Long Distance Call: Recent Episodes
Eliza Harvey
Eliza Harvey is an Australian journalist who spent five years overseas in Indonesia and Lebanon before returning home to Sydney in 2020. During that period she made a weekly call home to her Mum -- ABC broadcaster Geraldine Doogue -- to discuss the events of the week. Now those conversations happen around the dinner table. Both women are news junkies and mothers and avid Netflix fans. But Eliza is a Millennial and Geraldine's a baby boomer, which leads to a different take on life. Tune in for half an hour of laughs and conversation.
Geraldine's been focussed on Australia's international diplomacy this week but Eliza's been reading about America.
First it was the surprising midterm election results and then the big correction happening in the tech sector. She thinks that the tech leaders like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are the 'thought leaders' of this generation because they run media companies where an increasing volume of Australians get their news.
They also discuss Sam Bankman-Fried and his failed crypto exchange FTX.
Also this week, an exploration of whether trauma and infidelity can be passed on through the generations via DNA.
And Eliza's new reading list.
Thanks for listening!
To join the conversation join the Facebook site "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Pivot podcast with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot
How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Crypto Empire Collapse https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/technology/ftx-sam-bankman-fried-crypto-bankruptcy.html
‘A Crypto Catastrophe: The Stunning Fall of FTX – and What Comes Next’ Plain English with Derek Thompson (podcast) https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/plain-english-with-derek-thompson/id1594471023?i=1000586338986
Infidelity and Other Affairs Kate Legge https://www.booktopia.com.au/infidelity-and-other-affairs-kate-legge/book/9781760762810.html?source=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQiAveebBhD_ARIsAFaAvrFgtPZvZb9irK0DEYekFt1zY0qYjSVuzVhssziNVwH9kTJqnD2V_a0aAvQ5EALw_wcB
The Madness: A Memoir of War, Fear and PTSD Fergal Keane https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-madness-a-memoir-of-war-fear-and-ptsd-fergal-keane?variant=39767823450190
Irish Independent’s review of Keane’s book https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/the-madness-fergal-keane-performs-an-exorcism-and-a-public-pledge-42128234.html
The Rest is History podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-rest-is-history/id1537788786
This week, Eliza "interviews" Geraldine about her article in the respected journal "Australian Foreign Affairs".
In it, Geraldine argues that America - not China - will be Penny Wong's greatest challenge in office. Geraldine cites the fact that America doesn't take too kindly to criticism, or the suggestion that Australia might go its own way in terms of foreign policy.
Also this week, Eliza discusses Elizabeth Strout's devastating new novel "Lucy by the Sea".
And Geraldine sings in a Puccini choir.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Messa Di Gloria - Puccini https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDDsuvOK5-g
Penny Wong: Testing herself and AustraliaAustralian Foreign Affairs https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/journal
More on the Australia - Japan security deal https://www.afr.com/world/asia/australia-s-anzus-style-defence-pact-is-new-territory-for-japan-20221023-p5bs52
Lucy by the Sea: A Novel Elizabeth Strout https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/706911/lucy-by-the-sea-by-elizabeth-strout/
NYT review of Lucy by the Sea https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/books/review/lucy-by-the-sea-lucy-barton.html
Nick Bryant on England’s political chaos https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/the-westminster-sitcom-has-a-new-male-lead-pass-the-popcorn-20221027-p5btmx.html
Eliza thought everyone knew about the concept of the 'mental load': a term for the invisible labor involved in managing a household and family.
But the phrase wasn't on Geraldine's radar. As they discuss it, both women talk about how they remember all the little tasks in life, and how they're preparing for Christmas.
Also in this episode: Geraldine's two-day ethics conference in Melbourne.
Should we worry about nuclear warfare?
And Eliza celebrates her birthday.
Thanks for listening!
Get in touch via the Facebook group 'LDC podcast' or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/668293/confidence-man-by-maggie-haberman/
‘It’s my curse and my salvation’: Trump’s most famous chronicler opens up https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/09/30/maggie-haberman-profile-00059343
Cranlana Ethics Centre https://www.cranlana.org.au
Is Russia’s threat to Ukraine the new Cuban missile crisis? ABC Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/new-cuban-missile-crisis/101514908
Are we in an anxiety crisis? ABC Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/are-we-in-an-anxiety-crisis-/101492086
What are Tactical Nuclear Weapons and What if Russia Uses Them? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-are-tactical-nuclear-weapons-and-what-if-russia/id1200361736?i=1000581902064
Eliza's back! And so is LDC. What a time it's been since the last episode, with the Queen's death and Russian President Vladimir Putin's chilling warning to the West as his war in Ukraine falters.
This week Geraldine and Eliza discuss Russia and reflect on the future of the monarchy (and the propsects for the Australian republican campaign).
They've both watched 'The Split' TV series.
And Eliza mulls over Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Elizabethan era is over – ABC Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/saturday-extra/14043860
The Weakness of the Despot The New Yorker (David Remnick) https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/stephen-kotkin-putin-russia-ukraine-stalin
Sorrow and Bliss – Meg Mason https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49110165-sorrow-and-bliss
The Split (Season 3) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7631146/
About The Split’s writer, Abi Morgan https://www.theguardian.com/stage/abimorgan
*My Salinger Year https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2222052/
The Finkler Question – Howard Jacobson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8664368-the-finkler-question
In light of this week's Jobs & Skills Summit in Canberra, Eliza and Geraldine discuss the revolution that's occurring in the workplace.
For Geraldine, COVID offered a professional reckoning. She's bounded back into the office, convinced of its power to assist creativity and collaborative work.
For Eliza - still a big fan of the office - the workplace revolution has been transformative. The biggest change has been her ability to choose how to work: some days it's 9 or so hours with her colleagues, sometimes 5, sometimes WFH.
With that choice and flexibility has come freedoms. But she's also mulling over how to best structure the work week.
Also this week, new thinking about managing lower back pain.
The power of Elizabeth Strout's novels.
And Eliza's upcoming trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories with her charity Project Rozana.
We're taking a little break and will be back in 3 weeks. Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page LDC Podcast or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Empowering older Australians to keep working is the best solution to our skills shortage: Rebecca Huntley https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/31/empowering-older-australians-to-continue-working-is-the-best-solution-to-our-skills-shortage
The Office is Dead - The Ezra Klein Show https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-anne-helen-petersen-charlie-warzel.html
My Name is Lucy Barton - Elizabeth Strout https://www.elizabethstrout.com/books/my-name-is-lucy-barton
Project Rozana Australia https://australia.projectrozana.org/
As this week's episode was drawing to a close, after a long conversation about movies and books, Geraldine dropped a clanger.
She reckons young people struggling to buy a house should buy a weekly Lotto ticket, in the off chance they win and can spend the money on a house deposit.
This sent Eliza into fits of laughter and left Geraldine bemused.
Eliza and Geraldine would love to know your thoughts! Email 'ldcpodcast1@gmail.com' or join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast"
Also this week, the long Elvis movie.
And the joy (and darkness) of Elizabeth Strout's books.
Elvis movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_(2022_film)
Olivia Newton-John https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/lively-with-noteworthy-eyes-the-untold-story-of-olivia-newton-john-s-school-years-20220810-p5b8si.html
Judith Durham https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/08/judith-durham-obituary
Afterlife https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8398600/
Oh William! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56294820-oh-william
Smiley’s People https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083480/
Gaslit https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11834592/
All The President’s Men https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074119/
The Lives of Others https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405094/
Confederates in the Attic https://www.amazon.com/Confederates-Attic-Dispatches-Unfinished-Civil/dp/067975833X
How many new emails do you have in your inbox?
Eliza's personal email is a lost cause but in her new job she's implementing a colour-coded ordering system that will get her to 'inbox zero' every Friday afternoon.
Well that's the plan, at least.
Also this week, is Angela Merkel's legacy in tatters?
And what we can learn from the Country Women's Association (note: a lot more than scone making).
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Call" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Full time https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13269580/
Haute Couture https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11610804/
Is Merkel’s legacy in tatters? ABC RN Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/merkels-legacy-in-tatters/13995282
The Rest is Politics podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-politics/id1611374685
Country Women’s Association marks 100 years https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/country-womens-association-marks-100-years/13995702
So You Think You Want To Live Younger Longer? Norman Swan
https://www.booktopia.com.au/so-you-want-to-live-younger-longer--dr-norman-swan/book/9780733648342.html
There's a crisis in Eliza's life: her beloved, expensive high heels have become crippling.
That's because she's developed a problem with the ball of her right foot, which is exacerbated by wearing this type of shoe.
So she really needs to retire the heels and invest in some flats. But that process is easier said than done.
Also this week, how do we work in the wake of the pandemic? Eliza ponders a new hybrid model.
And going back to the french TV series, The Bureau.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Eliza's charity - Project Rozana Australia https://australia.projectrozana.org
How to be a Prime Minister - Don Watson https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2022/july/don-watson/how-be-prime-minister#mtr
The future of the Liberal Party - George Megalogenis https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2022/july/george-megalogenis/future-liberal-party
The Bureau https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/the-bureau
The women are back after Geraldine's big European trip.
She had a wonderful trip, with a visit to Ephesus being a highlight. But her trip home turned into a 60+ hour nightmare and she still doesn't have her luggage.
On this episode Eliza and Geraldine talk about Boris Johnson's demise and how much Brexit played a role.
Eliza has been watching the January 6 hearings and reading about Ron DeSantis, the Republican Governor of Florida.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
In this LDC special, Geraldine brings you an episode of her new series on young people's experience of faith and belief in the Catholic Church.
She talks to Grace Brennan, who’s been instrumental in uniting Australia’s communities in the city and country.
Raised in Sydney, she went to school at Loreto Kirribilli. Her story of marrying a farmer and moving to Warren in western NSW, becoming a mother and starting up ‘Buy from The Bush’ is inspirational.
She describes herself as a proud Catholic, but says that she’s trying to navigate some of the more challenging positions of the church.
In 2019 with much of the country experiencing devastating drought and bushfires, she founded the ‘Buy from The Bush’ campaign. In the process, Grace started conversations, lifted spirits, created jobs, and saved businesses that otherwise may have failed.
As Geraldine prepares for her big European getaway, the women talk holidays and jetting back overseas post-COVID.
Eliza is moving through a podcast slump and is listening to Tina Brown's 'Palace Papers' on Audible, an expose on the last 25 years in the House of Windsor.
Also, the importance of a musical education.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page 'LDC Podcast' or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Palace Papers - Tina Brown https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-palace-papers-tina-brown/book/9781529124712.html
Slow Horses https://tv.apple.com/us/show/slow-horses/umc.cmc.2szz3fdt71tl1ulnbp8utgq5o
Madeleine – Helen Trinca https://www.booktopia.com.au/madeleine-helen-trinca/book/9781925773071.html
The Women in Black - Madeleine St John https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/758037.The_Women_in_Black
Why didn’t they ask Evans? Agatha Christie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14829590/
The Slow Fade of a Music Education – The Monthly - Anna Holdsworthy https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2022/june/anna-goldsworthy/slow-fade-music-education
Plenary Matters podcast https://plenary-matters.zencast.website
Geraldine and Eliza are back after a short break and there's so much to talk about: the new Federal government, Eliza's new job and Geraldine's European jaunt.
Get in touch and let us know what you think! Email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or join the conversation at "LDC Podcast" on Facebook.
Thanks for listening!
Love and Deception James Hanning https://www.hachette.com.au/james-hanning/love-and-deception-philby-in-beirut
Zelenksy: The Story (SBS in Australia) https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/2023040579635/zelenskyy-the-story
Chums – How a tiny caste of Oxford Tories took over the UK Simon Kuper
https://www.booktopia.com.au/chums-simon-kuper/ebook/9781782838180.html
In the final episode before the 21 May election, Geraldine and Eliza deliver their verdicts.
The women agree that it'll be a Labor victory, but disagree on the merits of the campaign that's got Anthony Albanese to this point.
They also wonder what the Liberal Party will look like in the wake of defeat.
Also this week, Eliza on Louis Theroux's COVID diaries.
And Geraldine is watching "Anatomy of a Scandal" on TV.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Friday’s RN Breakfast politics segment (featuring Sam Maiden)
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/politics-david-speers-samantha-maiden-scott-morrisons-launch/13880340
Tokyo Trial – Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80091880
Anatomy of a scandal - Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81152788
Theroux the Keyhole: Diaries of a grounded documentary maker - Louis Theroux https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781509880423/
Elizabeth Warren on leaked Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQxlBErbj4s
This week, Geraldine and Eliza discuss an article by former Federal Independent MP Tony Windsor about how personal greed is shaping politics.
Also this week, the Solomons deal with China and the war in Ukraine are distracting Eliza from week 3 of the election campaign.
And are we losing focus? Or are we just tired after a long haul with the pandemic.
Don't forget to sign up to Plenary Matters on your podcast app for Geraldine's second season on the big council shaping the future of the Catholic Church.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation on Facebook at LDC Podcast or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Tony Windsor – Saturday Paper - Rorters, rooters and the country’s lost decade https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2022/04/23/rorters-rooters-and-the-countrys-lost-decade/165063600013751
Howard Jacobson’s Mother’s Boy https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/feb/27/mothers-boy-by-howard-jacobson-review-a-literary-titan-ill-at-ease-in-the-world
What’s wrong with diplomacy? Kerry Brown https://www.penguin.com.au/books/whats-wrong-with-diplomacy-the-future-of-diplomacy-and-the-case-of-china-and-the-uk-penguin-specials-9780734310569
Stolen Focus - Johann Hari https://stolenfocusbook.com
Slow Horses – Apple TV https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5875444/
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (Binge) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10244600/
Happy Easter LDC!
This week: Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese is under pressure as week one of the campaign comes to a close.
Eryn Jean Norvill's masterful performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray.
And reflecting on the power of the selfie.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation on Facebook at LDC Podcast or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Eliza and Geraldine are back, after a big adventure in the SA countryside and a stint with the lurgy.
This week, they discuss the Flinders Ranges and the challenges of the Aussie bush.
While Geraldine was in isolation she caught up on a lot of reading about the war in Ukraine and Putin's leadership.
And gearing up for the campaign sprint.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page LDC Podcast or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
LINKS
The Intellectual Catastrophe of Vladimir Putin - Paul Berman, Foreign Affairs https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/13/putin-russia-war-ukraine-rhetoric-history/
More on the Maidan Revolution – written in 2019 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/02/22/ukraine-looking-forward-five-years-after-the-maidan-revolution/
Leadership at War: How Putin and Zelensky Have Defined the Ukrainian Conflict – Margaret McMillan - Foreign Affairs https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ukraine/2022-03-29/leadership-war
Zelensky on Dancing with the Stars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlJywp7E3Gw
Squiz Shortcut on Volodymyr Zelensky https://www.thesquiz.com.au/shortcuts/volodymyr-zelensky/
Deutsche Welle's Konstantin Eggert interviews Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin https://www.dw.com/en/khodorkovsky-clear-position-of-west-will-help-putin-make-the-right-decision/av-61313230
The American Wife – Curtis Sittenfeld https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2807199-american-wife
THIS TIME WITH CORRECT AUDIO
It's been grim news of late. Geraldine and Eliza try to make sense of what's happening in Ukraine and what history can tell us about the outcome of the current war.
Shane - the King of Spin https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10366168/
Urban warfare descends on Ukranian cities - RN Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/military-strategy/13778346
Germany dramatically boosts defence spend to counter Russia - RN Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/germany-defence/13782614
Some background on Russia's intervention in the Syrian war https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34416519
Why is Kyiv being likened to the next Grozny? https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-kyiv-grozny-war-russia-b2030213.html
Geraldine and Eliza are mulling over this question after reading Nick Bryant's great article called "The Repairman" in the Monthly magazine.
Bryant charts Albanese's political life and the discipline he's displayed in the role of opposition leader. But will it be enough? And is there a risk that he plays it so 'safe' that the electorate doesn't know what he stands for?
Also this week ... war looms in Ukraine ... and Geraldine considers the repercussions for Europe.
And important movements in the podcasting world.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
'The Repairman' - Nick Bryant The Monthly https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2022/february/1643634000/nick-bryant/repair-man#mtr
Emily Maitlis & Jon Sopel leave the BBC for podcasting https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10538893/Emily-Maitlis-Jon-Sopel-leave-BBC-join-Global-radio-exclusive-deal.html
Maitlis interviews Prince Andrew for Newsnight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtBS8COhhhM
Mike Cannon-Brookes' takeover bid for AGL https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/inside-project-arise-cannon-brookes-secret-plan-to-take-over-agl-20220221-p59yer.html
Geraldine has been mulling over the debate about women & society's expectations of their behaviour since the Grace Tame famously gave the Prime Minister the angry 'side-eye'.
Geradline finally realised what had been making her uncomfortable: the notion that getting angry will somehow be cathartic & freeing. She believes the opposite - that anger is a dead weight that stops you from progressing.
So this week, Eliza and Geraldine weigh in - about women's right to be angry, about the inequalities that still exist in the system, and how different generations of women feel about this conversation.
Also this week, will there be a war in Europe?
And why Boris Johnson has ceded his moral authority.
Thanks for listening! Get in touch via the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Reason Putin Would Risk War - The Atlantic, Anne Applebaum https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/putin-ukraine-democracy/621465/
The reaction to Grace Tame leads to a question: Why are so many of us uncomfortable with the face of an angry woman? Virginia Trioli, ABC https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-12/grade-tame-brittany-higgins-unmasked-anger-by-product-of-trauma/100820420
Women are set to deliver political shocks - John Black, AFR https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/women-are-set-to-deliver-poll-shocks-20220208-p59usg
It's the first week back of Parliament in an election year, so hold onto your hats, because it's going to be a wild ride.
In this episode, Eliza asks Geraldine to what extent the Prime Minister's character - and that of the aspiring leader Anthony Albanese - might influence people's votes?
Also this week, Geraldine reads Oh, William! by Elizabeth Strout and enjoys the Summer of Soul.
Thanks for listening! Get in touch via the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
(Reloading this as version 1 had a lot of glitches)
Welcome back to the first podcast of 2022!
A fair bit has occured since Eliza and Geraldine last sat down for a chat. The Omicron variant of COVID is raging and scratched a bit of sheen off Eliza's earlier optimism.
Two giants of the 20th century died over the Christmas break: South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and American journalist & author Desmond Tutu.
And Geraldine has explored regional Australia and the stories that underpin our national consciousness.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Joan Didion obit https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/books/joan-didion-dead.html
The Central Park Jogger Case - Joan Didion https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1991/01/17/new-york-sentimental-journeys/
The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion https://www.amazon.com.au/Year-Magical-Thinking-Joan-Didion/dp/1400078431
The Coming Storm - BBC Radio 4 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001324r
Desmond Tutu obit https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/26/the-most-rev-desmond-tutu-obituary
The Power of the Dog https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10293406/
Munich: The Edge of War https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81144852
See ya later 2021, come on down 2022!
Thanks so much for your company this year!
Here are the links to our conversation:
FMG's CEO steps down https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/elizabeth-gaines-steps-down-as-chief-executive-of-fortescue-metals-group-20211210-p59gji.html
Robyn Denholm at Tesla https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-09/elon-musk-can-an-australian-woman-reign-in-tesla-maverick-ceo/10480926
The White Lotus https://binge.com.au/shows/show-the-white-lotus!10491
The Beatles: Get Back https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/series/the-beatles-get-back/7DcWEeWVqrkE
Us – TV (ABC) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10669608/
9/12 podcast – Pineapple Street studios https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/9-12/id1581684171
Journo podcast – Nick Bryant and the Judith Neilson Insitute https://jninstitute.org/education/journo-podcast/
The Living Sea of Waking Dreams by Richard Flanagan https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-living-sea-of-waking-dreams-richard-flanagan/book/9781760899943.html?source=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5OuNBhCRARIsACgaiqUgyXZ3_fUFO9YwBXgTYYIu-YVyDdeXikEARJoZanLMtgJL4244EoYaAhWREALw_wcB
Beware Prophecies of Civil War – The Atlantic - Fintan O’Toole https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/01/america-civil-war-prophecies/620850/
Jamie Raskin’s Year of Grief and Purpose, Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2021/12/06/jamie-raskins-year-grief-purpose/
A Person of the Year: Jamie Raskin – The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-person-of-the-year-jamie-raskin
Late in the episode, which is full of the usual politics chat, Eliza makes a big revelation: she's grown tired of the "Renegades" podcast.
It features former President Barack Obama & rocker Bruce Springsteen talking American culture, masculinity and of course ... music! What's not to love?
But it's long and meandering and ends up leaving her a bit blerg.
Also this week, Hilary Clinton warns the world not to forget Russia as focus shifts to China.
And the countdown to Christmas is on.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at LDC Podcast or email ldcpodccast1@gmail.com
As the political year draws to a close in Canberra, an election is looming for the not-too-distant-future.
Geraldine and Eliza discuss an article published in the Australian Financial Review this week headlined “This election is about who you trust not the change your lives”.
It's written by the head of a Labor-aligned think tank, the John Curtin Research Centre.
The article concludes that “these are nation-building times, but people desire change with continuity”. So what does that mean for the contest at the next election?
Also this week, Eliza’s pick for TV interview of the year.
Geraldine watches a new documentary on Billy Graham.
And the pros and cons of fake fruit.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
-- Bloodlands - SBS on Demand https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11285548/
Say Nothing - Patrick Radden Keefe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40163119-say-nothing
Good Friday Peace Agreement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday_Agreement
Project Rozana https://projectrozana.org
This election is about who you trust not the change your lives - Australian Financial Review https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/this-election-is-about-who-you-trust-not-to-change-your-lives-20211129-p59d6m
BBC's Steve Rosenberg interview President Lukashenko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdxBOOnVgnY
Fake fruit is trendy again - NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/27/style/fake-food-is-trendy-again.html
Geraldine and Eliza discuss a new three-part series on 'cancel culture' recently published in 9 Newspapers.
James Button, the former speechwriter for Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and son of Hawke Government minister John Button, has undertaken the important but challenging task of looking at this movement which began in the United States. In this series, Button explores the rise of cancel culture in Australia and how these conversations are influencing progressive politics.
Also this week, hunting for the right dress as we emerge back into public life.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com.
'They cancelled me as a human' What nearly killed logie winner Hugh Sheridan - article 1 https://www.smh.com.au/national/they-cancelled-me-as-a-human-what-nearly-killed-logie-winner-hugh-sheridan-20211027-p593ls.html
Gender, Sex and Power: the debate dividing universities - article 2 https://www.smh.com.au/national/gender-sex-and-power-the-debate-dividing-universities-20211118-p599zz.html
The educational divide that threatens to split the left - article 3 https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/the-educational-divide-that-threatens-to-split-the-left-20211118-p59a8k.html
The demoralising search for the dress that fits - Kristie Clements, The New Daily https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/style/2021/11/20/kirstie-clements-dress-shopping-sizing/
Have you listened to a new good podcast recently?
Eliza recently trawled through the Apple iTunes Top Charts for new content.
She found '9/12' which explores how September 11 shaped American culture.
It's one of the best things she's ever listened to.
Also this week, Geraldine on John Bell's Boyer Lecture series.
And a new, dark twist on one of Geraldine's favourite TV shows, Grantchester.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com.
9/12 podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/9-12/id1581684171
Rolling Stone on the podcast 9/12 https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/9-12-podcast-september-11th-attacks-1219408/
Pineapple Street Studios http://pineapple.fm
Because of Anita - podcast https://pineapple.fm/because-of-anita
Mayday - BBC podcast https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000p6fd
Life Sentences Biography Today - podcast with Caroline Baum https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/lucky-man-hermione-lee-on-tom-stoppard/id1559400094?i=1000537118791
The Boyer Lectures with John Bell https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/boyerlectures/
Grantchester - ABC Iview https://iview.abc.net.au/show/grantchester
Did you know that the Dollarmites program had been cancelled?
