Here's some pleasantly surprising news: Publicist (and legendary hard-ass) Nadine Johnson is feeling "tremendous positive energy." It's all because Barack Obama was inaugurated this week, so don't expect it to last very long. Until then, though, you'll be happy to hear that Nadine is steering clear of "negative forces" and bringing "integrity, real value and compassion" into every "action, thought, and behavior." The full transcript of Nadine's surprisingly cheerful comments, which appeared in the newsletter of long-suffering social network ASmallWorld, after the jump!

♦ Yesterday evening the New York Women's Foundation Fall Gala took place at Gotham Hall: Michael Bloomberg and Diana Taylor, Iman, Joel Klein and Nicole Seligman, Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower, Felicia Taylor, Jamie Niven, Herbert Wachtell, and Jonathan Farkas ate, drank, and watched a performance from the American Ballroom Theater Youth Dance Company. [Wireimage, PMc]

Nadine Johnson

On the unseasonably warm Saturday night just past, the Meatpacking District was engorged with the usual screeching banshees and washed up frat boys. But, since it was the Tribeca Film Festival and since the film the Nobel Son had premiered earlier in the day, the film's stars Mary Steenburgen, Ted Danson and Alan Rickman were awkwardly chatting in the corner of Tenjune. Outside the venue, the small red carpet and backdrop adorned with various sponsors (tonight: Maxim, Altoids, and CKIN2U) that are endemic to these kinds of things had been strung up and the Grand Guignol had begun. A very paternal looking Bill Pullman answered questions from Fox's Shira Lazar. PR personnel commanded the many big and tall bouncers to guard the Velvet Ropes like the Masada; meanwhile, schlubby co-producers and their trophy wives entered the basement club. We sent Joshua David Stein and the Ansel Adams of peoplescape Nikola Tamindzic to report.

We just didn't want karma and the powers-that-be to think that we didn't notice today's episode of the symbiosis between ex-marrieds Nadine and Richard Johnson. You all know the drill. Every now and then, Nadine's PR clients get plugged hard on Richard's Page Six, and Richard makes sure Junior Sixer Corynne Steindler shows up at Nadine's events, and everyone pretends it's just like the 1950's. But really, today's column strained even the most jaded observer's credulity.

Remember when we gently ribbed Bung 8 owner Amy Sacco for ranting to New York about how "cash is king, and I'm an ATM machine. Amy takes money. I've done enough charity. I've supported. I need to get off the broom and on the G5"? We didn't know quite what she was getting at then, but a juicy little missive in the tipline this morning has cleared things up a bit:

We're still not sure who's behind the site, but Socialite Rank is slowly revealing more clues. To wit: today's Q&A with none other than the Dragon Lady of PR herself, Nadine "I Used to Fuck Richard" Johnson. Now, there are several things that are intriguing about this interview. One: The famously scary Nadine Johnson gave an interview to Socialite Rank. Innnteresting. Two: to call this interview "fawning" would be too generous.

A tipster sends along the invite to Monday's "exclusive preview" of the William Beaver House—the new Andre Balazs Wall Street condorm that features a "conversation pit" in the lobby with seating around fire jets. (We're not making this up. Really.) But what's with the name, Mr. Thurman? Glad you asked:

LookOnline outs Michael Gross's blind item from yesterday as being Nadine Johnson, fashion flak and wife (or soon-to-be ex) of Page Six columnist Richard Johnson. Writes LookOnline, "Michael Gross stature as a great writer for him to stoop to the level of say hintmag's gossip monger Horacio Silva is very sad." Incidentally, sitting on my desk is an invite to the Project Alabama show on Friday. The return address reads "Nadine Johnson."