Boiling Point A new four part British drama that picks up six months after the 2021 movie of the same name, and follows the staff working in a high pressure restaurant (TVNZ+).   Feud  Capote and the Swans: Tom Hollander, Naomi Watts and Chloe Sevigny star in this American drama about writer Truman Capote’s friendships with a group of high society New York women (Neon).   The Choir  An uplifting six part documentary series about the Detroit Youth Choir, as the inner city kids practice for a performance of a lifetime at Carnegie Hall (Disney+).   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A highly controversial fruit, feijoas have long held a special place in New Zealand culture.  They’ve become a feature of kiwi iconography, their popularity seeing the flavour crop up in the least expected places.  Kiwi author Kate Evans thinks of herself as the nerdiest of feijoa nerds, travelling the world and researching the fruit.  She’s recently published a book on the subject, ‘Feijoa: A Story of Obsession and Belonging’.  Evans told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that her obsession started with the fruit tree in her parents’ house, sitting under the tree as a child and eating them by the bucketful.  “I lived overseas for about a decade, and when I was away, I just missed feijoas so much.”  She said that whenever she managed to find one overseas, cutting it open would fill her with an intense nostalgia for home.  “When I moved back to New Zealand in 2014, I was so excited to be here for an entire feijoa season.”  The fruit is so ubiquitous in New Zealand despite not being native, which got Evans wondering how this South American fruit became such a cultural touchstone.  Feijoas originated in South America and were imported over to New Zealand in the early 1900’s, where they were found to grow incredibly well.  “It’s quite easy to grow them, you don’t really have to do much.”  Despite the cultural love for Feijoas, the Colombians might have us beat with their festival dedicated to the fruit.   “They make so many more things with them than we do,” Evans told Tame.  Recipes for some of which, she has included in her book: feijoa mousse, carpaccio, and more, for those desperately searching for a new way to consume their crop.  Learn where you can donate your excess feijoas here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fifth studio album from American rock band MGMT, 'Loss of Life' is the band's label debut on Mom + Pop, coming six years after the release of 'Little Dark Age'. The ten track album shifts between genres, Britpop, acoustic folk, power ballads with an 80's flair. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Day by David Nicholls  15th July 1988: Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.  So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows?    Moscow X by David McCloskey  A daring CIA operation threatens chaos in the Kremlin - its execution is foiled by a Russian woman with secret loyalties. CIA operatives Sia and Max enter Russia to recruit Vladimir Putin's moneyman. Sia works for a London firm that conceals the wealth of the super-rich. Max's family business in Mexico, a CIA-front since the 1960s, is a farm that breeds high-end racehorses. They pose as a couple, and their targets are Vadim, Putin's private banker, and his wife Anna, who is both a banker and an intelligence officer. As they descend further into a Russian world dripping with luxury and rife with gangland violence, Sia and Max's hope may be Anna, who is playing a game of her own.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're done seeing the sights of Gisborne and are after something a little more outdoorsy, Tairāwhiti is packed with adventures. Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to run through some of his favourites, including tandem cycling, Tipuna Tours up in Tolaga Bay, and feeding the stingrays down the line at Tatapouri. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australia workers have been given the right to ignore after-hours calls from work, unless it’s in their contract/role requires it or an emergency, following on from some European countries (e.g., France) who have done this.  How likely are we to follow suit in NZ? It's unlikely that it will become law – since 2015 Health and Safety at work act neither Labour nor National govts appear to have been interested in putting in any more regulations.  However, debate may increase in kiwi workplaces surrounding the topic.  There are pros/cons to the discussion – some will feel it’s an example of a “snowflake” generation who do the bare minimum, others will see it as supporting people to switch off from work when they’re done.  Some workplaces say things like “if you receive an email from me after hours feel free to ignore it until it’s your work hours”, which might be a compromise. We do that at Umbrella, it allows some level of autonomy and responsibility on both ends – I can send you an email at 11pm but don’t expect you to respond to it until you’re at work. You do need to be a bit careful about this as there can be an implied pressure to respond, particularly if the person sending the email is your boss. That links into the topic of how “psychologically safe” you feel at work to express your opinion (but that’s a whole other topic!)  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have caught me talking about Psyllids, from time to time. Especially the Tomato-Potato Psyllid.  This is an insect that appeared in New Zealand around 2006 and it makes a mess of the two main hosts: Tomatoes and Potatoes.  The Tomato-Potato Psyllid. Photo / Supplied  As a fanatic tomato grower, I always keep a serious eye out this thing and practice a lot of weed control (Solanum weeds – the overwintering hosts of my crops). I also use regular Neem sprays to stop the Psyllid nymphs (immatures) from developing on my tomatoes.  Like most Psyllids, they are sapsuckers; taking the sweet sugars out of the plant to extract Nitrogen for growth of their bodies. They excrete the sweet materials as “honeydew” which in itself is a great food for other insects, but also birds and certainly black, sooty mould.  Another Exotic Psyllid species came in the late 1990’s and is often found on Syzygium smithii, mostly known as “Monkey apple”, Lilly-Pilly, or the old name Acmena. It is often used to form fast-growing hedges.  Black hedges, especially in the warmer north, due to copious amounts of sooty mould.  Lilly-Pilly is considered a weed in our country, so the psyllid is perhaps helping to suppress this exotic plant somewhat.  But in NZ we have our own, Native species too:  On Pohutukawa and Rata, for instance (Trioza curta), and a species on Pittosporum (Trioza vitreoradiata).  Both these natives suck juices out of the leaves of their host, causing distortions and dimples.  Isn’t that causing some severe stress and damage to these native hosts?  The creation of the dimples is also no doubt under the influence of toxins or enzymes injected by the young, sedentary nymphs. But the astonishing thing is that the actual health of the Pohutukawa, rata or pittosporum is rarely, if ever, severely affected as a result of these psyllids. Mind you, they've been living together now for many millions of years, and the evolutionary processes will have reached a nice balance between the sucker and its host plant.  But when we take a detailed look at this symbiosis, we must ask ourselves the question why the Pohutukawa facilitates the psyllids by creating cosy little dimples?  The answer can be found at a surprising location: the rear end of the larvae. You see, that's where the sweet excrement is being produced.  Pittosporum psyllid being “milked” by a native ant. Photo / Supplied  Native ant species will patrol the psyllids and collect any sugary waste products that may become available, and while doing so, they protect the psyllid nymphs and the leaves they are living on! Indeed, Pohutukawa and rata leaves with psyllids on them are almost always without any chewing damage.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylors Estate Limestone Coast, Clare Valley Shiraz $20    Why I chose it  - Hearty red for the months ahead. - Taylor’s produces some of the best value reds in Australia. - Australian wine sales to China, once their biggest wine market, have ground to a halt, resulting in many bargains if you are prepared to shop around.    What does it taste like?  - Dense, inky red with choc/mocha, cassis, anise/liquorice, vanilla, cigar box and spicy oak. Nicely layered shiraz with obvious cellaring potential.    Why it’s a bargain?  - Terrific quality for less than $20.   Where can you buy it?  - Whisky and More $16.99, The Good Wine Co. $17.99, New World $17.99, Countdown $16.   Food match?  - Hearty stews and casseroles.   Will it keep?  - Yes, good for 5 or 6 years if stored well.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk a lot about AI and how it might change things, but it's starting to have real world consequences  Tyler Perry, who founded the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Network and is a prolific content creator, has said he's stopping plans to open more sound stages. He was due to add 12 sound stages to his Atlanta complex, but advances by OpenAI's video generator Sora has given him pause.   Sora is an AI model that can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions. It's not without its quirks, but there's probably a very good chance that in the time it would take to build 12 sound stages, the model might actually get better. We're seeing advances that quickly!    Tyler Perry: "I had gotten word over the last year or so that this was coming, but I had no idea until I saw recently the demonstrations of what it's able to do. It's shocking to me."  Think of the jobs lost through this - construction workers, stage crew, catering, production assistants...    It did it... the first private spacecraft has landed on the moon  Intuitive Machines' lunar craft successfully landed.   It has some communications issues, but the CEO of the company confirmed the craft is standing upright and transmitting data successfully. Odysseus will now begin a suite of experiments that will hopefully provide data useful for a future mission and help to ensure the safety of humans when they eventually return. The mission is the first American lunar landing in more than 50 years, since the crewed Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Zone of Interest   Winner of the Grand Prize at Cannes 2023, this historical war drama from filmmaker Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin) centres on the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, who strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.    The Eternal Memory   Chilean couple Augusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years, but Augusto was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease eight years ago. Both of them fear the day he will no longer recognize her.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you got a glut of plums like me? This little condiment - plum paste - is easy to make and it goes so well with all manner of cheeses and meats.    Ingredients:  1.5kg whole fresh plums, washed (count them into the pot, I used 32 plums – see note)  1 ¼ cups water  ½ cup sweet white wine or apple cider vinegar  ¼- ½ tsp ground cloves, depending on your taste  Sugar, white or raw – likely to be about 600-750g    Method:  1. Cook plums with liquids and cloves until very soft and reduced a bit – about 20 minutes. Extract the same number of plum stones as you had plums. Mash or blend the pulp and weigh it. Add half its weight in sugar and return to the stove. Cook on a brisk simmer for 40 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. 2. It’s ready when a teaspoonful is dropped on a cool saucer, left to cool, then a finger dragged through it leaves a clear stripe. Keep cooking until it reaches this stage. 3. Line a swiss roll tin or similar with baking paper or lightly oiled foil. 4. Pour paste into prepared tin and refrigerate overnight. It will be gorgeously glossy. 5. Cut into squares, wrap in baking paper and store in fridge. 6. Eat with cheese or meats.   Note:  If your plums aren’t freestone count them into the pot, so you know how many stones you need to remove once they cook down.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s often believed that the music you listen to when you’re seventeen or eighteen is what sticks with you throughout your entire life.  Kevin Milne recently stumbled across concert programmes from when he was living in London in the 70’s; how much of that has stuck around?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I never thought the previous government’s fees-free education policy made sense.  I’m on the record from the get-go. I didn’t think it was a well-designed or considered policy. At an annual cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, the policy was expensive. I felt there were other priorities. The more cynically minded might even suggest that fast-tracking a fees-free education policy was a decision made with an impending election in mind, rather than the stated educational outcomes.   The goals of the policy were to increase access for students from poorer backgrounds, Māori and Pasifika, and to improve educational outcomes. But short of a Scandanavian-style tax system, I actually thought New Zealand’s interest-free student loan scheme is pretty good. It strikes a fair balance and the barriers to access are low. And for every poorer student brought in by fees-free and who otherwise might have missed out on higher education, there were obviously dozens if not hundreds or thousands of middle-class kids who would’ve gone to university anyway, and now enjoyed an additional subsidy.   Instead of a blanket fees-free policy, the previous government could have considered so many alternatives:  - Increasing scholarships for students from poorer backgrounds, or for students from low-decile schools.  - Re-introducing the 10% bulk payment incentive to student loans, whereby anyone who paid off more than $1000 in a voluntary payment, had ten percent of that payment matched by the government.  - Means testing first year fees-free students.  - Making the third year of an undergraduate degree fees-free, so students were incentivised to finish.  - Greater assistance to students with cost-of-living support.  Instead, although they held off making additional study years fees-free, the previous government stuck with their scheme. And the results have been damning.    The total number of fees-free students has been decreasing. From the get-go, overall enrolments fell short of what was promised. Fees-free students have been dropping out. What’s more, the New Zealand Herald revealed over summer that the number of decile 1 first-year students has halved since the scheme began. The number of first year decile 10 students has increased by 40%. So much for improving access for students from poorer backgrounds.   I was surprised National stuck with the scheme during the election campaign. But now at least, the government is moving to change the policy to make the final year fees-free, as per New Zealand First’s election policy.   I note the Tertiary Education Commission acknowledged this week there was no discernible evidence the policy has increased access to low-socio economic groups. The policy has failed in its stated objectives. It’s a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have. It deserves to go. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomorrow marks the 46th year of Round the Bays Wellington, an iconic community event bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate physical activity.  Over 10,000 people are expected to take part in one of three distances, Sir Ashley Bloomfield among them.  He’s taking part as a Pause Breathe Smile ambassador, which is a free mental health program for primary and intermediate schools.  Bloomfield is doing the 5.5km event, telling Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that he’s been taking it easy with his training this week, to ensure that he’ll be able to finish the run.  He said he’s been running in some capacity for his entire life, having run a few marathons and as well as having a group of friends he goes on Saturday morning runs with whenever possible.  “That fellowship kind of aspect of it, spending time with friends and in terms of both physical and mental wellbeing, to me you couldn’t tick many more boxes than that.”  One of the reason’s Bloomfield enjoys running is its accessibility.  “All you really need is a pair of shoes.”   Regular exercise is also known to be a benefit for those in high stakes environments and high stress jobs, both of which Bloomfield was facing in the last few years.  “Being able to kind of decompress, as well as get out and keep active and fit was a lifesaver for me.”  “Literally a lifesaver.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jennifer Lopez has dropped her ninth studio album, a sister to her 2003 LP ‘This Is Me... Then’.   The genre crossing ‘This Is Me... Now’ is a confessional, a deeply personal insight into her love life and relationship with Ben Affleck.  Released alongside was a 65-minute short film, ‘This Is Me... Now: A Love Story’, a high gloss blend of genres and styles to match the tone of the album.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna O by Matthew Blake   What if your nightmares weren’t really nightmares at all? We spend an average of 33 years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we sleep? Anna Ogilvy was a budding twenty-five-year-old writer with a bright future. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive—and hasn’t woken up since. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna’s condition is a rare psychosomatic disorder known to neurologists as “resignation syndrome.” Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. His methods are the last hope of solving the infamous “Anna O’” case and waking Anna up so she can stand trial. But he must be careful treating such a high-profile suspect—he’s got career secrets and a complicated personal life of his own. As Anna shows the first signs of stirring, Benedict must determine what really happened and whether Anna should be held responsible for her crimes. Only Anna knows the truth about that night, but only Benedict knows how to discover it. And they’re both in danger from what they find out.  The World's Biggest Cash Machine by Chris Blackhurst  From Chris Blackhurst, the former Editor of the Independent, comes The World's Biggest Cash Machine, a gripping and tightly reported account of how the Glazers, owners of Manchester United, became the most maligned figures in the Premier League, and how they changed the beautiful game forever. Manchester United's supporters span the globe and cross generations. But, with few exceptions, they are united in their anger with the American family who bought their club in 2005, plunging it into record levels of debt. The Glazers' reign has become synonymous with the financialization of football, and has coincided with fan protests and a decline of Manchester United's fortunes on the pitch . . . if not on the balance sheet. But what defines this secretive family, and do these astute businessmen deserve the opprobrium they receive? In this captivating account, informed by interviews with key figures behind the scenes, journalist and commentator Chris Blackhurst charts the gripping story of the world's biggest football club - as well as exploring the wider transformation of the Premier League into a playground for billionaire owners.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Criminal Record  In the heart of London, an anonymous phone call draws two brilliant detectives -- a young woman in the early stages of her career and a well-connected man determined to protect his legacy -- into a fight to correct an old miscarriage of justice (AppleTV+).    Strife  Asher Keddie stars in this Australian drama about a small-time blogger who overcome professional and personal challenges while working towards creating a women-centric website (ThreeNow).    The New Look  This series explores the rise of fashion designer Christian Dior, as he attempts to bring colour and life back to post-war Europe (Apple TV+).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Communication is key to a healthy relationship, but not all conversations are simple to have.   In the changing climate it’s important to be on the same page as your partner when it comes to sustainability, and how you implement it in your lives.   But how do we have this conversation? What needs to be covered?  Kate ‘Ethically Kate’ Hall joined Jack Tame to give a few tips to ensure that you and your partner can be on the same page.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Is Me... Now: A Love Story  Jennifer Lopez stars in a highly visual and musical reimagining of her publicly scrutinized love life.    May December   Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance, a married couple buckle under the pressure when a Hollywood actress meets them to do research for a film about their past.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Gazing across the ravishing seascape, Young Nick’s Head and Mahia Peninsula loomed large on the horizon, while directly beneath us, the photogenic allure of Wainui Beach and Okitu Bush casts you under its spell. It’s immediately self-evident why a beach house at Wainui is the epitome of aspirational real estate. What a sweet spot -no wonder the sun wants to be the first to see it. A year on from the damage and despair of a natural disaster, Gisborne and the Tairāwhiti district’s welcome mat is unmistakeably rolled out. Don’t be fooled by the enduring misnomer that the region’s roads are still too tricky to navigate or that visitors aren’t welcome. Nothing could be further from the truth. Gizzy and her surrounds is good to go and would love to see you." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As I was cutting firewood for the 2024 winter, I came across some brilliant tunnels in the timber and larger branches.  Drywood Termites.  The adults are ready to fly out, mate and make a new home in decaying wood; their wings are gorgeous, slate grey and rather delicate.  You’ll find them attracted to lights, landing on the windows in the evening or near the front door.  Termites are rather ancient insects. Fossils of termite-like beasts date back some 50 million years, and it looks as if their diet has more or less remained the same during that period of time: wood and cellulose materials. This could give the impression that termites are boring insects, and yes, that is exactly what they are.  No matter how you look at it, boring is the only way to start or accelerate decay in wood, opening up trunks or branches allows entry of fungi and moulds. Our native termites are fond of rotting wood, and as such play an important role in the recycling of woody materials. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and forest fibres to faecal frass.  Kalotermes brouni larva in dead wood. Photo / Supplied Only very recently in the geological history of Kalotermes brouni (our so-called dry-wood termite), humans came on the scene and obligingly built these enormous structures from large quantities of dead, milled wood, known as "houses". Especially in the good old days these houses were made from untreated local timbers.  Lots of myths around our three species of Native Termites but the most important one is that the dry-wood termite really prefers wet timber and untreated timber. I remember in my old house in West Auckland, the bedroom was built from untreated timber; the gutter was leaking; the water soaked the weatherboards and studs, and the termites chewed their tunnels right to the paint-layer!  Spectacular and clever way to control relative humidity in their wooden home!  Prevention of native termite invasion is obvious: Use treated timber and keep it dry.  We do have some invasive termites from Australia. Coptotermes acinaciformis and Coptotermes frenchi are quite a different kettle of fish. They do not require dead or wet wood and will happily excavate in living trees. In the Canberra region, where they are the most economically important termite species, colonies are often found associated with Eucalyptus trees from where they can invade houses.  In contrast with our native termites, these Aussie chisel-beaks are basically a subterranean species. Nests are commonly hidden in amongst the root systems of a living tree and are therefore not easy to detect. But when they shift to another location, or extend their feeding grounds, these termites construct characteristic runways from mud. These earthen tubes usually originate from the soil and enable them to maintain their required humidity.  If you find termites with mud “runways” please contact MPI – 0800 809 966. We don’t want those around!!    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Homeowners with a fixed-rate mortgage expiring soon likely perked up when forecasters started suggesting that interest rates could start falling this year. But the Reserve Bank isn't convinced the inflation beast is back in the bag just yet. With conflicting information and no guarantees on when, how far, or how fast interest rates will fall, how can you assess your position and determine the best pathway forward?   Hannah discusses strategies on how to proceed when interest rates are sky high but anticipated to fall, why you should calculate the interest rate differential when you want to fix short-term, and why favourable conditions demand a focused mindset to maximise progress and avoid complacency.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A private spacecraft is headed to the moon  Launched from Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9, the "Odysseus" will land on the south pole of the moon in search of water. Scientists believe ice exists amongst the rock in both the sunlit and dark sides of the moon, possibly from icy meteorites hitting the moon.   If successful, Odysseus will be the first private craft to land on the moon.  NASA has funded part of this journey though because it's carrying a range of their scientific instruments, including a laser retroreflector which will bounce back laser beams fired from earth and a tool to measure how the landing disturbs and sends up plumes of moon dust.     An eye on methane from space  Google joins the non-profit "Environmental Defense Fund" in launching a program to understand how oil and gas plants are emitting methane, believed to be one of the causes of climate change because it traps heat in the atmosphere. The satellite will orbit the earth 15 times a day. Data will be sent back every few weeks and fed into Google's AI and Earth technology systems for viewing. The group says that if they notice a significant leak, they're not going to specifically notify the plant, but would rely on regulators and governments to use their data as they see fit.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s that time of the year when the stonefruit season collides with the last of the blueberries so I thought I’d marry them up in this gorgeous cake!    Ingredients:  3 medium eggs  A generous half cup of caster sugar  1/3 cup oil – I used canola!  Pinch salt  1 cup fruit – chopped quite small , I used peaches and nectarines  1/3 cup blueberries  1 1/3 cup self raising flour  1/3 cup yoghurt (can use milk see note)    Method:  Preheat oven to 180 C and line a 20-23cm round cake tin. Note the image depicts a VERY large version of this cake that I make to feed 25 hungry students!  Whisk eggs well in a large bowl then pour in the sugar, salt and oil and whisk some more until well-combined. Add the chopped fruit and blueberries and mix well.  Add in flour and yoghurt and stir until mixed and there are no pockets of flour remaining.  Scrape into prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.  Once cooled, either dust with icing sugar or make a vanilla icing and ice it.    Make it your own:  Use olive oil for a posher version  Used tinned fruit salad and frozen blueberries in the off season  Sour milk with a squeeze of lemon juice if you don’t have yoghurt    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a small world.  Kevin Milne was in a café on Thursday and by complete chance, happened to run into someone he made a documentary about 45 years ago.  He joined Jack Tame to chat about some of his favourite memories from the making of that doco.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame on Newstalk ZB is a captivating blend of insightful conversations, engaging interviews, and thought-provoking discussions. With Jack Tame at the helm, you can expect a refreshing take on current events, combined with his unique charm and wit.”  But hey... don’t take my word for it. Take Chat GPT’s. That’s what happens if you tell the world’s best-known generative artificial intelligence bot to write a few sentences in order to convince someone to listen to this show. Pretty good, eh?  I’ll be honest though, I was impressed by GPT when it was released, but not totally wowed. It seemed to get a lot of pretty obvious facts wrong, even when correct information was readily available on the internet. And I know these are relatively early stages in AI, but still, you’d think if Wikipedia has the real answer, Chat GPT wouldn’t make it up.  The ‘wow’ moment with AI came for me yesterday. Open AI, the company behind Chat GPT, released a video generating model called Sora.  You write a command, and working off your words, it generates a video clip up to sixty seconds long based on the detail and information you provide it.  The examples released by Open AI are… extraordinary.  Working off just a few lines of text, the model creates hyper-realistic video images. In one, a woman walks down a Neon-lit Tokyo Street, the light bouncing perfectly off the little puddles underneath her black boots. In another, a Victoria crowned pigeon twitches and shifts before the camera. In maybe my favourite example, two tiny pirate ships keen and tilt in the churning, swirling black of a hot coffee.  Are all of the videos perfect? No. With a keen eye, you can notice some little imperfections. But from a visual effects perspective, they are probably more advanced than most movies just a few years ago. And here’s the thing; they were created in just a few seconds.  I don’t profess to fully grasp the true capacity and risk of artificial intelligence. Obviously, it’s going to be disruptive, but sometimes it’s hard to distil the hype. But Open AI’s Sora programme was a wow moment for me. It’s amazing to me that a technology can create something so impressive, so realistic, both out of nothing, and out of everything. And again – in just a few seconds.  And all I could think as I scrolled through the examples —the woolly mammoths lumbering through a snowy meadow, the movie trailer with a space man in a red wool helmet, the aerial shot of waves crashing against the California Coast, a homemade video of people in Nigeria thirty years in the future— all I could think was if this is where the technology is now, just imagine where it’s going to be in five years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"With five Grammy® wins and sixteen nominations, Howard follows up her massively acclaimed solo debut Jaime—a 2019 LP that landed on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of Pitchfork, the New York Times, and Rolling Stone – with What Now, drawing an immense and indelible power from endless unpredictability. Over the course of its 12 tracks, Howard brings her singular musicality to a shapeshifting sound encompassing everything from psychedelia and dance music to dream-pop and avant-jazz—a fitting backdrop for an album whose lyrics shift from unbridled outpouring to incisive yet radically idealistic commentary on the state of the human condition. At turns galvanizing, cathartic, and wildly soul-expanding, the result is a monumental step forward for one of the most essential artists of our time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Spy Coast – Tess Gerritsen  Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement. But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives. Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn. As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.   The Fury – Alex Michaelides  This is a tale of murder. Or maybe that's not quite true. At its heart, it's a love story, isn't it? Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex-movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island. I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind...and a murder. We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered. But who am I? My name is Elliot Chase, and I'm going to tell you a story unlike any you've ever heard.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Day After a brief college romance, Emma and Dexter pursue separate dreams, but meet on the same day each year to compare their progress in life and love.   Arctic Ascent The professional adventure rock climber Alex Honnold embarks on a lifelong dream - an epic climbing quest across the remotest and toughest walls and peaks of Greenland.   Superhot: The Spicy World of Pepper People A deep dive into a subculture fueled by spice: from the elite growers who strive to create new superhots to the chili eaters who chase the endorphin rush of consuming them; one chili headsets out on a quest to answer the spiciest of questions.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Five women head out on a remote hiking retreat but only four return, each telling a different story. Detective Aaron Falk must find out what really happened before time runs out.  American Underdog  The inspirational true story of Kurt Warner, who overcomes years of challenges and setbacks to become a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion, and Hall of Fame quarterback. Just when his dreams seem all but out of reach, it's only with the support of his wife, Brenda, and the encouragement of his family, coaches and teammates that Warner perseveres and finds the strength to show the world the champion that he already is.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley found himself in the stunning capitol city of Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur. He's got all the details on the sights to see, the best shopping locations, and the tastiest street food. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is cervical screening important?  - In NZ approx. 180 to 190 women get cervical cancer every year.  - Up to 80% have not been screening.  - Cervical screening picks up changes early preventing cancer.    What is the cervix?  - Organ connects the uterus to the vagina.  - Why it’s important:  - Keeps baby inside the uterus while growing during pregnancy.  - The canal through which baby passes at birth.  - Canal sperm can travel up to fertilize eggs to get pregnant.    What does a cervical smear do?  - The smear scrapes some cells from the cervix.  - The cells are looked at under a microscope for any abnormal cells, ones that could cause cancer, so they can be treated.  - It’s traditionally every 3 years.  - The Problem – it’s invasive to do and can be painful and off putting.    What has changed?  - A new screening test has been introduced, which can be done by a simple easy vaginal swab once every 5 years.  - Most changes that lead to cancer in cervix are caused by the HPV virus.  - The swab looks for the HPV strains that lead to cancer and do something about it.  - Swab is much easier. It’s not painful and is only once every five years from age 25.  - Easily accessed through your General Practice or clinic.     One other important thing.  - There is now HPV vaccine to prevent HPV infection.  - Free for all adolescents and girls between 9 and 26.  - This stops you from contracting HPV, thus preventing the cancer altogether. - Talk to your GP or Nurse.    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The start of a new year is often a good time to check in on how your business is going. Just like we’d take our car in for a WOF, it’s just as important to get a WOF done on the mental health and safety of your business.  Recent court case highlights that workplaces can be held liable for the mental distress and injury their workers suffer.  At its most basic level, mental health and safety at work means making sure that workers aren’t being mentally harmed by the work they’re doing. Mental harm can occur through things such as exposure to traumatic material (e.g., a first responder), having way too much work for one person, or from things like bullying. Workplaces are legally obliged to identify risks to health (including mental health) and take steps to prevent or reduce these risks. This can involve things like providing EAP counselling to staff, training for managers about how to spot signs of distress in their people and support them, through to modifying workflows so it doesn’t all fall on one person.  Some workplaces are really proactive in this area, and others are only just becoming aware of their responsibilities. For this latter group it might be helpful to get some outside support for this from an organisational psychologist. But can also start by actively engaging with staff around their experiences of mental stress and ideas they may have to reduce this. Often the best solutions come out of talking to people at the coalface.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dry conditions? Honestly, watering yourself silly is always an expensive exercise (especially in Wellington! Bottles of water are at least a dollar each…).  Protect your soil from evaporation by chucking a heap of mulch in between your plants; I’ve just finished my firewood stash and the smaller branches are chippered into big bags of mulch.  Timing is everything. Water tanks next to the house? Maybe now is a good idea to invest in some tanks, connected to your guttering, just saying…  Raspberries: If you have harvested your spring-fruiting raspberries, they need pruning now. Get down on your hands and knees and prune off all the old “canes”; It’s easy to see which are old, brown canes with yellow old leaves and which ones are the new, fresh ones that will fruit for you next year.  Raspberries also have this habit of producing heaps of runners and canes far, far away from the original bed! Either mow them down of translocate these new runners to a new row. They’ll survive that easily if done now, while the soil is warm.  Add some fertiliser and everybody’s happy for next spring!  Note: autumn raspberries still have a crop to go!!!  Mid-summer is also the time to prune your plums when they have been harvested. I tend to do that now, with the summer heat still here. When you do it in late autumn or winter, the cooler, wetter weather can cause quite a few problems with diseases.  Remember: stonefruit bears its fruit on young wood, but the European plums (such as prunes, Damson, and Greengage) tend to fruit heavily on 3–4-year-old branches. In our garden the Damson and Greengage are our jam work horses, so they can be shortened back to the well-established branches.  Japanese plums tend to fruit on new wood, which means you can’t be as ruthless; Think ahead!!  Vegies to sow/buy/plant: most of the winter crops:  Prepare your patches – compost, dig-over, make friable with a fork  Carrots in really good, stone-free soil. Well-drained and easy to penetrate for the roots (no forks in the carrots); Seed tape!  Swedes and beetroots – again, well-drained soils that don’t stay wet too long (roots can rot in stagnant water  Leeks – yep always a good winter vegetable, start while soil is warm (good germination)  All the Brassicas can be sown or planted now, whatever you like; Caulies, Broccolinis, cabbages etc, etc. Protect from white butterfly larvae (still very prolific in the warm weather) – use “Success” (Yates) or fine netting that doesn’t let the mother whites onto the leaf surface.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An incredible team of people are heading off on a unique expedition to see first-hand how daunting the melting sea ice, warming seas, and changing weather patterns will be for Antarctica.  Adventurer Peter Hillary, alongside Graham and Raewyn Henry, will lead 130 participants whose expertise spans science, business, art, and politics on a voyage of enlightenment down south.  Antarctica is not your typical tourist destination, and while most people will never visit, the upcoming expedition is Hillary’s 43rd trip.  “It is an incredible place,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame.  “Kind of unlike anywhere else on earth.”  The objective of the trip is to immerse the participants in the solitude and expanse of the icy landscape and use that as a base for meaningful conversations about what can be done to stabilise climate change.  “We have to connect with these places.” Hillary said.  He told Tame that in the 19th century, Antarctica was rarely visited except by sealers and whalers, who proceeded to devastate the populations of those animals.   “No one saw it and really, no one cared.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI generated images are getting an identifier  Images created by Open AI's DALL-E technology will now come with a new label, a CR in a circle up in the top left corner. That's the mark that’s going to be on images produced by a range of AI companies. The only trouble there is it can pretty easily be cropped out.   Open AI will also be adding metadata to the image file. While it's a nice idea, it's wildly impractical. If you take a screenshot of the image, the metadata disappears. If you post it online, the metadata isn't easily visible, or can even be wiped.  But the same tech actually shows promise for verifying reality. The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) is working with camera companies, and even newsrooms, to embed metadata in real images to verify their authenticity. It will stay as the image is edited and be able to be verified using an online tool with the full history.     You'll be hearing a lot about Gemini  Google's Bard and Duet are being merged under the new name. Gemini will be the name of their large language model and there'll be Pro and Ultra versions. It's part assistant, part chatbot, part search engine — likely the future of Google.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Online shopping is one of life's many conveniences.  It allows people to simplify their shopping experience, and buy things from places or companies they might not be able to access in their day to day life. Kevin Milne told Jack Tame that the experience continues to impress. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Quick, light, fresh and delicious, making it the perfect summer salad for you to share with friends and family. We love to serve this salad alongside our hummus, dukkha yoghurt flatbreads and smoky carrot falafels.   Serves: 6  Time: 20 minutes    Ingredients:  1 cup bulgur wheat   Boiling water   4 spring onion, finely chopped  180g cherry tomatoes, chopped   1 cucumber, chopped   3 stalks celery, finely chopped  1 lemon, zest and juice   2 tbsp pomegranate molasses   ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil   1 tsp sea salt   2 cups flat leaf parsley, chopped   2 cups mint, chopped     Method:  Add the bulgur wheat into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover the bowl with either a plate or a clean tea towel and allow it to sit for 20 minutes. The bulgur wheat will absorb all of the water and expand. If you have any excess water once the 20 minutes is up, just drain the bulgur wheat through a sieve.   While the bulgur wheat is cooking, assemble the other ingredients.   To a large mixing bowl, add the cooked bulgur wheat, spring onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, celery, lemon zest and juice, pomegranate molasses, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Gently toss everything together.   Add the flat leaf parsley and mint. Gently toss one more time before enjoying.   Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of the many, many, many things I’m bad at... perhaps in no department am I more lacking than in artistic talent. I am a truly appalling artist. I have no vision. I have no voice. I can’t sculpt. I can’t mould. I can’t paint. I have the sketching ability of a lesser-developed primate but without the novelty factor. I am a terrible artist.   And so it was curious series of events this summer that led me to find myself with a head torch and overalls, dragging myself through the dank, dark, crawl space below the floorboards of one of New Zealand’s premier art galleries.    My friend, Mike, was preparing for a show. And with his centrepiece installation in mind, he needed volunteers to drag themselves on their knees and their bellies, as he worked to reinforce the gallery floor.    I’ve never really watched an artist at work. But Mike’s work makes him a bit unique. His studied engineering and worked as an engineer, before following his artistic passion to Columbia University. We met in New York. Now he uses his engineering skills and artistic talents to make big, bold, sometimes provocative public works. His most recent big work was a playground in Melbourne’s Southbank featuring huge boulders perched precariously on tiny little trollies. He reverse engineered a rubber compound to look just like the bluestone slabs which pave much of Melbourne’s city. When you look at the playground, you see rocks on wheels on concrete. But it’s all an illusion. A playground which looks dangerous, but isn’t.   I remember Mike explaining to me the initial concept for his new show. I remember him developing it, tweaking it as he went. Watching him prepare meant bearing witness to a man repeatedly solving the kind of problems most of us would never even conceive of.   How do you get a thin sheet of extremely rare, extremely expensive marble from Australia to New Zealand in one piece? How do you suspend hundreds of kilograms of steel in the air in a building with very few structural components? How do you get a giant palm tree through a not-very-giant door?   Mike’s show opened last night.   It features a series of crazy drinking fountain sculptures, with what Mike insisted had to be chilled, filtered water. Room temperature? Puh-lease. There’s a space with a table placed below a continuous drip from the gallery ceiling, some ten metres up. The drip falls down to a yellow dish cloth, which over time leaks a thin stream of water, feeding a plant. It’s very clever.    And the piece de resistance of sorts: In the centre of the gallery is an 8 metre-high real, living palm tree with an NBA regulation basketball hoop. The backboard is a stunning piece of blue marble which looks like the sky. The hoop is entirely functional. You can dunk it, if you’re athletic enough. You can swing from it. At the show’s opening, people took shots and played pickup.    As I studied Mike’s creations, I felt a weird mix of bewilderment, admiration, and envy.    They were brilliant. Fantastic, in the true sense of that word. But not only could I not build any of the works, I simply couldn’t conceive of them in the first place. I’ll tell you what though, for those of us bereft of any artistic skills, it is one of life’s great pleasures to see and appreciate in a friend a talent you admire.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bitter Sweet Love is the fifth studio album from British singer-songwriter James Arthur, the thirteen track album releasing late last month. After a week long race for the top spot, Bitter Sweet Love surpassed the Reytons to take the number one spot on the UK Charts. The album is full of the contradictions surrounding love, Arthur having written the album during some post-tour blues, unsure if he wanted to continue with music. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Heiress - Rachel Hawkins  With unexpected twists and heart-throbbing pacing, it draws you into a captivating mystery set within the claustrophobic Ashby House. The secrets hidden behind its closed doors, along with its notorious and heartless inhabitants, add to the intrigue.    The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown  Told against the backdrop of the Great Depression, The Boys in the Boat is narrative non-fiction of the first order; a personal story full of lyricism and unexpected beauty that rises above the grand sweep of history and captures instead the purest essence of what it means to be alive.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mr & Mrs Smith   A reboot of the 2005 Hollywood blockbuster sees Donald Glover and Maya Erskine play two spies who are assigned as husband and wife for a secret mission, and end up falling for each other.    Griselda   Sofia Vergara plays a real-life Columbian drug-lord who went on to create one of the most profitable drug cartels in history.    The Greatest Night in Pop    On a January night in 1985, music's biggest stars gather to record "We Are the World." The team goes behind the scenes of the event to see how all of the artists came together to make history.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Holdovers A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War. To Catch a Killer  A troubled police officer is recruited by the FBI's chief investigator to help profile and track down a disturbed individual terrorizing Baltimore, Maryland.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Fanning out from Ashburton and bounded by the Rakaia and Rangitata rivers, Mid-Canterbury is a land of dramatic contrasts. Pancake-flat coastal plains give way to abruptly rising hill country, while large sweeping braided rivers, crystal clear alpine lakes and the serrated glory of the Southern Alps all add to the scenic medley." "It is an understated region ripe for discovery and exploration, particularly when you’re road-tripping the Mainland." Read Mike's full article here.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New recycling rules have come into place as district and city councils across the country standardise what can and cannot be recycled.  Kate ‘Ethically Kate’ Hall joined Jack Tame to run through these regulations and give an insight into whether recycling is as helpful as we think it is.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Had a great “break” around Christmas? No doubt a fabulous, lazy time with whanau and grand kids.  The problem is: often some pests and diseases sneak into the system without you knowing!  Codling moths in your apples  After flowering, when the apples set fruit (the tiniest fruits that grow into apples!), this is the time when codling moth adults lay their eggs. During the X-mas growth the caterpillars will tunnel into your “codlings” (small fruits in old-fashioned English language!) and your task will be to try and get them out of those fruits. Good luck with that!  Photo / Supplied Prevention is quite simple and effective:  After flowering, spray your apples with Madex 2 (or Madex 3 if you need to use a lot); it’s organic and safe and contains the infectious particles of a virus that only kills codling moth.  Spray every two weeks until Christmas and no caterpillars will enter your fruit!  Green Vegetable Bug (Stink bug)  They are slowly increasing in your garden right now; Adults are green, juveniles are black with reddish spots  They suck juices out of a long list of crops, causing plants to reduce in vigour.  Scouting is the term for your warfare: go out early in the morning and later in afternoon/evening to intercept these sap-suckers.  Photo / Supplied Squash them till they smell somewhat like coriander and drop their bodies under the host plants they are feeding on. In no time you’ll find a lot of live bugs drop to the ground as well (that smell is a warning smell that makes them jump and lie-down very quietly). Knock them all off (the warning smell gets stronger and more bugs will jump!!)  In no time you will have reduced the population to a fraction of what was there.  Powdery Mildew Fungus lurking around the garden already!  You might not see it just yet, but it surely is on your crops (Gherkins, courgettes, melons, cucumber and later apple and other fruit too)  The infection started in late November and early December, when you were doing the Christmas shopping!!! If only you could have sprayed your susceptible plants then !!! You would have certainly reduced the trouble that you’ll face in a month or so.  Photo / Supplied Copper and sulphur mixes (Nature’s Way Fungus Spray) are simple organic fungicides that will knock the mildew back; you can also use some hard-core fungicides if you like, but the idea is to be as early as possible! Have a look at the brilliant story in a recent NZ Gardener by Keith Hammett  Oh, by the way… those yellow-and-black ladybird beetles on the mildew-infested leaves are not a great help at all: they actually eat the mildew and spread it around your garden!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BOB'S BEST BUYS Wine: Askerne 2022 Viognier, Hawke’s Bay $26.90  Why I chose it:  - One of the best examples of NZ Viognier I’ve tasted.  - Often blended with Syrah to give greater complexity and a silkier texture.  - Delicious wine from a challenging vintage.  What does it taste like?  - “Ripe, almost luscious wine with tree fruit/apricot/nectarine, vanilla and musk-like flavours underpinned by a core of sweet fruit that helps make the wine very accessible now.”  Why it’s a bargain:  - Aristocratic wine at a working-class price.  Where can you buy it?  - Wines of NZ $22.49 New Zealand  - First Glass Wines and Spirits, Auckland $22.99  - Advintage, Hawke’s Bay $23.99  - Vino Fino (NZ) Christchurch.  Food match?  - Apple Tart  Will it keep?  - Drink up    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top artists have vanished from TikTok  Superstars Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Olivia Rodrigo's music has been removed from TikTok because their record label and TikTok can't agree on what to pay. Universal Music Group says TikTok is paying a fraction of the price of other social media sites. It's tricky though, because TikTok has been the source of many #1 hits recently as clips go viral, and that means streams on Spotify, downloads on iTunes, and concert tickets.    UMG: "TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music".  TikTok's position: "It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters".    Mark Zuckerberg got slammed on the Hill, but praised on Wall St  They announced their 2023 & Q4 results and stock prices shot up 12% in after-hours trading. Investors are loving the new margins, the dividend, and buybacks. Revenues increased by 16% but its profits increased by 69%. The “year of efficiency” has doubled their operating margins from 20% to 41%. For the very first time too, they'll pay a dividend and signaled that they'll pay it regularly. Meta now has 22% fewer staff compared to last year, and Wall St doesn't seem to care it cost $1b to make those changes. The losses on the Metaverse —building the Oculus headset and supporting platform— increased to $16b for 2023.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Russell Howard is returning to New Zealand for his sell-out tour- a very different version of New Zealand when compared to his previous visit, where he was granted exemption to pass through the borders during the Covid-19 pandemic.  “Last time we came, the army were there. They greeted us by saying- you know you’ll be staying at a hotel for two weeks. We’ll ask about your mental health, you have to lie. I told them I’ll be fine, there’s no way I could tell the truth,” the comedian told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame.   With the restrictions safely out of the way this time, Howard’s free to wander around New Zealand again, and potentially source some joke material from the local shops - he says he was particularly fascinated with what he saw in Auckland’s CBD.  “We were in Ponsonby, and it was funny because they were clearly coming up with names that have no relevance whatsoever to what they’re selling. There was a place called the Stolen Girlfriends Club - they sell clothes! There’s a cinema called the Silky Otter, my interest was piqued because you’re looking at all these. Is the Women’s Bookshop all female authors? No!”  Howard explained that seeing the picturesque images designed to appeal to travelers were less fascinating than observing the nation first-hand and building jokes from what he sees. To him, the standard mountainscapes were less compelling than spotting a restaurant that sounded like a ‘really specific Google search’, as he described Auckland’s Monsoon Poon.   He’s used to taking comedic material out of his observations, as his standup specials, TV projects and TikTok videos show off his takes on the state of the world as we ping-pong from one crisis to the next- from controversial presidential administrations, economic downturns, pandemics, climate change, to a possible expanding war.  “The audience is your master, your jury. There’s a great quote from Stephen Fry about the peculiarity of comedy. Comedy is so intangible, it’s surreal.”  He promised his current tour will bring his signature energy to Kiwi audiences. As he explained to Jack Tame, New Zealand has a ‘gentle, lovely’ atmosphere with plenty of entertaining aspects that could sound absurd when played back to an international audience.  “For instance, Rotorua calls itself Rotovegas, despite the fact that it doesn’t have a casino. That is innately funny, I love the idea of some American tourists wondering where the casino is and people from Rotorua going - there isn’t one,” he told Newstalk ZB.   Howard’s standup tours have sold thousands of tickets to people all over the world, from the US, to the UK, to Europe, to Australia - allowing him to show off his jokes to different audiences and tastes.  “I’ve got a load of stuff, it’s the final version before I record it for a special, so it’s as tight as a drum. I’m just putting it through New Zealand and Australia, to see if that works, to see what doesn’t work here.”  His comedy manages to work 80 percent of the time, as he claims. Audiences clearly agree, as demonstrated by the high-ticket sales and millions - sometimes hundreds of millions - watching his social media content and ‘The Russell Howard Hour’ on television or YouTube. Celebrity appearances and connections bring in the viewers, but Howard holds his own and brings his comedic chops wherever he appears.  “You have to figure out the right version of it. I don’t know the lay of the land, so I look forward to going to gigs and asking people how they feel.”  He’s taking in New Zealand in February and observing our nation’s cities and stories - and he expects to discuss our response to the crisis in the Red Sea, our politics and our other ‘interesting’ aspects. As he told Jack Tame, he’ll never know when an off-the-cuff observation turns into a joke, or standup special, or tour highlight.  LISTEN ABOVE   Tour Dates Wellington 3rd February 2024, Michael Fowler Centre  Palmerston North  4th February 2024, Regent On Broadway  Whanganui  5th February 2024, Royal Whanganui Opera House  Tauranga  7th February 2024, Mercury Baypark Arena  Hamilton  8th February 2024, Globox Arena  Auckland  9th February 2024, Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre  Auckland  10th February 2024, Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre  Hawke's Bay  11th February 2024, Toitoi Opera House See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

End of season strawberries are so jammy and sweet, they’re perfect for baking with.   Makes one 20cm cake.     Ingredients:  55g butter, softened   2/3 cup caster sugar + 1 tbsp   2 tsps pure vanilla extract   1 large egg   1 cup plain flour   ½ tsp baking powder   ½ tsp baking soda   3 tbsps poppy seeds   1/2 tsp lemon zest   1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt or sour cream   140g fresh strawberries, quartered   Yoghurt or whipped cream to serve     Method  1. Preheat oven to 180 C fan bake with rack in middle. Grease and line a 20cm springform tin. 2. Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla and egg. 3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and poppy seeds and add these into the mix in two batches, beating on low and alternating with yoghurt. Stir in zest and half the strawberries until just combined. Spoon batter into prepared cake tin. Arrange remaining strawberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining one tablespoon of sugar. 4. Bake 35 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes before ‘springing the tin’ and allow to cool completely before transferring to a serving plate.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is being warned of the country’s vulnerability to more frequent severe weather, and the possibility of catastrophic earthquakes that could cripple the country.  These earthquakes could occur in the near future, or even within the next few days.  The news is hardly reassuring, and Kevin Milne is wondering just how he’s supposed to react.  Should he try refund his concert tickets? How would an earthquake affect the pitch for Sunday’s cricket test?   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The big news from my summer this year, is that I got married last weekend.  Well, technically actually that’s not correct. My wife, Mava, and I were legally married back in May. But last weekend we had a little wedding. The white dress, the tux, the families in from different parts of the country and the World, the hair, the pocket squares, the petit fours, the rings, the champagne, the stress.    Mava chose to enter to a beautiful song by Bon Iver. I chose to enter to – who else? -  Kanye West. I’m not gonna bore you with all the details in the World except to say it was so good. So good. So special. The stress of the lead up melted away. Mava and I felt present. And more than anything, we felt incredibly loved.    And although truthfully I’m feeling a bit emotionally depleted, I’ve found myself this week reflecting on a couple of things about our day.  There are two vital elements in a wedding. One is obviously that you make a profound commitment to someone else. You solidify and formalise the bond and the relationship between the two of you.   The other is that you do it in a room full of people who are important to you.   I know this is a bit of a cliche, but one of those things... I really want to do again.   Modern life is tricky. We’re all on different orbits. In different countries. Different cities. Kids, jobs, career trajectories: we’re all at different ages and stages of life. But what a privilege it is, a *rare* privilege, to pull the handbrake of push the big red button, and get all of those planets to line up together, if only for a night. How amazing it is to look around a room, to recognise all the faces beaming back at you, and know that you and each of those people have a special connection.   Culturally, I reckon we can sometimes be a bit lousy at celebrating milestones. Getting married has made me determined to do better, to have more parties, to break the glass and hit the red button again.  The morning after our celebration, I woke before dawn. I was exhausted, running on fumes, but still buzzing. Before my wife stirred, I kissed her on the cheek, walked down to the beach and slipped into the water. I lay, floating on my back, bobbing in the tide, processing everything.   I felt so warm. So content. So lucky. So loved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tara Canton is the definition of talented.   Starting out in theatre, she was a triple threat taking up roles in the Sound of Music and Annie.   But before she even graduated at Wellington’s Toi Whakaari, she landed the role in TVNZ’S 'After the Party', working alongside well-respected Kiwi actress, Robyn Malcom.  "I've always been interested in performing in arts,” Canton told Newstalk ZB’s Wilhelmina Shrimpton.  "I have an older sister Allegra, and she did musical theater, and dancing ,and all that growing up. So I kind of followed suit just, just, because I looked up to her and stuff.”  She started her performing career with stage and musical theatre, and through Toi Whakaari was introduced to the world of screen acting.  “When I booked this role, it was my first every self-tape that I’d done,” she said.  “I had never done anything remotely like, professional in terms of screen work.”  When it comes to working with Robyn Malcom, Canton said that she was a like a sponge, soaking up the experience.  “She made it so easy to talk to her.”  “I was trying to remember as much as I could.”  After The Party features some darker themes and serious elements, one of which relates directly to Canton’s character’s father.  “I really wanted to do the character of Grace justice,” she told Shrimpton.  “Definitely a bit of a scary first role.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Their fourteenth studio album, Green day is back with 'Saviors'.  A fifteen track punk-rock album that slots seamlessly into their discography and is, in their own words, an insight into the band's collective consciousness.  "Saviors is an invitation into Green Day’s brain, their collective spirit as a band, and an understanding of friendship, culture and legacy of the last 30 plus years." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Search Party by Hannah Richell   A spellbinding locked-room mystery about a glamping trip gone horribly wrong when a powerful storm leaves the participants stranded and forced to confront long-held secrets and a shocking disappearance. Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race with their twelve-year-old son to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. Eager for a dry run ahead of their opening, they invite three old university friends and their families for a long-needed reunion. But the festivities soon go awry as tensions arise between the children (and subsequently their parents), explosive secrets come to light, and a sudden storm moves in, cutting them off from help as one in the group disappears. Moving between the police investigation, a hospital room, and the catastrophic weekend, The Search Party is a propulsive and twisty destination thriller about the tenuous bonds of friendship and the lengths parents will go to protect their children—perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.    The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini   A woman falls to her death from a London bank's twenty-fifth-floor roof terrace. You're arrested for her murder. You tell the police that you only met the victim the previous night at your office party. She was threatening to jump from the roof, but you talked her down. You've got nothing to do with this tragedy. You're clearly being framed. So why do the police keep picking holes in your story? And why doesn't your lawyer seem to believe you? It soon becomes obvious that you're keeping secrets. But who are you trying to protect? And why?    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Deep in the golden heart of the Ashburton District, the mountains rise up to meet you. Two hours drive from Christchurch, I turned off the inland scenic highway at Mount Somers, bound for Lake Heron Station. The sealed road ends by the historic Hakatere buildings, but the sense of heritage in these parts is rich. Turning off at Hakatere onto the graded gravel road to the lake, I’m rolling through a wide open basin of golden tussock and matagouri, bracketed by high, glaciated mountain ranges.   Lake Heron Station is a magnificent high country merino station that’s been a going concern for the Todhunter family since 1917." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Wilhelmina Shrimpton for a chat about beginning the year with oomph.  Top tips include:  -Daily scheduled activity -Mapping your activities to match your personal energy flow -Learning how to mentally switch off from work    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a great summer with scorching temps on the Port Hills, the plants started to suffer a wee bit – away from home for a week or more makes most gardeners a bit anxious. Plants dried out very quickly.  How to Water?  Never been a fan of sprinklers. I try to keep my leaves dry as much as possible; wet leaves often give fungal spores the opportunity to settle on the plant, causing leaf-spots, rots, downy mildew, and powdery mildew.  Try to water the root zone of a plant, by depositing the water —gently— on the soil. A fierce jet of water can clog the porosity of the soil (not so good either!), so a nice shower-setting of your hose handpiece is perfect.  Evening or Morning?  It doesn’t really matter a lot, I think. The water cools the soil remarkably and, in the morning, (when it’s cooler) most of the water will actually penetrate the soil. In the evening (with warmer temperatures) a proportion of the water will evaporate, become a “cloud” of H2O gas and meet its mates, somewhere high up in the sky. In other words, it doesn’t do the plants much good.  But watering in the middle of the day makes a huge percentage of the water disappear into the stratosphere.  In my tunnel house (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Capsicums) I prefer an evening watering to moisten the soil…. Followed by a liquid fertiliser (seafood Soup / Seaweed Tea) a few hours later when the soil is cooler, and the plants are in the mood for a liquid “meal”  Established shrubs and trees?  Most Nature Nerds that go walking will see in dry summers how established trees show severe signs of dehydration or wilting. Even without any rain those leaves will often look a lot better in the evening. Wilting is simply a strategy to shut off the leaves’ stomata to save the moisture escaping from these openings in the heat of the day.  This wilting can go on for weeks, sometimes.  A thoroughly good soak (hours and hours of watering) can re-set the water deficit in the soil. This deep watering is far more beneficial to soil and shrubs/trees than daily “piddle-waterings”  Over-watering?  As mentioned, a few months ago: to get trees and shrubs acclimatised to the drought, don’t “Over-Water” them. Let the search for water by getting the roots to grow deeper and further away from the main trunk/stem. Build Resilience!!  I reckon that UNDER-WATERING is a great way to train your perennials.  Regular droughts? Which plants are suited for water-stressed areas?  Think Mediterranean species that often don’t get much during the 5 months of summer in Spain and Morocco and Italia. Often plants with blue-ish or white-ish colours or with thick hairs on the leaves (that stop water loss). Euphorbias, Echiums, Watsonias, cacti, succulents, phlomis, Jerusalem sage, rosemary, lambs ear, etc etc.  Plants that can NEVER dry out.  Ferns have got a different vascular system in their stems and fronds; these bundles are not as strong and lignine-supported as other “Vascular plants”; So when a fern gets too dry, its bundles simply shrivel up and irreversibly collapse.  I warned you!!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple is being forced to allow apps from outside it's App Store  The EU's Digital Markets Act is coming into effect in March and it will see monumental changes to Apple's iPhone business. For the first time apps from outside of its App Store will be allowed to be installed on the phone, either directly, or via a third-party-created app store of their own. It's huge because Apple charges up to 30% of an App's direct revenue to be distributed in their store and have strict guidelines on what apps can and cannot do. These new rules allow for more freedom than ever. These new DMA rules will also force Apple to allow for web browsers to be powered by technology other than their proprietary "WebKit". For New Zealanders it won't mean much but it may give more ammunition for other governments to propose similar legislation.    Explicit Taylor Swift images are going viral, but they're deepfakes  Don't believe what you're seeing. The realistic pornographic images are likely generated by AI technology which makes creating them as easy as typing "prompts" or instructions - no photoshop skills necessary. A single instance of one image on X (formally Twitter) was viewed 47 million times before the account was taken down. In the US there aren't federal regulations around AI imagery, and no states have laws against creation or sharing of non-consensual deepfake photography.  Taylor Swift's is one of America's sweethearts and this is shining a light on a very real issue because these types of images can be created for almost anyone.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Masters of the Air   A new military drama from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, based on a true story from in World War II about ten American airmen who risked their lives against unrelenting German fighters (AppleTV+).    Black Coast Vanishings  A new New Zealand true-crime documentary series about the mysterious disappearances of six people from the small coastal community of Piha (Three and ThreeNow, from Sunday 28 January).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Priscilla When teenager Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who's already a meteoric rock 'n' roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, and a gentle best friend.     Lift  A master thief is wooed by his ex-girlfriend and the FBI to pull off an impossible heist with his international crew on a 777 passenger flight from London to Zurich.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a very special anniversary for one of childhood’s most beloved figures: Winnie the Pooh.  This month marks one hundred years since AA Milne introduced the beloved character to the world in a poem called ‘Teddy Bear.’  Kevin Milne joined Wilhelmina Shrimpton to celebrate the occasion.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this time of year the plum trees are dripping with fruit! It’s time to make the annual supply of plum sauce and plum chutneys but it’s also time to bake this beautiful cake!  Ingredients  3/4 cup sugar  180g butter, softened  1 tbsp vanilla extract  2 medium eggs  ½ cup plain flour  ½ cup ground almonds  1 tsp baking powder  6 plums, halved and de-stoned  Method  1. Heat oven 180 C. Grease a springform tin.  2. Cream the sugar and butter until pale, light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Stir in flour, almonds and baking powder until combined.  3. Spoon the batter into a springform tin. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.  4. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let it sit for 5 minutes then remove the sides and cool completely.  5. Serve plain or with whipped cream and custard.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I want to talk about timing, because it really is everything.   It can be the difference between whether you say or do something, and it can be the difference between whether you don’t.  It can shape opinion, and it can morph public perception.  The timing of an announcement or an incident can also dictate how it’s received.   I think we’ve well and truly seen the importance of timing when it comes to our politicians and their mental health struggles.   I know that Francesca Rudkin spoke about this on last week’s show following the shoplifting allegations against Golriz Gharahman, but the headline is back in the spotlight after former Labour Minister Kiri Allan opened up about her mental health struggles after allegedly drink-driving and crashing her car last year.   Like Golriz, she resigned from her role, and like Golriz, she’s due to have her day in court after being charged over the incident.   In her first interview since the crash Allan says she’d returned to work to deal with a change in Labour’s policies after a ‘mental health break’ … and admits she got to a point where she “decided she wanted to take her life” the night of the incident.   Now before I continue, I think it’s important to remind everyone that both Golriz Gharahman and Kiri Allan have said that their mental health struggles are not an excuse but an explanation for what happened.   Even so, they both faced a mound of criticism that mental health had been used to try and manage the PR disasters.   There are of course a lot of similarities between the former politicians’ stories, and while I applaud them for openly sharing their struggles, I wonder whether the timing of that was what threw many Kiwis.   Perhaps if they’d laid that bare when they entered politics, or when the first signs of trouble began to emerge, then many may have been more willing to accept the explanation. Or perhaps, by speaking openly about it earlier on, then the incidents may not have even happened and they’d still be sitting in the beehive right now.   I realise that’s all very well in theory but in practice it seems to have become increasingly obvious that as a government, and also as a society, we haven’t created an environment where people feel comfortable enough to come forward without judgment.   This was evident in a LinkedIn post I read last week after Golriz’s shoplifting allegations emerged, which stated that people with mental health struggles shouldn't bother getting into politics or positions with a public profile.   Not only is that discriminatory and completely unfair, it also doesn’t bode well for democracy, swiftly eliminating 31% of Kiwis who in the latest New Zealand Health Survey said they live with moderate to very high levels of psychological distress.   My fear is that although we’re seeing an increase in conversation and campaigns about mental health, that isn’t translating into an understanding or acceptance of the issue.   Kiri Allan said in her latest interview that if she looked at how her mental health may have impacted the way she operated, that it was her responsibility to manage that aspect of her life, and that she didn’t do that well.   She’s right. But there’s also some responsibility on our friends, colleagues and employers too.   And to bring it back to timing, maybe if we walked the talk we saw in all of those mental health campaigns then it would never be an awkward time to speak out.   Both Kiri Allan and Golriz Gharahman are now paying the price for their mistakes - as they should.   Both have valuable lessons to learn. But so do we. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award winning musician, Author, ted talker, Amanda Palmer is adventurous, creative, and a real go-getter.    She was one of the great minds behind music duo “The Dresden Dolls” and won Artist of the Year at the 2006 Boston Music Awards.    Amanda has a soft spot for New Zealand, spending nearly two years on Waiheke and in Hawkes Bay with her son during the Covid pandemic.   Now she’s returning with a tour and new music, honouring her time as an accidental Kiwi, and joining Francesca Rudkin to chat about it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Home-grown in Aōtearoa, Erny Belle released her debut album in 2022. 'Venus is Home' is flavoured with the sounds of alt-folk, country, and Pacific-pop and is an ode to her connection with her grandmother and growing up in rural Aōtearoa. Her latest album 'Not Your Cupid' expands upon its predecessor, adding new influences.  The album is less narrative and more focused on imaginings, the throughline a little more cryptic and intuitive.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dinner Party by Rebecca Heath    The new exciting thriller by Rebecca Heath, author of THE SUMMER PARTY. A dark and twisty domestic thriller set in a seemingly idyllic suburban neighbourhood, where family secrets are best kept buried...     Dark Arena: A Frenchman Thriller by Jack Beaumont  When a DGSE agent is brutally murdered in front of his family, the 'Company' swings into action, determined to track down the killers. Meanwhile, operative Alec de Payns is turning a Russian intelligence officer by blackmail. His team must establish who is posting classified material against the Kremlin to embassies all over Europe. The clues lead to a secret meeting of businessmen, terrorists and mercenaries on a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean, which Alec must infiltrate. What he discovers there will set Europe on course for catastrophe. Can de Payns and his team establish who is setting up an assassination? Who is the target? And will they be able to stop it?    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"South Westland’s natural splendour seems to grow in awe-inspiring intensity the further south you go. There’s a fairytale quality to the sense of escapism, as you drive through those long and leafy highway glades, where the forest canopy drapes across the road. I wended my way to Whataroa, where nesting is the star attraction. Just out of Whataroa, the rare white heron/kōtuku nest at the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve from September to March." "Just 25 minutes south from Whataroa, Ōkārito is an irresistibly laidback hamlet, like a world unto itself. On arrival, you’re rewarded with stunning panoramic views of the towering jaws of the Southern Alps, the roar of the ocean, the magnificent lagoon, striking sea cliffs and vast, lush forest in this heart-stealing eco-wonderland." "The twin glaciers, Franz Josef and Fox are revered as being two of the most accessible glaciers in the world, plunging down from the Southern Alps, wrapped in rainforest, almost to sea level. Descending from 3000 metres, Franz Josef Glacier terminates just 240 metres above sea level, and just 19km from the coast. The terminal face of Fox, which is the longest of the West Coast glaciers, is only 12km from the Tasman Sea. It’s what makes Franz Josef and Fox so exceptional – you’d struggle to find many glaciers so close to the ocean." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year Kate Hall is embarking on a challenge.  She’s aiming to only purchase local and New Zealand made food when doing her grocery shopping.  Kate joined Francesca Rudkin to chat about why she’s embarking on this challenge, and the difficulties she thinks she’ll face along the way.  Read her blog explaining the challenge here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why bother with a yearly check-up?  - Prevention is better than cures.  - There are many things that we may not be aware of that we can do something about.  - In many cases it’s not about now but about the future.   - Three main areas to think about: checking for cardiovascular risk factors, early detection cancer, and prevention of disease.     What things will your GP check for?  - They’ll check for the ‘hidden’ issues.  - Physical: look at blood pressure and weight in particular. Both can cause heart disease.  - Run some routine blood tests, in particular checking blood sugar for diabetes and cholesterol.     Why are these important?  - Rising blood pressure, sugars rising in the blood stream, and fats in the blood stream are silent. We don’t know they’re happening.  - Blood pressure and cholesterol left untreated can lead to heart disease and strokes down the track.  - Elevated sugars can give us a warning that we are headed for diabetes, which is treatable with changes to diet, exercise, and weight loss.     What else do we need to think about?  - Cancer screenings:  - Mammograms for early breast cancer from age 45.  - Bowel screening from the age of 60 for bowel cancer.  - Cervical screening for cervical cancer from age 25.  - In men, think about a blood test for prostate cancer from the age of 50.  - If we detect cancer early enough, we can cure it – that simple!     Any other issues?  - Being up to date with immunisations.  - For children we need to think about all those diseases we prevent with immunisation. Measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, hepatitis, pneumonia, tetanus, and meningitis are all killers, and we need to make sure our children are protected.  -For adults: a yearly flu injection, shingle vaccine at the age of 65, being up to date with Covid boosters, and discussing pneumococcal vaccine for pneumonia over the age of 65.  -These are all important in preventing disease.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some new research suggests our fingerprints may not be as unique as we thought they are.  The common thesis has always been that each of our fingerprints is unique, but researchers from Columbia University have run AI over 60,000 fingerprints and found that it's possible to detect when two fingerprints belong to the same person with 75-90% accuracy.  Here's the scary part - they don't know how AI is doing it, but it doesn't seem to be using the markers that forensics experts have been using for decades. It seems there is something about the curvature and the angle of the swirls in the centre that are common enough on each of our fingerprints to identify us. There are still lots of questions, like is it to do with how the samples are collected? Or do these markers change over time?    The tech layoffs continue  Google has started 2024 with another round of layoffs impacting over a thousand employees and their CEO Sundar Pichai says to brace for more. Google is actively working to cut out layers of middle management to "simplify execution", but also focusing its investments in its core areas - which has seen funding reallocated from elsewhere.   The tech sector has laid off nearly 8,000 workers so far this year, according to layoffs.fyi. Folks from Amazon, Discord, Instagram and many startups.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

True Detective: Night Country The acclaimed HBO detective series is back, this time starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis (professional boxer turned actor) and set in chilling small town Alaska (Neon). Boy Swallows Universe  Bryan Brown stars in this Australian drama based on the bestselling book of the same name, about a young boy from Brisbane who must navigate the criminal world (Netflix).Death and Other Details Fans of an Agatha Christie mystery will enjoy this new series about a detective trying to solve a murder on a Mediterranean ocean liner where every passenger seems to be hiding something (Disney+).   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iron Claw The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who make history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.   Bitconned In this true-crime documentary, three guys exploit the freewheeling cryptocurrency market to scam millions from investors and bankroll lavish lifestyles.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whip up these beef tacos in a minute on the BBQ and you’ve got yourself a feast!  Makes 10-12 tacos    Ingredients:  1 piece rump steak, sliced into thin strips  1 red capsicum, sliced thinly  1 onion, sliced thinly  2 cloves garlic, minced with some salt  2 tsps. cumin seeds  1 tsp chilli flakes  ½ tsp dried oregano  2 tbsps. olive oil  Juice from a lemon or lime  To serve:  10-12 tortilla  ½ cup guacamole  Shredded lettuce  Crumbled feta  Salsa – I use La Morena available in supermarkets    Method:   1. Marinate the beef strips in all of the main ingredients for at least 15 minutes. 2. While the meat marinates, warm the tortilla on the BBQ or in a pan, keeping them warm wrapped in a tea towel. Set out a build your own platter with tortilla, lettuce, guacamole, feta and salsa. 3. Cook the beef and vegetable mix on a hot BBQ plate or in a pan (do it in batches so it doesn’t stew) until the beef is just cooked. Serve alongside the platter and diners can build their own taco!   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024 is still in its early days but nearly three weeks into January, Kevin Milne is starting to get a sense of what the year has in store for him.  He told Francesca Rudkin that this is the time of year where you have to look for omens, and with a speeding ticket and an insurance refund it’s already looking like a mixed bag.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I found myself wondering if we’re too hard on politicians? Is there enough support for those who choose to go into public service? And why do we forget they’re human too?   When we see some of politics’ most passionate, talented, hard-working participants, some touted as potential leaders, hit mental health road bumps which often derail their careers, you’ve got to wonder if it’s worth it.    This time last year our then Prime Minister called a press conference and announced she didn’t have enough energy in the tank to do the job well and was resigning. She wanted to spend more time with her family.   It was a shock, but not surprising. It had been a brutal, unprecedented 5 years at the top for Ardern, and would have taken a toll on any leader.    This January we have another surprising resignation of a high-profile politician, for quite different reasons. In the case of Greens MP Golriz Ghahraman it was due to allegations of shoplifting, for which she has now been charged.   Ghahraman did not offer an excuse —and rightly so, as there’s no excuse for illegal behaviour— but she did try and offer an explanation. An extreme stress response to her work and unrecognised trauma contributed to her irrational behaviour – basically, it was down to her mental health.   As I know from hosting Summer Mornings this week, some of you feel empathy for Ghahraman, appreciate her hard work, and wish her the best in dealing with her issues. Some of you believe that mental health is just a convenient excuse.   I think it’s both. We need to differentiate between a person’s mental health crisis, which deserves our compassion, and their actions, which can be inexcusable. It is possible to hold both thoughts at the same time.  What we don’t want though is for the mental health ‘excuse’ to become an easy PR solution to a problem, because it’s really important people —from all walks of life— share their stories to destigmatise mental health issues.  What intrigued me this week was when Ghahraman’s Green Party colleagues and former members of Parliament spoke out about the stress, violent and sexual threats, and the challenges of being a politician, but especially a female politician.   Abuse has always been a part of being a politician. Talk to any politician and they will tell you about some of the crazy abuse they have received over the years, but you get the sense from those in the business now that it’s worse.   Why do people feel they have the right to abuse and threaten politicians?   If you don’t like their policies, don’t vote for them. There is never any rationale or excuse for sexual or violent threats. We must differentiate between the person and the politics, and at the same time offer better support for those who decide to enter public service.   This needs to come from both the party and Parliamentary Services. The last thing we want is for our politicians to become unreachable and untouchable due to a fear of the public, or for good, capable people to decide to avoid public service altogether.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was left to my wife to break the bad news.  Our boy was sitting patiently in the back of the car and as we made our way across town, she gently asked him about the letter which we’d just discovered he’d written to Santa.  “When did you write it?” She asked.  “A couple of weeks ago. I didn’t tell you, cos it was going straight to Santa.”  “Fair call. Good thinking. Who helped you do it?”   “My Kaiako... my teacher.”  “And... um... What did you ask for?”  “Oh, nothing major,” he said. “The standard. A Rubik’s cube. Some stuff for his Beyblade spinning tops. Oh, and you know... a dog.”  “A dog?” Asked mum.  “Two dogs,” replied our boy. “So, they’ll always have someone to play with even when I’m at school.”  Nothing stokes the magic of Christmas like watching it through kids’ eyes. Nothing kills your dream of two new pet dogs like Mum gently explaining that Santa called her on the phone from an unknown number to double-check the pets would be ok... and unfortunately, our family just isn’t in a position where we can have two new dogs, this year.   What am I looking forward to this Christmas? I’m looking forward to watching his face when we finally let him loose on the non-canine gifts sitting there, tantalising and mysterious, under the Christmas tree.   I’m looking forward to cracking the click-clack Tupperware and hoeing into my mum’s Christmas baking. I’m looking forward to knocking around on guitars, cold drinks in the summer twilight, and turning off all of the notifications on my phone.   I’m looking forward to meeting my new nephew, baby Freddie, for the first time. I’m looking forward to playing with his older brother and sister, who are at the age where all they want to do is a bit of rough and tumble. We’ll play Jonah – an old favourite where I crouch on one side of the lounge, and they try to run past me and score an imaginary try on the couch, only for me to pick them up and tackle them to the carpet. My nephew will no doubt ask me to string him like a pig... holding him from the ankles and dangling him upside down. A great way to wind up a four-year-old just before bed.  This is our last show morning for 20203. It’s been a year. For me, 2023 started for me with a 2000km road trip across South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Mozambique, and is ending in Nelson. We’ve had an election. Natural disasters. Wars. World Cups. Somewhere in there, I asked my partner to marry me.   For me, this time of year is when we bank all of that. A time to exhale. To reconnect, reset, recharge and go again. And for all the peripheral stress, nothing else comes close.   Dogs or no dogs, I love Christmas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was left to my wife to break the bad news.  Our boy was sitting patiently in the back of the car and as we made our way across town, she gently asked him about the letter which we’d just discovered he’d written to Santa.  “When did you write it?” She asked.  “A couple of weeks ago. I didn’t tell you, cos it was going straight to Santa.”  “Fair call. Good thinking. Who helped you do it?”   “My Kaiako... my teacher.”  “And... um... What did you ask for?”  “Oh, nothing major,” he said. “The standard. A Rubik’s cube. Some stuff for his Beyblade spinning tops. Oh, and you know... a dog.”  “A dog?” Asked mum.  “Two dogs,” replied our boy. “So, they’ll always have someone to play with even when I’m at school.”  Nothing stokes the magic of Christmas like watching it through kids’ eyes. Nothing kills your dream of two new pet dogs like Mum gently explaining that Santa called her on the phone from an unknown number to double-check the pets would be ok... and unfortunately, our family just isn’t in a position where we can have two new dogs, this year.   What am I looking forward to this Christmas? I’m looking forward to watching his face when we finally let him loose on the non-canine gifts sitting there, tantalising and mysterious, under the Christmas tree.   I’m looking forward to cracking the click-clack Tupperware and hoeing into my mum’s Christmas baking. I’m looking forward to knocking around on guitars, cold drinks in the summer twilight, and turning off all of the notifications on my phone.   I’m looking forward to meeting my new nephew, baby Freddie, for the first time. I’m looking forward to playing with his older brother and sister, who are at the age where all they want to do is a bit of rough and tumble. We’ll play Jonah – an old favourite where I crouch on one side of the lounge, and they try to run past me and score an imaginary try on the couch, only for me to pick them up and tackle them to the carpet. My nephew will no doubt ask me to string him like a pig... holding him from the ankles and dangling him upside down. A great way to wind up a four-year-old just before bed.  This is our last show morning for 20203. It’s been a year. For me, 2023 started for me with a 2000km road trip across South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Mozambique, and is ending in Nelson. We’ve had an election. Natural disasters. Wars. World Cups. Somewhere in there, I asked my partner to marry me.   For me, this time of year is when we bank all of that. A time to exhale. To reconnect, reset, recharge and go again. And for all the peripheral stress, nothing else comes close.   Dogs or no dogs, I love Christmas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her own right, Lorin Clarke, the daughter of New Zealand Comedian legend John Clarke, is as talented as it comes.   Following in her father’s footsteps, Lorin expressed her creative side through writing and producing children's TV, film, and books, as well as podcasts and columns for the ABC.  She’s told the story of what it was like growing up with John as a father in her memoir ‘Would that be Funny? Growing Up with John Clarke’.   Lorin joined Jack Tame to chat about the memoir, which was released in August this year.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her own right, Lorin Clarke, the daughter of New Zealand Comedian legend John Clarke, is as talented as it comes.   Following in her father’s footsteps, Lorin expressed her creative side through writing and producing children's TV, film, and books, as well as podcasts and columns for the ABC.  She’s told the story of what it was like growing up with John as a father in her memoir ‘Would that be Funny? Growing Up with John Clarke’.   Lorin joined Jack Tame to chat about the memoir, which was released in August this year.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two time Grammy Award Winner Samara Joy has released her first Christmas Album! The album features six songs total, four of them completely new: - Warm in December- Twinkle Twinkle Little Me- The Christmas Song- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas- O Holy Night (feat. The McLendon Family)- The Christmas Song (Live) LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two time Grammy Award Winner Samara Joy has released her first Christmas Album! The album features six songs total, four of them completely new: - Warm in December- Twinkle Twinkle Little Me- The Christmas Song- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas- O Holy Night (feat. The McLendon Family)- The Christmas Song (Live) LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fiction:  The Secret Hours – Mick Heron  A gripping spy thriller from the bestselling author of Slow Horses, about a disastrous MI5 mission in Cold War Berlin—an absolute must-read for Slough House fans. Learned by Heart –Emma Donaghue  Eliza and Lister have never been this wide-awake in their lives, and the Slope, with its curtains drawn wide, is bright with starlight. They talk in whispers, not to disturb the maids who lie sleeping on the other side of the box room. The question Eliza’s been needing to ask swells like a great berry in her mouth, and all at once she’s not scared to let it out, not scared at all, not scared of anything . . . Tom Lake – Anne Patchett   This is a story about Peter Duke who went on to be a famous actor.This is a story about falling in love with Peter Duke who wasn't famous at all.It's about falling so wildly in love with him – the way one will at twenty-four – that it felt like jumping off a roof at midnight.There was no way to foresee the mess it would come to in the end.   Non Fiction:   Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World – John Vaillant   In May 2016, Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada's oil industry and America's biggest foreign supplier, was overrun by wildfire. The multi-billion-dollar disaster melted vehicles, turned entire neighborhoods into firebombs, and drove 88,000 people from their homes in a single afternoon. Through the lens of this apocalyptic conflagration--the wildfire equivalent of Hurricane Katrina--John Vaillant warns that this was not a unique event, but a shocking preview of what we must prepare for in a hotter, more flammable world. Fire has been a partner in our evolution for hundreds of millennia, shaping culture, civilization, and, very likely, our brains. Fire has enabled us to cook our food, defend and heat our homes, and power the machines that drive our titanic economy. Yet this volatile energy source has always threatened to elude our control, and in our new age of intensifying climate change, we are seeing its destructive power unleashed in previously unimaginable ways. The Wager – David Grann  On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as “the prize of all the oceans,” it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous senior officer and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang. The Twat Files: A hilarious sort-of memoir of mistakes, mishaps and mess-ups – Dawn French   When I was younger I wanted to be an interesting, sophisticated, semi-heroic, multi-layered person. BUT. That kind of perfect is impossible. Being an actual twat is much more the real me. Sorry to boast, but I am a champion twat. In The Twat Files I will tell you about all the times I've been a total and utter twat. The moments where I've misunderstood stuff and messed up. My hope is that these stories might fire up yer engines to remind you of just what a massive twat you also are. Let's celebrate and revel in this most delightful of traits together. That would be perfectly twatty. The Woman In Me – Britney Spears   The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fiction:  The Secret Hours – Mick Heron  A gripping spy thriller from the bestselling author of Slow Horses, about a disastrous MI5 mission in Cold War Berlin—an absolute must-read for Slough House fans. Learned by Heart –Emma Donaghue  Eliza and Lister have never been this wide-awake in their lives, and the Slope, with its curtains drawn wide, is bright with starlight. They talk in whispers, not to disturb the maids who lie sleeping on the other side of the box room. The question Eliza’s been needing to ask swells like a great berry in her mouth, and all at once she’s not scared to let it out, not scared at all, not scared of anything . . . Tom Lake – Anne Patchett   This is a story about Peter Duke who went on to be a famous actor.This is a story about falling in love with Peter Duke who wasn't famous at all.It's about falling so wildly in love with him – the way one will at twenty-four – that it felt like jumping off a roof at midnight.There was no way to foresee the mess it would come to in the end.   Non Fiction:   Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World – John Vaillant   In May 2016, Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada's oil industry and America's biggest foreign supplier, was overrun by wildfire. The multi-billion-dollar disaster melted vehicles, turned entire neighborhoods into firebombs, and drove 88,000 people from their homes in a single afternoon. Through the lens of this apocalyptic conflagration--the wildfire equivalent of Hurricane Katrina--John Vaillant warns that this was not a unique event, but a shocking preview of what we must prepare for in a hotter, more flammable world. Fire has been a partner in our evolution for hundreds of millennia, shaping culture, civilization, and, very likely, our brains. Fire has enabled us to cook our food, defend and heat our homes, and power the machines that drive our titanic economy. Yet this volatile energy source has always threatened to elude our control, and in our new age of intensifying climate change, we are seeing its destructive power unleashed in previously unimaginable ways. The Wager – David Grann  On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as “the prize of all the oceans,” it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous senior officer and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang. The Twat Files: A hilarious sort-of memoir of mistakes, mishaps and mess-ups – Dawn French   When I was younger I wanted to be an interesting, sophisticated, semi-heroic, multi-layered person. BUT. That kind of perfect is impossible. Being an actual twat is much more the real me. Sorry to boast, but I am a champion twat. In The Twat Files I will tell you about all the times I've been a total and utter twat. The moments where I've misunderstood stuff and messed up. My hope is that these stories might fire up yer engines to remind you of just what a massive twat you also are. Let's celebrate and revel in this most delightful of traits together. That would be perfectly twatty. The Woman In Me – Britney Spears   The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"One of my favourite Kiwi road trips can be mistaken as an unsung feeder route in South Westland, stitching the West Coast’s Glacier Country to the glittery allure of Wanaka and Queenstown. Rushing is the problem. Anyone who races through the ravishing Haast Pass Highway is unwittingly short-changing themselves. Set aside the time to devour its epic glories. As the last mountain pass to be constructed over the Southern Alps and only fully chip-sealed in 1995, this 140km-long panoramic alpine pass still exudes a “final frontier” sense of escapism as it threads its way through South Westland’s primeval forests. The route had long been used by Māori warriors and greenstone (pounamu) gatherers, as they traversed the Main Divide." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"One of my favourite Kiwi road trips can be mistaken as an unsung feeder route in South Westland, stitching the West Coast’s Glacier Country to the glittery allure of Wanaka and Queenstown. Rushing is the problem. Anyone who races through the ravishing Haast Pass Highway is unwittingly short-changing themselves. Set aside the time to devour its epic glories. As the last mountain pass to be constructed over the Southern Alps and only fully chip-sealed in 1995, this 140km-long panoramic alpine pass still exudes a “final frontier” sense of escapism as it threads its way through South Westland’s primeval forests. The route had long been used by Māori warriors and greenstone (pounamu) gatherers, as they traversed the Main Divide." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry. Emphasis on drink. Increased alcohol consumption can be a problem at this time of year, especially as people are under increased amounts of stress and pressure. This can sometimes contribute to problem drinking, as people increasingly use alcohol or other drugs as a way to cope. At Christmas, drinking becomes even more socially acceptable, and workplaces have a role in this, often via work Christmas functions which give people the license to drink as part of unwinding from work.  It’s useful to think about whether alcohol will have a role in workplace functions in the future. Lots of workplaces are reducing their emphasis on alcohol as part of their functions e.g., having outdoor picnics or doing activities where alcohol use isn’t the core thing or choosing a venue for a Christmas party that doesn’t serve alcohol.  On a personal front there are some danger signs to look out for:  - Increased tolerance: At first, 2 drinks was enough to relax, then it was 3, now it’s 4. The more you drink, the more your body adapts, so that the same amount has less effect.  - It’s hard to stop or cut back. - Problems with others: are you “that person” at the office Christmas party or social function?  - Life feels smaller: Sometimes, we stop doing things that matter, or only do them if we can do them while drinking. This starts to limit your life and can lead to giving up hobbies or even people that you used to enjoy.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry. Emphasis on drink. Increased alcohol consumption can be a problem at this time of year, especially as people are under increased amounts of stress and pressure. This can sometimes contribute to problem drinking, as people increasingly use alcohol or other drugs as a way to cope. At Christmas, drinking becomes even more socially acceptable, and workplaces have a role in this, often via work Christmas functions which give people the license to drink as part of unwinding from work.  It’s useful to think about whether alcohol will have a role in workplace functions in the future. Lots of workplaces are reducing their emphasis on alcohol as part of their functions e.g., having outdoor picnics or doing activities where alcohol use isn’t the core thing or choosing a venue for a Christmas party that doesn’t serve alcohol.  On a personal front there are some danger signs to look out for:  - Increased tolerance: At first, 2 drinks was enough to relax, then it was 3, now it’s 4. The more you drink, the more your body adapts, so that the same amount has less effect.  - It’s hard to stop or cut back. - Problems with others: are you “that person” at the office Christmas party or social function?  - Life feels smaller: Sometimes, we stop doing things that matter, or only do them if we can do them while drinking. This starts to limit your life and can lead to giving up hobbies or even people that you used to enjoy.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have always loved travel, especially to great Natural Environments. We all have favourite destinations and I have been extremely lucky touring the world while filming for Discovery Channel and Animal Planet – But in New Zealand alone, there are plenty of places that are inspirational when you want to have a break for all sorts of reasons: Gardening Botanic gardens in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, Otari (Wellington), Dunedin, Queens Park Invercargill, Napier and Waikereru (Just outside Gisborne). Most have their own botanical highlights: local plants, or a series of trees and shrubs from around the world – others focus on botanists and their historical discoveries. Otari/Wilton Bush: New Zealand’s only public botanic garden dedicated solely to native plants – all because of a vision by Leonard Cocaine. Waikereru – Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander plants from Cook’s Endeavour. If you want to get some inspiration for your garden, go and visit some of those places mentioned above. This is gardening on a huge scale. At the same time you’ll find out what grows well in your region and often keep up on the latest plant releases. Stunning Natural Parks Mount Taranaki – great tracks in the National park: The Puffer Track going up steeply and showing you the spectacular botany as you climb higher and higher, ending up on the Round-the-Mountain track. You may have heard about the famous cloud forests (Moist air going upwards in Mountainous Tropical areas) – well, if you park your car at the lower end of the North Egmont carpark (down from the visitor centre) you can access the Connett loop track, which goes through New Zealand’s cloud forest. This is the real deal in Aotearoa. The Lewis Pass (right at the top) has a fabulous, high altitude walk around wetlands (tarns) with orchids flowering and constantly on the edge of the tree-line: shrunken alpine versions of trees you might know from lower altitudes. If you like Lichens, this is the walk to make. Great insect life all over the place, especially in late spring and summer. (Alpine stone weta!) Further south, try to spend some time in the Catlins. Sealions, Southern rata flowering, deserted beaches and extraordinary forests in pristine landscapes. This is where you immediately get the definition of Biodiversity. This is the very first time in my life that I have mentioned the Catlins on the wireless – it should remain a secret place for ever and ever (ake ake). Milford track too long for you? I have a perfect alternative: Start the Routeburn track on SH 94 (the Milford Road, an hour north of Te Anau) and get to Key Summit. Pick a good weather day and get to the top: Alpine views, wetlands with magical wetland plants (a few Sundew species – Drosera); these plants eat insects – extraordinary! Key summit is the Natural History of Lord of the Rings. Oh yes… rock wrens !!! Ecological “Islands” These are bits of our Landscape that have been made predator-free. That allows the presence of pretty rare birds, lizards, aquatic critters and insects, to name but a few groups under pressure. Zealandia (Wellington) is a mere 20 minutes from down town. Predator proof fence keeps the nasties out; kaka,Tuatara, falcons, kiwi, tieke hihi etc etc. The noise can be deafening. Maungatautari near Cambridge, south of Hamilton is an impressive breeding ground for western brown kiwi: “kohanga kiwi”. After releasing some of these birds there, the numbers increased dramatically. Now these birds can be translocated to other sites with effective pest control. Good numbers of other endangered birds and bats. Brook Waimarama near Nelson where the predator-proof fence keeps the locals safe. It’s a great valley with aquatic habitats and my favourite giant carnivorous snails (Powelliphanta) Orokonui EcoSanctuary North of Dunedin city. One of the few places where you can see the large Otago skink, sunning itself on warm rocks in the sun. With Kaka, Tui and Bellbird sipping nectar from native flowers and additional sugar water dispensers, the sounds are reminiscent of the concept of a cacophony This is what New Zealand sounded like when Maori arrived! Tawharanui Open Sanctuary is probably the most “summer Holiday destination”: North of Auckland on the Coast, not far from Goat Island. Kiwi, Takahe, brown teal, Kaka and bellbird, tui and some stunning (albeit small) areas with original forests. Puriri trees with puriri moth holes in the trunks, beaches with dotterels and rocky sea-shore sites with amazing marine rockpools with endemic Nudibrancs and endemic fishes. It’s the place where we take teachers for the school holidays with the Blake Inspire sessions: Nature Nerd teachers, ready to teach Nature Nerd Kids! Finally: My environmental “home” in Aotearoa: Wingspan in Rotorua. This is the place where you can interact with falcons, harriers and owls, and learn about the people that rescue these raptors and teach them to fly and hunt for prey, using ancient falconry techniques and traditional methods in ornithology, language and culture.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have always loved travel, especially to great Natural Environments. We all have favourite destinations and I have been extremely lucky touring the world while filming for Discovery Channel and Animal Planet – But in New Zealand alone, there are plenty of places that are inspirational when you want to have a break for all sorts of reasons: Gardening Botanic gardens in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, Otari (Wellington), Dunedin, Queens Park Invercargill, Napier and Waikereru (Just outside Gisborne). Most have their own botanical highlights: local plants, or a series of trees and shrubs from around the world – others focus on botanists and their historical discoveries. Otari/Wilton Bush: New Zealand’s only public botanic garden dedicated solely to native plants – all because of a vision by Leonard Cocaine. Waikereru – Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander plants from Cook’s Endeavour. If you want to get some inspiration for your garden, go and visit some of those places mentioned above. This is gardening on a huge scale. At the same time you’ll find out what grows well in your region and often keep up on the latest plant releases. Stunning Natural Parks Mount Taranaki – great tracks in the National park: The Puffer Track going up steeply and showing you the spectacular botany as you climb higher and higher, ending up on the Round-the-Mountain track. You may have heard about the famous cloud forests (Moist air going upwards in Mountainous Tropical areas) – well, if you park your car at the lower end of the North Egmont carpark (down from the visitor centre) you can access the Connett loop track, which goes through New Zealand’s cloud forest. This is the real deal in Aotearoa. The Lewis Pass (right at the top) has a fabulous, high altitude walk around wetlands (tarns) with orchids flowering and constantly on the edge of the tree-line: shrunken alpine versions of trees you might know from lower altitudes. If you like Lichens, this is the walk to make. Great insect life all over the place, especially in late spring and summer. (Alpine stone weta!) Further south, try to spend some time in the Catlins. Sealions, Southern rata flowering, deserted beaches and extraordinary forests in pristine landscapes. This is where you immediately get the definition of Biodiversity. This is the very first time in my life that I have mentioned the Catlins on the wireless – it should remain a secret place for ever and ever (ake ake). Milford track too long for you? I have a perfect alternative: Start the Routeburn track on SH 94 (the Milford Road, an hour north of Te Anau) and get to Key Summit. Pick a good weather day and get to the top: Alpine views, wetlands with magical wetland plants (a few Sundew species – Drosera); these plants eat insects – extraordinary! Key summit is the Natural History of Lord of the Rings. Oh yes… rock wrens !!! Ecological “Islands” These are bits of our Landscape that have been made predator-free. That allows the presence of pretty rare birds, lizards, aquatic critters and insects, to name but a few groups under pressure. Zealandia (Wellington) is a mere 20 minutes from down town. Predator proof fence keeps the nasties out; kaka,Tuatara, falcons, kiwi, tieke hihi etc etc. The noise can be deafening. Maungatautari near Cambridge, south of Hamilton is an impressive breeding ground for western brown kiwi: “kohanga kiwi”. After releasing some of these birds there, the numbers increased dramatically. Now these birds can be translocated to other sites with effective pest control. Good numbers of other endangered birds and bats. Brook Waimarama near Nelson where the predator-proof fence keeps the locals safe. It’s a great valley with aquatic habitats and my favourite giant carnivorous snails (Powelliphanta) Orokonui EcoSanctuary North of Dunedin city. One of the few places where you can see the large Otago skink, sunning itself on warm rocks in the sun. With Kaka, Tui and Bellbird sipping nectar from native flowers and additional sugar water dispensers, the sounds are reminiscent of the concept of a cacophony This is what New Zealand sounded like when Maori arrived! Tawharanui Open Sanctuary is probably the most “summer Holiday destination”: North of Auckland on the Coast, not far from Goat Island. Kiwi, Takahe, brown teal, Kaka and bellbird, tui and some stunning (albeit small) areas with original forests. Puriri trees with puriri moth holes in the trunks, beaches with dotterels and rocky sea-shore sites with amazing marine rockpools with endemic Nudibrancs and endemic fishes. It’s the place where we take teachers for the school holidays with the Blake Inspire sessions: Nature Nerd teachers, ready to teach Nature Nerd Kids! Finally: My environmental “home” in Aotearoa: Wingspan in Rotorua. This is the place where you can interact with falcons, harriers and owls, and learn about the people that rescue these raptors and teach them to fly and hunt for prey, using ancient falconry techniques and traditional methods in ornithology, language and culture.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wine: 2023 Giesen Uncharted Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough $20.99  Why I chose it:  - I wanted to choose a wine that would put a smile on the face of the largest number of people as a sort of Christmas present to listeners who enjoy wine.  - Sauvignon Blanc is our biggest selling wine both locally and overseas. - Giesen is a large, quality conscious producer of Sauvignon Blanc. - I recently tasted this wine in a blind line-up and it performed very well. - NZ makes the world’s best SB according to many top wine critics (We make 25% of the world’s SB). What does it taste like?  - “Sweet acid” sounds like a contradiction in terms but to me it describes an important component of this wine perfectly. Gentle sauvignon with good intensity of passionfruit, guava, grapefruit flavours with a gooseberry undercurrent.  Why it’s a bargain: $20.99 is an average price for Sauvignon Blanc but this is a well-above average quality wine. Where can you buy it?  - New World $17.99 (check the vintage, wait for 2023) - Glengarry Wines in Auckland (2022) $18.99 - Vineonline $17.99  Food match?  - Most seafoods, great with clams/cockles  Will it keep?  - Drink up    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wine: 2023 Giesen Uncharted Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough $20.99  Why I chose it:  - I wanted to choose a wine that would put a smile on the face of the largest number of people as a sort of Christmas present to listeners who enjoy wine.  - Sauvignon Blanc is our biggest selling wine both locally and overseas. - Giesen is a large, quality conscious producer of Sauvignon Blanc. - I recently tasted this wine in a blind line-up and it performed very well. - NZ makes the world’s best SB according to many top wine critics (We make 25% of the world’s SB). What does it taste like?  - “Sweet acid” sounds like a contradiction in terms but to me it describes an important component of this wine perfectly. Gentle sauvignon with good intensity of passionfruit, guava, grapefruit flavours with a gooseberry undercurrent.  Why it’s a bargain: $20.99 is an average price for Sauvignon Blanc but this is a well-above average quality wine. Where can you buy it?  - New World $17.99 (check the vintage, wait for 2023) - Glengarry Wines in Auckland (2022) $18.99 - Vineonline $17.99  Food match?  - Most seafoods, great with clams/cockles  Will it keep?  - Drink up    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Passkeys are the reverse password you never need to remember.  Instead of having your username and password stored on the server and it letting you in if you can make it match, the passkeys instead rely on your device to unlock a secret key, and only if the keys match mathematically, will the authentication be granted.    The benefits:   You can't be tricked! The website/app is coming to you clearly identifying itself and providing their version of the 'key'. Your private key will only work with its corresponding key held by the true website.  It's more secure! You need to prove you are you (using biometrics such as a fingerprint or face scan on your phone or a device) and will need to actually have the device on you to first unlock your private key and it never leaves your device. If the server is hacked, then it's basically useless information.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Passkeys are the reverse password you never need to remember.  Instead of having your username and password stored on the server and it letting you in if you can make it match, the passkeys instead rely on your device to unlock a secret key, and only if the keys match mathematically, will the authentication be granted.    The benefits:   You can't be tricked! The website/app is coming to you clearly identifying itself and providing their version of the 'key'. Your private key will only work with its corresponding key held by the true website.  It's more secure! You need to prove you are you (using biometrics such as a fingerprint or face scan on your phone or a device) and will need to actually have the device on you to first unlock your private key and it never leaves your device. If the server is hacked, then it's basically useless information.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vigil  A new season of the British crime drama that starred Suranne Jones as a detective solving a murder on a submarine - this time, however, she’s investigating a murder on land (TVNZ+, Boxing Day).    Fool Me Once  An eight-part British thriller based on the book by Harlan Coben about a woman recovering from the murder of her husband, when she unexpectedly sees him again and starts to uncover an unlikely conspiracy (Netflix, New Year’s Day).    The Tourist  Jamie Dornan returns for another game of cat-and-mouse in this thriller about a man who has no memory of who he is and why somebody is trying to kill him (TVNZ+, 2 January).  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vigil  A new season of the British crime drama that starred Suranne Jones as a detective solving a murder on a submarine - this time, however, she’s investigating a murder on land (TVNZ+, Boxing Day).    Fool Me Once  An eight-part British thriller based on the book by Harlan Coben about a woman recovering from the murder of her husband, when she unexpectedly sees him again and starts to uncover an unlikely conspiracy (Netflix, New Year’s Day).    The Tourist  Jamie Dornan returns for another game of cat-and-mouse in this thriller about a man who has no memory of who he is and why somebody is trying to kill him (TVNZ+, 2 January).  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I stand by this recipe as the one and only (controversial!) as it turns out a gorgeous pav every time – crisp outer shell and marshmallow inside.  Makes one large or 6-8 small individual pavs.     Ingredients:  - 5 medium egg whites  - 280g caster sugar  - 1 tbsp cornflour  - 1 tsp white vinegar    Method:   1. Heat your oven to 160 C fan bake and line an oven tray with baking paper. 2. With an electric beater on medium-high, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks begin to form. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition. I scrape down the sides a few times to make sure that all of the sugar is incorporated. Allow 12-15 minutes for this - it should be thick and shiny. Add in cornflour and vinegar and beat the meringue for 20-30 seconds more. 3. Reduce oven temperature to 100 C. 4. Pile up on lined tray, smoothing edges with the back of a wet spoon. 5. Bake for 1.5-2hrs hours (or until pav easily pulls away from the paper and the base is crispy) then turn oven off and allow to cool completely without disturbance. 6. Dressing your pav: Whipped cream or a combination of cream and mascarpone is a good base then add any toppings you wish to suit the season.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I stand by this recipe as the one and only (controversial!) as it turns out a gorgeous pav every time – crisp outer shell and marshmallow inside.  Makes one large or 6-8 small individual pavs.     Ingredients:  - 5 medium egg whites  - 280g caster sugar  - 1 tbsp cornflour  - 1 tsp white vinegar    Method:   1. Heat your oven to 160 C fan bake and line an oven tray with baking paper. 2. With an electric beater on medium-high, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks begin to form. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition. I scrape down the sides a few times to make sure that all of the sugar is incorporated. Allow 12-15 minutes for this - it should be thick and shiny. Add in cornflour and vinegar and beat the meringue for 20-30 seconds more. 3. Reduce oven temperature to 100 C. 4. Pile up on lined tray, smoothing edges with the back of a wet spoon. 5. Bake for 1.5-2hrs hours (or until pav easily pulls away from the paper and the base is crispy) then turn oven off and allow to cool completely without disturbance. 6. Dressing your pav: Whipped cream or a combination of cream and mascarpone is a good base then add any toppings you wish to suit the season.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Boys in the Boat During the height of the Great Depression, members of the rowing team at the University of Washington get thrust into the spotlight as they compete for gold at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.   One Life The story of British humanitarian Nicholas Winton, who helped save hundreds of Central European children from the Nazis on the eve of World War II. Ferrari During the summer of 1957, bankruptcy looms over the company that Enzo Ferrari and his wife built 10 years earlier. He decides to roll the dice and wager it all on the iconic Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Boys in the Boat During the height of the Great Depression, members of the rowing team at the University of Washington get thrust into the spotlight as they compete for gold at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.   One Life The story of British humanitarian Nicholas Winton, who helped save hundreds of Central European children from the Nazis on the eve of World War II. Ferrari During the summer of 1957, bankruptcy looms over the company that Enzo Ferrari and his wife built 10 years earlier. He decides to roll the dice and wager it all on the iconic Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the little things that matter.  This week Kevin Milne has been thinking about the little traditions that families observe at Christmas.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the little things that matter.  This week Kevin Milne has been thinking about the little traditions that families observe at Christmas.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think Later is the second studio album released by Canadian singer Tate McRae, following from her debut album i used to think i could fly.  McRae said in an interview with Rolling Stone that the last year has been driven more by her intuition, and she hopes fans can feel that in the music as it covers themes of falling in love and the raw emotions that come with. The album has a total of fourteen songs with two pre-release singles: exes and greedy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prima Facie - Suzie Miller Tessa is a thoroughbred. A young, brilliant barrister from a working-class background now at the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and lighting up the shadows of doubt in any case. The law is a game and she is its most talented player. One sickening night, though, Tessa finds herself in a position countless women - one in three - have been in before her. And she's faced with a gut-wrenching, life-changing decision. Will she take the stand to testify about her rape, with the full awareness that the system has not been built to protect her?   Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond - Henry Winkler Henry Winkler, launched into prominence as "The Fonz" in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it's simply not the case, he's really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you. Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, where he's been revealed as an actor with immense depth and pathos, a departure from the period of his life when he was so distinctly typecast as The Fonz, he could hardly find work. Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our modern society there are two qualities which we’re always told to value that are seemingly at odds with each other: productivity and wellbeing.   Lauren Parsons has spent her career working out how best to balance them.   In her book, ‘Thriving leaders, thriving teams’ Lauren hits on the keys to shaping a positive energised workplace culture.   Lauren’s just earned herself the ‘Keynote speaker of the year award’ and ‘Educator of the Year’ for 2023.   Lauren Parsons joined Jack Tame to discuss her work.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"It was recently crowned New Zealand’s leading hotel at the 30th Annual World Travel Awards, beating out 11 other big-name hotels in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown. So what is all the fuss about? Does it really live up to all the hype? Channelling my inner-Curious George, I zipped to Queenstown to sample the supreme comforts of The Rees Hotel." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Hannah's key lessons (and an important point we make to all of their clients) is that financial progress shouldn't wait for perfect conditions. When life gets uncertain and throws a curveball, that’s the exact time financial opportunities tend to reveal themselves - ironically, at the least opportune moment. After the year that's been, we can probably all relate to that feeling!   So the question becomes: If financial opportunity presented itself, would you see it for what it is, or would it simply pass you by? Our experience with clients would suggest the latter. So in the current climate where the high cost of living does not want to budge, where interest rates remain painfully high and many of us are due to refix if we haven't already, why is Hannah so optimistic? What are the opportunities she's seeing on the horizon and how do we see it for what it is and take advantage of it?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beef  The dark comedy about two Americans who begin to obsess over a road rage incident and let it slowly consume their everyday lives (Netflix).    Happy Valley  The third and final season of the superb British drama featuring Sarah Lancashire as police officer Catherine Cawood (TVNZ+).    Jury Duty  The unique documentary-style comedy series that shares the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one unknowing juror (Amazon Prime Video).      LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dicks: The Musical  Two self-obsessed businessmen discover they're long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric, divorced parents.    Next Goal Wins   With the 2014 World Cup qualifiers approaching, down-on-his-luck coach Thomas Rongen tries to turn the American Samoa soccer team into winners.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for many, but it's also the most wasteful.  Kate 'Ethically Kate' Hall has a few tips for making sustainable choices this holiday season: -Shop local, buy from small vendors at Christmas or farmers markets -Consider making food the present or focus to reduce pointless gifts -Serve less meat, or pick meat that is sustainable sourced (e.g. Premium Game, the only wild meat hunted in NZ) -BYO takeaway containers to your Holiday events to reduce food waste -Use reusables instead of single use for your cutlery, dishes, etc. -Gift your leftovers to local food pantries or community groups LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parasites… Bodies everywhere!!!  This is the time to take a good look at the small critters in your garden. You may go on holiday and need someone to control the “pests” on your plants, crops and fruit trees. We are talking predators, but especially parasitoids.  The concept of parasitism is not always easy to grasp for non-entomologically inclined people. For starters you’ll need a good set of eyes and in some cases a decent magnifying glass or even a small microscope, to get the picture.  So – what is it all about and how do you look for evidence of these clever critters?  Parasites are organisms that take advantage of a host, by living off them or even inside them. Usually, parasites don’t necessarily kill their hosts directly (think: headlice, tapeworm, ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, scabies, etc).  Parasitoids, however, tend to be fatal to our plant pests and other small creatures that live in our garden environment. The reason is simple: the larval stages of the parasitoids develop inside the host, and this causes internal destruction (remember Alien?).  Most parasitoids are members of the wasp order, but they don’t really look like the common and German wasps. Parasitic wasps are often quite small and reminiscent of winged ants. Their size and insignificant black and brown colouring makes them hard to detect and identify as a “goodie”, so it may be more advantageous to keep an eye out for the, shall we say, results of their efforts.  On cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli and such crops, the caterpillars of white butterflies cause many chewing holes. Small, 2-3 mm parasitoids (Cotesia glomerata) lay a number of eggs inside the living caterpillars; these eggs hatch into hungry grubs that take very little time to completely clean out the fluids, meat and musculature inside the hapless larva.  When the grubs emerge from the dying host, they spin silken cocoons inside which they pupate. These creamy-white cocoons are a dead give-away for the presence of useful parasites in the cabbage patch.  Of course, the message is obvious: don’t spray insecticides, as you’ll certainly kill the small black wasps that come out of those white cocoons!  Parasitoids tend to be specialised in their job. There’s another species of small, black wasp (Pteromalus puparum) that likes to lay its eggs inside the chrysalis of the white butterfly. Evidence of this bodysnatching is the perfectly round emergence holes in the skin of an otherwise empty pupal case: the parasitoids will have left the cramped conditions inside that host already and are looking for more victims.  Sometimes parasitoids species aim for an even smaller abode: imagine completing your entire life cycle inside an aphid. Yet there are tiny parasitic wasps that do just that. The adult wasps may be the size of flying dust, but the clobbered aphid is very easy to spot.  Parasitised aphids are generally referred to as “mummies”: slightly bloated and discoloured with a parchment texture, they truly stand out from the crowd. Check out your roses, swan plants or any other aphid-infested plant for that matter.  Mummies means parasitism is lending a helping hand in your garden and insecticides would do more damage than good.  There are even parasitoids that develop inside the eggs of their host insects: A good example is the famous Trissolcus basalis wasp that hunts for the beautifully arranged egg clusters of our stinky green vegetable bug.  When she has found such an omelette of opportunity, the female Trissolcus will lay one egg in just about every green vegetable bug egg in the cluster.  She then wipes her abdomen over the finished job, to lay down a chemical scent or marker that will deter other Trissolcus females parasitising the same cluster of eggs, which makes sense: the space inside a green vegetable bug egg is just enough for the development of one parasitoids, not two.  This, indeed, is a small world!  To keep it ticking over in your garden:  -Don’t spray insecticides.  -Attract parasitoids by planting flowering plants with nectar for the adults.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's coming December 14th. Threads has been slowly launching features: it now has hashtags (and even emoji hashtags), a web app, polls, an edit button, the ability to view a 'for you' feed and most recent threads, and they're testing "trending hashtags" in Australia. Threads is reportedly struggling with some stats, indicating it's down 80% from its launch peak.  Threads almost wasn't called Threads. "Epigram" was a popular name internally at Meta. The project's codename was "Textagram".  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A beef fillet is as impressive as it is easy to cook and serve for a crowd. Get your butcher to prepare the eye fillet, removing silver skin and tying with kitchen string at 5cm intervals. This is for even cooking and ease of slicing.  Serves 10-12    Ingredients  2-2.3kg beef eye fillet  2 tablespoons olive oil  2 teaspoons sea salt  4 tablespoons each fresh thyme and rosemary leaves  1 teaspoon chilli flakes  3 teaspoons cracked black pepper  1 whole garlic bulb, broken into cloves  500g vine tomatoes  1/3 cup store-bought    Mustard tarragon crème  ½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream  2 tablespoons hot mustard  Small handful fresh tarragon leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried  ¼ cup olive oil  ½ teaspoon sea salt    Method   1. Allow beef fillet to come to near-room temperature before cooking. Rub with oil then sprinkle liberally with salt. 2. Preheat oven to 200 C and place a large shallow roasting dish in to preheat. 3. Place fillet in the hot oven dish and sear on stove top until browned on all sides. Add garlic cloves and tomatoes to the dish before putting in the oven for 30 minutes. 4. Chop fresh herbs on a large chopping board and add chilli flakes and pepper. Remove beef fillet and use tongs to roll hot fillet in herbs and pepper before returning to the oven. Keep checking every 5 minutes for doneness - when cooked to medium-rare it ought to have tightened somewhat but still have some give in it when poked with your finger. Remove fillet, cover with foil then a folded tea towel and rest for 20 minutes before slicing. 5. Make the crème by whisking all ingredients together to a smooth sauce. 6. Serve beef drizzled with pan juices and with oven roasted tomatoes and garlic with mustard crème and pesto.   Nici’s Note: When cooking beef to perfection I use the rule of roasting for approx. 12 minutes per 500g for medium rare or 16 minutes for medium. Whole beef fillet can be cooked a day out and then warmed through in a 160 C oven for 20 minutes, before slicing.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Kevin Milne has been celebrating loyal friendships.  His brother Brian was filled in a car crash when he was 23 years old, and Friday marked his 80th birthday.  Kevin was joined by friends of his brother who have never forgotten him or them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New experiences make you feel young.  At least, that’s what I told myself as I slipped into a gown, folded my pants and shirt into a plastic container, and followed the technician through the big double doors.  It took me almost 37 years to get my first MRI. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but even though I’m pretty good with claustrophobia and that kind of thing, I still felt a little blush of nerves, the hesitation of the unknown, as the giant machine shifted me into position.  The technicians had advised me not to move. So of course, just as soon as the machine began scanning my insides, whirring and beeping around me, I developed an itch right on the tip of my nose.  I breathed through it as best I could and by the time, I was ready to be extracted, 40 minutes later, I swear I was almost about to doze off.  If new experiences make you feel young, my MRI results did not. Reasonably advanced arthritis. Various tears and bits of damage to body parts with long names. A bone spur steadily nibbling away at the already-reduced cartilage in my hip. Not the end of the World, but also not the kind of ailments that will ever improve. The pain I have been feeling in my left hip isn’t going away. When it comes to the sports I love to play, there are some tough decisions that lay ahead.  The next morning, I went to the optometrist. The news didn’t get much better. I swear I was reading every line on the chart, and he was saying, ‘Good.... good... good!”  But then after he’d trialled me with various exercises, the optometrist turned his chair towards me and explained it was time to consider reading glasses. Again, hardly the end of the World. But a first for me.  ‘Really?’ I asked. Surely, I thought, he’s just trying to swindle me for a fancy pair of designer specs.  “There’s been a decline since your last check.” He said.  “Not a massive decline, but a decline.”  He showed me again what it felt like with corrective lenses over my eyes. The letters on the chart were clearer.  I thanked him, limped out and squinted at the sales rack to try and work out if any of the glasses there would suit my face.  Yesterday morning, I woke up to a text on the family group chat. Overnight, my sister had had her baby. A boy. Her third. Fit and healthy and doing well. I had that primal response. A photo of a child, hours old, whom I’ve never met, and whom I already love so much.  It’s funny, one minute you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. And then you realise you don’t. The thing that makes this tolerable is knowing that at least someone else does. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi R&B band Drax Project has finally released their second studio album 'Upside'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Material - Dolly Alberton   Andy's story wasn't meant to turn out this way. Living out of a suitcase in his best friends' spare room, waiting for his career as a stand-up comedian to finally take off, he struggles to process the life-ruining end of his relationship with the only woman he's ever truly loved.  As he tries to solve the seemingly unsolvable mystery of his broken relationship, he contends with career catastrophe, social media paranoia, a rapidly dwindling friendship group and the growing suspicion that, at 35, he really should have figured this all out by now.  Andy has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend's side of the story.    The Edge - David Baldacci  When CIA operative Jenny Sikwell is murdered in rural Maine, government officials have immediate concerns over national security. Her laptop and phone were full of state secrets that, in the wrong hands, endanger the lives of countless operatives. In need of someone who can solve the murder quickly and retrieve the missing information, the U.S. government knows just the chameleon they can call on.   Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine spent his time in the military preparing to take on any scenario, followed by his short-lived business career chasing shadows in the deepest halls of power, so his analytical mind makes him particularly well-suited for complex, high-stakes tasks. Taking down the world’s largest financial conspiracy proved his value, and in comparison, this case looks straightforward. Except small towns hold secrets and Devine finds himself an outsider again.   Devine must ingratiate himself with locals who have trusted each other their whole lives, and who distrust outsiders just as much. Dak, Jenny’s brother, who’s working to revitalize the town. Earl, the retired lobsterman who found Jenny’s body. And Alex, Jenny’s sister with a dark past of her own. As Devine gets to know the residents of Potter, Maine, answers seem to appear and then transform into more questions. There’s a long history of secrets and those who will stop at nothing to keep them from being exposed. Leaving Devine with no idea who he can trust... and who wants him dead.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2020 Ashleigh Hoeta felt numbness in her leg, her face drooping and was rushed to hospital to find she’d suffered a stroke.  She had to teach herself how to walk again, move her legs and fingers, all while raising two children.   Not only that, in October this year, her father passed away after a long battle with emphysema. Now, Ashleigh has just become the first woman to bench 317.5kg in equipped powerlifting, breaking the world record. She’s one of the top women arm wrestlers and an ex international gymnast.  Ashleigh Hoeta joined Jack Tame to discuss her journey and breaking the world record. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scrublands An Australian crime drama about a journalist investigating a murder in a small rural town (ThreeNow).    Artful Dodger This spinoff of the Oliver Twist story sees the Artful Dodger sent to 1850s Australia to carry on his dodgy behaviour (Disney+).    Slow Horses A new season of the delightful spy thriller that sees Gary Oldman play the boss of a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents (AppleTV+).   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Napoleon A look at the military commander's origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine.   The Old Oak A pub landlord in a previously thriving mining community struggles to hold onto his pub. Meanwhile, tensions rise in the town when Syrian refugees are placed in the empty houses in the community.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Rising up from the western South Dakota plains, just over the Wyoming state line, the Black Hills region beckons like an emerald isle in a sea of prairie. These ponderosa-covered mountains, slashed by creek-carved canyons and softened by alpine meadows have a majesty all their own. But this picturesque pocket of South Dakota also serves up a head swirl of landmark sights and experiences, which makes this region a runaway highlight of any American West road-trip." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago we discussed ADHD in the workplace and how this is beginning to show up a lot in recent times. Following on from that, we are seeing a lot more people in the workplace with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). Together ASD, ADHD and Learning Disabilities are sometimes referred to as “neurodiversity”. ASD now the term used for what used to be call Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. A stereotype would be Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rainman but really important to note that the difficulties are experienced on a spectrum. We're now seeing more adults diagnosed in adulthood for much the same reasons as ADHD (i.e., missed during childhood, not enough services out there, have had a child diagnosed with ASD and now wondering about it for themselves). The main difficulties for people with ASD in the workplace are around social relationships, a strong need for routine and sameness, and sensory hypersensitivity (e.g., very sensitive hearing). There are other symptoms which include very strong “obsessional” interest in specific topics (e.g., being an expert on the French revolution) and some unusual behaviours (e.g., handflapping when distressed).  People with ASD report not having the natural understanding of how social relationships work. They might find it hard to keep eye contact and have difficulty balancing conversations (e.g., they talk too much about themselves and not ask anything of the other person or barely participate in a conversation, might take things very literally). Expressing their emotions might be difficult because of the difficulties in social interactions. Hypersensitivity might make working in certain environments very difficult.   What can be done to help? Recognition and understanding always hugely important for both the employee and employer. Work out together what can be done to the work environment to reduce stress. It may also, with permission of the individual, be useful to educate the wider team about ASD. Work out best ways of communicating with the person. It may also be useful to get a professional assessment to help guide employee and employers in what steps to take.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing tomatoes is one of the big hobbies of New Zealanders, especially males! It’s great to have a go at these fruit – there are many many varieties too and everybody has their favourite ones. But there are some problems that can occur, whether you’re raising them in an open garden bed, or in a tunnel house Tomato – (potato) thrips are a nuisance; they got here a few decades ago and will attack Solanaceous plants (potatoes, tomatoes, nightshades, poroporo, and such weeds) Tomato thrips adults and nymphs I used to get heaps of them when growing tomatoes in Auckland, but in CHC they seem to be prevalent only in autumn (takes longer to develop plague proportions); My best preventative action is to pull Solanum weeds out everywhere. It prevents them from settling on these hosts and survive during winter. When you have a hassle: spray the plants with oil (Conqueror Oil or Neem Oil) on a regular basis (every 10 days or so); aim for the newer leaves/growth on the tomato plants. Sprays with insecticides need to commence well before you see the first psyllids; it keeps their populations down too. I generally don’t grow potatoes (only the early season varieties of potatoes (before Xmas) Blossom End Rot on Tomatoes has always been translated as a deficiency of calcium. Apparently that is a myth in itself; it has more to do with the inability of the plant to transport calcium through the plant. Gibberellins appear to be playing an important role in that job and most NZ soils are not deficient in calcium; so: try some fertilisers with gibberellic acid (Seafood Soup/Seaweed Tea!) Often the first tomatoes of the season show some Blossom End Rot. With settling temps and regular fertilisation/watering these symptoms often disappear. Early Blight and Late Blight on stems and leaves can move pretty quickly through the plants. Here comes the watering again!!! Only water the soil (NOT the leaves); remove the lower leaves as soon as practicable, so they don’t drag on the moist soil and get infected. Underwatering also helps in this matter: keep the area drier; make sure the wind/air movement can dry the plants and stems quickly. If you have persistent hassles with blight: keep a regular fungicide treatment going Passionvine hoppers (Scolypopa australis) I call them fluffy bums – as their “nylon-filament tails” are prominent features (of course these tails are made from fine waxy material!) Photo / Supplied They suck sap from a wide variety of host plants, often climbers (Wisteria, Passionfruit vines) and Perennials (salvia, Hydrangeas, Camellia, you name it!!) Sap-sucking is their big impact on garden plants – sometimes they debilitate their host, pooping honeydew all over the place and that creates a deposit of sooty mould, like with some many sap-sucking insects in the garden Slowly they grow larger and larger shedding skins along their journey (moulting), until they reach adulthood in summer: Moth-like insects with delta-shaped wings, showing prominent vein-markings; they, too, suck plant sap These insects have the ability to jump quickly and far and the adult passionvine hoppers also flick and fly very smartly… avoiding the insecticides you may want to spray at them!! They are impossible to spray with insecticides. But the fluffy bums might still be reduced in numbers in spring, when they are still young: On a wind-still morning, grab an aerosol can with simple fly spray and create an insecticidal mist around those densely-packed groupings of young and impressionable fluffybums; they may try to “jump away from danger”, but won’t be able to succeed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Bryan Betty joined Jack Tame to chat about the truth behind some 'old wives tales': Whether you’ll get a cold if you go outside with wet hair.  If you’ll get arthritis if you crack your knuckles.  Whether you should chew your food 30 times before swallowing.  If you’ll get square eyes watching too much television.  If eating Carrots will give you better eyesight.  Is the five second rule for dropped food accurate? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google is starting to delete inactive accounts  Accounts which have been created but never used are first on the chopping block. They'll start being deleted today. Then accounts that haven't been active in more than two years. To keep an account active you'll need to log into it, and then it'd be best to complete an action like send an email, watch a YouTube video or add a contact.     Happy Birthday ChatGPT!  It was a year ago that ChatGPT burst onto the scene.  It moved AI from something that was magic in the background —like Spotify's weekly personalized playlists, or Netfix recommending what to watch next— to a product people could directly interact with and put generative capabilities into the hands of everyone. It's now used by 100 million people a week. Businesses now are looking at ways to integrate and use it in their workflows, and it's made the creation of chatbots easier by giving it source documents and fewer pre-defined steps.  According to Pitch Deck, more than $21 billion has been invested in generative AI startups so far this year.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rich, buttery, and simply gorgeous. The combo of strawberry, rhubarb and vanilla in this shortcake is so, so good.  Makes 1 x Swiss roll tin    Ingredients:  2 regular chips of strawberries, chipped and chopped  2 cups chopped rhubarb, cut into 2 cm lengths  2 tbsps. sugar  Zest of half a lemon  2 tablespoons vanilla extract  225g butter  1 cup sugar + 1 tbsp  2 large eggs  2 ½ cups flour  2 tsps. baking powder  Whipped cream to serve    Method:  1. Set the oven at 180 C. Line a Swiss roll tin with baking paper. 2. In a bowl toss strawberries and chopped rhubarb with first measure of sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and leave to sit while you make the shortcake dough. 3. Make the shortcake: Cream the butter and sugar (reserve the 1 tbsp sugar measure) until light and creamy, then beat in eggs. Stir in the sifted flour and baking powder, mix well and chill for 15 minutes. 4. You won't be able to roll this mixture (it’s too buttery) so with floured hands gently flatten half of the mixture into the lined tin. 5. Spread the fruit over the base then cover with the other half of the shortcake – you can crumble it over as it will spread as it cooks - and cook for 40-45 minutes hour until golden brown. 6. Sprinkle with extra 1 tbsp. sugar to serve. 7. Serve warm or cooled slices with whipped cream.   Make it yours:  - Use blueberries in place of rhubarb. - Add lemon zest or a decent pinch of cinnamon to the pastry. - Sprinkle top with chopped hazelnuts midway through baking.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin went to a function with his wife this past Wednesday. He may have been oblivious to the state of the shirt he was wearing, but his wife was not. The events that followed, in Kevin's words, perfectly illustrates some of the good and bad things about marriage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fashion.  It’s not a subject I can profess to knowing an awful lot about, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the ebbs and flows of what’s hot and what’s not, it’s that you can never rule anything out.  No matter how unfashionable something is, no matter how objectively horrible it looks, at some point it will be in.  It’s easy to forget, once upon a time codpieces were the height of sophistication and taste. It happened with sneans, sneakers and jeans. And even though it would seem very unusual by today’s standards to see a group of young men loping around with their pants halfway down their thighs and their underwear sticking out, low-riding was until recently very fashionable and sadly given the cyclical nature of fashion, it’ll probably be fashionable again.  This brings me to Crocs. I’m hardly the first person to notice the popularity of the plastic-y modern clog. But I’ve been struck by the way in which Crocs have crossed from being a sort of ironic haha-I’m-wearing-ugly-shoes option for middle aged people who wanted to wind up their teenagers, to a shoe which is actually cool, cool. Crocs have been worn by popstars and Hollywood heartthrobs. For several years now they’ve been the boot of choice for the likes of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and fashionistas at openings in fancy art galleries.  Nowhere is this more obvious than with kids. I was standing at the bottom of a large and slightly intimidating slide at a West Auckland playground last weekend, waiting for my stepson to come on down. And kid after kid after kid whipped off a pair of Crocs and threw the shoes to the bottom of the slide, least the rubbery soles stunt their momentum on the way down.  The way kids wear them, of course, is with Jibbitz. Jibbitz are little charms that you can attach to a pair of Crocs in much the same way as you might wear a charm on a charm bracelet. It’s a way for kids to further personalise their Crocs and distinguish their pair from everyone else’s. Fashions come and go but one thing that has never changed in the schoolyard: shoes are still the ultimate status symbol.  But of course, as is the danger with in-demand fashions, there are inevitably downsides to the popularity. At least one New Zealand school has introduced a complete Crocs ban. Several others are banning the Jibbitz charms as kids argue over them.  There’s always the risk you might push a trend too far and get caught out as the fashion tides change. Ugly is trendy, I get that. But I must confess to wondering how far the concept reaches after being confronted this week by an ad for a Croc accessory I’d never seen before.  Croc Nuts. The perfect solution for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life, this Christmas. For those who are familiar with Truck Nutz, it’s more or less the same concept. A pair of gleaming metallic testicles which you can clip to the back of your Crocs to swing around in the breeze as you go about your business.  Taste may be in the eye of the beholder. But let this serve as a reminder to all of us: in fashion, you can never rule anything out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Southern Montana is the Wild West of dreams and the Hollywood big screen, sprawling over a rugged and serene landscape. After taking in the manifold treats of Wyoming, a dabble with Montana’s big-skies and rock-star good looks is an essential addition to an American West road-trip. Part rough-and-tumble Rocky Mountains and part expansive prairie, the state doesn’t boast any major cities – they are more like overgrown cow towns. Main Street Red Lodge: Credit Mike Yardley But if you’re in need of an urban fix, your best bet is Billings, the state’s most populous city – about the size of Hamilton. Nicknamed the Magic City, the moniker came about from Billings’ expansive growth in the golden age of railroads, steamboats and cattle barons. The city is a springboard for historical explorations and outdoorsy adventure. First impressions count and what captured my attention on arrival in Billings is how the city is dramatically cradled by magnificent sandstone cliffs known as the Rimrocks. Deposited by an ancient inland seaway and slowly carved over millions of years by the Yellowstone River, these scenic "rimrocks" backdrop the northern edge of town. Rim Rock by Kayak, Billings I struck out on the trails at Swords Park which offers enormous views from the rimrocks. Just keep an eye out for the rattlesnakes! Zimmerman Park and Phipps Park offer fabulous walking trails too, while if you’d rather take to the water to admire the rimrocks, hire a kayak for a dreamy float at sunset on the Yellowstone River. Immerse yourself in nature’s splendour! History also adorns Pompeys Pillar, a striking sandstone monolith just of town. It’s where William Clark carved his name into the stone in July 1806 before continuing his famous expedition west with Meriwether Lewis. If you’re up for a culture fix, there’s a good clutch of museums in Billings. I particularly enjoyed the Western Heritage Center, housed in the city’s old library, proudly preserving the stories and history of the Yellowstone River Valley and Northern High Plains. Don’t let the city’s brightly illuminated, flame-throwing oil refineries symbolise your sense of nightlife in Billings. Bar-hopping the craft breweries is where the city excels, come nightfall. Angry Hanks Brewing Clustered in the downtown district, hop-scotch your way from Angry Hanks and Thirsty Street Brewing Company to Uberbrew and Montana Brewing Company. Right next door on Montana Ave, Hooligan’s Sports Bar will top off your all-American night out on the town. Montana Ave, which has been transformed into a very hip strip of hospitality, parallels the railroad that gave the city life in the 19th century. For the kids and kids at heart, the only thing better than a binge at the Caramel Cookie Waffles bakery is to get your fill at the gourmet ice cream store, Big Dipper. In the blazing Montana sunshine, this place is like a refuge! I highly recommend a scoop of Banana Cream Pie and tangerine sorbet. A block away, The Burger Dive dishes up creations like I’m Your Huckleberry burgers, which have been honoured by the World Food Championships. Their garlic-drenched fries will linger long in your memories – if not on your breath. Caramel Cookie Waffles, Billings But it’s that angus burger topped with smooth goat cheese, bacon, a fresh cut onion ring and huckleberry and chili barbeque sauce, that really hit the spot. Few tastes carry such revered status as the huckleberry does in the American West. They grow wild across Montana, resembling large dark blueberries and Native Americans still use them as a traditional medicine – packed with antioxidants. They certainly taste great in a burger! Where to stay? In the heart of town, the Northern Hotel is the grand dame, first built in 1940, but extensively refreshed a decade ago. You’ll enjoy swish accommodations with all of the creature comforts, plus the on-site dining is superb. Enjoy a classic but upscale breakfast at Bernie’s Diner. To the west of Billings, Red Lodge is a small-town gem that will charm your pants off, edging the Yellowstone River. This sweet little town is nestled in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains and lassoed by Custer National Forest. The main street, flanked by evocative old stone buildings, brims with enticements, from western-wear stores and antique shops to art galleries and great hospo options. You’ll love the gift store, Montana CC Legends, which is loaded with trinkets, treasures and impressive local art. Sweet-tooths must not miss one of the best confectionary stores I have seen in a long time – Montana Candy Emporium. Think the Remarkables Sweet Shop on a gigantic scale. This Red Lodge institution has been a mainstay for decades, housed in a nostalgic building, overspilling with nostalgic candy. Montana Candy Emporium. Credit Mike Yardley The handmade chocolate treats at the counter are sinfully good, but being in Montana, it would be rude not to stock up on huckleberry candy. I loaded up on gob fills of huckleberry sour balls for road-trip sustenance. Relax in the garden at Red Lodge Ales, share a massive margarita and pizza with at Bogart’s, grab a burger at Red Box Car or wind down with a steak and whiskey cocktail at The Pollard Hotel. Red Lodge is the quintessential place where you’ll just want to kick-back, to shop, nosh and linger. Just out of town, treat yourself to an exhilarating drive on the Beartooth Highway, a 64-mile stretch of U.S. 212 from Red Lodge to Cooke City. Dubbed the most beautiful roadway in America, this jaw-dropping drive climbs to an astounding 11,000 feet above sea level. That’s nearly as high as the summit of Aoraki/Mt. Cook. Completed nearly 90 years ago, its stature as a bucket-list drive has not dimmed – and it certainly lives up to its hype as the ultimate high-country route. Heading out of Red Lodge, I felt transported to Heidi’s Switzerland, with lodgepole pine forests and lush meadows rolling down to meet the road. Before long, the ascent became stark and dramatic, thrusting you up higher and higher into the grip of the Beartooth Mountains. The sprawling range features 20 peaks higher than Aoraki. Mile upon mile of switchbacks serves up epic views across the sweeping snow-clad tundra and bejewelled glacial tarns of the Hellroaring and Silver Run plateaus. You end being higher on that highway, than the snow line on the plateaus, across the valley. At Vista Point, the plummeting views staring down into the jaws of the Rock Creek canyon is another highlight. Just pass the highway summit, the “Bear’s Tooth” comes into view – a narrow pyramidal spire of rock, carved by glaciation, that became the namesake of the Beartooth Mountains. It’s a cranking drive, if not a little vertigo-inducing! (Beartooth Highway is only open from about May to mid-October, depending on snow. They’ve had some late, unseasonal snow dumps in June and even July, in recent years, so check ahead that the road is open.) Beartooth Highway To the left of Billings, the plains of eastern Montana stretch out like a pancake, offering a more subtle beauty than the gnarly mountains to the west. A land of rolling hills, dusty bluffs and badlands, and the occasional rock-walled canyon, this is classic cattle and wheat country. Temperatures can be extreme; hot in the summer under a blazing sun, and brutally cold in the winter. Just over an hour southeast of Billings, I drove to Little Bighorn Valley. A sequence of low-slung hills rises above the valley - it is sacred ground because it’s where the Battle of the Little Bighorn took place in 1876, between the US Army and Great Plains Indians. As many as 2,000 Lakota and Cheyenne warriors encircled and routed the US Army, in ferocious defence of their ancestral way of life. Perhaps there is no phrase in the English language that serves as a better metaphor for an untimely demise than "Custer's Last Stand." It was on the Little Bighorn battlefield, 800 acres of dry sloping prairies, that George Armstrong Custer and the soldiers of the 7th US Cavalry Regiment met their end. The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument chronicles the history of this world-famous engagement, offering a coherent look at how the battle developed, where the members of Custer's contingent died on Last Stand Hill, and how it might have looked to the swarming warriors. It’s very easy to traverse the 7km-long battlefield, driving along the ridgelines, to all of key sites. Last Stand Hill at little Big Horn: Credit: Mike Yardley The fight was an overwhelming victory for the Plains Indians, who were led by several major war leaders, including Crazy Horse and Chief Gall and had been inspired by the visions of Sitting Bull. They may have won the battle, but ultimately lost the war. Custer's death galvanised the military. In subsequent months, they tracked down Sioux and Cheyenne warriors and forced them onto reservations in North and South Dakota, ending their independent, nomadic way of life. Within a few short years they were all confined to reservations. Custer's remains were eventually reburied at the US Military Academy at West Point in 1877. Below the battlefield, the adjacent National Cemetery was established in 1879, and it incorporates a self-guided tour to some of the more significant figures buried there. It’s an indelible encounter with the American story. www.greatamericanwest.co.nz Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford joins Jack Tame to talk about Troy Sivan's new album 'Something to give each other'   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reluctant Beatle "Biography Of George Exploring the Fascinating Life Of The Reluctant Beatle." Step into the world of George Harrison, the quiet and introspective Beatle whose story has long been overshadowed by the charismatic presence of his bandmates.   Lawrence of Arabia by Ranulph Fiennes   The authoritative and illuminating biography of T. E. Lawrence - the man who inspired the iconic film Lawrence of Arabia - from "The World's Greatest Living Explorer" Ranulph Fiennes.Thomas EdwardSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

- Most wrapping paper is not recyclable, especially when it's in little pieces.   - What to use instead: reusable wrapping paper, sheets, pillows, glass jars, containers, wrapping paper that you've saved throughout the year. Get crafty or find things from around the house plus second hand shops.   - How to avoid it altogether: gift non-physical things. e.g. acts of service (my husband and I cleaned my parents house!), quality time (dinner voucher), or scrap gifts altogether and focus on the day together.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why I chose it:  - How can they do it at this price? I guess the answer is “volume” but this wine is technically very good indeed.  - Rose has become a popular choice in recent years  - 2023 was a good Marlborough vintage  What does it taste like?  - Moderately deep-hued rose (A lot of people prefer paler Rosé but they should remember “the deeper the colour the richer the flavour” in an off-dry style with crushed raspberry and candy floss flavours. Quite intense with a refreshing cut of bright acidity and a lingering finish. A real crowd-pleaser.  Why it’s a bargain:  - It’s very price-friendly  - I gave it a good score at a blind tasting. If I’d had to guess a price it would have been over $20  Where can you buy it?  - Countdown $13 (check the vintage), Blackmarket.co.nz case of six bottles $77.94 (equ. $12.99 + Frt)  Food match?  - I like “pink foods” such as prawns, crayfish or scampi    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faraway Downs: Baz Luhrmann takes his 2008 film Australia starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman and reworks it into a six-part TV series, adding new footage and music (Disney+)    Time: A British drama starring Jodie Whittaker and Bella Ramsey about three women who arrive at Carlingford prison on the same day (Neon)  Squid Game: The Challenge:  Inspired by the hit Netflix series, this sees real-life contestants compete in a series of high-stakes children’s games in pursuit of a $4.56 million dollar cash prize (Netflix)    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plate up individual servings of this simple, elegant dish as a starter or set out a platter for people to help themselves.  Serves 4-6  4 thick spears asparagus  1 small carrot, peeled  1 small zucchini  1 tsp sea salt  1 cup white wine vinegar  1/3 cup caster sugar  ½ tsp mustard seeds  3cm piece lemon rind  ½ cup thick Greek yoghurt or crème fraiche  200g-250g smoked salmon – I used hot smoked but cold smoked salmon will work just as well or smoke your own!  4 tablespoons good quality olive oil  Ground black pepper  Sprigs fresh dill  Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard. Use a vegetable peeler to shave very thin strips of the asparagus stem and use a knife to cut the tips into thin slices. Cut the carrot and zucchini into very thin matchsticks. Toss together in a bowl with salt. Heat vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds and lemon rind and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this over the vegetables and gently toss them in the pickling liquid. Cover and set aside until required. Note that you could do this stage up to a few days before the big day, tossing them every now and again. To serve; spoon 1-2 tablespoons of yoghurt or crème fraiche onto each plate (or all of it on the platter) and spread it with the back of a spoon. Top with salmon, dividing it evenly between the plates. Add a decent spoonful of the pickled vegetables to each plate. Just before serving drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and add springs of fresh dill.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin reviews Saltburn and new remake of the Velveteen Rabbit on this mornings program with Jack Tame   SALTBURN A student is invited to an eccentric classmate's estate for an exciting summer.   THE VELVETEEN RABBIT When 7-year-old William receives a new favourite toy for Christmas, he discovers a lifelong friend and unlocks a world of magic.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Can’t Winston Be More Civil?  Kevin Milne Joined Jack Tame to talk about the ludicrously of media scrums. Especially when it comes to trying to get anything out of Winston Peters...  “If Winston Doesn’t want to talk, why don’t journalists just pack up and go back to the office?”    LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can dispute when the counter should have started – election night or the official results – but I suspect the waiting game will soon be forgotten as the new government is sworn in and the house sits in urgency.  At first blush, I actually think the biggest winner of the three parties is National. Perhaps you’d expect nothing less from the highest-polling party, but there’s no doubt Christopher Luxon and his team were negotiating with a couple of wily, smart operators. And at the conclusion of negotiations, almost all of National’s policies remain on the table. They haven’t had to sacrifice their babies.  Sure, there’s the foreign buyers’ tax. But given the scrutiny over the projected revenue numbers during the election campaign, I’d suggest National was none too bothered to have that policy tossed upon the bonfire. They can blame Winston Peters. Give him the win. And yes, it means a gap in revenue that will need filling, but something tells me National would much prefer that than monthly updates on how much the foreign buyer tax revenue was falling short of projections.  There are some significant visable wins for NZ First: The $1.2B infrastructure fund – ka ching - the various gender and Māori language provisions, and a Covid inquiry. I think Winston Peters is a really good choice for Foreign Minister and Shane Jones is exactly where he wants to be with fisheries and regional development. NZ First will be really pleased.  I think we’ll have to wait before we can properly assess the scale of ACT’s wins. There will be no Treaty referendum, and if it so chooses, it’ll be easy enough for the National Party to drops its support of a treaty principles bill straight after select committee. It’ll be interesting to see whether scrapping the Māori Health Authority, co-governance provisions, and changing various Māori names might take some of the heat out of that issue for the time being.  Compared to NZ First, ACT has certainly taken on less-flashy ministerial positions. And again, we probably won’t be able to assess the true impact of the deal until we see how much regulation David Seymour can cut as the new minister, or how much Brooke van Velden can shake up workplace relations, or exactly what the new Arms Act will look like. In ACT’s coalition deal, it struck me that in many areas there are less concrete commitments, but that perhaps those commitments cover broader areas. The words explore, examine, and consider are sprinkled throughout the document. Listen to this, for example:  In consultation with the relevant Minister, carry out regulation sector reviews, which could include the primary industries, the finance sector, early childhood education, and healthcare occupational licensing, in each case producing an omnibus bill for regulatory reform of laws affecting the sector. Maybe I’m being a bit of a bush lawyer here, but that theoretically has the potential to be enormously consequential. It also has the potential to change basically nothing. They haven’t even agreed with certainty what sectors will be reviewed.  From Christopher Luxon’s perspective, I thought the Deputy Prime Minister split was a pretty elegant solution. But the real test of a coalition is not the detail in the deal, but the behaviour of the parties and the management of relationships when inevitably they disagree. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"After feasting on nature’s splendour in Yellowstone National Park, I was itching for a dabble with the Old West’s frontier spirit." "Cody proudly touts itself as the “Rodeo Capital of the World,” and its colourful downtown brims with cowboy apparel stores, cheap and cheerful steakhouses and effervescent, boot-tapping saloons. I adored Cody and it’s infectious, welcoming ambience." "Located at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains on the Bozeman Trail, cute little Buffalo exudes charm in spades, proudly home to one of the most acclaimed Old West hotels." "Sixty years ago, Deadwood became the only city in the United States to be named a National Historic Landmark." Check out Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.   The Killer  Solitary, cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, a killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. Yet, the longer he waits, the more he thinks he's losing his mind, if not his cool.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.   The Killer  Solitary, cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, a killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. Yet, the longer he waits, the more he thinks he's losing his mind, if not his cool.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Country icon Dolly Parton has matched her Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction with the release of her new rock album Rockstar. The 30 track album features both covers of iconic rock songs and a few original compositions, each track featuring an accompaniment from a star studded list. Rockstar is Parton's 49th studio album, and the only one of it's genre that she ever plans to do. "It's thirty songs! Why would I ever need to do another?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes   If, like Kane, you're a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again - by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide - and when to shoot. But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive. Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart...   The Drowning by Bryan Brown   The body of a local teenage boy is found on the beach of a sleepy northern New South Wales town. David went for an evening swim and got into trouble . . . at least, that's what it looks like. Three weeks before, Leila, a young backpacker, didn't turn up for her shift at the local cafe. Benny, the owner, isn't worried. It happens - backpackers are always on the move. There'll be another one. One of the locals, Adrian, has been a help to Benny. He's found him a nice little sideline. Not exactly legal. Is that all Adrian is arranging on the coast? He once was a cop but has he gone bad? And in the backblocks outside town, a bikie gang is gearing up for a large consignment from South America. Murder, drugs, liaisons and lies are stirring up this small coastal town.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the middle of Movember, Dr Dougal Sutherland is joining Jack Tame to chat about the barriers men face to talking about their mental health and a few ways to get around these barriers.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hannah McQueen has just returned to New Zealand after running the New York Marathon. While preparing for this event, she identified a few parallels between what it takes to run a marathon and achieving one’s financial goals.    The notes:  - Have a goal.  - Understand your own limitations - not everyone’s a runner and not everyone is naturally inclined to make the best financial decisions (even if they know what they are).    So:  - Get someone who’s got experience/expertise to help you build a plan to achieve that goal.  - This means the plan is tailored to you.  - This means there’s an expert on hand in the event you experience a setback and the plan needs to flex or adapt to a new situation.  - There’s someone to be accountable to (some of us aren’t very good at being accountable to ourselves).    And if you are working with a professional:  - Trust the process - others may have a different plan to you, so don’t compare yourself to others.  - If you feel like you’re not ‘doing enough’ or progress has stalled, trust that your plan has been designed with you and your goals in mind and probably has a few contingencies if things don’t go to plan. You may not see the progress you’re making —or see how it’s helping you get to your end goal— but that doesn’t mean that you’re not 100% on track.  - It will be uncomfortable, especially at first. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon's Starlink has competition from Amazon They're using the rockets from founder Jeff Bezos' other company Blue Origin (along with others) to launch over 3,000 LEO (low earth orbit) satellites, aiming to bring internet to every corner of the earth. They'll be between 590 and 630 kilometres above earth. Amazon's project has successfully launched its first two prototype rockets a month ago, and this week announced they're fully operational and passed all their tests with flying colours. They were able to stream 4K video and do two-way video calls over the network. These satellites have a custom electric propulsion system designed and built in-house by Amazon. They say it's a way to safely maneuverer the satellites in space in an eco-friendly way. They expect to start service by the end of next year, and have half of their constellation operational by July 2026. There are 1000 people working on the project.   Windows is now an app for iPhones, iPads, Macs What a bizarre sentence that is. Microsoft wants you to use Windows on whatever device you have! The Windows app allows business users to connect to virtual PCs, running Windows in the cloud -- combining an array of services already in market (Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box, and Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Services). They have plans to offer the same service to consumers too.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Award-winning Guy Montgomery knows what it takes to be a successful and iconic kiwi comedian in a challenging, small, and competitive industry.   Starting out as a young teenager, trialing jokes and learning to work a room, Guy has grown into a fantastic multi-tasking stand-up comedian, podcaster, and improviser.   He’s making his way round the country with his brand new 2024 standup tour ‘50,000,000 Guy Fans Can’t Be Wrong.’   Montgomery told Jack Tame that the title is based on Elvis’ second greatest hits compilation ‘50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong.’   “I’ve always loved X number of anyone can’t be wrong.” He told Tame.  “I think it’s so misinformed, I like the brazen arrogance of it.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s that time of year when we can no longer deny that Christmas will be happening in about 6 weeks! Get at least this fun job ticked off - making the Christmas cake. This recipe makes a neat little cake, perfect for smaller households or as a gift. Makes one small cake (15cmx15cm)   Ingredients: 650g mixed fruit – I used currants, sultanas, raisins, dried apricots 1 tbsp honey 1 grated apple ¼ cup brandy ¾ cup loosely packed brown sugar 1 scant tsp baking powder 1 ¼ cups of flour 150g butter, melted 3 small eggs, beaten Blanched almonds for top (optional)   Method:  1. In a large mixing bowl put the first 4 ingredients (fruit, honey, apple, brandy) and leave overnight. 2. Preheat the oven to 150 C. Prepare a 15x15cm tin with 2 layers of newspaper followed by another 2 layers of baking paper, sides and bottom. 3. Mix the brown sugar into the fruit mix and mix thoroughly. Add the flour and baking powder and give it another good mix. Now add the melted butter and finally the beaten eggs. Make sure all is mixed well - strong arms are needed! 4. Tip this all into your prepared tin and decorate with the almonds – any shape you like but if it’s a gift I'm inclined to shape them into a heart. 5. Place cake tin on a magazine in the middle rack of the oven and bake until a skewer comes out clean - about 1 ¾ - 2 hours. Leave to cool. 6. Wrap cake well in foil and store in a cool place in an airtight container until needed.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The winner of this year's Bird of the Century competition comes as no surprise.   Backed by an international campaign run by British-American comedian John Oliver, the pūteketeke swept the competition with a total of 290,374 votes, decimating its closest competition by over 270,000 votes.  With the intense international involvement weighting the competition, Kevin Milne is wondering whether the Bird of the Year should be geo-restricted for following years.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I love Christmas cake.  Not any Christmas cake. Not every Christmas cake. But my mum’s Christmas cake, for whatever reason, gives me so much joy.  It’s not that her cakes are crazy-fancy or anything. She uses store-bought mixed fruit. They’re not iced and there’s no surprising secret ingredient, but for whatever reason Mum has mastered the perfect Christmas fruit cake. They’re moist. They’re dense. They’re heavy. They’re a highlight of a Tame family Christmas.  Perhaps it all just comes down to practice. She used to make ten or twelve every year and give them as gifts. But the moment I get home every summer, Mum has a couple of cakes waiting on the bench, and I carve off big hunks to eat while standing in the kitchen. Sometimes Dad eats it with blue cheese.  But however well Christmas fruit cakes hit my taste buds, they also hit my stomach. Is it a PH thing? I dunno. Maybe the mixed fruit starts to ferment or sour in my gut? It doesn’t happen to anyone else. Not another soul. All I know is there is a direct correlation between my eating mum’s fruit cake and no one wanting to be within a twenty metre radius.  “Oh GOD! What IS that?! Is something dead?”  “Get the children! Ahh!”  “Burn our clothes! Burn our clothes!”  I don’t know exactly what happens, but somewhere deep inside me there is a chemical reaction of sorts. I’m the first to admit... it’s just awful. Putrid. The smell will curl your ears. The moment a bit of cake hits my stomach it’s like that scene from Titanic.  “Are there any survivors?”  Call it the Christmas Cake Curse.  My mum flogs herself with Christmas baking. Mince pies, shortbread, mars bar slice, Russian fudge. It’s too much! We can’t fit all the baking in the cupboards. We’ve had to establish a Tame family Christmas baking spillover zone. And yet for all the abundance, all of that choice, my favourite Christmas treat just happens to be the one that’ll end up peeling the paint off the walls.  Baking is an act of love. Baking, when you know how it affects your son, is an even greater act of love.  But the greatest act of love this summer will be my noble decision to take a piece of fruit cake and politely excuse myself, outside. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Franti’s new album with Spearhead was released last week.  ‘Big Big Love’ is a seventeen-song album to accompany you through the “highs and lows of life”, as Franti puts it.  In the post announcing its release Franti said the central theme of the album was “togetherness.”  “Togetherness is the central theme in all the songs on this record. How do we get that feeling of togetherness, that feeling of closeness, that we so often overlooked and took for granted, but now has become so important? Not only just in terms of how we interact with each other in our neighborhoods or our personal relationships, but on a worldwide scale. How do we bridge these gaps so that people can feel close to one another again?  There are forces in the world that use our division to achieve their greedy goals, their political aims, or just to divide people because they want to try to take advantage of it. I want to really use my music and my time in my life to bring closeness to people and help them feel like they’re not alone in this world.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happiness is what arguably motivates you to do just about anything,   Arthur Brooks is a Harvard University lecturer American author and public speaker, and he’s just about cracked the code when it comes to living a happy life.   He just about lives and breathes the subject, Arthur’s written in the Atlantic's ‘How to Build a Life’ column, hosted the podcast ‘How to Build a Happy Life’, and now he’s teaming up with Oprah Winfrey to co-write a book.   Arthur Brooks joined Jack Tame to chat about his work.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne has opinions on culture.  The Hoity-toity Hall of Fame is what Kevin calls the things people are expected to like but simply couldn’t care less about, such as the art of “influential” Kiwi artist Francis Hodgkins.  He’s also wondering if he’s the only one feeling awkward because he's never read a Katherine Mansfield book.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Marvels    Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with two other superheroes to form the Marvels.     Nyad   Sixty-four-year-old marathon swimmer Diana Nyad attempts to become the first person ever to swim from Cuba to Florida.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robbie Williams A four-part documentary series featuring 30 years of never-before-seen archive footage about the British singer’s controversial rise to fame (Netflix).   The Buccaneers This new historical drama set in the 1870s follows a group of wealthy American women as they travel to London for the debutante season (Apple TV+).   007: Road to a Million Succession’s Brian Cox stars as The Controller in this fun British adventure series that sees contestants compete in a series of Bond-inspired challenges around the world to win one million pounds (Prime Video).   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Frozen River - Ariel Lawhon  Maine, 1789: The Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice. Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As the local midwife and healer, Martha is good at keeping secrets. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, every murder and debacle that unfolds in the town of Hallowell. In that diary she also documented the details of an alleged rape that occurred four months earlier. Now, one of the men accused of that heinous attack has been found dead in the ice.  While Martha is certain she knows what happened the night of the assault, she suspects that the two crimes are linked, and that there is more to both cases than meets the eye. Over the course of one long, hard winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha’s diary lands at the centre of the scandal and threatens to tear both her family and her community apart.    Resurrection Walk - Michael Connelly  Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller enlists the help of his half-brother, Harry Bosch, to prove the innocence of a woman convicted of killing her ex-husband.  Defence attorney Mickey Haller is back, taking the long shot cases, where the chances of winning are one in a million. After getting a wrongfully convicted man out of prison, he is inundated with pleas from incarcerated people claiming innocence. He enlists his half-brother, retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, to weed through the letters, knowing most claims will be false.   Bosch pulls a needle from the haystack: a woman in prison for killing her ex-husband, a sheriff’s deputy, but who still maintains her innocence. Bosch reviews the case and sees elements that don’t add up, and a sheriff’s department intent on bringing quick justice in the killing of one of its own.   Now Haller has an uphill battle in court, a David fighting Goliaths to vindicate his client. The path for both lawyer and investigator is fraught with danger from those who don’t want the case reopened and will stop at nothing to keep the Haller-Bosch dream team from finding the truth.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Over 150 years old, it was an act of incredibly bold foresight to preserve Yellowstone all those years ago, when Americans were so busy “conquering” the West. A fusion of land and water, forest and field, wildlife and geothermal wizardry, it’s a large unspoiled canvas of the American West. Anchored by a huge supervolcano, that last erupted 600,000 years ago, there is no place quite like Yellowstone National Park. Like a colossal kettle on the boil, this wild land of fire and brimstone froths, bubbles and belches at every turn. The supervolcano feeds the world’s largest group of hydrothermal features, from hot springs and geysers to fumaroles and mudpots. It’s like Rotorua writ large." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summer's almost upon us which means it's time to break out the sunblock. There are a lot of options out there, but what one is best for you and the environment? Kate 'Ethically Kate' Hall joined Jack Tame to give a few suggestions and tips on how to pick the best choice. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s breeding time for birds!  As a bird nut (and a registered bird bander) I have a nest box for little owls. Further down in the Quarry, my Bird mate Peter and I are looking after other owl boxes and monitoring their success. So far one female on four white eggs.  Photo / Supplied These introduced little owls came from Europe and are well established in the South Island, especially around Christchurch. I love hearing them call at night – it’s so special!  And although you may not realise it: there are likely some other bird species making nests and breeding in dense bushes in your garden  I have noticed so far: 2 blackbird nests, 2 Song thrushes. I’m still looking for a Dunnock nest (hedge sparrows)... Tricky!! And, at neighbours, a swallow nest as well.  Nests under cover. Made from clay, filled with feathers… and underneath an enormous heap of poo – yes it can be seriously messy.  When the chicks are big enough, I’ll band them with some “bling”.  I also suspect a sneaky bellbird (which has become very, very quiet all of a sudden) but haven’t found its nest yet.  Silvereyes will always be at my place (I feed them in winter, so they are used to my garden; the juveniles are real little punks).  Silvereye nestlings. Photo / Supplied Code of Conduct around nests:  If you do stumble across a nest in some shrubbery (while pruning, for instance), have a quick look to see if there are any eggs or young birds in it (It could be an old nest from last year!); if so: back out and conceal the nest as much as possible. Put branches back in their position asap; that gives them privacy from preying eyes of predators (including harriers!).  Most bird species can cope with a bit of disturbance – depends on how far in the brood-cycle they are. Usually when they have young in the nest, parents will keep on feeding them; eggs are a “rather new” investment for the parent birds, and they may sometimes pull the plug on that nest.  Blackbirds (and thrushes) are often quite touchy: I noticed that as soon as the nest has been “discovered” and their privacy is breached, the young will fledge far too early and before they can actually fly away from cats and dogs!  This puts them in a much more vulnerable situation.  During the breeding season (which can go on till late summer for some species! Multiple broods for parent birds if the season is “good”) the young birds sometimes do silly things, like fly clumsily into your windows.  If you find those stunned mullets on the ground, carefully pick them up and put them in a dark card-board box for an hour or so. Out of the light and no interaction; No Feeding; nor Watering, no Handling. Keep them quiet for a while and you’ll be surprised how they recover from such a knock!  If your patient is a rare/endangered bird, please contact a local vet and organise some professional hospital care!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What issues can arise on a long haul flight?  The main complaints tend to be irritating more than anything  Becoming dehydrated – can lead to headaches, dry mouth, dry nose  Not being able to sleep, ankle swelling  Cramped conditions, especially in economy class seats!  More serious: deep vein thrombosis – leg clots due to not moving around.     How do we improve comfort?  Really important to stay hydrated - plenty of fluid.  Wear loose fitting clothes – you want to be comfortable.  Carry lip balm or nasal spray to moisten nasal passages if dry - for comfort.  Don’t drink alcohol or overdrink alcohol – it can worsen dehydration, headache and interfere with sleep.     Are there issues with food and taste?  At 30,000 feet your taste buds don’t’ work as well and food tastes ‘bland’.  Also, your nose can dry out which affects taste.  Airlines tend to produce stronger flavoured food such as curries to compensate.  Up to 30% more sugar and salt in food to add to taste.  Don’t overeat as we tend to bloat as gas forms in abdomen, which can cause abdominal discomfort.      And sleep?  Carry eye shade and ear plugs, and a neck pillow is a really good idea.  Best thing to do is work out the sleep time at your destination before you go and try and sleep at that time on the flight.  Some use melatonin, a ‘sleep hormone’     How do we avoid blood clots?  Two key things – stay hydrated and get up and move around every 3-4 hours to get blood circulating.  Failing that wiggle toes and bend knees in your seat frequently.  Some choose to wear compression of flight stockings which encourage blood to circulate.  They also reduce ankle swelling!  If you have persistent leg swelling, chest pain or SOB in weeks after a long-haul flight – see your GP!    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could your mobile phone be a thing of the past? A new company has launched a product to let you go hands-free.  It's the Humane AI Pin, a voice and gesture activated wearable that can do many of the things your phone can do: send messages, read emails, make calls, get directions, play music, take photos and video, translate to other languages, and more.   It's not always on, it's not listening for a wake word - it's got trust and privacy built in from the beginning. It has a light on the device so others know when it's activated. But it's powered by AI and even in its demo, it got facts wrong. If you can't see a screen or make direct inputs then you need to trust that you're getting and sending what you think you are.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate the abundance of asparagus available right now, make this simple tasty tart.  Serve 4-6    Ingredients:  2 bunches (or about 20) medium thickness asparagus spears  1 sheet puff pastry  1 egg, beaten with a fork  150g sour cream or crème fraiche  100g blue cheese, crumbled  2 tablespoons caramelised onion chutney (store-bought is fine)  ½ teaspoon sea salt + decent grind black pepper  Drizzle of olive oil    Method:  Heat oven to 200 C. Trim or snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears. Line a tray with the pastry, twisting and pinching up the edges to form a rim if you need to. Brush the edges with the beaten egg. Whisk together the remaining egg with sour cream (or crème fraiche), ¾ of the blue cheese and onion. Spread this over the pastry. Lay the trimmed asparagus on top, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and cooked on the base too. To serve, grind over some more pepper and crumble over remaining blue cheese.   Make it yours:  You could add chopped, crispy bacon or flakes of smoked salmon to this tart if you fancy it!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift has re-recorded her 2014 album "1989".The superstar has been re-recording her back catalogue so she can own the rights to her own music rather than her record label. Swift owning her own version would allow her to control what happens to her music and how it is streamed and bought.Music reviewer Estelle Clifford talked to Jack Tame about the album and the story behind the new album.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Secret – Lee Child and Andrew Child   Jack Reacher has returned in yet another novel from Lee and Andrew Child.  ‘The Secret’ is the 28th book in the series and was released only a few months before the second season of the TV show is set to be released in December.  The Woman in Me - Britney Spears  Britney Spears’ hotly anticipated memoir The Woman In Me has finally hit shelves after already topping bestseller charts. It’s Spears’ first official memoir, though she has already written two books with her mother Lynne. She reportedly started writing it shortly after her 13-year conservatorship ended.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flanked by jagged mountain spires scratching at the sky and slashed by the crystal waters of the mighty Snake River, the valley of Jackson Hole sets the stage for some wild Wyoming adventures, where the spirit of the West sings out loud. Early fur trappers used the term “hole” to describe a valley entirely encased by mountains, which perfectly sums up Jackson Hole’s terrain. Thickly forested mountains are carpeted in fir, spruce and Lodgepole pine trees. Lodgepole trunks served as trusty tipi poles for Native Americans. Then there’s the lush alpine meadows and the silvery-gray-green sagebrush flats - all guarded by the Tetons’ towering peaks, that are part of the Rockies. Crossing over into Wyoming from Idaho, the vertigo-inducing Teton Pass, at an elevation of 2500 metres, served up my first eagle’s perspective of Jackson Hole. It’s a mesmerising perspective and searing reminder that this is a land of rugged adventurers and stoic settlers. This sprawling valley not only plays host to hordes of wildlife, but the Grand Teton National Park and the ebullient town of Jackson. As the warm autumn sunshine bathed the bucolic landscape in a soft glow, I was staggered how many road-trippers were out in force, well past the summer peak. But nature’s towering glories, whether you’re magnetised by the ski slopes, the hiking trails or serendipitous wildlife encounters, underpins Jackson Hole’s year-round pulling power. Travel correspondent Mike Yardley talked to Jack Tame on the best things to do in Jackson Hole in Wyoming.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is ADHD?  Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder  Symptoms include difficulty focusing attention -often cant’s keep focused on something but sometimes get “hyperfocused” on something and can’t move off it when need to; acting suddenly without thinking (impulsivity); being really disorganised; fidgety, restless, can’t sit still for long; changing jobs a lot, messy and disorganised, misses deadlines, often seen as unreliable; can affect friendships    Why is it an issue in the workplace  Historically ADHD was thought to only exist in children and that they would grow out of it  Now know that about 2/3 of people with ADHD as a child continue to have symptoms and signs as an adult  Lots of people missed being diagnosed in childhood but now realising that they might have it – so lots more people getting diagnosed as adults  Also increasing number of women being diagnosed in adulthood who were likely overlooked during childhood    How to support at work  Recognising it’s ADHD is a good start rather than assuming someone is “lazy” or it’s something to do with their personality  Adjusting work environment to reduce distractions  Figuring out with the person how best they work – sometimes having tight deadlines is really useful as it creates positive pressure to get a job done. A number of journalists have commented to me that they think they have ADHD and news media is a great place for them to work as the content is constantly changing and the deadlines are tight and quick  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wine: Nautilus 2023 Albarino, Marlborough $30  Why I chose it:  - Exciting new (to New Zealand) grape variety with a great future in this part of the world  - Nautilus makes my favourite Albarino  - Great summer wine – crisp, refreshing with mouth-watering acidity  What does it taste like?  - A delicious albarino with classic citrus/mandarin/orange flavours. A kiss of sweetness is perfectly balanced by fruity, mouthwatering acidity that leaves a refreshing finish. Memorable wine that makes perfect summer drinking.  Why it’s a bargain:  - High quality wine at a reasonable price  Where can you buy it?  - Wine Freedom, Otago $24.99; Whiskeyonline, Auckland $25.99; Society Liquor, Wellington $25.99  - More likely to find it at fine wine stores rather than on supermarket shelves  Food match?  - Most seafood, my favourite is scampi seared on the BBQ  Will it keep?  - Drink it up    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring: everything wakes up. All sorts of creepy crawlies are gunning for your crops and sometimes we need to be ahead of the game.  Apples have stopped flowering and the smallest beginnings of the fruit are on your trees.  Those tiny fruitlets are known in English as “Codlings”  Hence the name for the moth who’s caterpillars love to invade these codlings: Codling moth  Parents (moths) are now laying eggs on these codlings, so let’s avoid the caterpillars tunnelling into your tiny, developing fruit!  MADEX is the spray to use from now on; every two weeks or so until February.  Madex is a codling moth granulosis virus that will affect the small brutes before they enter the apple. Only works on Codling moth species (Cydia pomonella); and the virus will not harm us either.  Noticed the black sooty mould on your lemon tree leaves? That stuff grows on all sorts of citrus!  That’s a fungus that grows on the excrement of sap-sucking insects, especially scale insects, mealybugs and citrus whitefly.  Those tiny whitefly have really become the bigger pest on citrus, especially north of Christchurch.  Trying to remove the black, sooty mould is literally useless, as the sap-suckers will continue to drop their sweet poos;  So: we need to control those whitefly etc., right now by giving them a weekly dose of Neem Oil. Aim for the top-side of the leaves and the bottom-side of the leaves. The regularity of spraying halts the egg-laying part of the life cycle, simply by killing the susceptible juveniles before they become adults.  Lemon tree borer is another troublesome critter on citrus; this one grows its babies (rather large beetle grubs) in tunnels in branches, twigs and trunks of citrus trees.  The female beetle lays her eggs on freshly-made pruning cuts, so the very first thing we must not do is prune our citrus in spring and summer.  To remove the grub from its tunnel is tricky, but can be achieved with a “hypodermic needle” filled with insecticide. You can literally squirt that stuff into the grub’s tunnel by access in the “toilet hole” from the outside.  That way you won’t cause any extra damage to the branch but still halt the destruction inside the branch  Clever, eh?    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

YouTube is cracking own on ad-blockers If you have an ad-blocker you'll likely get a warning that using it violates their terms of service. It's been a slow road here - they previously had allowed you to watch one video before blocking you, but no more. The big streamers are doing the same, but with account sharing - everyone is focused on profitability at the moment and are tightening up where they can. Apple really wants you to buy a new laptop They released their new M3 chips on Tuesday and put those into MacBook Pros and the iMac. They referenced multiple times that 'Intel-based' Macs were slow, and that it's a great time to upgrade! They also did their "scary fast" event at a new time - 8pm in the East, 5pm in the West - I imagine hoping to get in front of consumers rather than industry folks.The trouble is that most people don't have a need for these more powerful chips right now.. and the sales reflect that with Q3 of 2023 was down 34% compared to Q3 of last year -- they did $7.6 billion in sales.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All the Light We Cannot See: Adapted from the novel by Anthony Doerr, this tells the story of a blind French teenager who crosses paths with a German soldier as they both try and survive the devastation of World War 2. (Netflix)     The Gilded Age: The return of Julian Fellowes’ sumptuous costume drama about a young woman who moves to New York to live with her aunts, and is exposed to an exciting new world on the brink of the modern age (Neon)      Wolf: A British drama where anything goes. Set in an isolated house in the country, a family find themselves the victims of a terrifying psychopath’s cruel games (TVNZ+)    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The term ‘MasterChef’ Is not a term to be taken lightly.  Yes, it comes with all the TV star glory but it’s also about incredible talent and skill.   Starting out as a young boy running an Auckland takeaway shop and local dairy, Sam Low has gone from strength to strength making a name for himself in the food industry as an award-winning barista and latte art champion.   He took the crown in last year's MasterChef New Zealand.  Now he’s combined a collection of delicious recipes in his new cookbook - “Modern Chinese”.  Sam Low spoke to Jack Tame about it.     LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Week returns in November 2023. Over a week NZ ice cream, gelato and sorbet makers will celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of the country’s growing industry and encourage Kiwis to buy and enjoy locally made.  The week kicks off with Ice Cream & Gelato Sundae on Sunday 5 November 2023 – with specials in scoop shops across the country.  NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Week is from Sunday 5 until Sunday 12 November 2023 with ice cream and gelato stores featuring; tastings, competitions and special promotions.   Kiwis can head to www.nzicecreamandgelato.co.nz to vote for their favourite NZ Ice Cream or Gelato maker AND your favourite NZ Scoop Store – and go into the draw to win ice cream & gelato    Affogato!  This is the perfect little sweet treat pick me up; ice cream drowned in espresso coffee and topped with toasted, crushed hazelnuts. Add a shot of liqueur if you fancy. Bellissimo!  Makes 4  ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped  1 cup very strong espresso coffee  4 big scoops good quality ice cream  4 tablespoons amaretto, Kahlúa or other liqueur (optional)  Scoop vanilla ice cream into small, pre-chilled glasses or cups. Pour over ¼ cup hot espresso over the top and top with hazelnuts. Add a shot of liqueur (optional) and serve immediately. Nici’s note: For kids, use decaf coffee or hot chocolate and leave out the liqueur.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin reviews Kiwi comedian Tom Sainsbury's new horror film Loop Track and Till, about the search for justice following the lynching of African American teenager Emmett Till in 1955.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's top swimmer, Lewis Clareburt, is having to move to Auckland and find a new coach because he can't get consistent training time at Wellington city council's top pool.  Why?   Because their community pools are "heavily used" by swimmers and other water sports.   Kevin Milne talked to Jack Tame about it.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The results are in. Not the final, final results. The super-dooper recounted and not-subject-to-further-legal-challenge results. But as final as results are going to be for a bit longer. And on the numbers released by the Electoral Commission yesterday, I think we can reasonably dub the 2023 General Election the ABL-Vote.  ABL. Anyone. But. Labour.  The left has gone more left. The right has gone more right. Winston Peters and New Zealand First have hoovered up whatever remains, and we wait to see what kind of deal might be struck between the governing parties.  These are the things that stand out to me:  1) Labour’s vote has almost halved on the result three years ago. Maybe it’s the polling or just the general widespread sense of dissatisfaction with the government, but I still think we haven’t paused and considered the scale of that reversal, enough. They received 50% of the party vote in 2020. I get it. It was an extraordinary result for an extraordinary political moment. But in just three years they’ve shed almost half of that support Almost a quarter of all New Zealand voters have left them. And as if that weren’t painful enough for the party’s members, what is there to show for that historic majority government?  2) With just over 38% of the vote, by National’s traditional standards, this is not an impressive election result. It was enough. And it only needed to be enough. But if you take out the 2020 drubbing, this year’s result was the lowest party vote result for National for more than 20 years. But for 2020, the last time they were lower than 39% was the 2002 election.  3) Both the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are celebrating their largest-ever caucuses. A big part of their success is surely the ABL factor. Anyone but Labour. But I also think they ran the two best campaigns of the election. The Greens were super-disciplined. They put out well-constructed policies early in the campaign, soaking up a lot of political discourse before the other parties switched into campaign mode. Te Pāti Māori understood better than any other party except for maybe New Zealand first, how to mobilise their supporters.  4) I think ACT will be a bit disappointed by their final numbers. Of course, the result is great by the party’s traditional standards and winning the Tamaki electorate was a huge boon symbolically, but compared to where they were polling a few months ago, it’s a notable drop.  5) New Zealand First’s result marks a masterful sprint to the electoral finish line for our most experienced and seasoned politician. Winston Peters saw the space opened up by National’s dithering and seized it. The party didn’t confirm its policy platform until well after voting had already opened but their supporters don’t care. New Zealand First might have been largely absent from politicial discourse for most of this parliamentary term, but their result goes to show how important timing and momentum are in a political campaign.  So what happens now? Negotiations will be fascinating. My impression is that David Seymour will be intensely focused on achieving policy concessions. I suspect New Zealand First will be less interested in big, meaty, high-workload Cabinet portfolios, but I could be wrong.  I think the triumphant reaction from the Greens, while understandable at one level, shows they’re completely focused on themselves and are deluded about the constraints of opposition. No one seems to note that a record election result for the party isn’t actually worth that much if you’re languishing in opposition, and the governing parties are pledging to restart oil and gas exploration, delay emissions pricing on farms, and even scrap the Zero Carbon Act.  I think Labour’s totally adrift. And I think the new Prime Minister has his work cut out. The ABL factor will give him a honeymoon glow for a bit, but this is still an incredibly tricky economic and political moment, and if this election has shown us anything it’s how quickly voter sentiment can change. Three’s a crowd and managing relationships between ACT and New Zealand First is potentially complex. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and the next government will know they can only trade on being Anyone But Labour for so long.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They’ve been described as the Beetles for kids.  And now after more than a decade of spreading joy to generations of children, the Wiggles – Anthony, Murray, Greg, and Jeff have reunited on screen to tell how the magic happened.  It wasn’t all upbeat and colourful skivvies, as the film sheds light on some of the struggles they faced as individuals.   Yellow Wiggle Greg Page and Purple Wiggle Jeff Fatt joined Jack Tame to chat about the documentary, the history, and the success of the Wiggles.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the Wellington City Council committed to complete earthquake strengthening and renovations of Wellington Town Hall, approving an eyewatering $328 million budget.  The reason they’ve committed to this figure is because if they closed the site and demolished the building, it would allegedly cost about the same amount.   Kevin Milne is struggling to wrap his head around this fact.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour  The cultural phenomenon continues as pop icon Taylor Swift performs hit songs in a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.   Ms Information  As the nation plunges into pandemic, Gwen Isaac’s observational documentary delves into the trenches with Siouxsie Wiles, the fuchsia-haired microbiologist who emerged as a national hero and a satanic witch in the minds of a divided New Zealand.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the Party Robyn Malcolm stars in this New Zealand drama about a woman whose world implodes after she accuses her husband of a sex crime but nobody believes her (TVNZ1 from Sunday, and TVNZ+).     Last Stop Larrimah An HBO true crime documentary series about the Australian outback town of Larrimah, population 11, and the mysterious disappearance of one of the residents that turned everyone else into suspects (Netflix).    Hot Potato: Story of the Wiggles A documentary about the incredible story of The Wiggles, who sang and danced their way into the hearts of millions of people around the globe (Prime Video).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Exchange – John Grisham   What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke and fled the country? It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family. Mitch has become a master at staying one step ahead of his adversaries, but this time there’s nowhere to hide.    Lola in the Mirror – Trent Dalton  A girl and her mother have been on the run for sixteen years, from police and the monster they left in their kitchen with a knife in his throat. They've found themselves a home inside a van with four flat tyres parked in a scrapyard by the edge of the Brisbane River.  The girl has no name because names are dangerous when you're on the run. But the girl has a dream. A vision of a life as an artist of international acclaim. A life outside the grip of the Brisbane underworld drug queen 'Lady' Flora Box. A life of love with the boy who's waiting for her on the bridge that stretches across a flooding, deadly river. A life beyond the bullet that has her name on it. And now that the storm clouds are rising, there's only one person who can help make her dreams come true. That person is Lola and she carries all the answers. But to find Lola, the girl with no name must first do one of the hardest things we can ever do. She must look in the mirror.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The results are in and it’s looking very likely we’ll have some form of National-led government for at least the next three years. So, what will this actually mean for our finances and the housing market? Will it be the boost some were hoping, or will the impact not be quite as much as people expect?  Hannah McQueen joined Jack Tame to give her insight and answer a few questions about what kiwis should expect. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“If you’re sizing up embarking on an epic roadie across the great American West, Idaho is the pitch-perfect launch-pad.”  “With a similar sized population to Christchurch, Boise beats to a leisurely tempo, flanked by golden hills and verdant forest, sliced by the Boise River. It’s a picturesque setting and the compact, leafy city centre exudes good looks and an easy-going grace.”  “Hitting the road, I scooted across Idaho’s central folds on a three-hour drive to Ketchum and Sun Valley. As the soaring Sawtooth Mountains shuffled into view, we passed through gorgeous tourist villages like Hailey and Bellevue.”  Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate "Ethically Kate" Hall is back with more sustainability tips! This time she's got her top tips for reducing food waste both on a personal and community level. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cucurbits: melons, squash, pumpkins, courgettes, zucchini, gherkins and… cucumbers.  A bit “touchy” —don’t like cold spells of weather— cool southerly winds are no good; frost tender.  That’s why it’s best to sow them later in spring (from end of October onwards).  I sow them in medium-sized pots with seed-raising mix (high in organic material); these cucurbits appreciate a good organic feed (compost, sheep’s poo, Seafood Soup – a great liquid fertiliser) on a regular basis.  But what you have to be careful with is too much water when they have germinated: their new roots are very susceptible to rotting in wet potting mix!  A well-draining mix helps to keep the young roots safe from the rots.  Keep your seedling in a nice, warm spot; around 18 degrees or more during the daytime hours and no less than 7 or 8 degrees at night.  Sunlight is important: at least 7 hours per day direct sunlight.  My tunnel house easily gets those numbers (and allows earlier planting and better regulation of watering too!).  I’m not too keen on courgettes (which have a habit of becoming marrows – even worse!); nor am I a pumpkin aficionado. Let’s face it: in Winter there are heaps of pumpkins on the market and they cost bugger-all!  I usually concentrate on Cucumbers, watermelon, and gherkins.  These fruits are usually largely made of moisture – which means that when the flowers develop into fruits, the plants need more water (compared to the seedling stage); It’s the watering (liquid fertiliser!!) that really helps them to expand the fruit to a good size.  Watermelon grows nicely on warm soils – sprawling all over the place; if you want to help them with lovely warm soil, perhaps cover the soil with some black plastic.  Gherkins and Cucumbers are best grown on a trellis or climbing rack. Again: fruit develop best with increased watering / liquid fertiliser. Cucumbers need to be harvested regularly to make the plant set new fruit.  Summer snack: Pickled gherkins? (or watermelon??). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK's Online Safety Bill has become law  This is hugely controversial and could lead to WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and iMessage shutting down their services in the UK. It's a fight over encryption and internet privacy. The government wants to improve internet safety by forcing these providers to remove harmful content such as child sexual abuse, extreme violence, animal cruelty, terrorism, promotion of illegal weapons or drugs, and more.   They've also outlined new laws for 'cyber-flashing' and "deepfake pornography". But monitoring for this content would mean the tech companies would need to be able to see the content - something they are fiercely against. The government says Ofcom would only ask tech firms to access messages once "feasible technology" had been developed, but we're unclear what that means.    How would you feel if your next Uber didn't have a driver?  If you're living in Phoenix, Arizona it now might not! The future is here if you choose to accept! When you book a ride in the Uber app, you'll be able to select to go driverless.  Waymo will still have their own app - which will allow you to grab a ride in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and soon, Austin. But this partnership with Uber makes it frictionless to try the new service. It won't be any cheaper than a car driven by a human though!     A PlayStation 5 might actually be able to be put under your Christmas Tree  Supply Chain issues have made the PS5 a tough thing to get with some people waiting months for their game console to arrive. Chip shortages have seriously limited the availability for the past three years, making them a rare commodity. Good news is that PlayStation says their supply chain is fixed and they have lots of availability now.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our go to summer salad that you can get creative with! Change up the grain and vegetables dependent on what you have in the fridge or garden. We love serving this with any plant based or animal protein, especially chicken or salmon. If you are GF, we recommend replacing the couscous with millet or brown rice.   Serves: 4-6   Time: 20 minutes   Ingredients  1 cup israeli couscous  Water  2 tbsp cooking oil  1 head broccoli, cut into florets  1/2 tsp sea salt   Herb Oil: 1 cup herbs, roughly chopped  1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil  2 cloves garlic, crushed  1 tsp sea salt  To Serve:  1/2 cup flaked almonds, toasted  1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted  1 cup herbs, roughly chopped   Method:   Add the couscous into a pot and toast over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Then add enough water to just cover the couscous. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.   Heat up the oil in a pan and add the broccoli and sea salt. Allow the broccoli to sit and cook in the oil for a couple of minutes, then give it a toss. Then allow it to sit and cook for another couple of minutes. Once it is nice and crispy, remove the pan from the heat.   For the herb oil, add all of the ingredients to a small blender and blend until a vibrant green oil is formed. Alternatively, you can use a handheld stick blender. Set aside.   In a large bowl, add the cooked couscous, broccoli, almonds and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle over the herb oil and gently toss everything together. Lastly add the herbs and give everything one last final toss before serving.   This salad will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.   Please note if you are wanting to keep it over the 3 days, leave the herbs out and add them just before enjoying. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Historically, the All Blacks haven’t faced too much adversity. But here it is. The team is at odds and ends. The players are being criticised. The coaches and their bosses are being hammered in the press.  Maybe they will falter. Maybe we’re watching the unravelling of a once-mighty team. Maybe Silver Lake has bought a dud.  Or maybe, through whatever changes are necessary, and through the pluck and determination of a unit that can only be truly tested when its back is against the wall, the All Blacks will find a way to rise up.”  Those were the words of famed rugby analyst Jack Tame on a radio station called Newstalk ZB, shortly after the All Blacks had lost a home series to Ireland for the first time.  15 months on, I’ll be honest, my thoughts have been a bit muddled this week.  Yes, I can rationalise that we’ve improved massively since that last encounter with the Springboks back in August. A 28-point deficit? Surely that won’t be repeated. I can rationalise that we’re fit. We’re coming off a slightly longer break. We’ve weathered the Irish storm. Our set piece is a thousand times better than it was, we’ve barely lost a lineout in the tournament and our outside backs are maybe the most exciting in World rugby.  Buuuuuuuuuut, still. South Africa. They’re good.  I feel for Dane Coles missing out. For years he’s defined what a hardy, mischievous hooker should be. I’m not bothered by the locking decision either way - Retallick to start and Whitelock on the bench - except to say that Sam Whitelock is a titan of a leader, and I can’t imagine a Rugby World Cup victory without him playing a massive role, whether off the bench or in the starting 15.  Buuuuuuuuuut, still. South Africa. Gulp.  The Springboks have named a 7-1 split. Seven forwards on the bench. That’s a gamble.  Gambles can backfire.  But if there’s anything… any one thing that can push the All Blacks over the edge… that can propel them to Word Champion status… That can secure a record fourth Rugby World Cup… It’s the story.  It’s that doing so will be the pièce de résistance… the cherry on top of the whole Ian Foster fiasco.  I was not someone who thought Ian Foster was the best man for a job. I’m still not! But I also think he’s been treated woefully over the last few years. And in the midst of a pretty awful situation, I think he acted with dignity and grit.  Finishing up as the coach of the World Champions wouldn’t just be an incredibly satisfying conclusion to his All Blacks career. It’d be a hell of a middle finger to the haters.  And I can never underestimate the power of stories in sport. Stories are what give sport its magic. I want to finish with another quote of mine from last year:  “Maybe it’s lunacy to even ponder a World Cup victory next year. But crazier things have happened in sport.”  “Often the greatest sporting narratives are those in which an athlete or a team overcomes adversity. Victory against all odds.”  I said my thoughts had been a bit muddled this week. My head and my heart in a furious battle. But the closer we get to kick-off, the more clarity I have.  Ultimately, I do know what I think. I think I was right to maintain that sliver of optimism even during trying times. I think the All Blacks will win. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Twat Files by Dawn French    Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Clown is the latest album by 25 year old New Zealand singer Paige. The South Auckland artist debuted the song Aquarian at a show at Auckland's The Cloud during the Women's World Cup.  Simon Gooding, who has also worked with Pink and Neil Finn, is the producer for this album. Billie Eilish has also shared one of Paige's songs. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

- Blenheim might be a byword for grapes, but beverage-making doesn't just stop with wine production.  - What about DNA Brewery?  - And Moa Brewing is under new ownership?  - There's a lot of tasting experiences at Vines Village. ( Gin and whisky and cheese)  - Did you check out Dodson Street Beer Garden?  - Any other tasty bites to add to the bingo card?   For more tips on savouring Blenheim's best brews and bites, Mike's article is on the website.  www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/travel/    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The perfect light summer dessert. Sweet ripe strawberries, zesty orange, tangy pomegranate molasses, maple syrup and delicate vanilla. If strawberries aren’t in season, in winter we love marinating pears and roasting them. Serve with vanilla ice cream and our sweet and salty crunch. Serves: 4 Time: 30 minutes One punnet of strawberries, sliced Zest and juice of 1 orange 1 tsp pomegranate molasses 2 tsp maple syrup 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract Sweet + Salty Crunch: 1/2 cup nuts of your choice, roasted 2 tbsp maple syrup ½ tsp sea salt To Serve: 8 scoops of plant based or dairy vanilla ice cream Method: Add the sliced strawberries to a medium sized bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Allow the strawberries to marinate for at least 30 minutes, allowing the fruit to infuse the syrup flavours. Meanwhile, make the sweet + salty crunch. In a small bowl, combine your choice of nuts with maple syrup and sea salt. Once marinated, divide the ice cream between bowls and top with the marinated strawberries and sweet + salty crunch    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been warned – a dry spell is coming our way this summer in the form of El Niño. (little Boy!)  We’ve seen this before, of course but I reckon it may need a bit of a reminder:  Temperatures, Rainfall and Wind direction are the key elements of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. El Niño is characterised by more westerly winds, dropping more rain on the west coasts and less rain on the east coast.  It also tends to create warmer summer temperatures in the east, making the drought conditions even trickier for gardeners. The North Island may likely see the worst effects.  Keeping water tanks as full as possible might be a good idea.  Planting drought-tolerant species will certainly ease the stress; so I went on a hunt for species that would be reasonably drought-tolerant. Southern Woods (South of Christchurch) has a good range of trees, shrubs and plants and Chris Smith sent me a few great tips, as well as a list of their best performers during El Niño.  Brachyglottis greyii – Daisy Bush (aka shaggy Ragwort)  Brachyglottis monroi – Monro’s Daisy; evergreen with yellow flowers  Carmichaelia australis – common native broom – an insect magnet  Coprosma acerosa – ground cover for dry/hot/coastal  Coprosma brunnea – wiry ground cover with white to blue fruits; cold tolerant too. Birds and Lizards  Coprosma crassifolia – divaricated shrub with small leaves – North and South Island  Coprosma rugosa – “Needle-leaved Mountain coprosma – nice orange-brown species – stands out!  Coprosma virescens – an orange and green species – another favourite of mine;  Cordyline australis – good old cabbage tree: hardy in wetlands and in drought! Pain for lawnmowers  Corokia cotoneaster - My plant to find native bees on spring flowers – colourful.  Dodonaea viscosa - hopbush or “ake ake”; green version is NZ Native; reddish-brown ex Australia  Elaeocarpus hookerianus known as Pōkākā; can do dry, but also cold  Kanuka – Great flowering tree – a source of nectar for heaps of insects  Melicytus alpinus – porcupine bush; brilliant mountain shrub – grows well at lower levels too  Muehlenbeckia astonii – tough as! However I feel it’s a bit “over-used” in NZ gardens.  Olearia – tree daisies – many types to choose from  Ozothamnus – cottonwood  Pseudopanax crassifolius – Lancewood! The story of Juvenile foliage and adult foliage  Sophora microphylla – Sth Island Kowhai; watch the tui and bellbirds, the silver eyes and the Kereru  Teucrium parvifolium – rather rare shrub endemic to New Zealand and quite at home on eastern  side of our Islands, which indicates tolerance to dry spells  Do a bit of research and see what would look great at your place. When you plant them, ensure you don’t “bury” them too deep and water them in for a few days to allow them to settle in.  Of course, mulching will help (reduce evaporation), and if possible, planting in the cooler seasons  Watering is often tricky: water well periodically rather than every week. If you let these shrubs dry out between waterings, they’ll send their roots in all directions to “look for water”. That sets them up to survive El Niño!  If you are in Canterbury: go and see Chris and the team at Southern Woods – and a Dutch tip:  time it well with their spring sale!!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is Type 2 diabetes?  Body not able to control sugars – sugars become  in body high  Basically due to the pancreas wearing out over time not producing enough insulin or insulin becoming ineffective.  We are seeing more cases in younger people especially Māori and Pacific.     How big a problem is it and what harm to the body does it cause?  Thought to be approximately 300,000 in NZ living with type 2 diabetes.  Health system cost 2.1 billion year – 0.67% GDP!  Individual cost: increased rates renal failure, heart disease, blindness, leg amputation, if not controlled.     What are the new medications?  Diet, exercise and  weight reduction  central to treatment. Medications are needed such as metformin and insulin.    Now available two new medications:  Jardiance daily tablet: causes us to ‘pee’ sugar out of the body when we urinate.  Trulicity- weekly injection: mimics a hormone that means we feel full and eat less and absorb sugar within body and can lose weight.     Why are they important?  Gives more treatment options in addition to metformin and insulin.    Major differences don’t just lower sugar in body: also protect kidney from damage , and reduce chances of heart disease, and weight reduction: first time ever!  In Higher doses Trulicity the weekly injection:  has been used overseas for weight reduction ( Ozempic, Saxena New Zealand – not funded here) – has been in news  Lead  to worldwide  shortages at times that have affected New Zealand.     What should we do?  Important over age of 40 have regular blood sugar tests to see if developing problem.  Need to review regularly with GP and nurse: diet, exercise in combination with medication is important.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media platform X (formally Twitter) is using New Zealand as a testing ground for a plan to charge new users. The platform's owner Elon Musk plans to charge new users $1 a year to use X.Users can opt out, but that means they won't be able view posts and not post anything. Musk says this is to weed out bots on the platform.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bodies A crime drama set over four different time periods where  the same dead body keeps turning up in the same place in London across those four time periods (Netflix). The Pigeon Tunnel A new documentary film exploring the life and career of famed spy novelist John le Carré (Apple TV+). Sheperdess  A celebration of rural women where filmmakers visit and interview different women about their lives in rural settings (Sky Open from tomorrow).   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks have completed a resounding 44-6 victory over Argentina, propelling themselves into the final to face either England or South Africa.Will Jordan had a standout game scoring three tries with both Jordie Barrett and Shannon Frizell bagging two tries each.  Newstalk ZB's rugby commentator Elliot Smith spoke to Jack Tame about the result and what happens next.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iconic Kiwi band Drax Project has been collaborating with the upcoming Australian pop artist Charley. They've released their new single 'Disrespect,' and Jack Tame has managed to get three of the artists in one interview to discuss the song. Shaan Singh and Matt Beachen from Drax Project and Charley hopped in a call to chat about how it all came together. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Are We There Yet?’ is the new, long awaited album from Rick Astley via BMG. His ninth studio album overall, it’s the third in a row of which Astley has written, recorded, played and produced himself at his home studio in London. Featuring the single ‘Dippin My Feet’, an invigorating twist on his signature style, ‘Are We There Yet?’ is the sound of Rick reflecting and building upon the experiences he’s gone through since the release of 2018’s ‘Beautiful Life’. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Armour of Light - Ken Follett  The long-awaited sequel to A Column of Fire, The Armor of Light, heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond.  The Spinning Jenny was invented in 1770, and with that, a new era of manufacturing and industry changed lives everywhere within a generation. A world filled with unrest wrestles for control over this new world order: A mother’s husband is killed in a work accident due to negligence; a young woman fights to fund her school for impoverished children; a well-intentioned young man unexpectedly inherits a failing business; one man ruthlessly protects his wealth no matter the cost, all the while war cries are heard from France, as Napoleon sets forth a violent master plan to become emperor of the world. As institutions are challenged and toppled in unprecedented fashion, ripples of change ricochet through our characters’ lives as they are left to reckon with the future and a world they must rebuild from the ashes of war.    Rambling Man: My Life on the Road - Billy Connolly   Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across something I couldn't get a laugh at. I don't think I've ever had a bad trip. Well, apart from in the 1970s, but that's a whole other story . . .  In his joyful new book, Billy explores this philosophy and how it has shaped him, and he shares hilarious new stories from his lifetime on the road. From riding his trike down America's famous Route 66, building an igloo on an iceberg in the Arctic, playing elephant polo (badly) in Nepal and crashing his motorbike (more than once), to eating witchetty grubs in Australia, being serenaded by a penguin in New Zealand, and swapping secrets in a traditional Sweat Lodge ritual in Canada, Rambling Man is a truly global adventure with the greatest possible travel companion.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does a sustainable bathroom look like? Kate 'Ethically Kate' Hall has a list of alternatives for common bathroom necessities. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"500 year old giant rimu, tentacular rata vines and red beech anchor the forest, with a supporting cast of lush ferns and ponga. Once over the saddle, it's a steady descent through bush and farmland to reach Nydia Bay, with sporadic glimpses as far as Kenepuru Inlet, whose peninsulas fold into the distance. Indignant-looking cows grazing in paddocks cast me a suspicious glare, as if to say “What an earth are you doing in my paddock?” Finally, the gently lapping waters of the lake soundtracked my the final stretch of the first day’s walk." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You started it, Jack! Last week you mentioned that dreaded word: Passionfruit vine.  It’s not that I don’t like passionfruit – I love them.  But after many, many years of trying to grow these vines I have to confess to gangrene thumbs.  Here are some of the conditions and growing tips that I have collected over the past 45 years in Aotearoa – stuff from growers and producers of the vines, so… Grab what you like of these notes:  They need exceptional drainage and full sun.  I have always strived to provide these conditions.  Open, free-draining soils: If you have clay or such heavy soils with tiny particles that clog-up the watering, the ground needs to be raised or drainage improved.  To improve drainage, a large hole can be dug out and drainage gravel and pumice incorporated with good topsoil before back-filling the hole.  Of course, if you simply dig a large hole with the best gravel you are literally constructing an enormous sink, with the plug-hole still in it. So it pays to literally create some kind of pipe or system that takes the excess water away.  If this is all too much work you can plant the passionfruit vine in a large pot with good quality Tub-Mix (Growing mix) and drainage holes in the bottom. Make sure the pot will be slightly raised above the ground so the water can actually leave the bottom of the pot through the holes.  Do not forget to feed and water the plant; plants in large pots can dry out quite quickly.  Instead of a large pot with a good growing mix, you can always build a “raised garden bed”, say 40 cm higher than your current soil level. Once again: make sure the water can drain away effortlessly  Give the passionfruit roots ample space to establish in the raised garden bed or in the large pot. Do not over-water these roots but – on the other hand – don’t let them dry out too much.  In terms of “full sun”: I think that it might be an idea to face the plant a bit more “North-East”, rather than “North-West” (The mid-day to afternoon sun tends to be quite a bit hotter than the morning sun!)  Passionfruit is not keen on harsh winters – it hates the cold winds and frosts as these will stress the plant; couple that with wet, rainy winters days and you can see how these factors will knock the plant around. It also shows you how important good drainage is in winter!  Passionfruit are rapid growers and consequently benefit from 2 to 3 applications of a general slow release fertiliser during the spring and summer growing period. Nitrogen makes lots of new leaves.  If you have a young plant don’t prune them fiercely as they set fruit on the new growth – keep your new growth to actually get that fruit. Once the vine is well-established, you can prune it a bit more heavily, but remember to keep plenty new growth on that vine – get rid of diseased parts of the plant.  Best time to prune is right now, when warmth comes back to your garden and frosts are no longer an issue.  I hear from experts that passionfruit doesn’t last much longer than 5 or 6 years, so plant the next generation before your plant kicks the bucket…  I planted mine every year and got totally sick of it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The violence in Israel & Gaza has spread online  The EU Commissioner has written to TikTok to request they "urgently step up" efforts to combat misinformation and respond "within the next 24 hours" how it is following European law.   TikTok has an especially young audience - children and teens - and therefore has an even stronger obligation to remove violent content and terrorist propaganda.   Meta and X have also been asked to comply with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) law. This requires them to proactively remove illegal content and show they've taken measures to do so.   Meta says they immediately spun up a situation room with Hand Arabic speakers to assist with content moderation. "Our teams are working around the clock to keep our platforms safe, take action on content that violates our policies or local law, and coordinate with third-party fact checkers in the region to limit the spread of misinformation."   X says they've removed content and accounts - but says they haven't been informed of any illegal content they need to remove.    Adobe has showcased its AI experiments  Incredible advances --   They showed how they could remove people from the background of video.   They showed generative fill changing a man's shirt and giving him a tie.  They showed removing reflections from photos.   They also showed videos of being able to translate audio from one language into dozens, while keeping the sound of the original speaker's voice - effectively showing what it would be like if you were speaking another language.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wine: Paul Jaboulet 2022 Viognier, France $23.73  Why I chose it:  - It‘s a delicious dry white wine at an attractive price  - If you like NZ Viognier you will love this wine  - Viognier is an aromatic grape variety which means it often has a floral character (in this case “wildflowers”)  - Often blended with Syrah to make it softer and more perfumed.  What does it taste like?  - Ripe, attractive viognier with classic apricot and wildflower flavours supported by subtle citrus characters. Appealing wine that is dry without being austere and has weight without being at all clumsy. Excellent value at this price.  Why it’s a bargain:  - Average price for Viognier in this country is $31 and this is well above average quality  Where can you buy it?  - Vino Fino, Christchurch $22.99  - Vine Online, Auckland $24.99  - Wine Central, Auckland $24.00  Imported by Dhall and Nash  Food match?  - Roast chicken  Will it keep?  - Drink it up    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malpractice: A British medical thriller about a doctor who finds herself embroiled in a medical scandal (TVNZ+ and TVNZ1 from Sunday).   Lessons in Chemistry: Brie Larson stars in this 1950s drama about a woman who dreams of being a scientist but is forced to take a job as the host of a TV cooking show - and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives a lot more than recipes (Apple TV+).   Special Ops: Lioness: This American action thriller follows a young Marine recruited to join the Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organisation from within (Prime Video).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mix of roasted rhubarb, juicy orange and vanilla-scented cream tumbled together with shards of crisp, nutty filo pastry and white chocolate sauce is simply sensational!  Serves 4-6    Ingredients:  1 sheet filo  2 teaspoons butter, melted  2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 4 cm lengths  1 tablespoon caster sugar  70g white chocolate, chopped roughly  2/3 cup cream  1 teaspoon vanilla extract  2 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt, unsweetened  2 oranges, segmented    Method:  Preheat oven to 180 C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Brush filo sheet with melted butter and sandwich between the lined trays. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until very golden brown. Remove and cool. Break into shards. Toss rhubarb in sugar and, using the same lined tray(s), roast the rhubarb for 15 minutes until softened. Set aside to cool. In a small pot heat a third of the cream to near boiling. Throw in chopped chocolate, cover with a tea towels and leave for 5 minutes before whisking to a smooth sauce. Cool. Whip remaining cream with vanilla to a soft whip consistency. To assemble: Choose small glasses, jars or bowl and layer up rhubarb, the cream mix, shards of filo, orange segments and topping it all off with the white chocolate ganache. Be prepared to be delighted! Nici’s note: Plums (fresh or tinned) in place of the rhubarb are just as good in this recipe so feel free to mix it up! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anatomy of a Fall   A woman is suspected of her husband's murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the sole witness.    In The Land of Saints and Sinners  Hoping to leave his dark past behind him, former assassin Finbar Murphy leads a quiet life in a coastal Irish town, far from the political violence that grips the rest of the country. When menacing terrorists show up, Finbar soon discovers that one of them has been abusing a local girl.   Drawn into an increasingly vicious game of cat and mouse, he must choose between exposing his secret identity and defending his friends and neighbors.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angel Face is Stephen Sanchez’s debut album, filled with a collection of ‘50s and ‘60s style songs that chronicles the life of the fictional Troubadour Sanchez.   It focuses on the love story between the Troubadour Sanchez and Evangeline, who is currently in a love affair with a mobster.  The album brings a fresh take to old fashion blues, ballads, and rock ‘n’ roll.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uproar  A 17-year-old is forced to clamber off the fence he has actively sat on all his life to stand up for himself, his whānau, and his future.    The Show Me Shorts Film Festival  Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa New Zealand's leading international short film festival. Our mission is to connect New Zealand audiences with short films and share New Zealand short films with the world.   Screenings in 35 cinemas across New Zealand during 6-29 October 2023.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"If you’re planning a fling with the entertainment capital of the world, a trip to Tinsel Town tingles with a distinct blend of escapist reality. Beyond the time-honoured staples of the studio tours like Universal and Warner Brothers, a frolic through the Dolby Theatre, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I checked a few other ways you can chase the stars on a visit to Hollywood." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beckham Featuring never-before-seen footage, this Netflix docuseries follows David Beckham’s rise from humble beginnings to global football stardom (Netflix).    Lupin A new season of the delightful thriller based on the classic French story about Arsène Lupin, the world-famous gentleman thief and master of disguise (Netflix).    The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this Wes Anderson adaption of the Roald Dahl story about a wealthy man who wants to master a new skill in order to cheat at gambling games (Netflix).   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Code Red – Vince Flynn  Mitch Rapp hates owing anyone a favor—especially when it’s the world’s most powerful crime lord. But when Damian Losa calls, Mitch is honor-bound to answer.  The Syrian government appears to have created a highly addictive new narcotic that it plans to distribute throughout Europe. It’s a major threat to Losa’s business and he’s determined to send someone to keep him on top by any means necessary. With far more than Damian Losa’s interests at stake, Rapp devises a desperate plan that forces him and his team onto a battlefield where the United States is virtually powerless and allegiances shift almost hourly. Further, if Russia uncovers their plot, it will set off a confrontation between the two countries that could change the course of human history.    The Running Grave – Robert Galbraith   Private Detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside.  The Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceable organization that campaigns for a better world. Yet Strike discovers that beneath the surface there are deeply sinister undertones, and unexplained deaths. In order to try to rescue Will, Strike's business partner, Robin Ellacott, decides to infiltrate the cult, and she travels to Norfolk to live incognito among its members. But in doing so, she is unprepared for the dangers that await her there or for the toll it will take on her. . .    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent Gallup poll shows that a majority of workers in NZ are not engaged or are “quiet quitting”.  4/10 say they are experiencing high levels of stress, 4/10 looking for new job, with managers playing a key role in determining whether people thrive or disengage at work.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve recently been reading a few books about Bees and Bumblebees; in the past I worked on mosquitoes and beneficial pest controllers, got stung by a Japanese hornet (no, not the “giant murder hornet”, but it was big and it did hurt!) and slowly come to the conclusion that entomology should have been my hobby a lot earlier in life.  There are so many stories!  We know Honeybees and Bumblebees as “pollinators” of flowers, especially our food crops. In this insect group (Hymenoptera) the Honeybees and the four species of Bumbles are all exotic creatures imported as slave labour. Without them our diet would look a lot poorer.  As gardeners we know too well that these pollinators are welcome visitors to our garden: my tomatoes would never fruit without those bumblebees; (the honeybees never get into my tunnel house – tomato is not their gig!).  Every pollinator has its own range of flowers to work on – the reward, of course, is to extract some nectar to feed babies and queens.  This teaches us to create a heap of “wildflowers” under the apples, pears, plums and peaches, near raspberries and strawberries. The diversity of these wildflowers attracts a wide range of pollinators.  It is exactly what you’d need as a TEACHER if you want to do a unit on bumble bees, or a topic for “mini-beasts” in the curriculum; identify what visits which flower.  But these wildflowers also attract other nectar hunters: mosquitoes! Males only – they are the pollinators! They also fertilise the females who then lay eggs on the edge of ponds and water features.  Woah! Hang on for a moment!! I know what you’re saying…  The mosquito wrigglers grow up in the pond/water feature, where they consume the bacterial soup that makes those water habitats so “dirty looking”; Mozzie larvae clean your water!  Water cleaning mosquito wrigglers. Photo / Supplied  Last but not least: the variety of flowers you plant in your garden also attract a variety of pollinating flies, beetles and parasitic wasps. Those flies and beetles give birth to babies (larvae) that are often predators of aphids, mealybugs and scale insects, as well as caterpillars and other plant “pests”.  The Parasitic wasps (pareasitoids) will lay eggs inside their host; these eggs hatch into wasp larvae that will devour your garden “pests” from the inside-out, controlling a heap of damaging insects that give your plants a hard time.  Parasitoid on Fennel. Photo / Supplied.  For every job an insect does certain plant species receive a benefit; everything is connected to everything else…  This why my garden has many different species of flowering plants, spread willy-nilly under fruit trees and near vegetables.  I also make sure there are bumble bee nest boxes near my tomatoes and small bamboo “bug motels” in which some tiny native, parasitic wasps create their home …  The more bio-diversity, the fewer troubles in your quarter acre paradise! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Half of mortgages are due to be refixed over the coming 12 months and many of those will be rolling onto much higher interest rates than where they are right now.  While predictions last year were that interest rates would start easing towards the end of this year, it now looks like it won’t happen until mid-next year, if not later. And while the OCR hasn’t shifted since May, banks have continued increasing their interest rates, unnecessarily adding to the pressure.  Yet despite all this —and the extensive media coverage that mortgage interest rates and the cost of living has been getting— people are still not prepared for what they’ll do when their mortgages come up for refixing, and how they’ll cope with this increase in cost.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Her name was Siri, she had to change it   It was annoying enough when colleagues or friends couldn't greet her with "Hey Siri" without setting off their phone's assistant, but the latest changes to iOS has made it even worse. Now you don't need to say the "Hey", which has forced 26-year-old Siri Price to change her name. She now goes by "Siz". She says she loved the name Siri because it means “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”. For Apple, it means “Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface”.    Microsoft Teams is going to be significantly faster  It's been completely rebuilt and is said to be 2x faster than the current version and uses half the memory - which is great news because Teams really dragged down your computer's performance. "Classic Teams" will stick around for a bit, but all new features will be added only to the new Teams moving forward. For those who use new Apple desktops and laptops - it'll also work natively with Apple Silicon. It'll be a slow rollout until December when it'll become the default in Enterprise plans.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This snack is a combo of a cheesy cob loaf (you know that thing where you hollow out a cobb loaf and make a fondue in the middle to dip bread into?!) and a Welsh rarebit, that magical cheese toast that’s made with a sauce loaded with cheddar, Worcestershire, mustard and ale. My version is super fast and easy to make and it’s just the thing for a weekend lunch or snack.  Makes 4 toasts    Ingredients  ½ medium-sized onion, diced finely  2 rashers bacon, diced roughly  1 tablespoon butter or oil  4 slices sourdough, lightly toasted (or other quality bread)  4 big tablespoons creme fraiche, sour cream or cream cheese  100g grated good quality cheddar cheese + extra  1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar  Decent grind black pepper  Small handful parsley, chopped fine    Method  Heat oven to 180 C.  Fry the onion and bacon in the butter/oil until onion is softened and bacon has given up its fat.  In a small bowl mix creme fraiche, cheddar, balsamic, pepper and parsley until combined. Mix in onion and bacon. Spoon the mixture onto each toast slice, spreading to the edges. Place on a tray, sprinkle over some extra cheese and bake for 15 minutes until the topping is golden.  Eat while hot!    Make it your own:  Use tinned tuna or salmon in place of bacon and add some capers Stir in a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard instead of balsamic Leave out the bacon and stir in chopped spinach and chives for a vegetarian option Use parmesan for the cheese and basil in place of parsley See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julian Dennison and James Rolleston are familiar faces to fans of kiwi films.  The pair started acting young, starring in Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Boy, respectively.   The award-winning actors returned to New Zealand screens October 5th with the highly anticipated local feature film Uproar, a story about connection and finding your place in the world, set during the Springbok protests of 1981.  Dennison plays the protagonist of the film, Josh Waaka, while Rolleston plays his older brother Jamie.  “Jamie and Josh are both Māori and go to a very Pākehā school,” Dennison told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame.   “So, it’s about Josh finding his Māoridom, also finding himself.”  While the outdated fashion might be the first difference viewers notice, it’s not the only part of the film that kiwis might find unfamiliar.  “It was hectic,” Rolleston told Tame. “The things that were happening back then, around the Springbok tour.”  “Before the film, I just knew that there were some marches that didn’t go too well, that kind of thing. I wasn’t too clued up about it.”  “They don’t really teach you at school,” Dennison agreed.  In terms of the characters themselves, Dennison found himself acting from experience.  “I felt like I could relate to him a bit,” he told Tame. “Going to an all-boys school that was predominantly European.”  “That thing of being too brown for school, but also being too white for some cliques outside of school.”  The film is a journey of self-discovery for Josh, not only finding himself beyond where he fits in school, but also within his family and culture.  Both actors are hoping that this film will be an inspiration for people to find those cultural connections, to connect with their Māoridom in a way they hadn’t previously.  “I hope people walk out of there going, “Yeah I’m going to start the journey.””  “You see the Māori ways come up in the film,” Rolleston said. “Which is good for people to see, especially our young people.”   “I feel like this film is going to bring up some good conversations,” Dennison told Tame.   “I think this movie will, you know, cultivate people to talk about this stuff.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ignoring all the politics and policies, there is one key thing that sets the political parties apart: their colour.  Throughout the election campaign politicians have been seen wearing their colours like a uniform, on their ties, their blazers, even their dresses. Kevin Milne wants to know why and how this came to be. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ed Sheeran has dropped another album.  Autumn Variations’ fourteen tracks are based around the life situations of Sheeran’s friends, written from their point of view.   The title is a reference to Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, fourteen short musical portraits of the composer’s friends and acquaintances.   The album was released on September 29th, 2023, and had been previewed in concerts and live performances.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sustainability expert Kate Hall joined Jack Tame to chat about op-shopping versus sustainable fasion. Which is better? How does affordability play into it, and what are some of the concerns? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This program is increasingly becoming a Community Information Resource that assists our native plants and critters – no apologies here!  We read in the news that the DOC is translocating rare/endangered birds and lizards to keep them safe and increase their populations. Gardeners can do exactly the same thing for our butterflies and moths – we even have a New Zealand Moths and Butterfly Trust that does exactly the same thing, so why not join them and enrich your quarter acre Paradise?  Monarchs are mating and looking for places to lay their eggs. We all know their food plants:  Swan plants (bit boring in my opinion!) can be sown right now – Kings Seeds and other seed merchants have these popular plants in stock; Moths and Butterfly trust also stocks a heap of different seeds for Monarchs. Germination is good at warmer temps, and 21 degrees is recommended.  Fabulous Asclepias species with colourful flowers are also suitable host plants – more my gig!  Prettier relatives of the swan plant. Photo / Supplied  Whatever you sow: aim for heaps of plants and keep some of them in large pots as “spares” for when famine breaks out.  Admiral Butterflies love nettles to lay their eggs on; if you have a safe space you can try the native Ongaonga stinging nettle. Just be careful, they are ferocious (Hence their name Urtica ferox).  Red admirals are keen on that tree nettle (ferox) but will also feed on perennial nettle (dioica).  Yellow admirals tend to go for the smaller nettle species as food for the caterpillars.  I have both admirals in abundance here in the Halswell Quarry. The reds seem to overwinter here too.  Red admiral (left) – Yellow admiral (right). Photo / Supplied  Just be aware that red admirals may not be as common in the Auckland region, so extra food plants might make them be a little more “regularly observed”.  They are plentiful in the south though, the yellow admirals are pretty common right around the motu.  For our Blue Butterflies (commonly known as “Blues”), sow some Trifolium, Medicago or Lotus, as well as lucern, trefoil and clover species. Note how these plants are members of the Fabaceae (they are Legumes!).  Copper butterflies and boulder coppers (in the Genus Lycaena) are absolutely beautiful, mostly orange-coloured insects that fly quite erratically through the landscape, often not too far from their preferred host plant on which the caterpillars feed. By planting the appropriate species of Muehlenbeckia (complexa or australis, not astonii) you'll find the butterflies often “in attendance”.  The Bolder coppers are often characterised by a deep purple-blue reflection on the wing scales. Photo / Supplied Their food plant is Muehlenbeckia axellaris (creeping pohuehue).  More butterfly details can be found of the Moths and Butterflies Trust website: https://nzbutterfly.info/  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a urinary tract infection and who gets them?     -Referred to as a bladder infection or cystitis  -Bacteria gets up into bladder causing the infection  -Sometimes if untreated can go up into the kidneys – more serious infection is called pyelonephritis  -More common in women – most women will get one at some point  -Less common in men – often related to an enlarged prostate as get older     How do you recognise them?  -Burning passing urine  -Increased frequency of urination   -Sudden urgency to pass urine  -Abdominal pain  -Smelly or cloudy urine    -Children can also get urine infections: temperatures, or suddenly bed wetting at night  -Elderly: can be very difficult to diagnose.  May present with confusion or a fall.    -Often the GP or nurse will do urine test or send-off sample to the Lab.     How do we treat them?  -Antibiotics from doctor or nurse  -If its straightforward your pharmacist may be able to give you antibiotics  -Drink plenty of fluids  -You need to see a doctor if you haven’t improved in three days, develop shakes, have a spiking temperature, or increasing pain     Can you Prevent them?  -Stay well hydrated, cranberry juice may help prevent them  -Post-sex voiding urine sometimes advised  -Avoid wearing tight-fitting underwear  -Make sure to wipe after bowel movements, going front to back  -Treating constipation if present, as it puts pressure on the bladder  -They can be recurrent and may need ‘preventive antibiotics.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift broke Google Search with cryptic clues about her new album  She's re-releasing 1989, so we're about to get Taylor's Version of Shake It off, Blank Space, Style, and Bad Blood, as well as some previously un-released songs which she's calling "from the vault".   Taylor teased in an Instagram post: "you can tell me when the search is over, if the high was worth the pain". The Swifties figured out that if you Googled Taylor Swift, there were 89 word puzzles giving clues to the names of the tracks. If the puzzles were solved 33 million times (Taylor is 33), then they'd be revealed.   Google was so overwhelmed they had to shut the puzzles down for a bit, but they got them back and the job is done - Taylor has now revealed the track names. Phew!     Facebook's AI play is celebrity themed chatbots  When you use "Meta AI" on Facebook you'll get to interact with themed chatbots that look and sound like celebrities you'll know:  Snoop Dogg will be “Dungeon Master”, who will assist users to play adventure games.  Kylie Jenner will be “Billie”, a “big sis” referred to as a “ride-or-die companion”.  Naomi Osaka will be “Tamika” an anime-obsessed bot.  They want AI to be more about entertainment than fact. Meta says they've put lots of guardrails to steer away from sensitive topics.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changing Ends  This British sitcom tells the semi-autobiographical story of comedian Alan Carr’s life growing up in 1980s Northampton (TVNZ+).     The Messenger  An Australian drama about an accidental hero who receives a series of mysterious messages scribbled on a playing card that sets him on a strange journey (TVNZ+).     Maryland  The story of two estranged sisters who have to learn to love each other again after the death of their mother, who they discover was a leading a double life (ThreeNow).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scoring at the rate of a try every six minutes, the All Blacks have wiped Italy off the map at the Rugby World Cup in Lyon.  They beat them 96-17, scoring seven tries in both the first and second half of the game.  Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby, Elliott Smith, told Jack Tame that from the opening try to the full time whistle the All Blacks were relentless and ruthless.   He said it’s hard to judge Italy’s performance when the All Blacks strangled them out of the contest from minute one onwards.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