Geraldine and Eliza missed the news.
In October, the Commonwealth Bank cancelled its school-banking program after criticism that it pushed banking products on children, instead of being an educational tool about financial literacy.
Eliza and Geraldine discuss the pros and cons of talking to kids about money and what it reveals about your family.
Also, the nuance and depth of the TV show 'Morning Wars'.
Eliza binged season 1 on her break from work and recommends it to her Mum.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Commonwealth Bank drops Dollarmites - CHOICE https://www.choice.com.au/money/banking/everyday-banking/articles/commonwealth-bank-drops-dollarmites
Morning Wars brings nuance, complexity to hot-button topics of the day - SMH https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/morning-wars-brings-nuance-complexity-to-hot-button-topics-of-the-day-20211004-p58x0g.html
Hello Sunshine - Reese Witherspoon's production company https://hello-sunshine.com/our-story
We're less than two weeks away from the big climate change conference in Glasgow, COP 26.
Which means news bulletins are heavy with acronyms and jargon that few of us really understand.
Eliza wants to rebrand 'net zero' into something that makes a bit more sense. In fact she wants a whole new conversation around climate change and the ways in which we (and the Government) intend to respond to it.
Also this week, deadly clashes in Lebanon.
And the pros and cons of internet shopping.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Big news this week: Eliza has a new job! And she's launched a new podcast.
She's moving to 'The Squiz' as Content Director. She'll write the Squiz Daily email and co-host the podcast, which is a quick hit of news designed to fit into busy people's morning routine - for the commute, the gym or over a morning coffee.
Eliza started as an ABC cadet in the Hobart newsroom in 2007. It's a big & exciting change.
Also this week, Eliza's launched 'Reunion: The Podcast'.
She was meant to be celebrating her 20 year school reunion with a big party in Sydney. But Delta interupted those plans. So she's joined forces with her friend Grace Brennan to catch up with old school mates. Some loved their time at school, while others felt trapped. Grace and Eliza want to know why; and how school shaped their choices in later life.
Geraldine reflects on her podcast 'Plenary Matters' and what it revealed about the state of the Cathoic Church.
And why covid will be an era, not a crisis.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page 'LDC Podcast' or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Squiz https://www.thesquiz.com.au
Reunion: The Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/reunion-the-podcast/id1589659461
Plenary Matters https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/plenary-matters/id1587458085
Past Pandemics Remind Us Covid Will Be an Era, Not a Crisis - NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/12/health/when-will-covid-end.html
Geraldine is launching a new podcast called "Plenary Matters".
She'll follow a big, important gathering of the Catholic Church in Australia called the Plenary Council which will govern the future of the institution, of which she cares for so deeply.
You can find it on iTunes, Spotify or however you listen to your podcasts.
Also this week - how should employers and employees navigate the "Great Resignation" resulting from the global pandemic?
And Eliza follows the Theranos trial in America.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Plenary Matters podcast https://plenary-matters.zencast.website/episodes/preview-plenary-matters
Here comes the Great Resignation - ABC Radio National https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/the-great-resignation-post-pandemic-work-life-balance/100478866
The latest data on suicide rates https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-01/abs-data-suicide-rates-still-high-despite-2020-covid-drop/100504214
The Dropout podcast - Elizabeth Holmes on trial https://abcaudio.com/podcasts/the-dropout/
Bad Blood podcast - John Carreyrou https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/bad-blood-the-final-chapter/id1575738174
This week, Eliza saw a tweet from Dr Briony Scott, a revered high school principal in Sydney.
It said "Parenting is a word - a verb - that did not exist prior to the mid 1970s. It sounds a bit like herding or directing or managing - none of which really work for children. They simply cannot be controlled, as much as it is tempting to believe. They are themselves."
It made Eliza think about all the times she refers to 'parenting' .. rather than 'raising' or 'nurturing' children. Geraldine believes that parents are akin to the Managing Director and Chairperson of the family unit. And that ultimately, if you can find joy in your children, that's the best way to be a parent.
Also this week, Eliza and Geraldine consider the left-right political divide.
Hannah Arendt and Eichmann's trial.
And the AFL Grand Final goes to Perth!
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
On All Fronts - Clarissa Ward https://www.amazon.com/All-Fronts-Education-Journalist/dp/0525561471
Eichmann in Jerusalem: The Banality of Evil https://www.amazon.com/Eichmann-Jerusalem-Banality-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143039881
Martin Heidegger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Heidegger
Kangaroo rescue in Canberra https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/good-news/2021/09/21/kangaroo-rescue-canberra/
The threat from the illiberal left - The Economist https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/09/04/the-threat-from-the-illiberal-left
Eliza starts this week with a gripe about the new phrases creeping into modern English language.
Lately, Eliza has heard references to people's professional 'space'. And it's not just 'space' - there's also been discussion of the 'piece'. So workplaces now have a diversity 'piece' and perhaps even a wellness 'piece'.
Eliza thought her Mum would be a willing participant in this discussion, such is Geraldine's dislike of mangled English. But Geraldine thinks 'space' and 'piece' actually speak to the new zones and norms in the workplace that are often hard to define.
Also this week, the Covid midlife crisis and how it's changing the lives of middle class women in America.
Eliza reads Lisa Millar's new book 'Daring to Fly'.
And Geraldine considers the joy of an uncomplicated life.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page 'LDC Podcast' or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Prime Ministers podcast - BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01083zj/episodes/player
The New Yorker Politics & More podcast - Dexter Filkins https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/dexter-filkins-on-the-fall-of-afghanistan
The Briefing Room – Who’s supporting the Taliban? BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000ymn1
Remembering 9/11 - Saturday Extra ABC Radio National https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/the-cultural-legacy-of-9-11,-20-years-on/13535334
Worth - Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80226212
The Rise of the Covid Midlife Crisis – Lizzie Widdicombe https://www.newyorker.com/culture/dept-of-returns/the-rise-of-the-covid-midlife-crisis
Nick Cohen on Sally Rooney. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/11/so-sally-rooneys-racist-only-if-you-choose-to-confuse-fiction-with-fact?fbclid=IwAR03InNxp3UWcm1BPunOTs6WE-E7THyD7Lqwe4sOlYhfYw0WBC-0WYsJ7jQ
Daring to Fly - Lisa Millar https://www.hachette.com.au/lisa-millar/daring-to-fly-the-tv-star-on-facing-fear-and-finding-joy-on-a-deadline
Where were you on September 11, 2001?
Geraldine had gone to bed on Tuesday evening, September 10, expecting to do an ABC Radio "Life Matters" special on apprenticeships the following morning.
Instead, she woke up to vision of the smouldering ruins of the Twin Towers. She furiously scrambled to line up a new show that captured that horrors of the previous 12 hours.
Eliza and Geraldine discuss 9/11 and what came next - terrorism in Asia - and a generation of people forged in the reality of the War on Terror.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Falling Man documentary https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2021/09/06/stunning-documentary-9-11-the-falling-man-premieres-tonight-on-sbs/
The Looming Tower TV series https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6474236/
The Looming Tower (book) https://www.amazon.com/Looming-Tower-Al-Qaeda-Road-11/dp/1400030846
The Children of 9/11: Our Story https://www.channel4.com/programmes/children-of-911-our-story
The AFR on David Jenkins new book on Soeharto https://www.afr.com/world/asia/it-took-me-longer-to-write-soeharto-s-story-than-for-him-to-live-it-20210825-p58lpj
Heartburn Nora Ephron https://www.amazon.com/Heartburn-Nora-Ephron/dp/0679767959
Everything is Copy https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2831414/
When should you log into a Zoom meeting?
Geraldine logged into a not-for-profit board meeting the other day at the scheduled start time, only to find that her colleagues had been there five minutes earlier.
The women discuss the new electronic codes of conduct.
Also this week, Geraldine reluctantly hands Harriet the dog back to the dog shelter. It's been a tough fortnight.
Also, American politics journal 'Politico' sells to a German news agency for $1 billion.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Inside Politico's billion dollar drama - NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/29/business/media/politico-robert-allbritton.html
Washington Post coverage of Politico sale https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2021/08/26/politico-sold-axel-springer/
Project Rozana https://projectrozana.org
Geraldine gets in a time machine and travels back to her 30-year-old self ... thanks to a new series called "The Newsreader" on the ABC.
In 1986 (the year the TV series is set) Geraldine had just finished up as a newsreader on the ABC. She'd go on to work in commercial radio before a stint reading the news on Channel 10.
Geraldine and Eliza reflect on the TV series and just how far the professional women have come in the decades since.
Also this week, the desperation of Afghanistan.
And Eliza watches a wonderful, joyful movie free of horrible themes! Hooray!
Thanks for listening. Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Please leave us a review on the platform where you source your podcasts.
*The Newsreader https://iview.abc.net.au/show/newsreader
Broadcast News https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092699/
Kitchen Cabinet - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_Cabinet_(TV_program)
After the fall: what’s next for Afghanistan - David Kilcullen
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/after-the-fall-whats-next-for-afghanistan/news-story/08e3f61b9550b2a744b89d8536d2995d
The Crossroad Mark Donaldson VC https://www.amazon.com.au/Crossroad-Mark-Donaldson/dp/1742612288
Carrillo Gantner on ABC’s Late Night Live program https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/rebooting-australias-relationship-with-china-through-the-perfo/13501862
CODA
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10366460/
War of the Worlds Season 2 https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/1927219267839/war-of-the-worlds-s2-ep1
*Nine Perfect Strangers - Amazon Prime
On All Fronts - Clarissa Ward https://www.penguin.com.au/books/on-all-fronts-9780525561477
The Enemy Within Tim Ayliffe
https://www.amazon.com.au/Enemy-Within-Tim-Ayliffe-ebook/dp/B08YB6V22Y
Geraldine has been wanting a dog for years after the death of her much-loved kelpie in 2014.
Now felt like the right time.
So, this week she adopted Harriet, an 18-month-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Also this week, the grim situation on the ground in Afghanistan as a resurgent Taliban takes back control of regional cities. Can the local forces protect the capital?
Eliza reads a terrific expose in Good Weekend. She's also reading former Swans' player Brandon Jack's memoir "28".
And the women read through LDC's wonderful correspondence.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at "LDC Podcast" Facebook page or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com.
ABC Saturday Extra – David Kilcullen on Afghanistan
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/david-kilcullen-offers-solutions-to-the-afghan-fiasco/13484218
‘28’ Brandon Jack https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/other-books/28-Brandon-Jack-9781760876777
'Jock Zonfrillo's Fantastical Life' - Tim Elliott, Good Weekend https://www.smh.com.au/national/he-s-very-nice-the-only-problem-is-chef-marco-pierre-white-on-jock-zonfrillo-20210714-p589q3.html
Reaction to the original Zonfrillo article https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/publisher-adamant-chef-jock-zonfrillo-s-memoir-stands-up-to-scrutiny-20210809-p58h9o.html
The Wire https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306414/
'The Inquiry' podcast - BBC World https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-inquiry/id932499233
'The Intelligence' podcast – The Economist https://theintelligence.economist.com
'The Sit-In' – SBS on Demand https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2021/08/02/sit-harry-belafonte-renaissance-man
'Grand Designs' - ABC TV https://iview.abc.net.au/show/grand-designs
The Olympics has been a balm for Eliza during the Sydney lockdown.
But Geraldine hasn't been quite so engrossed. It's prompted her to ponder ... is competitive drive a virtue?
Also this week, why friendships need intimacy.
And Eliza finds joy in David Sedaris' writing in the New Yorker.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Friendships need intimacy, too. Here’s how to build it. By Melissa Pandika. https://www.inkl.com/news/friendships-need-intimacy-too-here-s-how-to-build-it?share=MqLBARSRoBX
Can’t focus on a book? Audiobooks, with the right narrator, are the answer? The Sun Herald https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/can-t-focus-on-a-book-audiobooks-with-the-right-narrator-are-the-answer-20210727-p58d9f.html
The Daughter of Time – Josephine Tey https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-daughter-of-time-9781446429334
Slow Burn podcast – Season 5 – The Road to the Iraq War https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s5/road-to-the-iraq-war
'Pearls' The New Yorker - David Sedaris https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/17/pearls
Eliza hoovered up every word of the Financial Review Magazine's recent travel liftout.
And she's clearly not the only one: the magazine was printed on high gloss paper and full of advertising. Which means there's still money in travel, despite the fact that we're not leaving the country, or even travelling interstate.
So this week, Eliza asked her Mum where she'll escape to when the borders open? Geraldine loves travelling to events, like festivals, or special garden events, or themes to explore and research. She doesn't want to sit on a beach.
The women also discuss the role of the family holiday.
And Eliza's need to go back to Beirut to bid it a proper farewell.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
(Almost) one year on from the Beirut blast https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/no-happy-anniversary-bride-caught-up-beirut-blast-2021-07-27/
Beirut's port explosion killed their daughter, but rather than return to Canada, they stayed for a better Lebanon https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-beiruts-port-explosion-killed-their-daughter-but-rather-than-return-to/
Bibbulman Track WA https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au
The Abraham Path - Israel https://www.touristisrael.com/abraham-path/12898/
Knock Shrine - Ireland https://www.knockshrine.ie
Ephesus - Turkey https://www.britannica.com/place/Ephesus
Scarborough Beach - Perth https://www.westernaustralia.com/en/Attraction/Scarborough_Beach/56b266a82880253d74c4ec7d
Pianoforte - Mildura http://www.milduraeisteddfod.com.au/pianoforte-2/
Piano competition in Shepparton, VIC http://visitshepparton.com.au/events/showcase-events/!/view/australian-national-piano-awards-7
Four Winds - Bermagui https://fourwinds.com.au/whats-on/
Bourdain's 'Parts Unknown' in Istanbul https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5154060/
No-one loves living in limbo.
But with all the uncertainty that exists right now, Eliza and Geraldine are training themselves to live better without the normal certainties of life.
Geraldine has stopped trying to forecast when the Covid lockdown may end.
Eliza is drawing on her experience as an expat to live amidst the discomfort of a life (somewhat) beyond her control.
Also this week: what do deadlines do to lifetimes? The New Yorker asks us the question and makes some suggestions. Do you favour the 'Pomodoro Technique' of working, or are you more in favour of time blocking?
And revisiting the 1973 Yom Kippur war through the HBO series "Valley of Tears".
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
What Deadlines Do to Lifetimes? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/07/05/what-deadlines-do-to-lifetimes
David Leckie dies at 70 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-20/david-leckie-former-channel-seven-ceo-dies/100306650’
The Pomodoro Technique https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
Valley of Tears – HBO Max https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8190688/
Incitement https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10122392/
NYT on ‘Valley of Tears’ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/world/middleeast/an-epic-israeli-tv-drama-exposes-war-wounds-old-and-new.html
De Gaulle https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10880402/
The Economist on Macron https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/06/24/french-voters-punish-presidential-poll-favourites
Sacred Space – Craig Foster – Compass on ABC TV https://www.abc.net.au/religion/watch/compass/sacred-space-craig-foster/13431714
Do you need a break from Covid content?
Eliza and Geraldine do.
So this week, they're masked-up talking about everything from the Rwandan genocide to the therapeutic benefits of tapestry.
As well of lots of television and book recommendations.
Enjoy!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Do Not Disturb: The Story of a Political Murder and an African Regime Gone Bad, Michaela Wrong https://www.booktopia.com.au/do-not-disturb-michela-wrong/book/9780008294434.html
Is nihilism compatible with the moral life? The Minefield, ABC RN https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/theminefield/whats-so-bad-about-nihilism/13435690
The Formidable Charm of Omar Sy - The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/06/21/the-formidable-charm-of-omar-sy
Lupin - Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80994082
The Spymaster of Baghdad – Margaret Coker https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-spymaster-of-baghdad-9780241409107
Aftermath – Rachel Cusk https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/other-books/Aftermath-Rachel-Cusk-9780571351640
Valley of Tears - HBO https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/world/middleeast/an-epic-israeli-tv-drama-exposes-war-wounds-old-and-new.html
(Note - you can watch this through the 'Binge' TV appp)
Ms Represented - ABC https://iview.abc.net.au/show/ms-represented-with-annabel-crabb
Cracking Covid - ABC https://iview.abc.net.au/show/cracking-covid
And We Danced - ABC https://iview.abc.net.au/show/and-we-danced?fbclid=IwAR3a4_aFcbkpDXZjHDAMW6zuEqYa97rkVp0WS6w6Y8FuLprSPONq5s0JPvM
Did the virus escape from the Chinese lab?
The lab leak possibility was written off by many as a conspiracy theory at first, but new calls for more rigorous investigation have shone a new spotlight on it.
The US is among the loudest of a growing number of voices calling for a definitive answer about whether Covid-19 escaped from a lab into the Chinese community and then to the rest of the world.
What we do know is that research on SARS coronaviruses was underway at the Wuhan Institute of Virology at the time, leading some to believe that a test or experiment may have gone wrong.
President Biden has asked his intelligence agencies to get to the bottom on it.
And Chinese authorities have vehemently denied the possibility of a lab leak since the beginning of the pandemic, accusing the US of spreading an “absurd story”.
Geraldine had written off the lab leak theory, but has done more research and is starting to wonder if it might be true.
Eliza thinks there’s still a lot of evidence required to back up what she still labels a conspiracy theory.
Please note – this episode was recorded late afternoon on Thursday 24th June. A lot has changed since the podcast was released.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page “LDC Podcast” or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Gain of function research: high risk or high reward? Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/gain-of-function-lab-research-viruses-transmission-scientists/13419320?fbclid=IwAR1vYQsBsQxHGEUcfAI5Ue4KQo7EWOnJCA-WJVM8C0xT0PcMqi8KKxg0HNo
The Lab-Leak Theory – Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/the-lab-leak-theory-inside-the-fight-to-uncover-covid-19s-origins
New Yorker on the Lab Leak theory https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/the-sudden-rise-of-the-coronavirus-lab-leak-theory
This week Eliza and Geraldine talk about work ... and rest.
Will the work from home phenomenon, or 'WFH', continue after the pandemic has gone?
Will it be a help or a hinderance for working women?
And will the ability to properly rest actually give you the edge that ambitious people are looking for in the workplace?
Also this week, are you a caller or a texter?
And Gladwell's latest deep dive into controversial General Curtis Le May and the firebombing of Tokyo.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Colm Toibin – What if Ireland had been united? https://unherd.com/2021/05/what-if-ireland-were-united/
Burnout: Modern Affliction or Human Condition? https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/24/burnout-modern-affliction-or-human-condition?utm_source=onsite-share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=onsite-share&utm_brand=the-new-yorker
Remote workers work longer, not more efficiently https://www.economist.com/business/2021/06/10/remote-workers-work-longer-not-more-efficiently
How to develop a “rest ethic” NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/29/business/dealbook/quality-work-breaks.html
The Bomber Mafia – Malcolm Gladwell https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-bomber-mafia-9780241535868
Geraldine and Eliza discuss the best way to convince more Australians to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
Also this week: Geraldine shifts on her previous position about the Australians stranded overseas, much to Eliza's relief.
And exploring the Torres Strait.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Simon Reynolds on the Grim Reaper AIDS ads https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/how-to-sell-covid-19-vaccinations-to-australians/13351878
Amelia Lester - Australia is the New Hermit Kingdom https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/11/australia-borders-covid-hermit-kingdom/
What does Israel's wily Prime Minister have to do with this latest conflict?
That's the 64 million dollar question.
Before the conflict erupted between Israel and Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu was losing his grip on power. He's been Prime Minister for more than a decade but has been unable to form a Government after the last four elections.
In the past fortnight the President asked opposition figures to try and form a Government. And then a dispute over the forced eviction of Palestinians from the East Jerusalem settlement of Sheikh Jarrah broke out into into conflict.
And now, there's so much bloodshed. Eliza and Geraldine anxiously contemplate what comes next.
Also this week, Geraldine loses a beloved budgie.
And Eliza laughs at Jonathan Biggins' take on Paul Keating.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Haaretz on the politics of the Arab-Israeli conflict https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-bennett-says-lapid-government-is-off-the-table-renews-talks-with-netanyahu-s-likud-1.9806946
Helen Clarke - the covid pandemic was entirely preventable https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/covid-19-pandemic-was-preventable-expert-panel/13342520
The Gospel According to Paul - Jonathan Biggins https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2021/theatre/gospel-according-to-paul
Biggins on RN Breakfast https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/jonathan-biggins-new-show-satirical-look-at-paul-keating/13338808
Gates and Epstein https://www.wsj.com/articles/melinda-gates-was-meeting-with-divorce-lawyers-since-2019-to-end-marriage-with-bill-gates-11620579924
How do you heal America?
That's the question at the heart of the conversation between former President Barack Obama and rock superstar, Bruce Springsteen.
Geraldine has been captivated by the podcast conversation about their lives, music and their mututal love of an increasingly divided America.
Also this episode, Eliza leans into the climate debate.
And Geraldine ponders what makes a good Grandma.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page 'LDC Podcast' or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Norman and Jonathan Swan at the Sydney Writers Festival https://www.swf.org.au/festivals/festival-2021/swan-on-swan/
Anna Swan's long way back from brain trauma https://www.smh.com.au/national/you-never-know-what-strength-you-ve-got-anna-swan-s-long-road-back-from-brain-trauma-20201022-p567o1.html
Renegades – Born in the USA https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/renegades-born-in-the-usa/id1562920267
David Remnick interviews Bruce Springsteen https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/bruce-springsteen-in-conversation-with-david-remnick
How it Happened podcast – Axios – Jonathan Swan https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/how-it-happened/id1549225698
The Journal – US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/the-journal/energy-secretary-granholm-on-the-future-of-oil/7ACFDFEB-EC11-4257-B996-B2DD4D829FC3
John Kerry – Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/26/john-kerry-climate-envoy-interview-china-green-marketplace/
Carole Middleton – London Daily Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/win-granny-one-upmanship-like-carole-middleton/
Exciting Times is just the tonic for a global pandemic when we're all trapped at home.
It's a coming of age novel set in Hong Kong, where the lead character Ava explores her sexuality. It's a book about class, about relationships and whether we need to leave home to really grow up.
When young Dubliner, Ava, finishes university she moves to Asia to teach english to primary school kids.
She's fiercely smart but socially awkward. Ava falls for the similarly intelligent but selfish Julian, who ends up being her boyfriend and landlord.
When the relationship with Julian implodes, Ava falls for Hong Konger, Edith.
The book is sharp and funny. Eliza and Madeleine enjoyed it but felt it needed a stronger plot.
Sarah wasn't so kind ... labelling it a wannabe Sally Rooney novel.
Let us know what you think! Join the conversation at the Facebook page LDC Podcast, or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Please leave us a review on your podcast server!
In May, we're Jacqueline Maley's debut novel 'The Truth About Her'.
The review in the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/apr/17/exciting-times-by-naoise-dolan-review-a-witty-deadpan-debut
New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/books/review/exciting-times-naoise-dolan.html
It's 25 years since Australia's worst massacre in Port Arthur in Tasmania.
In the hours after police arrested the gunman, Geraldine and her colleagues travelled from Sydney to Tasmania to report on the horrific crime.
It was a galvanising event. Australia went from having patchy & relatively lax guns laws to some of the strictest in the world. But in the decades since, some of those safeguards have been eroded as state and territory Governments have done political deals with minor parties to pass big legislation.
Also this episode, Eliza wonders whether she should retire the puffer jacket.
Dating ads in the London Review of Books.
