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Hill Street Blues star passes away

<p>Hill Street Blues star Barbara Bosson has passed away aged 83.</p> <p>Bosson, who played Fay Furillo in the American police drama, was a popular TV star in the ‘80s, earning five consecutive Emmy nominations for her role. She was also the ex-wife of TV giant Steven Bohcho, who created <em>Hill</em></p> <p><em> Street Blues </em>and several other hit shows at the time.</p> <p>The news of Bosson’s death was shared by her son, Jesse Bohcho, who shared an image of he and his mother when he was a child.</p> <p>"More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn't, you may well have also known that too. Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama. Barbara "Babs" Bosson Bochco 1939-2023," he captioned the image.</p> <p>Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey shared her support, commenting a red heart under Bochco’s Instagram.</p> <p>Bosson was also known for her roles in shows including<em> Murder One</em>, <em>Hooperman</em> and films including <em>Cop Rock</em> and <em>Calendar Girl Murders</em>.</p> <p>Hill Street Blues proved Bosson's main claim to fame, with her leaving the show in 1985 during its sixth season after being fired from the project over creative disagreements.</p> <p>Bosson and Steven Bohcho went on to work together on other projects, including the <em>Rockford Files</em> spin-off <em>Richie Brockelman</em>, <em>Private Eye</em>, <em>Hooperman</em> and the musical <em>Cop Rock</em>.</p> <p>The pair divorced in 1997 but continued to co-parent their son Jesse, who was born in 1975. Steven died in 2018 at the age of 73.</p> <p>Further details of Bosson’s death are yet to be revealed.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

News

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Woman turns herself in after fatal attack on 87-year-old singing coach

<p>A 26-year-old woman has turned herself in to police after admitting to attacking an 87-year-old woman, which led to her death. </p> <p>Lauren Pazienza shoved Barbara Maier Gustern before striking her on the back of the head in an unprompted attack on March 10th in New York City. </p> <p>The NYPD released a picture of the woman wanted for the attack, just days before Lauren turned herself in to authorities. </p> <p>Police identified Pazienza through video and her Metrocard, police sources said.</p> <p>Pazienza covered her face with her hair as she was led by detectives to a car for transport to criminal court, as she refused to answer reporters who asked her about the allegation she pushed Gustern.</p> <p>Following the brutal attack, Barbara was in critical condition until she died from her injuries on March 14th. </p> <p>“Today, at 11:15am, we have lost one of the brightest little flames to ever grace this world,” her grandson wrote on Gustern’s Facebook page. </p> <p>“I ask that you all give me a little time and space, but I want to make time for anyone and everyone who wants to know more about her final moments,” the post said.</p> <p>“Bobbob, I love you, you are and always will be my heart,” it said. “I love you all so much, I could not have made it through these past 5 days without all of your support.”</p> <p>Barbara Maier Gustern, who was a renowned vocal coach and tutored famous students including Blondie singer Debbie Harry, was walking around at night alone when the attack occurred. </p> <p>Her red-headed attacker then ran off, with police saying the attacker crossed the street before pushing Gustern, who suffered a fatal head injury.</p> <p>NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig described it as a “disgusting, disgraceful law offence” committed against a “vulnerable elderly female who is doing nothing but walking down the streets of New York City”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: NYPD / Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Mystery van visitor unmasked

<p>The "fan" who was permitted entry to the van carrying Shane Warne’s body from Koh Samui to the Thai mainland after his shock death has been identified as German national Barbara Woinke – a former entertainment and travel writer.</p> <p>She was at the centre of an investigation over a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/anger-after-fan-enters-van-carrying-shane-warnes-body">potential security breach</a> involving Warne's body. all of which was captured by an ABC film crew.</p> <p>Prior to Warne's autopsy being conducted, Woinke was able to enter an ambulance carrying Warne’s body and spend more than 30 seconds alone in the vehicle.</p> <p>Thai authorities were told the woman knew Warne personally, prompting them to provide her access to pay her respects</p> <p>The Australian reports she has worked for daily newspapers and magazines such as Instyle, Glamour and Bunte.</p> <p>Before moving to Koh Samui in Thailand, she lived in Berlin, Paris and New York, according to one online German book retailer selling her travel guide to Lake Garda in Northern Italy.</p> <p>“(Ms Woinke) always has her passport and driving license in her handbag just in case,” the bio reads.</p> <p>A video posted on YouTube in September last year shows Ms Woinke in Koh Samui promoting a tourism networking group called Skal International.</p> <p>"Hello, I’m Barbara Woinke. I’m originally from Munich in Germany and here on Koh Samui in Thailand I am part of the membership committee of Skal Koh Samui,” she said.</p> <p>Video footage showed Woinke carrying a small bunch of flowers and approaching the ambulance which was transporting Warne’s body from Koh Samui where he died, via ferry to the mainland.</p> <p>Woinke told the ABC she simply wanted to pay her respects and did not mean any harm. “I am a big fan of him. It’s very sad that we lost him. I just took the flowers to pay condolences,” she said.</p> <p>“I am sorry about yesterday but I [did] not mean [any] negative act by that. I am a big fan, he is a great player.”</p> <p>She was accompanied by a Thai woman who spoke to authorities near the ramp entrance to the ferry, reported by ABC to be immigration officials.</p> <p>The woman says in English, “yeah, yeah she knows him”, followed in Thai by, “thank you very much, she’s a friend”.</p> <p>They were both then escorted through parked cars to the ambulance where the German woman approaches the driver-side window, holding up the flowers to show the driver.</p> <p>The driver then gets out and walks around the sliding side door of the ambulance, opening the door for the woman, who enters, and closes it behind her.</p> <p>There are concerns about the length of time the woman spent unaccompanied with Warne’s body, although Thai police say the woman did not do anything illegal.</p> <p>Image: ABC News / YouTube</p>

News

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Inside Frank Sinatra's most-filmed mansion

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frank Sinatra’s seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home has been put on the market for a whopping $USD 21.5 million ($AUD 29.4 million).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fans of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mad Men</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Californication</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dreamgirls</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ali</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are sure to recognise the residence, which has been used as a backdrop for countless films and tv shows over the years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Widely known as the Frank Sinatra Byrdview Estate, the singer called the 758-square-metre mansion home during the 1950s and 60s.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The home sits on 13.7 acres in Chatsworth, California, and overlooks the 1,325-acre Chatsworth Reservoir nature reserve.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Inside, the home has undergone a $USD 1 million renovation and boasts light wood accents set against white walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an open-plan design.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Along with a formal dining room and living room with a full bar, the house also features a deluxe ensuite that overlooks the backyard, a formal sitting room, and a piano room where Sinatra reportedly spent most of his time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outside, the home has a patio and a 15-metre swimming pool that includes its own wet bar.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The property also features a guest house where Marilyn Monroe reportedly stayed, which has its own backyard and pool, as well as a gym and massage room in a separate building.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Boss Hunting</span></em></p>

Real Estate

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How Frank Sinatra was caught singing 20 years after his death

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fans were confused in 2020 when seemingly footage of Frank Sinatra went viral of him singing about hot tubs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The iconic singer died in 1998, so many were wondering how old audio clips of him surfaced, but the audios were actually new. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, they weren’t Frank Sinatra singing at all.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The song, titled Hot Tub Christmas, was the product of a new technology known as a “deepfake” that mimicked Sinatra’s iconic voice. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The video came from a San Francisco tech company who used their AI system, known as Jukebox, to generate new songs and vocals that almost sound exactly like real artists. </span></p> <p><strong>So, what is a deepfake?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deepfakes are realistic video or audio of events that never actually took place and are generated by artificial intelligence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These videos have been used to trick online users into thinking their favourite celebrities said things they never actually did. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tech has been used to create fake videos of Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, which set off alarm bells in national security circles. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deepfakes can also be used to manipulate images, where people’s faces have been added into random events and videos. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Audio deepfakes, like this unusual track of Frank Sinatra’s have received less attention in the media so far. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One audio deepfake that has garnered a lot of criticism is a recreation of the voice of late chef Anthony Bourdain for use in his upcoming documentary. </span></p> <p><strong>How are deepfakes made?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These audios are created by artificial intelligence ingesting and examining 1.2 million songs, their corresponding lyrics and information, such as artist names, genres and years of release.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Using this data, AI can create new music samples from scratch and make them seem like they came from the original artist. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While some celebrities who have been spoofed in deepfakes have expressed their discomfort and irritation in the new tech, one singer named Holly Herndon believes they are here to stay</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said, "Vocal deepfakes are here to stay. A balance needs to be found between protecting artists and encouraging people to experiment with a new and exciting technology."</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Music

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Dame Barbara Windsor dies aged 83

<p><span>Actress Dame Barbara Windsor, who is best known for her roles in <em>EastEnders</em> and the <em>Carry On</em> films, has died at aged 83.</span></p> <p><span>Her husband Scott Mitchell said she had passed peacefully from Alzheimer's at a London care home on Thursday evening.</span></p> <p><span>He recounted his wife’s life beautifully, and said she would be remembered for the "love, fun, friendship and brightness she brought to all our lives".</span></p> <p><span>The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who both met Dame Barbara, also went on to pay tribute to her acting and charity work.</span></p> <p><span>Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "So sad about Barbara Windsor, so much more than a great pub landlady and Carry On star."</span></p> <p><span>He went on to say that she was "one of those people that just cheered you up, and cheered everybody up because she had a kind of irrepressible naughtiness that was totally innocent.</span></p> <p><span>"She did a lot of good work for charity and looking after lonely and vulnerable people, she lit up people's faces."</span></p> <p><span>Dame Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2014 and had moved to a care home earlier in 2020.</span></p> <p><span>She appeared in nine films in the Carry On comedy series, plus Sparrows Can't Sing, for which she was nominated for a Bafta, as well as parts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and On the Fiddle with Sir Sean Connery.</span></p> <p><span>She made a permanent mark for her portrayal of landlady Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders.</span></p>