L.A.B vocalist and guitarist Joel Shadbolt has that certain something you can't quite put your finger on.  He’s a combination of pure talent and palpable drive and edge from his vehicle of choice – a Harley-Davidson.  Shadbolt fronted L.A.B as they skyrocketed through the charts with reggae-funk song ‘In the air’ staying in the top 10 for 73 weeks.   Shadbolt told Jack Tame that they’ve had a great week, the band walking away from the Panhead Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards with Best Single.  He said they’re still trying to figure out how to divvy up the prize ring up between the members of the band.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever lost? Car keys? A wedding ring? Your dignity, perhaps?  I’m not really a loser. Well, I’m a loser. But I’m not a loser of things. I’m not a misplacer. At least not yet. Against the odds, I’ve managed to go several years with the same pair of wireless earbuds without any major incident. And but for a very occasional misplaced bikelock key, perhaps my worst-ever losing of something was when I foolishly parked a rental car in a Las Vegas casino’s underground carpark and spent about 2 hours walking the rows trying to listen for the bleep’bleep.  Certainly I’ve never lost anything that comes close to an F-35 jet.  This for me was the stand out story of the week. Not the election campaign or the U.N General Assembly. The mystery of the missing F-35.  It started on Tuesday, when a sheepish young man made a call to 9-11 asking if there had been any reports of a plane crash. He’d ejected, he said, while flying a F-35B Lightening II jet.  Why exactly did he eject? We don’t really know. But he was only a mile from Charleston International Airport – an airport I’ve flown in and out of before – and he ended up parachuting down into someone’s suburban backyard.  This is only a hunch, but if he was the one who hit the eject button, I’m guessing that pilot is feeling just a little sheepish. Because despite his ejection, the plane continued flying. Not just a few miles, but a full hundred kilometres.  The F-35B is the most advanced fighter jet in the U.S military arsenal. It can take off and land vertically. And apparently the jet’s capacity for stealth shouldn’t be underestimated. Because maybe the most extraordinary thing about this whole situation is that it took more than 24 hours to find and report the debris field from the crashed F-35.  To be clear – it didn’t go down on the battlefield. It didn’t go down in the ocean. A $170m fighter jet went down in a field in South Carolina and it took the mightiest military with the most advanced technology more than a day to find it. Forget transponders or radar or GPS, at one point the military was asking the public to call a special hotline with any information. 0800-missing-jet-who-am-I-speaking-with?  You see, this is why I never believe in deep state conspiracies. As seductive as it might be to imagine an all-powerful government pulling the wool over our eyes and manipulating the global order, people always underestimate the incompetence factor.  If America’s military can lose a state-of-the-art fighter jet in their own backyard, what hope do any of the rest of us have for our house keys? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1)’ is the debut studio album from American musician Teddy Swims.   The album is a blend of pop, soul, and R&B, featuring ten songs, two of them singles.   His music features various heavy topics, substance abuse, mental health, and in an interview with the NZ Herald Swims admitted that he “made a promise to [himself] that when [the album] does come out, [he] will put [himself] into therapy.”  The title of the album is tongue in cheek reference to that.   “I named it that to buy myself a couple more months of freedom, of being a traumatised little s***.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The brilliance of Buller is ablaze in spring, as the sun-splashed countryside and lush pastures positively vibe with the vivid lime greens of new and verdant growth. Like a frisky spring lamb, I was itching to frolic far and wide, while exploring the wonderful West Coast. Point the car north from Westport and venture over the vast bush-clad heights of the twists and turns of Karamea Bluff, thickly robed in rimu and matai forests."   Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mental Health Awareness Week is upon us, and Dr Dougal Sutherland has five ways to wellbeing to offer, plus some potential work-related activities.    Take Notice – get together a bunch of people at work for daily or weekly mindfulness or yoga sessions – if you’re lucky, work might pay for them.  Give – give time, or money or resources —good example is volunteering: sports coach, church youth group, charity shop, meals on wheels— lots of evidence to show this not only helps the community but also is good for personal wellbeing.  Be Active – schedule in some activity every day —make it like any other meeting in your diary— just do it – might be something you could do with others at work as having a buddy helps with accountability and makes you stick at it.  Connect – really important in this age of hybrid working —virtual connection is good, but nothing beats face to face— is there a way to encourage everyone to be in the office on certain days and then when they are there making connecting with each other a top priority.  Keep Learning – keep going from te wiki o te reo Māori —or learn a new skill at work— do some professional development.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the time for planting. I’ve never been so busy as last week in the vegetable garden – even got to catch up with some serious pruning back-log.  Gardeners can be very useful creatures that support our native and endangered trees, shrubs and climbers. Some of our endemic taonga are literally on the brink of extinction and planting these botanical specimens in appropriate places is like putting your eggs in many baskets.  1) Metrosideros bartlettii is also known as the Bartlett’s Rata; it occurs naturally in the far north of our country. Being a “rata” means it is closely related to pohutukawa and other species of Rata. But this one is pretty unique: its bark is grey-white and feels (and sheds) like tissue paper. The flowers are not red, but white and look just like Pohutukawa or rata in shape  Rare?  Oh yes: just 13 adult trees are left in our country; of the five “genotypes”, just one has been propagated from. Some trees are on private land – not sure about their future safety.  Browsing animal pests (think possums, deer, goats etc) are the main cause of decline. And now we have myrtle rust as well!  Myrtle Rust on Metrosideros. Photo / Supplied  2) Tecomanthe speciosa – the Three Kings Vine – is an absolute stunner of a liane. It is readily available in garden centres and can grow in a wide range of climatological conditions.  As a climber it needs good support from other trees – it also needs lots of space, moisture in the soil, and it prefers to have the roots in the shade.  The plant starts to bloom after 2 or 3 years growing up (patience!) – but will reward you with large, creamy-white tubular flowers in clusters, attracting native birds. Tecomanthe can be grown from seeds or cuttings; it’s frost tender, so plant it in areas that are subtropical.  Rare?  It’s the rarest plant in the world: One vine was discovered on Great Island (Three Kings Group, NW of Cape Reinga) in 1945; Feral Goats (who else?) were the cause of this plant’s decline. That original plant is still there – but struggling, since the eradication of goats have caused huge forest growth, shading that particular specimen.  3) Ngutukākā (also known as Kākābeak). Clianthus maximus and Clianthus puniceus are two species that originally occurred in Northland and the Auckland Region, especially Hauraki Gulf.  Its history in European times involves Captain Cook’s 1769 Nature Nerds Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, who “discovered” the plant at Uawa (Tolaga Bay) in Tairāwhiti. The brilliant red flowers were visible from the ship and common on hill sides.  That likely indicates that Maori were keen on Ngutukākā (trading them?) and planted them in many places.  Browsing animals cause havoc (deer, goats – who else? – stock, pigs, hares) but also introduced garden snails and native kowhai moth caterpillars.  On my last trip to Tairāwhiti it was wonderful to see ngutukākā everywhere, especially near schools.  Thank you Graeme Atkins!! This is the modern mahi following on from the Maori History.  As relatives of kowhai (pea Family) these plants can fix Nitrogen from the air and therefore can grow in nutrient-poor soils. They like to grow in light-spots (where trees have fallen over and caused an opening in the canopy) or slip faces.  Seed is viable for a long time. The red flowers are a beacon for tui and bellbird and other nectar feeders. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BOB’S BEST BUYS  Wine: Robert Mondavi 2021 Private Selection Buttery Chardonnay, California $21.99  Why I chose it:  - Popular style  - Buttery character is a by-product of malolactic fermentation  What does it taste like?  - Smooth, soft-textured chardonnay in a “big and buttery” style with spicy oak, vanilla. Mellow wine with a little heat on the finish. A crowd-pleasing style that lives up to its description. Not my kind of chardonnay.  Why it’s a bargain:  - Offers great value if you like the big and buttery style.  Where can you buy it?  - New World $21.99 (on special)   - Whisky and More $20.99 (six-pack $119)  Food match?  - Rich chicken dishes  Will it keep?  - Drink it up See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Goodbye Cortana, hello Co-Pilot.  Co-Pilot will live in the right-side panel of your PC and allow you to connect with data from across Office, the web, and other apps on your computer. There won't be separate apps anymore, just one Co-Pilot to call on. Microsoft wants it to become "your everyday AI companion".   They showed the AI being able to use data from your calendar and email to write text messages. Or, asking Co-Pilot to set your computer to dark mode, arrange your windows, it's going to make your settings panel obsolete.   Microsoft Paint is getting new features, such as layers, background removal, and AI integrations to help you create and manipulate images. Just type what you want the image to be, and the AI will generate it.  The free upgrade will be released on September 26.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The responses to a quick-fire question in the Leaders’ Debate has gotten Kevin Milne excited.  Turns out that both Chris Hipkins and Chris Luxon both voted ‘yes’ to change the New Zealand flag.  The last flag referendum was a long, expensive, pointless process, as an estimated $25 million dollars was spent only for the flag to remain the same.  However, Kevin has a plan and wants a new flag before the Olympics rolls around in July.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supermodels   Apple TV+’s new documentary series looks back on the careers of four supermodels - Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington - and how they dominated the modelling world during the 1990s (Apple TV+).     Annika   The return of the Scottish series starring Nicola Walker as a detective working for Glasgow’s marine homicide unit, investigating the unexplained murders that wash up on shore (Neon).    Big Boys  A heartwarming British comedy about two young men who strike up an unlikely friendship when they’re thrown together at university (TVNZ+).    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It Lives Inside   Desperate to fit in at school, Sam rejects her East Indian culture and family to be like everyone else. However, when a mythological demonic spirit latches onto her former best friend, she must come to terms with her heritage to defeat it.    2nd Chance  Richard Davis invents a concealable bulletproof vest, and shoots himself 196 times over the course of his career to prove its effectiveness.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This crustless tart is such a lovely dish to make in spring when mint and parsley are going crazy in the garden. It’s a great way to get some greens into you!  Serves 6    Ingredients  50g butter  1 bunch spring onions, sliced thinly  500g frozen peas  150g ricotta cheese OR use cottage cheese  2 tbsps cream  Small handful each mint leaves and parsley leaves, roughly chopped  2 large eggs  100g parmesan, grated  2 tbsps gluten free flour  ½ tsp sea salt and decent grind of pepper  A little olive oil    Method  Preheat the oven until 190 C. Grease a 23cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper. Gently fry the onions in butter until soft then add the peas and gently cook for five minutes or until they’re thawed. Using a food processor, blend half the onion and pea mixture with ricotta/cottage cheese and cream until quite smooth. Add remaining ricotta/cottage cheese, herbs and eggs and briefly blend until mixed. Transfer to a bowl, add the rest of the onion/peas, half the parmesan cheese, flour and season with salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and pour into the prepared tin. Drizzle a little olive oil on the surface and scatter the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown, the middle is set and edges are pulling away from the sides, an indication it is cooked. Rest for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and cut into wedges and serve with a salad.   Make it your own:  Replace half the peas with 2 cups shredded raw spinach. Replace peas with chopped asparagus when in season. Add chopped bacon or flaked smoked salmon to the mixture. Crumble over chorizo sausage before baking. Use basil or coriander in place of the parsley. Use sour cream or cream fraiche instead of cream for extra tanginess. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Rainbows is the fourth studio album by English singer and songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae, released on 15 September 2023 by Black Rainbows Music and Thirty Tigers.  The album is a multi-genre mix of the progressive R&B-neo soul sound of her previous works but it also contains rock, jazz, and electronic elements. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A road trip is made by the food stops along the way I reckon and when I called into a café I’d long wanted to visit in Ngātea recently their scones blew me away! They were so darn delicious, moist (or as I like to say ‘damp’) and super cheesy. The owners, Sarah and Simon, kindly shared their recipe and top tips with me.  Makes 6-8 scones    Ingredients:  - 1 ¼ cup tasty cheese, grated  - loosely packed 1 ¼ cup mozzarella, grated  - loosely packed Extra cheese for topping  - 2 ½ cups self-raising flour  - Generous pinch of salt  - 2 cups yoghurt  Method:  Preheat oven to 180 C fan bake. Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Bring the mix together with a large spoon. Once you have a big ball of mix and lots of dry bits on the bottom of the bowl, use your hand to push all of the dry ingredients into a wet ball. Turn out onto a floured bench and shape the mix into a 20x10cm rectangle, about 5cm high (you don’t want the mix to be too flat).  Cut with a sharp knife or dough cutter into 6 large or 8 medium sized scones. Spread out on a baking paper lined tray and top generously with more grated cheese. (See note)  Bake in a preheated (oven must be preheated!) for 15 mins for medium sized and 17mins for large sized. Cool slightly then slice and spread with loads of butter! Notes:  Replace the yoghurt with a can of sprite or soda water (335mls) which gives them a lovely crust Use 2 ½ cups of pizza blend cheese You want some of the topping cheese to spread down the side of the scones on to the tray so you get the really crispy bits on the edges. These scones also freeze well and are excellent to add to lunchboxes. They are good cold but if reheating are best reheated by slicing in half and toasting in the oven for a few mins.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night – Nina Simon  Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.  The whodunit sees an older, high-powered businesswoman convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter and granddaughter. When the granddaughter discovers a body while kayaking and becomes a suspect, the trio, all fiercely independent, must come together to solve the crime, uncovering all sorts of secrets in the town along the way.      The Secret Hours – Mick Herron  Monochrome is a busted flush - an inquiry into the misdeeds of the intelligence services, established by a vindictive prime minister but rendered toothless by a wily chief spook. For years it has ground away uselessly, interviewing witnesses with nothing to offer, producing a report with nothing to say, while the civil servants at its helm see their careers disappearing into a black hole.  And then the OTIS file falls into their hands...    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Instantly appealing, Skopje brims with time-honoured charm and some quite recent epic transformations. There’s a distinct sense of quirkiness that adds to its overwhelming good looks. The pint-sized country dodged the ravages of war, after declaring its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991." Read Mike's full article here.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In light of the recent medical strikes, Kevin Milne has been thinking about doctors. Are our medical professionals overqualified? Do we make it too hard for many bright motivated students to get into med school?   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With tax changes and policy changes promised by differing parties – where should the election feature in your financial plan? Plenty of people have spent the past year holding off on financial decisions, on the expectation that a change in Government would have a material impact on their wealth creation plans – but is that a sound strategy, or a risky one?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is what I got in my inbox a week or so ago:  As New Zealand prepares to go to the polls, the reputation of the country’s favourite vegetables are at stake in the country’s very first VegElection.  Be a part of history and let your taste buds be heard. Voting closes 30 September 2023. Cast your vote on Yates' website. Everyone who votes goes into the draw to win one of three $500 National Gardening Week hampers containing Kiwis’ favourite vegie seeds and everything to kick start a bountiful summer garden.  Good old Yates!  Imagine asking people what their favourite vegetables are, especially since some of them are quite a pain to grow!  Example: rogue potatoes that pop up everywhere in your garden. The trouble is they are hosts for the Potato-tomato psyllid, a bummer of a creature (exotic!) that always manages to suck the living daylights out of my precious tomatoes!!  For the record: my favourite edibles are Tomatoes, Witlof, Cos Lettuce, asparagus, and Spring Onions.  Asparagus are my only crop that needs constant weeding – it doesn’t want too much “competition” at root level, so I always hack away at little weedlings on a regular basis. I mulch and cut the old asparagus ferns in autumn, add compost and fertile molecules (liquid fertiliser: Seafood Soup) and keep everything nice and clean and gorgeous.  Our reward: first crop of asparagus came out on the last day of August!  To my absolute delight two other crops appeared in the asparagus bed in winter:  Seedling plants of the red Cos lettuce, as well as spring onion seedlings.  Both are doing well in the asparagus bed, no doubt self-sown by the plants in the next door vegetable bed. They literally have all the space they want and grow fabulously with the regular seafood soup applications.  What about the “competition”? - you may well ask.  Asparagus have their roots at least 4 inches below ground level. Spring Onions and Cos lettuce don’t go much deeper than 2 inches – so no major fighting in that department.  Asparagus are thin and lanky and won’t cast a great deal of shade on the Cos and onion; and the little shade caused by lettuce is not going to bother asparagus (which initiates from well below the ground and is above the soil for just a few days!).  All I need to do is keep up the liquid fertiliser molecules so everybody has a feed.  Oh – and by the way: the red Cos is a hardier version of the green Cos lettuce when you get frosts!  Weedy vegetables? Oh yes – and I love them.  Especially since they seem to work together in an ecological fashion  Competition? Nah, collaboration!  Great candidates for the Vegelection … Just before National gardening week on 11 October  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The iPhone 15 is the first to use USB-C   Huge! The European Union voted to approve legislation to require smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, portable speakers, and other small devices to support USB-C charging by 2024, and Apple has delivered globally. It's part of the EU's goal tackle e-waste, but also allows consumers more options for accessories.  An additional bonus: The USB-C connector allows for direct recording of video to an external drive, allowing the iPhone 15 Pro to be used just like a professional digital film camera on set Pro Res 4K up to 60 frames per second for the first time.    Apple's SOS service now assists drivers  Now extended to roadside assistance in the USA with the AAA - which is a huge help for those who travel to the parts of the US where your provider's cell signal is spotty. They now have you covered for flat tires, breakdowns, etc.  NZ saw its first use of the SOS service just last week to rescue hikers in Canterbury, after first becoming available in May. They found themselves cut off by rising waters near Arthur's Pass.  Interestingly - Apple hasn’t announced what it will cost, they've only said so far that it's free for the first two years.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dear Child:   A German psychological thriller about a mysterious woman’s escape from captivity and her links to an unsolved disappearance years earlier (Netflix).     Blue Lights:   This police drama set in Belfast follows new recruits Grace, Annie and Tommy as they learn the ropes win a high-pressure environment (ThreeNow).        The Morning Show:   Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are back for a new season set in the cutthroat world of an American TV morning news show (AppleTV+).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vitale Lafaele has lived a life of challenges, adversity, and bravery.   Arriving in Auckland from Samoa during the 1970s Dawn Raids era, his childhood was characterised by poverty, discrimination, and bullying.   Lafaele told Jack Tame that he would never take back the hard times, and that it taught him a lot about life.  He served for seven years in the New Zealand army and the Police for 30. Lafaele was the first Samoan to gain the command of an area in New Zealand and the first Polynesian to reach the top level in any of Auckland's three metropolitan police districts.   He’s told his extraordinary journey in his book ‘A Canoe Before the Wind’.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Haunting in Venice:  In post-World War II Venice, Poirot, now retired and living in his own exile, reluctantly attends a seance. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to once again uncover the killer.    Blue Beetle:  Jaime Reyes suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he's bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maybe I’m just too close to it, but my sense is that a big slab of the New Zealand public is thoroughly sick of the election campaign already.  People are done. They’re fed up. They’re spent. And for the days of the week in between significant sporting fixtures, they’re dead keen for a different kind of contest that doesn’t seem so negative and bleak.   And this morning, I’ve got the answer. Before I share it though, you’ve got to understand, I’m not usually one to gush about reality TV. It’s not that I’m too cerebral or hoity-toity. It’s not that I spend my evenings annotating James Joyce and listening to Baroque compositions in a leather armchair, it’s certainly not that I don’t own a TV. It’s just that sometimes I find some of the shows a bit formulaic.  This one will be different. On Monday night, a new season of Celebrity Treasure Island begins, and as much as I’m excited about the comedians, and the middle-aged sporting stars, one celebrity contestant in particular marks what I think is an extraordinary new high in reality TV casting.  Competing in the Papura team and raising money for I Am Hope, is none other than Tame Iti.  Yes, that Tame Iti. Tame Iti of the discharging-a-shotgun-at-Waitangi Tame Iti. He of Te Urewera raids. Tame Iti, former member of the NZ Communist Party. Former champion wrestler. Tame Iti, actor, artist. Tame Iti, lifelong Māori rights activist.  This is what makes New Zealand great. Only in New Zealand could a person like Tame Iti, with his extraordinary life and history, be happily cast in a survival reality show alongside the former captain of the Warriors.  To be fair, Celebrity Treasure Island has consistently set the standard for entertaining New Zealand telly. I know there will be some people rolling their eyes but trust me - that’s only because you haven’t seen it. The thing that makes the show so genius is how it has become such a glorious reflection of our culture. The cast is always diverse. They’re always characters. And as much as they each want to compete to win, the programme as a whole never takes itself very seriously. It’s incredible self-aware and self-deprecating. It’s moving. It’s emotional.  If you do decide to do it, to get yourself in the mood, watch Tame Iti’s Ted talk on Youtube. It’s a simple speech called Mana: The Power in Knowing Who You Are. It’s the most moving and affecting Ted talk I’ve ever seen.  So that’s my recommendation for you this week. If you feel like the election campaign has turned into a daily exercise in talking down New Zealand, give Celebrity Treasure Island a crack.  Tame Iti, artist. Tame Iti, activist. Could he soon be Tame Iti, Celebrity Treasure Island champion? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A big win for the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup.  They've beaten Namibia 71 points to 3, while playing in Toulouse this morning.  Newstalk ZB’s Elliott Smith told Jack Tame that as far as the All Blacks are concerned it went virtually as good as it could’ve gone.  That is until the 72nd minute, when Ethan de Groot was red carded for a high hit on Namibian player Adriaan Booysen.  Smith said that de Groot was likely to get a six week ban that could be mitigated down to three, and potentially down to two if he’s eligible for the tackle school ruling.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lovers  A British drama about the relationship between Janet, a supermarket worker who doesn’t care about anything, and Seamus, a self-centred, political broadcaster (Neon).     Bay of Fires  An Australian crime dramedy about a successful CEO who is forced to escape to Tasmania with her children to avoid a murder plot (TVNZ+).     Alone  The most intense and genuine reality adventure series on TV is back, with new seasons on both TVNZ+ and Netflix. Ten individuals try to survive alone in the wilderness for as long as they possibly can, with limited access to survival equipment.     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guts is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, released on September 8, 2023, by Geffen Records. Two singles preceded the album's release: the lead single, "Vampire", was released on June 30, 2023. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"But like an edgy antidote to the chocolate-box gorgeousness of gabled Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ second-biggest city, Rotterdam is a contemporary, design-focused urban masterclass that will soon seduce you." Check out Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Normal Rules Don’t Apply - Kate Atkinson   A dazzling collection of eleven interconnected stories from the bestselling, award-winning author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life which offer the gimlet eye and delightful social critique that have made Atkinson one of the most lauded writers of our time. In this brilliant volume, nothing is quite as it seems.    Adventures with Emille - Victoria Bruce   A mother and daughter's wild journey to rediscover the wonder and restorative power of nature. “I'm here because I want to test the very limits of my own resilience and reassure myself that no matter what's happened to me, I'm not ready to lie down and die.”    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I clearly remember Maggie Barry, John Key and Nick Smith, Steven Joyce and Nathan Guy launching Predator-Free NZ in July 2016, 7 years ago!  This was a big gig; and it’s still going.  If you think about it, it’s a huge task and incredibly collaborative, with scientists, DOC and heaps of New Zealand Volunteer trappers. Make no mistake, the army of ordinary kiwis and backyard engineers are really contributing to the reduction of exotic pests in our ecosystems.  I can see the improvements in our biodiversity simply by looking from my window on the Port Hills in Christchurch!  The most important predators we are targeting are mice, rats, stoats, ferrets, weasels, Possums, hedgehogs and – oh yes – feral cats! Add domestic dogs kept off lead in kiwi habitat and you’ve got the line-up we’re aiming for.  I realise this is a little bit more than the original target line-up, but I have my own reasons for including mice, hedgehogs and uncontrolled dogs.  Mice: they’re everywhere and actually (kind-of) do the ecological job of a tree weta.  Mice are predominantly seed and nuts eaters. Walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. Fatty materials allows them to successfully overwinter in your garden.  They also eat a heap of insects and they are important food for rats! (Mice keep rat numbers up)  Simple mouse traps are a great idea around the house – cheap traps, baited with peanut butter or Nutella or hazelnut spread. Shelled walnuts work well too. Contrary to popular belief they don’t really go for cheese! I have them all around my house and even in the ceiling. I set my traps near the wall – that’s where they run to keep “out-of-sight”.  Rats do a lot of damage to birds and lizards. They raid nests and eggs. Most people are not aware that they also go for juicy, large insects (weta and other large, native critters).  Rat traps are a large version of mouse traps and they can be used on their own around the house, or inside a wooden tunnel, which gives the rat some cover and shelter as it explores the smell of the delicious bait in the trap.  Great baits are peanut butter and Nutella, as well as fish and moldy cheese.  One thing that rats are keen on is a trajectory that leaves them unnoticed. Traps near a wall or along a fence line seem to be working best. Make sure you don’t “contaminate” the lure with your bare hands – good idea to wear gloves so the rat doesn’t… well… smell a rat (I mean a human!!).  Stoats are a lot trickier again – they really will avoid open spaces. And they are clever.  You’ll also need a much heavier artillery (trap) than rats, as stoats are able to survive the smack of a rat trap; they also have the ability to escape from these traps by wriggling out.  A “DOC 200” is the heavy duty trap to use here. These metal traps are usually built inside a wooden box with attractive lures (salted rabbit meat or fresh rabbit cuts, eggs, and believe it or not: mayonnaise!). Eggs are often a visual attractant to these mustelids.  I have always been disappointed by the clever stoat’s ability to avoid my traps. I rarely trap these buggers.  Stoats can kill young kiwi (up to 800 gram body-weight) and they are ferocious hunters.  DOC 200 stoat trap. Photo / Supplied  Ferrets are another step up in the predator game – they’ll kill adult kiwi and large prey; you won’t find them in urban areas – they are creatures of the farm and forest edges. They also require some serious knowledge to trap, plus an even heavier gauge of trap.  Just so you know: I am a member of the stoat and ferret conservation society… In the Netherlands!  That’s where they are native and that’s where they are in ecological trouble due to the declining populations – how ironic!  I actually used to have a pet ferret in Holland – wonderful animals!  Possums are the last species I’ll mention in this segment. We have about 70 million of them in our forests and gardens.  They mainly feed on fruits, shoots, and leaves: 21,000 tonnes each night, which is about the same as the weight of the sky tower. They alter the composition of our native forests.  Possums get protein from eating birds (and nestlings).  Possums really need a Timms Trap, baited with apple, cinnamon and such delights. I often use flour and icing sugar mix and smear that on the tree near the trap – it really “lures them in”  Timms Trap. Photo / Supplied  The modern form of the old Timms Trap is the Flipping Timmy. This trap can be attached to a tree trunk, so the possum climbs up and ends up in the trap  Great websites exist on trapping the pests; have a look and join the team of New Zealanders keeping their gardens and local reserves and parks predator free. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s important to know what you mean so you’re clear on what you’re aiming for.  Wellbeing could be defined in at least one of 3 ways:  Feeling good, happy, satisfied with life (sometimes called hedonic wellbeing)  Having meaning & purpose in life, leading a fulfilling life, accepting who you are (eudaimonic wellbeing)  Leading a life full of rich & varied experiences – doesn’t mean you will necessarily feel positive in the moment but leads to longer term broader view of life incorporating different perspectives    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft wants you to use its AI so badly, it'll cover you if you get sued  Copyright, and infringing it, is one of the biggest concerns many corporates have about diving into the AI game. There are so many open questions that they're not prepared just yet to take the risk. It's a huge departure from most 'terms and conditions' of services, where companies  do almost everything they can to distance themselves from the user. They don't want to be held liable! But Microsoft says if you use the filters and guardrails they've implemented, then they'll back you. That's quite the commitment, especially as Microsoft and OpenAI are already being sued for allegedly recreating licensed code without crediting the engineers.     If you're a Google fan, you'll soon be able to visit the Mountain View campus  Add this to your San Franciso travel itinerary. Google is turning 25, and to celebrate they're opening a visitor center on its famous campus in Silicon Valley. Like any good American tourist attraction there'll be a store, where you can explore and purchase Google products - like their phones, tablets and laptops. There'll also be a community space for events, a cafe and public art.      BMW is pulling the handbrake on its heated seat subscription  Ahead of its US launch, BMW has shelved plans to offer this service in your brand-new car on a subscription plan for $18 a month! It actually launched in some places, including NZ. It seems buyers weren't impressed - a BMW board member says: "People feel that they paid double – which was actually not true, but perception is reality, I always say. So that was the reason we stopped that.” Typically these types of features are available as 'upgrades' when you order your car for hundreds or sometimes thousands of additional dollars.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are gallstones?  Gall bladder: sits under the liver.  Stores and concentrates bile: fluid made in liver which helps digest fats.  This bile clumps together to form ‘stones’: From sand to small pebbles.     Who is at risk?  10% New Zealanders have gallstones, 80% have no symptoms.  Most at risk:   Women are twice as likely as men.  Ages 20 to 60.   If you’re carrying too much weight, have a family history of them, have diabetes, or experience rapid weight loss.     What are the symptoms?  80% have no symptoms.       Can be severe pain, ‘colic’ - often pain in the right upper abdomen, through to your back between shoulder blades.  Often after eating a large, fatty meal.  They can cause nausea, vomiting, and indigestion. May mimic a heart attack.  If it’s more severe it becomes infected or inflamed: fever, sweats, jaundice – turning yellow.     How do we diagnose?  History and exam, blood tests.  The doctor will order an ultrasound to look for stones, sometimes an MRI scan.     What do we do about them?  Avoid fatty foods, drink plenty of fluids, slow weight reduction - not rapid.  May need surgery ‘laparoscopic’ keyhole surgery to remove the gallbladder.  We don’t need the gallbladder – get by very well without it.  Often see ads for remedies such as lemon juice or large amounts of oil. These don’t work! No evidence at all!  If you have pain in abdomen – see your GP.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3   Members of the Portokalos family reunite in Greece for a hilarious and heart-warming trip full of love, twists and turns. The family gather in Athens after the passing of Gus, honouring his final wish that they visit his birthplace, reconnect with his old friends, and discover their family roots.    Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre   Elite spy Orson Fortune must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds. Reluctantly teamed up with some of the world's best operatives, Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood's biggest movie star, Danny Francesco, to help them on their globe-trotting mission to save the world.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BBQ mussels are just the best! When they pop open their shells on the grill you can sneak all manner of interesting flavours into them – in this recipe it’s butter, soy sauce and a splash of sake that gives them that authentic Japanese BBQ house taste. Once cooked, pluck ‘em out of the shells, tuck them into a small soft bun, or pop them on a mound of rice, with shredded cabbage and plenty of sesame dressing and eat. I guarantee you’ll be in heaven!  Makes 8-12 sliders    Ingredients:  16-24 mussels in shells  1 lemon, halved  8-12 sliders or small soft white rolls  50g butter, softened  ¼ cup tamari soy sauce  ¼ cup sake  ½ cup store bought sesame salad dressing  2 cups finely shredded cabbage    Method:  Give mussels a quick scrub and remove hairy beards by gripping firmly and pulling towards the rounded tip of the shell.  Place mussels on grill plate of BBQ and cook until the shells begin to pop open. Place lemon cut side down to grill also.  As each mussel pops open, sneak a small knob of butter into each, as well as a teaspoon of tamari soy sauce. Allow to cook for a few minutes then douse in sake and toss on the grill. Remove from grill.  Liberally butter tops of each bun and grill each until butter is foamy and tops have turned golden – watch them as they like go from golden to burnt rather quickly!  TO SERVE: Set all ingredients out on a board for diners to build their own buns stuffed with mussels and cabbage and drizzled in sesame dressing and a squeeze of warm lemon juice.  MAKE IT YOUR OWN:  Add in a little slice of daikon radish into each bun for extra crunch Flag the buns and serve with little bowls of slaw and rice Use softened butter blended with lemongrass and lime leaves instead of sake for a Thai-inspired flavour Make it Spanish with olive oil in place of butter and a thin slice of chorizo tucked into each mussel No mussels? Make little foil parcels of using snapper instead, cooking them on the bbq for about 10-15 minutes See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This morning watched the first Rugby World Cup match of 2023 play out, the All Blacks versing France at Stade de France.  France beat the All Blacks 27-13, ending their run of 31 straight wins in the pool stage.  Newstalk ZB’s rugby correspondent Elliott Smith told Jack Tame that it was a real testament to their game management.   He said that in the first half it seemed like the All Blacks had all the momentum, but the French never let them in in that second half.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland based pop-duo Foley have finally released their highly anticipated album ‘Crowd Pleaser.’ They released their EP ‘Crowd Pleaser Pt. 1’ in February of 2023, with the full album releasing on August 25th, six months later.   The duo have over 100k monthly listeners on Spotify.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley went adventuring through the beautiful Sofia, capital of Bulgaria.   Read Mike’s full article here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cinderella Boys - Leo McKinstry   The remarkable story of the unsung RAF wing who rescued Britain from Hitler's U-boats and made Allied victory possible.  The transformation of Coastal Command from a ramshackle outfit into a vast, formidable organisation provided one of the turning points of the war, keeping Britain in the war and opening the way to D-Day in 1944. But they never received the credit they deserved.  Based on a wealth of new sources, including from diaries, log books, official records, archives and interviews, Leo McKinstry shines a new light the courageous pilots, ingenious scientists and political risktakers - many of them outsiders - who defended the freezing Atlantic from Nazi rule.    Masters of Death - Olivie Blake  Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.  Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death. When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buds and flowering trees – it sometimes feels like Spring, but don’t be fooled for another 4 weeks mistakes can be made!  Spring —by the way— starts 23rd of September at eleven minutes to seven in the evening. ;-)  Yet slowly —very slowly— the soil starts to warm up a bit and that is a condition that requires us to plant our new crops and ornamentals.  First of all, the soils are still quite moist and that is a positive reason to plant anything that lives long: shrubs, trees, fruit-bearing vines, and flowering, perennial beauties.  Reason is: the planted trees/shrub etc will not need to “sulk” for a long time – it will ‘wake up’ from its winter slumber relatively quickly to start the growth.   And there little need to water these new plants.  Because the soil is slowly warming up, the fertiliser you apply will be absorbed relatively quickly – the N-P-K won’t dissolve into the deeper soils where it might get “lost”.  The same arguments will go for your food crops:  Peas, Broadbeans, Cos lettuce, and spring onions will almost immediately germinate or adapt after planting, giving you the first spring crops of fresh vegetables. Oh, and Carrots, Cauliflowers, and spinach are also on the “NOW” list.  For those of you that like “new Potatoes” for Christmas: start chitting and plant your spuds as seed potatoes; Jersey Bennes and such early varieties are probably the best to use before Christmas.  That’s all I do this year so I don’t play Russian roulette with solanum pests such as Psyllids, later in the season (AND I WANT TO PROTECT MY MAIN TUNNELHOUSE CROP: TOMATOES!).  That brings me to SOWING the tomato varieties for 2023-24. If you do that now, (like inside in a relatively warm room with plenty of light) you’ll find they will germinate quickly, so that you can start “hardening” them off by placing them outside in sheltered areas during the day (take them inside again when the evening coolness comes along after 5 pm).  Just get them used to the spring conditions slowly.  Mine will go into the tunnel house to provide me with tomatoes from Early December till well into autumn. You can also grow them under “cloches” to help them along during the cooler spring nights. Cloches are miniature glass houses that hold just one plant. They literally reduce the difference between warm day temperatures and cool nights.  My fabulous, rich and well-drained bed for Strawberries is ready to be planted. Last year’s crop has been disastrous, probably because I really didn’t have the time to weed well; and I left too many old runners in that bed, which didn’t provide me with too many strawberries.  Cama Rosa is my pick of the strawberries and a fine netting will need to be placed on top, so that the birds are not able to access them later this spring.  Don’t forget to use some liquid fertiliser (Seafood Soup and Seaweed Tea!!) to give your plants the boost they need! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hall’s been at NZ Fashion Week this week and attended around twenty shows. She decided to share her perspective and thoughts as a sustainable fashion enthusiast:   + Kiri Nathan opened (first Māori designer to open with a solo show - incredible representation & move for NZ Fashion).  + I’m reminded of the over consumption of fashion: attendees arriving in new outfits (some wearing multiple new outfits a day), outfit after outfit coming down the runway - new seasons.  + Excited to see The Graduate show include a lot of repurposed materials and styles.  + Slow conscious collection of 3 sustainable designers - though far less attendance at this one!  + Diversity of models - not as progressive as I expected it would be in 2023.  + Feels incredibly strange to have a fashion week that doesn't mention the makers as predominantly - only a few shows actually had storytelling & meaning in their shows.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paritua 2020 Stone Paddock Scarlet, Hawke’s Bay $24.99  Why I chose it:  - Terrific red at a modest price  - Demonstrates the value of mechanical sorting  - Terrific wine from an excellent vintage.  - Potential to develop well with bottle age.  - A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.  What does it taste like?  - Intense, almost chewy red with cassis, dark berry, dark chocolate, dried herbs, cedar, vanilla and nutty oak. Good cellaring potential - needs time to mellow.  Why it’s a bargain:  - Great wine at a great price  Where can you buy it?  - Vino Fino (Chch) $20.99   - Advintage, Hawke’s Bay $23.99   - Regional Wines, Wellington $24.99  Food match?   - Fillet steak, most red meat dishes.  Will it keep?  - Yes. 5-10 years, possibly more if stored well See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft's Office bundle in the EU will look different to the rest of the world  It'll be missing Teams thanks to an anti-competitive complaint by competitor Slack, made to the European Commission.  Microsoft is taking the proactive step of offering a bundle —that's cheaper than the current one— that doesn't include Teams. It'll be €2 less per month or €24 per year, which still makes it a more expensive option to get Office and Slack together.  They'll also offer Teams as a standalone product for €5 per month.   The Commission is still actively investigating Microsoft, so this may not be the only change we see.    Australia has backtracked from forcing age verification on adult websites   The options all proved to have a mix of privacy, security, effectiveness and implementation challenges. The Minister will now work with the industry to educate parents on how to access filtering services and limit children's access to adult content — so effectively, putting the problem back for parents to solve.     Want to feel old? Gen Z apparently doesn't know how to dial phone numbers with letters in them!  ZB's sister station ZM had to show a video on their Instagram about how to dial the 0800 number with words! Were they joking? I don't know!    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies  An unpredictable thriller that tells the story of two women who have nothing in common - apart from the same conman, who is trying to destroy them both (TVNZ+).    Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones  Author Dan Buetter travels around the world to visit five unique communities where people live long and exuberant lives, and to discover their secrets to long living (Netflix).    Starstruck   The third season of the brilliant rom-com series written by Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden lands on our screens (TVNZ1, Saturday at 8.30pm and TVNZ+).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dallas Tamaira's been the frontman of the genre-bending seven-piece band Fat Freddy’s Drop for more than 20 years.   During the pandemic and unable to tour with his band, Dallas hit a new phase of personal creativity.   With nothing to do but write and create, Dallas began working on brand new solo music.  'Stormy' which was released only yesterday, and today he joined Jack Tame to chat about his new creation.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nici Wickes MC'd the NZ Ice Cream and Gelato Awards last night, where medals and trophies were awarded to the best of the best ice cream, gelato, sorbet and frozen desserts in NZ. She joined Jack Tame to run through some of the highlights, plus, she has a very easy, no churn needed, ice cream recipe to share.    River Cafe’s Lemon Ice Cream  This is the incredibly delicious ice cream from the esteemed River Cafe in London. It’s a magic alchemy of just a few ingredients and no ice cream churn is needed. Try it, you’ll love it!  Makes 4 small portions  Ingredients:  Zest of 1 lemon  1/3 cup lemon juice (about 3 lemons)  135g (about 2/3 cup) caster sugar  ½ tsp sea salt  300mls cream  Method:  In a bowl stir together the lemon juice and zest, sugar and salt. Drizzle in the cream whilst still stirring gently. The mixture will immediately thicken a bit – like magic! – as you keep gently stirring. If it doesn’t thicken at all, add a bit more lemon juice.  Pour into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours. No stirring needed.  Serve in little scoops, on it’s own. Divine! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scrapper  Living alone in her London flat, 12-year-old Georgie must confront reality when her estranged father, Jason, shows up out of nowhere. Uninterested in a sudden new parental figure, she remains stubbornly resistant to his efforts. As they both adjust to their new circumstances, Georgie and Jason soon find that they still have a lot of growing up to do.  The Equalizer 3  Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall finds solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Now living in Southern Italy, he soon discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall becomes their protector by taking on the mafia.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to chat about a ridiculously hilarious commercial he saw recently. Who knew an ad about free bowel screenings could be so fun?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Portraits’ is the fifth studio album released by English singer-songwriter Birdy, and takes influence from the sounds of 80’s pop music. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When One of Us Hurts by Monica Vuu  The small coastal town has its own ways of dealing with the evil, the foolish, the misled, and it holds tightly to them. But the seams start to split after two deaths occur on the same tragic night: a baby abandoned at the foot of a lighthouse, and a drunken teenager drowned in the storming sea.    Lady Tans Circle of Women by Lisa See   From a young age, Yunxian learns about women's illnesses, many of which relate to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. The two girls find fast friendship and a mutual purpose—despite the prohibition that a doctor should never touch blood while a midwife comes in frequent contact with it—and they vow to be forever friends, sharing in each other's joys and struggles. No mud, no lotus, they tell themselves: from adversity beauty can bloom.  But when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling and from helping the women and girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, pluck instruments, recite poetry, give birth to sons, and stay forever within the walls of the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his adventures through the beautiful Bucharest, capital of Romania. Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot of us get “the blues” during winter or feel a little down – for some people this is a more serious disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder where periods of depression are strongly linked to winter seasons – although interestingly there must be more to it than simply levels of light/winter weather as it’s not so common in people living in polar regions.  Tips for keeping mentally well over winter:  Keep doing the basics:  Try and get some daylight each day, especially if you’re leaving for work in the dark and coming home in the dark  Keep up your exercise  Keep your sleep in good patterns  Kiwis are pretty oriented towards the outdoors and getting out and about, which is more difficult in winter. Maybe rather than trying to fight the winter weather, learn to embrace it – like the Danish concept of “Hygge” where they relish and make the most of winter – think sitting inside toasting marshmallows, having people over for candlelit dinners inside after cooking up a big winter feast, cosying up with a good book on a rainy afternoon etc.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spent a week in one of my favourite regions: Tairawhiti… Wainui, Tolaga Bay, Mangatuna and Tokomaru Bay.  The school kids love muckin’ around on beaches, despite all that hideous slash everywhere.  Looking for bugs, of course.  At Tolaga Bay they found heaps of rather large black scarab beetles, known in the trade as Pericoptus truncatus, or “sand scarab”; moving across the sandy, grassy play area during the day.  Captured specimens were digging down into the sand provided in the containers.  This was my opportunity to raise the fact that this beetle is related to some rather famous species from the more tropical regions of the world: The “Rhinoceros beetles”.  The male sand scarabs actually have a rudimentary “horn” on their head to shows the species “affinities”.  Our sand scarabs live on beaches and dunes and are adapted to moving about the sand habitat. The larvae (grubs) are able to actually migrate from the beaches to inland habitats over reasonably long distances; it is presumed they are needing a certain amount or percentage of moisture in the sand.  The grubs are “massive” (6 cm long or more), creamy-white, with distinct round stomata (breathing-hole) patches on the side of their bodies.  Their larval food is the decaying woody mass of driftwood on beaches and the roots of grasses in dune vegetation.  The adult beetles are sturdy insects that can dig into the sand really fast. During the day they will hide in the sand (sometimes at considerable depth: a meter or so deep!), but at night they surface again to go hooning in the dunes and on the beach – they are very noisy flyers and that no doubt helps with locating potential partners.  The front legs of these beetles have specially-adapted claws that allow them to dig efficiently.  The beetles and the larvae themselves are often coated with populations of mites on their skin. These have always thought to be parasitic mites, but there are suggestions that these tiny critters might actually be feeding on other mites and nematodes, associated with the sand scarabs.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Data shows that mortgage payments are much higher than paying rent – but does that mean it’s not worth owning a home? What are the implications of not owning? What should you be doing with that ‘spare’ money if you opt to rent instead?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta's launched AI to produce code  Their new "Code Llama" can create working code from natural language prompts, and also debug and explain code pasted into it. So in what is a bizarre turn of events, Meta software engineers have created AI to take their job… or at least parts of it.   Meta says this allows its staff to focus on the "most human-centric aspects of their job, rather than repetitive tasks". But they don't go so far as to say what those human aspects are.  Microsoft's Github Copilot has similar features but is currently being sued for copyright because the AI can reproduce proprietary code.     Donald Trump is back on Twitter/X  Back to post an image with his mug shot from his booking in Atlanta, with the words "Election Interference, never surrender" and just a link to his website to fundraise.  Trump was banned indefinitely, until Elon bought Twitter and gave him his account back.   His return is not a surprise though. According to reports earlier this year, his exclusivity deal with his own Truth Social was due to expire in June and sources said he was eager to get back to Twitter. This post could be the first of many to come.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kin A gritty Irish drama about a small Dublin crime family who take on a gangland war with a powerful international drug cartel after a young boy is killed (TVNZ+).     Who is Erin Carter? A British schoolteacher living in Spain finds herself entangled in a supermarket robbery and must fight to clear her name after she is recognised by one of the criminals (Netflix).    At Home with the Fury’s Netflix’s new reality series follows the lives of controversial boxer Tyson Fury and his family.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian surfing legend Owen Wright ranked 5th in the world, earned a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympic Games and was the first surfer to get to two perfect scores in one event. In 2015, he wiped out at the Bnzai Pipeline in Hawaii and suffered a major brain injury, resulting in him needing to relearn how to walk, talk, and surf once more. In early August he released his memoir ‘Against the Water’ chronicling his journey and experiences. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This pie is so perfect as a quick dessert that will thrill anyone lucky enough to be sharing dinner with you, especially served warm with vanilla ice cream and softly whipped cream.  Serves 2-4    Ingredients: 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry  1 small egg, lightly beaten  1 teaspoon sugar for sprinkling on top  Filling  2 tablespoons cornflour  2 big tablespoons brown sugar  1 teaspoon mixed spice (or just cinnamon will do)  ¼ teaspoon nutmeg  2 granny smith apples, peeled and roughly chopped into small pieces  ¼ cup sultanas  ¼ cup toasted walnut pieces  Ice cream and whipped cream to serve    Method: Heat oven to 180 C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Halve the sheet of pastry and roll it out slightly thinner than it comes. I always do this with store-bought pastry as it tends towards being too thick straight out of the packet. Place one piece on the prepared tray and brush the edges with a lightly beaten egg.  In a bowl mix the filling ingredients together, tossing it all together to combine. The cornflour will help to thicken the juices once it starts to cook. Pile this filling up on the pastry leaving a 2cm border free of filling. Lay pastry lid over the filling (you may have to stretch it a little to cover) and press to seal it to the base. Make a few cuts in the top to let the air out, brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 40 minutes or until lovely and golden brown on top and crisp on the bottom.  Serve warm with ice cream and cream    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pacific Mother In Pacific Mother we see that when women are supported emotionally, physically and culturally, they are more likely to have a positive birth experience. Whether it's in hospital or at home, on land or in the water. “Collaboration” has been key for our Pacific Mother film.    Sound of Freedom After rescuing a boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent learns the boy's sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from a fate worse than death.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to chat about having passions, specifically a passion for your job. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I had this amazing little moment one afternoon this week, when for the first time this winter... I threw open the doors of my deck, sprawled out on the couch nearby, and basked in the sunshine as it spilled through onto my face and neck.  Isn’t it amazing what a difference a few days of sunshine can make?  My God.  I know that there are parts of the country that have had it a whole lot sunnier than Auckland these last few months but I cannot recall a winter in my part of the World that has felt so wet and so grim.  The sunshine brought with it the first blossom of Spring.  I’ve got a Taiwan cherry tree in my backyard, and it’s been heavy with red and pink flowers.  And as much as I love the blossom, the tūi loved them more.  They’re always darting in and out at my place, hopping between branches of the different trees, calling out to their mates before hustling off for the next feed.  And tūi really do hustle, don’t you think? They don’t really glide as such. And even when they’re parked up, they always seem have a bit of a boisterous temperament.  Tūi are so beautiful. I love how understated and yet sophisticated their colours are, the black and green, and bronze, with that extraordinary irredescent shimmer, as though every feather has been lightly glazed. Tūi almost twinkle.  Some of the tūi who turn up at my place are perfectly turned out. Some have that slightly shabby appearance, as though they’ve gone to sleep with wet hair and forgot to check the mirror in the morning.  I’ve never heard them sing so much in my backyard as they have been these last few days. There was barely an instance when I looked up at that cherry tree and didn’t see a tūi drinking in the blossom, and calling out to his or her tūi mates.  Is this middle age? I dunno. But I’m at the age and stage where I get it. I get it. I get the native birds thing in a really big way. Lying on the couch in the sunshine, watching the tūi drink and sing out to the neighbourhood just made me feel so content.  ‘What can I do to steal a few more of these moments?’ I wondered.  I can’t do anything about the weather. I can’t compel the sun to shine.  I picked up my phone and googled three words. Predator. Free. NZ.  My brand new rat trap arrived the next morning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) is an extended version of the second EP from American country-pop artist Kelsea Ballerini. The EP was initially released on the 14th of February 2023, and the extended version was released on the 11th of August 2023. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Keeper of Hidden Books - Madeline Martin  From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw. All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving. With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto. But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.    Tom Lake - Ann Patchett  In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his recent visit to Transylvania. Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Always interesting! Gardeners love a wide range of plants; often species that are exotic, colourful and bright.  But a number of them are pretty invasive and “weedy.” We all know weeds – they grow where we don’t want them to grow.  Invasive species have often a larger impact on our planet, our natural gardens, forests, ecosystems and alpine vegetation. It all comes down to interfering with our native systems, pushing out our native critters, plants, and landscapes.  They change our Native systems to Exotic systems – Nice curricular exercise for schools: definitions of Native, Endemic, Exotic, Introduced, etc etc  Examples:  Darwin’s Barberry  One of the dirty dozen weeds (a Maggie Barry project when she was Minister for Conservation). Prickles and impossible for humans to get through. Seeds like an idiot and takes over native forests; hard to control and nobody benefits from flowers/nectar, apart from some pollinators. You can see why New Zealand Gardeners like the look of them!  Moth catching plant: Araujia  An exotic climber that smothers our native trees and shrubs. A pain in the butt in areas where we are trying to restore native vegetation. The seed pods have zillions of fluffy seeds in them that are dispersed on the wind in all directions. The stems and pods ooze a white, toxic sap (the same stuff that comes out of swan plants!) which allows Monarch Butterfly caterpillars to eat the plant. Some monarch aficionados use that horrid vine as “spare food.”  But there’s a real weird behaviour to these plants: the white flowers attract these insects with their nectar, and as the butterfly sticks its tongue into the flower it gets trapped. This is followed by distressed movements and flapping of the wings, which pollinates the flower;  The butterfly eventually dies, stuck on the flower…  A monarch butterfly stuck in Araujia. Please get rid of these horrible exotic climbers – they don’t belong here; they are exotic pests!  There are many plant species that catch insects to get some food: Sundews (alpine areas and around wetlands) love to get flies with their sticky leaves – it provides them with Nitrogen and proteins.  Venus flytraps also eat bugs… Kids love to observe them and hope a fly will land on the trigger hairs. I have no problem with technologies like that – that’s ecological life, especially in Aotearoa!  Parapara plant  Here we have a native species that is not terribly common; it occurs in Northern habitats, especially off-shore islands and coastal forests. It looks really lovely with large, almost tropical leaves.  Native to NZ and some other areas in the Pacific.  Small white flowers and copious amounts of long, sticky seed pods. And with sticky I mean super-glue! It holds insects small and large as well as small birds: silvereyes, grey warbler, fantails and even ruru (all going for the stuck insects, of course).  This is New Zealand’s method of “Seed Dispersal.”  The trapped bird often succumbs to this sticky situation, and falls down on the ground with seeds attached; the seeds use the decaying bird body as their first meal of fertiliser to germinate and grow up.  One of the reasons the Parapara plant is becoming “rare-ish” is because some folk believe that this plant is evil and therefore pull it out… (and many folk believe it is not a Native – well… it is!!).  If you want to save your birds in the garden: take the seeds off before they develop their sticky skin.  If you find birds that are stuck: don’t pull them off the seeds, but take them, branch and all, to a Bird Rescue place or a vet near you – they have the gear and correct shampoos to give those birds a chance to survive!  And please make a donation to the wonderful work they do.  More information can be found on the BirdCare Aotearoa website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