And Geraldine critiques Jeremy Paxman.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook group "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
25 years on from Port Arthur - ABC 7.30 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-27/port-arthur-25-years-ago-it-changed-these-mens-lives-forever/100095946
Brenton Tarrant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christchurch_mosque_shootings
The Drum Wednesday 28th April https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-28/the-drum-wednesday-april-28/13321424
The Hoddle Street massacre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoddle_Street_massacre
The Spymaster of Baghdad - Margaret Coker https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-spymaster-of-baghdad-9780241409107
Mosul - movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosul_(2019_action_film)
The curious resignation of Margaret Coker - Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/10/13/the-strange-story-behind-the-departure-of-the-new-york-timess-baghdad-bureau-chief/
The Lock In podcast with Jeremy Paxman https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-lock-in-with-jeremy-paxman/id1535105464
Geraldine's investigation of the notion of 'duty' in the wake of Prince Philip's death has prompted a big conversation.
Geraldine interviewed two people on her ABC program who suggested that we should stop talking about a duty 'of' care and reframe it as a duty 'to' care.
Another said that there's a perceived duty of parents to care for their children, but what about the other way around?
It prompts Eliza to suggest that the Baby Boomers are the most powerful group in our modern society, but she think they sometimes struggle to acknowledge that influence.
Also this episode - Geraldine revels in the Australian female artist, Clarice Beckett.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "LDC Podcast" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Duty revisited – Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/a-sense-of-duty/13306180
Dan Tehan's trade negotiations in an uncomfortable chair https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/the-uncomfortable-chair-australians-shocked-by-bizarre-british-insulting-trade-tactics-20210421-p57l7v.html
Clarice Beckett https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/clarice-beckett-present-moment/clarice-beckett-events/
The Conversation https://theconversation.com/clarice-beckett-exhibition-is-a-sensory-appreciation-of-her-magical-moments-in-time-153720
'The Lock In' podcast with Jeremy Paxman https://play.acast.com/s/paxman
Eliza has done a backflip and has reinstalled the LDC Facebook page.
Sometimes, when you've made a mistake, you've got to cop it on the chin and acknowledge the mistake.
Which brings us to Christine Holgate.
The former Chief Executive of Australia Post used a Federal senate inquiry to flay the Government over the Cartier watch scandal and accuse the Prime Minister of bullying.
Also this week, in the wake of Prince Philip's death, Geraldine asks Eliza about 'duty'. Does it have the same resonance for younger generations as it does for baby boomers?
If you'd like to join the group, open Facebook and search for "LDC Podcast" and ask to join the private group.
Otherwise, we'd love to hear from you via email: ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
The Truth Behind the Holgate Saga: Robert Gottliebsen
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/leadership/the-real-dispute-behind-the-christine-holgate-saga-at-australia-post/news-story/8d1c2a6f2661a52c23c304275c70db60
The Daily on the union push at Amazon's Alabama factory:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/podcasts/the-daily/amazon-union-vote-alabama.html
Eliza's story on the Raven bookstore in Kansas and the fight against Amazon (48 minute mark onwards) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-12/the-drum/13299666
Chinese Govt fines Alibaba https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-11/china-fines-alibaba-anti-competitive-behaviour/100061372
Remembering Prince Philip - ABC Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/remembering-prince-philip/13297006
We wanted to love this book!
But ... we didn't.
Mayflies is written by the London Review of Books 'Editor at Large', Andrew O'Hagan. There's been a lot of hype about this book with some rave reviews.
It just didn't gel for Eliza and Madeleine.
Maybe it was the 80's references (neither Gen-Y reader is into 'New Order' or 'The Smiths') maybe it's a book for men? Maybe it's just ... dull?
The second half really improves and both women were happy they pushed on. The writing is strong and the characters have matured. Tully's death is covered with nuance and grace.
But it's only two stars from Madeleine, three from Eliza.
In April, LDC Bookclub is reading 'Exciting Times' by Naoise Dolan and in May it's Jacqueline Maley's debut novel 'The Truth About Her'.
Let us know what you think by email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Please leave us a review on your podcast server!
In the late 1990s, Australian psychologist Steve Biddulph wrote the best-selling parenting guide "Raising Boys".
Geraldine did extensive interviews with Biddulph at the time. She says some women saw it as a negative commentary about women moving further into the professional workplace and and out of the home.
Now, Steve Biddulph has released a new article in the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper. It notes that the phrase 'educate your sons' has become a mantra of the times, following testimonials from women and girls who feel unsafe.
He decided to go back and investigate how childhood shapes the man.
Also this episode, Geraldine reflects on the year she spent Easter in Israel. Eliza remembers the beauty of Jerusalem.
Please note: the next edition of LDC Bookclub will be released on Friday April 9. In March, Eliza, Madeleine Genner and Sarah Gerathy read "Mayflies" by Andrew O'Hagan.
Thanks for listening! Please leave us a review on iTunes or however you listen to your podcasts. Email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
LINKS
What science tells us about raising boys - Steve Biddulph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/science-tells-us-raising-boys-affluent-could-spell-trouble/
Kingdom of Heaven - Ridley Scott https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320661/
Easter in Jerusalem - Geraldine Doogue https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3981328/
Mayflies - Andrew O'Hagan https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/Mayflies-Andrew-OHagan-9780571273690
Hamilton!
BREAKING: Eliza loved it. She pushed through her normal reticence about musical theatre to revel in the joy and dynamism that is Hamilton.
Also this week, what are the pros and cons of a (non-alcoholic) liquid lunch?
Has yoga changed in the wake of the pandemic?
Geraldine's found a new Boris Johnson critic to rival Fintan O'Toole.
And the American authorities raise concerns about the data used by Astra Zeneca over the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine.
Thankyou for listening! Please get in touch via email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Mayflies - Andrew O'Hagan https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/Mayflies-Andrew-OHagan-9780571273690
The clown king: how Boris Johnson made it by playing the fool | Boris Johnson | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/18/all-hail-the-clown-king-how-boris-johnson-made-it-by-playing-the-fool
US health officials say AstraZeneca may have included 'outdated information' in coronavirus vaccine trial https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-24/us-regulator-flags-outdated-data-in-astrazeneca-trial/100025590
U.S. Health Officials Question AstraZeneca Vaccine Trial Results https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/business/astrazeneca-vaccine-questions.html
It’s been ten years since a peaceful uprising in Syria quickly evolved into a full scale civil war.
Now, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad clings to power with the help of some powerful friends in Russia.
The UN estimates 13 million Syrians have fled their country over the past ten years. The millions of children who remain in country desperately need protection, food and education.
In this episode, Eliza reflects on a grim decade of warfare which has transformed the Middle East and arguably politics in the West, too. She speaks to a 26-year-old Syrian dentist who was working in Lebanon while Eliza was living in Beirut.
Also this week, Eliza and Geraldine address some audience concerns from last week's episode.
And Geraldine attends the Jewish film festival.
Thankyou for listening! Let us know your thoughts via ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Eliza is in the final stages of setting up a newsletter to accompany the weekly podcast
LINKS
The Last Vermeer - movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8337320/
Incitement - movie https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/movies/incitement-review.html
NOTE: We talk about rape in this episode, so skip the second half of this podcast if that's going to cause you distress.
Sooo...it's been quite a week.
The Attorney General Christian Porter declared that he is the sitting Cabinet minister who is the subject of historical rape allegations.
And then Harry and Meghan decided to blow up the British royal family.
This week, Eliza reflects on the culture at Parliament House.
And Geraldine believes that the royal fairytale won't end well.
Thanks for listening! Please leave us a review on iTunes or however you listen to your podcasts.
Eliza will role out the podcast newsletter next week.
6 ancient female philosophers you should know about: The Conversation https://theconversation.com/wise-women-6-ancient-female-philosophers-you-should-know-about-156033
Don Russell on the governance crisis in Canberra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/governance-crisis/13221138
For years, LDC has tried to resist the urge of obsessing about real estate.
But something strange is happening in the local economy. Auction clearance rates in some parts of Australia are their highest in years and homes are going for well over the guide price.
So why now?
Geraldine reveals that economists remain perplexed about what's driving this latest surge in the "bricks and mortar" sector.
Also this week, the women share their dental dramas.
And Geraldine declutters her kitchen.
Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think of the podcast via email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
New Amsterdam - drama series https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7817340/
And the reviews aren't great ... https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/11/new-amsterdam-nbc-show-physician-distrust-bellevue/576712/
Mayflies - Andrew O'Hagan https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/Mayflies-Andrew-OHagan-9780571273690
Peter Meares on ABC RN'sEarshot - Housing the Australian nation https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/earshot/housing-the-australian-nation/12290346
How the Arab Spring Died - Jeremy Bowen https://www.newstatesman.com/world/middle-east/2021/02/how-dream-arab-spring-died
Eliza, Madeleine and Sarah discuss Richard Flanagan's The Living Sea of Waking Dreams.
It's a brilliant - but bleak - tale about humanity and extinction in the modern world.
It's five stars from Eliza, four stars each from Madeleine and Sarah.
Please get in touch via email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com. The women will read out the correspondence at the March meeting.
Next month LDC Bookclub is reading "Mayflies" by Andrew O'Hagan.
Thanks for listening!
It was fun while it lasted, but it's time for Eliza and Facebook to go their seperate ways.
This week, Eliza cracked it with Facebook's decision to cut its news feed and stop negotiating in good faith with the Australian government over the media content laws.
But the split's been coming for a while.
Eliza spends too much time on social media and wonders if that time could be better spent elsewhere. Unfortunately, that means the "Long Distance Callers" group - which was the site of rich conversation and community - will be de-activated. It will be replaced with a newsletter (or perhaps even a blog). If you'd like to receive more communication from Eliza and Geraldine, email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Also this week, Richard Flanagan's brilliant new book.
The road from Obama to Trump.
And Geraldine's search for forks at the ABC.
America's Great Divide: From Obama to Trump - PBS https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/americas-great-divide-from-obama-to-trump/
The Living Sea of Waking Dreams - Richard Flanagan https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671614/the-living-sea-of-waking-dreams-by-richard-flanagan/
Beirut blast investigator removed from investigation https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/18/lebanese-court-removes-lead-beirut-blast-investigator
Back in 2012, Eliza was covering NSW politics for ABC News.
At the same time, James Packer approached NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell with a proposal to build a casino, luxury hotel and entertainment complex at Barangaroo.
The Labor Opposition supported the project which created loads of jobs and Sydney's second casino became a fait accompli.
Almost a decade later, the casino has been build, but Crown Resorts has been deemed unsuitable to operate it because of poor corporate governance and the company's links to organised crime.
It's a huge corporate scandal.
Also this week, Geraldine falls in love with Sicily.
And Eliza starts Season 3 of the French drama "The Bureau".
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" and email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
AFR: Crown report exposes "power of money" https://www.afr.com/companies/games-and-wagering/crown-report-exposes-power-of-money-and-lobbying-20210210-p5715a?fbclid=IwAR1kksupC8mWaYFEZFBvc5j8PAuKMK7hOskfV65Be13c-1wvFgBEzroKdB8
SBS: The Bureau https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/the-bureau
Michael Portillo - Sicily https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000lwmr
The Myanmar military has staged a coup d'etat and detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
It’s the latest in a long list of fascinating (and dangerous) twists in Suu Kyi’s life. Eliza took a keen interest in the Myanmar leader when she took the stand at the International Court of Justice to defend her country in the Rohingya genocide case.
Many found it difficult to understand how a woman who was viewed as a humanitarian icon could defend the military, rather than the oppressed Muslim minority.
Now, the military is back in charge, Eliza wonders if Suu Kyi has any friends left with whom she can call in a favour?
Also this week, Geraldine discusses her return to the office.
And the joys of the Kindle.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
What happened to Aung San Suu Kyi? Ben Rhodes https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/09/what-happened-to-aung-san-suu-kyi/594781/
On Chapel Sands – Laura Cumming https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1115783/on-chapel-sands/9781784708634.html
How it happened podcast – Jonathan Swan - Axios https://www.axios.com/podcasts/how-it-happened/
LDC Bookclub is back for 2021! Eliza is joined in conversation with fellow journalists Sarah Gerathy and Madeleine Genner.
January's book is 'Three Hours' by Rosamund Lupton.
It's a gripping, suspenseful thriller set in snowy country Somerset, England. A progressive, liberal school is under siege by a shooter. The headmaster has been shot. Authorities realise they've got three hours to work out the shooters' identity and save the kids.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Here's a review:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jan/08/three-hours-rosamund-lupton-review
Eliza and Geraldine are back for their fourth year of conversation, analysis and the (odd) disagreement!
Over the summer, Eliza's been working hard and Geraldine has been enjoying a well deserved holiday.
The United States withstood an armed insurrection to ensure the transfer of power to President Biden.
Eliza and Geraldine have watched the Crown.
And they're pondering power shifts in the digital world against Google in America and Australia.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
It's almost Christmas!
COVID-19 remains a great challenge.
But despite all the tests of this year, Eliza and Geraldine both feel there's lots to celebrate.
Here's their pick of 2020:
Olive, Again – Elizabeth Strout https://www.penguin.com.au/books/olive-again-9780241985540
Rodham – Curtis Sittenfeld https://www.penguin.com.au/books/rodham-9780857526137
A Promised Land – Barack Obama https://www.penguin.com.au/books/a-promised-land-9780241491515
The Designated Mourner – Fintan O’Toole on Joe Biden https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/01/16/joe-biden-designated-mourner/
Catch & Kill – Ronan Farrow https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-catch-and-kill-podcast-with-ronan-farrow/id1487730212
Intrigue, Mayday – BBC Radio 4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000p6fd
*Derry Girls https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80238565
*The Bureau https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/the-bureau
The Circus https://www.stan.com.au/watch/the-circus
There are more recommendations from Geraldine but the internet has failed - please check out the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" for more links and recommendations.
Thanks for listening! Email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com to let us know your thoughts.
And leave us a review on iTunes or however you listen to podcasts - we'd really appreciate it!
It's the busy lead up to Christmas - so much so that Eliza has run out of time for the podcast show notes.
Enjoy this episode and join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Eliza and Geraldine catch up at the tail end of a busy week.
Eliza is feeling overwhelmed by housework and not ashamed to admit that she's putting TV before tidying up. Geraldine believes that 'putting your feet up' is the best way to maintain physical and mental wellbeing.
Geraldine's been working hard too. She filled in on ABC RN Breakfast on Friday and had the pleasure of catching up with Andrew Potter, the man behind "Olive and Mabel" fame.
Also this week, Eliza invests in a new computer.
And Geraldine reveals the new thinking behind treating grazes.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Geraldine interviews Andrew Potter - ABC RN Breakfast https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/how-the-pandemic-made-two-labradors-global-stars/12949742
A Promised Land - Barack Obama https://www.penguin.com.au/books/a-promised-land-9780241491515
A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing - Jessie Tu https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/A-Lonely-Girl-is-a-Dangerous-Thing-Jessie-Tu-9781760877194
Olive, Again - Elizabeth Strout https://www.amazon.com.au/Olive-Again-Elizabeth-Strout/dp/0812996542
The Gatekeepers (About Shin Bet) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2309788/
Mayday - BBC Radio 4 podcast https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04sj2pt/episodes/downloads
Season 4 of "The Crown" has been met with mixed reviews. But Geraldine is gripped, and so is Eliza, despite only being one episode in.
Geraldine met Charles and Diana on their trip to Australia in the 80s. She found the prince intelligent and charming, while Diana was painfully shy and very beautiful.
Also this week, Geraldine reflects on her interview with conservative British MP Rory Stewart.
And the cliches and overused phrases that the women despise.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Crown podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-crown-the-official-podcast/id1485757121
A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing - Jessie Tu https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/A-Lonely-Girl-is-a-Dangerous-Thing-Jessie-Tu-9781760877194
Lord of Misrule - Rory Stewart reviews Tom Bower's book about Boris Johnson https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/boris-johnson-tom-bower-book-review-rory-stewart/
President-elect Joe Biden gives his first press conference and the world (well, outside America) breathes a collective sigh of relief.
Eliza remembers the time before Trump when Rudy Guiliani and Mike Pompeo were respected public figures.
Geraldine is shifting her focus from America to the UK, where conservative advisor Dominic Cummings has been banished from Downing Street.
Also this week, Eliza shares her gripes about podcast conventions. Australia prepares for the public release of the war crimes report. The new season of The Crown has landed but neither Eliza nor Geraldine has watched (yet).
And the 2020 social media phenomenon - Olive & Mabel - are published in time for Christmas.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
A Suitable Boy - Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81308413
The New Yorker Radio Hour https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour
The Circus – Stan in Australia https://www.sho.com/the-circus-inside-the-greatest-political-show-on-earth/season/5
Dominic Cummings leaves Downing Street https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dominic-cummings-resigns-no-10-boris-johnson-b1722650.html
Michael Connelly – The Law of Innocence https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/crime-mystery/The-Law-of-Innocence-Michael-Connelly-9781760878917
Learning from the Germans – Susan Nieman https://www.penguin.com.au/books/learning-from-the-germans-9780241262863
Australia prepares for war crimes report – ABC RN Breakfast https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/australia-prepares-for-war-crimes-report/12886742
Ben Roberts-Smith owes Kerry Stokes $1.9 million https://www.afr.com/rear-window/ben-roberts-smith-owes-kerry-stokes-1-9m-20201115-p56eoj
Olive, Mabel & Me – Andrew Cotter https://www.oliveandmabelbook.com
A post-election debrief with special analysis from Dr Darren Lim, senior lecturer in international relations at the ANU in Canberra.
In this special episode Geraldine and Eliza look back at the Trump era and discuss how it's changed America.
In the Financial Times newspaper, the venerable commentator Martin Wolf articulates why this election matters to those outside the United States: America is the repository of western values. Thus democracy must thrive in the US in order for it to shine globally.
Tune in for some commentary and analysis about foreign policy and about the power of money and greed to influence political parties.
And...the final tips and predictions.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
US global role at stake in this election – Martin Wolf – Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/61e731be-dc67-476a-bdd8-eab4e4d34007
The US electoral system is a shambles. They could learn a lot from Australia – Bob Carr – The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/29/the-us-electoral-system-is-a-shambles-they-could-learn-a-lot-from-australia
'There's only so much time left': Bruce Springsteen on life, love and voting out Trump – David Leser – The Good Weekend https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/theres-only-so-much-time-left-bruce-springsteen-on-life-love-and-voting-out-trump-20201031-p55ubd.html
Hacks on Tap (podcast) https://www.hacksontap.com
Eliza's first week back has been an exciting blur of catching up with old friends and learning the latest software.
The prospect of navigating new technology makes Geraldine wince. Just this week she missed an update on her phone, which threw out her digital calendar and disrupted her day.
In the meantime, she’s caught up with the brilliant Aaron Sorkin drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7”, while Eliza's watching Russell Crowe’s charisma and menace in “The Loudest Voice.”
Also this week, how Syria’s disinformation wars destroyed the founder of an important humanitarian group called the White Helmets.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page Long Distance Callers or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Trial of the Chicago 7 - Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81043755
The Loudest Voice - Stan https://www.stan.com.au/watch/the-loudest-voice
Bombshell - movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6394270/
How Syria’s disinformation wars destroyed the co-founder of the White Helmets https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/oct/27/syria-disinformation-war-white-helmets-mayday-rescue-james-le-mesurier
Eliza and her family have finally received their belongings, seven months after leaving Lebanon.
She's most excited about a new metal artwork that depicts the gracious old homes and streetscape of Beirut.
Amidst the boxes Eliza finds other reminders of her five years away: from Indonesia there's the electric mozzie bat and a guide about navigating culture shock.
Also this week, Eliza and her Mum discuss the challenge of completing tasks before starting new ones.
And what makes a good university education?
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page Long Distance Callers or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Links
How to Think Like Shakespeare – Lessons from a Renaissance Education - Scott Nuwstok https://www.amazon.com.au/How-Think-like-Shakespeare-Renaissance/dp/0691177082
This week, Eliza and Geraldine discuss a perennial question which stirs up so much emotion:
How do working women divide their time?
Eliza wants the conversation around motherhood and its challenges to be sprinkled with more positivity, so as not to frighten young people to aspire to a family and a professional career.
Geraldine's challenge this week is trying to not commit to too many projects.
Also this week, the philosopher Martin Buber.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Martin Buber “I and Thou” 1983 https://www.amazon.com.au/I-Thou-Martin-Buber/dp/1578989973
Women in the Workplace - McKinsey Consulting https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace#
The Wife Drought Annabel Crabb https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-wife-drought-9780857984289
The Leadership documentary https://theleadershipfilm.org
Two months ago a massive explosion tore through Beirut and wrecked Eliza's old home.
On Monday 5th October, Adam's documentary on the blast went to air on the ABC's 4 Corners program.
Eliza watched the program and cried for everyone affected by the catastrophe. It's so hard to make sense of the ineptitude and corruption that lead to this point.
Also this week, Geraldine reviews the latest non-fiction book by Australian writer Alex Miller.
And Eliza buys Trent Dalton's new novel.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Shock Wave – ABC 4 Corners (Youtube) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssDTF6wySxfL89TPt5LRezhz
Max – Alex Miller https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/other-books/Max-Alex-Miller-9781760878160
All Our Shimmering Skies – Trent Dalton https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460753903/all-our-shimmering-skies/
Geraldine's good friend and trailblazing feminist Susan Ryan died suddenly over the weekend. She was 77.
Susan Ryan was the first Labor woman to sit at the Cabinet table in Bob Hawke's Government.
The former ACT Senator was responsible for introducing the Sex Discrimination Act in 1984. But Geraldine reveals that her friend was most proud of raising the volume of high school students who went on to finish Year 12.
It's a short episode this week because Geraldine had to rush back into the ABC to appear on "The Drum".
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Geraldine interviews Paul Keating on RN Breakfast about Susan Ryan's death https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/former-pm-paul-keating-pays-tribute-to-labor-luminary-susan-ryan/12709586
Anne Summers on her former boss Susan Ryan https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/28/susan-ryan-was-a-pioneer-in-the-fight-for-australian-women-i-was-proud-to-help-her
How will the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg influence the upcoming US election?
Geraldine admired "RBG" - the incredibly intelligent jurist who went on to become a cult figure of the Left. Geraldine notes that Bader Ginsburg was lobbied to resign when Barak Obama was in power to make way for another progressive colleague. But RBG declined and the rest is history.
Also this week, Eliza is captivated by Elizabeth Strout's novel "Olive, Again".
And finding the appropriate footwear for summer.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Tightrope Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/588999/tightrope-by-nicholas-d-kristof-and-sheryl-wudunn/
Olive, Again https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/03/olive-again-by-elizabeth-strout-review
Cook Political Report https://cookpolitical.com/analysis/national/national-politics/trumps-ceiling-too-low-him-be-reelected#.X2JVF_O-fNo.twitter
"Herd Mentality" Pod Save America https://crooked.com/podcast/herd-mentality/
Agent Sonya Ben McIntyre https://www.penguin.com.au/books/agent-sonya-9780241408513
Eliza is setting up her new house in Sydney. She was in a hurry to get it done as quickly as possible, until a friend of hers introduced her to the phrase “buy once, buy well.” Eliza’s been trying to follow that mantra and take a bit more time to consider the various items she really needs in her home.
Geraldine's been thinking about trading in her car for a new-ish second hand model. That was until she went to the car yards to find that there’s very little stock available. Eliza thinks her mum deserves to buy a new car!
Also this week, the politics of Covid-19.
And the various podcasts and articles Eliza's been reading about the US election.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Links
The Circus – US political TV series https://www.sho.com/the-circus-inside-the-greatest-political-show-on-earth/season/5/episode/12/law-and-disorder
Who Gets To Vote In Florida? Dexter Filkins The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/09/07/who-gets-to-vote-in-florida
Dexter Filkins on the New Yorker podcast https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/can-ron-desantis-deliver-a-victory-in-florida-to-donald-trump
Can Biden’s Centre Hold? Evan Osnos The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/31/can-bidens-center-hold
Evan Osnos The New Yorker podcast https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour
Dexter Filkins on Qassem Soleimani https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/30/the-shadow-commander
Eliza lived a relatively nomadic lifestyle in Australia before moving overseas. She moved from Sydney to Hobart as a cadet journalist and then onto Karratha – Perth – and then back to Sydney again.
