• It's a Ponderous Life 15: How the F**k Does Julia Morris Get Nominated for a Gold Logie?
    Jun 25 2024

    For your consideration, here is episode fifteen 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.


    As the title of this week’s episode suggests, I have a few problems with the recent announcement of the people who have been nominated for the Gold Logie at Australian TV’s ‘so-called’ night of nights, the Logie Awards. A couple of years ago I did an episode wondering why these awards still even exist. And on today’s program I will probably revisit some of those thoughts, as well as expanding on a few of the current ones.

    In amongst that are a couple of other quick items which I feel I should add, just for the general amusement of... myself.


    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.

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/metalcavern/message
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • It's a Ponderous Life: Kitchen Duty / Vivid Livid
    Jun 15 2024

    For your consideration, here is episode fourteen 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.


    This week's rant comes in two parts.

    Firstly, I will regale you with the joys of the communal kitchen of the workplace, and how enjoyably frustrating it can be when no matter what cleaning and tidying is done, the same scene replays over and over each time you return for your next cup of coffee.

    Secondly, I muse on my own changing weaknesses when it comes to wanting to actually see what is happening in the outside world, and the madness that was on show with the crowds at Sydney's Vivid Festival.

    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.

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/metalcavern/message
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • It’s a Ponderous Life: A Weekly Snapshot
    May 29 2024

    A Weekly Snapshot


    For your consideration, here is episode thirteen 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.


    This week I’ve had a little bit of a change, going down the track that I have some points to offer you, some things that have happened to me over the past week that I'm just going to discuss with you. They aren’t big worldly events as I've been doing over the last few episodes, or remembrances of my old days watching movies or the schoolyard or anything like that. And while I’m sure that those things will come back into vogue on episodes down the track, today it's just me talking about what I did in the last week - which may be of interest to you, or could well bore the crap out of you.

    But if you are interested in hearing about what I watched on TV this week with my daughter, the movie that I went to the cinemas to watch, what I'm cooking in the kitchen, or even what is coming out of my head at the moment, then why not stick around and check out what I've got to say.


    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.

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/metalcavern/message
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Helen & Bill Do Retro Cinema - 2005
    May 20 2024

    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 78th Academy Awards in 2006, all released in 2005. So why not tune in to hear what these two cinefiles think about:

    BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

    CRASH

    CAPOTE

    GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.

    MUNICH

    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.

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/metalcavern/message
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • It's a Ponderous Life - Games from the Schoolyard
    May 9 2024
    For your consideration, here is episode twelve 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 has been a long time since I have, in the words of Cat Stevens, ‘remembered the days of the old school yard’. Some of those things were great, and other things were not. In my case any enduring trauma from the less than spectacular things that occurred has faded well and truly over time. One of the best parts of school was the games that were played at recess and at lunchtimes. Some of those games involved only a few friends, others felt as though it incorporated most of the entire school. Like all schools around the world, there were some games that were similar to what you would have played at your own school. However, some of those games would have adapted rules to take in the unique area that each school was in. And then there were games that could be said to unique on their own, made up by yourself to keep you entertained. All of those things were what I experienced in my school days, and on today’s episode I’m going to reminisce about some of them, and hopefully rekindle some memories for you about the games you used to play. 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. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/metalcavern/message
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Helen & Bill Do Retro Cinema - 2004
    Apr 30 2024

    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 77th Academy Awards in 2005, all released in 2004. So why not tune in to hear what these two cinefiles think about:

    MILLION DOLLAR BABY

    SIDEWAYS

    FINDING NEVERLAND

    RAY

    THE AVIATOR

    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.

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/metalcavern/message
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • It's a Ponderous Life - How Relevant is ANZAC Day in the Modern Day
    Apr 24 2024

    For your consideration, here is episode eleven 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.


    In Australia and New Zealand, ANZAC Day has rolled around again, and with it the annual discussion and remembrance of the same day back in 1915 when the first troops were dropped onto the shores of Gallipoli, and the start of a battle that has become a part of folklore for both of these countries.

    In the years since, the day has become one where we remember the sacrifice a generation of young men made in the name of King and Country, with traditions of the dawn service, the march, and the two-up. But in more recent times, have those traditions held up, or have they been overtaken by the need to make sporting events the major focus of the day in a masquerade of celebrating that sacrifice. And perhaps more to the point, is the day as relevant to the younger generations now, some 110 years after the outbreak of what was known as The Great War.

    On today’s discussion, I am going to ramble on about my memories growing up of ANZAC Day, and how the way I have looked at the day has changed over the intervening years.


    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.

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/metalcavern/message
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • It's a Ponderous Life - Childhood Memories of Going to the Cinema
    Apr 10 2024

    For your consideration, here is episode ten 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.


    As this podcast has moved away from being the sports-heavy discussion that it started out to be and has become more a reflection on things I’ve seen and done and thought about in my life, I have had several episodes which talk about movies and the spectacle of watching them. And today's episode is no different.


    Like most of you, I was able to enjoy movies from a young age, and especially so in going to the cinema and enjoying that experience. So, on today’s episode I’m going to talk about my first forays to the cinema, what I saw, who I went with, and what are my memories of those films along with the cinemas I watched them in. And perhaps those of you who are of my vintage will pick up on some similarities to what you watched, and those of you who are younger may wonder just what was so attractive at that time.


    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.

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/metalcavern/message
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins