Welcome back to a new episode of our 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 a Xmas yuletide celebration. We have watched 12 movies over the first two weeks of December, mostly new releases, and we offer you our almost-expert thoughts on them all. Then we discuss other favourites that we haven't been able to get around to this year, before we list our own personal top 5 Xmas Movies of all time.

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, Death by Multimedia.

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 81st Academy Awards in 2009, all released in 2008. So why not tune in to hear what these two cinefiles think about:

THE READER

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

MILK

FROST/NIXON

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, Death by Multimedia.

On today's episode of your host will compare the way that Hollywood writers create movies in the modern day, and in particular in the action genre. And to do so we will use three particular films as an example of this and discuss the plot lines of these movies and the characters of those films, and how the similarities between all three of them are actually quite obvious and yet don't really detract from the final output – that being, three terrific action films.

So that is going to be the discussion on today's episode of the rebranded and airbrushed podcast called Death by Multimedia.

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.