By Ben Butler
The curse of CBD has struck down the Australia's Worst Journalist website run by disgraced former doctor Geoffrey Edelsten.
Edelsten uses the site to attack journalists, including CBD, who have had the temerity to write about his various business dealings or the fact he once solicited notorious hitman Christopher Dale ''Mr Rent-A-Kill'' Flannery to commit an assault.
Illustration: John Shakespeare.
But a visit to the whiny website on Sunday yielded only a cryptic error message complaining that something ''is marked as crashed and should be repaired''. Sounds serious.
Nine's grand plans
Amid the turmoil of a potential listing, Nine Entertainment's directors are still arguing with locals over the proposed $200 million redevelopment of 2.9 hectares of land in Willoughby, on Sydney's North Shore, that has been the home of television for many years.
The idea is to make some cash by redeveloping the site, as happened at Nine's Bendigo Street, Richmond, property in Melbourne.
Nine's Preferred Project Report, recently submitted to NSW Planning, now proposes 450 apartments with one building 12 storeys high and another two at 10 storeys.
The whole project has raised the ire of local residents who claim it's all ''too high and too dense''. CBD thinks they mean the buildings, not the Nine directors.
Willoughby Council is holding to its previous alternative proposal of 300 apartments with a maximum of eight storeys but has made further changes to give more open space and less overshadowing to surrounding houses.
Rupert drops by
Australian News Corporation executives will be nervous this week following a visit to the global media empire's southern outpost by Dear Leader Rupert Murdoch.
The octogenarian bachelor was at the Melbourne offices of the Herald Sun and The Australian last week, meeting with executives and section heads and even the occasional reporter. A visit from Uncle Rupert is often followed by a management shake-up, although sometimes the wily magnate likes to keep everyone on their toes by displaying what was described on TV comedy Yes, Minister as ''masterly inactivity''.
Legal eagles soar
Activist investor Mark Carnegie and fund manager Perpetual have only just declared war on the cross-shareholding that ensures the Milner family retains its iron grip on Brickworks and Soul Pattinson, but CBD can already declare the winners: the lawyers.
Lining up to collect their fees in a stoush that has a very good chance of ending up in the courtroom are law firms Baker & McKenzie, representing Soul Pattinson; King & Wood Mallesons (Brickworks) and Watson Mangioni (Perpetual).
A timely Award
Every little bit helps when you're battling the taxman, so it was heartening to see Shamus Award outlast all comers in Saturday's big race, the Cox Plate.
Among those sharing in the $1.8 million prizemoney are owners Sean Buckley, of Ultra Tune fame, and Alice Springs identity Viv Oldfield.
If Buckley has half the horse, his share comes to $765,000 - enough to run a QC for a good few days in Buckley's court stoush with the ATO over $11.5 million in alleged back taxes and penalties.
Lowy and son
Spotted at the Western City Wanderers-Sydney FC futbol derby on Saturday night: shopping centre tsar and Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy, with one of his sons by his side.
Peering through the flare haze from a seat in general admission, CBD's spy thinks Steven was the scion in question.
Our spy reckons one was backing the Wanderers and the other Sydney - fair enough, given the family basically controls the round ball game in this country.
Got a tip?
bbutler@fairfaxmedia.com.au