For your consideration, here is episode twenty two of "It's a Ponderous Life", the place where I offer you the weekly rantings of a middle aged man trying to come to grips with life, where the wife and kids all have their own lives that don't require me, and I get fist shakingly annoyed at the world as I see it.

For some 34 years, myself and my friend group from high school have participated in an event that we call “The Biannual”, where we try to meet up twice a year and catch up with what everyone is doing in their lives. The importance of the event has changed over those 34 years, in some ways that I never expected.

Today I talk about how it all came to be, and the several stages that it has observed in the time since. The ways that it has operated, and the joy and frustration I have had because of it.

So please join me in my quest to get a few things off my chest, in another episodic enlightenment of “It's a Ponderous Life”, right here on Thoughts from the Metal Cavern.

For your consideration, here is episode twenty one of "It's a Ponderous Life", the place where I offer you the weekly rantings of a middle aged man trying to come to grips with life, where the wife and kids all have their own lives that don't require me, and I get fist shakingly annoyed at the world as I see it.

With the eldest child having once again moved away from home, the wife away on a girls weekend away, and the other two kids either doing their Higher School Certificate or playing cricket, it has been left to me to hold the fort at home, and look after the dog who doesn’t like being alone, but likes it less if I am the only other alternative.

So let’s discuss the upkeep of the house, and how that all goes when the main contributor is away drinking copies bottles of wine rather than doing what she normally does around the house.

On today’s episode I discuss my views on washing of clothes, and the way it should be prepared and sorted. I discuss whether or not ironing has become a thing of the past, about how hard is it really to keep your bedroom clean, and the time frame required to make sure the bathrooms and toilets are actually livable.

So please join me in my quest to get a few things off my chest, in another episodic enlightenment of “It's a Ponderous Life”, right here on Thoughts from the Metal Cavern.

Welcome back to a new episode of the re-titled movie retrospective episodes "Helen & Bill's Excellent Movie Adventures", the episodes of this podcast where Helen and Bill take on the roles vacated by David and Margaret and bring you the reviews that matter... on movies from the past that no doubt you have all seen before.

Today's episode features the five films that were nominated for Best Picture at the 80th Academy Awards in 2008, all released in 2007. So why not tune in to hear what these two cinefiles think about:

JUNO

ATONEMENT

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

MICHAEL CLAYTON

THERE WILL BE BLOOD

That's the agenda on today's episode of "Helen & Bill's Excellent Movie Adventures", on the podcast where agreeing on anything is a full time commitment, Thoughts from the Metal Cavern.

For your consideration, here is episode twenty of "It's a Ponderous Life", the place where I offer you the weekly rantings of a middle aged man trying to come to grips with life, where the wife and kids all have their own lives that don't require me, and I get fist shakingly annoyed at the world as I see it.

The world is in an ever evolving state of flux, and nothing proves it more than the recent debate between the two nominees for President of the United States. The fiasco that continues to be the way political debates are held and run is an unfortunate sign of the times, and mirrors what is occurring in social media, journalism and the media as a whole. On today’s episode, I talk a little about debating and review my nerdish tendencies when I speak of my own experience with debating in high school, and also the past history of political debates, before extending that to a discussion on the ills of social media and the state of journalism around the world.

Following this, I then discuss the absolute joy I had over the past week in meeting up with almost complete strangers from across the world as they swarmed to Australia to not only watch Iron Maiden in concert, but meet up with fellow Maiden fans for the first time. It’s a discussion about a mutual love of music that has been nurtured by the good side of the internet and social media, and the wave of podcasting.

So please join me in my quest to get a few things off my chest, in another episodic enlightenment of “It's a Ponderous Life”, right here on Thoughts from the Metal Cavern.

For your consideration, here is episode nineteen of "It's a Ponderous Life", the place where I offer you the weekly rantings of a middle aged man trying to come to grips with life, where the wife and kids all have their own lives that don't require me, and I get fist shakingly annoyed at the world.

Today I explain away the fact that there has been a significant delay between episodes due to the build up of illnesses I have suffered from in recent times, which may or may not be believed.

Then I discuss Fathers Day in my world, and how the appreciation of the day changes as the kids get older, and my own father does the same but without dying on me.

Finally, I give a quick discussion of two shows I watched during my fever ridden week off work, and whether they are worthy of your attention.

So please join me in my quest to get a few things off my chest, in another episodic enlightenment of "It's a Ponderous Life", right here on Thoughts from the Metal Cavern.

For your consideration, here is episode seventeen of "It's a Ponderous Life", the place where I offer you the weekly rantings of a middle aged man trying to come to grips with life, where the wife and kids all have their own lives that don't require me, and I get fist shakingly annoyed at the world as I see it.

It isn't often that a sequel is made and released some 28 years after the original first came to light, especially of a film that was hugely successful but also acted as a closed story from start to finish. However, that has come to pass, with the recent release of "Twisters" at the cinema, described as a stand-alone sequel to the 1996 film "Twister". On today’s episode, I’m going to go back in time once again, and relive with you my memories of that original film and how much I loved it at the time, and since. Then I will try and do the impossible, by giving you a review of the new film without giving away any spoilers, and talk about whether or not I believe it is a sequel or its own entity as a film.

So please join me in my quest to get a few things off my chest, in another episodic enlightenment of “It's a Ponderous Life”, right here on Thoughts from the Metal Cavern.

For your consideration, here is episode seventeen of "It's a Ponderous Life", the place where I offer you the weekly rantings of a middle aged man trying to come to grips with life, where the wife and kids all have their own lives that don't require me, and I get fist shakingly annoyed at the world as I see it.

Netflix has just dropped the fourth Beverly Hills Cop subtitled Axel F, once again starring Eddie Murphy, some 30 years after the previous instalment in the series had been released. And the fact it took that long to come up with a script and the funding and the cast should possibly suggest whether or not there was a need or desire for it to come out. So, now that it has been released, is it worth the wait?

On today’s episode, I’m going to go back in time and revisit all three previous movies. I’m going to watch them again and share my thoughts, from when I originally saw them and then from now. And I’ll watch the newest release, and give you my thoughts on that as well, and discuss whether or not it all fits together and, more importantly, is still entertaining enough to enjoy.

So please join me in my quest to get a few things off my chest, in another episodic enlightenment of “It's a Ponderous Life”, right here on Thoughts from the Metal Cavern.

Welcome back to a new episode of "Helen & Bill Do Retro Cinema", the episodes of this podcast where Helen and Bill take on the roles vacated by David and Margaret and bring you the reviews that matter... on movies from the past that no doubt you have all seen before.

Today's episode features the five films that were nominated for Best Picture at the 79th Academy Awards in 2007, all released in 2006. So why not tune in to hear what these two cinefiles think about:

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

BABEL

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

THE QUEEN

THE DEPARTED

That's the agenda on today's episode of "Helen & Bill Do Retro Cinema", on the podcast where agreeing on anything is a full time commitment, Thoughts from the Metal Cavern.