All goes swimmingly for mothers-to-be Melissa Keevers, 27, and Rosemary Nolan, 21, according to Woman's Day. The Brisbane couple have signed an exclusive deal with the magazine to record their latest venture into the labour ward, quintuplets. The women fell in love after backpacker Nolan arrived from Northern Ireland two years ago and found the biological father, a 27-year-old US law student, through an internet fertility clinic based in America. Nolan herself is a twin. The women decided to have a baby as a sibling for their daughter, Lilly, now one, who was also conceived with the help of the same generous American law student. He has signed all rights away to the children. Keevers reportedly said she became pregnant with quintuplets without using IVF. If so, she beat odds of more than one in 60 million. However, she alone will be a recognised parent in Queensland as the state bans same-sex adoption. In an article headlined ''Great Expectations'' in today's magazine the couple are reported to have checked into hospital at just 24 weeks as doctors prepare for a dramatic early delivery. "The doctors would like me to get to 30 weeks," Keevers told Woman's Day. "But anywhere over 24 minimises the risks, so we're hoping I'll last as long as possible."
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HOWARD FRAMEDFORMER prime minister John Howard seems to be enjoying himself making like a latter-day department store Father Christmas and charging for photographs of himself. Howard's book Lazarus Rising was retailing for $59.99 but the price has been dropped to $41.99 for the Christmas trade. So when former Triple J producer Ali Benton spied the man she had tried in vain to get on the Hack program for years singing copies in Bondi Junction's Borders bookshop she opted to wreak vengeance by having him sign Dark Victory, David Marr and Marian Wilkinson's tome on boat people and Howard's memorable 2001 federal election victory. Benton joined the queue of about 30 Howard fans and raised her mobile phone to photograph the author at work when a store staffer intervened and said ''no photos unless you buy a copy - by request of the publisher''. Dark Victory remained unsigned but Benton said she snuck behind a wrapping paper display and managed to squeeze off a shot of Howard without paying the price.
GOODWILL TO ALLCHRISTMAS cards are a convenient way for political parties, businesses or other groups to share the season greetings. And slip in a message or two for good measure. The Sydney lord mayor, Clover Moore, used her card this year, for instance, with images of children playing in the city's (ahem, award-winning) parks. "Discovering the joy of Christmas in our beautiful green spaces, made for everyone to enjoy," it read. But it is possible to push your reason for the season a bit too far in the wrong direction. The NSW Greens depict themselves similarly enjoying the environment on their card - or in one happy corner of it. The rest of the cover illustration rather ominously depicts polluting power stations, unhappy Part 3A buildings, a fish cranky at gas mining in Petersham ("fracking hell"), genetically modified foods and a coalmine destroying a horse stud. Not one to put a dampener on season cheer is the Fair Work Ombudsman. "Wishing you a harmonious, productive and co-operative … festive season," its card reads. The busy shopping season seemed to be on the minds of the card from the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union. "Give Cleaners a Happy Holiday Season This Year … Christmas and New Year mean lots of customers but also lots of mess." Then there is Tony Stewart. In the true spirit of Christmas, the retiring Labor MP for Bankstown still sends cards to Herald journalists who reported extensively on reasons why he fell from his ministry during the brief premiership of Nathan Rees.
WARNE CAUGHT OUTA SUNDAY without Shane Warne gossip? Unendurable. Luckily the News of the World upheld the man's reputation, reporting that Liz Hurley dumped him after he sent sexual text messages (more than 100 not out) to a married Melburnian. Having been spurned by the posh Pommy actress (''Bored now of silly speculations: no one is divorcing anyone yet, no one is fighting over money and I have no plans to go to Australia. Enough!''), the Sheikh of Tweak has turned to the pleasures of hearth (''I'm very lucky to have 3 healthy, beautiful children and a close family'') and health foods (''Just had a big bowl of chips with salt, vinegar and lots of sauce !!! Been a while but brings back nice memories !!!).
A BIG WEEK FOR A RASH OF FATHER CHRISTMASESThey are everywhere and it will get worse in coming days. This bungy-jumping Santa Claus took flight at Kuta, Bali, on Friday. Today a bunch of men in beards and blue costumes will descend on Sydney's CBD, flogging laptops. Overseas, people in red flannel will be taking part in Santacon, a sort of pub crawl through some of the world's biggest cities. Father Christmases have been photographed outside a Massachusetts pub smoking; in Tokyo, Santas are being pushed around by dolphins; in the Philippines, one has been feeding the fish in Manila's Ocean Park aquarium, while elsewhere in the city others handed out animal liberation leaflets; at London's Future Gallery, men in red took part in a wasteful food fight for charity. It is sure to keep going like this until reality bites the night before Christmas. (For more on Santa, see Arts on page 10.)STAY IN TOUCH . . . WITH JOHN BONGIOVI'S EARLY STUDIO DAYS
WITH the last chords of Bon Jovi's final Sydney gig hanging in the Christmas air last night, one's thoughts might turn to the stars. Or even Star Wars. David Latta, a self-confessed collector of weird Christmas music, wrote to remind us of Jon Bon Jovi's first big break: a Star Wars Christmas album. It was 1980, four years before his rock debut, and the man then known as John Bongiovi was employed to sweep floors in his cousin's Manhattan recording studio. ''At the time, Meco Monardo, who had enjoyed a worldwide disco hit in 1977 with Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk, was in the studio working on a follow-up Star Wars Christmas offering, which was released under the title Christmas In The Stars - The Star Wars Christmas Album,'' Latta said. Bongiovi managed to get a singing spot on R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas. ''It was released as the B-side of the single from the album, with the A-side being the equally cute and now cult-status yuletide track, What Can You Get a Wookie for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)?'' None of these deathless works seem to have appeared on the band's setlists any time recently. But as Latta (the proud possessor of about 200 CDs, 2000 MP3s and 40 LPs, all on the Christmas theme) noted, yuletide is an overcrowded musical genre. Who could ever forget AC/DC's 1990 contribution Mistress for Christmas?
WITH LIFE AFTER DEATH
MORGAN FREEMAN is happy, well, and - most importantly - alive. But the guy who posted a fake report on Twitter that the legendary American actor had died is feeling rather sheepish. Going by the name of ''originalcjizzle'', the Tweeter sent the twittersphere into meltdown by ''retweeting'' a supposed post from CNN reading thus: ''RT @CNN: Breaking News: actor Morgan Freeman has passed away in his Burbank home
WITH STOREYS OF WINFREY
NOW that the Oprah Winfrey caravan has moved on comes news of her demands to maintain privacy during her Sydney sojourn. The American chat show host is believed to have stayed in double-storey digs in Vaucluse leased for $70,000 for the week. The owners spent an amount not unadjacent to $10,000 sprucing up the place for Winfrey and her party of two. Some of the money went towards the cost of a new bed. From all reports the place went down a treat. Winfrey's only demand was that the videos recorded in security cameras during her stay were to be destroyed when she returned the key to the property.
Matt Buchanan is on leave.
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