- Bokashi: fermenting system, takes meat and high concentrations of citrus, cheap to make and transport easily.  - Cold Compost: microorganisms break things down (worms, bugs etc too).  - Hot Compost: more deliberate balance of materials that isn't added to over time (made and then left for 3-6 months), takes garden clippings, branches, hard things, gets up to 65/70 degrees.  - Worm Farm: worms do the work, can't put in strongly acidic foods, meat, dairy etc.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is it?  Burning sensation in the lower chest. Sometimes with a sour/bitter taste in mouth - often after big meal or lying Very mild to severe. Can cause you to cough or your voice to become hoarse. Lasts minutes or sometimes hours.    What causes it?  Stomach full of acid to digest food. Valve at top of stomach – may be weak and not fully The acid in the stomach escapes into oesophagus (tube from the mouth to stomach) and causes a burning sensation.     Can things make it worse?  Yes - smoking, alcohol, coffee, citrus fruits which are acidic, tomato, chocolate, spicy foods - the list goes on! Lying down after eating, being overweight, and some medicines.    How do you diagnose and treat it?  Often a careful history will give you the answer. Can be serious sometimes and need further investigation: endoscope -  camera in into the stomach to look for ulcers or ‘burning’ oesophagus. Sometimes do a test for a bacteria pylori which can make it worse Treat with ‘antacids’ which neutralise acid, or medication which stops acid in the  stomach, or if we have the bacteria, antibiotics. Can help prevent: being careful what you eat, not eating big meals before bed, losing weight, stop smoking, reduce alcohol. If have symptoms see your doctor!   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Typing in your password - it's not as safe as you might think  With the help of AI, the researchers could effectively create a unique identifier for how you strike each key, and use that to figure out what you're typing. Each key has an ever-so-slightly different sound based on how we type and where the key is pressed.  In their experiment, they only needed the key to be pressed 25 times to create the link. To build this, they need to know what you initially typed as you typed it - which could be done via Zoom chat messages or filling in a form. Once they have that, they just need to listen to your type and they could gather passwords, private messages... anything that you type.  How do you get around that? A password manager that automatically copies in the password is a great way! Or having music, key stroke simulators, or white noise.    X has relaunched Tweetdeck as X Pro  And you guessed it… you now need to pay for it. I'm not surprised. I always thought Twitter should have done this and I think pre-Elon Musk, many social media managers and journalists would have been happy to.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fifteen-Love A British sports drama starring Aidan Turner (Poldark) about an elite tennis player who makes a shocking allegation against her former coach (TVNZ+).    Waco: The Aftermath An American drama about the aftermath of the disastrous 1993 standoff at the Branch Davidian compound in Texas (Neon).    Men in Kilts Two Scottish stars of time-travelling drama Outlander return for a second season of their travel show - and this time, they’re travelling around New Zealand (Neon).    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iconic kiwi chef Al Brown is well known for his beloved restaurants Depot and Federal Delicatessen, as well as his Best Ugly Bagel shops. He’s published a number of cookbooks and has recently released a ‘Bach Edition’ of his recipe book ‘Eat Up New Zealand,’ featuring more than 150 recipes and on-location photos from around the country. Al Brown joined Jack Tame to chat about his new book and the stories and recipes within. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Makes one loaf tin cake and is simply gorgeous!    Ingredients: 3/4 cup raw sugar  Rind of 2 tangerine – avoid the white pith  Flesh of one tangerine  2 medium eggs  ½ cup rice bran oil  ½ tsp salt  ½ cup thick natural yoghurt  1 ½ cups plain flour  2 tsps baking powder  Method: Preheat oven to 180 C, on fan bake. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.  In the bowl of a food processor, blend the sugar and citrus rind until the rind is chopped very small. Add the tangerine flesh. Blend until smooth.  In a mixing bowl beat the egg and sugar/citrus mix together until it is thick & creamy. Add the oil and salt and continue beating until mixed.  Stir through the yoghurt. Fold in flour and baking powder and combine until just mixed (over-mixing will produce a tougher, drier cake).  Scrape the batter into the tin, smooth the top if need be for a better looking loaf cake at the end.  Bake for 35-45mins, until a skewer comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes to cool before turning out of tin.  Ice with vanilla and citrus zest frosting, or not.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kandahar An undercover CIA operative gets stuck in hostile territory in Afghanistan after his mission is exposed. Accompanied by his translator, he must fight enemy combatants as he tries to reach an extraction point in Kandahar.    Monolith A headstrong journalist's investigative podcast uncovers a strange artefact, an alien conspiracy, and the lies at the heart of her own story.     LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Northland man was recently charged when his pet dog was caught picking up a kiwi chick and running off with it. The chick was killed, and as a result the owner was fined and the dog was put down. Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to chat about his first reaction and thoughts about the situation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hosts on Fox Sport Australia were bamboozled by a question earlier this week.  What’s the biggest winter sport in Australia?  Is it Rugby League and the excellent entertainment of the NRL? Is it Aussie Rules? Or could it now, be football?  Sadly, it goes without saying that it isn’t rugby, and I’d suggest that even when the Rugby World Cup kicks off, only so many Australians will even realise it’s on.  At a time when all sorts of different things are vying for our attention, the Matildas’ semi-final in the FIFA World Cup obliterated TV ratings records. In Australia, it was the most-watched TV event in more than two decades.  The key with football is the low barrier to entry. Grassroots participation isn’t totally dominated by one gender. You don’t need money to have a kick around with your friends. And you can explain the key rules in just a few sentences: Your team has to get the ball in the goal and stop the other team from getting it in yours. Only the goalies can use their hands. You can challenge the ball, but you can’t tackle people.  That’s it. Sure, there’s an offside rule and passback restrictions but the basic rules are stunningly, beautifully simple. And even the way they’re enforced allows the game to flow. No one agonises over taking a throw-in from the exact mark.  I don’t want to pick on rugby, but the contrasts are stark. I’ve watched, played, and loved rugby all of my life. But there are still infringements at the breakdown that leave me totally confused. Sometimes even the commentators don’t understand what’s happened.  Football’s making a play at the moment into markets where historically it’s been a bit of a second-tier sport. At the same time as its recording record ratings in Australia, arguably the greatest footballer of all time has chosen to eschew the Saudi clubs to play in the United States. The average ticket to Lionel Messi’s first game for Inter Miami was selling only for $NZ 1200. The crowd included Serena Williams, LeBron James, the Beckham family, and Kim Kardashian. It was more than a football match – it was a cultural event.  It’s fair enough to expect that when the World Cup hype has died down a bit, the buzz around football in Australia will die back a bit, too.  Personally, I think it’s only a matter of time. It won’t happen overnight. Rugby, rugby league, and netball, will all still hold a special place in New Zealand. Basketball will continue to go from strength to strength.  But fast-forward a few decades from now. I reckon football will be the most-played sport, the most-followed sport, the most popular sport in New Zealand, too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ballad of Darren is the ninth studio album by English rock band Blur. It was released on 21 July 2023 by Parlophone and Warner Records.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Collector - Daniel Silvia  The Collector is a 2023 novel by Daniel Silva in the author's Gabriel Allon series. The book debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. The book's premise is the current location of Vermeer's The Concert, which has been missing since the painting was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.    After I Do - Taylor Jenkins Reid  From the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, comes a breath-taking novel about modern marriage, the depth of family ties, and the year that one remarkable heroine spends exploring both.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his adventures in Montenegro and Mostar. Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zoom is ordering people back to work in the office. Is this a good thing and how does your office affect your wellbeing and productivity?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BOB’S BEST BUYS  Wine: Awatere River 2023 Pinot Gris, Marlborough $25  Why I chose it:  - 2023 was a good vintage in Marlborough  - Pinot Gris is 4th most planted grape variety – growing in popularity  - If someone wants a white wine but is not sure what variety, pour them a pinot gris. Good all-rounder.  - Delicious thirst-quencher for Spring and Summer months ahead  What does it taste like?  - Off-dry pinot gris with succulent tree fruit/pear and nectarine flavours. An initial hint of sweetness is perfectly balanced by gentle, fruity acidity. Smooth-textured wine with a deliciously lingering finish.  Why is it a bargain:  - One of the best 2023’s I’ve tasted. At a moderate price.  Where can you buy it?  - Best price Countdown $19.99 (check the vintage), just released  Food match?  - My favorites are crayfish, prawns or shrimps  Will it keep?  - Good for the next 2-3 years although it is drinking well now.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have a tunnel house (for edibles) and Julie has a glasshouse (for her ornamentals) – she’s a fancy one!  Despite these forms of “protection from frost” they can get to low temperatures on cold winters morning. We’ve seen 1.5 degrees a few times.  Is there a way to add some extra insulation to these buildings that would keep the temps a bit higher?  As per usual: my local Botanic Garden has delivered some answers (see pictures); the “Curators Garden”, an edible garden next to the Curators House restaurant, here in Christchurch, always investigates new ideas and technologies.  (No doubt your local Botanic Garden will have some great ideas as well!)  Wouldn’t it be great to have a temporary layer of insulation for just the winter months – stuff you can remove when spring starts?  I love the idea of having old, recycled plastic drink bottles assembled vertically on a long bamboo pole. Each pole can be removed in its entirety and stored for re-use next winter.   Honey-comb plastic screwed between two pieces of wood to tighten them up. It’s almost a double-glazing system made from plastic. It lets sun through and blocks the cold.  It, too, can be removed in its entirety for storage during spring and summer  Bottles stacked horizontally and filled with water are probably more efficient at insulating the air inside the glasshouse.  These is old Bubble-wrap that can be used on vertical walls and Perspex sheets that can be fixed to the ceiling on the inside of the glasshouse too.  By “retro-fitting” double glazing you don’t lose any space inside, really, but keep the cold from coming in to slow all growth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wait a minute... Facebook is good for wellbeing?   A new study by the Oxford Institute of Technology suggests the opposite of what we typically hear – researchers say that after analyzing data from nearly a million people across 72 countries over 12 years that the claims are more speculative than conclusive. This isn't saying that harm doesn't exist... but on balance, the use of Facebook is "possibly related to positive wellbeing." The results showed the association between using Facebook and wellbeing was slightly more positive for males as well as for younger people. The study looked at high-quality country-wide well-being data, and compared that with Facebook data with the uptake of their platform.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Far North  This New Zealand drama stars Temuera Morrison and Robyn Malcolm and tells the bizarre true story of an international drugs smuggling ring foiled by two unlikely Northland locals (Mondays on Three, and ThreeNow).   Painkiller   Matthew Broderick stars in this drama about America’s opioid epidemic that follows both the perpetrators and victims, and an investigator seeking the truth (Netflix).     Winning Time   A second season of the sports drama about the rise of the LA Lakers in the 1970s and 1980s (Neon).    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley started out as young musicians, trying to pass as 18-year-olds so they could perform in bars. Now they make up the duo Balu Brigada, and after scoring themselves a record deal with Alantic record they spread their wings to New York City.    Since then they’ve earned themselves the #1 fastest breaking New Zealand/Australian artist spot on Spotify and have been applauded by outlets such as Rolling Stone, i-D, and People Magazine.  The pair are returning to New Zealand to give kiwi audiences a taste of their genre-bending music with their August tour. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Casseroles, stews, braises – they’re all so absolutely hearty and can be really affordable if you know how to shop for different cuts of meat.  Serves 4    Ingredients: 350g beef steak, either chuck, cross-cut blade or rump  100g (about one) sheep kidney, halved, membranes and fatty nodules (white bits) removed  2 tbsps plain flour  2 tbsps cooking oil  1 large onion, diced  ½ tsp salt  Decent grind of black pepper  2 large carrots, diced  Dash of Worcestershire or soy sauce  1 bay leaf  200-250mls stock or water    Method: Cut beef into large bite size pieces and kidneys a little smaller. Dust meat in flour. Heat oil in a medium-size, heavy based saucepan and brown the onions. Add the floured meat and don’t disturb until some pieces (the ones on the bottom) are well browned. Season with salt and pepper, add carrots, a dash of either Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, bay leaf and pour in enough stock or water to almost cover the meat. Put the lid on and bring to a simmer and cook gently over a low-medium heat until the meat is tender - approx 1.5 hours – or transfer to a casserole dish, cover tightly with foil and pop it in an oven at 170 C to cook for 1.5 hours. Cool overnight.   DUMPLINGS    Ingredients: 1 cup plain flour  50g butter  1 tsp baking powder  ¼ tsp salt  3 tb finely chopped parsley  ½ cup milk (approx.)    Method: Rub butter into dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt - until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add chopped parsley and then mix in the milk bit by bit until you have a soft dough. Flour your hands and gently pinch tablespoonful sized balls of the dough, rolling each gently into a ball and dropping onto the simmering stew. Work quickly until all have been added. Replace the lid and cook for 10 minutes until the dumplings are light and fluffy and cooked through (check one by breaking it open).   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gran Turismo A player wins a series of Nissan-sponsored video game competitions through his gaming skills and becomes a real-life professional race car driver.   Asteroid City World-changing events spectacularly disrupt the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention in an American desert town circa 1955.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to chat about the old mates he met up with this week. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was an air of inevitability around the polls this week. It pays to be restrained in putting too much weight into any one poll, but the trends are what matter and the trends are suggesting Winston Peters and New Zealand First might break 5% and make it back to parliament.  All manner of pundits have come out and suggested that Christopher Luxon should make a call and do what he’s refused to do in the race so far, follow in John Key’s footsteps and rule out working with New Zealand First after the election.  I think Luxon’s best opportunity has passed. Back in May, I wrote that the National leader was strategically well-positioned to rule out Peters, so long as he managed the process as delicately as might be possible. He’d need to be respectful and deferential to New Zealand First’s supporters, explaining that it was less about the party’s leader and more about forming a simple, clean, two-party coalition to counteract what he continues to describe as a potential ‘coalition of chaos’ on the other side.  Given Winston Peters’ and David Seymour’s open distain for each other, the ‘coalition of chaos’ barb is now much better suited to the centre-right block.  Think about the reaction if Christopher Luxon ruled out working with New Zealand First, today. It’s not impossible it would have the desired effect from National’s perspective, but it comes with much greater risk than when New Zealand First was polling at 3%.  “Why have you ruled them out now, when you’ve been asked so many times over the last few months?”  “... Ahhh... because for the first time it actually looks like he’s gonna’ get in?”  It would martyr Winston Peters. It would play into the narrative that the major parties were colluding to exclude him and New Zealand First from parliament. It would breathe oxygen into his campaign and potentially galvanise his support base.  If Luxon had ruled out New Zealand First while they were polling at 3%, it wouldn’t have mattered if none of those 3% changed their minds and the vote was essentially wasted. But it potentially would have stopped new supporters from coming across in the subsequent months and deciding to back Winston Peters.  Now the party’s hitting 5%, and it’s a totally different equation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Farnham: Finding the Voice The story of an Australian musical icon, following John Farnham from his humble beginnings in the Melbourne suburbs to record-breaking pop success.    The Beanie Bubble (Apple +)   The unbelievable tale of one of America's most fascinating phenomena -- Beanie Babies. Flashing back to the '90s and early 2000s, an in-depth look at how the era-defining zeitgeist came to be.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For all the angst heading into the tournament, Kiwis have absolutely stepped up for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous for the tournament’s local organisers as kick-off neared. There wasn’t really much buzz. No real sense of occasion. And I worried that for what is a massive tournament in the context of global sport – arguably the biggest tournament ever hosted on New Zealand soil – we might show ourselves to be a bit miserable. Don’t forget, just days before it officially began, FIFA’s boss Gianni Infantino paused a press conference, picked out the New Zealand media in attendance, and made a direct plea down the camera barrels for their audiences to get out and actually buy tickets. To the best of my knowledge, he didn’t feel that was necessary with the Australians. The nature of the tournament meant that some of the pool games were the likeliest to have small audiences. It’s an exciting time because there are games almost every day, but if we’re honest, Zambia vs Costa Rica is unlikely in this part of the World to drum up the same kind of enthusiasm as it might elsewhere. Once you get to the knockout stages, the drama is greater, the games are closer, and it’s reasonable to expect the crowds are consistently big. But get this. Of the twenty-four pool games played in New Zealand, the average crowd was more than 21,000 fans. More than half a million total fans. That’s fantastic. For the big games we’ve had record numbers in attendance. But even Zambia vs Costa Rica drew more than 8000 people to Waikato Stadium. And anyone who has attended a game will attest to how much fun it’s been. I live within walking distance of Eden Park. Fans are constantly making their way to the stadium with flags and face paint and jerseys for their respective countries. It feels properly global in a way that few events here ever do. We should thank the Football Ferns for their part in this. That opening night was thrilling. Although they didn’t progress to the knock-out stages, they played a major role in igniting our collective excitement. But it’s funny, I went back and looked at that Gianni Infantino press conference, where he effectively begged Kiwis to go out and buy football tickets. He said one extra thing I hadn’t noticed at the time.   “Do the right thing.” He needn’t have. My experience at the FIFA World Cup is that fans haven’t attended out of charity. They haven’t attended out of a sense of duty to try and promote the women’s game. They’ve attended because it’s been really exciting, skillful, high-drama football. We might have left the ticket-buying to the last minute, but there’s no doubt New Zealanders have wanted to be there. Now, we’re at the knockout stages. Some of the biggest names in World football are struggling or have already been knocked out. The tournament feels like it’s anyone’s. And I for one, don’t want it to end.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple weeks ago Kevin Milne’s wife saw Welsh music legend Tom Jones in concert in London, and he told Jack Tame that she thought that for an 83-year-old, he was amazing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Loveliest Time is Carly Rae Jepsen’s seventh studio album, and a companion piece to her fifth studio album, The Loneliest Time. The artist refers to the album as a “B-side in every sense of the word,” featuring songs created during the same time period and era of The Loneliest Time, that she had “always intended to put out.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Wife by JP Delaney My darling son, Sam, is marrying his childhood sweetheart and I couldn't be prouder of the man he's grown into. Walking out on his abusive father all those years ago was the best thing I ever did. And today he stands, tall and handsome, saying 'I do' to my dream daughter-in-law. If I hadn't pushed them together all those years ago, he might never have found a girl as perfect as Lauren. It's true what they say, mother always knows best.    None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell  Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins. A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life. Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home. But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat. Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his recent visit to Tirana, Albania.  Read more about Mike's trip here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ is renowned for its amazing landscape, unique wildlife & diverse ecosystems, but we have a huge issue with invasive species & habitat loss.  I enjoy our native birdlife in my area, so I signed up to be a volunteer with Forest & Bird to help reduce invasive species (hedgehogs, rats, possums) by baiting & trapping - fun anecdote to talk about my experience in handing over custody of a 'baiting line' from a man who has done it for over a decade!  What everyone can do to help: give wildlife space, clean your shoes, check your gear when entering/leaving sanctuaries, plant natives in your garden, volunteer or donate.  It’s conservation week 14th - 20th August so this is a great time for people to know these tips and get sorted/plan for action during that week.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green Manure? Don’t take that too literally – New Zealanders call fertiliser “manure.”  Nature doesn’t like “bare soil”, so even in winter it will sprout seeds into plants, so why not make those plants desirable ones!  We usually harvest our food crops in autumn, leaving behind a heck of a lot of soil, ready to be colonised by weeds.  I realise we’re in mid-winter right now, but even at this time we can sow some plants that are experts at helping your garden become a lot more fertile in spring.  The technique is quite simple:  Green Manure crops literally extract some of the nutrients from the winter soil and store that in the stems (cells) and in the roots of the plant;  Some green manure crops (the Legumes) have colonies of collaborative bacteria on board (in the roots) that can harvest Nitrogen from the air and store that in the root nodules too.  Seeing the amount of Nitrogen in the air is 78%, we might as well use that stuff: Nitrogen (N) is essential for Leaf-growth – it literally creates the green matter that carries out Photosynthesis.  Just a quick Science reminder: Photosynthesis is essential to keep us humans alive: the leaves of plants change Carbon-dioxide into Oxygen with the help of energy from the sun. We inhale that Oxygen and the exhale Carbon Dioxide  The green plants basically do the opposite of how we breathe and keep everything in balance…  Legumes that we can use (even right now) are clovers, lupins, beans, peas and fenugreek. Sow them in the fallow, and weed-free soil.  The good thing is that they have a habit of quickly germinating and covering the soil before weed seeds come along  These leguminose Nitrogen fixers are pretty efficient in grabbing the goodies from the air.  Don’t let them go to seed as that will reduce the amount of N you can dig into your garden bed. Besides, seeds would create a weedy spring and summer, so avoid that.  A good bed of Blue Lupins really covers the soil and prevents weeds germinating.  Crimson Clover is one of those magnificently beautiful Legumes that also attracts pollinators. Generally speaking, the best time to dig your green manure into the soil is when it is flowering.  In Sandy soils the Green manure works extra hard against loosing organic materials; Sand is notorious for loosing compostables quickly!  In “Hard soils” the Green manure softens the soils by providing better soil structure.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a myriad of troubling economic factors prevalent at the moment —inflation, high interest rates, unemployment— that could knock your financial progress off course. But sometimes it’s an inside hit-job – i.e., what’s sabotaging your financial progress more than anything is you. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Those in the EU will be able to turn off TikTok's famous algorithm  This is in response to the EU's Digital Services Act which forces 19 companies to strict regulations regarding algorithms and AI, allows users to opt out of targeting of content or ads, and gives ways to for users to flag illegal content and for platforms to take actions. Basically, they need to be more proactive and transparent than other companies because of their influence as a leader in their space as a "very large online platform" VLOP or a "very large online search engine" VLOSE.   Users between 13 and 17 will not be able to be served personalize ads.  If you switch off the algorithm, what will TikTok in the EU look like? It'll have popular videos in the area you live, and around the world.   Expect announcements and changes from the other 18 companies before the august 28 deadline.   Google is tempting staff back to the office with $99 hotel rooms. So you can avoid the commute!  There's a hotel on their Bay View campus, and for a limited time Google will let employees you stay there for $99 a night. The marketing materials say it'll "help users transition to the hybrid workplace". "Just imagine no commute to the office in the morning and instead, you could have an extra hour of sleep and less friction". Yeah... imagine! Google says they regularly offer deals so folks can enjoy the campus amenities.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart:   Sigourney Weaver and New Zealand’s own Frankie Adams star in this Australian drama about a young girl who goes to live with her grandmother after her parent’s death in a mysterious fire (Prime Video). Fisk:  An Australian comedy about high-end lawyer Helen Tudor-Fisk, who is forced to take a job at a shambolic suburban law firm after a humiliating marriage breakdown and a career implosion (Netflix).      The Traitors:   The murder-mystery reality format that’s taken the world by storm finally reaches New Zealand, hosted by Paul Henry and featuring a cast of celebrities and “everyday” New Zealanders (Three, from Monday).    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tiki Taane is a man of many talents; a music experimentalist, musical activist, producer, and live engineer.      Tiki’s now putting on his director’s hat for a documentary, giving a behind the scenes perk at his sold out concert with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.   The documentary's already won film festival awards across the world and will be released in New Zealand next Friday.   Tiki Taane joined Jack Tame to chat about it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chocolate, coffee, cheesecake. Say no more. Makes one 22cm cheesecake.    Ingredients: Mocha sauce  100mls cream  150g dark chocolate, chopped  3 tsps ground espresso or instant coffee  Cheesecake  500g full fat cream cheese  ¾ cup caster sugar  3 large eggs  1 tablespoons vanilla extract  1 heaped tablespoon plain flour  A decent pinch of sea salt  250mls cream    Method: Preheat oven 220 C. Line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper, making sure it comes up the sides.  Make the espresso/chocolate sauce (to swirl) by heating cream in a small saucepan until it nearly comes to a boil. Remove from heat, add chopped chocolate, cover with a tea towel and leave for 10 minutes. Whisk in espresso powder and continue whisking until you have a smooth sauce. Keep warm and set aside.  Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Add in vanilla and eggs one at a time and beat for 20 seconds between each. Add flour and salt and beat until combined then pour in the cream and mix until combined. Scrape into prepared tin.  Swirl in espresso/chocolate sauce; using a teaspoon take spoonfuls of the sauce and dig it/drop it deep into the cheesecake mix. Then with the handle end of the spoon, drag it through the sauce to form a swirl, repeat in whatever patterns take your fancy - you may not use all of the sauce.  Bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes until the top is very dark brown and the middle 5cm is still wobbly. It will fall and firm up as it cools.  Chill completely (at least 3 hours or overnight) before removing from tin.  Serve with softly whipped cream and any extra mocha sauce you have.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After much anticipation, the Barbie soundtrack has finally been released. The album, which was announced several months ago, features a star-studded lineup of artists, including Billie Eilish, Sam Smith, Lizzo, and Dua Lipa. However, the one powerhouse that the team behind the compilation wanted more than any other was Nicki Minaj.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Scarlet Papers – Matthew Richardson   VIENNA, 1946: A brilliant German scientist snatched from the ruins of Nazi Europe. MOSCOW, 1964: A US diplomat caught in a clandestine love affair as the Cold War rages. RIGA, 1992: A Russian archivist selling secrets that will change the twentieth century forever. LONDON, THE PRESENT DAY: A British academic on the run with the chance to solve one of history's greatest mysteries.  Their stories, their lives, and the fate of the world are bound by a single manuscript. A document feared and whispered about in capitals across the globe. In its pages, history will be rewritten. It is only ever known as . . .  THE SCARLET PAPERS The devastating secrets contained within teased by a brief invitation: Tomorrow 11AM. Take a cab and pay in cash. Tell no one.    The Ambassador – Joseph P Kennedy   Through meticulous research and many newly available sources, Ronald confirms in impressive detail what has long been believed by many: that Kennedy was a Fascist sympathizer and an anti-Semite whose only loyalty was to his family's advancement. She also reveals the ambitions of the Kennedy dynasty during this period abroad, as they sought to enter the world of high society London and establish themselves as America’s first family. Thorough and utterly readable, The Ambassador explores a darker side of the Kennedy patriarch in an account sure to generate attention and controversy.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dougal Sutherland, Clinical Psychologist from Umbrella Wellbeing, joined Jack Tame to talk about whether the way we work is mentally harming us. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is acne?  Very common. Affects hair follicles. Follicles have glands which secrete oily fluid, they can become blocked and cause inflammation and pimples. Typically whiteheads, blackheads or pustules, face, neck, back and chest. Can cause scarring if not treated, pigmented skin, and can sometimes have severe psychological affects. Who gets it?  85% of 16 to 18 year olds are affected. However the reality is any age can in fact get acne. Younger children and adults of any age. I often see older patients with persistent acne. And what causes it?  Combination of factors not fully understood can cause acne. Family, hormones around puberty, bacteria on the skin. Flares can be provoked: drugs such as steroids, occlusive cosmetics, high humidity, some foods; for instance diary. What’s the treatment?  Depends on the severity Mild: Topical anti-acne agents from chemist, combined oral contraceptive, antiseptic washes Moderate: We look at antibiotics often up to 6 months. Something called Doxycycline or erythromycin. Relatively new – low dose isotretinoin vitamin A derivative. Effective but careful side-effects – can’t use in pregnancy, watch mood. Severe: extensive skin lesions, fever skin infection,   may need specialist dermatologist   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ChatGPT can't figure out if something has been created by ChatGPT  OpenAI had a tool which people could paste in text and it would tell you if it was AI generated or not... except that it often said things that were written by AI when they weren't. So OpenAI has decided to shut that shown. As the technology gets better, that task is only going to get more difficult, especially if there isn't a way to watermark the text. I'm sure teachers will be thrilled!   The new agreement between the US Government and the leading AI companies we talked about last week which would make identifying AI content more obvious clearly has some work to go.   Microsoft Teams is under the microscope in the EU  It's all about how Teams is made available to folks - which is through an Office 365 subscription, and even force installing it for folks using Office. Windows 11 was deeply integrated with Teams chat, which Microsoft has now disabled. Slack first raised this to the European Commission when the pandemic saw a massive rise in usage. Slack is a standalone paid product and Slack doesn't feel it's fair to for Microsoft to give it away for free as part of the Office bundle. The European Commission is going to launch a review, to see if Microsoft has breached competition rules.  Microsoft has had troubles in the EU in the past with their bundling of the Windows Media Player with Windows XP and Internet Explorer on Windows 7.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lincoln Lawyer: A new season of the American drama about an idealistic lawyer who runs his practice out of the back of his Lincoln Town car (Netflix).      Angel City: An HBO docuseries that goes behind the scenes of the groundbreaking Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team, Angel City Football Club (Neon).      Five Star Chefs: A reality series that sees seven professional chefs compete to bring their fine-dining concept to London’s luxurious Langham Hotel (Netflix).  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian filmmakers Spencer Frost and Guy Williment spent years planning the trip of the lifetime to Kamchatka, in Far East Russia. The pair wanted to search for a wave no one else in the world had surfed and roped in a couple of Aussie surfing pros to make a documentary.   They stepped off their first flight in Dubai in February of 2022, to find that Russia had invaded Ukraine, and were faced with the choice of whether to go on or head home.  They chose to continue on. What followed was an incredible story of humanity, unimaginable scenery and of course, some of the best waves in the world.  Their documentary Corners of the Earth is touring New Zealand from today in cinemas all over the country.   Spencer Frost joined Jack Tame to chat about the documentary, and what it was like to film it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to chat about U.S. football star, Trinity Rodman and how at 21 she’s made it to the top without her outrageous father, Dennis.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can count on Jack – After 36 years of being blissfully unaware of the art of gardening, the questions suddenly start… Buying a house with wilderness helps. But the coolest thing is that those questions are inspiring enough to make me look up all sorts of things, related to those topics. In MediaLand it’s called “research”. Privacy, Height-restrictions of trellises and fences, useful hedge species and easy maintenance are important facets of the design – I just added “Natives” and researched the Genus Pittosporum. Pittosporum means “sticky seeds” Wow! 200 species – many in New Zealand; lots of different varieties within the best garden species. And often the flowers of this genus produce nice scents during the hours of darkness – obviously pollinated by nocturnal insects. Everybody grows P. tenuifolium (kohuhu) – it could well be the most popular plant for hedges; small-ish leaves in various colours and hardy from coast to Highlands. Pittosporum eugenioides (tawapou) or Lemonwood is another frequent planter: can grow pretty tall (10 meters or so) with dense foliage of large leaves – see if that Council of yours can stop that growth! But then there are some really spectacular species that are quite stunning, native and elegant. P. obcordatum is a rather rare tree in the wilds of New Zealand, with reddish-bronze twigs and a rather “woolly” look. It is now cultivated (seeds and cuttings) for the NZ garden market. Honestly it is a great wild hedge and grows in just-about any condition. I’ve seen it near Kaitaia, on Banks Peninsula and near Invercargil; This hedge rocks and the less you clip it, the wilder it looks! Pittosporum turneri looks a bit like obcordatum, but seems to be a bit “leaner” and “thinner” and it has a distinct grey or silver colour; can stand growing in shady areas, which can be useful. Pittosporum umbellatum is another native from our country. Mostly in the North Island. It has dense foliage with outstanding pinky-white, sometimes cream-coloured inflorescences. (that is a fancy botanical word for “flowers”). The flowers hang in so-called “umbels” – hence the species name umbellatum. Easy to grow from seed. The trees are pretty hardy in windy conditions. Finally I can recommend a species called Pittosporum crassicaule; a small and tight species of just half a meter or so that grows very slowly; It has that alpine-plant look with firm twiglets and a feeling of densely interlacing branches, known from divaricating plants. P. crassicaule has very interesting black flowers that smell beautifully at night. I reckon it’s not a plant for “privacy” as Jack requested, but it would make a brilliant low hedge around an alpine garden Have a look at specialist growers of our pretty Pittosporum species – you’ll be surprised.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is my ‘cheat’s chowder’ in the sense it’s super cheap to make but full of yumminess all the same. I’m a true seafood lover so I couldn’t be more delighted that in September I’ll be heading off to cook at not one but TWO seafood festivals! Ahead of these festivals I’ve been working on some seafood recipes that use sustainable seafood and I’ve been testing different chowder recipes - it’s such a great filling lunch or dinner and not too expensive to make if you know how. Makes 2 servings  Ingredients: 8-10 mussels 1/3 cup white wine 2 tbsps olive oil 1 tbsps butter 1 medium onion, finely diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 carrot, peeled and diced 1 large potato, peeled and 2-cm diced 3 cups fish or vegetable stock 100mls cream Zest from a half a lemon 140g salmon, skin removed, cut into chunks Small handful parsley to garnish Crusty bread to serve   Method: Give mussels a quick scrub then pile them into a large pot with wine. Bring to a simmer, cover and steam for 2-3 minutes or until mussel shells spring open. Remove from heat and tip mussels and liquor into large bowl to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the beards and discard. Remove mussel meat and chop roughly or blend in a food processor for a smoother chowder. Leave one or two in the shell if you want to be fancy and use it to garnish. Heat oil and butter in saucepan and sauté onion until beginning to soften. Add celery and carrot and cook, covered, until softened – about 10 minutes. Pour in reserved mussel/wine liquor and stock and add the cubed potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are soft, another 10 minutes I’d say. Just before serving pour in the cream and add lemon zest, salmon and put the mussels back in. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes only or until fish is just cooked. Taste and add salt if required and a decent grind of black pepper. Serve garnished with parsley and with buttered bread.    Nici’s note: Any fish or shellfish can be used - try cockles and/or pipis and add calamari instead of salmon if you prefer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barbie   Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.    Oppenheimer  During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world's first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever been to the Hanmer hotpools? They were my first hotpool experience. North Canterbury. And they hold a bit of a special place in my heart.  What about Polynesian Spa in Rotorua? Think about how it feels to walk into the hot pools. You dip a toe or a foot, you kind of brace yourself as you wait to adjust to the heat. And then, how you ease yourself in. How you move slowly, you find a spot to sit down and slip beneath the warm water. They gently do their thing, easing and relaxing your muscles. For some people the warm water gets a bit much. Maybe it’s my ice-cold heart, but I can only last so long in those hot pools before I start sweating, and I need to jump out and refresh. The hot pools at Polynesian Spa range from 36C to 42C. Hanmer is similar. And so is the ocean, off Miami. Yeah... the ocean. Preliminary data this week recorded the ocean temperature off Florida as a little over 38C. That’s a full 10C warming than the ocean temperature in Fiji in the heart of summer.  No wonder the U.N. Secretary General says we’ve reached a Global Boiling Point. That does sound bad. I’m sure there will still be many people who dismiss the words as alarmist or hyperbole, but those affected by the extreme weather in the northern summer this month might beg to differ.  July was certainly the hottest month globally since records began. Climate scientists reckon it was probably also the hottest month in the history of human civilisation. 100-to-120 thousand years.  Wildfires in North America, heatwaves across Europe. How crazy were the pictures from Rhodes in Greece? This week saw the largest evacuation in the country’s modern history. I think my favourite – if that’s the right word – extreme weather event of the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, was the insane hailstorm which struck Northern Itay, just outside of Milan. The region had been sweltering in an oppressive heatwave, when black skies brought with them hailstones as large as tennis balls. As they started to melt in the warm air, the little cobbled Italian village streets were turned into rivers of melting ice. It was crazy. Anyway.  I don’t know about you, but much of the time I find I subconsciously put the climate issue to the back of my mind. Or if not the back, at least the side. I make a few measly sacrifices. I ride my bike. I try to limit how much meat I consume. But honestly, a lot of the time life just gets in the way and a lot of my thoughts are consumed by other things. But then a week like this will snap me back at attention. The hottest month in human civilisation. I don’t mean to dismiss inflation or crime, the state of our education system, or the Football Ferns’ chances of making the playoffs. But you’ve gotta say, it really puts our other problems in perspective.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'You & I' is Rita Ora's third album, coming after the release of Phoenix in 2018. She says the album is inspired by her connections with her friends and family, and is a 'personal letter to fans.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bad Summer People – Emma Rosenblum  None of them would claim to be a good person, but who among them is capable of murder?  The families on the island have been vacationing here for years; the Weinsteins, the Metzners, the Grobels - and unlucky in love Rachel Woolf. Outsiders aren't welcome. That is except for Robert, the handsome new tennis coach, who some people are going out of their way to make very welcome... But the problem when everyone knows everyone is that secrets can't stay secret forever. And when a body is found face-down beneath the boardwalk, they realise that maybe one of them is worse than they thought...    Wavewalker – Suzanne Heywood   Aged just seven, Suzanne Heywood set sail with her family on a three-year voyage around the world. What followed turned instead into a decade-long way of life, through storms, shipwrecks, reefs and isolation, with little formal schooling.  Suzanne fought her parents, longing to return to England and to education and stability. This memoir covers her astonishing upbringing, a survival story of a child in dire circumstances deprived of safety, friendships, schooling, occasionally drinking water… At eighteen, through resolve and resilience, Suzanne earned a place at Oxford university and returned to the UK.  From the bestselling author of What Does Jeremy Think?, Wavewalker is the incredible true story of how the adventure of a lifetime became one child’s worst nightmare – and how determination helped her escape.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his recent visit to Belgrade in Serbia. Read Mike's article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

+ Travel slowly - and as locally as possible (if you're not going on a Europe trip like your friends, don't be sad! Celebrate your reduced carbon footprint and enjoy yourself just as much in NZ)  + Water bottle filter (Water-to-go bottle you can get in NZ to purify & reduce plastic water bottles)  + Taking reusables & storing/keeping food waste  + Choosing locally owned hospitality to support  + Considering what activities you're doing (no photos with sedated tigers!)  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend I am in Taupo – basically to celebrate a Company that has been trapping vermin and exotic pests to create predator-free forests and landscapes. EPRO is their name and they have been doing it for 25 Years – worthy of serious congratulations! They literally provide long-term strategies for ecological restoration. Many of our Native taonga (but especially birds) are in trouble; Often stories in the news – such as the famous Miami Kiwi: Paora was the kiwi that became famous for all the wrong reasons; but not because it was predated by exotic mammals. For some reason we got upset because humans were touching the bird and stressing it far too much. The irony is that around the same time, a kiwi was found, Mauled to death by a dog in Ohope (Whakatane). Yes, a Dog! And the dead kiwi was found behind Ohope Beach school, not just a forest in the middle of nowhere. That bird was also one of the important ancestors for the next generation of kiwi in that area! A set-back for the Whakatane Kiwi Trust. Not many people realise that dogs are the biggest threat to kiwi in habitat around human settlements.   Kiwi smell is very attractive to dogs… and dogs will have a go (yes, Ma’am: even your tiny lap dog will chase that bird!) They may not necessarily want to eat or bite the bird, but just a paw on the back of the kiwi can cause serious crushing troubles; Kiwi have no sternum (breastbone) for the simple reason they don’t have wings and don’t need a sternum to attach flight muscles to. That makes them very vulnerable to crushing from dog bites and pressure from above. They literally bleed to death internally. So EPRO can control stoats and ferrets and rats and feral cats, but when Homo sapiens goes for a walk in the forest with an UN-leashed dog, kiwi are often the victims. And please don’t tell me your little cute Roly will not harm anything …. A totally different way to look after our native birds, is by supporting the science that’s going on throughout the Motu: We are currently banding Harriers (Harrier-Hawks)… or “Large Piwakawaka” as I call them… These birds are banded in Canterbury and Marlborough: a small metal band on one leg, (the usual DOC band with small numbers on them), and a larger brightly coloured band with large, three digit numbers on them, that can be read through binoculars from quite far away, when the bird is sitting on a fence post or feasting on road kill. We are hoping to confirm that these harriers are doing some migrating in autumn and spring (towards the North and South, respectively). If you find a banded bird, record the date and location and report to DOC: www.doc.govt.nz/non-gamebird-band-report-form If the bird is injured, please take it to the nearest Wildlife hospital   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BOB’S BEST BUYS  Wine: Jules Taylor 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough $26.99  Why I chose it:  - From the very good 2023 vintage  - Jules Taylor is a consistently good SB producer  - Stock up for summer  - I’m a big fan of Marlborough SB  What does it taste like?  - Ripe yet tangy sauvignon with passion fruit, guava, lime zest, gooseberry and red capsicum flavours. Reasonably concentrated, vibrant wine with punchy varietal characters. Impressive wine with purity and power.  Why it’s a bargain:  - It’s a very good wine at a fair price.  - Recently released – price may drop in another month or two when it gets wider distribution. Where can you buy it?  - Glengarry in Auckland $26.99. Keep an eye out at your local supermarket but make sure you get the 2023 vintage.  Food match?  - I like it with smoked salmon. Good match with Feta cheese.  Will it keep?  - Good for 3-4 years but probably not a lot to gain from keeping it.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The leading AI companies have agreed to a series of safeguards as the technology increases in sophistication   Meta, OpenAI, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and others have pledged to work within a framework designed in collaboration with the US government. This is a voluntary effort, there aren't any penalties if they break the pact.  Broadly, the rules are designed to make it easier for folks to spot AI content - which is certainly important as the US heads into the Presidential election season nearly next year.  The companies agreed to:  Security testing of their AI systems by internal and external experts before their release. Ensuring people are able to identify AI generated content through watermarks. Publicly reporting AI capabilities and limitations on a regular basis. Researching the risks such as bias, discrimination and the invasion of privacy.   In the UK, the future of encryption is being tested  The new Online Safety bill would allow Ofcom - the UK's communications regulator - to be able to request tech companies to scan encrypted use data for child exploitation and counter-terrorism threats. It's interesting that they're seeking to give this power to a regulator, and not the courts as is common for things like search warrants and detailed data collection about someone.   Those supporting the bill say it's needed to tackle "record levels" of child abuse hidden away from view. But privacy advocates say it's a step too far. The tech companies agree - with Meta saying they'd pull WhatsApp from the UK. Apple says they'd pull FaceTime and iMessage. They don't want to create a backdoor to their global platform for a specific country, and broadly don't believe in breaking encryption.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bear: Season two of the show about a young chef trained in the fine dining world who comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop after a heartbreaking death in his family (Disney+)    Totally Completely Fine: Thomasin McKenzie stars in this Australian comedy-drama about a troubled young woman named Vivian, who inherits a cliffside property in Sydney only to discover her new backyard is a popular suicide spot (TVNZ+)   The Deepest Breath: Netflix doco about a free diver who trains to break a world record with the help of an expert safety diver. This film follows the paths they took to meet at the pinnacle of the free diving world, documenting the rewards and risks of chasing a dream through ocean depths.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy Edwards was the first woman to skipper an all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1989.  The Brit was up against none-other than one of our very own in that race – Sir Peter Blake and the New Zealand crew.   But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Tracy to get there, she was expelled from school and found herself in the sailing world by sheer luck and determination.   Tracy happens to be coming to Auckland later this year as part of The Ocean Race – to mark the 50th anniversary of the original Whitbread event.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steamed puddings are traditionally an inexpensive and if I’m honest, slightly stodgy, pudding option. Not this one. It’s light, buttery and even marmalade-haters will love this!    Ingredients: ½ cup orange marmalade - can use any really ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup orange juice 125g butter 3 eggs, separated 1 cup plain flour 2 tsps baking powder Zest of 1 orange ¼ cup sultanas Custard and cream to serve   Method Butter a 3-cup heat proof pudding bowl well. Spoon the marmalade into the base. Dissolve brown sugar in the orange juice. Cream the butter and egg yolks then add the juice/sugar mix and continue beating. Mix in flour, baking powder, zest and sultanas. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks and gently fold into pudding mixture. Scrape into pudding basin, over marmalade. Cover tightly with 2 layers of foil and tie so that it is well sealed. Place in a large saucepan and pour in boiling water to come about half way up the bowl. Cover, bring to a simmer and steam for 1 hour. Remove pudding, cool for 5 minutes and un-mold onto a plate. Serve warm with custard and whipped cream. Tips  For an even more gourmet version, heat up another quarter cup of marmalade with a little orange juice and Grand Marnier and pour over pudding when serving.  A piece of old stocking is perfect for securing the foil as it stretches so you can get it nicely tight.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reality   A former American intelligence specialist is given the longest sentence for the unauthorized release of government information to the media about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections via an email operation. Features one of the actors of the moment, Sydney Sweeney.    Talk to Me When a group of friends discovers how to conjure spirits by using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill -- until one of them unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to chat about cold, hard cash and how close we are to a cashless society. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amidst all of the amazing sporting action we’re being treated to at the moment, I’ve been mad for the Tour de France. I was sucked in by the Netflix series following last year’s competition, and I’ve keenly prioritised watching the highlights over the last few weeks of racing. The Tour is almost over and the final result is essentially a foregone conclusion. Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard is about to back up his win last year and ride to glory along the Parisian streets. For most of the tour, the racing has been incredibly close. Vingegaard and his arch rival, former Tour champion Tadej Pogacar have been duking it out, blow for blow. Their teams have been heroically positioning them for the gnarliest climbs, and towards the end of these  gut-busting stages, they’ve been taking turns attacking and trying to out-sprint each other, high on alpine passes. But the Tour took a turn in the individual time trial, a really short race – just 22kms - in which riders race solo. After two weeks of utterly brutal racing, in which you’d expect all of the riders to be wrecked, Vingegaard blasted away his competition so comprehensively, that he admitted even he was surprised by the stats on his power-meter. Against the best riders in the World, in a race lasting only a fraction of the time of previous stages, he beat Pogacar, his next closest competitor, by more than a 1’30”. ‘How did he do that?’ I found myself wondering in awe as I watched the race. Seriously. How... did he do that? It is a decade now since Lance Armstrong finally came clean. A decade since he sat on the couch with Oprah and admitted he was a cheat. In the time since, riders in the Tour de France have performed differently. For starters, most of them have bad days, which didn’t used to happen. But the subject of doping hangs about the Tour de France like a mist in the Pyrenees. To most of us mere mortals, they all seem extraordinary. How anyone can put their body through so much pain, day after day, is superhuman. And as much as I love the competition, I can’t help but find myself pausing and reflecting a little more on the word. The impact of doping is multi-faceted. The riders who are clean, who were literally in primary school when Lance Armstrong competed in his last Tour de France, are constantly forced to justify themselves and their performances. They know there’s little they can do to convince the sceptics. Jonas Vingegaard says he’s been tested four times in the last two days. He’s being filmed the whole time he’s off the bike for two different documentary series. He’s not failed a test, and the mere logistics of doping would make it impossible for him and his team. He’s asked repeatedly about doping, and he’s emphatic. “I wouldn’t take anything I wouldn’t give to my daughter.” I hope he’s right. His team has pointed out that unlike his main rival, he hasn’t competed in other gruelling competitions so far this season. His preparation was solely focused on the big kahuna. It’s entirely predictable that as the Tour continued, he’d slowly grind down the more exhausted riders. But a real tragedy of doping is that as fans, we never know. Given the history, we can never be 100% certain of anyone in the Tour de France. And as much as you can suspend reality a bit and soak up the day-to-day racing, any especially notable performance and those invasive thoughts come crashing back. Superhuman? Or superhuman?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi musician Alayna has released her debut album titled ‘Self Portrait of Woman Unravelling.’ The album features elements of pop, R&B, soul, and folk, and encapsulates her journey and efforts in understanding herself as a person and an artist. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Guest, Emma Cline   Summer is coming to a close on the East End of Long Island, and Alex is no longer welcome. A misstep at a dinner party, and the older man she’s been staying with dismisses her with a ride to the train station and a ticket back to the city. With few resources and a waterlogged phone, but gifted with an ability to navigate the desires of others, Alex stays on Long Island and drifts like a ghost through the hedged lanes, gated driveways, and sun-blasted dunes of a rarefied world that is, at first, closed to her. Propelled by desperation and a mutable sense of morality, she spends the week leading up to Labor Day moving from one place to the next, a cipher leaving destruction in her wake. Taut, propulsive, and impossible to look away from, Emma Cline’s The Guest is a spellbinding literary achievement.    Night Will Find You, Julia Heaberlin Vivvy Bouchet, daughter of a known psychic, was ten when she saved a boy’s life by making an impossible prediction. Now she’s an astrophysicist in Texas, devoted to science, but the boy she saved has become a cop who continues to believe she can see things no one else can. When he begs for help on the high-profile cold case of a kidnapped girl, Vivvy steps back into the ocean of voices that once nearly drowned her. She is forced to team up with detective Jesse Sharp, a skeptic of anything but fact. When Vivvy becomes the target of a conspiracy theorist podcaster, she fights back with both her scientific mind and her inexplicable gifts, hoping to lure a kidnapper, find a child who haunts her, and lay some of her own ghosts to rest. Sharply relevant, Julia Heaberlin's Night Will Find You explores the mysterious nature of belief—in psychic power, in science, in conspiracies, in a higher power—and the delicate dance between scientific truth and the things we can’t explain.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his recent trip to Hong Kong. Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being unable to mentally disconnect from your work once your day is over can be a major problem, resulting in higher levels of stress, poor sleep, and even relationship issues. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to talk about the importance of disconnecting and reconnecting each day, and how to achieve it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insect life cycles vary from species to species. It all depends on where they live and what the temperatures are in summer, and in winter Many “overwinter” as eggs – which is easy: no eating needed, no movement needed… which is handy as temperatures are low in winter and insect movement can only happen when temps are comfortable.  Remember: they are cold-blooded, so rely on external temperatures to get energy for movement. So, cold conditions means not much movement. Examples: aphids (on host plants); Cicadas inside the twigs (where Mum laid her eggs); Black Field Crickets (underground); Praying mantis (in cool egg cases stuck to our house). Other species decided a long time ago, that overwintering as pupae or chrysalis is the way to go Similar advantages: no movement no eating and slow development into adult life-stage. Examples: some moths (Gum emperor moths and silk moths) Some moth species literally slow down during the winter as “stunned” adult moths and hibernate – not moving at all.   Moth Chrysalis. Social species, such as Vespid wasps (German wasp/common wasp) and Paper wasps (Polistes species) play a totally different game: they hibernate as adult females, fertilised and all. We call them Queens.   Queen wasp Hibernating in wood. Just before autumn turns into winter, the surviving fertile females from a colony mate with the males (drones) and, after a feed (often of carbo-hydrates … sugars!) they will look for a suitable place to hibernate. Anything will do, really, as long as it’s out of the severe frost and preferably dark and safe Of course, in spring when temperatures become a little more agreeable, the queens will leave the hibernation spot and try locate some sustenance in the form of early-flowering plants with nectar. This will start the early-season cycle off. Finding a nest site and starting a brand-new nest is the very first priority. But before it gets that far, we’re stuck with them in winter and often on or near the house. Look for hibernating queens in window cavities, in the grouting of bricks, indeed: any nook or cranny will do. But as I found out a week or so ago: stored and stacked firewood is one of the best places for the queen wasps. As soon as you fill the basket near the Ultra-Low Emissions Burner, the blighters believe that spring has sprung and it’s time to move on to the next phase of the wasp life-cycle. Yep they fly around inside the lounge, trying to get out through the window… if they haven’t stung you already when you lifted up the firewood to transport it inside, that is!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NY Times has declared The Great Resignation over... but people quitting their jobs without another one to go to is still a very common occurrence (often *cough* at a particular time of their lives).   Not only do we see it often – but we see how it can often go wrong, and there are definitely things you can do to stop it being a source of relationship friction, financial stress and a recipe for a crisis of confidence.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Actors have joined the Writers in striking - and again AI is a key issue  160,000 performers stopped work at midnight - no more publicity tours, events, filming and more for the biggest names in Hollywood. People have been asking why Barbie has been going so big on their marketing so early, might just be because that will now grind to a halt. At the center of the strike - Actors want more profit sharing in the global success of their shows and want to protect their craft from AI.  The Union's negotiator said studios had asked for the ability to scan the faces of background artists, pay them for a day's work, then be able to own and use their likeness "for the rest of eternity, in any project they want, with no consent and no compensation".   The Studios negotiator disagrees with the characterization and says the proposal only permits a company to use the digital replica of a background actor in the motion picture for which the background actor is employed. Any other use requires the background actor’s consent and bargaining for the use, subject to a minimum payment.  Either way - there is concern from the actors about how their work is valued, and how to protect their most important IP: their body!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full Circle: Steven Soderbergh directs and Claire Dane stars in this thriller that follows a fallout from a botched kidnapping, and the secrets that are exposed that connect multiple characters across New York City (Neon).       Creamerie: A second season of the dark New Zealand comedy about three dairy farmers living in a dystopian world where a deadly virus has wiped out 99% of all men (TVNZ+).     Quarterback: In the tradition of Drive to Survive and Point Break, this sports docu-series follows three quarterbacks in the American NFL as they experience highs and lows on their way to the Super Bowl (Netflix).   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Fletcher is one of only a handful of people to hold the title of Master Distiller at Jack Daniels in his 155-year history. He carried on the family tradition, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who also held the role, and is responsible for the whiskey’s overall quality from “grain to glass”. Jack Tame managed to catch up with Chris Fletcher this morning, to have a chat about what it’s like to have the job. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should we really tell the truth when the doctor asks, “What’s your alcohol intake?” After all, don’t they double it anyway because it’s assumed we all lie?  Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame this week to tell a story about what he discovered in a specialist report. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matariki is a time to celebrate all things Aotearoa; relax, think, and kōrero about what the coming year can bring. It’s best to do this around a tableful of food I find : )  It’s a great opportunity to focus on ingredients that are locally grown and I just love this peppery pesto made with watercress and NZ-grown pine nuts.    Ingredients A few big handfuls fresh watercress, washed  ¼ cup pine nuts – use Pinoli which are grown in NZ!  30-50g grated parmesan  Juice from one lemon  ¼ teaspoon sea salt  ¼- ½ cup olive oil    Method Use a food processor to blend together watercress, pine nuts, parmesan, lemon juice and salt. Drizzle in the olive oil until you have a chunky sauce consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Use this on grilled mussels, lamb chops, stirred through pasta or on a beautiful baked kūmara!   Notes:  Can sub pine nuts for almonds or walnuts.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than the mission -- not even the lives of those he cares about most.    Robots on Apple TV +  Charles is a womanizer while Elaine is a gold digger. The duo learn humanity when forced to team up and pursue robot doubles of themselves. Starring Jack Whitehall and Shailene Woodley.     LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was driving about some of the outskirts of Nelson this week and it took me a bit of time to notice it. Since my last visit to the region earlier this year, several of the large billboards that had been hammered up on the sides of the road to protest the Three Waters reforms have been removed and not obviously replaced. I don’t know if it’s a Nelson thing or if the billboards have just been moved to another location, or if their removal is symptomatic of something greater nationwide. But at the very least, it’s been my observation that much of the anger around Three Waters has dissipated since Kieran McAnulty took over the portfolio and the government reset the plan. I’m not saying Three Waters isn’t still contentious. There are still public meetings and roadshows and Facebook groups spilling with fury. I’m just saying it’s not nearly as contentious as it was 12 months ago. And even though the new ten-entity plan doesn’t make anything like the financial savings that were initially promised, the government has correctly bet that it can push ahead with a version of Three Waters without it being the single issue that costs it the election. In six years, I can think of few other significant reforms in which Labour has pursued a vision over short-term political popularity. Auckland’s Light Rail project might make the cut, except –like Three Waters– I suspect the project is probably more popular and less contentious than some of the pushback would have us believe. The nature of political leadership is that sometimes you have to make unpopular calls for the greater good. As much as voters have a collective wisdom, they’re also human. They’re motivated by short term incentives. Everyone wants more for less. I suspect that many of those who vehemently oppose Three Waters, for example, have also railed for decades against the rates increases that might have gone some way to developing water infrastructure and removing the need for the reforms in the first place. If you’re only prepared to make popular decisions, then what is the point in leadership? It’s not really leadership, is it? It’s just focus-grouping. Polling. Instead of laying out a platform, debating its merits, and pursuing a distinct vision, you might as well just have a smartphone app or a website on which everyone votes on every little policy so that you can be sure you never fall afoul of the masses. I’m not remotely surprised by Chris Hipkins’ captain’s call on tax, this week. The Prime Minister has made it clear from day one that his absolute priority is winning the election. But I do wonder if somewhere on the ninth floor, at some point, Labour’s strategists find themselves in an existential bind. If the cost of winning an election means sacrificing your political vision, then what’s the point in winning?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Olivia Dean began her career working with dance act Rudimental. With burgeoning solo success following a series of solo EPs, she now releases her debut album, Messy. It’s a mainstream pop record, but with a loose Londony informality amid the polish. You can hear the distant echo of rare groove and acid jazz.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Friend Anne Frank - Hannah Pick-Goslar  Hannah Pick-Goslar died in October just before her 94th birthday (I accidentally put in an interview request for her and that was the book publisher’s response lol)  In this long‑awaited memoir, Hannah shares the story of her childhood during the Holocaust, from the introduction of anti-Jewish laws in Amsterdam to the gradual disappearance of classmates and, eventually, the Frank family, to Hannah and her family's imprisonment in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. As Hannah chronicles the experiences of her own life during and after the war, she provides a searing look at what countless children endured at the hands of the Nazi regime, as well as an intimate, never‑before‑seen portrait of the most recognizable victim of the Holocaust. Culminating in an astonishing fateful reunion, My Friend Anne Frank is the profoundly moving story of childhood and friendship during one of the darkest periods in the world's history.    The Book of Form and Emptiness - Ruth Ozeki  With its blend of sympathetic characters, riveting plot, and vibrant engagement with everything from jazz, to climate change, to our attachment to material possessions, The Book of Form and Emptiness is classic Ruth Ozeki—bold, wise, poignant, playful, humane and heartbreaking.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his recent visit to the city of Bergamo in Italy.  Find his full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