TV

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Inside Sinatra's $11.5 million Beverly Hills home

<p><span>The Sinatra family mainstay in Beverly Hills has been listed for an eye-watering AUD $11.5 million. </span></p> <p>It belonged to music legend, Frank Sinatra’s first wife, Nancy Sinatra, who is also the mother of the iconic performer’s three children. </p> <p>Even though the couple departed ways in 1951, she remained an integral part of his life, throughout the myriad of affairs and three more wives throughout Frank’s life. </p> <p>The one-story home ranch, located Beverly Hills, was built in 1979 and while it isn’t the massive or flashy mansions celebrity fans aren’t used to, it has kept it’s elegant and regal warmth. </p> <p>Located in the hilly part of Beverly Hills at the end of a lengthy, private tree-lined drive, the home sits on a lot measuring over one acre. </p> <p>The home also offers serene canyon views and has many highlights including vaulted and coffered ceilings, beautiful french doors leading to a cosy courtyard. </p> <p>Among other unique features also has an incredible walk-in bae where it is stated: "where Hollywood and international celebrities have gathered to toast one another for decades."</p> <p>The master suite is a massive gem on its own and offers a double-sided fireplace, his-and-her baths, as well as soaring vaulted ceilings. </p> <p>Nancy Barbato Sinatra met Frank when she was just 17 and he was 19. The couple married in 1939, and it was a marriage that lasted for 12 years where she worked as a secretary and answered her husband’s endless fan mail. </p> <p><span>Frank’s movie career took off in the 1940s and a</span><span>s a result, the family  moved to Southern California. </span></p> <p><span>It is in Los Angeles where Nancy stayed for the rest of her life. </span></p> <p>In July 2018, Nancy Barbato Sinatra passed away at age 101. Frank died in 1998, but the former couple had reportedly remained on good terms. </p> <p><span>Interestingly enough, when questioned why she never remarried, she asked a journalist incredulously, "After Sinatra?"</span></p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the Beverly Hills home. </p>

International Travel

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Inside Ellen DeGeneres' luxury $10 million Santa Barbara home

<p>Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have dropped the price of their gorgeous vintage farm near Santa Barbara, California. </p> <p>The property had over $1 million slashed from its price back in July and is now going for AUD$10 million. </p> <p>The prolific home owners purchased the home for AUD$9.8 million a little over a year ago and turned it into a posh, design-savvy home that is hard to resist! </p> <p>With three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms with an additional barn house for a lucky guest, the 10.5 acre mountain and ocean-view property has become a haven for any potential buyer looking for seclusion in comfortable luxury. </p> <p>Built in 1917, the main floor has an open layout with wide, beautiful plank oak floors throughout to give a real farmhouse feel. </p> <p>The kitchen has a unique touch with all black granite counter tops, grey cabinetry, stone slabs and sleek, stainless steel appliances. </p> <p>The living and dining area also carry a dark tone with a painted stone fireplace. </p> <p>The master suite offers a size that is unlike any other - with vaulted ceilings, custom lighting and a french doors leading to a verandah it is the type of airy and spacious part of the home a haven. </p> <p>The property also comes with a century-old barn as well as a spa, various terraces pastures that give a view worth looking at. </p> <p>The equestrian estate is located between Montecito and Carpinteria - areas DeGeneres and her wife de Rossi are familiar with. </p> <p>The couple have spent an estimate of $145 million flipping homes.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see Ellen's gorgeous home. </p>

International Travel

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5 minutes with author Barbara Hannay