She travelled with the basics and never invested in much furniture because it was expensive to move.
This week, she decided it was time to grow up and buy new couches, on top of whitegoods and other items that make up a family home. It prompted a case of the repatriation blues.
Geraldine has gone back to the movies this week seeing the new Australian film ‘Babyteeth’.
Also on the podcast: the Salisbury Poisoning and Alexei Navalny.
And Geraldine vents about her grammar frustration.
Thanks very much for listening to the podcast!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page “Long Distance Callers” or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
*Salisbury Poisonings https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2020/08/06/salisbury-poisonings-timeline-real-events
*Babyteeth - movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8399664/
*Golden Age cinema Sydney https://www.ourgoldenage.com.au
*Alexei Navalny – The Economist https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/08/29/the-uprising-in-belarus-and-the-poisoning-of-alexei-navalny
*Alexei Navalny – BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53918502
Tune in for part two of the LDC special from Victoria.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Tune in for the first of two special episodes featuring LDC listeners in Victoria.
In this podcast I speak to Franca Mosca and Carm Gleeson.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
This week, Obama as we've never seen him before at the Democratic National Convention.
Geraldine and Eliza discuss new ways to communicate after COVID-19.
Books, podcasts and War of the Worlds - a bleak TV show that Eliza is about to give up on.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Noise of Time - Julian Barnes https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/534484/the-noise-of-time-by-julian-barnes/9781101971185/readers-guide/
The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion https://www.amazon.com.au/Year-Magical-Thinking-Joan-Didion/dp/1400078431
When America Stopped Being Great - Nick Bryant https://www.penguin.com.au/books/when-america-stopped-being-great-9781760896232
I Catch Killers - Gary Jubelin https://www.harpercollins.com/products/i-catch-killers-gary-jubelin?variant=32114102108194
The Lebanese Government has resigned in the wake of last week's deadly port explosion.
Ministers will limp on in caretaker mode but it will likely take months to form a new Government.
Geraldine and Eliza discuss what comes next for Lebanon? Geraldine wonders if the French can install an administrator to funnel aid money to rebuild Beirut. Eliza thinks that's unlikely. She says any political change must come from the ground up.
Also this week, Geraldine discusses the latest essay on the decline of America. Eliza finishes "Rodham". Geraldine is almost there with "Middlemarch".
Finally, why has World War 1 captured our imagination more than World War 2?
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Unravelling of America https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/covid-19-end-of-american-era-wade-davis-1038206/
War of the Worlds – SBS on Demand https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9686194/
Middlemarch – audiobook https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Middlemarch-Audiobook/B00FEZKJ5M
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld review – Hill minus Bill https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/24/rodham-by-curtis-sittenfeld-review-hill-minus-bill
Wind of Change podcast https://crooked.com/podcast-series/wind-of-change/
Eliza records a special podcast in the wake of the massive explosion that's ripped through Beirut.
She speaks to her friends Farah Kanj and Rima Husseini for the latest on the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.
If you want to help, the best starting point is the Lebanese Red Cross.
Geraldine and Eliza are feeling Victoria's distress keenly this week.
The situation is so serious that it's become hard to concentrate on anything else.
Geraldine has been reflecting on the manic pace of life before Covid-19. She wonders if people will revert back to old habits once a vaccine is (hopefully) found.
Eliza has been thinking about technology and how to live a sane online life.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Princess Anne on a life in the limelight https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2020/07/29/princess-anne-speaks-life-campaigning-royal-dangerous-informed/
Madeleine Albright’s memoir https://www.harpercollins.com/products/hell-and-other-destinations-madeleine-albright
Pale Rider – Laura Spinney https://www.amazon.com.au/Pale-Rider-Spanish-Changed-World/dp/1610397673
The Big Tech Hearing - The Daily NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/podcasts/the-daily/congress-facebook-amazon-google-apple.html
On Female Rage - The Daily NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/02/podcasts/the-daily/on-female-rage.html
Bounce Back podcast - Michael Coutts-Trotter https://omny.fm/shows/bounce-back/episode-five-michael-coutts-trotter
Hope in Hell: "I am not a spy" https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/hope-in-hell-academic-kylie-mooregilberts-iranian-ordeal/news-story/865e22ff5c9403a5ae1fb85bf521920c
Eliza is ripping through "Rodham" which is the fictionalised version of Hillary Clinton's life if she didn't marry Bill.
Eliza was initially put off my the premise of the book. Why dwell on alternative histories? It seemed like a waste of time. But she pushed on regardless and is now totally captivated.
Meanwhile Geraldine is planning to watch the musical "Hamilton" on Disney, much to Eliza's bemusement. She doesn't do musicals, leaving her mother almost speechless.
Eliza finally downloads a Taylor Swift album.
How often should you replace your (expensive) devices?
And coronavirus along the Amazon River.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Rodham - Curtis Sittenfeld https://www.penguin.com.au/books/rodham-9780857526137
Geraldine interviews Hannah Blair about the Clinton Affair https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/the-clinton-affair---20-years-on/12464290
Hamilton musical on Disney https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/hamilton/3uPmBHWlO6HJ
Taylor Swift's new album "Folklore" https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-new-album-folklore-release-date-1032962/
Coronavirus unleashed on the river - NYT photographer Tyler Hicks takes us down the river. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/25/world/americas/coronavirus-brazil-amazon.html?smid=em-share
Geraldine's taking a well-deserved break.
She's loaded the audio book "Middlemarch" on her smart phone and packed her suitcase with winter woolies.
Eliza has just finished "Olive Kitteridge" and is watching "Normal People" on Stan.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Middlemarch – George Eliot https://www.penguin.com.au/books/middlemarch-9780141199795
Middlemarch & Me – The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/02/14/middlemarch-and-me
Olive Kitteridge - https://www.elizabethstrout.com/books/olive-kitteridge
Dying for a drink: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/dying-for-a-drink-native-fauna-desperately-seeking-human-help/news-story/7203f2526b87dfc388a478c637dc9b99
Geraldine's learning to live with ambiguity. As the COVID-19 situation in Australia worsens, the next six to twelve months remain unclear. We're all being asked to delay our plans and live in limbo.
That's taking some getting used to.
It's making Geraldine realise that our lives aren't quite as settled as they may seem.
Meanwhile, Eliza's re-training her brain to read long essays in one sitting.
And she's struggling to find time for yoga.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
American Carnage – The Monthly – Don Watson https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2020/july/1593525600/don-watson/american-carnage
The Man Inside and the Inside Man – The Monthly – Mahmood Fazal https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2020/july/1593525600/mahmood-fazal/man-inside-and-inside-man
Ali and Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes HBO https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/ali-and-cavett-the-tale-of-the-tapes
Harvey Milk https://www.uis.edu/gendersexualitystudentservices/harveymilk-2/
Victoria has gone back into lockdown. The rest of Australia worries about following suit.
Geraldine and Eliza anxiously look forward to the next six months.
Also this week: Fintan O'Toole on the fatal delusions of Boris Johnson.
Eliza reminisces about Indonesia.
And flopping about on holiday.
Thanks for listening! Let us know your thoughts via email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers"
Fintan O'Toole - The Fatal Delusions of Boris Johnson https://www.newstatesman.com/2020/07/fatal-delusions-boris-johnson
John Curtin's War - John Edwards https://www.amazon.com.au/John-Curtins-War-reinventing-Australia-ebook/dp/B074PHRJ9X
Geraldine's working too hard and she's trying to understand why.
Partly it's because there's just so much to read at the moment. She's running to keep up.
Eliza wonders if her Mum's work patterns are linked to Australia's emergence from the COVID-19 lockdown? But Geraldine thinks it's a result of "normal life" returning to the northern hemisphere.
Also this week, Eliza worries about Lebanon and its future.
And reading Olive Kitteridge.
Thanks for listening! Let us know your thoughts via email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or join the Facebook page at "Long Distane Callers"
The Coal Curse - Judith Brett - Quarterly Essay https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/essay/2020/06/the-coal-curse
Australia In The World - DFAT Secretary Frances Adamson https://australiaintheworld.podbean.com
Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout https://www.elizabethstrout.com/books/olive-kitteridge
Belgravia - TV series https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9642982/
Fauda - season 3 https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80113612
Big news this week: Eliza and her family will stay in Australia permanently. They won't return to Lebanon.
Eliza's thrilled to be home and looking forward to resuming her journalism work.
Her husband Adam has been offered a new job at the ABC TV current affairs program "4 Corners".
The decision to leave Lebanon was bittersweet. Eliza and her family loved Beirut and particularly miss their nanny, Sunny, who remains in the city.
Also this week, Geraldine interviews Elizabeth Gilbert.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Martin Patience on the Ethiopian woman being dropped at the embassy https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-53031803/ethiopian-maids-dumped-outside-beirut-embassy
Geraldine Doogue interviews Elizabeth Gilbert https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/specialbroadcasts/big-weekend-of-books-elizabeth-gilbert-geraldine-doogue/12308398
City of Girls – Elizabeth Gilbert https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51918871-city-of-girls
Richard Fidler interviews Philippe Sands on ABC Conversations https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/phillipe-sands-2020/12358098
2020 is so challenging that Eliza is looking for advice from unconventional sources.
This week, she rewatched the adventures of Olive & Mabel the labradors. In episode 3, the dogs emerge from a fetid pond and "let the unpleasantness sink in". It seems like a good mantra for life.
Also this week, how should white people respond to the Black Lives Matter protests?
Eliza prepares to give herself a history lesson before the November election in America.
And Geraldine looks for plants which thrive in dappled light.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Fordham’s Bryan Massingale: White Catholics need to sit with the discomfort of systemic racism https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2020/06/08/fordhams-bryan-massingale-white-catholics-need-sit-discomfort-systemic
Paul Keating’s Redfern Speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6dnDkvdTXA
Olive & Mabel - Letting the unpleasantness sink in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26FIEX6muAo
Michelle Grattan & Pat Turner – The Conversation https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-pat-turner-on-closing-the-justice-gap-140451
Derry Girls - Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80238565
The Fire is Upon Us – Nicholas Buccola https://www.amazon.com.au/Fire-upon-Us-Baldwin-William/dp/0691181543
Robert Caro – The Years of Lyndon Johnson https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Caros-Years-Lyndon-Johnson/dp/038535147X
Retired General Jim Mattis has launched a scathing criticism of his old boss, labelling Donald Trump a divisive President and a threat to the Constitution.
Geraldine and Eliza wonder if General Mattis' letter will act as a call to arms amongst Republicans who have been privately wary of the President's behaviour, but until now unwilling to criticise him publicly.
Also this week, Eliza is enthralled in the German TV series "Das Boot".
Geraldine wonders how long it takes for a war-torn country to properly confront its past.
And the women talk shopping in the age of COVID-19.
Thanks for listening! Get in touch via the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
General Mattis condemns President Trump – The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/james-mattis-denounces-trump-protests-militarization/612640/?fbclid=IwAR1DZbUHY2bp_uhmDQyCnJuLD8eVnc4EuSHbHhMWbDimBrsyov2M4J13UEo
Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9882804/
Das Boot – SBS on Demand https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9882804/
The Firekeepers of Kakadu https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9882804/
Rio Tinto feels more heat on cave blast https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/rio-tinto-feels-more-heat-on-cave-blast-as-investor-pressure-rises-20200602-p54yqm.html
Eliza is missing her home in Beirut while loving life in Australia.
It's a strange case of geographical scizophrenia.
Meanwhile, Geraldine wonders how much adventure and pressure we should inject back into life as we emerge from lockdown.
Eliza's engrossed in the new 'Wind of Change' podcast and Geraldine has finished the 'Sergio' documentary on Netflix.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Rolling Stone on Wind of Change https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/scorpions-wind-of-change-the-oral-history-of-1990s-epic-power-ballad-63069/
It's Only Breathing: Fenella Souter in the Good Weekend https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/it-s-only-breathing-but-how-you-do-it-is-more-important-than-you-think-20200424-p54myb.html
Amateur vision from 1990 from outside (and inside) Khiam prison https://youtu.be/9ukiKL9quGA
Wind of Change podcast: Crooked Media https://crooked.com/podcast-series/wind-of-change/
Sergio: Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80191526
The Bureau: SBS https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/the-bureau
Mrs America (Cate Blanchett) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9244556/
As we emerge from lockdown, are we facing a pandemic of anxiety?
The COVID-19 crisis has forced us into new patterns of social interaction. We've been told that the best way to protect ourselves from coronavirus is staying indoors and away from people.
Journalist and author Judith Hoare argues that social distancing feeds off fear.
She conducted extensive research about anxiety for her book called "The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code: The Extraordinary Life of Claire Weekes."
The Australian doctor's work on anxiety was released in the 1960s without fanfare but has come to be seen as cutting edge.
Judith Hoare thinks society has learnt a habit of fear and we need to learn to manage anxiety as we resume our normal lives.
On this special episode of the Lockdown Chronicles, Geraldine interviews Judith Hoare.
Geraldine and Eliza dive into the debate about Ronan Farrow's journalistic ethics this week.
The New York Times has launched an attack on Farrow, arguing that he doesn't like to let inconvenient truths get in the way of a ripping yarn.
The celebrity journalist won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on Harvey Weinstein along with New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor & Meghan Twohey.
Eliza thinks Farrow could have done more to acknowledge his colleagues and the team of people involved in bringing down a predator like Weinstein. She acknowledges that Farrow's ego is a problem. But that doesn't discredit his work.
Geraldine is inherently sceptical of journalists who fly too close to the sun. She thought the New York Times expose was a cautionary tale for less experienced journalists embarking on big investigations.
Also this week, Geraldine finishes her first novel in a while.
Ireland and the "terrible beauty" that was the Easter Rising.
And the future of the office.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
In this election, it’s the remote against the exposed: Bret Stephens New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/opinion/coronavirus-2020-election.html
We will miss the office if it dies: Lucy Kellaway (FT) https://www.ft.com/content/6a84c3a0-9440-11ea-abcd-371e24b679ed
Actress – Anne Enright https://www.penguin.com.au/books/actress-9781787332072
The New Yorker reviews “Actress” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/16/the-tragedy-of-celebrity-in-anne-enrights-actress
Easter, 1916 W.B Yeates https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43289/easter-1916
Geraldine Doogue: Reflections on an Easter Rising https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/earshot/geraldine-doogue-reflects-on-the-easter-uprising/7458308
She Said - Jodi Kantor & Meghan Twohey https://www.amazon.com.au/She-Said-Breaking-Harassment-Movement/dp/0525560343
Is Ronan Farrow Too Good To Be True? Ben Smith NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/17/business/media/ronan-farrow.html?smid=tw-share
American political strategist David Axelrod once famously told President Obama that "hard things are hard".
Eliza thinks Axelrod's blunt advice is useful when it comes to preparing for COVID-19.
She's starting to plan for a future where coronavirus and all the associated disruptions become the new normal. That process of change and adaptation is hard - but then everyone's finding it a challenge.
Geraldine is forcing herself to put down COVID-related news and pick up a novel instead.
Also this week: Sydney's terrific urban renewal project. Eliza and her Mum also clash over Sydney's new casino building.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Quarantine Fatigue is Real – The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/quarantine-fatigue-real-and-shaming-people-wont-help/611482/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
“Live and Let Die” Pod Save America https://crooked.com/podcast/live-and-let-die/
Spies of No Country – Matti Friedman https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/books/review/matti-friedman-spies-of-no-country.html
The Actress - Anne Enright https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/16/actress-anne-enright-review
The Risks – Erin Bromage blog https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20200511&instance_id=18384&nl=the-morning®i_id=54329852&segment_id=27239&te=1&user_id=c6fb1f77a7859a745553352acef7d6b8
How America’s First Known Coronavirus Patient Recovered- Frontline PBS America https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/how-americas-first-known-coronavirus-patient-recovered/
Lebanese people are breaking free of quarantine and returning to the streets to protest against the corrupt ruling elite.
The Government has successfully managed to stop the spread of coronavirus. But the economy - which was already in freefall - is now terminal. The Government has asked the International Monetary Fund for a loan, but that money will come with strict austerity conditions that risk further angering the 'street'.
Eliza's husband Adam covers Lebanon's recent turbulent past in a program on ABC TV Tuesday 5th May at 8pm.
Also on the podcast, Geraldine wonders if the COVID-19 pandemic will unlock our creative juices? History would suggest not.
And where should a novice gardener begin?
Join the conversation at "Long Distance Callers" Facebook page or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
David Runciman – Big Ideas https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com
Will Joe Biden be the next President of the United States? https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/past-programs/
The Art of Forgetting – The Australian - Rosemary Neill https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/a-pandemic-good-for-art-the-spanish-flu-tells-a-different-story/news-story/61eb16765fbb34ba49d4bad97dfbc7b4
Affection – Ian Townsend http://www.iantownsend.com.au/affection/
Metropolis – Philip Kerr http://philipkerr.org
Eichmann in Jerusalem – Hannah Arendt https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/320983/eichmann-in-jerusalem-by-hannah-arendt/9780143039884/readers-guide/
Hot Mess – ABC Radio National https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/hot-mess/
Australia has had great success tackling COVID-19.
But now that some of the fear has passed, Geraldine and Eliza think the Government should alter its message and public health restrictions.
Also this week, how should Geraldine report on the upcoming US election?
Eliza decides to opt out of the official school curriculum.
And finally - what were you meant to be doing in 2020? There's been some great commentary on the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers". Let us know your plans at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The paradox of Merkelism - Philip Oltermann https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/angela-merkel-profile-trump-germany-chancellor-prime-minister
Helen Quade is a lawyer who lives on a farm in Western NSW with her husband and three kids.
She joins Eliza on the latest episode of the Lockdown Chronicles.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Denee Savoia is an Australian journalist living and working in Istanbul, Turkey. She joins Eliza for the latest edition of the Lockdown Chronicles.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
In this episode of the Lockdown Chronicles, Eliza talks to her friend Cara Mayega in Singapore.
It's a politics-heavy podcast this week.
The former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has written a memoir about his time in Canberra. He denies that the book is an act of revenge against his former colleagues, but there are many in the Liberal Party who are likely to squirm in anticipation of its release.
Eliza is a big fan of political memoirs. Geraldine is too, but only if they're sufficiently reflective.
Also this week, Geraldine breaks a habit of a lifetime and begins baking packet-mix cakes.
And Eliza finds joy at Woolworths.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com. Leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Thanks for listening!
David Crowe on Malcolm Turnbull’s memoir - The Good Weekend https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/in-his-own-words-malcolm-turnbull-on-old-battles-personal-and-political-and-new-beginnings-20200316-p54akr.html
Michael Ignatieff: the intellectual who wanted to be a politician https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/11/17/michael-ignatieff-intellectual-who-wanted-politician/c5XKjVRISmnmX3NFHpJjAK/story.html
Barak Obama & Bill Clinton: Lets be Friends (2012) https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/09/10/lets-be-friends
Light and Shadow: Memoirs of a Spy’s Son – Mark Colvin memoir https://www.mup.com.au/books/light-and-shadow-updated-edition-paperback-softback
The Book of Life – Eve Claxton https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Life-Eve-Claxton-ebook/dp/B0051UT6CM/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&qid=1587284867&refinements=p_27%3AEve+Claxton&s=books&sr=1-2
Unfettered and Alive - Anne Summers https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/other-books/Unfettered-and-Alive-Anne-Summers-9781743318416
My Story: Julia Gillard https://www.penguin.com.au/books/my-story-9781760893330
The Climb: Geraldine Doogue https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/the-climb
The Godfather https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/
The Wire https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306414/
On this episode of the Lockdown Chronicles we go to Washington DC with Heidi Lipson and then to Los Angeles with Luke Adams.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
(Apologies about the variable audio quality throughout the episode)
Easter Monday brings good news: the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged from hospital.
He uploaded a video message to Twitter thanking the NHS for saving his life, particularly two nurses: Jenny from New Zealand and Luis from Portugal. Two immigrants who he credits with helping him get through 48 hours which "could have gone either way".
Geraldine wonders where the PM's near death experience will change him?
Before Geraldine and Eliza discuss Boris, they run through other important issues of the day: particularly how to maintain beauty standards in the age of social distancing.
The struggle is real.
Join the conversation at the facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening
He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump's Failure on the Virus https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-response.html
Coronavirus has exposed the myth of British exceptionalism - Fintan O'Toole https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/11/coronavirus-exposed-myth-british-exceptionalism
The American Exception in the coronavirus - Zadie Smith https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-american-exception-in-the-coronavirus-crisis
Talking Politics - episode 235 Can America Cope? https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com
Burial Rites - Hannah Kent https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333319-burial-rites
This is the first in a special series of personal stories from Eliza's network of expat friends around the world.
Coronavirus has separated us, but it's also united us through similar challenges and opportunities.
How's everyone coping? Is homeschooling in Belgium any different to Sydney? How does it feel to be so far from 'home' but for the first time in our lifetimes, unable to get home.
First up: long-time Australian expat Lucy Reynaud in Belgium.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
It's finally happened.
Geraldine has ditched the broom for the leafblower after years of resistance.
Also this week: Easter services move online.
And as big business urges the Government to restart the economy as soon as possible, Eliza and her Mum think Government may have to ease some of the harsh coronavirus restrictions.
Join the conversation at the "Long Distance Callers" Facebook page or email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Eliza is home and thinks Australia is doing a great job at managing the COVID-19 crisis.
Geraldine agrees and is very interested to see how Australia's approach compares to Germany and Singapore.
This week Geraldine interviewed Professor Howard Markel from the University of Michigan about the history of vaccines. Both women agreed that if this coronavirus was targeting children - like polio did decades ago - it would be even harder to control one's fear and anxiety.
Geraldine and Eliza read out some contributions from the LDC community via the Facebook page about how they're keeping busy during these strange times.
Please join the conversation on the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Saturday Extra - The History of Vaccines https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/the-history-of-vaccines/12116454
A French Village - TV https://www.nytimes.com/watching/recommendations/a-french-village
Girl, Woman, Other - Bernardine Evaristo https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/may/08/girl-woman-other-by-bernardine-evaristo-review
Unorthodox - Netflix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unorthodox_(miniseries)
Ozark - Netflix https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=ozark&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
This week: we turn 100 and the world changes around us.
Unfortunately Eliza is too busy for extensive shownotes this week. Perhaps that will be incorporated into next week's virtual learning program.
But this week Eliza and Geraldine talk all things Corona, as the scale of this crisis begins to dawn on the world.
Join the discussion at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thankyou for listening!!
The coronavirus crisis appears to be reaching a crescendo in Australia.
Panic is rising and that's leaving Geraldine quite concerned. She's in favour of the British phrase "Keep Calm and Carry On." Geraldine would prefer to exercise her own judgement about the best way to respond to the pandemic, rather than abide by strict quarantine measures dictated by the Government.
Eliza disagrees with Geraldine's attitude. She thinks the scale of the health crisis warrants an extreme approach. Lebanon is basically in "lockdown" with schools, restaurants, parks and shopping malls all closed. Two weeks of homeschooling has been a stretch. But Eliza has resigned herself to the new routine for another two months at least.
Midway through the podcast Eliza breaks the news that the Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton had fallen ill with the virus.
The women also discuss what history can teach us about the best way to manage the crisis.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
History in a Crisis - Lessons for Covid-19 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2004361
Singapore Prime Minister addresses the country on Covid-19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaoVg6ejgRQ
British PM Boris Johnson on Covid-19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRadMzCKnCU
There were some technical problems with the episode uploaded Sunday morning AEDT ... so we're having another go
RUOK Australia? What on earth is happening with the run on loo roll?