+ Take a bus card, jump on random buses and see where the bus schedules take you! Adventure, explore, and use it as a way to teach kids how to take the bus while making busing feel cool & fun (I am doing this with my 6 & 8 year old nieces today so will have a good story/insight).  + Declutter: turn your house clearout/clean up into a game.  + Treasure hunt: even if it's raining, finding a free list online or making your own treasure hunt up can be a great source of entertainment for hours.  + Bake - but head to a package free store to source all the ingredients with the kids (let them make decisions and learn how to use the bulk bin stores).  + Upcycling: choose broken things from your house or take items from the recycling bin to carry out your own upcycling challenge.  Most of these are sustainable financially too as they are free or cost very little!  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spent some time looking at Julie’s wonderful display of bright pink Cyclamen – they are flowering beautifully – such an old-fashioned plant… (my mother had them in pots outside, all those years ago) But those Cyclamen Coum have not always been in the large pot in which the Cumquat grows its small bright-yellow/orange citrus fruits; It was one of those experimental accidents that seems to be the result of Julie’s arty Green thumbs. A few years ago, she put a small pot with Cyclamen under that cumquat; it started flowering pretty pink and produced seeds – lots of seeds.  The idea is to let the seeds develop and fall onto the soil in winter – in the following autumn they’ll produce heaps of small Cyclamen and the soil is covered in a matter of a few years. Partial shade is the preferred spot – that means you can grow these plants under trees in the garden (not necessarily in pots). They will go dormant in spring – leaves drop off and the plants stay dormant all summer. The cycle starts again in Autumn. Light (liquid) fertiliser - every now and then – will be great. Another way to get Cyclamen to reproduce is by lifting the tubers in late summer/Autumn and dividing them before replanting those underground tubers. Division of the tubers results in all offspring being very much the same (colour, size, etc) But – of course – it’s very satisfying to find the right spot and conditions that allow these plants to go nuts – and more nuts they go, the better it looks. Another way to look at seeds and their variability in development is when you start playing with a plant species through cross-pollination. Dahlias are a perfect example of a plant you can muck around with; all you need is a brush! (or a very well-trained pollinator, such as an obedient honey bee) Imagine taking pollen from a red-coloured Dahlia flower and transporting that (with your brush) to a yellow flower of the same cultivar… (or even a different cultivar – what the heck!). A cross pollination like that can sometimes yield a completely new colour morph or a new variety! This is the kind of gig that professional plant-breeders are into. In New Zealand our Famous Dahlia breeder is Keith Hammett. He created soooo many new varieties! … and every year he has sooo many seeds left to propagate – he simply runs out of time and space. This year he –once again– teamed up with the New Zealand Gardener: You can get some of Keith’s seeds and propagate those yourself; (get in touch with NZ Gardener) Imagine growing a variety that has never been seen before – Just name it yourself and propagate it by growing the tuber every year. You know how to do it!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta says 70 million people have now signed up for Threads and there have been over 90 million posts. It took Twitter four years to build that audience.    Elon is now threatening to sue Meta, alleging Meta has copied Twitter, saying  "competition is fine, cheating is not". But he's in for a hard time because copyright law doesn't protect ideas, and Meta has a patent for its newsfeed. If anything, it means Meta could counter sue Twitter - which is exactly why these companies patent things like this even if they never really expect to enforce them.  Jane Manchun Wong - who is famous in tech circles for uncovering unreleased features in Twitter (and other apps) as they're being developed - is now working for Meta on Threads.    Meta is really pushing the safety and community aspect of this app  Meta says they want it to be a "friendly" place for conversation but I still don't see how they plan to make that happen. Instagram's boss says they're not going to do anything to encourage politics and “hard news" - but that won't stop people publishing their thoughts about it? Yes, Meta has more moderation policies, more tech to enforce them, more people to manually review content - but that doesn't inherently make it a safer place. Is Twitter a less safe place than Facebook today?    What's next?  Instagram is working on a feed just for people you follow and a chronological feed - which is going to make it a LOT more usable. Right now the feed seems to display random content without rhyme or reason - I certainly can't pickup a theme to what I'm getting.  Hashtags, trending topics and more are also in the works.  They'll also add proper fediverse / activity pub support - which will could open the door to account portability, and even interoperability with other Twitter-like services.  Hopefully a proper web version is coming soon too. At the moment you can only find someone's profile if you know their username - eg. https://www.threads.net/@paulstenhouse See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Bryan Betty joined Jack Tame to talk about appendicitis: what it is, the signs, and what to do about it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unforgotten: A new season of this brilliant British crime drama starring Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar recently arrived on TVNZ+. Everybody Else Burns: A sharp British comedy about the Lewises, an everyday family from Manchester who happen to belong to an ultra-religious cult (Neon). The Horror of Dolores Roach: A comedy horror about a woman who is released from prison after 18 years, and after reuniting with an old friend, is driven to shocking extremes to survive (Prime Video).   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marianne van Velzen is a Dutch journalist who has long held a fascination with Australia, having been born in the Netherlands but growing up down under.  The country’s long informed her work – and she’s researched and written about some the most adventurous and pioneering people in Australia.  Her latest book is centered on Minnie Berrington, the first female opal miner in South Australia’s outback.  Marianne joined Jack Tame to chat about her latest work. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These are ridiculously easy to make, yummy as, and they just happen to be gluten free! Chewy, densely rich and very moreish.  Makes 12–15 cookies    Ingredients: 1 cup sugar  1 cup peanut butter  1 large egg  50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped  1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)    Method: Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.  With an electric beater or a food processor, mix sugar, peanut butter and egg until combined. Add the chopped chocolate and vanilla and mix briefly.  Roll dough into balls about the size of a walnut or golf ball, depending on how big you like your cookie. Flatten with your palm.  Bake for 14–16 minutes, flattening again at the 8-minute mark.  Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WHAM! Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham! career, from 70s best buds to 80s pop icons.    Sugar and Stars Ever since he was a little boy, Yazid has dreamed of becoming a pastry chef. Moved from one foster home to another, nothing predestined him for such a career. Yazid’s indomitable determination and resourcefulness have proven priceless in helping him succeed in the elitist arena of patisserie. Working for the world’s top chefs from Paris to Monaco, he strives to become the best and to fulfill his dream of winning the international pastry championship.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin's wife Linda is away for a couple weeks, leaving him with pages of instructions on what to feed the dog. Plus, he's finally figured out where all their money has been going. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The drive was only three hours but we knew we’d have to distract him. It’s not his fault! 6-year-olds simply do not have the biologicial composition for sitting still in place for more than about 14 seconds. And even a relatively simple drive, Auckland to Rotorua, is an almighty test for the first weekend of the school holidays. When I was a kid, my parents used to try and placate us with food. Ahead of a long drive, my three siblings and I would climb into the back of the family van, each of us with an ice-cream container full of Uncle Toby’s finest highly-processed treats. It was like a Tame family version of the marshmellow test. My sister and I would try and drag our respective treat boxes out until we’d made it most of the way to our destination. Delayed gratification. My little brother would be finished his by the time our van reached the end of the street. The first ‘are we there yet?’ came before we’d even cleared the Bombay Hills. Although I’d encouraged Mr Six-year old to plot our remaining journey time on the car’s Google Maps, it became clear he didn’t understand how to read the column with the hours remaining, and to everyone’s grave disappointment - “It says only nine more minutes!” - had been solely focusing on the minutes column for our procession down the Southern Motorway. My wife introduced a game of Hoiho. If you see a horse, you yell ‘Hoiho!’ If you see a paddock of horses, you say ‘Pataka.’ Everyone keeps tally of their total horses, until a player sees a cemetery, ‘Urupā,’ and gets to choose what other player’s horses get scratched.   Mr Six-year-old was an enthusiastic participant. A little too enthusiastic, if anything. Cows? “Hoiho!” Deer? “Hoiho!” Vegetation on distant hillsides? “Hoiho! Hoiho!” And it quickly became clear that what maybe he lacked in horse-spotting skills, he made up for in cunning. “Hoiho!” “Where?” “Oh back there around the corner. You missed it.” Finally, somewhere just south of Huntly, we resorted to technology. Not a screen, but my noise-cancelling headphones and a series of children’s podcasts, about things like why cheese is smelly and why fish can open their eyes underwater. It was a good call. Mr Six-year-old was chuffed. He asked to pause Hoiho and seemed to relax back into his seat and watch the Waikato countryside drift past. The only problem with the noise-cancelling headphones setup is that even for the quietest among us, it can be very difficult to regulate the volume of your voice. My wife would just be dozing off when she’d be wrenched from her slumber by someone screaming in the back seat. “Unpause. Hoiho! Ok, pause again.” The rate at which time passes depends on your frame of reference. I dunno if Albert Einstein had a brainwave moment in describing the theory of relativity. But part of me wonders if he took a family trip to Rotorua with a six-year-old in the back. I figured three hours was gonna’ be a long time for him. But the person most relieved when we reach our destination wasn’t Mr Six-year-old. It was me.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With her tenth studio album, “chemistry,” the singer turned talk-show host drills into the specific heartbreak of a marriage’s end.  In 2020, after filing for divorce from her husband of nearly seven years, Brandon Blackstock, Clarkson hinted at new music, claiming that she was writing the “most personal” album she’s ever made.   Last year, she said that she’d been working on the record for two years, and that she’d done the Christmas songs because it had provided a joyful break from the difficult realities of her life.  That project-in-the-making, “chemistry,” is finally out, and it is a worthy entry in the annals of breakup albums, a musical gesture that teases, entices, and—for better or worse—provides the public a window into a relationship gone bad.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lusciously located at the confluence of the mighty Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, the very name Phnom Penh conjures up an image of the exotic. I recently visited Cambodia’s capital with Emerald Cruises on their magnificent week-long float from Ho Chi Minh City. From the fluttering saffron robes of passing monks to the glimmering spires of the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh struts its Buddhist stripes at every turn. But the Cambodian capital’s shine was egregiously tarnished by the ravages of the Khmer Rouge regime. Forty years on, Phnom Penh aspires to be as electric as Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City, with swanky new developments and the hip, edgy design boom revving up the city centre’s allure, and eye-catching skyscrapers extravagantly reframing the skyline. Come nightfall, there is no question that Phnom Penh is one of the most illuminated cities in Asia, radiantly aglow in the city’s insatiable obsession with playful, escapist light shows. The city is lit! But the shameful shadow of Pol Pot and his abominable regime is a stain that cannot be airbrushed away – or joyfully dressed up in fairy lights. The past bastardry is still central to the city narrative. Remarkably, when the Khmer Rouge grabbed power, it forced most of its three million residents into the countryside, apart of its grand vision for a classless agrarian society. Today, Phnom Penh resembles a city of startling contrasts, from extreme poverty to ostentatious wealth. It’s a city gripped by entrenched state corruption and the reaffirming kindness of locals you meet. Virtually everyone I chatted to was scathing of Cambodia’s slavish dependence on China. Nearly 50% of their public debt is owed to China, with more “debt trap” loans in the works. Phnom Penh is a city where the streets have no name – merely numbers. The legacy of the Khmer Rouge looms large as one of the central reasons to visit the city and to reflect on history’s epic horrors, dipping into the darkest corners of the country's traumatised past. It’s an unvarnished, gut-wrenching experience. My first shore excursion with Emerald Cruises was to one of Cambodia’s biggest Killing Fields. Under Pol Pot's maniacal rule from 1975 to 1979, roughly a quarter of Cambodia’s population was murdered, the genocide of roughly 2 million people. Tens of thousands of Khmer Rouge prisoners who had been tortured at the infamous S-21 prison were then taken just out of town to the Choeung Ek extermination camp, which was previously a Chinese cemetery and longan orchard. Prisoners would arrive blind-folded unaware of the brutality that was about to unfold. Our guide pointed out the tree named the Killing Tree, which is where children would be beaten to death. Another tree has been named the Music Tree. The Khmer Rouge executioners would hang speakers from the tree and blast out loud music to drown out the screams of people being bludgeoned to death, so that those awaiting their fate remained oblivious to the evil about to be unleashed. The Killing Tree. Photo / Mike Yardley My guide soberly remarked that most people were viciously bludgeoned to death by farm implements, because the Khmer Rouge didn’t want to waste precious money on bullets. The most sickening spectacle at this site are the shards of bones and clothing sticking up from the vast mounds of dirt that mark the mass graves. Every time it rains, the earth reveals more and more of its sinister secrets, lurking beneath the surface. Most mass graves have been left untouched. Today the camp is a memorial site. A monumental 17-storey glass stupa, built 25 years ago, rises up from the centre, filled with 8,000 skulls, exhumed from the mass graves nearby. It's a harrowing spectacle – steel yourself. Many of the skulls, which are grouped according to age and sex, bear the holes and slices from the blows that killed them. Photo / Mike Yardley Back in town, we visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, another horrific reminder of the cruelty humans are capable of inflicting. Once a neighbourhood high school, the building was seized by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge and turned into a prison and interrogation centre, the dreaded S-21. During the prison's four years of operation, an estimated 20,000 Cambodians were tortured here before being transferred to the Killing Fields for execution. Initially it was the previous governments officials, academics, doctors, teachers, students, factory workers, monks and engineers that were imprisoned. The regime was paranoid about educated Cambodians becoming CIA spies and went to outrageous lengths to interrogate inmates and force out confessions – many of which were false confessions. Prisoners were routinely beaten and tortured with electric shocks, searing hot metal instruments and hanging. Some were cut with knives or suffocated with plastic bags. Other methods for generating confessions included pulling out fingernails while pouring alcohol on the wounds and waterboarding prisoners. Even a Kiwi, Kerry Hamill, was tortured in the prison, before being executed. He was imprisoned along with his friends after sailing off the coast from Thailand and inadvertently straying into Cambodian territorial waters. The four school buildings that made up S-21 have been left largely as they were when the Khmer Rouge left. The prison kept extensive records and photos of the victims, and many of the documents are on display; particularly chilling are the representations of torture scenes painted by S-21 survivor Vann Nath. He is just one of a handful inmates who walked out of the prison alive. His painting skills were his saving grace. Another survivor is Chum Mey. His life was only spared because of his ability to repair sewing machines for Pol Pot's soldiers. The 93 year old has appeared in numerous documentaries and still greets visitors most days in the museum courtyard. S21 Prison in Phnom Penh. Photo / Mike Yardley For a welcome change of scenery, we also headed to the bejewelled splendour Royal Palace, the official residence of current King Sihamoni. The residential areas of the palace re strictly off limits, but within the pagoda-style compound are several structures worth savouring, including the Silver Pagoda; the Throne Hall, with a tiered roof topped by a 200-foot-tall tower; and a pavilion donated by the Emperor Napoléon III and shipped here from France. Photo / Supplied The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, built from 1892 to 1902 and renovated in 1962, is one of Phnom Penh's greatest attractions. It's referred to as the Silver Pagoda because of the 5000 silver tiles—more than 5 tonne of pure silver—that make up the floor in the main temple hall. It’s also home to the Emerald Buddha—some say it's carved from jade, while others maintain that it's Baccarat crystal. In front of the altar is a 90kg solid-gold Buddha studded with over 2000 diamonds. Serious bling! Just out of Phnom Penh, we also headed to Uodong, the former royal capital of Cambodia until it moved to Phnom Penh in 1886. It’s home to the burial sites of numerous Khmer kings and the Oudong Monastery. It was fascinating to interact with some of the nuns who live here – many who lost their husbands during the insanity of Pol Pot’s regime. Best of all, entering the grace and gorgeousness of the main temple, we received a traditional Buddhist blessing from a couple of resident monks. Photo / Mike Yardley Shop up a storm in Phnom Penh. Bartering is expected and part of the fun at markets - just watch your wallet doesn't go walkabout with a fleet-footed pickpocket. Colourful krama (checked headscarves), weird and wonderful fruit, gemstones, fried grasshoppers -- it's all under one enormous Art Deco roof at Central Market. Haggle for handwoven silk, silver animal trinkets and Buddha carvings in the Russian Market's warren of dark alleys, which takes its name from the Russian wives who would previously sweep into town for a buying binge. Street 240 and Street 178 are the city's chicest boulevards, dotted with fashion boutiques, art galleries and bookstores. Phnom Penh has a reputation for booming nightlife. Booming it is, but a large part of that is actually pretty seedy. As in Thailand, in some parts of town, child prostitution is rife. The main nightlife area, nicknamed The Strip is on Street 51, spills forth with young Khmer girls from the countryside, soliciting on the footpath, waiting for large old white men with fat wallets. I felt sick. For a classier, cleaner experience, head to the riverfront scene on Sisowath Quay, where the restaurants and bars party deep into the night – without the sleazy sex trade atmos. Down on the quay, enjoy sizzling city views, cool breezes, cook-your-own-meat Khmer barbeque and rooftop cocktails at FCC, the Foreign Correspondents Club, a city institution housed in a French colonial gem. It is currently undergoing a major refresh, but the history runs deep here. Photos on the wall date back to the Khmer Rouge invasion, as taken by war correspondents who used to hang out at FCC back in the day. Photo / Supplied You’ll have a world of fun taking in the trippy night lights on a remork ride, as Phnom Penh spangles itself silly in splashy light displays. Good-cause dining is also big deal in town, whereby numerous restaurants are run by aid organisations to help fund their social programmes and train new recruits to the hospitality trade. One of the best is Friends, on St 13, which offers former street children a head-start in the restaurant business. Explore the wonders, horror and history of Vietnam and Cambodia on Emerald Harmony’s 7 night Majestic Mekong river cruise. Your cruise includes 21 meals with complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks accompanying lunch and dinner on board. Knowledgeable local guides will bring each destination to life in small group excursions. It’s an enchanting way to savour a truly heady pocket of the world. Book direct at www.emeraldcruises.co.nz Jet your way to Phnom Penh with Malaysia Airlines, who offer super-convenient, one-stop services from Auckland via Kuala Lumpur, eight times a week. With well-timed overnight flights, to and from KL, the award-winning Malaysia Airlines is a full-service carrier, renowned for competitive airfares, exceptional service and quintessential Malaysian hospitality. Bag some great fares and seats to suit with the Malaysia Airlines Explore the World Sale. www.malaysiaairlines.com Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We hear lots about “mindfulness” – it seems to be everywhere. But what actually is it and what does it do?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the common queries from the Garden involves the phenomenon of leafcurl on the leaves of peaches, nectarines, apricots, almonds …. STONE FRUIT in other words. It is caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans. The leaves (especially in spring) are discoloured and contorted (if there is such a word) disfigured and looking quite awful. Colours vary from pale green to pink and deeper purple colours, but the distortions are very diagnostic: as if the leaves have become a lot “thicker” The affected leaves fall off the trees along with infected small fruits. Infection As soon as the leaf buds have “swollen” to produce spring-time leaves, the infections take place. Later in spring and early summer, when most of the affected leaves have fallen off, the leaves appear to be “normal, but the tree will have been weakened. By then the damage has been done. With newly-formed peach leaves in spring, you are NOT advised to spray copper on those leaves, as copper often causes “burn” on those leaves and - besides – you’re too late controlling the fungus at that time. A spray with Myclobutanil (“Fungus fighter”) might be more effective as that (non-organic) material will control the fungal infection – albeit too late for that year’s crop! Timing of Infection The reason we’re talking about leaf curl at this time of the year (July) is that from Late Autumn to Early Winter (right now!) the fungal spores of Taphrina deformans are infecting the leaf buds that are being formed on the twigs for the new spring growth. Control Grab yourself a double dose of Copper spray (or a mixture of Copper and Sulphur (both regarded as organic sprays) and drench those new buds two or three times (2 weeks apart). I have the feeling that you can’t go wrong with three or even four sprays of copper from all angles, so the buds are thoroughly sprayed and the fungal spores are given a run for their money! Some folk advise to do apply another copper spray just before the leaf buds swell (in spring) and  produce leaves. But it’s quite simple: if you can control the Taphrina deformans at this time of the year, you’ll control the leaf curl too and have a much better crop of stone fruit in spring. If you still get some leaf curl on the new leaves, a quick dose of fungus fighter will “mop up” the fungus before it goes into its summer state. Hygiene Don’t forget to pick up fallen, infected leaves and fruit from the ground underneath the tree.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BOB’S BEST BUYS  Wine: Neudorf 2022 Tiritiri Chardonnay, Nelson $28  Why I chose it: - Neudorf is one of the country’s top chardonnay producers  - It is less than one/third of the price of Neudorf’s top chardonnay  - “Special occasion” wine  What does it taste like?  - Appealing, accessible chardonnay with an initial hint of fruit and alcohol sweetness leading to nicely integrated acidity that helps drive a lengthy finish. A mix of subtle mineral and citrus flavours. Great value at this price.  Why it’s a bargain: - It is one of those wines that I spot on the shelve and think they have made a mistake by underpricing it.  Where can you buy it? - Moore Wilson’s, Wellington $26.95; - Neudorf Vineyards, Upper Moutere $28. - Wine retailers know that they don’t have to discount the wine to sell it. It has such a good reputation.  Food match? - Freshly shucked Nelson Toi Point oysters garnished with a squeeze of lime. Most seafoods.  Will it keep?  - It offers great drinking now but will still be delicious in 4-5 years.  therealreview.com   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are your kids up to on Instagram and Messenger - you can now find out more than ever  Just how much time are they spending chatting to friends? The new "Messenger Supervision Tools" will show that and lots more. Parents will be able to see contacts lists, who messages with their child and who can see their Stories. They can't however see the actual messages themselves. These are available now in the USA, Canada and UK. Will roll out globally over time.   Over on Instagram, if a kid isn't following someone and they try to send a message, they'll get an invite to connect before any photos or videos can be received, or calls are connected.    An update about Meta blocking links to news sites in Canada  Well Google is doing the same now. It'll be removing all news content from Google Search, and Google news. They haven't said if links to stories about Canada from foreign publishers would be allowed. Google is calling the Online News Act "unworkable" - especially because it forces the tech companies to the negotiating table with no guidelines on what a reasonable deal should be valued at.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Kevin Milne joined Jack to chat about his win in the Lotto draw this week, and what he’d do with $33 million dollars. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hijack: Idris Elba stars in this drama about a negotiator who has to use his professional skills when his flight from Dubai to London is hijacked (Apple TV+).   The Witcher: The popular dark fantasy series sees Henry Cavill return for a third season as a monster-hunter available for hire, navigating a world where people are more wicked than beasts (Netflix).  Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorised Story of American Gladiators: This docu-series follows the dramatic rise and fall (and all the behind the scenes drama) of one of the biggest TV shows of the 1990s (Netflix). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jimmy Chin is responsible for capturing some of the most famous outdoor photos and documentaries of our time alongside his wife, Chai.  The pair shot the Oscar winning documentary Free Solo, following climber Alex Honnold conquering the 900 metre vertical rock face of El Capitan in Yosemite… without any ropes.  Jimmy and Chai have a new project that’s been picked up by Disney called Wild Life.  It follows Kris Tompkins and her partner Doug, who helped pioneer the likes of Patagonia, The North Face, and Esprit. They then turned their attention to creating National Parks throughout Chile and Argentina through one of the largest private land donations in history.  Jimmy Chin joined Jack Tame to chat about this latest project. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This beautiful fruit is in abundance right now, and it’s a great ingredient to work with given it lends itself to both sweet and savoury dishes. Often paired with blue cheese, I recently enjoyed it at a fab restaurant in Wellington, High Water on Cuba St, where they paired it with fresh burrata. This is my version of that dish.  Serves 2    Ingredients: 3 tablespoons currants, soaked in boiling water to plump 1 firm persimmon, sliced very thinly (I used a mandolin) 100g burrata or fresh mozzarella or cottage cheese Small handful of toasted hazelnuts Honey, pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar or vincotto Dressing:  2 tablespoons good olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Whisk up the dressing in a little bowl.    Method: Choose your favourite plate and dollop some of whatever cheese you’re using around it in spoonfuls or torn pieces. Cover these with the thin slices of persimmon. Drizzle over the dressing, scatter over the currants and hazelnuts. Add a final flourish of whatever you’re using, the honey, molasses etc.  Eat quietly and reverently.  Note: Vincotto is a beautiful, fruity, tangy viscous vinegar See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny  Daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter, he soon finds himself squaring off against Jürgen Voller, a former Nazi who works for NASA.      The Last Rider  American cyclist Greg LeMond wins the 1989 Tour de France to complete one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir Isaac Newton missed a trick. Albert Einstein did no better. Archimedes was good, sure. But he still failed to describe one of the most obvious principles defining almost every aspect of our mortal existance: There’s no such thing as a free lunch. So far as I’m concerned, the Theory of No Free Lunch applies to every aspect of our lives. It’s the rule of payoffs. The rule of compromises. Sure, you can drive a massive V8 that sounds awesome and goes like the clappers, but it’s probably gonna’ be terrible for the environment and a nightmare to maintain. Sure, you can have a meaningful, purposeful, nourishing job, but you’re probably only going to earn a 50th of the salary of someone trading derivatives or trafficking weapons for a living. But perhaps nowhere is the Theory of No Free Lunch more applicable than at lunch. Sure, you can have a fast, convenient, delicious meal, but it’s probably not gonna’ be very healthy. You can enjoy a highly-nutritious, wholesome, plant-based dish, but it’s probably not gonna’ be quite as tasty or convenient as some other options. Think about how we use salt and sugar. Up to a point, is it too cheeky to suggest that every sprinkle makes a dish both a bit more delicious and a bit less healthy? There are very few unicorns when it comes to the Theory of No Free Lunch, which is why I for one am not surprised in the slightest at the news on Aspartame. The World Health Organisation is reportedly preparing to define the artificial sweetener as a possible human carcinogen. Aspartame is the miracle ingredient that makes things like Diet Coke, toothpaste, and sugar-free chewing gum delicious. Sure, you’re not consuming good old-fashioned sugary calories, you’re not rotting your teeth and clogging your arteries, but there’s a cost to that deliciousness that has to be paid somewhere. You can’t have something for nothing. We have to wait a couple of weeks for the final WHO report, but that it’s taken this long to define aspartame as possibly carcinogenic is yet another great example of how stunningly little we seem to actually understand about the science of nutrition. Aspartame is in 6000 products worldwide. It’s been studied and studied and studied. Diet Coke is 41 years old! And yet if the reports are true, it’s taken until 2023 for the WHO to finally decide aspartame meets the carcinogenic threshold. The good news, if there is any, is that it’s likely you’ll need to consume a huge quantity of the stuff for it to have a significant effect. I don’t think anyone is suggesting aspartame is on the scale of leaded petrol or tobacco. I occasionally have a diet fizzy drink. I used to be addicted but I weaned myself off it for exactly this reason. I figured it had to be bad for me, somehow. But really, the thing for me is chewing gum. I chew gum like an Australian cricketer. And will this news stop me? Of course not. Because like I said... it’s not news to me. Whether carcinogenic or something else, for sugarfree gum to taste that delicious, I’ve always known there had to be a cost. I knew, and I will always know, that there is no such thing as a free lunch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Returning with their first album of new material since 2019's chart-topping Run Home Slow, Melbourne's The Teskey Brothers have unveiled their third official long player The Winding Way.  They’re playing in NZ later this year.   “Our old recording studio was on a street called Winding Way in Melbourne. We moved out of that house in 2021 just before recording this album,” Josh explains. “When we were trying to come up with a title we realised ‘The Winding Way’ is the perfect metaphor for all the recent changes we’d been through in our lives.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Covenant of Water – Abraham Verghese   From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine.   Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India's Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning -- and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala's long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl -- and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi -- will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.     Search History – Amy Taylor   A young woman’s online obsession with her new boyfriend’s deceased ex fuels this sharp and honest portrait of modern love “brimming with humor, insight, and uncomfortable truths”  After Ana flees to Melbourne in the wake of a breakup, all she has to show for herself is an unfulfilling job at an overly enthusiastic tech start-up and one particularly questionable dating app experience. Then she meets Evan. Charming, kind, and responsible, Evan is a complete deviation from her usual type; Ana feels like she has finally awoken from a long dating nightmare.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his recent trip cruising down the Mekong Delta, taking in the sights of Vietnam. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next phase of the government’s plastic ban is kicking in from July, with single use plastic straws, tableware and cutlery, and plastic bags all being phased out. Kate “Ethically Kate” Hall joined Jack Tame to chat about the ban, what it’ll mean, and how people can get ready for the changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to winter! So you want to grow that tropical Pomegranate? Punica granatum is likely to have originated from Persia or Central Asia; a closely related ancestor (Punica protopunica) came from Yemen. The Pomegranate was quickly transported by humans throughout the Mediterranean basin, California and Asia; that was made possible by the fact that these trees are extremely adaptive to various climates and soil conditions. So yes, they would probably grow nicely in Canterbury on the port hills! What made this fruit (and bark, leaves and flowers) so desirable was its medicinal use: bio-active chemicals (and anti-oxydants) were found to be anti-microbial and anti-bacterial and pretty useful in the battles with diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. Not sure how much real scientific work has been put into these medicinal claims, but as per usual, in our modern language, this fruit became a “Super Food.”   Growing the Pomegranate tree/shrub In full sun is best. In any type of soil, but well-drained soil with organic material/compost gives best results. I think that if you have rather wet soils, it may pay to “raise your bed” at least 30 centimetres to avoid inundation of the roots; Pomegranates can stand rather dry soils, which means you can water the plants when you have time – and use liquid fertiliser! There is a dwarf variety called “Nana.” It can be planted in a large pot and will grow to 1 meter high. Advantage: can be shifted to a warm spot to ripen the fruit in autumn. Use a good container mix with some slow-release fertiliser. Grow them in an area where you get warm summers, slowly extending the nice temperatures to 6 or 7 months. They're pretty resistant to cool winters, but require at least 6 months of warm temperatures to ripen the fruit. Planting time. In Auckland you can plant them in late autumn/early winter (soil temperatures are not too low and the soil not too wet); In Canterbury I would plant them in autumn when the soil is still relatively warm You need patience. Pomegranates need to get established into the soil first – they slowly start to put down their roots and create flowers on the next shoots. Don’t expect too much fruit in the first year or two. Fertilisers and watering. Not required in winter and early spring – you can ignore them! But once flowers have started to show, water the tree and chuck down some fertiliser (best to use “flowering fertiliser” for tomatoes or roses) and keep up the “care” to allow the fruit to ripen in autumn. Pruning in winter: lightly prune to remove dead branches and keep the tree in shape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Money Personalities. The Retirement Commission this week released a study which identified 5 main Money Personalities – an enterpriser, a minimalist, a socialite, a realist, and a contemporary.  Hannah McQueen has seen thousands of clients over the years, does this hold true, and does it matter?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News is disappearing from Facebook in Canada  Canada's Online News Act passed on Thursday which forces tech companies to negotiate with news publishers to link to their content. There's even a provision for binding arbitration if needed. Meta isn't happy. They said back in May that it's "like asking email providers to pay the postal service because people don’t send letters any more". Meta's argument is stronger than Google's because users choose to share the news on Facebook & Instagram, rather than Facebook itself. The tech companies have six months before the legislation comes into effect, but Facebook plans to start blocking access immediately.     Amazon wants in on the AI race too  AWS is allocating $100 million to a program to work with companies to use their AI tech. They're adding data scientists, engineers, and solutions architects. Amazon is in a slightly different position to Microsoft & Google because they don't have the same access to datasets from crawling the web. What they do have is connections for an enterprise to their own data inside the AWS data servers thanks to their position as the cloud-leader.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Class of ’09: An American thriller that follows a group of FBI agents in three distinct time periods as they grapple with the changes to the US criminal justice system as it is altered by artificial intelligence. (Disney+)    Black Snow: When a time capsule is unearthed at a Queensland high school, a small town is forced to confront the past and an unsolved murder of a student. (TVNZ+)     Carpool Karaoke: A star-studded, song-filled ride in this five-time Emmy award winning series that sees celebrities sharing a car, singing along to their favourite songs - including Succession’s Brian Cox singing The Spice Girls?! (Apple TV+)      LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz was the song of the year back in 2008, going on to achieve the relatively rare diamond status the next year, and going platinum a total of ten times. The US artist has had a successful career, with worldwide tours, multiple Grammy wins, and is a Songwriters Hall of Fame honoree. Jason has released a brand new album called Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride, and joined Jack Tame this morning to chat about both it and his career. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s soup season and this has got to be one of my absolute favourites because it’s rich with flavour but so cheap to make!  Serves 1-2    Ingredients: 1 tablespoon each butter and oil  2 onions, sliced thinly (see note)  1 scant tablespoon plain flour  3 cups beef, chicken or vege stock (or water)  Splash of white or red wine (optional)  1 bay leaf  ½ tsp sea salt  ½ tsp brown sugar  Decent grind black pepper  1-2 thick slices of bread  ¼ cup grated cheese – gruyere is traditional but you can use any    Method: In a heavy pot cook the sliced onions on a medium heat in the butter and oil. Do this with the lid on to let them sweat down. After 5-7 minutes given them a stir (lower the heat if they are getting too brown) and keep covered and cooking for 10 more minutes. Stir the flour through the onions, add a splash of the stock and cook for 1 minutes until the flour has thickened then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, lid on, for 20-30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.  To serve: Grill bread on both sides, top it with cheese and grill until cheese is melted then place on top of soup in a bowl. Enjoy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No Hard Feelings   On the brink of losing her childhood home, a desperate woman agrees to date a wealthy couple's introverted and awkward 19-year-old son before he leaves for college. Starring Jennifer Lawrence.     My Sailor, My Love  A retired sea captain and his daughter must reassess their strained relationship after he begins a new romance with a widowed housekeeper.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Kevin joined Jack Tame to say goodbye to one of New Zealand’s most endearing stars: Piggy Sue. She was adopted by Kevin and his wife Linda after starring in Vodafone ads back in 2015, but recently had to be put down after an illness. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ll be honest with you, I’ve been utterly compelled from the very start. I first read about the missing Titan submersible a few hours after it was publicly reported missing, and I’ve been hanging on every update ever since. That’s not to say I ever thought there might be a happy ending to the whole saga. This is perhaps a confronting thing to say, but in that vessel, at that depth, at that location, an instantaneous catastrophic implosion was a preferable alternative to one in which the occupants suffered over days or were conscious of what was happening. I just think –more than any other news story in recent memory– the whole thing says so much to us about human nature. First of all, the occupants themselves. Curious, daring. Fantastically wealthy. Was anyone terribly surprised to learn they were all men? And what does it say about our species that for those people who can afford it, of all the oceans in the World and all the incredible things to see, they chose an already extremely well-documented shipwreck that happens to be in a very tricky and unpleasant stretch of water. When you think about, a trip to a wreck where 1500 people died and you can still catch glimpes of shoes in the sand is a pretty morbid. Did the tourists really want to see the Titanic? Or did they just want to be able to say they’d seen the titanic? For us, watching from the outside, that a search for five men could engross the World says so much. We are utterly compelled by the horrors of the deep. We compelled by exploration. By hubris. By the faintest hope of an extremely unlikely rescue. We picture ourselves in that situation. Would I go in that submarine? What would I do now? Human beings aren’t even-handed in their interest or attention. Sadly, we don’t give nearly the same resource or news coverage to sinking migrant ships filled with poor and nameless people, missing in the Med. Is it just? Of course not. Ultimately though, nothing in this saga said more about human nature than the CEO of Oceangate, who died with his vessel. Stockton Rush was smart and resourceful enough to build a device which could make it kilometres below the surface of the ocean, but not wise enough to heed the warnings of myriad experts and engineers in what is a very small community. Ultimately every dive was a game of Russian roulette. As the film director James Cameron noted, there is something awfully poetic about the whole situation and its parallels to the original Titanic disaster, in which a captain blithely ignored warnings and steamed into the path of icebergs. Ultimately Stockton Rush will be remembered for publicly courting attention and media, boasting of his creation and lambasting his critics, only to perish by the flaws of his own design. There’s one word for it: Shakesperean.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unlike the two previous records, his first to include the Cat Stevens moniker since 1978, King of a Land is made up of all new material.  Not much has changed in Yusuf / Cat Stevens' music over the past half-century. He even sounds remarkably the same, singing in a voice that's lost none of its geniality and compassion, even if the world has.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yellowface – RF Kaung  White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from R.F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel  Killing Moon – Jo Nesbo   This killer will get inside your head...  Two women are missing, their only connection being they attended the same party, hosted by a notorious real-estate magnate. When one of the women is found murdered, the police discover an unusual signature left by the killer, giving them reason to suspect he will strike again.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The city's bling-bling urban verve is surging, but it's Saigon's history that still attracts most travellers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

47 is statistically proven to be the most depressing point of your life...but here's how to turn it around.  Numerous scientific studies have shown that happiness is U-shaped – it declines and bottoms out in your 40s as you struggle with the pressures of working life, lack of new experiences, financial worries, and the weight of responsibility.  No longer thirty and thriving? A recent study1 suggests that 47 years old is the most ‘depressing’ point of your life. But with every problem comes a solution, and Tourism Fiji has collated a series of holiday experiences designed to turn that middle-aged frown upside down.  According to the research, happiness declines and bottoms out in your 40s before slowly hiking upwards again in the mid-50s. Combine tweenaged children with mortgages, high-interest rates and depleting collagen, and you’ll potentially find yourself a miserable 40-something-year-old.  Psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland claims that there is a method to the miserable-ness: “Your 40s are a time in life when you feel the weight of responsibility most strongly. Many people will have dependent kids, alongside duties that come with ageing parents, plus potentially increasing levels of responsibility at work. All of these things can eat into your general sense of life satisfaction.”  “In your 40s, you look back with fondness at the care-free days of youth and look ahead to semi-retirement and enjoying the ‘good life’. You’re caught in the middle and stuck in a dangerous cycle of comparison.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was excited to go to my favourite circus: Cirque du Soleil; they’re back in town!! Great costumes – lots of art – and creative music.  Most of all: fabulous performers that can do incredible things with their bodies; this, by the way, is something that makes my old body ache, just looking at it!  Safety has to be an enormously important part of the show, yet you rarely see obvious signs of safety lines and nets, really…  Fast-Forward to some of our jumping spiders; their Family name is “Salticidae” from Latin “Saltare”, meaning: to jump  Some of our species are absolute masters at it – they come inside the house, look around for potential prey and then the stalking starts.  Jumping spiders have great eye-sight – total of eight eyes, two are large front eyes for perfect stereo vision…   The following “jump” is also extremely fast and accurate, but what most people don’t see is that during this jump the spider reels off silk from a gland in the abdomen. (at lightning speed!)  This silk line is the spider’s safety line, in case it misses the target or falls of the window sill, table or other precarious edge where the jump takes place.  Looking at these spiders you’ll see an entomological version of Cirque du Soleil with “web-sites” and bungy cords, safety lines and safety nets, daring jumps and lightning fast reflexes, all made from Natural fibres that are strong and efficient and - most of all – Biodegradable!  Not surprised then that some scientists think they have observed jumping spiders going into REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleeps…  No doubt dreaming about their miniaturecircus acts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cataracts  Very common as get older. 400,000 thought to be living with cataracts Not treated can lead to blindness How do we now we are getting cataracts?  Notice haziness in vision especially at night or bright light. May see halo’s around lights. Worsens vision becomes cloudy. Due to lens front of eye turning yellow or clumps protein. Reaction to UV light. Who’s at risk?  Age biggest risk factor – unusual before 40. Rarely children and develop congenital cataracts. Some things worsen risk: Smoking, diabetes, increases exposure to UV light – working outside. Why UV sunglasses so important! What can we do about it?  Surgery only long term  option! Short operation 45 minutes under local anaesthetic – your awake. Small cut in cornea (front of the eye) – lens removed and plastic one inserted. Can’t be rejected , can’t develop another one once done. Few days off work so as not to strain eyes. How do we prevent?  Regular eye checks with optometrist. Protect eyes – wear sunglasses See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Full Monty: 26 years after the unemployed men from Sheffield first stripped off in the iconic movie of the same name, they’re back - older, certainly - but are they any wiser? (Disney+)  Arnold: Following his recent return to our screens on Netflix’s Fubar, this three part documentary series looks back at the varied life of the Austrian bodybuilder and his pursuit of the American dream (Netflix)    Our Planet II: Sir David Attenborough’s latest nature documentary series follows the astonishing stories of animal migration across our planet (Netflix)   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Great NZ Toastie Takeover finalists have been announced   So, let's talk toasties, how much we love them, MY TOP TIPS FOR MAKING A GOOD ONE and encourage listeners to check out the finalist's offerings - their website is fantastically easy to navigate and find one near you. With a whopping 120,000 toasties served up since mid-April , the competition’s 185 entries have now been whittled down to 14 finalists from around the country - winner will be announced on TUESDAY 20 June.  This is such a popular competition - I love the way consumers can actually get to try the toasties during the comp and the names and combos the chefs come up with are incredible:   "Baabaa Ganoush" - Sprig & Fern Tavern (Nelson):   House smoked lamb shoulder, baba ganoush, peppery rocket, Thor’s Hammer Manchego style cheese, McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles, fresh hop aioli, on Don Rodrigo’s quinoa sourdough bread. Served with house cut twice cooked chips seasoned with rosemary and garlic Marlborough sea salt flake.  "Come out with your hams up" - Cafe Polo (WELLINGTON)   Croc MonShaw: - Good Day (Orakei): Thick cut free range smoked ham (from local butcher the legend Mr Chris Knight), lashings of cheesy, mustardy bēchamel sauce, crunchy McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles and more cheese for the ultimate melt, on local baker the Dusty Apron’s grilled sourdough.  "Sheep Thrills" - Roasted X Toasted (Lumsden)   Slow roasted Southland lamb, Old Yella mustard, creamy mayo, McClure’s Bread & Butter Pickles, three cheese blend and Kel’s homemade McClure’s pickle jelly.   The Joestie: - Shining Peak Brewing (New Plymouth)  An in-depth delve between land and sea. Smoked eel, kawakawa aioli, smoked cheddar, McClure’s Pickles, puha, topped with McClure’s pickle caviar.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Madeleine Sami is a busy woman.  Out this week is Double Parked a comedy series she both stars in and directs featuring Antonia Prebble.   She stars in a new black comedy series with the Aussies called Deadloch – released earlier this month to great reviews.  And if that wasn’t enough - Madeleine is in a band with her equally as talented sisters – called, of course, The Sami Sisters.   Madeleine Sami joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant – yes, he has put his name in the title of the film  During the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of gruelling terrain.  Extraction 2   Back from the brink of death, commando Tyler Rake embarks on a dangerous mission to save a ruthless gangster's imprisoned family.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You hope, one day, to be rich enough to take at least one long haul flight in business class.   But every time you think you can afford it, you discover that business class seats are selling at an even more outrageous price, so you’re back to economy again.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think it rates as among the single most selfish acts I can ever recall. A North Canterbury farmer, disgruntled with his local council over the water connection rates he’s being charged for an as-yet uninhabited subdivision, has decided to launch a protest against the Waimakariri District Council. In a part of New Zealand where droughts are common, and where water access is an especially contentious subject, he’s been pouring 10,000 litres of drinking water down the drain, every day. 10,000 litres. It’s like leaving a shower on for eleven or twelve hours every day. I’m sorry, but that’s not a protest. That’s environmental vandalism. It should be a crime, as far as I’m concerned. The whole situation is yet another reminder of why New Zealand councils all need to introduce water metering. I know it’s a contentious subject, but it’s outrageous to me that people like this farmer can so wilfully waste a precious resource without any financial impact. At the moment, we have a bit of a hodgepodge patchwork of water metering for different councils across the country. Some regions and cities have metering, where you’re charged relative to your usage, but many still don’t. They rely on connection fees or other forms of rates to try and finance the pipes and infrastructure. The value of metering is pretty obvious. Water metering also helps to detect leaks across the pipe network. People who are charged by their usage as opposed to their connection are incentivised to be more thoughtful about their water use. When the Kāpiti Coast introduced water metering, Stuff reported that water usage dropped 25%. That’s massive! Not only did it save the resource, it meant the maintenance on the region’s water infrastructure could be deferred for longer because the assets weren’t being hammered so hard. New Zealand lags embarrassingly compared to other countries. when it comes to water metering. It’s commonplace overseas. By the year 2000, two-thirds of OECD countries had water metering for more than 90% of their single family homes. Imagine what that number is today! Fiji has water metering! The Ivory Coast has water metering! The main criticism of metering is usually that water is a human right and metering will impact poorer families. I think we’re sophisticated enough to introduce targeted support for those people, like we do for other things. I get that it’s not a vote winner. But water metering seems an obvious thing for the new Three Waters entities to standardise across New Zealand. The thing about that farmer’s protest is that, in a way, I agree with his gripe. He says he’s protesting an annual water connection fee for sections that haven’t yet been built on. Instead of that fee, I think a per-litre charge would be much more effective tool. It’s a shame they can’t retroactively introduce it and charge him an absolute premium. Wasting 10,000 litres every day is about the most profoundly selfish thing I can imagine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three years after his last release, the 29-year-old singer has jumped feet first into the spotlight to promote third album The Show. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything is Beautiful, Everything Hurts – Josie Shapiro  Mickey Bloom: five foot tall, dyslexic, and bullied at school. Mickey knows she's nothing special. Until one day, she discovers running.  Mickey's new-found talent makes her realise she's everything she thought she wasn't – powerful, strong and special. But her success comes at a cost, and the relentless training and pressure to win leaves Mickey broken, her dream in tatters.  Years later, when Mickey is working in a dead-end job with a drop-kick boyfriend, her mother becomes seriously ill. After nursing her, Mickey realises the only way she can overcome her grief – and find herself – is to run again.  A chance encounter with a stranger sees Mickey re-ignite her dreams. The two women form an unbreakable bond, as Mickey is shown what it means to run in the right direction.  The Forgotten Girls – Monica Potts  An unforgettable story of friendship and lost promise in 21st-century America  Growing up gifted and working-class in the foothills of the Ozarks, Monica and Darci became fast friends. The girls bonded over a shared love of learning as they navigated the challenges of their declining town and tumultuous family lives - broken marriages, shuttered stores and factories. They pored over the giant map in their classroom, tracing their fingers over the world that awaited them, vowing to escape. In the end, Monica left Clinton for university and fulfilled her dreams. Darci, along with many in their circle of friends, did not.  Years later, working as a journalist covering poverty, Monica discovered what she already intuitively knew about the women in Arkansas. Their life expectancy had steeply declined - the sharpest such fall in a century. She returned to Clinton to report the story, trying to understand the societal factors driving disturbing trends in the rural south. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

- Waterfalls and cascades are a huge draw in Vanuatu. Where's best?  - If you've got a head for heights, the Sky Bridge sounds like a plan.  - And there's a ziplining trek as well, right?  - What about day trips to islands beyond the mainland?  - And they have massive coconut crabs on Lelepa!  - What about Mozo and the Turtle Sanctuary.  - Further afield. Tanna Island Coffee. Can you visit the island?   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

- Acknowledging how brilliant it is that people are becoming more aware of the detriments of plastic and avoiding it more often.  - Discussing what plastic is found in: chewing gum, tea bags, our clothes, makeup (IN the product, not just the packaging!), paper coffee cups (lined with plastic)  - In preparation for Plastic Free July we can become more aware of where plastic is and start using alternatives  - Alternatives to that list = no chewing gum (I use mouthwash and tongue scraper instead to reduce bad breath), loose leaf tea (I use a reusable metal tea bag replacement), clothes made from natural fibres (wool, cotton), makeup free from plastic, no cup no coffee + BYO reusable + sit in + use a reusable cup scheme.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bic Runga is a true icon of New Zealand music. She’s been awarded just about every music award in the country and was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2006.  And can you believe, it’s been 20 years since the release of her hit album Beautiful Collision.  It has tunes like Something Good and Listening for the Weather and Bic is celebrating by going on tour across the country next month.   Tickets to Bic’s tour are available at LiveNation. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why I chose it:  - Pinot Gris is to wine what mashed potatoes is to cuisine – a bit taken for granted. It’s a comfort wine, a crowd pleaser that is quietly growing both locally and internationally.  - This is classic example – smooth textured and pleasingly fruity – seductively easy to drink.  - Pinot Gris falls into two categories: Lusciously intense wines in the style of the French wines from Alsace and the leaner, drier and often tangy wines Pinot Grigio from Italy. (both are made from pinot gris grapes). This follows the French model.  What does it taste like?  - Attractive floral/honeysuckle aromas and flavours suggesting ripe pear, nectarine and peach with a subtle spicy influence. The wine has a nice sweet/sour balance with some pleasing tension.  Why it’s a bargain:  - A lot of bang for a high quality wine priced at around $15  Where can you buy it?  - The Good Wine Co., Auckland $13.99, Vino Fino, Chch $13.99 and Wine Freedom Ltd, Otago $13.99  Food match?  - Quite a versatile food wine, my favourite match is onion tart. The sweetness in the onions matches the subtle sweetness in the wine.  Will it keep?  - Drink up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just before we start winter (almost 12 more days to go) on 22 June at 2.57 am, it might be a nice idea to look at planting trees  The soil is still relatively warm – and hopefully not too wet yet  What am I looking for there?  Fruit trees you really like – take your favourite variety of apple or pear or an elegant, fast-growing Sanguine peach that doesn’t show a lot of brown rot or any other typical peach diseases.  Your heart goes out to spring and summer and now’s the time to plant that stuff  Remember: if you are short of space, grab a young tree with two (or three) varieties grafted on the Main stem/Trunk;  Have a look at the catalogues of New Zealand’s best tree Nurseries.  As an entomologist, this is what I’d be looking for: host plants/Trees for our native insect taonga.  Mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus) (AKA marble leaf) is one I use all the time. Tree weta love to eat it (and I use heaps of the leaves to feed my captive specimens.  Maori use the soft wood of mahoe to make fire, by rubbing it with Kaikomako (Pennantia corymbosa) a very hard wood species, endemic to NZ.  Both small-ish trees produce fruits that are devoured by some of our native bird species: the violet-blue Mahoe seeds are eaten by kereru and geckoes.  The purple berries of Kaimakomako are in demand by birds, large and small.  Plant both trees and you can make fire, boy-scout style!  Another great example is planting a putaputaweta (Carpodetus serratus) also known as marble leaf.  Native of New Zealand and serving many creatures well.  One of the most favourite host plants of the Puriri moth. The caterpillars live inside this tree for many years – growing into a beautiful bright-green moth in the North Island of Aotearoa.  When the moths have vacated their tunnel in the putaputaweta, they leave behind a perfect second-hand dwelling for our Tree weta.  Planting this tree will support a heap of native species through an ecological system and food chain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FaceTime on your TV  Instead of gathering around a phone, or a laptop to connect with family or friends, why not gather around the biggest screen in your house - the TV. The new feature allows you to use your iPhone as a camera, connected to your Apple TV. Plus, it'll have the 'centre stage' capability so if you move around it will automatically reframe you. Would have been amazing for the pandemic lockdown, but will still be future going forward.   Your iPhone as a smart display  Apple is calling it StandBy. When your phone is charging (usually beside your bed) your phone will turn into a smart display showing you the time in a large font (like an old clock radio), what time your alarm is set for and other things like the weather forecast. Obviously, Siri is right there too - which now doesn't need the "hey". Plus - wait for it- you can now have more than one timer at the same time. Huge.   Interactive widgets  On your iPhone and iPad you'll be able to interact directly with the widgets. Today they take you to their associated app. On Mac, you'll b able to add these interactive widgets to your desktop, allowing you to quickly see and do things you'd usually need to open an application to do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tour de France Unchained: A new documentary series on Netflix. Through tears and triumph, this series follows several cycling teams as they compete in the 2022 instalment of the world's most gruelling bike race.   Fortitude: A crime thriller starring Richard Dormer, Dennis Quaid and Stanley Tucci, set on the edge of the Arctic Circle. Fortitude is one of the safest towns on earth, where there’s never been a violent crime - until now (Neon, 3 seasons).  Based on a True Story: Kaley Cuoco stars in this true crime satire about a realtor, a former tennis star and a plumber who seize a unique opportunity to capitalise on America's obsession with true crime (TVNZ+). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yes, you read that right – broccoli on a pizza and let me tell you, it’s AMAZING! Makes 4 GF pizza base Makes 3-4 medium 450g gluten free flour, plus extra for dusting ¼ baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 80ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing 160mls lukewarm water - Sift gluten free flour, bicarb of soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Pour in egg, olive oil and water and mix to combine. - Divide dough into 3-4 portions and roughly knead each into a ball. - Working with each portion of dough, use floured hands to press and flatten and then roll out to desired shape and thickness – I aim for an oblong shape. Transfer to lined tray, brush with oil and now it’s ready for any toppings you choose. Topping 1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stem sliced Juice and zest from one lemon ½ cup grated mozzarella 50g grated parmesan 100g feta, crumbled Sauce ½ cup sour cream ¼ cup cream ¼ tsp sea salt Freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 220-250 C. Add broccoli to food processor and pulse briefly to roughly chop. Mix with zest and juice and cheeses. In a bowl whisk together sour cream, cream and seasonings. Spoon this sauce over pizza bases, top with broccoli/cheese mix and bake for 12-15 minutes until broccoli is cooked and even charred in some places. Serve immediately.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry   A seemingly unremarkable man in his 60s named Harold one day learns his old friend Queenie is dying. He embarks on a walk, only to keep going for 450 miles until he reaches Queenie's hospice, much to the despair of his wife Maureen.  The Tank  After inheriting his mother's abandoned coastal property, Ben and his family accidentally unleash an ancient, long-dormant creature that terrorized the entire region -- including his own ancestors -- for generations.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne joins Jack Tame to talk about what he's learning as a grandparent looking after a baby for one day a week - and how he sleeps so well after it.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I first realised it this week, running through the city and around Hagley Park on one of those beautiful, still, cold South Island evenings.   For me, it was a long time coming. Twelve years and three months, all up.  Maybe others felt it earlier. Maybe others haven’t reached the point yet. I know those who’ve lived in Christchurch right throughout, who never left the city, might have a completely different perspective, and that’s ok.   But as a Cantab at heart, for the first time I feel I can say it with absolute confidence. It’s emphatic. Christchurch has crossed the threshold. For the first time since 2010 I reckon the city today is better than it was before the quakes.  There’s no one thing. There’s one project or development that’s pushed it past that point. It’s a collection of little things that make Ōtautahi so good.  For starters, the city. Finally the Cathedral isn’t just lying in ruin. The remote-controlled digger cleaning up the masonry and bird crap finished its job in record time. The build’s progressing, and fast.  Te Pae, Christchurch’s glorious new convention centre, is a stupendous venue. Across the road, Tūranga, the new library is surely the best of any big city in New Zealand. The art gallery is amazing. The Margaret Mahy playground is the stuff dreams are madeof for kids and adults alike.  The food in Christchurch is so good. Christchurch’s old strip was seedy as, but Riverside Market, The Terrace, and New Regent Street have energy and life.   The central city’s new shape works with Ōtakaro, the Avon River. The water’s clear and clean and meanders from the gleaming new buildings down near the splendid historic Arts Centre, and into the World-class Botanic Gardens.  I bristle with envy when I think of all the things on Christchurch’s doorstep. Taylors Mistake, New Brighton, and Sumner have surf. Mt Hutt has snow. Lyttelton has perhaps the most interesting music and arts community in New Zealand. Hagley Oval has a gorgeous cricket ground and the Christchurch Adventure Park is the gateway to World-class mountain biking.   There are young people in the city and they want to be there. At a time when many New Zealand universities are being forced to cut jobs, Canterbury University is hiring. This year, they tell me the university is on track for a record number of students. Domestic enrolments are up. International enrolments are up. There are students from 100 countries studying at Canterbury, from Mozambique to Myanmar to Mongolia. The number of people enrolled is up 7% at the end of March compared to the same time last year. It’s the University’s 150th birthday this year, and the halls of residence are at absolute capacity.   The cost of housing in Christchurch is so much cheaper than Auckland, and the quality is so much less depressing than in Wellington. It’s younger than Tauranga, more coastal than Hamilton and warmer than Dunedin.   I know it’s not perfect. I know how much pain and stress it’s taken to get things to this point. I’m under no illusions that places out East – Bromley, in particular – have a hell of a long way to go. The sprawl North and West means the traffic can be a total pain.  But with good leadership and planning, the city should only get better. Maybe it’s too big. Maybe it’s too expensive. But just imagine the atmosphere in town for that first All Blacks test in Te Kaha.   Years ago when I was living in New York, I asked the city’s chief urban designer about lessons from Manhattan’s recovery after the 9/11 attacks. He had a tear in his eye when he spoke to me about the transformation he’d experienced.   “Instead of asking yourself what happens if you get it wrong, ask yourself the opposite,” he said.   “What happens if Christchurch is too good? What happens if you remake your city and it’s so good that everyone wants to live there?”  I don’t reckon we’re far off. Christchurch has energy. Christchurch has mojo. Christchurch is better than ever.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave Fishwick left school at the age of 16, determined to become the largest supplier of minibuses in the UK as well as a self-made multi-millionare. During the economic crisis of 2011 banks stopped lending money overnight, so Dave picked up the slack. He began lending money to struggling businesses in his hometown of Burnley, starting the Bank of Dave. Dave joined Jack Tame to have a chat about the business and the Netflix film based off it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a stunning response to the pain of last year... As is the rest of the album, which hums with an intensity and focus that Foo Fighters' more recent outings have lacked.  Musically, it's back to basics. Muscular chords and melodic riffs are the order of the day, as the band power through their sadness.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hang the Moon – Jeanette Walls Most folk thought Sallie Kincaid was a nobody who’d amount to nothing. Sallie had other plans.Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father’s daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother’s son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.   Knowing What We Know – Simon Winchester With the advent of the internet, any topic we want to know about is instantly available with the touch of a smartphone button. With so much knowledge at our fingertips, what is there left for our brains to do? At a time when we seem to be stripping all value from the idea of knowing things—no need for math, no need for map-reading, no need for memorization—are we risking our ability to think? As we empty our minds, will we one day be incapable of thoughtfulness?  Addressing these questions, Simon Winchester explores how humans have attained, stored, and disseminated knowledge. Examining such disciplines as education, journalism, encyclopedia creation, museum curation, photography, and broadcasting, he looks at a whole range of knowledge diffusion—from the cuneiform writings of Babylon to the machine-made genius of artificial intelligence, by way of Gutenberg, Google, and Wikipedia to the huge Victorian assemblage of the Mundanaeum, the collection of everything ever known, currently stored in a damp basement in northern Belgium.  