Pear Period Pain.

Two things. 1. Wine Wednesdays are the best. 2. I got the first proof of my new book in the post and after the weeks of technical headaches and self-doubt, I've literally never felt happier. Also, wine.

A long-remembered quote, a truly phoned in (but tasty) recipe, and the realisation that achieving something cool comes with angst, headaches, and stingy eyes. nickybondramblings.blogspot.com/2026/04/too-...

After an absolute bastard of a day where my brain’s been thoroughly fried, i’ve just caught up with last night’s Taskmaster. Everything feels better now.

Phil LOVES Notting Hill. He rewatches regularly, and it gives him 'warmth.' Nicky thought she liked Notting Hill. She hadn't seen it for years and was surprised how much she had stopped liking it since. Hear their lively convo, about the beloved rom com, here... www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9zn...

NO IT ISN'T, WILL THACKER. STOP TALKING IN INAUTHENTIC ABSOLUTES. Nicky had a lot to say on this week's pod. NOTTING HILL is the film up for debate and woah does it get lively. www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9zn...

This was a GREAT convo.

You want lively chat about a beloved nineties romcom? Get this in your ears... www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9zn... NOTTING HILL gets the Lights, Camera, Aggro treatment.

BREAKING: The so called 'SAVE' Act has FAILED in the Senate and will not become law. I wrote this piece on how in reality, this is the Voter Restriction Act to prevent women from voting. It is fascism and would have installed Trump as a permanent dictator. www.qasimrashid.com/p/the-save-a...

And, of course, after the BBC spends a week obsessively promoting their disgraceful dog-whistle "sting", Reform promises to review and revoke the asylum decisions of thousands of people already granted it. With zero mentions of the BBC's "undercover investigation" anywhere in the piece. A

Waiting around and meaty caveats... nickybondramblings.blogspot.com/2026/04/can-...

Seeing the fury when Bluesky went down for a few hours yesterday, I was very glad that I'm not offering any kind of free service to a large number of people.

This cartoon by Naked Pastor is SO GOOD. Sums up what I’ve been saying for ages about what happens when you start gatekeeping womanhood (and spoiler alert it’s the opposite of feminism).

Is this a beautiful scene depicting the first admission of a shared connection and natural intimacy? Or is it giving 'role-play on a training day' vibes? Listen to the BEFORE SUNRISE pod, and YOU decide. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeVh...

Is it possible to convey the heartfelt beauty of BEFORE SUNRISE to middle-aged people no longer in a position to have extended travel and meet sexy people on trains? A coming of age film that came of age in the 90s. Watch the film, then listen to the podcast. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeVh...

I LOVED talking about this.

A post-Easter roundup. Including too many mini eggs and fraught technical issues. nickybondramblings.blogspot.com/2026/04/how-...

Last night on Bluesky felt rather lovely. And historic.

BBC is reporting that Tisza has won 138 (!!!) seats in Hungary’s parliament, which gives them a supermajority sufficient to change their constitution. They needed 132. Astonishing.

my kink is seeing fascists lose

so so many people here spontaneously erupting in chants that translate to "it's over! it's over!" not even 10pm here and unfortunately I'm already getting a bit emotional

Orban has conceded. Majority too big for him to try any nonsense. Tisza is going to have plenty of challenges in sorting out Orban's mess but this is a good day.

Happy 50th anniversary to “All the President’s Men” — a film that owes its existence to Redford, who bought the film rights, developed the script and cajoled a reluctant Woodward & Bernstein. I thought it was “a great character study,” he said later. But, for months, “they didn’t return my calls.”

This week, Phil's giddy love of a childhood classic crashes smack bang into Nicky's adult 'is this cultural appropriation?' vibes. Listen to their chat about all things THE KARATE KID. www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRO0...

This week it's Phil's pick. The film up for discussion is THE KARATE KID. Is this a bone fide classic? Does it hold up for a first time viewing today? And why does Ali look so much older than Daniel? All this and more, via the link. www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRO0...

Come and wax on with us! This week, Nicky and Phil discuss THE KARATE KID. All the big issues get covered, including how do two Scousers pronounce the word 'karate'? Listen below! www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRO0...

One for the young Gen Xers, the old Millennials, and the perfectly formed Xennials… nickybondramblings.blogspot.com/2026/04/ooh-...

I've seen people trying to defend it today by saying "No, no, I just use it to brainstorm, bounce ideas, I do the actual writing" and with all the kindness in the world I need to tell you: if there is a stage of writing you are not good at, you need to get good, not use the plagiarism machine.

The ultimate comedy caper. Nicky and Phil chat all things A FISH CALLED WANDA. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVKO...

I loved chatting about this! www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVKO...

Get your A FISH CALLED WANDA podcasts here! www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVKO... This week, Nicky brings her long-time favourite for discussion. All the lols, albeit some slightly dubious ones these days. Listen!

Because signing stuff can make a difference and numbers count

Phew. That was a week. nickybondramblings.blogspot.com/2026/03/a-fr...

“I've just injected steroids into my arm" "Anabolic?" "No, just my arm"

I saw someone online say that instead of the clocks changing at 1am on a Sunday, meaning we all lose an hour in bed, why don't they go forward at 4pm on a Friday, so everyone celebrates, and I can't stop thinking about it.

For no reason, some good books about magical people at schools: - the Carry On series by Rainbow Rowell (and the book Fangirl) - the Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo (with an adaptation on Netflix) - the Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik (although the Temeraire series is my favorite by her)

What happens when you've avoided a film your entire life, but get made to watch it for a podcast? It means Nicky has many questions. Phil's favourite film of all time, STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE gets discussed on the pod. Listen via the link below. It's a good one. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDAv...

Series 2 is here, and it's Phil choice of film. Can he convince Nicky that STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE is the best film ever? Listen via the link below. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDAv...

We're back, baby! www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDAv...

Them: It always used to be just ‘lesbian and gay’. This whole ‘LGBTQ’ stuff is a modern thing. Armistead Maupin: Publishing in 1978 the first of a series of novels about a queer community with a trans matriarch and an interconnecting family of lesbians, gays and bisexuals.

One Day More! nickybondramblings.blogspot.com/2026/03/one-...

Phil and Nicky are back! Join them as they try to convince each other about the joy of their favourite films. Series 2 includes some sci-fi, a political thriller, comedy, animation, coming of age drama, and 80s family favourites. Join in the convo. Subscribe. www.youtube.com/@lightsCamer...

Two friends, one film, very little agreement. Series 2 is almost here! Remember the drill? Phil & Nicky share a love of film; just not the same ones. Can they convince each other to see the beauty in their all time faves. The first ep drops on Wed. Subscribe here. www.youtube.com/@lightsCamer...

Exciting news. Lights, Camera, Aggro is BAAAAAACK. Series 2's first episode drops on Wednesday 25th March. Brace yourself for some heated discussion about an absolute CLASSIC. Subscribe via the link. www.youtube.com/@lightsCamer...

Fantastic news in the UK today - the government has apparently ditched its plan to force creatives to 'opt out' if they don't want AI companies training on their life's work. www.thetimes.com/uk/technolog... 🧵 1/4

Jessie Buckley! ❤️💅👏🏆

BEST BRIDESMAIDS REUNION EVER ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #oscars #oscars2026

How many almond croissants is too many? nickybondramblings.blogspot.com/2026/03/a-pa...

“She’s the exception, I am the rule.” Such articulate cutting through of the nonsense around puberty blockers and eg Keira Bell’s detransitioning from Stephanie Lynnette on GMB this morning. It is also a refreshing relief to see a trans person actually being allowed to speak for once!

A compromise we can all get behind surely