<p><span>In <em>5 minutes with author</em>, <em>Over60</em> asks book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next in this series is Barbara Hannay, a romance novelist based in Far North Queensland and two-time winner of the Romantic Book of the Year Award. Many of her 40-plus books are set in rural and outback Australia. Her latest book <em>Meet Me in Venice </em>is out now.</span></p> <p><em><span>Over60</span></em><span> talked with Hannay about Seven Little Australians, the things that make a romance novel great, and the family trope she keeps coming back to. </span></p> <p><strong><em><span>Over60</span></em><span>: What is your best writing tip?</span></strong></p> <p><span>Barbara Hannay: Read widely and write what you love to read. Make writing a regular habit and your muse will learn to turn up. If you’re aiming for publication, don’t give up at the first rejection. Persistence is key.</span></p> <p><strong><span>What book(s) are you reading right now?</span></strong></p> <p><em><span>The Second Chance Café </span></em><span>by Amanda Prowse, <em>Twenties Girl</em> by Sophie Kinsella and <em>Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind</em> by Yuval Noah Harari.</span></p> <p><strong><span>What was the last book that made you cry?</span></strong></p> <p><span>Actually, if you don’t mind, I’ll twist this by remembering the very first book that made me cry. It was <em>Seven Little Australians</em>. I was only eight years old and totally devastated by Judy’s death.</span></p> <p><strong><span>What do you think makes a great romance novel?</span></strong></p> <p><span>Compelling characters that the reader cares about, convincing emotional complications that keep the couple from getting too close too soon and a capable, sexy hero you can fall in love with.</span></p> <p><strong><span>What are the tropes that you can’t help but love? Alternatively, which trope grinds your gears?</span></strong></p> <p><span>Well, I find myself writing every possible version of the secret baby trope. I really have no idea why, although I do believe almost every family has a few surprising secrets. I can’t do revenge and I would love to try a marriage of convenience, but I just can’t seem to make it work in this day and age.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Is there any book by other writers that you wish you had written?</span></strong></p> <p><span>I was deeply impressed by Gail Honeyman’s <em>Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine</em>. I especially loved the author’s voice and the way she portrayed Eleanor’s “spectrum” personality, but I also really enjoyed the way she flipped the stereotype of a romantic hero and created such a gentle, “almost” romance.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Do you have any writing routine? If so, what does it look like?</span></strong></p> <p><span>When I’m working on a first draft, I like to write a thousand words a day. On a perfect day, I wake early before sunrise, start thinking about my story and the scenes ahead, and when descriptive phrases or pieces of dialogue start flowing, I leap out of bed to get them down before they vanish into the ether. Sometimes, rarely, I’ve made my word count before breakfast. Alas, there are plenty of days when I’m still plugging away at tea time.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Which author(s) – living or deceased – would you most like to have dinner with?</span></strong></p> <p><span>I’d love to meet Jane Austen. She was so witty and such an acute observer of the society of her day, I’m sure she’d be a lively dinner guest, especially if I had the chance to show her around today’s world first. I’d love to see her reactions.</span></p>

Books

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Inside Barbara Sinatra's $11 million Los Angeles penthouse

<p>Barbara Sinatra’s Los Angeles penthouse is hitting the market for US$8 million (AU$11.3 million).</p> <p>Located on the Wilshire Corridor in Westwood, the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.luxuryhomeslosangeles.com/idx/10560-wilshire-boulevard-los-angeles-ca-90024/15489222_spid/" target="_blank">apartment</a> was where the late socialite lived after the death of her husband, legendary singer Frank Sinatra.</p> <p>Before her death in 2017, Barbara used to entertain celebrity guests and friends such as Gregory Peck and Kirk Douglas, and invite them over for poker nights, according to Leonard Rabinowitz, listing agent of Hilton &amp; Hyland and a friend of the Sinatras.</p> <p>The 520-square-metre property boasts four bedrooms, five terraces, an open floor plan and views of the mountains, ocean and city on all four sides.</p> <p>The living room features a wood-burning fireplace, along with a built-in bar and cocktail area, and a table that can be flipped over to become a poker table. A set of sliding glass doors connects the living room to the outdoor dining area with sceneries of surrounding mountains.</p> <p>The formal dining room has a private outdoor atrium and lounge area, while the kitchen is lined with black marble countertops.</p> <p>Before Frank died in 1998, he and Barbara split their time between their Beverly Hills estate and a Malibu beach house, Rabinowitz said. After the singer’s death, Barbara and her friends were robbed on a Beverly Hills street, prompting her to look for an apartment with additional security.</p> <p>She bought the 24-hour surveillance Westwood property in the early 2000s from Marilyn and Harry Lewis of the Hamburger Hamlet restaurant chain, according to public records.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see inside Barbara Sinatra’s lavish penthouse.</p>

Music

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Remembering Barbara Stanwyck: A life in pictures

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">109 years ago, Barbara Stanwyck whose original name was Ruby Stevens, was born in Brooklyn, US. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The American motion picture and television actress gained traction in 1926 when she nabbed the leading role in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burlesque. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What made her a legend in her own right was not the number of revered awards, money or fame. Ms Stanwyck died being known as an iconic figure throughout the early ‘30s, for her sheer talent and her versatility that made her a force to be reckoned with during Hollywood’s Golden era. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stanwyck was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress four times for her roles in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stella Dallas, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Sorry, Wrong Number.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The adaptable and gifted talent won three Emmy awards, a Golden Globe and an honorary Oscar in 1982. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Later, Stanwyck was made the recipient of honorary lifetime awards and eventually went on to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Barbara Stanwyck died 20 January 1990 in Santa Monica. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scroll through the gallery above to see a glimpse of Barbara Stanwyck’s life through pictures. </span></p>

Art

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5 incredibly bizarre stories about the resting place of famous musicians

<p>The life of a musician is often dramatic and strange, but one would expect things to settle down once they pass. Not for these musicians, who even after their death, unusual events have haunted them. Here are five of the strangest occurrences to happen to a musician after their death:</p> <p><strong>Ian Curtis’s memorial stone was stolen in 2008 </strong></p> <p>When Joy Division singer Ian Curtis passed away in 1980 at the mere age of 23, his body was cremated, and his ashes were buried at Macclesfield Cemetery. Where his ashes laid, a stone engraved with Curtis’s death date and also the title of Joy Division song “Love Will Tear Us Apart” was placed at the memorial.</p> <p>But 28 years later, in July 2008, it was stolen. Speaking to the BBC, a police spokesman said: “There is no CCTV in the area and there are no apparent leads as to who is responsible for the theft. This is a very unusual theft and I am confident that someone locally will have knowledge about who is responsible or where the memorial stone is at present.”</p> <p>While a new stone was later made and placed at the site, the old one has not returned, with Joy Division and New Order drummer, Stephen Morris saying “people go around nicking road signs, but a person’s gravestone is very personal and the person who took it needs help.”</p> <p><strong>Frank Sinatra is buried with a roll of dimes </strong></p> <p>While it is a common occurrence for musicians to be buried with objects after their death, Frank Sinatra has been given several things in his grave. A pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a bottle of bourbon whiskey and the most unusual, a roll of 10 dimes.</p> <p>The roll of dimes was included by his daughter Tina, and the running joke behind it was that if he ever managed to escape his resting place, he would be able to call his friends from a payphone. But the real story is a lot more sentimental. Speaking with Larry King Live after the passing of her father, Tina said “it came from Frankie’s kidnapping [the 1963 abduction of Frank Sinatra Jr] … He never wanted to get caught not able to make a phone call, so he always carried 10 dimes.”</p> <p><strong>Frank Zappa and Roy Orbison are buried in unmarked graves in the same cemetery </strong></p> <p>Pierce Bros Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles is the final resting place of many famous people. Some of the stars buried there are Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Truman Capote, Burt Lancaster, Hugh Hefner, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Gene Kelly, Jack Lemmon and Carl Wilson.</p> <p>But also buried at the famous grave site is Frank Zappa (1940 – 1993) and Roy Orbison (1936 – 1988), who happen to both be resting very close to each other, and both in unmarked graves. And while people constantly raise the question as to why that is, Orbison’s son Alex told Reuters in 2010, “It’s definitely not intentional. It’s not like we don’t want people going by there or whatever. It’s been put to the backburner for so long.”</p> <p>He then said that the original plan was to relocate the grave which they still may end up moving forward with. “In the very beginning, it was just too painful to deal with anything. As my Mom would say, it’s always just something that’s in the works.” Barbara Orbison – Roy’s second wife – passed away and was buried next to her husband in a marked grave.</p> <p>When it comes to Zappa, no one knows why his grave is unmarked with people speculating that being remembered was never in Zappa’s list of priorities, or that his family didn’t want the tombstone to be the victim of vandalism.</p> <p><strong>Fans leave cabbages at Serge Gainsbourg’s grave</strong></p> <p>It was the year 1991 when French singer and songwriter Serge Gainsbourg died. Then-president Francois Mitterrand said, “He was our Baudelaire, our Apollinaire … He elevated the song to the level of art.” Gainsbourg’s resting place is the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris, the same as Baudelaire. Fans who regularly visited his grave would bring gifts as a token of appreciation, such as cigarettes, metro tickets – a tribute to his song Les Poinconneur des Lilas (The Ticket Puncher of Lilas) and strangely, cabbages. It is said that cabbages are frequently left at Gainsbourg’s grave to honour his 1976 album L’Homme a tete de chou (The Man with a Cabbage Head).</p> <p><strong>There are two heads in Joseph Haydn’s tomb</strong></p> <p>Finally, the strangest story of all is what happened to classical composer Joseph Haydn’s head after he passed away in 1809. Haydn’s head also has its own dedicated <span><em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Haydn">Wikipedia page</a></em></span>. Haydn’s body was located in the Hundsturm cemetery in Vienna until his employer Nikolaus I, Prince Esterhazy asked for him to be moved to the city of Eisenstadt in 1820. When they opened Haydn’s grave, they discovered that someone had removed his head and stolen it. It wasn’t until 1954 when they finally found Haydn’s head, but while they added the skull to his grave, no one removed the substitute skull that was added in 1820, meaning Haydn is currently resting with two heads.</p>

Music

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Remembering the music of our youth

<p><strong><em>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle.</em></strong></p> <p>This is a trip down memory lane. Yes, aging baby boomers, we are old enough to recall when a humble black and white television appeared, like a stranger, in our lounge rooms.</p> <p>As youngsters of post-war Australia, we were introduced to “Bandstand”. This was a music show, featuring some Australian ‘talent’. It was first hosted by Johhny O’Keeffe, regarded as the legendary founder of Australian rock n’roll. On Bandstand, ‘clean-cut’ acts, such as Col Joye and the Joy Boys, were presented for family viewing.</p> <p>In 1964, the British pop band, The Beatles, toured Australia. This brought a new wave of pop/Oz rock music to our eardrums. A lot of artists, such as the Bee Gees, and The Easybeats, were formed by lads who had migrated to Australia. The Bee Gees gained international success, with “Spicks and Specks’, and later songs. The Easybeats did have some English and European success with their hit, ‘Friday on my Mind’.</p> <p>Our trip down memory lane continues. Concerts were held at Festival Hall in Melbourne. Local bands found their early starts in Mechanics’ Institutes, or neighbouring suburban town halls. They added their own version, as they practised in garages, to the overseas ‘pop invasion’. What is more, “Go-Set” was published during this time. This weekly magazine, until 1974, influenced a generation of teenagers, with Hit charts and Number Ones. This was based on times when Normie Rowe was King, and toured Vietnam with Little Pattie, to entertain our deployed diggers.</p> <p>As teenagers, growing up in Melbourne, we aspired to own transistor radios, and to have a little record player, to play vinyl records produced by Festival and EMI labels. These were very popular in our land of Oz at this time. “Lock up your daughters, Billy Thorpe and The Atzecs are in town…”</p> <p>Then, following this wave, along came “Countdown”, this began with good ole’ Molly Meldrum, in `1974. This show, courtesy of our ABC, introduced us to pub rock bands. Daddy Cool, Sherbet, Skyhooks, Max Merritt and the Meteors, Russell Morris, John Paul Young, and, of course, AC/DC.</p> <p>I shall tell you a story, down memory lane. As younger teenagers, we had to attend school dances at our local suburban high school. Older boys had formed a band, and played Oz rock. We were forced to socialize. The band played their version of “Simon Says”. Classic. “No one dance when teacher says!’ So we didn’t. Our principal, a little Hitler, stood up and announced, “You louts are a bunch of deadbeats, and you’ll never amount to anything.” Two or three members of that band became Skyhooks! They could have bought and sold the whole suburb. Our boys did really well.</p> <p>But Skyhooks were not an international success, like their rock n’roll contemporaries, AC/DC. This band, too, gained early fame in Melbourne, playing in local pubs and town halls, doing ‘gigs’. Yes, we had our own Oz rock, with pop bands as well. I wonder, sometimes, if a muso popular today, will last as long as AC/DC, or even Elvis Presley, or The Beatles.</p> <p>So, were you living in a suburb in the seventies?  Now we are the aging baby boomers, we are not forced to attend school dances anymore. Whew! On the flip side, the groupies of all these great way back when bands, are now grey haired grannies at U3A and Probus. Scary, very scary. Finally, to paraphrase, “Oz rock is not noise pollution!” A little trip down memory lane…</p>

Music

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Food flashbacks! Do you remember these childhood favourites?

<p><strong><em>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle.</em></strong></p> <p>Do you have food flashbacks, yearning for childhood favourites? Or are you glad you never have to eat foods such as crumbed brains, baked egg custard with stewed home-grown rhubarb again? Apparently, when young, I was a legendary, suburban projectile vomiter. Did this meal set me right off!</p> <p>Ah, a food flashback, of chops or sausages, accompanied by three vegetables. One of these was, of course, mashed potatoes, often made with both full cream milk and butter, then topped with another pat of butter.</p> <p>Totally slimming! Years later, I cooked this meal for two young Oz lads. They had been brought up on chicken nuggets and frozen pizza. They had never even seen a lamb chop! I must say, I did get them hooked on creamy mashed potatoes… They returned home from their little visit, quite enamoured.</p> <p>Or do you recall being lined up at Primary School, forced to drink unflavoured full cream milk by the glass bottle, adorned with a foil lid? The crates of milk bottles sat there in the playground, with no refrigeration, no attending to anyone’s allergies. Lactose intolerance was unknown. My sisters and I were plump, but a lot of our classmates, the baby boomer kids, were thin.</p> <p>Then the baby boomer children ate peanut butter or jam sandwiches for school lunch. None of these nouvelle chicken wraps, or packets of interesting goodies. Yes, peanut butter sandwiches, wrapped in greaseproof paper, placed in brown paper bag, mired in a school bag. We used to take our paper bags home to be reused by our mum.</p> <p>My erstwhile husband, born in Europe, told me a tale once. On his first day in an Australian primary school, he took for lunch a sandwich of salami on rye. He was a ‘new Australian’! The gang mentality of Grade Six laughed at him so much. The next day, he appeared with a jam sandwich on white bread. That’s how he came to be ‘assimilated’!</p> <p>But, wait, one final flashback. Some baby boomers can recall being given cod liver oil on a tablespoon at night, before bedtime! Ah, the good old days… Cakes tasted like cakes, and fruit grew on trees in the back yard.</p> <p>Those food flashbacks… What are some of yours?</p>

Family & Pets

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Is ageism affecting you?