Geraldine thinks it's a symptom of the need for control in the face of the global flu epidemic.
Eliza thinks life in the West has been stripped of a lot of risk. So when a genuine threat looms on the horizon, people panic more than countries in troubled regions like the Middle East.
Also: Biden's back in America. Geraldine and Eliza discuss Elizabeth Warren's decline in more detail and question how much 'likeability' will play a factor in the final decision.
The women discuss Israeli politics. And why we read books.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
The Corona Virus has arrived in Lebanon.
There's been four confirmed cases of the flu from people who have recently returned from Iran.
Schools are closed for a week (or more) and hand sanitizer is selling out.
Eliza is feeling vaguely demoralizaed by the prospect of another big upheaval to normal life. But she's doing her best to combat the panic spreading through the school WhatsApp groups.
Meanwhile, Super Tuesday is around the corner. Eliza wonders why Elizabeth Warren's star has fallen. Is it because she's sharp and people find that challenging in a female leader? Geraldine thinks Warren was targetted by the big tech companies who feared regulation. Whatever the real reason, it looks like Sanders will win the nomination.
Also this week, Geraldine discusses new research about the ABC audience.
And Eliza isn't a fan of fondue.
Please join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Geraldine has a new phone.
It has a fancy camera and bigger screen.
But the prospect of "learning" her new device has left Geraldine a bit frazzled. She's come to the conclusion that while technology can simplify our lives, it also requires big investments of time to master the new technology.
Eliza is watching the slow decline of Lebanon's economy. She's also been glued to American politics and believes Mike Bloomberg is now the best hope to force Trump out of the White House.
Also this week: Eliza becomes a yogi. Sinn Fein's political resurgence. And Geraldine commits to walking the Lebanon Mountain Trail.
Join the conversation at the "Long Distance Call" Facebook page or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Saad Hariri calls for early elections https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/defiant-lebanon-hariri-deal-aoun-history-200214172027571.html
The light That Failed - Ivan Krastev https://www.amazon.com/Light-That-Failed-Losing-Democracy/dp/1643133691
Interview on ABC Radio National Saturday Extra with Geraldine Doogue https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/the-crisis-of-liberalism/11967388
Bye bye Biden https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/483037-beleaguered-biden-turns-to-must-win-south-carolina
David Runciman’s Talking politics podcast - Sinn Fein and Sardines https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/220-sinn-fin-and-sardines
Rise of Empires: Ottoman https://www.netflix.com/title/80990771
Lebanon Mountain Trail https://www.lebanontrail.org/#!/home
Abraham Trail - Israel https://abrahampath.org
Eliza had her wisdom tooth extracted this week. In an attempt to distract from the pain, she asked the dental surgeon for his thoughts on the crisis that's engulfing the Lebanese economy.
“In 1985, the Syrians were shelling us just over there,” he said, pointing out the window. “But at least we had money.”
The local Lebanese currency continues to depreciate against the US dollar. Small businesses are closing every week. Expensive retailers in downtown Beirut are reinforcing their stores with heavy metal doors to stop goods being stolen during protests and riots.
Also on the podcast: Geraldine interviews British polymath Tom Holland.
Eliza begins to despair about Joe Biden as a Presidential candidate.
Salman Rushdie’s brilliant prose.
And the joy of rain during a Sydney summer.
Let us know what you think of the podcast at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Designated Mourner – Fintan O’Toole on Joe Biden https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/01/16/joe-biden-designated-mourner/
Leaders and Dung Beetles – Don Watson https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2020/february/1580475600/don-watson/leaders-and-dung-beetles
Lebanese historian and journalist Samir Kassir https://samirkassirfoundation.org/en/Samir-Kassir-Foundation/About-Us/Mission
Two Years, 8 months and 28 days – Salman Rushdie https://www.amazon.com/Years-Eight-Months-Twenty-Eight-Nights-ebook/dp/B00SPVZ9UM
Rushdie’s Guardian Review https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/04/two-years-eight-months-and-twenty-eight-nights-salman-rushdie-review
Tom Holland – author https://www.tom-holland.org
Geraldine has come to the conclusion that Australia should change the date of its national celebration.
Despite this decision, she's found herself worn down by the discussion this year and isn't reading about it like she was in 2019.
In Lebanon, Eliza's serving bacon sandwiches at brunch and revelling in national spirit. Australia - with its universal health care system and superannuation scheme - is a country to be proud of.
Also this week: buying furniture as an expat. Reading Rushdie.
And Trump's impeachment trial.
Let us know what you think of the podcast at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Salman Rushdie Two Years, Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24292310-two-years-eight-months-and-twenty-eight-nights
Maureen Dowd on impeachment https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/25/opinion/sunday/trump-senate-impeachment-trial.html
Hillary Clinton documentary https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/25/entertainment/hillary-review/index.html
Violent protests have erupted again in Lebanon as the country lurches deeper into a political and economic crisis.
There's little prospect of a Government being formed soon. The local currency is depreciating against the US dollar, making daily life more expensive.
There's a weekly cap on withdrawals from the banks.
People are desperate and their frustrations spilled over into riots in Downtown Beirut on the weekend. Many believe it's the only way they'll be heard by the political elite.
It's a very different scene in Australia. Geraldine has been struck by the surge of national pride in the wake of the bushfire crisis. She hopes the Government uses the opportunity to act on this rare moment of national consensus.
Finally, Geraldine and her daughter reflect on the power of a good funeral.
Let us know what you think of the episode on the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Lebanon on 'brink of chaos and anarchy' Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/lebanon-on-brink-of-chaos-and-anarchy-as-peaceful-protests-turn-violent/2020/01/19/14da7166-3973-11ea-a1ff-c48c1d59a4a1_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0pPliCafSRP7Y6FptTiX1vXeCkVgqT_SAhLUq3WPx9RQwk9nKpGZHAhlA
Deidre Macken: United by Crisis, Frustrated into Action https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/united-by-crisis-frustrated-into-action/news-story/52ebd75ce3daf50e15fecb1a23bb06d2
Can Scott Morrison Learn to Lead? https://johnmenadue.com/greg-latemore-can-scott-morrison-learn-to-lead/
Things are hot in the Middle East and even hotter on this week's podcast.
Geraldine and Eliza have divergent views about the American assassination of Iranian Commander Qasem Suleimani. They also disagree about some of the journalism that has stemmed from the killing.
But they do tend to see eye to eye on 'Meghxit'. Eliza feels sorry for Meghan Markle and hates her treatment in the press. But she also thinks the Sussexes could have handled the split better.
Also this week: Captain Cook and summer time in Cairns. Money exchange in Beirut. And how to define 'star power' on TV.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Trent Dalton’s three-part series on Captain Cook in The Australian https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/cook-rediscovered-white-ghosts-on-the-coast/news-story/b2ff8dd879ac8d345f195b23638ea79b
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/cook-rediscovered-miracle-on-the-great-barrier-reef/news-story/2e118a456b4df6ded3cce366e6d8aeeb
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/cook-rediscovered-endeavour-believed-to-be-in-watery-rhode-island-grave/news-story/9cc8cbff3b434dc6b0124e723cfb0bfb
Dexter Filkins on Qasem Suleimani https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/30/the-shadow-commander
Thomas Freidman on Suleimani https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/opinion/iran-general-soleimani.html
Tarek Osman on Suleimani https://tarekosman.com/articles/four-consequences-of-soleimanis-assassination?utm_source=Tarek+Osman%27s+New+Mailing+List+29%2F04%2F2015&utm_campaign=942639b2bc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_01_05_11_58&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4a88c6fa22-942639b2bc-154316349
Julia Baird on Meghan Markle https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/diana-s-lament-applies-to-meghan-but-must-every-strong-woman-in-history-confront-such-savagery-20200110-p53qdu.html
Eliza and Geraldine discuss John Le Carre's latest novel "Agent Running in the Field".
Let us know what you think at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Here are some reviews:
The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/10/john-le-carre-agent-running-in-the-field-review/600631/
Peter Craven in The Australian https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/still-in-a-field-of-his-own/news-story/f58f361e69fc720e6c405f3d00fb7acb
The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/oct/21/agent-running-in-the-field-john-le-carre-review
LDC has a special guest this week.
Geraldine and one of her oldest friends (and Eliza's godmother) Mary Ciccarelli are in Beirut for new years celebrations.
The three women sit down over a a glass of wine to talk about their impressions of Lebanon & the Syria crisis, the latest Ann Patchett novel and the joys of cauliflower for dinner.
Let us know your thoughts at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or join the conversation at the "Long Distance Callers" Facebook page.
The Good Shepherd Sister of the Middle East https://www.goodshepherdsisters.me/en/Accueil
Ann Patchett - The Dutch House https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/sep/29/dutch-house-ann-patchett-review
All is True - movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9206798/
Ad Astra - Brad Pitt https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/
Lee Child says Tom Cruise is too small to be Jack Reacher https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/11/tom-cruise-jack-reacher-lee-child-reboot
The Middle of Nowhere - George Megalogenis in The Monthly https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2019/december/1575205200/george-megalogenis/middle-nowhere
Stasiland Now - Anna Funder in The Monthly https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2019/december/1575205200/anna-funder/stasiland-now
A Gentleman in Moscow https://www.amazon.com/Gentleman-Moscow-Novel-Amor-Towles/dp/0670026190
Welcome to the last podcast of 2019!
It's been a huge year.
Geraldine travelled to Russia. Eliza went back to full time work. Progressive politics was overtaken by fear.
Tune in for hot tips and analysis.
Please let us know your reflections on 2019 by joining the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thankyou so much for listening!
The Loudest Voice - Stan https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6821044/
Succession - HBO https://www.hbo.com/succession
Normal People – Sally Rooney https://www.amazon.com/Normal-People-Novel-Sally-Rooney/dp/1984822179
Women’s Work – Megan Stack https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/549445/womens-work-by-megan-stack/
Inside the trial of Shamima Begum – British GQ https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/politics/article/the-trial-of-shamima-begum
Fintan O’Toole – The Ham of Fate https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/08/15/boris-johnson-ham-of-fate/
Lech Blain – How good is Queensland! The Monthly https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2019/november/1572526800/lech-blaine/how-good-queensland
Australia in the World podcast https://australiaintheworld.podbean.com
Rear Vision – ABC Radio National https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/
Understanding Assassinations – Rear Vision ABC Radio National https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/understanding-assassination/10790888
Serial Season 3 https://serialpodcast.org
Slow Burn Season 2 https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s2/clinton
The Daily podcast – New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily
Who the Hell is Hamish – podcast https://www.theaustralian.com.au/podcasts/podcast-who-the-hell-is-hamish/news-story/c95b519a9ececa6076df80bd130ba158
The Two Popes - film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8404614/
Knives Out - film https://knivesout.movie
Buy From The Bush by Grac...
Eliza had the privilege of being at The Hague last week for the Gambia's genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice.
Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi lead Myanmar's defence and argued that no genocide was committed against the Rohingya muslim community. She said any crimes committed during the 2017 "clearance operations" should be tried at home, rather abroad.
Eliza joined a group of Rohingya survivors at The Hague, who now live in the camps in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh.
When Eliza returned to Lebanon she went to the Roman ruins at Baalbek for the final bookclub of the year. The verdict: Baalbek is a must see!
Geraldine is having a lovely, social wind-down to Christmas.
Stay tuned for the "Best of 2019" podcast which will drop just before Christmas Day.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Daily: Elizabeth Warren https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/13/podcasts/the-daily/elizabeth-warren.html
ABC Rear Vision – Nancy Pelosi https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/nancy-pelosi/11659016
The Minefield – Is literary fiction worth it for the moral life? https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/theminefield/is-literary-fiction-necessary-for-the-moral-life/10960904
Packer Boys - The Belvoir https://belvoir.com.au/productions/packer-and-sons/
Remember the horrible crimes against the Rohingya community in 2017?
The Myanmar Government - lead by freedom fighter turned leader Aung San Suu Kyi - will defend accusations of a genocide at the International Court of Justice at The Hague this week.
And Eliza will be there to bear witness with three very brave Rohingya survivors who have made the long journey from the camps in Bangladesh.
Also on this podcast: Eliza and Geraldine predict a Tory majority at the UK poll on Thursday. And how to fix lower back pain.
Join the conversation at our "Long Distance Callers" Facebook page or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com.
The "Best of 2019" episode will be recorded next week.
Geraldine is having one of those weeks that makes you tired just hearing about it. It started with big breaking news stories on her breakfast radio shifts on Monday. Then it was down to Canberra and Melbourne for meetings and will culminate with her MC’ing a big public function to celebrate 80 years of international broadcasting at the ABC.
It’s been a busy time over in Lebanon too. Eliza’s husband Adam is back in Australia so she’s running around with the kids while monitoring the looming economic crisis. The local Lebanese currency, the Lira, has dropped sharply against the US dollar. Employees are only receiving a fraction of their wages. It’s hard to see a solution in Lebanon that doesn’t result in more financial pain for most of its citizens.
Thanks for listening!
Join the conversation at the Facebook page “Long Distance Callers” or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Climb – Geraldine Doogue https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/the-climb
Australia in the World podcast https://australiaintheworld.podbean.com
Allan Gyngell on China https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/essay/2019/10/china-dependence
Brian Hartzer forced to quit Westpac https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-26/westpac-ceo-brian-hartzer-quits-money-laundering-scandal/11737864
Risk of economic collapse looms in Lebanon https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Nov-20/495956-long-political-crisis-ahead-risk-of-collapse-looms.ashx
This is an updated episode of "The Crown". The first attempt had some audio problems. Apologies!
The new season of The Crown has just dropped on Netflix.
It begins in 1964 as England is on the verge of electing British Labour MP Harold Wilson into Downing Street.
The series continues to unpick the enduring marriage of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.
The British actress Olivia Colman has taken over as Queen from Claire Foy. Geraldine isn't quite sure about the new Monarch, despite being a big fan of Colman's work. Eliza agrees that Colman doesn't quite nail the reserved Elizabeth like her predecessor, partly due to her natural warmth and expressive face.
The conversation about The Crown segues to the topic of marriage in general. Then it's the train wreck that was the Prince Andrew interview concerning his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Thanks for listening!
Email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or join the conversation on Facebook at the "Long Distance Callers" page.
The Crown & Peter Morgan https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/magazine/the-crown-peter-morgan.html
The Audience Peter Morgan https://www.amazon.com/Audience-Peter-Morgan/dp/0822232669
Prince Andrew interview on BBC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKQi3wzNFGQ
Broadchurch https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2249364/
Eliza & Geraldine discuss "Fleishman Is in Trouble" by Taffy Brodesser-Akner.
The verdict: relentless.
Let us know your thoughts via email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or join the conversation at the "Long Distance Callers" Facebook page.
The impeachment hearings against President Trump have begun in Washington.
Geraldine appeared on the ABC's Drum program on Thursday alongside Australia's former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. Mr Downer - who played a small but important role in the scandal surrounding Mr Trump - believes the Republican party will stand by their embattled President even if they don't like him.
Eliza thinks the surging US economy will make people inclined to vote for the incumbent.
The conversation then shifted to Australia's opposition leader Anthony Albanese, podcasting and the deteriorating situation in Lebanon.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Alexander Downer and George Papadopoulos
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/us/politics/how-fbi-russia-investigation-began-george-papadopoulos.html
Nikki Haley on the impeachment process https://www.cbsnews.com/video/nikki-haley-says-she-doesnt-think-trump-will-be-impeached/
The NYT Daily podcast on polling in America https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/podcasts/the-daily/whos-ahead-2020.html
Lech Blaine in the Monthly https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2019/november/1572526800/lech-blaine/how-good-queensland
James Button on Anthony Albanese https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2019/november/1572526800/james-button/picking-pieces
7AM podcast https://7ampodcast.com.au
The latest from Lebanon https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/lebanese-pres-love-it-or-leave-it-comments-refresh-protests/11703114
How long can the protest movement hold on in Lebanon?
The short answer is no-one knows.
The appetite for political change remains strong. But Eliza also detects a lethargy amongst ordinary Beirutis whose lives have been thrown into chaos.
Small businesses are starting to haemorrhage money and people are worried about losing their jobs.
At the same time, nornality is returning. Some schools are opening and most of the city's roads are accesible.
Also this week, Geraldine speaks about Royal Commission fatigue.
And both women celebrate the "Buy From the Bush" online initiative connecting rural retailers with city buyers. This terrific project was founded by Eliza's school friend Grace Brennan who lives with her family on a property in western New South Wales.
GraceforPM Join the conversation at the facebook page Long Distance Callers or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Jacarandas in full bloom in Kirribilli https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/instagram-inspired-tourists-swarm-sydney-street-for-selfies-with-jacarandas-20181113-p50fuj.html
Barak Obama takes on "woke" call-out culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaHLd8de6nM
Buy From The Bush - founded by Grace Brennan https://www.instagram.com/buyfromthebush/?hl=en
Fleishman's in Trouble https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/573460/fleishman-is-in-trouble-by-taffy-brodesser-akner/
Eliza speaks to Sarah Macdonald on the ABC's Nightlife program with the latest from Lebanon.
Protests roll on in Lebanon against a Government seen as corrupt and out of touch.
On Monday the Prime Minister agreed to a series of concessions including withdrawing new taxes and halving politician's salaries.
But will it be enough to take the people off the streets?
It's too early to tell. Eliza thinks the Government will probably hold on but the political class has been shocked by the spontaneous protests.
Also on this episode, Geraldine renovates her kitchen.
And the best books of the 21st century.
Join the conversation at the "Long Distance Callers" Facebook page or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Ross Douthat on Trump in NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/19/opinion/sunday/trump-turkey-syria.html
The Eulogy Documentary http://theeulogy.com.au
20 Best Australian Books of the 21st Century https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=5877:2019-abr-fan-poll&Itemid=1758&idU=5
"She Said" Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/586563/she-said-by-jodi-kantor-and-megan-twohey/
Geraldine interviews Jodi Kantor about "She Said" https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/me-too---the-inside-story/11529064
"Catch & Kill" Ronan Farrow https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Kill-Ronan-Farrow-ebook/dp/B07TD413RV
Yalla!
Huge numbers of Beirutis joined protests on Sunday night calling for the resignation of the Government.
Thousands more gathered in regional capitals around Lebanon.
For this special episode of LDC, Eliza joined the protests and asked people why they were rallying for change.
It's been a bloody & upsetting week in the Middle East.
Just over a week ago President Trump allowed Turkish President Erdogan to invade north-eastern Turkey, abandoning their protection of the Kurds. Scores of Kurds have been killed, as well as some Turks and as many as one hundred thousand people are displaced.
The Syrian Kurds have now signed a deal with President Assad in Damascus. It marks a historic moment in the Syrian civil war.
Geraldine and Eliza discuss the events of the week and what it means for the future. They also unpick Russia's role in the crisis and the new power bloc in the region.
Also, Geraldine is feeling overwhelmed by her various devices and Eliza is trying to find time in the day for homework.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Apologies about Eliza's poor audio this week, it seems the microphone wasn't working and sound recorded through her phone.
Eliza has been so busy preparing for her daughter's 3rd birthday that she's stopped reading fiction books.
But she's determined to pick it up again as a way to stop the endless checking of her phone.
It turns out she's not alone. A recent article in the Guardian Newspaper sparked a conversation about how our phones are stopping our reflexive instinct to read books.
The former ABC Managing Director, Mark Scott, told Geraldine years ago that he read fiction to "slow the frantic pace". It's a sentiment many of us can relate to.
This week, Eliza and Geraldine also discuss American politics and the consequence of the Obama presidency.
Join the conversation at the Faecbook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
The Lebanese PM & a Sth African bikini model https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/world/middleeast/lebanon-hariri-model.html?fbclid=IwAR3qZROGqawPL9-oITS2dbFBKLBTqZVQT4MZjvcV6tcoz9YLPMHkrDDlVHg
The Loudest Voice https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6821044/
Gabriel Sherman: The Loudest Voice in the Room https://www.amazon.com/Loudest-Voice-Room-Brilliant-News/dp/0812992857
Primary Colours movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_Colors_(film)
Becoming: Michelle Obama https://becomingmichelleobama.com
The Internet Broke My Attention Span - Josephine Tovey https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/03/before-the-internet-broke-my-attention-span-i-read-books-compulsively-now-it-takes-willpower
Karl Ove Knausgaard https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/karl-ove-knausgaard-the-duty-of-literature-is-to-fight-fiction
Eliza’s back from England where she watched Boris Johnson stagger from one crisis to another.
She says the new British prime minister is quickly losing his authority within his own party.
But as Eliza lands back in Beirut, there’s a bigger crisis erupting on the other side of the Atlantic. A complaint by a whistleblower has revealed that US president Donald Trump urged Ukraine’s president to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden. Trump’s in trouble: It’s illegal in the US to solicit a foreign nation to interfere in an election and unlike the Russia investigation, Trump’s not denying that he did so. He could eventually face impeachment hearings.
Geraldine says the Democrats must work hard to explain to Americans why Trump’s behaviour is wrong and why it’s important that he be held to account.
The impeachment inquiry is being driven by Nancy Pelosi, who is hard to like but who cares? She’s powerful and effective and is taking on the most powerful man in the world.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Sir Lynton Crosby moves to Hong Kong https://www.afr.com/world/asia/why-lynton-crosby-is-setting-up-shop-in-hong-kong-20190919-p52sw0
Nancy Pelosi profile https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-2013-3
Tony Shepherd on GWS in the Grand Final https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/greater-western-sydney-giants-face-richmond-in-afl-grand-final/11553298
This is a special edition of LDC. Join us for the first episode of Long Distance Bookclub.
"Live a Little" is a sharp, funny and sometimes bleak novel about looking back at life as death nears.
Geraldine loves Jacobson's writing and is giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Eliza enjoyed the book without loving it and is giving it three and a half out of 5.
Let us know what you think at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Live a Little - Howard Jacobson https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1117016/live-a-little/9781787331433
Guardian review https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/28/live-a-little-howard-jacobson-review
The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/howard-jacobson-live-a-little-review-books-the-finkler-question-man-booker-prize-a8976876.html
Geraldine is in New York City after attending a fabulous wedding in Virginia.
She spent her last day in America travelling north to FDR's old residence in upstate New York.
Geraldine has always thought of herself as a Londonophile, rather than a New Yorker. That's partly because she lived in London and has a greater affinity for its people and culture.
Eliza asks her Mum to analyse why she's not more of a Manhattan fan. After all, New York has all the ingredients Geraldine loves, like great parks and classy architecture.
Under some gentle scrutiny, Geraldine acknowledges that maybe she's a bigger fan of the United States than she cares to reveal.
Apologies for the scratchy audio during parts of this episode. Eliza's headphones were rubbing against her shirt, but that sound was drowned out in the headphones. She'll fix it by next week.
Please join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Roosevelt Library & Museum https://www.fdrlibrary.org
Hudson Yard https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com
The Highline NYC https://www.thehighline.org
The Influencer and her ghostwriter https://www.thecut.com/2019/09/the-story-of-caroline-calloway-and-her-ghostwriter-natalie.html
The Guardian's abridged version of the Influencer story https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/15/the-con-artist-and-her-mark-very-modern-morality-tale?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR2_eZo1OwmgUDrGJEfX3Ja2Jc3sFu_CuD66jNnT17OedMeGLKK5ItekUXI
The Great Gatsby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby
Getting It Right: FDR's Legacy http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1906802_1906838_1906981,00.html
LBJ – The Great Society https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Society
Weary Dunlop https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/history/conflicts/burma-thailand-railway-and-hellfire-pass/events/surviving/sir-edward-weary-dunlop
Eliza joins her husband Adam to cover the Islamic festival of Ashoura. They go to an area called "Dahiyeh" or the city suburbs. This is real Beirut, away from the flash restaurants of the Mediterranean and one of the strongholds of the militia gang, Hezbollah.
