.

The individuals then allegedly laundered the funds through shell companies to buy luxury cars, property, jewellery, and other personal items.

They have been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery. To date, more than $8B in suspected pandemic fraud has been found, including in more than 1500 criminal cases.

Theatre Extra

In The Ghetto

■ Cracked Actors Theatre presents In The Ghetto by James May until February 12 at Power House on the Lake, Level 1, 34 Lakeside Drive, Albert Park.

Described as a ‘loaded contemporary queer drama’, InThe Ghetto tells of two misfits living in Melbourne’s ‘Gay Ghetto', Prahran in the noughties.

Their volatile relationship is punctuated with bitchy back-biting, financial stress, and addiction. Jet wants a stable home for their ‘imaginary daughter.’ Quiver is a macho larrikin who flirts with the drug trade.

Directed by Colin Morley and described as “a passionate love story in a chaotic landscape of ribald antics, fear and wild aspiration”, In the Ghetto also pays tribute to the 50th anniversary in 2023 for the Australian Parliament passing a motion that "in the opinion of this House homosexual acts ... should not be subject to the criminal law".

Cracked Actors Theatre held a writing competition at Midsumma 2022 titled '50 Years: Queers and Pioneers', to find a play that brought the Zeitgeist of the movement today into context for Midsumma Festival 2023.

Cracked Actors Theatre Company Manager Sarah Yeung explains the reasons for selecting James May's play: " ... because as well as encapsulating the fighting spirit of those pioneers of the early movement, it demonstrates that the struggle continues, and that activism is as essential as ever to ensure a future free of prejudice.

“He unflinchingly addresses the ‘elephants in the room’ facing society today, like the fact that there is still no HIV vaccine or cure (he has lived with HIV for many years) and that the scourge of meth addiction along with partner violence is not equitably addressed across disparate communities."

Content Warnings – This play contains adult concepts, coarse language, drug references, smoke effects, self-harm references, themes surrounding mental illness and loud music.

Performance Details: Until February 12

Venue: Cracked Actors Theatre, Power House on the Lake, Level 1, 34 Lakeside Dve, Albert Park Bookings: midsumma.org.au

- Cheryl Threadgold

Romeo and Juliet

■ The Australian Shakespeare Company presents William Shakespeare's timeless tale of love at first sight, Romeo and Juliet, under the stars from February 10 to March 11.

Audiences are encouraged to pack a picnic and take advantage of the picturesque Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens as the sun sets before the show.

Directed by Glenn Elson with choreography by Scott Jackson, the show stars Alison Whyte, Nicole Nabout and Wolfgang Reed, the show will be presented on the outdoor stage at Melbourne’s picturesque Royal Botanic Gardens, and is perfectly timed for Valentine's Day.

Glenn Elston, Artistic Director at The Australian Shakespeare Company said, “Romeo and Juliet is a celebration of the joy of love, the power of family, the value of friends and the futility of hate.

“Our adaptation of Romeo and Juliet will melt the hardest heart and inspire the better part of human nature, and we can’t wait to bring it to Melburnians during the month of love.”

Catering is also available on-site before the show.

Where: The Southern Cross Lawn - Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens, 100 Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Performance Dates: February 10 - March 11

Bookings: www.shakespeareaustralia. com.au 8676 7511 Via Ticketmaster. Tickets can be purchased on site approx. 1 hour before show time, subject to availability.

Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes (incl. 20 minute interval).

Tickets are available at shakespeareaustralia.com.au

- Cheryl Threadgold