<p><em><strong>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle.</strong></em></p> <p>Yah, we made it! We got old! Now we are ageing in the millennial world, which we have played a part in creating.</p> <p>Is ageism affecting you? Ageism is simply discrimination against older people in the workforce, in the media, in advertising, and in the social scene.</p> <p>One of the major areas where ageism is evident, is in the employment of older workers. Older workers can provide years of experience, life skills, and be great mentors to younger workers. But nearly a third of the officially unemployed workers are aged 45-65 years old. If someone loses their job at this age, they may never gain more than a casual, part-time position. These are the vital years pre-retirement, when employees build up savings and superannuation for their golden years.</p> <p>Basically, many employers do discriminate against hiring older workers from their candidates. Some unemployed older worker can retrain, but may battle an overlooked prejudice, the ageism of the potential employer. These retrained workers may never gain employment. If they do, they may have only 5-10 years of working life remaining. Many employers prefer to hire someone younger.</p> <p>Ageism is also evident in the media. For instance, no weather girl on the television is an old, grey, fat woman. Weather girls are anorexic, beautiful, blonde bimbos who can barely read an autocue. Maybe old, fat, grey women don’t want to be weather girls. That’s okay. Maybe they do, and the employers in television land hire young, attractive babes. That is ageism.</p> <p>On the other hand, ageism can factor in a reverse situation. An older, more experienced nurse, doctor, allied health professional, or a teacher, can still attract job opportunities. Society regards their experience as both valid and valuable. In my personal experience, as a teacher/tutor for 42 years, I receive part-time job offers as a tutor, several times per week. Nice to be asked.</p> <p>Moreover, seniors have discounts on travel fares, a senior’s card discount on purchases, and some concessions with their pensions. But is the level of the senior’s pension, a sign of ageism itself? Most household budgets are eroded by the cost of food and bills.</p> <p>What are your experiences? Is ageism affecting you?</p>

Retirement Life

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Is ageism affecting you?

<p><em><strong>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle.</strong></em></p> <p>Yah, we made it! We got old! Now we are ageing in the millennial world, which we have played a part in creating.</p> <p>Is ageism affecting you? Ageism is simply discrimination against older people in the workforce, in the media, in advertising, and in the social scene.</p> <p>One of the major areas where ageism is evident, is in the employment of older workers. Older workers can provide years of experience, life skills, and be great mentors to younger workers. But nearly a third of the officially unemployed workers are aged 45-65 years old. If someone loses their job at this age, they may never gain more than a casual, part-time position. These are the vital years pre-retirement, when employees build up savings and superannuation for their golden years.</p> <p>Basically, many employers do discriminate against hiring older workers from their candidates. Some unemployed older worker can retrain, but may battle an overlooked prejudice, the ageism of the potential employer. These retrained workers may never gain employment. If they do, they may have only 5-10 years of working life remaining. Many employers prefer to hire someone younger.</p> <p>Ageism is also evident in the media. For instance, no weather girl on the television is an old, grey, fat woman. Weather girls are anorexic, beautiful, blonde bimbos who can barely read an autocue. Maybe old, fat, grey women don’t want to be weather girls. That’s okay. Maybe they do, and the employers in television land hire young, attractive babes. That is ageism.</p> <p>On the other hand, ageism can factor in a reverse situation. An older, more experienced nurse, doctor, allied health professional, or a teacher, can still attract job opportunities. Society regards their experience as both valid and valuable. In my personal experience, as a teacher/tutor for 42 years, I receive part-time job offers as a tutor, several times per week. Nice to be asked.</p> <p>Moreover, seniors have discounts on travel fares, a senior’s card discount on purchases, and some concessions with their pensions. But is the level of the senior’s pension, a sign of ageism itself? Most household budgets are eroded by the cost of food and bills.</p> <p>What are your experiences? Is ageism affecting you?</p>

Retirement Life

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Who cares for the carers?

<p><em><strong>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle.</strong></em></p> <p>Are you a carer? It might not be the retirement you planned, now you are over sixty. Sometimes people can become accidental caregivers for a husband, a wife, a geriatric parent, a significant other, or for your adult children, for any health or disability issue.</p> <p>So, who cares for the carers? Caregivers are a silent army, largely invisible in their working environment. If your to-do list is daily expanding, you may wake up exhausted. It is hard to acknowledge the demands of your role as a carer. You must take care of you own health. Carers need to cut corners, such as obtaining frozen or home delivery meals. You can automate grocery shopping, have it home delivered. If finances permit, you can engage the services of a gardener. There is support from the local council for domestic tasks, and for caregiving needs, such as showering the caree.</p> <p>Primarily, in Australia, government departments, such as the Department of Human Services, or the Department of Health, can be consulted to assess the caree, and assess the needs to keep them in their own home. One service is My Aged Care Services, or MACS. The carer can have the caree appraised, to ascertain the level of ongoing support and available services needed to keep aging people in their own home.</p> <p>Essentially, a carer must take care of their own wellbeing, or there is no one to care for your caree. It is a good idea to maintain some personal exercise program, and to keep your own medical appointments. You can inform your GP that you are a carer, and enlist his/her support. Where possible, you can seek to pursue your own hobbies and interests. Rest is best.</p> <p>If you are feeling isolated in your role as a carer, there are online support groups. If your caree becomes high maintenance, you and the doctor can explore respite care, or enlist a support team to monitor the domestic situation, and give you a break.</p> <p>Ultimately, who cares for carers? If you wake up in the morning, and the car started, just think, “The assassins failed again!” Rise and shine, accentuate the positive. Nothing lasts forever, carers must take care of themselves!</p>

Caring

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Relationship quiz: How well do you know your partner?

<p><em><strong>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle.</strong></em></p> <p>Hi there, retired couples, how is your relationship going, on a scale of 1-10? What would</p> <p>you rate it? Better yet, how would your loved one rate it?</p> <p>Now is the time to build on your loving bonds, your daily interactions cam provides you with emotional and physical health, and good conversations can improve your mindset. These are your</p> <p>golden years. Any kids have grown up, you can enjoy your grandkids. This is the time to travel</p> <p>together, or socialise with each other, or others in the community. How many ways can you develop</p> <p>your ongoing relationship with each other?</p> <p>Here is a bit of light-hearted fun! Both of you can complete this simple quiz.</p> <ol> <li>Would you like to be famous, and for what? (Swap answers).</li> <li>What is your idea of a perfect romantic interlude? (Compare answers, anything in common?)</li> <li>Who would you really like to be having dinner with tonight? Why?</li> <li>What do you want to be doing when you are ninety years old?</li> <li>Name two things you both have in common? (Do you agree?)</li> <li>What do you really want to be doing, now you're over-sixty?</li> <li>What is your best memory?</li> <li>What is your most embarrassing moment?</li> <li>What is your favourite joke? (Hope you have a mutual giggle!)</li> <li>What does being a good friend mean to you? How would you rate your partner as a friend?</li> </ol> <p>You can rate each other. Is the magic still the same? How have you changed in the way you feel, since the day you met? Can you reinvent the chemistry? Smiles and hugs are free!</p>

Relationships

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How I fell head over heels in love with my pet

<p><em><strong>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle.</strong></em></p> <p>So, you want a fur friend for your retirement! Domestic animals. For example, a dog. This is food for thought: who is these days domesticating whom? Exactly who invented emotional blackmail? Why, our pets.</p> <p>This is a little tale for you. Say you buy a puppy. Ooh, a cute fluffy puppy, like a Shi-Tsu. Ahh, cute and fluffy. You buy it a bed, a flash set of doggy bowls for food and water. You have to purchase it a leash, a collar, a coat, toys, flea and worming treatments. Plus your new owner, the puppy, shall need regular clippings. Ahh, a cute and fluffy puppy.</p> <p>Ahh, so cute. You place your puppy in the middle of the lounge room. Ahh, a little puddle. You promptly clean the carpet. Now you need to buy carpet cleaners and deodorants. Ahh, a cute and fluffy Shi-Tsu. So adorable. You buy a brush and puppy pen, and tenderly place your Shi-Tsu puppy in it. Ahhh, it does not like its puppy pen. It chews its way into the family room. You love this little fur friend already. So cute and fluffy.</p> <p>What’s next? Ahhhh, look the Shi-Tsu’s found your only pair of slippers. Ahhh, well, they were your slippers. Never mind. Ahhh, look, it’s time for a cute little puppy’s dinner. You kindly place appropriate puppy nibbles in its shiny brand new bowl. The cute and fluffy puppy does not want to eat the food! Ahhh! What is it going to eat? Looking in the fridge, you find some steak. Ahh, now you are cooking. Your cute and fluffy. Shi-Tsu thinks you are full of it, but basically lovable so long as you cook steak. Ahh, your puppy loves you. Ahhh, unconditional love. It has already acquired effective communication and emotional blackmail capability. Ahhh, little Shi-Tsu, so cute and fluffy, and funny.</p> <p>Look, now it is chewing the skirting board in the family room. Ahh, you love your puppy. Then, it is bedtime. Ahhh, you place your cute and fluffy Shi-Tsu in its bed, also cute and fluffy, with its brand new toys. You head off to bed after cleaning a couple more puddles. Ahhhh, exhausted, you sink into and turn off the bedside lamp. Wrong! A persistent whining and howling emanates from the family room. Ahhh, cute and fluffy Shi-Tsu is lonely. Ahhh, you pet your puppy. Ahhh, don’t wriggle in bed, your puppy might not like that. Ahhhh, your puppy snores! Delightfully cute. Ahhh, so cute and fluffy. Never mind, you can buy earplugs.</p> <p>See, you have acquired a canine who does not speak English, but it has already mastered effective communication. Never mind, “Tomorrow is a new day!” Your new cute and fluffy owner can sleep on your bed all day, while you drive off to the supermarket in the rain to buy it more steak. Don’t forget the earplugs!</p> <p>Never mind. You have been domesticated in symbiosis by emotional blackmail. Unconditional love? So, you wanted a companion fur friend in retirement. Yes, your dog shall make your world a better place…</p>

Family & Pets

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