The religious event is one of the rare times where you can meet Hezbollah fighters and get a sense of their power.
Geraldine isn't working this week and will fly to America for a wedding soon. She's considering diving back into literature. And she's looking for a new TV series after binging on the HBO blockbuster "Succession".
Eliza and her Mum will launch a new podcast next week called "Long Distance Bookclub". The first book is "Live A Little" by Howard Jacobson.
Please join the conversation at the Long Distance Callers facebook page or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Live a Little Howard Jacobson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40872727-live-a-little
The Little Red Chairs Edna O'Brien https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25064563-the-little-red-chairs
Serial Reader App https://www.salon.com/2019/06/02/my-phone-helped-me-fall-in-love-with-books-again/
Succession https://www.hbo.com/succession
In Extremis Lindsay Hilsum https://www.amazon.com/Extremis-Death-Correspondent-Marie-Colvin/dp/0374175594
Foreign Correspondent Rwanda https://www.abc.net.au/foreign/
Analysis of the ANU voter behaviour project https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/03/late-surge-from-undecided-and-minor-party-voters-to-coalition-swung-election-study-says
Eliza and her family spent Sunday on the beautiful white sandy beach of Tyre in Southern Lebanon.
As they arrived back in Beirut, news broke that Hezbollah had fired rockets into Northern Israel in retaliation to last week's skirmishes.
There were reports of soldiers being injured and killed.
In the hours and days after the attack it's been revealed that Israel mounted a decoy operation. Footage disseminated amongst Israeli media showed injured soldiers being flown to hospitals. That now turns out to be false. It appears to be an elaborate mission to convince Hezbollah and its followers that Israel had been badly affected by the rocket strike, which in actual fact there'd be no serious consequences.
All it quiet again ... for now.
Meanwhile, Geraldine is taking on the insurance industry after a very unsatisfying attempt to claim for lost items on a recent trip. Eliza is convinced that most people don't lodge claims because of the ensuing bureaucratic nightmare.
Finally, TV ... and planning for overseas weddings.
Please join the conversation at our Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Truth is a casualty as the IDF fools Hezbollah https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-fatalities-mercifully-but-truth-is-a-casualty-as-the-idf-fools-hezbollah/
The Spy https://www.netflix.com/lb-en/title/80178151
Ride Like a Girl https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7600382/
Axios https://www.axios.com
Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com
Roosevelt compound https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_of_Franklin_D._Roosevelt_National_Historic_Site
The shadow war between Israel and Iran might erupt into a direct conflict.
Early Sunday morning, two Israeli armoured drones entered South Beirut, a region controlled by Hezbollah. The Iranian funded militia group says it will retaliate, a threat Israel appears to be taking very seriously.
Eliza is monitoring the situation and hopes (for many reasons) that cooler heads prevail.
Geraldine has seen a new film about the Battle for Long Tan. It was a deadly encounter for the Australians who fought skillfully against a regiment of North Vietnamese forces. The Americans immediately recognised the Australian's achievements but it took decades for the Australian Government to give them the public credit they deserved.
Both women are enjoying "Live A Little" by Howard Jacobson, the first book as part of the new podcast "Long Distance Bookclub" launching on the third week of September.
To join the conversation search for "Long Distance Callers" in Facebook or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Rise and Kill First - Ronen Bergman https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Kill-First-Targeted-Assassinations/dp/1400069718
Lebanon Accuses Israel of 2nd Attack in 2 Days - NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/26/world/middleeast/lebanon-israel-attack.html
Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441881/
Do you check your phone in the car? Geraldine does (sometimes) and just got pinged by the Police.
She copped a hefty fine. But even worse was the loss of five demirit points. She's now on the cusp of losing her licence.
Geraldine has completed a driver re-education course and it's had a profound impact. She'll go before a Magistrate on Tuesday to plead for leniency.
In Beirut, Eliza is looking at three more weeks of school holidays. The Harveys have just returned from a week in an area known as the "Turkish Riviera", just a hop step and a jump from Lebanon.
Thanks for listening! Log onto the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com. Please leave a review on the platform where you access the podcast.
Antalya - Turkey https://hometurkey.com/en/destinations/antalya
Can "Succession" Succeed Again? https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/arts/television/succession-season-2.html
"Palm Beach" directed by Rachel Ward https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8751928/
Podcast: Talking Politics by David Runciman https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com
Eliza is moving house. This unpleasant process has been made tolerable by podcasts and the spectacle that is the Democratic Party presidential debates in the United States.
Who will be the candidate? Eliza thinks it’ll be Joe Biden, despite the fact he’s been flat at the debates and doesn’t have a potent message to thwart President Trump.
Geraldine thinks it’ll probably be Biden too. But her attention has been on the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and his recent trip to Australia. She doesn’t appreciate his bellicose rhetoric on China and doesn’t think it’ll land well in the corridors of power in Canberra.
Both women mourn for America in the wake of the domestic terror attacks. The loss of life is madness for a country not at war.
Don’t forget to join the new LDC bookclub for the first meeting at the end of September. The first book is “Live a Little” by Howard Jacobson.
Please join the conversation at the Facebook page “Long Distance Callers” or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Adam's Correspondents Report on the Syrian orphanage with Yazidi children https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sundayextra/report-by-correspondent/11371610
Turkey plans to invade Syria and attack the Kurds https://warontherocks.com/2019/08/the-crisis-is-coming-syria-and-the-end-of-the-u-s-turkish-alliance/
Pod Save America – Debate recap special https://crooked.com/podcast/go-to-pod-save-america-3-0-3-3-0-debate-recap-special/
Bernie Sanders interview https://crooked.com/podcast/2020-bernie-sanders-on-democratic-socialism-and-cardi-b/
Keating on the US-Australian alliance (2016) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfbU6KegbjE
Howard in warning on China strife https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/protests-a-warning-to-china-howard/news-story/fa9c9dbba585e9aacf14e8e24f0f3ca5
The Ratline Podcast https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04sj2pt
Eliza has just finished the most hyped book of 2019: "Three Women".
It's a non-fiction 'ripping yarn', investigating the private lives of three American women over an 8 year period.
Eliza's verdict? 7.5 out of 10. She liked it without loving it. But she wonders critical because everyone has been raving about it.
Meanwhile, Geraldine is raving about the TV series "Chernobyl". Written by an American screenwriter previously known for comedy, it provides an insight into the nuclear incident that scarred the Ukraine and ultimately lead to the downfall of the Soviet Union.
The women briefly touch on Brexit and a brilliant essay by the Irish writer and journalist Fintan O'Toole.
Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Chernobyl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9APLXM9Ei8
More on the mini-series https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7366338/
Three Women - Lisa Taddeo https://www.amazon.com/Three-Women-Lisa-Taddeo/dp/1451642296
The New Yorker reviews Three Women https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/sex-in-the-mirror-lisa-taddeo-three-women-review
Fintan O'Toole on Boris Johnson https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/08/15/boris-johnson-ham-of-fate/
White Crow - movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5460858/
Geraldine is home from her fabulous holiday to a busy work schedule and a dose of the flu.
This week she talks to Eliza from the ABC studios, where she's just interviewed a German historian about how people dealt with the humiliation of losing the Second World War.
Eliza is entertaining her family in Beirut. One of the stops on the trip is the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp. It was the scene of a horrific massacre in 1982 and is now home to thousands of Syrians fleeing war.
The women also discuss books: "East West Street"; "Boy Swallows Universe" and "Happiness".
Join the conversation at the Facebook page by searching "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Anne Summers on Jeffrey Epstein – ABC Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/the-case-against-jeffrey-epstein/11304922
Promise Me You’ll Shoot Yourself – Florian Huber https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/20/promise-me-youll-shoot-yourself-florian-huber-review
Shatila Massacre https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/opinion/a-preventable-massacre.html
Indonesia's killings of 1965 https://www.insideindonesia.org/the-killings-of-1965-66
East West Street – Philippe Sands https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27068666-east-west-street
Becoming – Michelle Obama https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Michelle-Obama/dp/1524763136
Happiness – Aminatta Forna https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/apr/03/happiness-aminatta-forna-review
Geraldine's world tour is drawing to a close.
For Geraldine's third visit to Lebanon, Eliza thought it would be a good idea to get out of Beirut and explore the countryside.
Byblos (or Jbeil as it's called in Arabic) is about 45 minutes north of the capital. It's one of the oldest cities in the world, occupied by everyone from the Crusaders to the Ottomans. Put in on your list the next time you visit the Middle East.
This week, Eliza and Geraldine discuss the state of anxiety in Britain as Brexit nears. Geraldine reflects on Russia and Eliza rues the way Putin changed the war in Syria. And the women discuss the challenge of going home after a fabulous break.
Please join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or contact us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening!
Byblos https://www.lonelyplanet.com/lebanon/north-of-beirut/byblos-jbail
Can Boris Johnson maintain his Brexit bluster? https://www.ft.com/content/9d9ed292-9678-11e9-8cfb-30c211dcd229
How Oxford University shaped Brexit https://www.ft.com/content/85fc694c-9222-11e9-b7ea-60e35ef678d2
A no-deal Brexit would be a lunacy wrapped up in a stupidity https://www.ft.com/content/b7f4eae0-8daf-11e9-a24d-b42f641eca37
Vladimir Putin says liberalism has ‘become obsolete’ https://www.ft.com/content/670039ec-98f3-11e9-9573-ee5cbb98ed36
Angela Merkel shakes uncontrollably https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/world/europe/angela-merkel-trembling-germany.html
The Daily – The Battle for Europe https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/10/podcasts/the-daily/europe-nationalism.html
Syria’s torture prisons - NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/11/world/middleeast/syria-torture-prisons.html
Attack on Nice: BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36801146
New Zealand ISIS guard held in Kurdish jail https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/new-zealand-isis-guard-held-in-kurdish-jail/10866558
Geraldine is holidaying in Russia. First stop Moscow, then onto St Petersburg and soon a cruise down the Volga.
It’s incredibly beautiful but also confronting. Geraldine reminds Eliza that more than half a million people died of hunger in the siege of Leningrad in the Second World War.
The holiday has given Geraldine new insights into President Putin and his desire to recreate the country’s past glories.
The school year has finished in Beirut. Eliza and her family are well and truly integrated into the Beirut community, but many of their friends are moving. The best part about expat life is meeting new people, the worst part is saying goodbye.
Eliza is travelling to France next week and is still pinching herself that the flight is only four hours!
Let us know your thoughts about the podcast on the facebook page “Long Distance Callers” or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
Shostakovich Symphony Number 7 (audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRHZu5xoIe0
The story behind Symphony Number 7 https://www.classicfm.com/composers/shostakovich/guides/story-behind-shostakovich-leningrad-symphony/
Metropolis – Philip Kerr https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/04/metropolis-philip-kerr-review
Boy Swallows Universe – Trent Dalton https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062898104/boy-swallows-universe/
What is going on in Australia?
Eliza texted her Mum Geraldine with that question when she heard about the Australian Federal Police raiding a journalist Annika Smethurst's home in Canberra.
The next day, another Police raid was executed at the ABC HQ in Sydney.
Annika Smethurst's report in the Sunday Telegraph suggested Australia's surveillance agency, the Australian Signals Directorate, was seeking to broaden its powers to spy on Australian citizens without their knowledge. The ASD is meant to monitor actions overseas, not at home.
The ABC report related to allegations of unlawful killings committed by Australian Special Forces soldiers in Afghanistan.
Geraldine wants to know more about who called for the AFP raids and why. What concerns her most is that the warrant allowed for the deletion of files at the ABC, which is unprecedented.
The incident has made Eliza re-evaluate her feelings about Julian Assange and his possible prosecution in the US.
The women also discuss Geraldine's upcoming trip to Russia. Plastic surgery in Beirut. How to deal with summer holidays and some great movies on at the cinema in Australia.
Shadow Attorney General Mark Dreyfus on RN Breakfast https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/mark-dreyfus-condemns-scott-morrison-for-waving-away-afp-raids/11184308
If you're not worried about the raids on the ABC, you should be: Waleed Aly https://www.smh.com.au/national/if-you-aren-t-worried-about-the-abc-raids-here-s-why-you-should-be-20190606-p51v0h.html
NYT: Australia May Well Be the World's Most Secretive Democracy https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/world/australia/journalist-raids.html
Sam Maiden interiews the Defence Whistleblower https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2019/06/06/defence-whistleblower-secret-trial/
Red Joan – Judi Dench https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Joan
Absolutely Champers https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7807094/
Women at War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_at_War
Summer has arrived in Beirut.
And in summer, Beirutis like to socialise.
Eliza caught up with a new bookclub and held her first dinner party, nine months after arriving in Beirut.
That's a long time between jalapeno-infused cocktails and glasses of Rose on the balcony. But setup in a new city takes a while.
The dinner party was a huge success, despite her dessert being a flop.
The event made her reflect on the different approaches to making friends at home and abroad on postings.
Geraldine conducted an interesting interview with French thinker Bernard Henri-Levy.
The women finish by wondering if we might be witnessing the long, slow decline of Benjamin Netanyahu's rule in Israel.
Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
'Becoming' - Michelle Obama https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Michelle-Obama/dp/1524763136
A European of French Origin: Bernard Henri-Levy on ABC Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/bernard-henri-lévy/11166992
New Elections in Israel - Saturday Extra ABC RN https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/new-elections-in-israel/11170516
Lebanon Faces Economic Collapse https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/lebanon-faces-economic-collapse/11168388
It's a politics-heavy episode this week.
Theresa May is out and the Tory party is as divided as ever over the next leader.
And the Australian election result is looking curiouser and curiouser.
But it's not all campaigning and matters of state.
Eliza is reading the latest 'Berlin noir' novel by late author Philip Kerr. Geraldine is binging on HBO's "Succession". And Eliza has a potentially embarrassing run in with a artichoke at a dinner party.
Let us know what you think via the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers". Send us an email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com and leave us a review!
Election washup – Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/the-future-of-labors-relationship-with-the-greens/11145668
The Future of Labor: Sunday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sundayextra/the-future-of-labor/11138878
FT Journalist Pilita Clark on Theresa May’s resignation https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/ideas-to-stimulate-the-development-of-new-antibiotics/11145200
Succession – HBO https://www.hbo.com/succession
Australian actress Sarah Snook https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/the-actor-anxiety-that-plagues-bright-star-sarah-snook-20190409-p51c7z.html
Metropolis – Philip Kerr https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39801556-metropolis
Metropolis review https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/04/metropolis-philip-kerr-reviewsu
Project Rozana: Building better understanding between Palestinians and Israelis through Health https://projectrozana.org
Inside Elizabeth Holmes’ Final Moments at Theranos – Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/02/inside-elizabeth-holmess-final-months-at-theranos?fbclid=IwAR1s754jxbWsOMifByETNUptno7Hj2fkL1ujp972J3vf-WLI34G4a1Iy-Gk
Beto O’Rourke: I’m Just Born to be Into It – Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/03/beto-orourke-cover-story?verso=true
Eliza interviews Geraldine about her decades-long professional relationship with the late Bob Hawke.
Hawke modernised Australia. He wasn't perfect. He had a fierce intellect. He loathed racism. He loved the union movement and believed in the power of collective action.
We hope you enjoy this special, hour-long episode of Long Distance Call. Let us know your thoughts at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or the "Long Distance Callers" facebook page.
Eliza surprises Geraldine with a declaration of love for her new city.
It’s only taken nine months. But Eliza has finally got past the chaos and misery of Beirut to fall for its beauty, charm and fascinating history.
It’s a relationship she was never able to build during her previous posting to Jakarta, Indonesia.
In the final days before the election the women discuss the possibility of a new Labor Government and the legacy of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years.
They talk books before Geraldine rushes off to the Opera House to watch Jonathan Biggins being Paul Keating.
Ronnie Chatah Walking Tour of Beirut https://www.bebeirut.org/walk.html
Mohamad Chatah murdered https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mohamad-chatah-lebanons-man-of-dialogue-is-murdered-in-beirut-9027578.html
Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Attack Saudi Oil Facilities https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/world/middleeast/saudi-oil-attack.html
The NYT Daily Podcast: John Bolton’s Plan for Iran https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/podcasts/the-daily/bolton-iran-nuclear-deal.html
Hotel Mumbai - movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5461944/
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know – Colm Toibin https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Mad-Bad-Dangerous-to-Know/Colm-Toibin/9781476785172
The President in Missing – James Patterson & Bill Clinton https://www.amazon.com/President-Missing-Novel-James-Patterson/dp/0316412694
Brothers of the Gun: A Memoir of the Syrian Civil War – Marwam Hisham https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Gun-Memoir-Syrian-War/dp/0399590625
Inside Syria’s Secret Torture Prisons: How Bashar al-Assad Crushed Dissent https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/11/world/middleeast/syria-torture-prisons.html?fbclid=IwAR1BryXMyYJbqWRe9H3GJFbV8Xpfm6gr87rTh0tWeY99u-GArtzUZkwx7SA
The Gospel According to Paul https://www.artsontour.com.au/tours/gospel-according-paul/
Keating on Dutton – ABC Radio https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-14/paul-keating-peter-dutton-political-stake-through-dark-heart/11110814
Geraldine is still giddy after her six busy days in Western Australia.
The trip began at the Margaret River Writers Festival where she interviewed Germaine Greer about her controversial essay "On Rape".
Then it was back to Perth for a big interview with Professor Fiona Wood, a world leader in burns treatment.
It's rare that you get the privilege of meeting two remarkable women in one weekend.
Eliza is back in Beirut. The sun is shining but a dark cloud looms over the Lebanese economy. Eliza fears the million plus Syrian refugees might become political pawns in the fight to secure more loans from Europe.
Please get in touch via the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
On Rape – Germaine Greer https://www.mup.com.au/books/on-rape-paperback-softback
White Beech – Germaine Greer https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/feb/02/white-beech-rainforest-years-germaine-greer-review
Bill Cosby https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-bill-cosby-timeline-htmlstory.html
Reading Germaine: three generations respond to On Rape https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/sep/09/germaine-greer-on-rape-book-three-women-respond
Professor Fiona Wood, AM https://www.fionawoodfoundation.com/about-us/professor-fiona-wood/
Weary Dunlop https://www.britannica.com/biography/Weary-Dunlop
Tony Koch scathing on News Ltd https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/09/for-30-years-i-worked-for-news-corp-papers-now-all-i-see-is-shameful-bias?CMP=share_btn_tw
More of the Lebanese economy https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/02/20/lebanon-is-facing-an-environmental-and-economic-disaster-hezbollah-hariri-aoun/
You Can’t Ask That – Politicians https://iview.abc.net.au/collection/979
Wandering Souls (film about Cambodia) https://www.documentaryaustralia.com.au/films/4124/wandering-souls-a-requiem-for-cambodia
Geraldine is in Western Australia this week for the Margaret River Writers Festival.
She's interviewing feminist author Germaine Greer on her new controversial essay "On Rape". Geraldine was initially sceptical about Greer's thesis, particularly given the subject matter. But after reading it properly, Geraldine sees it as an important academic work that could actually help rape victims rather than disrespect their experience.
Eliza attended two sessions at the Sydney Writers Festival this week. Australian literature is going through a purple patch at the moment and her bags are weighed down with lots of new books!
Eliza and her family are about to head back to Lebanon after a month in Australia.
Join the discussion at our Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
LINKS On Rape Germaine Greer https://www.mup.com.au/books/on-rape-paperback-softback
The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Female_Eunuch
Daddy, We Hardly Knew You Germaine Greer https://www.amazon.com.au/Daddy-We-Hardly-Knew-You/dp/0394583132
Margaret River Writers Festival https://mrrwfestival.com
Sydney Writers Festival: John Birmingham https://www.swf.org.au/festivals/festival-2019/john-birmingham-just-do-it-yourself/
SWF: The Perfect Crime https://www.swf.org.au/festivals/festival-2019/the-perfect-crime/
Wimmera Mark Brandi https://www.hachette.com.au/mark-brandi/wimmera-the-bestselling-australian-debut-from-the-crime-writers-association-dagger-winner
Dervla McTiernan: The Ruin/The Scholar https://dervlamctiernan.com/about/
Conversations with Candice Fox: How to Raise a Crime Writer https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/conversations-candice-fox/8337672
Author and journalist Irris Makler joins Eliza for a bonus episode this week.
She's back in Australia from Jerusalem to launch her new book "Food is Love".
It contains the wisdom and cooking recipes of Jewish survivors of the Holocaust.
Irris allows these women to smile and reflect on how they rebuilt their lives after the horrors of the past.
The book will be launched in Sydney and Melbourne this week and is available in all good bookstores.
It's our 50th episode!
And the best way to celebrate is getting into the nitty gritty of the election campaign.
Geraldine has been finding it dull. She believes soaring rhetoric has been swapped for shallow campaign promises.
But Eliza thinks Labor's commitment to change negative gearing policy might be the most exciting thing she's heard in years.
The women talk Barnaby Joyce, the power of asking politicians if they're "OK" and the time Malcolm Fraser cried.
We love your feedback! Please get in touch via the facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
And please leave us a review on itunes or however you listen to your podcasts.
The Aftermath https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Aftermath_(2019_film)
Their Finest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Their_Finest
Normal People - Sally Rooney https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37539457-normal-people
The new food trend in Australia is fasting.
Eliza has returned home to find people skipping meals in an effort to reduce their overall calorie intake.
Initially she was shocked, wondering how people function without breakfast?
But she's also noticing that portion sizes in Australia are bigger than Indonesia and Lebanon.
Geraldine is adamant that this new eating trend is helping people keep weight off.
The conversation about food stretches to motherhood, to men & their battles with weight and the effort to have a healthy attitude towards food.
The women also discuss the Indonesian election and some new finds on Netflix.
Get in touch via the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Tiger cubs at Taronga Zoo https://taronga.org.au/media-release/2019-04-01/three-rare-tiger-cubs-debut-taronga-zoo-sydney
Are we witnessing a new Arab Spring in Africa? https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/are-we-witnessing-a-new-arab-spring/11019658
Turn Up Charlie: Idris Elba (Netflix) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_Up_Charlie
The Wire https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306414/
The Widow https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-widow-9780552172363
The Bureau https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/the-bureau
Traitors (Netflix) https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80223793
The Parisian - Isabella Hammad https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-parisian-9781911214434
This week's conversation takes place in Geraldine's living room.
Eliza is back from Beirut with her family to help her mother-in-law Anne recover from a hip replacement.
The podcast begins with a discussion about Jonathan Holmes' new essay "On Aunty" https://www.mup.com.au/books/on-aunty-paperback-softback
It then shifts to a broader chat about politics and Geraldine's ongoing obsession with finding the 'sensible centre' of the community.
Eliza is becoming increasingly evangelical about Australia the longer she lives overseas. The women discuss this article from the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/opinion/australians-have-more-fun.html and muse about the problems facing Australia. Some of the problems being the cost of living and housing, as discussed in this new book by Peter Mares https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/no-place-like-home-repairing-australia-s-housing-crisis
Who's going to win the next election? The polls suggest it's a done deal for Labor, but the women aren't so sure. And their opinions of Scott Morrison have changed over time, too.
Geraldine saw this TV show and loved it https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jan/06/brexit-uncivil-war-reviews-andrew-rawnsley-gina-miller-gloria-de-piero-shahmir-sanni
And she recommends this new show on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81076756
Eliza saw two movies on the plane which she'd recommend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_(film) & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Front_Runner_(film)
She's looking forward to seeing this drama on SBS On Demand https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/the-bureau
And she's reading this book about the famous murdered war correspondent Marie Colvin https://www.amazon.com/Extremis-Death-Correspondent-Marie-Colvin/dp/0374175594
Please leave us a review on Apple iTunes or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Get in touch via the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or contact us via ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
What kind of a week are you having?
