Squiz Today – Friday, 6 July

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“He knew she was there to help.”

An exhausted possum with his head stuck in a jam jar was said to be thankful for the help out of a sticky situation. We all need a friend like that…

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END OF AN ERA WITH PASSING OF HARRY M MILLER

THE SQUIZ
News surfaced yesterday that legendary Aussie agent-to-the-stars, Harry M Miller died on Wednesday at 84yo. He developed dementia in 2011. And while millennials asked “Harry M Who”, Australians of a certain age reflected on it as the end of an era.

OK, GIVE ME THE HARRY DEETS
• Born in New Zealand, Miller moved to Australia in 1963 and for a good 30 years hence was instrumental in giving shape to the cultural life of the nation.

• He was the impresario who brought the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Judy Garland and Beach Boys to our shores.

• And onto a theatre scene that was back-to-back Rodgers and Hammerstein, he foisted modern rock operas such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair, making mega-stars in the process of the likes of Marcia Hines and John Waters.

• By the mid-70s and into the 80s, he was at the height of his powers, and his talent agency, the Harry M. Miller Group, was a veritable star factory.

• As well as making household names of star clients like Maggie Tabberer and Deborah Hutton (the fabulous Squizer with whom Harry had a long-term relationship), Harry understood the power of real-life stories before it was even a thing, signing up and making a pile of cash for the likes of Thredbo survivor Stuart Diver and Lindy Chamberlain.

ANYTHING ELSE?
It wasn’t all beer and skittles. Harry spent time in jail for fraud - an experience he later said had scarred him deeply. And his self-confessed weakness for glamorous women saw him marry three times - and philander a whole lot more. He told stories of affairs with the likes of Shirley Bassey and confessed to having been unfaithful to the women in his life on multiple occasions. In his later years, his partner was Simmone Logue (the baked goods queen). Oh, and he is also credited with bringing Simmental cattle breed to Australia. This was a big life.

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SQUIZ THE REST

SEARCH FOR A KILLER
A mother was confronted with a horrifying scene when she arrived at her West Pennant Hills home in Sydney’s north-west last night to find her teenage daughter (13yo) and son (15yo) shot dead in their bedroom. Police are looking for a 50yo relative of the children believed to be responsible for the “suspected domestic violence-related incident”. Reports say relatives and neighbours are deeply shocked and traumatised.

GETTING CLOSER TO OUR ISLAND NEIGHBOURS
Australia and New Zealand are set to sign a security deal with Pacific Island nations at the upcoming meeting in September (you know, the one the ABC has been banned from attending). The Australian reports this morning (paywall) that the agreement will cover defence, law and order and disaster relief. With China seeking to be more involved in our region, the deal aims to limit the military involvement it is able to have with Pacific Island nations.

RUSSIAN NERVE AGENT CLAIMS NEW VICTIMS
A British couple found unconscious were exposed to Novichok – the same chemical agent that almost killed former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia earlier this year. Charlie Rowley (45yo) and Dawn Sturgess (44yo), who live near where the Skripals were found, are in a critical condition in hospital. While counter-terror investigators can’t match the batch with that used on the Skripals, pundits say the most likely scenario is they handled an item associated with the attack.

CAVE BOYS PREPPED TO DIVE
Reports say the 12 boys and their 25yo soccer coach are training to take the underwater route out of the cave where they've been holed up for almost two weeks. However, the group’s health and energy levels after the long period without food is a concern. And experts say the dive is challenging with no light and narrow passages where one person can fit through if they take off their scuba tanks. Water is being pumped out of the cave, but more water is coming in, and rain is expected. More Aussie experts are on their way to help with the evacuation.

PARIS MATCH FOR AUSSIE MODEL
Adut Akech – remember that name. She’s an Australian-Sudanese model and she closed this week’s Chanel haute couture show in Paris as the bride – a very prestigious thing indeed.

FRIDAY LITES – THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK
Regrets? Tony Schwartz, the guy who ghost-wrote Donald Trump’s book The Art of The Deal (which sold more than a million copies) has a few…

This dog groomer in the US makes little film clips featuring her clients with a wind machine effect. So funny.

Stylist Rachel Zoe’s guide to Los Angeles. Shut the front door!

SQUIZ THE DAY

Friday
Australian Industry Group Construction Index

National Fried Chicken Day (US)

50 Cent’s (1975) and George W Bush’s (1946) birthdays

Saturday
Cycling - Start of the Tour de France

Solomon Islands National Day

UN International Day of Cooperatives 

World Chocolate Day

Sunday
12.00am - Soccer World Cup Quarter Final – England v Sweden (just so you know, we‘re cheering for England now…)

Start of NAIDOC Week - celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (on until 15 July)

Start of Diabetes Week (on until 14 July)