Long Distance Call

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 Huds

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-re

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 wed

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

Here's the latest from Geraldine's appearance in court.

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 Dav

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

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

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

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 h

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

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.

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/bernar

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-a

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

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-htmlsto

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://w

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