Geraldine & Eliza aren't winning. There's the lost makeup bag at the movies, the missing Medicare card and the early call from the childcare centre to pick up a supposedly sick child.
But both women have been keenly following the various upcoming elections around the world. Indonesia, India, Israel and Australia will go to the polls soon.
There's a vague chance that there'll be another general election in Britain to deal with the Brexit crisis.
Geraldine thinks Theresa May needs to field a cross-party Government of National Unity. Eliza thinks the Prime Minister is doing a poor job and must listen to the people rather than pushing on with her current position.
Get in touch and tell us your thoughts at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
-- Hotel Mumbai trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8IxhVslvro
Hotel Mumbai review - The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/25/hotel-mumbai-and-the-problem-with-terrorism-movies
John Major calls for a Government of National Unity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-p3wGDy-1E
The Making of Benjamin Netanyahu https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/the-making-of-benhamin-netanyahu/10931024
In this special 'bonus' episode of LDC, Eliza interviews her husband Adam about covering the last days of ISIS.
Adam spent three weeks reporting in Eastern Syria as the American-backed Kurdish forces reduced the militant group to a shell of itself.
So what goes into covering a story like this? How exciting is it to be on the frontline of history? What happens after the adrenaline runs out? And how long does it take to feel normal once you return home?
Geraldine interviewed Australia's top spy this week.
Nick Warner is a veteran civil servant of over 40 years. Over that time, the threats confronting Australia have changed and become more diffuse, which makes tackling the problem even harder.
Eliza is still very upset by the Christchurch massacre. It's prompted her to question whether Australia has a bigger racism problem that she thought?
She also believes that comparing New Zealand to Australia doesn't necessarily help the conversation.
The women also look back at Jakarta and discuss the joys of a "time affluent" life.
Let us know your thoughts at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or join the conversation at "Long Distance Callers" facebook page.
Australia's top spy Nick Warner brings business in from the cold: AFR https://www.afr.com/news/policy/foreign-affairs/australias-top-spy-nick-warner-brings-business-in-from-the-cold-20181002-h163wt
Building resilience post Chritchurch: ABC Saturday Extra https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/building-resilence-post-christchurch/10931194
Remove the halo and Ardern is ordinary https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/remove-the-halo-and-ardern-is-ordinary/news-story/dcb30a90d5cff9951f54507e3afb092c
On Aunty: What next for your ABC? Jonathan Holmes https://www.mup.com.au/books/on-aunty-paperback-softback
This week's episode is heavy on geo-politics.
The so-called Islamic State Group is on the cusp of defeat in Syria.
Eliza wonders if it's time to properly recognise it as a 'state'? After all, it had all the hallmarks of one: a functioning bureaucracy, control of civic functions like waste disposal, its own currency and the ability to launch military operations.
But Geraldine still maintains that giving I-S formal statehood is giving it a power and notoriety it doesn't deserve.
The women also discuss how to moderate social media in troubling times like this.
And finally, the restorative power of a good hair colour and cut.
Let us know your thoughts at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or join the conversation at "Long Distance Callers" facebook page.
Geraldine is back in Beirut for her second visit to the Middle East.
Eliza was meant to be in Rome to watch her Mum address a diplomatic crowd on International Womens Day. But the last gasp of the so-called Islamic State in Syria has taken Eliza's husband Adam away on assignment.
This week the women discuss the importance of institutions in helping women thrive. Geraldine's also impressed by East Beirut and Eliza discusses the politics of green space in her new city.
We'd love you to join the conversation at the "Long Distance Callers" Facebook page or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com.
LINKS
Robert Fisk on environmental destruction in Lebanon https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/lebanon-mountains-environmental-destruction-quarrying-construction-industry-beirut-why-a8388006.html
Julia Banks interview https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/it-became-a-house-of-horrors-julia-banks-reveals-on-the-project-truth-about-her-exit-from-the-liberal-party/
Siobhan McKenna: The woman calling the shots at NewsCorp https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/siobhan-mckenna-meet-the-woman-calling-the-shots-at-news-corp-20190310-p5131s.html
Bill Shorten - Laura Tingle https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2019/march/1551445200/laura-tingle/bill-shorten-between-fear-and-ideas
Mrs Wilson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs_Wilson
Michael Daley on Insiders https://www.abc.net.au/insiders/michael-daley-joins-insiders/10486006
This week Geraldine & Eliza discuss the politics of the boardroom. The ABC boardroom.
Ita Buttrose is the new chair of the ABC and Geraldine believes she'll be a good advocate for the Corporation. Eliza and her Mum discuss the relationship between the Chair and the Managing Director and why a difference of opinion can be important at the upper echelons of power.
Mike Willesee, a giant of Australian life, has died.
Geraldine's late husband and Eliza's step-Dad, Ian Carroll, worked closely with Mike Willesee during his career in journalism. Geraldine uses this opportunity to impart some of Willesee's wisdom.
And finally, Eliza had a small parenting fail at school today. One of those moments that remind you to check the school emails in the morning.
Thanks for listening! Please send us your feedback via the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or the email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Ita Buttrose is the new Chair of the ABC Board https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australians-trust-ita-scott-morrison-announces-buttrose-as-abc-chair-20190228-p510ry.html
The Dropout Podcast http://abcradio.com/podcasts/the-dropout/
Mike Willesee dies https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/mar/01/australian-tv-journalist-mike-willesee-dies-aged-76
The Conversion of Mike Wilesee https://www.abc.net.au/religion/watch/compass/the-conversion-of-mike-willesee/10142634
Geraldine is in Victoria for a special interview with the indigenous opera singer Deborah Cheetham.
Geraldine loved the interview and the natural beauty of the country that Ms Cheetham nominated as her 'sacred space'.
The three days away in rural Victoria highlighted some uncomfortable truths for Geraldine: she was carrying bias and prejudice that she hadn't previously confronted.
The podcast then moves to discussion of women move onto discussion of the Middle East and Eliza admits she needs a bit more help at home on the domestic front.
Please contact us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com with any feedback or join the Facebook page at Long Distance Callers.
Thanks for listening!
Deborah Cheetham https://shortblackopera.org.au/about-2/deborah-cheetham-ao/
Shtisel https://www.netflix.com/lb-en/title/81004164
Australian Government hacked https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-18/prime-minister-scott-morrison-cyber-attack-hackers/10821170
It’s been a bright week for journalism amidst an otherwise bleak landscape.
Money is being pumped back into the industry from various philanthropic sources in Australia to support investigations and inquiry.
Eliza is reading about one of the legends of the job, Seymour Hersh. He broke the story about the horrific My Lai massacre in the Vietnam War, the first of many groundbreaking investigations.
It prompts Eliza and her Mum Geraldine to discuss their heroes and the future of the industry today.
Please join the conversation at the Facebook page “Long Distance Callers” or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com
Crikey’s new investigations team
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2019/02/11/fairfax-investigative-news-website/
The Neilson Foundation https://neilsonfoundation.org.au
Commentary on the Neilson Foundation https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/28/philanthropist-judith-neilson-to-fund-a-100m-institute-for-journalism-in-sydney
Lowy Institute https://www.lowyinstitute.org
Seymour Hersh – Killing Bin Laden https://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n10/seymour-m-hersh/the-killing-of-osama-bin-laden
Review https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/18/the-killing-of-osama-bin-laden-review-seymour-m-hersh-abbottabad-syria-sarin-al-nusra-government
One Hundred Years of Dirt – Rick Morton
https://www.mup.com.au/books/one-hundred-years-of-dirt-electronic-book-text
Jonathan Swan - Axios https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/04/business/media/jonathan-swan-axios-profile.html
Laura Tingle – Follow the Leader Quarterly Essay https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/essay/2018/09/follow-the-leader
Paige Taylor https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/asylumseekers-risk-all-for-new-life-often-for-most-perverse-reasons/news-story/fa70d9749450ac4eb11ad970842bbe6a
Chris Masters – The Moonlight State 1987 https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/the-moonlight-state---1987/2832198
Fran Kelly – ABC Radio National https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/fran-kelly/2913202
Everyone's talking about the Banking Royal Commission in Australia this week.
Geraldine has covered it closely. She hates the "gotcha" news cycle and feels much of the coverage has been populist and lacked context.
But Eliza had a very frustrating experience with her bank recently. She understands people's frustrations and the notion that bankers have been greedy while real wages stalled.
In Lebanon, there are concerns about a run on the banks because the economy is so fragile. Eliza tells her mum about the new Lebanese Government and the latest in Middle Eastern politics.
And then there's the normal LDC chat about TV, movies and podcasts.
Join the conversation online at the "Long Distance Calllers" Facebook page or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com.
And if you're so inclined please vote for us at the Australian Podcast Awards! australianpodcastawards.com
Lebanon Forms New Government - NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/world/middleeast/lebanon-new-government-hezbollah.html
The Angel - Netflix https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5968274/
Gladiator podcast https://wondery.com/shows/gladiator/
Green Book https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6966692/
Who the Hell is Hamish? https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/who-the-hell-is-hamish/id1451470931?mt=2&app=podcast
Australian soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/please-don-t-send-me-back-australian-soccer-player-faces-thai-court-20190204-p50vk1.html
This episode follows on from last week's conversation about Normal People by Sally Rooney.
Eliza loved it! She got all the cultural references and believed that the intimate scenes told us so much about the immature young lovers.
As opposed to Geraldine who thought the book was good, but certainly not great.
"Normal People" and its themes of about society and class division sparked a broader conversation about childhood in the 21st century. Geraldine read a special report in the Economist about childhood (it's available on the Facebook page Long Distance Callers). That report cited evidence to show that childhood has changed radically, radically altering life as a parent too.
Finally, Geraldine has a rant about the narrow use of the english language and Eliza wonders if Ottolenghi is all he's cracked up to be.
Join us for more discussion online at Long Distance Callers (facebook) or email us at ldcpodcast1@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening!
Normal People - Sally Rooney https://www.amazon.co.uk/Normal-People-Sally-Rooney/dp/0571347290
The Guardian on Normal People https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/sep/01/normal-people-sally-rooney-review
ABC Radio All In The Mind https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/shame:-the-ups-and-downs/10739510
Geraldine has returned to work this week and everyone is talking Kondo.
But neither Geraldine or Eliza are sure about this method of personal makeover. Might it add to people's sense of domestic failure? Is it a sustainable model in the busy modern world? The verdict is out.
And please don't suggest throwing out books. This is a heresy to both women.
Geraldine has just returned from a holiday to Tasmania where she finished the bestseller "Normal People" by Sally Rooney. People are raving about it but Geraldine thought it was a bit lazy. She wonders whether the sex was a distraction from the character development?
Eliza cites the Bernhard Schlink book "The Reader" as an example where sex was crucial to the story, but didn't swamp it.
Let us know your thoughts over email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com or the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers".
Thankyou for listening!
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning - Margareta Magnusson https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Gentle-Art-of-Swedish-Death-Cleaning/Margareta-Magnusson/9781501173240
Normal People - Sally Rooney
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37539457-normal-people
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/26/sally-rooney-normal-people-review-elegant-intelligent-tender
The Reader - Bernhard Schlink https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/161962/the-reader-by-bernhard-schlink/9780375707971/readers-guide/
It's cold, it's wet, it's wintery, the schools are closed ... and Eliza is having a whinge about her new city.
Geraldine is just back from a wonderful holiday in Queensland and will jet off to Tasmania in the coming week.
The women also talk about the latest from Brexit and the big political shifts in the Middle East.
Please log onto Long Distance Callers on Facebook for the shownotes & links which Eliza will post when the schools re-open.
Thanks for listening!
Christmas is approaching!
In this episode, Eliza and Geraldine discuss their "Best Of" 2018 covering books, podcasts, journalism, tv and music.
Eliza is limping to the finish line with a few days remaining before she boards the flight home. Forget the challenge of moving countries, the biggest headache has been dealing with her Australian mortgage lender from afar.
She's most satisfied by seeing her children making friends and happily settling in to their new city.
Geraldine has successfully moved house with her sanity intact. Just. But she loves her new place and feels a great sense of satisfaction with the move behind her.
Thankyou for listening and please give us your thoughts via the website longdistancecall.com.au or the Facebook call “Long Distance Callers”
Rise and Kill First – Ronen Bergman
A Legacy of Spies – John Le Carre
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Gail Honeymoon
The Library of Ice by Nancy Campbell – https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/the-arctic-and-a-poet,-stories-from-a-cold-climate/10609862
H is for Hawk
TV - A Very English Scandal
Essay – England’s Dreaming – Fintan O’Toole – Prospect Magazine https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/englands-dreaming-fintan-otoole-brexit-ulysses
Slow Burn Clinton Impeachment (Episode 8) https://slate.com/slow-burn
Caliphate podcast https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/podcasts/caliphate-isis-rukmini-callimachi.html
Ben McIntyre – The Spy and the Traitor
Boy Swallows Universe – Trent Dalton
Normal People – Sally Rooney https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37539457-normal-people
NYT Investigation into Donald Trump’s suspect tax schemes https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
First Man https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Man_(film)
The Crown https://www.netflix.com/lb-en/title/80025678
In two weeks Eliza and her family will be boarding a plane to celebrate Christmas in Australia.
So is Geraldine ready for the Silly Season?
The answer is…sort of.
Geraldine has had a busy month moving house. She’s planning to decorate the Christmas tree this weekend.
Eliza tells her to chill and forget about the bells and whistles this year.
Christmas is a different celebration in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s considered a small break, rather than the formal end of the working year. And therefore it seems less pressured than Australia.
The women pivot from Christmas cheer to President George H Bush's funeral in America.
His son, President George W Bush gave a terrific eulogy and Eliza believes the Trump era has prompted a re-think about the man once considered a bumbling fool.
In a fortnight Eliza and her Mum will do a “Best of 2018” wrap. Please get in touch with your favourite books, tv shows and podcasts via the Facebook page (Long Distance Callers) or email ldcpodcast1@gmail.com with your list.
Thanks for tuning in!
British Government appoints Minister for Loneliness http://time.com/5248016/tracey-crouch-uk-loneliness-minister/
President George W Bush delivers his father's eulogy https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/06/george-w-bush-delivers-eulogy-at-his-fathers-funeral-full-text
The Edith Trilogy - Frank Moorhouse https://smsa.org.au/limelight/the-edith-trilogy-by-frank-moorhouse-grand-days-dark-palace-and-cold-light/
There's a bit of everything in this week's podcast.
Indonesian authorities have determined that the Lion Air plane that crashed into the sea off Jakarta airport shouldn't have been allowed to fly. Geraldine and Eliza regret the horrible loss of life and discuss some of the perils of travelling in Indonesia.
Back in Australia, the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews crushed the Opposition at the weekend election. It was an emphatic victory for Labor and a vote against the Conservative's strategy. But Geraldine believes Australia is becoming more fragmented. She doesn't necessarily see the electoral trends from Victoria continuing through to the Federal Election next May.
And then it's time Ferrante Fever. The Good Weekend Magazine in Australia published an article about the screen adaptation of Elena Ferrante's novel "My Brilliant Friend". There was some great feedback on the Facebook group. And it emerged that Geraldine didn't devour the trilogy as Eliza thought.
Eliza and her Mum talk about women's friendships, creativity after motherhood and what makes successful female leaders. Eliza has just finished listening to Michelle Obama who is an inspirational woman.
If you like the podcast, please join the discussion on Facebook through "Long Distance Callers". And leave us a review on iTunes. Thankyou!
Lion Air Crash https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/lion-air-boeing-737-plane-that-crashed-shouldnt-have-been-allowed-to-fly/news-story/7b50eafead083055d3c0e3c6641bbcaf
Finding Elena Ferrante "It was like working with a ghost" https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/finding-elena-ferrante-it-was-like-working-with-a-ghost-20181120-p50h3x.html
Michelle Obama & Oprah http://www.oprah.com/app/super-soul-sunday.html
Jeremy Bowen War Stories https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Stories-Jeremy-Bowen/dp/0743449681
Geraldine was inducted into the Melbourne Press Club’s Journalism Hall of Fame last week along with other legends like Ray Martin and Andrew Olle.
Geraldine reflects on the fun night and the path she’s taken to get to reach the pinnacle of the industry.
Eliza consumes most of her journalism through newspapers and podcasts these days. But last week she tuned into the BBC World Service live and was reminded of the very high standard of its broadcasters. That prompts the women to get stuck down a rabbit hole about Brexit, before they come up for air and discuss Facebook and its flaws.
Geraldine is still unpacking boxes and has promised to have watched some of the “The Bodyguard” on Netflix before next week’s call.
To join the debate, just search for “Long Distance Callers” on your facebook page. Or drop us a line through the ‘contact’ section at longdistancecall.com.au
Thanks for listening!
Melbourne Press Club https://halloffame.melbournepressclub.com/article/geraldine-doogue
Saturday Extra: Geraldine talks to former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/politics-and-culture/10504434
Legendary Melbourne crime reporter John Silvester https://www.theage.com.au/by/john-silvester-hvejs
One Crowded Hour - Tim Bowden https://www.booktopia.com.au/one-crowded-hour-tim-bowden/prod9780732297336.html
Neil Davis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Davis_(cameraman)
Highways to a War - Christopher Koch https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842712.Highways_to_a_War
Ted talk: 10 ways to have a better conversation https://www.ted.com/talks/celeste_headlee_10_ways_to_have_a_better_conversation/up-next?language=en
Anne Summers - ABC Conversations https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/anne-summers/7756750
New York Times Facebook investigation https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/technology/facebook-data-russia-election-racism.html
Geraldine has spent her final night in the family home.
She's feeling a bit sentimental but knows she's ready for the move.
Meanwhile Eliza has finally received her shipment of furniture, almost five months after leaving her old home in Indonesia. It's such a relief. But her house is full of boxes.
The discussion moves on to the US MidTerm elections, tribalism, what it takes to join the elite forces of the Australian army, ISIS and the new BBC miniseries that's gripping the world.
Neil Prakash the Australian ISIS recruiter now in jail in Turkey https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-20/islamic-state-terrorist-neil-prakash-could-be-released-from-jail/10016444
The Bodyguard https://www.netflix.com/lb-en/title/80235864
Line of Duty https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_of_Duty
Anne with an E https://www.netflix.com/lb-en/title/80136311
Extract from The Great Cave Rescue https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/we-didn-t-expect-all-13-out-alive-inside-the-thai-cave-rescue-20181106-p50e84.html
The Great Cave Rescue https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/general-books/true-crime/The-Great-Cave-Rescue-James-Massola-9781760529741
Join the discussion at our Facebook page "Long Distance Callers".
It's a special LDC this week because Geraldine and Eliza are together!
Adam makes a guest appearance too.
The trio eat at one of Beirut's best Italian restaurants https://www.zomato.com/beirut/tavolina-mar-mikhael and then it's onto a very cool cocktail bar. http://www.anisebar.com
Check out our Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" for some pictures of Geraldine's trip.
Eliza is reading the new Liane Moriarty book "Nine Perfect Strangers". One of the themes is women's rage and frustration with life. It's a recurring message in Moriarty's novels which explore the complex lives of the suburban "Mum". Eliza thinks the anger stems from the crunch between personal career ambitions and private domestic duties. It leaves little time for joy.
Somehow, the notion of "having it all" has been re-cast as a bit greedy. Women are told they shouldn't aim for personal and professional bliss all at once. "You can't have it all, just not at the same time." Which may be true, but prompts Eliza to wonder what women are willing to give up?
The truth is that Eliza found motherhood much more fun when she gave herself time to enjoy it.
Geraldine thinks women are angrier than generations past, or possibly more willing to be honest about it in public. But she also acknowledges that there are many societal pressures making that work/life juggle harder than before.
It wouldn't be a Long Distance Call without discussion of international news and politics. This week Geraldine and Eliza have been horrified by the grizzly murder of a Saudi journalist at his own embassy in Turkey.
Does advertising belong on the Sydney Opera House?
How about advertising for a horse race?
Eliza and Geraldine hate the idea, as do thousands of others. But it’s gone ahead and prompted a debate about how the demands of big business should be weighed up against the protection of the important cultural icon.
The controversy was augmented by a particularly nasty exchange between Sydney broadcaster influential broadcaster Alan Jones and the Chief Executive of the Opera House.
Eliza and Geraldine discuss the disgraceful interview (the audio has been posted on the Facebook page ‘Long Distance Callers’). And Geraldine reveals that many years ago she used to work very closely with Jones at a commercial radio station.
In other news, Geraldine is still basking in the glory of selling her house. She’s waking up early to pack it up, including the spare room with many of Eliza’s old school memorabilia and high heels!
The things we do to our parents.
Thanks for listening!
LINKS
The Everest horses Alan Jones will have his eyes on https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/the-everest-horses-alan-jones-will-have-his-eye-on-20181006-p5086j.html
RN Breakfast: Outdoor ad industry says Opera House is not a billboard http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/outdoor-ad-industry-says-opera-house-not-a-billboard/10354272
Peter Fitzsimons: Gladys, how could you? https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/have-your-race-leave-the-opera-house-alone-20181006-p50859.html
Peaky Blinders https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaky_Blinders_(TV_series)
Boyer Lectures http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/boyerlectures/
Geraldine has sold her home! Hooray! It's been a white-knuckle time.
She broke the rules of real estate by buying a new home before selling her current place. The Sydney market has dipped recently adding to the stress.
Geraldine began the moving process this week by emptying old red wine bottles down the sink. Eliza is mortified by the waste and can’t believe her Mum has given Merlot the flick.
Eliza is back in Beirut after a brief holiday in Australia for her Dad’s birthday. She’s caught up on books and TV as well as the incredible Supreme Court nomination hearings out of the America.
Finally, Eliza tells Geraldine about some criticism on the Facebook page, which she takes on the chin! Just type “Long Distance Callers” in the search function on your Facebook page to join the discussion.
LINKS
Playground at HMAS Platypus Sydney https://concreteplayground.com/sydney/arts-entertainment/sub-base-platypus-sydney-harbour-park/
*FEAR: Trump in the Whitehouse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear:_Trump_in_the_White_House
The New Yorker on Fear https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/24/with-fear-and-trump-bob-woodward-has-a-bookend-to-the-nixon-story
President Trump mocks Christine Blasey Ford https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45727618
ABC: Lebanon says Israel may be preparing to strike targets in Beirut http://www.abc.net.au/radio/sydney/programs/worldtoday/lebanon-says-israel-may-be-preparing-to-strike-targets-in-beirut/10333236
Kavanaugh and the Starr Inquiry https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/20/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-clinton-starr.html
Slow Burn podcast https://slate.com/slow-burn
The Larry Awards https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/sep/05/the-wiggles-for-grown-ups-abc-staff-bemused-by-utopia-like-larry-cards
Any Ordinary Day – Leigh Sales https://www.penguin.com.au/books/any-ordinary-day-9780143789963
*Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/540586/eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine-by-gail-honeyman/9780735220690/
Nine Perfect Strangers Liane Moriarty https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39280445-nine-perfect-strangers
More on Liane Moriarty
The podcast begins with reaction to the startling news out of Australia that the Managing Director of the ABC – Michelle Guthrie – was sacked on Monday.
Geraldine believes there are lessons to learned about running the public broadcaster in the 21st century. And perhaps even some lessons for women seeking big leadership roles too.
Eliza had a funny encounter at Beirut airport over the weekend with some Australian men who were back in Lebanon for curious reasons.
She’s back to Australia on a flying visit this week for her Dad’s 70th birthday. Eliza and Geraldine plan to sneak in a quick meal on Saturday night after watching the AFL Grand Final.
NOTES
Why the ABC Board sacked Michelle Guthrie
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/sep/25/why-the-abc-board-sacked-michelle-guthrie
Mark Day’s interview with Fran Kelly
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/michelle-guthrie-why-was-the-abc-boss-axed/10301964
MI5 and Me – Charlotte Bingham https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/07/mi5-and-me-by-charlotte-bingham-review-a-coronet-among-the-spooks-
Eliza’s son Sean started school this week. It’s a big week in any family but made harder by moving to the other side of the world. Eliza thought she’d be skipping through the streets with glee after the long three month break. But it was upsetting and she spent the morning worrying if he was ok.
He was, of course. But sometimes life doesn't turn out like you planned.
It’s those unexpected reactions and feelings which change our opinions on the big issues. Geraldine thinks life is all about changing your mind. Recently she received an email from the former Governor General Bill Hayden, inviting her to his baptism. Yes, that’s right, the former aggressive atheist was converting to Catholicism at 85.
He’d changed his mind. And it prompts a conversation about why that’s not prized in Australian politics. It seems voters are more attracted to those who stick to their views regardless of the circumstances.
Eliza finish this week's episode with the best of the Facebook group “Long Distance Callers” and muse about the best conditions to grow roses and bougainvillea.
Rome Exhibition in Canberra http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/rome-city-and-empire
Bob Carr Run For Your Life https://www.mup.com.au/books/run-for-your-life-electronic-book-text
Bill Hayden converts to Catholicism https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/exlabor-leader-bill-hayden-85-baptised-into-catholic-church/news-story/2eb858bbdd2d4cb5d67d1d6ee7a6e4ad
Middle Eastern food: Shane Delia: Lebanon http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/blueprintforliving/sense-of-place:-shane-delia,-lebanon/10246408
No, this is not a podcast about cooking or fertility, but about what it takes for women to succeed at work.
The episode begins with a discussion about Geraldine’s television interview with the man known as “Mao’s Last Dancer”. Li Cunxin is a brilliant Chinese ballet dancer who is now running the Queensland Ballet. He’s a fascinating man with an incredible discipline, which prompts a discussion about how discipline and a systematic approach to life can be very useful for your career. Right up until the point where you have to be willing to break those rules and structures if they’re holding you back.
Then it’s onto Julie Bishop’s failed tilt at political leadership in Australia. And the ongoing challenge to British PM Teresa May by Boris Johnson: foppish cad turned Chief Wrecker.
Eliza finishes with an update on the homeless Syrian boy who sleeps rough outside her Beirut apartment. Eliza and her family are making rapid progress establishing their new lives in Lebanon, except for a slight glitch last weekend which will go down in family folklore as the time the great Beirut project nearly fell apart.
LINKS
Mao's Last Dancer https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/292384/maos-last-dancer-by-li-cunxin/9780425240304/
Compass Sacred Space interviews: ABC TV
Eddie Ayres http://www.abc.net.au/compass/s4830865.htm
Ben Quilty http://www.abc.net.au/compass/s4843091.htm
Geraldine Doogue: The Climb. https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/the-climb
Geraldine talks Brexit on ABC Saturday Extra http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/brexit-mess/10215238
Matthew Parris’ scathing anti-Boris colums are behind the Times paywall. So here’s a link in the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/mar/26/matthew-parris-boris-johnson-london-mayor-times-attack
Documentary: Three Identical Strangers.
http://www.threeidenticalstrangers.com
Geraldine and Eliza are back for their first Long Distance Call from Beirut to Sydney.
Beirut is a beautiful city full of cool people who are obsessed with food. Beirutis are loud, emotional, warm and very friendly. Most corners of the city are a reminder of the country's turbulent past and trouble across the border in Syria. A truly fascinating place!
It's also dysfunctional and full of bureaucratic challenges. Eliza thinks she's aged twenty years in the past month alone.
Geraldine reveals her first impressions of life under a the new Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. She's still in a bit of shock about all the political upheaval and doesn't think the country will be richer for it.
In true LDC style the women finish up on a lighter note. Do you wear sunscreen under your makeup? No, Geraldine doesn't either.
Tune in!
Eliza has been staying with Geraldine for the past five weeks. And they're still on speaking terms!
This episode is a wrap of the holiday's greatest hits: the Fourth Estate documentary on the New York Times, Ken Burns' Vietnam War and the latest on American politics.
Oh and there's a healthy dose of chat about the perils of growing your hair and personal grooming.
We hope to have an episode next week, but Eliza isn't sure if the internet will connected in her new home. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for listening!
Life is changing for Geraldine and her daughter Eliza.
Geraldine has bought a new house and Eliza's about to leave Indonesia for Beirut (via Sydney).
Geraldine is downsizing from the family home she built with her late husband Ian. The prospect of getting the house ready for sale is daunting as well as exciting. The packers are coming to Eliza's house tomorrow, so she's procrastinating by buying more furniture.
Eliza has come to really enjoy Jakarta after a tough start. It's been a warm and gentle place to raise her kids but Eliza and her husband Adam are looking forward to their new adventure in the Middle East.
Don't forget to visit the LDC website longdistancecall.com.au or log onto the Facebook page Long Distance Callers.
This week the women discussed:
Oprah talks to Maria Shriver http://www.oprah.com/app/super-soul-sunday.html
Germaine Greer and the Menopause http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/germaine-greers-climacteric-updated/9896346
Anatomy of a Scandal https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jan/14/anatomy-of-a-scandal-sarah-vaughan-review
The Shanghai Wife https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781489249142/
Force of Nature https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/10/force-of-nature-by-jane-harper-review
The Fourth Estate http://www.sho.com/the-fourth-estate
Welcome to a special edition of Long Distance Call.
This week Eliza brings you a report from Indonesia.
It's a story about her time here and an incident that's bookmarked the posting.
In January 2016, shortly after she arrived with the her journalist husband Adam, a group of terrorists attacks central Jakarta.
They killed four people. It was the suicide attack in Jakarta for over a decade and the first time ISIS had hit Indonesia.
Eliza was appallled and fascinated. She wanted to know who planned the attack, and what happened to the victims?
That was three years ago. Eliza's now in her final fortnight in the country and the mastermind of the Thamrin Attacks has just been sentenced to death.
Eliza and her mum Geraldine will be back next week for their regular Skype chat.
Eliza and Geraldine are international news junkies so this week's episode is all about the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore.
Is this the end of diplomacy as we know it? Is Trump being played by a murderous thug? Should we care as much as we do? What are the chances that it prompts change on the ground in North Korea?
The Singapore meeting comes on the back of Trump's disastrous outing at the G7 in Canada.
Just as the women were getting warmed up...the internet cut out. And so did Skype. So unfortunately this is a shorter episode than normal.
Eliza and Geraldine will have to wait a week to talk about the absence of good chardonnay on the shelves in Australia. Until then, thanks for listening!
It's moving season in the expat world. And in Indonesia the city is frantically busy in the final few days before Islamic New Year. Eliza and Adam have one more month in Jakarta before they move to Lebanon.
Geraldine has been for a sobering visit to her financial planner.
And she's so engrossed in the Americans TV show that she's breaking a habit of a lifetime and binge-watching tv.
Eliza and her family are moving to Beirut! Her husband Adam will start his new job as the ABC's Middle East Correspondent based in Lebanon in August.
There's a lot to organise before then.
Geraldine is in Jakarta for one last holiday and the women discuss Indonesia and the lessons learnt over the past three years.
Tune in!
Do we allow enough time in our busy lives to play together as a family?
Not enough, is the conclusion. It's hard when the news cycle is whirring away. Geraldine is back in Jakarta on the weekend for a visit and will be doing lots of hide and seek with the grandkids.
But Eliza and Geraldine did make time to watch the royal wedding. Geraldine didn't see enough of Idris Elba for her liking. Eliza thinks it's been a welcome distraction from the bleak news in Indonesia for the past fortnight.
And what a time it's been in Malaysia. Finally a good news story out of the region.
Bishop Michael Curry stole the show at the Royal Wedding https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/5/17/17361848/michael-curry-episcopal-priest-royal-wedding-sermon
Who is Michael Curry? https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/19/royal-couples-chosen-minister-is-campaigner-on-equal-rights
ABC News Malaysia coverage http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-11/malaysia-election-mahathir-mohamad-sworn-in-as-prime-minister/9749230
ABC Saturday Extra Mothers to Bombers: the underrated threat of Indonesian women extremists http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/mothers-to-bombers:-the-rise-of-indonesian-women-extremists/9776458
Teen suicide bomber seen crying uncontrollably before bombings says witness https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/surabaya-attack-teen-suicide-bomber-seen-crying-inconsolably-10244778
Step Vaessen Al Jaz on Tommy Suharto https://youtu.be/youhGQvikbQ
Margaret Scott - Indonesia: the Saudis are Coming http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/10/27/indonesia-the-saudis-are-coming/
Indonesia is in mourning after a string of particularly brutal terror attacks over the weekend. Whole families, including young children, embarked on suicide missions in the city of Surabaya. The barbarity has stunned the country in the lead up to the holy month of Ramadan.
But life goes on in Jakarta. Eliza is trying not to alter her daily life as a protest against groups who want to spread fear.
Geraldine saw a thought provoking movie about motherhood this week. The women discuss how young women talk about the challenges of motherhood now as opposed to thirty or even fifty years ago.
And keeping your digital life under control.
ABC News coverage of the Surabaya attacks http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-15/the-surabaya-police-officer-who-ran-to-save-8yo-after-attack/9764738
More details on the terrorists https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/15/families-behind-indonesia-bombings-belonged-to-same-religious-study-group-suicide-attacks-east-java?CMP=share_btn_tw
Tully https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tully_(2018_film)
Borgen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borgen_(TV_series)
Geraldine is back from a mini-break in Adelaide. Her only gripe was the Airbnb on the outskirts of town.
Eliza thinks Airbnb is a false economy. It claims to be cheaper, more convenient and the best way to travel. But she'd take a humble hotel room any day.
While Geraldine was admiring the Impressionists in South Australia, Eliza was reading the latest about American politics. John McCain is dying but doing so with his indefatigable spirit.
Calling all "Crown" fans out there -- they've announced the new actress to play the Queen. Geraldine isn't so sure. But she's able to watch most episodes without reaching for Google which is a step up from her daughter.
Colours of Impressionism: Art Gallery of South Australia https://www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/agsa/home/Exhibitions/NowShowing/Colours_of_Impressionism
At His Ranch, John McCain Shares Memories with Friends https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/us/politics/john-mccain-arizona.html
John McCain, Prisoner of War: A First-Person Account https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2008/01/28/john-mccain-prisoner-of-war-a-first-person-account
Katy Tur "Unbelievable" https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/books/review/katy-tur-memior-unbelievable.html
Recollections of a Bleeding Heart - Don Watson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1932432.Recollections_of_a_Bleeding_Heart
Olivia Colman is the new Queen https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/26/olivia-colman-play-queen-third-series-crown/
Compass: Sacred Space #2 - Eddie Ayres http://www.abc.net.au/compass/s4830865.htm?site=newcastle
Geraldine had a depressing morning shopping for new activewear. Eliza likens the experience to buying a bikini. It’s no fun for anyone.
Eliza LOL’d about Angela Shanahan’s opinion piece on the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The funniest bit is when Shanahan referred to breastfeeding a “greenie left pursuit”. Just when you thought breastfeeding couldn’t get more political.
Eliza and her mum discuss the huge identity shift that occurs after motherhood, from which Jacinda Ardern is not immune. The NZ PM seems like a welcome breath of fresh air in modern politics.
Finally, Geraldine gives Eliza a “Banking Royal Commission for Dummies” tutorial.
Tune in!
Angela Shanahan: From here to maternity https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/from-here-to-maternity/news-story/4b980fc122fa15f1f0bd2d7975b8ca56
Geraldine Doogue interviews Alan Kohler about the Banking Royal Commission http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/banking-royal-commission/9702648
What does Anzac Day mean to you?
Eliza did a history degree but doesn't know much about the great Australian wartime leaders. Geraldine thinks it's time to make new myths about the defence of Australia. Just like the novellist Richard Flanagan, the women agree Australia is a nation of dreamers.
Can you be a Republican and be excited about the new Royal? Of course you can. But just don't try to copy the Duchess & wear heels seven hours after you've given birth. She's a warrior.
Film: Heroes - A critical look at the Anzac Legend https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/turkish/en/audiotrack/former-enemy-eyes?language=en
https://johnmenadue.com/marilyn-lake-anzac-from-a-turkish-point-of-view/
The Little Stowaway Vicki Bennett http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-hub-on-books/hub-on-books-24-april-2018/9687096
Richard Flanagan at the National Press Club (text) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/18/richard-flanagan-national-press-club-speech-full-politics-black-comedy
Video http://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/national-press-club/2018-04-18/national-press-club:-richard-flanagan/9672524
Richard Fidler interviews Richard Flanagan http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/10/24/3876175.htm
Michael Hofmann's sharp review of Narrow Road to the Deep North https://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n24/michael-hofmann/is-his-name-alwyn
And the defence from the Booker Prize judge https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/30/ac-grayling-buries-the-hatchet-job-michael-hofmann-richard-flanagan-booker-prize
Foreign Correspondence Geraldine Brooks https://www.amazon.com/Foreign-Correspondence-Pals-Journey-Under/dp/0385483732
BBC: Why did I go mad? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOGhG0kRqFs
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Eliza has just returned from a minibreak in Bali. The island is beautiful, but its history is violent.
Bali is also the setting for Eliza's first attempt at fiction. Think Liane Moriaty with crime, sex, drugs and bikies. What's not to like?
Geraldine has done a big interview with Australian artist Ben Quilty in his 'sacred space' -- the NSW Southern Highlands.
Eliza & Geraldine discuss a terrific article from their friend and colleague Brigid Glanville on her battle with post natal depression.
Brigid Delaney Wellmania https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/wellmania
New Yorker Fiction Podcast https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/fiction
Brigid Glanville on her battle with postnatal depression https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/my-battle-with-postnatal-depression-20180412-p4z95n.html
Film: Chappaquiddick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chappaquiddick_(film)
Geraldine is settling back into a hectic working week after visiting Eliza in Jakarta.
She believes more is being asked of reporters these days, which doesn't always lead to better journalism. The industry is increasingly dominated by opinion and outrage. Eliza thinks it takes a toll on all who participate.
The women revisit an earlier discussion about John Le Carre's "A Legacy of Spies". Geraldine has stopped reading Ian McEwan and Eliza thinks it's time for her husband Adam to give "God of Small Things" another go.
And more than a year on since the US Election, Eliza is finally willing to acknowledge Hillary Clinton was the wrong candidate for the Democratic Party.
Gaza and the Great Return March - Saturday Extra http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/gaza-and-the-great-return-march/9619292
Michael Ignatieff - Saturday Extra http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/orban-and-fdr:-two-very-different-leaders/9627792
A Legacy of Spies: John Le Carre https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/sep/10/a-legacy-of-spies-john-le-carre-review
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy https://www.amazon.com/God-Small-Things-Novel/dp/0812979656
Dispatches - Michael Herr https://www.amazon.com/Dispatches-Michael-Herr/dp/0679735259
Geraldine Doogue in conversation with Peter Greste https://griffithreview.com/queensland-conservatorium-tripathi-greste-doogue/
Podcast: Imagine This http://www.abc.net.au/kidslisten/imagine-this/imagine-this-promo-episode/9602272
The Conversation on Imagine This https://theconversation.com/imagine-this-a-new-podcast-tackling-tricky-questions-from-inquisitive-young-minds-94659
Making Obama https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500692140/making-oprah
Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's doomed campaign https://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Inside-Hillary-Clintons-Campaign/dp/0553447084
Commentary on Shattered https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/03/hillary-clinton-destruction-shattered-review
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Geraldine has flown to Jakarta to visit Eliza and her family.
They hit the city's furniture shops and discuss whether round tables lead to better dinner parties?
But their plans for a dose of culture go awry. Eliza and Geraldine brave Jakarta's terrible traffic to visit the new modern art museum, only to find that it's closed for three months.
These kind of frustrations punctuate life in Indonesia.
The women also discuss the pressures on families during school holidays and the bliss of being freed from the daily routine.
New York Times on Museum Macan Jakarta https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/27/arts/design/jakarta-world-class-art-museum.html
The Children - Sydney Theatre Company https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/productions/2018/the-children
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What's wrong with losing?
It's been three days since the Australian cricketers admitted to ball tampering in South Africa. Eliza is a huge cricket fan but hasn't liked the 'vibe' of the team for a while. The boorish behaviour on the pitch, the vitriolic send-offs and the win-at-all-costs mentality is ugly.
Geraldine thinks the problem may lie in the corporatisation of sport. Eliza reveals that she falls into the trap of only doing things she's good at. She's tried to change that in Indonesia.
Finally, Geraldine discusses Hugo Weaving's play at the Sydney Theatre Company.
LINKS Jim Maxwell with RN's Fran Kelly http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/australian-cricket-officials-lead-ball-tampering-investigation/9590634
Trevor Chappell: Underarm ruined me https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/trevor-chappell-underarm-bowl-haunted-me-all-my-life/news-story/952c683ddf06bfe26831837f073b4047
Saving Detective Breda by Lucy Cormack https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/saving-detective-breda-surgery-team-who-brought-officer-back-from-death-20180323-p4z5zx.html
The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/productions/2018/the-resistible-rise-of-arturo-ui
Review https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/hugo-weaving-plays-a-fascist-leader-for-the-ages-20180319-h0xon2.html
This week Eliza and Geraldine discuss a memoir from former journalist, Cynthia Banham. She survived a horrible plane crash in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2007 which killed 21 people, including five Australians. Her story is about determination in the face of adversity. But it’s also about love and gratitude for the help you receive after a traumatic event.
One of the victims of the crash - the journalist Morgan Mellish – used to live in Eliza’s house in Jakarta.
The women talk about how the relationship between Australia and Indonesia has evolved since that terrible accident.
And they also muse about the secret to a happy life.
'A Certain Light: A Memoir of Family, Loss and Hope': Jane Cadzow's profile of Cynthia Banham in the Good Weekend: https://www.smh.com.au/national/you-can-lose-so-much-and-yet-be-happy-cynthia-banham-s-revelation-20180314-p4z4av.html
Cynthia Banham's interview with Fran Kelly on RN Breakfast http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/a-certain-light-a-memoir-of-family-loss-and-hope/9562032
Morgan Mellish's obituary https://www.smh.com.au/news/obituaries/head-up-goals-achieved/2007/03/09/1173166982933.html
Pilot blames all but himself for crash that killed five Australians https://www.smh.com.au/national/pilot-blames-all-but-himself-for-crash-that-killed-five-australians-20090310-8u5o.html
Professor Tim Lindsey of the flailing diplomatic relationship between Australia and Indonesia http://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/australia-and-indonesia-going-separate-ways/
Dennis Atkins' podcast 'Two Grumpy Hacks' https://soundcloud.com/twogrumpyhacks
How to prime your brain to be happy https://www.gq.com/story/laurie-santos-how-to-be-happy-interview
This week's Long Distance Call starts with yoga. Geraldine loves it but Eliza finds it dull and would rather go for a run.
Geraldine had a terrific weekend touring Sydney's hidden gardens and both women reveal their nerves about entertaining at home.
Do kids need to learn Chinese language when they're four? Not necessarily. Geraldine tells Eliza about the "Good Enough Mother" movement from the 1970s.
Finally, the women agree that President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is a dill. And they worry about the rise of shady political players in Indonesia.
Hidden Gardens: Sydney http://www.hiddendesignfestival.com
Israeli Documentary - "No.17" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385908/
Fauda https://www.netflix.com/id/title/80113612
Lior Raz on life post Fauda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kk5NM7jEBE
The Jewish Group +61J http://plus61j.net.au
An article about Dr Donald Winnicott and the "Good Enough Mother" https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheila-quirke/mom-enough_b_1528132.html
Washington Post: Kushner's overseas contacts raise concerns as foreign officials seek leverage https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kushners-overseas-contacts-raise-concerns-as-foreign-officials-seek-leverage/2018/02/27/16bbc052-18c3-11e8-942d-16a950029788_story.html?utm_term=.031944b36166
Geraldine's article about her recent trip to Rwanda to see the gorillas https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/travel/rwanda-mountain-gorillas-kigali-genocide-memorial/news-story/8462ef0284b97b46049dac65e23e567c
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This week Eliza and Geraldine discussed:
*Andrew Sullivan on social media addiction: I used to be a human being http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/09/andrew-sullivan-my-distraction-sickness-and-yours.html
*Clive Hamilton - Silent Invasion http://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/silent-invasion-by-clive-hamilton/9781743794807
*Richo on Clive Hamilton https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/graham-richardson/clive-hamilton-is-treating-us-as-mugs/news-story/adca7132b4c541e9b5ecaa1ec7d435f5
*Thucydides Trap http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/09/the-thucydides-trap/
*Matt Carney's analysis on President Xi's power grab http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-05/china-npc-moves-xi-jinping-towards-dictatorship/9504680
*NYT on Europe's reax to President Xi https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/world/europe/europe-china-xi-trump-trade.html
*Carrie Gracie: My equal pay campaign left me exhausted, isolated (behind a pay wall) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/bbcs-carrie-gracie-equal-pay-campaign-left-exhausted-isolated/amp/
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Here are the links mentioned in this week's conversation:
*Why this gun debate is different from the rest -- NYT https://lasvegassun.com/news/2018/feb/23/why-this-gun-debate-is-different-from-the-rest/
*John Kelly, the Trump secret sharer by Roger Cohen https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/opinion/john-f-kelly-trump-porter.html
*How long can John Kelly hold on? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/26/magazine/how-long-can-john-kelly-hang-on.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=5A4D1BFB2ABD57BFDC956C6D1FBE5973&gwt=pay
*Gershom Gorenburg on moving the American embassy to Jerusalem http://prospect.org/article/capital-offense
*Lady Bird review https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/feb/18/lady-bird-review-greta-gerwig-saoirse-ronan-laurie-metcalf-observer
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This week, Eliza and Geraldine talked about:
The Bay of Fires walk in Tasmania https://eastcoasttasmania.com/discover/town/bay-of-fires/
The Gunns Pulp Mill http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-29/conservationists-want-pulp-mill-permits-declared-void/8853388
Indonesia set to soften its stance on the dealth penalty http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-11/indonesia-to-soften-death-penalty-stance/9320900
Wasted: garbage season in Bali http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-21/bali-beaches-swamped-by-garbage/9467974
Irish writer Bernard MacLaverty -- Midwinter Break http://www.bernardmaclaverty.com
Richard Glover on the resilience of radio http://www.smh.com.au/comment/richard-glover-why-is-the-humble-radio-so-resilient-20180213-h0vzw7.html
Jeremy Bowen -- Our Man in Middle East http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08rmkcd/episodes/downloads
Owen Bennett Jones -- The Assassination http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05rgk0d
This week, Eliza Harvey and her Mum Geraldine Doogue discuss Barnaby, Hawkie and modern politics.
Links to topics we've discussed:
Phil Coorey: Joyce as a leader was always a risk http://www.afr.com/news/barnabys-joyces-moral-authority-is-shot-20180213-h0w18b
Caroline Overington on the Joyce scandal: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/barnaby-joyces-affair-with-a-staffer-needed-to-be-made-public/news-story/0e4d92f52f1a552caf704bc85a57ab88
Richo in the Australian - Joyce and the PM's office https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/graham-richardson/joyces-tactics-invite-intrusion-as-turnbull-fails-leadership-test/news-story/b5559f0248e2eb4b10fa97fd0091f9aa
Hawke: The Larrikin and the Leader http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/hawke-the-larrikin-and-the-leader/