Studded with strange and fascinating details, Knowing What We Know is a deep dive into learning and the human mind. Throughout this fascinating tour, Winchester forces us to ponder what rational humans are becoming. What good is all this knowledge if it leads to lack of thought? What is information without wisdom? Does Rene Descartes’s Cogito, ergo sum—“I think therefore I am,” the foundation for human knowledge widely accepted since the Enlightenment—still hold?  And what will the world be like if no one in it is wise?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his visit to Port Vila, Vanuatu. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent survey from TradeMe has shown that people often invest more in themselves after a breakup. They spend more time and invest more energy into doing things like working out, eating healthier, buying things for themselves, and relaxing alone. Clinical Psychologist with Umbrella Wellbeing Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to chat about this change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our old Auckland garden we used be surrounded by so-called rainbow skinks. They were everywhere and… what a cool name! The best way to describe them: a small grey-brown skink with a dark brown, lateral stripe along the body. When they are sun bathing it is easy to find a spectacular rainbow-coloured sheen on their scales. I quickly learned these fascinating and quite pretty animals are actually Australian interlopers, arriving here in the 1960s. Common in the North Island, especially in the northern half: Northland to Waikato with populations in New Plymouth, Hawkes Bay, Whanganui, Palmerston North and Wellington. There are a few records from Blenheim too. I was hoping they were not in the South Island – but they are…  They can easily live here too – In Tasmania they’re well-established. Impact: They are numerous and aggressive; accused of eating our native invertebrates and ousting our timid native skink species through competition for space, habitat and food. Our native skinks are already under pressure from cats and stoats and weasels, so this exotic Aussie skink is likely to add some more pressure. They are classed as “invasive”, here in New Zealand and if we look at their track record in Hawaii (established there since early 1900s), I would not be surprised if these skinks are having an impact on our herpetological fauna and perhaps other delicate ecological balances. Isn’t it ironic that this skink’s scientific name is Lampropholis delicata? Scientists and Biosecurity creatives have re-named that “rainbow skink” to “plague skink”; Our best approach is to be aware of them and learn to tell them apart from our native skinks Identifying them from native species is not that easy: you’ve got to look at them up-close and focus on the top of their head; Right in the centre of the head – right on top and between the eyes – is a large diamond-shaped scale. That is the plague/rainbow skink. If that large scale is divided into two smaller scales, you’re looking at a Native species. Once you know what to look for, you can’t really miss the interloper. And then there are the creamy white eggs. You often find these 8 mm eggs in clusters in the soil or underneath rocks. Apart from one rather rare native species of skink (Oligosoma suteri), the Plague Skink is the only one that lays eggs. If you’re sure you can tell them apart, try catching and dispatching them. Please don’t think they are great “pets” for your kids or grand kids, because they are not! And be aware they are masters at hiding in your luggage when you are travelling. That way they spread themselves all over the place. Once again, the concept of Biosecurity sneaks back into the garden!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are plenty of indicators suggesting that things could be about to turn when it comes to the property market. Building consents, migration numbers, LVR changes, auction clearance rates, interest rates peaking, etc – however, it’s important to call out what we’ve (hopefully!) learned from the pandemic surge and slump. Property is not just a one-way bet, it’s best as a long-term investment, so that means people need to go into it with their eyes wide open in order to be able to hold it long term and avoid getting burnt. Especially if things do start to rise again, you shouldn’t rush in without doing your homework, knowing your numbers, and understanding your hold strategy (people definitely seem to suffer from FOMO if they think they’re missing out on a rise in the property market and rush in). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've been talking about the AI wars, now get set for the VR wars  Apple is expected to launch a brand-new device next week at its developer conference - a virtual reality and mixed reality headset.  Meta seems to have wanted to steal their thunder by announcing their new Quest 3 this week. It's far lighter and thinner than the v2, which makes it more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. It has a new processor, but it won't have eye tracking which could be where Apple beats them if they're going to create a high-end product that's packed full of features. Meta says they've sold 20 million headsets so far.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deadloch: Madeleine Sami plays a police detective in this dark Australian comedy-drama set in the Tasmanian town of Deadloch, who must investigate the mysterious death of a local man during a popular festival (Prime Video).     Maternal: A British drama about three female doctors all returning to work in the NHS after the birth of their children (TVNZ+, also TVNZ 1 10.05pm Saturday nights).  Fubar: Arnie is back! Arnold Schwarzennager makes his TV series debut as a CIA operative near retirement, who discovers a family secret and decides to go back into the field for one last job (Netflix).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These are wonderfully easy to whip up on a long weekend and you can choose whatever fruit you like – pears, apples, stonefruit, berries – whatever is in season!   Ingredients: 2 firm pears  400g flaky puff pastry (I use Pannetton or a block of puff pastry)  Flour for rolling  ½ cup store-bought custard, cream cheese or sour cream (if using these 2, add 1-2 tbps brown sugar)  1 heaped tbsp ground almonds  2 tbsps honey, warmed  Icing sugar to dust    Method: Preheat oven to 220 C. Lightly flour an oven tray. Peel, halve and neatly core pears. I use a teaspoon to remove core. Use a small knife and slice thinly keeping each slice attached at the stem end. This is so that you can fan them out. Dust a bench with flour. Roll pastry to 36x36cm square. Divide into 4 squares. Transfer to prepared tray. Score a 1cm border around each square. Mix custard with ground almonds or if using cream cheese / sour cream with sugar and almonds. Dollop a heaped tablespoon onto each pastry. No need to spread. Fan out each sliced pear halve and lay onto custard, keeping within the border. Brush pear with honey. Bake until puffed and golden and pastry bottom is cooked – about 15-20 minutes. Brush with more honey whilst still warm and allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.    Bank of Dave  A working class man and self-made millionaire, struggles to set up a community bank to help the town's local businesses thrive. To do so, he must battle London's financial institutions and compete for the first banking license in over 100 years.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Kevin’s here to chat about Everest Day and throw his support behind an idea of how to celebrate it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack to chat about his recent visit to the beautiful Halong Bay in Vietnam.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beating out Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi's second album 'Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent' is the fastest selling album of the year thus far.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wager, David Grann  On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as “the prize of all the oceans,” it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes.  The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann’s recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O’Brian, his portrayal of the castaways’ desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance, and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller. As always with Grann’s work, the incredible twists of the narrative hold the reader spellbound.    The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, Tom Hanks Part One of this story takes place in 1947. A troubled soldier, returning from the war, meets his talented five-year-old nephew, leaves an indelible impression, and then disappears for twenty-three years.  Cut to 1970: The nephew, now drawing underground comic books in Oakland, California, reconnects with his uncle and, remembering the comic book he saw when he was five, draws a new version with his uncle as a World War II fighting hero.   Cut to the present day: A commercially successful director discovers the 1970 comic book and decides to turn it into a contemporary superhero movie.  Cue the cast: We meet the film’s extremely difficult male star, his wonderful leading lady, the eccentric writer/director, the producer, the gofer production assistant, and everyone else on both sides of the camera.  Bonus material: Interspersed throughout are three comic books that are featured in the story—all created by Tom Hanks himself—including the comic book that becomes the official tie-in to this novel’s “major motion picture masterpiece.”    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Temu has been covering the internet in advertising over the past couple months, and the app has been topping free app charts on a regular basis. Kate Hall, an expert in sustainability has a few thoughts on the app, and on online shopping in general. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the most incredible endemic insects in the collective New Zealand garden flies largely under the radar, yet it is as common as muck and lives for most of its life in a silk sleeping bag. Liothula omnivora is known in the trade as the “bag moth” or “case moth”. Tiny, baby caterpillars spin themselves a small silken case in which they incorporate pieces of foliage, twigs, mosses or lichens, to either jazz it up a bit, or – if you are a boring entomologist – for camouflage. This Caterpillar silk is very strong indeed (try ripping a silk scarf in half!) and our case moth caterpillar's efforts are right up there in terms of strength. They carry their private bags with them as they move long grazing on foliage at night. As the insect grows, it extends it bag to suit its needs. Along the way it feeds on its favourite host plant (often conifers, but also titoki, roses and even elms or flax) and adds more desiccated plant materials to its bag, to blend in with its surroundings. In the New World car park at Kohimaramara I once found a whole colony of case moth bags constructed of bits of torn plastic shopping bags; these bags were blown about and trapped by the fancy Chamaecyparis bushes on which the larvae fed. I even heard of liberal European entomologists, no doubt indulging in mind-altering substances, providing their captive colony of case moths with psychedelic bits of coloured paper – just for a laugh. Technological Tricks: At the top of the bag the caterpillar has constructed a draw-string system: when there’s trouble brewing, the insect can withdraw into its case and quickly close the opening behind it. One simple movement. Safety! A similar draw-string contraption exist right at the bottom of the case. It avoids the problem of ablutions in the bottom of the sleeping bag. Makes sense too! The pupa, or chrysalis is also formed in the bag, ready for metamorphosis. Most moth species emerge from their pupa and cocoon as full-winged imagoes, or adult specimens. In the case of our native bag moth only the male is winged and able to fly. It has dark grey to jet-black wings and can motor along very rapidly. These guys also have a very acute sense of smell, so that they can pick up the merest whiff of a suitable female. All they have to do is just follow the scent trail. Female bag moths have no wings at all and are therefore confined to the very same silk case in which they lived all their larval life. They can’t fly or move much at all, for that matter and they appear nothing more than a bloated insect with stumpy legs and an abdomen full of eggs. The best they can do to assist the searching male is sticking out the abdomen from the bottom tip of the case, to make the pheromone a bit easier to spot. When the female is fertilized, she dies and her eggs simply hatch from inside her dried-up body. The first nourishment of the brand new caterpillars could well be bits of the maternal carcass, before they leave the old silken case and settle in the same tree where mum lived. Some tiny caterpillars may drift a wee distance on their strands of silk, which act like balloons in the gentle breeze. Most of the offspring, however will stay on the same old maternal tree for the next generation… and the next and the next. This explains why we often find heaps of case moths on the same host – a real "infestation". A population like that can eat voraciously and sometimes plants are damaged. But does it require wholesale slaughter of these clever silk spinners? I don’t think so, but the reason why is a completely different story. The story is the wonderful Maori legend of Hineraukatauri (the goddess of Māori flute music); she loved her pūtōrino flute (shaped like a case moth bag) quite a lot; so much so that she transformed herself into the moth and living inside the pūtōrino bag…. mātauranga pepeke!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WhatsApp will now let you edit your messages  There are some restrictions though - it has to be done in the first 15 minutes of sending it. It can only be edited once. It'll show as edited, but won't have a way to see the previous message. So good news, if you edit it before your recipient reads it, they'll never know what you said originally.  To do it, long press on the message and select edit.    Neuralink: Elon Musk's brain chip firm wins US approval for human study   Elon Musk's brain-chip firm says it has received approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to conduct its first tests on humans.  The Neuralink implant company wants to help restore vision and mobility to people by linking brains to computers. It says it does not have immediate plans to start recruiting participants. Mr Musk's previous ambitions to begin tests came to nothing.   The FDA said it acknowledged Neuralink's announcement.  An earlier bid by Neuralink to win FDA approval was rejected on safety grounds, according to a report in March by the Reuters news agency that cited multiple current and former employees.    TikTok is suing Montana  TikTok has filed suit too claiming the law is “unconstitutionally shutting down the forum for speech for all speakers on the app”. They say it's a violation of the first amendment, and an overreach of the powers afforded to the states. A group of content creators agree, and are also suing the state claiming it violates the First Amendment.  The law bans the app from the App Stores, but also prevents the operation of TikTok in Montana. Users though will not be liable for penalties.  TikTok's CEO said this week Oracle has begun to review the TikTok source code to verify data isn't leaving the US and can only be viewed by authorized parties (eg. not China's government). It's part of 'Project Texas' which has Oracle host all the user data for US users. The law will come into effect in 2024.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Clearing: Miranda Otto and Guy Pearce star in this adaptation of J.P. Pomare’s book about a woman who must confront the secrets of her past to prevent a local cult from brainwashing members of her community (Disney+)    Platonic: A screwball comedy starring Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne as platonic best friends who reconnect after a long rift, only for their friendship to become all-consuming in their lives (Apple TV+)     Merpeople: A new documentary series about the whimsical world of -wait for it- professional mermaiding, where people’s passion for swimming in glitter and fins has exploded into a huge, money-spinning industry (Netflix).    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shaun Wallace, the Dark Destroyer, is a man with a big brain and a lot of knowledge.  The Londoner shot to fame when he won the BBC’s legendary Mastermind in 2004, and is one of television’s most beloved Chasers.  But he’s not only a quiz champion, Shaun’s also a successful barrister and has been a criminal defence advocate for more than three decades.   Shaun joined Jack this morning ahead the events he’s hosting all over New Zealand over the next week. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celebrate the apple season with this absolutely gorgeous apple cake. It’s full of warming spices and with a golden caramel topping, it’s a winner.  Ingredients:  85g (about 6 tbsps) butter  ½ cup sweetened condensed milk  1 tsp vanilla extract  ¼ tsp cinnamon  2 medium apples, peeled and sliced thinly  Cake batter  120g butter, softened  ¾ cup sugar  2 large eggs  1 ½ cups plain flour  1 ½ tsps baking powder  ½ tsp baking soda  2 tsps ground cinnamon  ½ tsp nutmeg  Decent pinch salt  ½ cup sultanas  6 tbsps milk (you may not need it all)  Method:  Turn oven to 180 C fan bake. Grease and line a 21cm cake tin with baking paper. In a small pot, heat butter with condensed milk until butter is melted. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Pour into lined tin then layer up sliced apples on top. Chill while you make the batter. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until creamy. Add in dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt - and beat briefly until combined. With the beater running, add in the sultanas and drizzle in the milk to form a nice soft, but not sloppy, batter. Spoon batter on top of apples. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Set aside for 10-15 minutes then turn out onto serving plate so that the apple-y cake bottom becomes the top. Serve warm or room temperature with whipped cream. Yum! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Innocent - Cannes International Film Festival 2022 Familial tensions, criminal hijinks and unexpected romance collide in the uproariously entertaining new comedy hit from the multi-talented Louis Garrel (A Faithful Man). Lyon, present day. When widowed marine biologist Abel (Garrel) learns that his impulsive mother Sylvie (Anouk Grinberg) is once again re-marrying – this time to an inmate she met whilst teaching theatre in prison – he’s more than uncomfortable. Doubting that convicted burglar Michel (Roschdy Zem) is capable of staying out of trouble, Abel’s protective streak kicks in, and with the help of his best friend Clémence (a sensational Noémie Merlant), he begins tailing his new stepfather’s movements. Their amateur sleuthing is quickly uncovered by Michel and triggers an unlikely – and bold - business proposition for them both… Joyfully paying homage to the great crime capers of the French New Wave, and partly inspired by events from his own life, Garrel’s witty and beautifully constructed film is a delirious mix of comedy, romance, suspense and action, with several twists too good to spoil. Selected as the special Gala Screening to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival - where it drew a thunderously positive response - this hilarious comedy aims to please, and does so effortlessly. Don’t miss it!    Deep Rising - Doc Edge Film Festival  Narrator is your old mate Jason Momoa. On at cinemas in Auckland and Wellington and virtually for others.  Delving into the pressing issue of deep-sea mining and its destructive impact on the environment, director Rytz provides a rare insight into the secretive world of the corporations that are extracting valuable metals from the ocean floor, with the help of cutting-edge technology. Narrated by Jason Momoa, the film highlights the urgent need to protect the deep ocean ecosystem, which plays a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth. Through stunning visuals and compelling storytelling, viewers are made aware of the little-known practice of deep-sea mining and its devastating consequences.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Kevin wants to remember Tina Turner, going right back to the first time he saw her perform as Ike & Tina Turner and the Ikettes.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It took Sanitarium an awfully long time to finally dedicate a series of its Weetbix collector cards to the World Cup-winning Black Ferns. My colleagues at Fair Go covered it in depth, and when it was finally announced that Weetbix would publish a Black Ferns series, most of us assumed that would be that. But a fascinating story in the Herald revealed the best-known women’s rugby player in the World will not be appearing in the trading card series, becuase Ruby Tui insisted on appearing on the cards with a rainbow flag. Sanitarium is owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the church’s official stance opposes same-sex relations. But what’s remarkable about the reporting this week is that when Ruby Tui made the request to appear with a rainbow flag, it wasn’t necessarily Sanitarium that shut it down. According to reporting from Gregor Paul, the company was open to discussing the issue and it was actually New Zealand Rugby that blocked the plan, not wanting to set a precedent in allowing a player to use a commercial proposal to advocate for a personal cause. If this it true, it’s remarkable. Because last I checked, rainbow rights aren’t just a personal cause. New Zealand Rugby has signed up to the Pride Pledge, a public committment to diversity and inclusion. The organisation’s diversity and inclusion strategy specifically names rainbow communties as one of its targetted groups. And of course, many of the Black Ferns team are openly members of the rainbow community. If Ruby Tui had wanted to appear with the logo of a specific political party, of course that would be different. If she’d insisted on wearing branding for a personal company, that would be different too. But surely if a player’s personal cause directly overlaps with the broadly-stated and celebrated cause of the organisation they’re representing, then it’s no longer just a personal cause. I’m glad we live in an age where players feel they can make a stand. I admired Sonny-Bill Williams for his decision not to wear logos from sponsors in industries he opposed. In Ruby Tui’s case, she’s ultimately leaving money on the table and making a principled stand. We’d all like to think that for an issue or a cause we cared about, we’d have the integrity to do the same thing. We don’t know what would have happened if Ruby Tui and Sanitarium had properly discussed her request. Given it’s owned by the church, there’s good reason to believe Sanitarium might ultimately have opposed Ruby Tui’s appearance. I wonder what might have happened if other players had followed Ruby’s lead and insisted on holding rainbow flags. Sanitarium might have found itself in a very tricky position indeed. But that’s on Sanitarium. And if the reporting this week is accurate and it was ultimately New Zealand Rugby that stepped in, it adds a very different dynamic to the whole situation. I think it says something about the character and priorities of the organisation. Sure, we’re all for rainbow rights, until it impacts our bottom line.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anchored by evocative melodies and an enthralling lyrical narrative, First Two Pages of Frankenstein signals a thrilling new chapter in the band’s discography. The 11-song album was produced by The National at Long Pond Studios in upstate New York and features guest appearances by Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens.  The follow-up to 2019’s top five hit album I Am Easy To Find, First Two Pages of Frankenstein was initially stalled while lead singer Matt Berninger navigated “a very dark spot where I couldn’t come up with lyrics or melodies at all, and that period lasted for over a year. Even though we’d always been anxious and argued quite a lot whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end.”  Instead, The National “managed to come back together and approach everything from a different angle, and because of that we arrived at what feels like a new era for the band,” according to guitarist/pianist Bryce Dessner.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Diamond Eye – Kate Quinn  The brand-new historical novel based on a true story from the bestselling author of The Rose Code and The Alice Network In the snowbound city of Kiev, aspiring historian Mila Pavlichenko’s life revolves around her young son – until Hitler’s invasion of Russia changes everything. Suddenly, she and her friends must take up arms to save their country from the Fuhrer’s destruction.  Handed a rifle, Mila discovers a gift – and months of blood, sweat and tears turn the young woman into a deadly sniper: the most lethal hunter of Nazis.  Yet success is bittersweet. Mila is torn from the battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America while the war still rages. There, she finds an unexpected ally in First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and an unexpected promise of a different future.  But when an old enemy from Mila’s past joins forces with a terrifying new foe, she finds herself in the deadliest duel of her life.  The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.  The House of Eve – Sadeqa Johnson   1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.  Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.  With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about his time in Hanoi, Vietnam. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool has some advice for us around supporting a partner that suffers from a chronic illness. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wine: 2022 Framingham Classic Riesling, Marlborough $31.99  Why I chose it:  - I love Riesling  - Riesling is the best value NZ wine  - Framingham is one of the country’s top Riesling producers  What does it taste like?  - Medium-dry riesling with lime zest, oyster shell and white wildflower flavours supported by vibrant acidity that reacts with a suggestion of sweetness to give a deliciously vibrant character. Good purity and power.  Why it’s a bargain:  - One of the world’s great grape varieties and low demand.  Where can you buy it?  - First Glass Wines and Spirits, Takapuna $26.99; Regional Wines and Spirits, Wgtn. $29.99  Food match?  - Onion tart. Seafood and slightly spicy dishes (foods with a bit of sweetness)  Will it keep?  - Yes, at least 10 years with good storage. Becomes toasty and mellow, sometimes with a touch of kerosene.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We had a great autumn… quite warm! – getting cooler now Some fruit trees are still producing fruits: All you need is relatively warm autumn conditions for ripening to be successful. Feijoas and figs and some apple varieties Feijoas: select you favourite variety; they are all more or less similar when it comes to resistance of frosts, so chose what you like. Feijoas are still dropping at my place (don’t “pick” them, let them drop!!!) Many varieties to plant in autumn – they are pretty hardy and make great hedges! If you want to create a “hedge”, put two or three different varieties in that hedge and create an opportunity for cross-pollination. If you are in the far north, guava moth may become your nemesis Figs can be a little more tender in the cold, so grab an early-ripening fig variety (Brown Turkey, Mrs Williams, Brunswick, Cape White, etc) when you think you’re “on the edge” Apples would also be a great tree to plant before it gets too wet and too cold – it reduces the fungal infections underground; in really wet spots, think about planting apple varieties “in raised beds”. Before planting a tree or two: ask around your district what grows well and ripens well. The trees really need not huge amounts of fertility at all (if they are on perfect soils they become tall and lanky too quickly, requiring pruning a lot) Select varieties you like to eat or process into apple-sauce (“applemoes” in Dutch); remember: if you are short of space, grab a young tree with two (or three) varieties grafted on the Main stem/Trunk Garlic should be in the soil this weekend – (to be honest, I planted mine a month ago!!) to avoid that dreaded garlic rust disease. It works for me as the bulbs are ready to harvest in late October before it becomes a pain! Another important tip is to put garlic in a different bed each year – simply to escape old rust spores hotspots The same goes for the Egyptian walking Onion (a kind of shallot that’s really easy to grow); it too suffers from a bit of rust (but not as bad as garlic), so keep these two crops separate! Cos lettuce will do well too – regular plantings of seedlings ensures a constant supply of salads Broadbeans and Peas are also still plantable for an early feast of Legumes in winter and spring;See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Create a digital copy of your voice in just 15 minutes  Apple's soon-to-be-released feature "Personal Voice" is designed for people who may be going to lose their voice, to be able to capture it digitally, and use it to communicate with others when they can't - Apple is calling it your "synthesized voice". It's open to everyone though, hinting at what may become more commonplace in the near future. Your digital avatar could actually sound like you, and read out the things you've typed. It takes just 15 minutes of training to achieve this and all happens on your device, no internet connection needed.  That's just one of Apple's new accessibility features  They've given an early look at some of the new accessibility features coming to iOS17. One is "Assistive Access" which allows an app to deliver an experience with just the essential features to lighten the cognitive load.  Think of the camera app - make it as easy as possible to take a picture with one big "take picture" button and hide all the settings and options. Apple has created these experiences for their core photos, messages, phone, facetime and music apps adn I'd expect other app makers to be allowed to do the same thing.  Montana's governor has signed their TikTok bill into law  The law bans the app from the App Stores, but also prevents the operation of TikTok in Montana. Users though will not be liable for penalties. The counter legal action has already started with a group of content creators suing the state claiming it violates the First Amendment. The law will come into effect in 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hollywood sensation Jason Momoa secured his famous feature as Khal Drogo in HBO’s Game of Thrones by performing a haka before assuming his blockbuster role as DC’s Aquaman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice that shot him into superstardom. Momoa has been cast in the tenth instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise, Fast X as bad guy Dante Reyes, somewhat of a juxtaposition from previous roles.  There is, of course, a Kiwi connection. Momoa told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame he feels Native Hawaiians and Māori share a special connection of race and language, as well as parallels of having experienced colonisation. He recognises Māori as having been the first indigenous population to sign a treaty and says having seen how many Kiwis embrace Māori culture and language has strengthened his affection for Aotearoa New Zealand. “The Kiwis and people that take pride and know the language and understand that is beautiful, because that doesn’t happen where I come from and so there’s a lot of beauty in both cultures growing together – and it’s the greatest rugby team in the world.” For someone who considers himself an outdoorsman, Momoa told Tame his time spent in Aotearoa New Zealand going from summit to sea was “heaven.” He says our country is the most diverse ecosystem in the world – aside from the lack of desert – although “we’re all leading to that anyway,” he adds with a wry smile. In a very poignant moment, the mega-star becomes suddenly grounded and describes the moment when he landed in Auckland, saying he felt he had been here in a past life. “I think when I landed here, just the feeling that shot through my body when I was here… my people have been here, my ancestors have been here. I just felt a deep connection that’s unexplainable.” Having played such a well-known hero in Aquaman, there were a few raised eyebrows when it was announced he was cast as a villain. “I mean, playing the villain is the best, ‘cause you get to be bad,” he told Jack Tame. Momoa star says playing a role that opposes his own way of life is what makes it enjoyable. “You get to do stuff that you’re not allowed to do and I don’t necessarily sit by those values and I don’t follow that way so I’m playing someone that I don’t agree with, so that’s fun. That’s why I signed up for it.” As a self-confessed petrol head, Momoa is a perfect fit for a role in the Fast and Furious franchise. “I’d say about 80 per cent of the motorcycle stuff I did,” although he adds that’s that there were a few stunts that called for a professional as had he been injured “the movie would be over.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Still: A documentary about the extraordinary story of Michael J. Fox, in his own words - from his childhood on a Canadian army base to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood and the private challenges of living with Parkinson’s Disease (AppleTV+).  The Gone: An Irish-New Zealand drama about a young Irish couple that vanishes from a small North Island town, and the Irish and Kiwi detectives that must team up to find them (TVNZ+).  Tracked: Hosted by Vinnie Jones and filmed in New Zealand, this series follows eight teams as they race through the South Island wilderness in an attempt to reach an evacuation zone before being caught by a group of elite trackers (Three from Monday, and on ThreeNow). LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2013, our very own Eleanor Catton became the youngest-ever winner of the Booker Prize at 28-years-old with The Luminaires.   In the decade since, she adapted the book for television, wrote the feature film screenplay for Jane Austen’s Emma, moved to the UK and had a child.   And now, a decade on, she’s back with her new book Birnam Wood.   Eleanor’s currently in New Zealand for the Auckland Writer’s Festival and she joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone in the kitchen was fighting over the last spoonful of porridge when we first created this. If you need recipe inspiration for feijoas, definitely put this one on the list. When feijoas are out of season, use any other in-season fruit you have at home.    Serves: 1  Time: 10 minutes  - 1/2 cup rolled oats  - 3/4  cup plant based or dairy milk   - 1/2 cup feijoas, flesh only and roughly chopped  - 1 tbsp almond butter   - 1 tbsp maple syrup  - 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract   - ¼ tsp sea salt  Method:   Place all of the ingredients into a pot and heat over a medium heat. Stirring regularly, bring the porridge to a boil.  Reduce the porridge to a simmer and cook until thick or until it reaches your desired consistency. This takes roughly 3-5 minutes.   Pour the porridge into a bowl and top with yoghurt and extra feijoas. Eat immediately.   Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Have them cold or reheat in the microwave or in a pot.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Good Person (cinema)  Allison is a young woman with a wonderful fiance, a blossoming career, and supportive family and friends. However, her world crumbles in the blink of an eye when she survives an unimaginable tragedy, emerging from recovery with an opioid addiction and unresolved grief. In the following years, she forms an unlikely friendship with her would-be father-in-law that gives her a fighting chance to put her life back together and move forward. Starring woman of the moment, Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman.  The Mother (Netflix)  While fleeing from dangerous assailants, an assassin comes out of hiding to protect her daughter she left earlier in life. Starring Jennifer Lopez and directed by Kiwi Niki Caro of Whale Rider fame.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne feels it's becoming inevitable that a wealth tax will be introduced here in New Zealand.  He says he'd like to involve Jack Tame in a discussion around this this because he know Tame will have a view.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don’t know what is about movie stars, but every time I meet one, I just can’t help myself. It was always a terrible problem when I lived in the U.S. I’d go to a movie publicity event – known in the news business as a junket – and after waiting patiently for an hour or two for my four minutes with Russell Crowe or Hugh Jackman or Jennifer Lawrence, I’d go into the room for interview number fifty-six of the day, right after Polish morning TV and Slovenian Red Carpet Reports, and I’d flirt. Sometimes it was just shameless. I’d be throwing wise-cracks around and laughing like a muppet, making all sorts of weird facial expressions. And I’d always try and charm the stars by pretending to play it cool. ‘I know you hate this.’ I’d say. ‘I know everyone asks you the same questions.’ ‘My challenge to you, Jessica Chastain, is to try and slip the word Octopus into our conversation.” It wasn’t until I got back in the office and reviewed the tapes that I’d realise. My producer would pull the interview up on screen and ask. ‘What are you... doing?’ ‘Are you.. are you flirting?’ “Umm.. no...!” The problem was, I genuinely wasn’t aware of it in the moment. All I was aware of was this was a big star and I had about a commercial break’s worth of time to try and win them over and elicit something more interesting than the Ecuadorian showbiz reporter who’d gone in before me. I plumbed some lowly depths. I gushed to Anne Hathaway about her singing voice and tried to impress Rihanna with my knowledge of the T20 Cricket World Cup, which was underway at the time. We used to get emails about it all the time, at TVNZ. Mike Hosking would tease me on air. ‘Was Jack Tame just flirting with People Magazine’s sexiest person alive?’ It should be said, my A-list flirting was not limited to the fairer sex. Maybe I don’t bat my eyelids quite as much, but I still revert into wise-cracking Jack when it comes to blokes. And so I found myself a few days ago, waiting my turn for a couple of minutes with Jason Momoa. He was friendly, with the studio entourage you’d expect of a Hollywood A-lister. And of course, as a Hawaiian, he’s got a special affinity for New Zealand. The interview went well, but for some bizarre reason, as I shook his hand and stood up to leave, I felt compelled to speak up and charm him. I don’t know what it was but the words just spilled out of my mouth. ‘Of course, there’s one big difference between Hawaii and New Zealand.’ I said. ‘What’s that?’ he asked. ‘Hawaii doesn’t have seagulls.” Everyone paused. The room when quiet. “Huh.” Said Jason Momoa. I said I was a flirt. I didn’t say I was a GOOD FLIRT.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Small Mercies, Dennis Lehane  The acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a masterpiece to rival Mystic River—an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston’s history.  In the summer of 1974 a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessy is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of “Southie,” the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart.  One night Mary Pat’s teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn’t come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances.  The Future of Geography, Tim Marshall  From the New York Times bestselling author of Prisoners of Geography and leading geopolitics expert comes a must-read book on today’s space race—including the increasingly tense power struggle between the US, China, and Russia and what it means for all of us here on Earth.  Spy satellites orbiting the moon. Space metals worth more than most countries’ GDP. People on Mars within the next ten years. This isn’t science fiction—it’s reality.  Humans are venturing up and out, and we’re taking our competitive spirit with us. Soon, what happens in space will shape human history as much the mountains, rivers, and seas have impacted civilizations around the world. It’s no coincidence that Russia, China, and the USA are leading the way. The next fifty years will change the face of global politics and the world order as we know it.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley has been touring Cambodia and is once again the envy of us all. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate 'Ethically Kate' Hall has some tips for a more sustainable Mother's Day this year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many gardeners and observant nature nerds report seeing weird, white, slimy structures lying on the forest floor and on top of the mulch in gardens Basket fungi are large spherical football-like structures that carry the spores of the fungus: it’s the brown smudgy stuff on the white, rubbery polygons. Those spores smell quite putrid and attract all kinds of flies that lap up the moisture – it’s probably full of proteins; nutrients! The spores stick to their feet and as they land in the forest, garden mulch, or on some organic debris, the fungal spores are distributed – repeating the cycle. When you see a very juvenile version (they look like creamy-white eggs, sticking half out of the ground) just grab one and cut it open It’s remarkable how the basket fungus is totally compressed, folded up and ready to hatch inside that “egg”: Main points of the story… What can we learn from this fungus? a) they recycle stuff – there is no waste in nature b) They spread the spores throughout the forest by employing invertebrates such as flies c) Nature cooperates/collaborates… everybody wins in the arrangement (who invented the word “competition”?)… let me guess: Economists? d) Nature communicates with natural, chemical clues: the smell of the spores attracts the vectors e) Want to know how to economize on transport cost by reducing the size of packages? Have a look at the basket fungus! f) There are no straight lines in Nature’s Design See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a lot of rules have changed or tightened up and made residential property investment a slightly different prospect, more and more people are asking whether they should instead consider commercial investment property.   There’s a lot to weigh up, so I thought it could be an interesting discussion to have – what are the pros, cons, things you might not realise, things you need to consider, lending arrangements, potential yield and capital gain and how does it compare?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Google's big event of the year, where they announced a new Pixel Tablet transforms into a Smart Home display  If you're looking to buy an Android Tablet, this could be the way to go. It's a fully functioning tablet, then when placed on the dock transforms into showing your photos, being an assistant, telling you what's next on your calendar. You can Chromecast to it, allowing you to use it almost like a mini-TV. The only downside is that if someone wonders off with the tablet, then you can't do anything with the stand.  Google also announced their first foldable phone ($US1800) and a cheaper Pixel 7a phone.  We can expect AI to come to almost every part of Google  Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, even Search - the most lucrative part of Google! In the demo, the 10 blue links (and the sponsored links) we've come to expect when we search move down the page and up top we get a generative answer to our question. The response includes links to its source material. For now, to get this you'll need to opt in and the answers will only appear when the algorithm thinks the answer is better than the links. Their goal is to have you ask one question, instead of multiple, to get your result. eg. "What should I do in Paris?".       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Silo: A dystopian drama set in a future where society exists hundreds of stories deep underground, and where men and women must obey a series of regulations designed to protect them from the outside world (Apple TV+). A Small Light: A historical drama that follows the life of Miep Gies, who helped Anne Frank and her family hide during World War 2. You may know the story of Anne Frank, but this tells the story of what happened on the other side of the bookcase (Disney+). Louis Theroux Interviews: Louis Theroux embarks on a series of intimate one-on-one interviews with the likes of Dame Judi Dench, Bear Grylls, Katherine Ryan and Rita Ora (Neon).   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine if your life suddenly became a real version of the Truman Show.  It’s happened to Ronald Gladden, a 30-year-old man who thought he was a juror in a US court case that was being filmed for a documentary called Jury Duty.   It slowly becomes a courtroom full of chaos. But what Ronald doesn’t know is that everyone is an actor, including the actor James Marsden acting as himself.  Ronald’s now become an internet sensation and has been dubbed the nice guy of Jury Duty after his good nature and warmth shines through.   Ronald Gladden joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's my top 5 sources of inspiration:   - The ingredients in my house  - The ingredients in the stores - Eating out - it doesn't have to be expensive; I had a $13 roti canai in Hamilton at a little Malaysian place last week and it's put me on the road to spiciness all week with soups, curries and stir fries all being whipped up in my kitchen - Viewing - my top 5 places for getting inspired: Jamie One Pan Wonders Sat night TVNZ ONE - FREE, Toscana - Netflix, Chef's Table Pizza series Netflix, magazines are my next go-to FREE from any library, and finally cookbooks of course. - Try Books for Cooks at Moore Wilson's or any other bookshops - I can get lost for hours browsing these. (Note: I'm not as big on online inspiration unless you can trust the source)  - Food-related Festivals and classes - like WOAP, Choc Festival, Food Shows, cooking classes etc. These expose you to trends and who's doing what and can really uplift you and get you thinking about different ways to cook, serve and eat food. They don't have to be expensive either. The Bhakti Lounge in Wellington and The Yoga Loft in Ak run these marvelous vegetarian cooking classes and they're from $40.00. - Or try a night class at a local secondary school - I still cook some recipes that I learnt decades ago at a class. A creme brulee and a feta and fennel whip.   Keep the knowledge flowing in to keep new flavours flowing out I say!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Close  The 13-year-old boys Léo and Rémis have a close friendship at school and in the flower fields where they and their parents pick the harvest for home. When schoolmates shoot a wedge into the relationship, the consequences are fatal.   Ghosted (Apple TV)  Salt-of-the-earth Cole falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie — but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne would like to talk about mothers, how he adores them, even if occasionally they embarrass you.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’d been planning to take them to a fancy new restaurant. There were some walks out west I thought would be lovely. Mum quite likes Auckland. Dad, it’s fair to say, does not. But when they arrived in the ‘09 together for the first time in a couple of years, they both had the same thing at the very top of the priority list. They wanted to see my new home. I slipped the key in the front door and before I’d even pushed it open, Mum was gushing. “Oh, Darling,” she said. “It’s beautiful.” “Mum!” I said. “It’s only the hallway. At least save your praise until you’ve seen a bedroom or two.” Mum... didn’t save her praise. She loved the bedroom. She loved the study. She loved the bathrooms and the lounge. She loved the cupboard with the washing machine and the skylight above the bath. For five minutes, she walked around with her hands on her hips, loving everything, admiring everything, praising everything, and beaming. “It’s fantastic, darling. Perfect. It’s gonna’ make a wonderful home.” Dad, did not tour the house with the same technique or enthusiasm. He stepped inside, kicked off his boots, and immediately started examining the seal on my bedroom window. “Hmm,” he said. “What’s the putty status on these things?” “Umm.. I dunno. I think it’s ok.” “Sash windows” he said. “Only bottom opening. A simple mechanism but fiddly with the cords. You’ve gotta keep an eye on these things, son.” He walked into the lounge and lifted a blind. “Hmmm,” he said. “Mold. Get a butter knife and let’s check this. We’ll strip back the paint, prime it, putty it, sand it, prime it, paint it. It’s gonna need attention on the outside, too.” Room by room, he stepped around the house like a forensic investigator, testing every switch, twiddling every door handle, squinting at the corners where the ceilings meet the walls and running his finger along every window frame like a hunter seeking an animal’s scent. “Water!” He’d say. “You’ve gotta look for it. Water gets in everywhere.” He stood outside and checked the deck. He checked the branches on the trees in my backyard. He pointed out invasive climbing plants and ran his eyes along every exterior weatherboard. “Water!” he said. “It gets in everywhere.” The tour alone took more than hour. A few days later, by the time they left, Dad had fixed, rehung, or altered no fewer than eight different doors in my home. He’d prepped a window for priming and a linen closet for gib-stopping. He’d bought chisels, a paint brush, filler and methylated spirits, and he’d found a corner of a exterior door frame where the wood felt like sodden cardboard. “Water!” he said. “It gets in everywhere.” We didn’t make it to the restaurant I’d intended to visit. We didn’t make it out west. We didn’t go for nice walks or do the kind of big city things that aren’t so easy when you live in a town of less than 300 people. Instead we spent the whole time with screwdrivers and spirit levels, packing out hinges, and drilling holes for striker plates. It was all good for Mum – she loved my home. But the night before he left, Dad was horrified to discover a door he hadn’t previously noticed, where the old panelled wood was far too big to ever close properly in the frame. “Gaaaah!” He said. “That’s gonna kill me.” “But next time I’m up, bring my jack plane.” Mum quite likes Auckland. Dad does not. But it’s nice to know they’ll be back.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Album: Subtract   Wife’s illness, plagiarism court case and death of music entrepreneur friend Jamal Edwards all came to bear on Sheeran’s sixth studio album, made with the National’s Aaron Dessner.  The fifth and final entry in his series of albums titled with mathematical symbols, Sheeran wrote and recorded its 14 tracks with Aaron Dessner, a member of US alt-rock band the National who also had a major creative role in Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Evermore.   It is billed as a return to traditional singer-songwriter performance, after the polished pop of much of Sheeran’s catalogue; a press release promises songs ranging from “pared back, folk-leaning textures to bolder, full-band/orchestral arrangements”.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Death of a Bookseller, Alice Slater  In this "utterly unforgettable" debut (Catherine Ryan Howard), a disaffected, true crime-obsessed bookseller develops a dangerous obsession with a colleague.  Roach would rather be listening to the latest episode of her favorite true crime podcast than assisting the boring and predictable customers at her local branch of the bookstore Spines, where she’s worked her entire adult life. A serious true crime junkie, Roach looks down her nose at the pumpkin-spice-latte-drinking casual fans who only became interested in the genre once it got trendy. But when Laura, a pretty and charismatic children’s bookseller, arrives to help rejuvenate the struggling bookstore branch, Roach recognizes in her an unexpected kindred spirit.  Despite their common interest in true crime, Laura keeps her distance from Roach, resisting the other woman’s overtures of friendship. Undeterred, Roach learns everything she can about her new colleague, eventually uncovering Laura’s traumatic family history. When Roach realizes that she may have come across her very own true crime story, interest swiftly blooms into a dangerous obsession.  A darkly funny suspense novel, Death of a Bookseller raises ethical questions about the fervor for true crime and how we handle stories that don’t belong to us.    Le Bron James, Jeff Benedict  NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the #1 bestselling author of The Dynasty and Tiger Woods comes the definitive biography of basketball superstar LeBron James, based on three years of exhaustive research and more than 250 interviews.  LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of the twenty-first century, and he’s in the conversation with Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time. The reigning king of the game and the first active NBA player to become a billionaire, LeBron wears the crown like he was born with it. Yet his ascent has been anything but effortless and predetermined— the truth is vastly more interesting than that.  What makes LeBron’s story so compelling is how he won his destiny despite overwhelmingly long odds, in a drama worthy of a Dickens novel. As a child, he was a scared and lonely little boy living a nomadic existence in Akron, Ohio. His mother, who had LeBron when she was sixteen, would sometimes leave him on his own. Destitute and fatherless, he missed close to one hundred days of school in the fourth grade. Desperate, his mother placed him with a family that gave him stability and put a basketball in his hands.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you support a partner with postpartum depression?  Your partner's needs can feel overwhelming, so how do you manage?  What do you need to avoid?  How do you manage your stress? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about Siem Reap in Cambodia.  To read Mike's full article, click here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major problem up north is the Guava moth (Coscinoptycha improbana), found in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and Coromandel. Hosts of this caterpillar are Guava, Feijoa, loquats, peaches, citrus, quinces, macadamia, apples, and pears; quite non-selective in its preferences. In Northland (wild) loquats are the fruit that hosts the caterpillars in late winter/spring, allowing the population to build up. People are now harvesting feijoas that have tiny entrance/exit holes in the fruit, allowing fungi inside the fruit, brown flesh, and rot. You’ll also find the caterpillar’s tunnels inside. Those caterpillars entered the feijoas when the fruit were still small but just starting to swell – well after flowering. This is interesting information when it comes to trying to control the little buggers spoiling your crop. Currently there are no insecticides registered for the control of Guava moth; some people use “Success”, a rather good caterpillar killer (Yates) and “on the Organic side” of pesticides as a by-product of bacterial excrement. Other folk use Neem Oil – regularly sprayed (every 7 days) on the developing fruit. Both these control chemicals have limited effect – about 50%. There are no biological control organisms in NZ (Predators, Parasitic wasps, natural Guava moth diseases, etc). Pheromone traps (that trap the lusty males) do not reduce the infestation – they just alert us to the timing of the flight season. “Attractants” such as vegemite etc., don’t work. Light traps are useless in controlling guava moths – most moths (more than 90%!!) caught are native moths of no relevance to feijoas. What we do know is that later-maturing varieties/fruit are usually less affected by this caterpillar, and fine netting draped over the tree after flowering (when the fruit is growing) stops the female moths getting near the developing fruit for oviposition (egg-laying). Hygiene is another control technique: clean the soil underneath the trees from debris and old fruit!! Collect the infected fruit (Feijoa, peaches, loquats, citrus… everything!) and chuck it in the freezer for two days before composting. Alternatively, chuck in a large bucket filled with water for a few weeks – put a lid on that bucket, so no moths can fly out. Then compost the old fruit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Bryan Betty joined Jack Tame to have a chat about vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency; the symptoms, the consequences, and how to mitigate it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screenwriters are fighting to keep AI from taking their jobs  After negotiations stalled, the writers went on strike on Tuesday, halting productions. As well as wanting more royalties from streaming services, changes to minimum durations of work and more, there is a concern about how the advances in AI will impact their jobs going forward - especially as studios and networks look to save money.  The Guild wants AI to stay as far away from their work as possible, effectively banning AI from generating text or images to produce, or conceive ideas. The specifically want AI banned from writing or rewriting literary material, AI generation being used for source material, or for union-covered material to be used to train AI.  The studios don't want these stipulations in the collective bargaining agreement, but instead want to review the technology each year and discuss how it could be used in the industry.  Adding to the complication is that AI generated material can't be copyrighted. and that the WGA defines a writer as a "person" which may even allow studios to use AI without crossing the picket line during the strike.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sid Sahrawat is a pioneer of fine dining in New Zealand.  With a focus on locally sourced ingredients, his take on cooking has won him a variety of awards. His wife is his business partner, and between the two of them they opened Sidart, Sid at the French Café, and the innovative Cassia. After years of disruption due to the pandemic and this year’s floods, they’re finally reopening Cassia in SkyCity. Sid joined Jack Tame to chat about cooking and the reopening of the restaurant. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not quite the coronation quiche, but better I think, with gently softened onions and smoky bacon.  Ingredients: 1-2 sheets good quality shortcrust pastry – I use Paneton  Filling:  1 medium onion, diced fine  2 rashers bacon, diced  1 tsp butter  ¼ cup milk  ¾ cup cream  3 eggs, beaten lightly  1 tsp dried tarragon  About 1 cup grated gouda or cheddar cheese  Salt & pepper  Method: Preheat oven to 200 C and place an oven tray to heat. Roll out pastry and use to line a 20cm flan tin, pressing the edges into the lip of the tin to seal. Prick all over with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes. Line with foil then fill with dried beans or rice and bake for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the beans/rice and cook for a further 8 minutes or until golden brown. Now your pastry is blind baked. While pastry is cooking, gently sauté onion and bacon in butter until onion is softened. Whisk together milk, cream, eggs and tarragon and seasoning. Sprinkle cheese over pastry base, holding back ¼ cup for the top. Scatter onions and bacon over cheese then pour in egg filling. Sprinkle over remaining cheese. Reduce oven temperature to 180 C. Place quiche on preheated tray. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove and stand for 5-10 minutes to fully settle and set. Serve with salad. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guardians of the Galaxy vol 3.   Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.    Ghosted (Apple TV)    Ghosted is a 2023 American romantic action-adventure comedy which stars Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. alt-of-the-earth Cole falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie — but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Saville joined Jack Tame to have a chat about current happenings in the sports world: tonight's Chiefs game, the NBA playoffs, and Le Bron.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to chat about a special wedding he went to yesterday over on Waiheke. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB's Kate Hawkesby joined from London to give an update on the Coronation. She says it’s all go, with Police on every street corner and traffic at a stand-still with roads closed in preparation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I was a boy, I used to love going my grandparents’ house and reading about the royals in my grandma’s trashy magazines.   My grandparents had come out from the U.K in the sixties and they were still very British, working class, and my grandma was absolutely consumed by the various scandals and shifting dynamics within the Buckingham Palace set.  Well... I say she was. I think, actually, I was. To a little boy it felt like a fantasy World. I used to perch up on my Grandma’s La-Z-Boy, recline the seat, and pore over all the details of how William and Harry lived their lives. I was obsessed with how rich the royal family must have been, and I can still remember some of the stories, almost thirty years on. William and Harry at a birthday party with Diana. William and Harry run amok in a fireworks shop.   Times have changed. Back then, we voraciously consumed royal gossip just as we do today, but we didn’t question the institution nearly as much.  The challenge for the Royals today is relevancy. Just as the influence of Britain has declined, the royal family is increasingly irrelevant to younger people. Polling released this week shows that just 12% of Britons aged 18-34 continue to see the monarchy as ‘very important,’ compared to 42% of people over the age of 55. The numbers in the U.K have steadily decline for several decades, and I expect they’re even starker in New Zealand.  King Charles’ coronation will be a grand spectacle, a magnificent oddity, but I think one of the most interesting things will be observing how it’s processed across different media. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation was the first to broadcast on TV. King Charles’ coronation will be the first to be shown on TikTok. It'll be huge, don’t get me wrong. But the demographics of those who are watching and engaging with every minute of pomp won’t be nearly as broad as they would’ve been last time around. And that’ll tell us quite a bit about relevancy.  But I also think, in responding to the question of relevancy, King Charles has proved to be incredibly thoughtful and astute. Back when I used to perch on her La-Z-Boy and gossip with my grandma about the latest royal dramas, Charles was very much a villain in the collective media narrative. And after Diana’s death, there was a lot of discussion about him perhaps never being king. But with time, some quite prescient advocacy (Especially on environmental issues), and increasingly favourable comparisons with other members of his family, the King’s reputation has largely been restored. He’s not as popular as his mum and he never will be. But he’s also extremely aware of the challenges he faces.  There is one big force working in his favour. In a fragmented, topsy-turvy, uncertain, insecure-feeling World, I think there are many people will see value in an enduring institution they perhaps otherwise wouldn’t have appreciated.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more tips on enjoying some frolics on foot in Sydney, Mike's article is on the website. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 24 years, the electronic pop duo returns with a moving, handsome album that tells a sophisticated story about recapturing innocence.  The band called it quits and dedicated themselves to home life, raising three kids. Watt founded the dance label Buzzin’ Fly and released solo music; Thorn also made albums and wrote several brilliant books on her life in music and its inspirations. While they offered each other practical creative assistance, their core collaboration was over.   Curiously, it returned during another period of alienation. After the pair lived through an extreme version of the pandemic that required them to stringently self-isolate owing to Watt’s illness, Thorn proposed a reboot of EBTG, worried that they might one day realize they had left it too late.   Once she persuaded Watt, they approached the project so tentatively that they hastened to call it EBTG, crediting the song files to TREN—Tracey and Ben.   They announced the finished album in similarly low-key fashion: “Just thought you’d like to know that Ben and I have made a new Everything But the Girl album,” Thorn tweeted. “It’ll be out next spring.” She went out for dinner and returned to thousands of retweets.  LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bookbinder of Jericho – Pip Williams   A young British woman working in a book bindery gets a chance to pursue knowledge and love when World War I upends her life in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick The Dictionary of Lost Words.  It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrow boat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press.  The Bookbinder is a story about knowledge—who creates it, who can access it, and what truths get lost in the process. Much as she did in the international bestseller The Dictionary of Lost Words, Pip Williams thoughtfully explores another rarely seen slice of history through women’s eyes. White Fox – Owen Matthews   A page-turning thriller about two competing KGB operatives on a race across Russia and against time to uncover the devastating truth behind the assassination of JFK.  1963. In a desolate Russian penal colony, the radio blares the news of President Kennedy’s death. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vasin’s new post as director of a gulag camp in the middle of a frozen tundra is far from a promotion. This is where disgraced agents, like Vasin, are sent to disappear and die quietly. But when tensions in the camp mount and a violent revolt breaks out, Vasin finds himself on the run with a mysterious prisoner holding the most dangerous secret in the world: who ordered the murder of President Kennedy.   With masterly storytelling that weaves together a moment of explosive history with the cutthroat machinations of Soviet politics, Owen Matthews’s White Fox captures the paradigm-shifting assassination from a unique Soviet point of view. This is a page-turning thriller across Russia, where characters facing impossible odds are forced to decide among truth, justice, and all-out war.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

- What is Fashion Revolution week (formed after the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh collapsed on April 24th 2013, killing over 1000 garment workers and injuring over 2500).  - 10 years on, not enough has changed - a few initiatives like the Bangladesh Accord, but not enough.  - Crucial for people to understand that PEOPLE made their clothes (anecdote from my India travels of visiting the factories there).  - Encouraging people to feel confident asking brands who made their clothes.  - Focusing on only buying things that you will wear 30+ times, clothes swapping, altering your clothing, styling what you have & just generally readdressing their shopping habits in the name of Fashion Revolution week. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autumn – everybody is looking for a mate these days;  Ants often fly upwards on a nice autumn day to find a partner for a bit of R&R.  Nuptial flights, we call that (in the Entomological Industry) and when you think about this concept carefully, you begin to wonder how and why this habit ever developed in evolution!  Can’t be an easy thing to do, especially when the wind is blowing quite a few Beauforts  Some termite species do exactly the same thing: the adults grow a few pairs of elegant wings with which they take to the skies. A mated female carefully lands again, sheds her wings and goes looking for a nice hole or cavity in which she can start a new colony.  The male simply dies… His job is done  The reason I am alerting you all about these reproductive techniques is because I have been getting a few phone calls on 0800 801080 with complaints of small swarms of paper wasps hanging out on fences, roof-lines, exposed branches in the garden… or on outdoor furniture, arm-rests etc in a nice sunny position. We’re not talking about high numbers (only a dozen of wasps or so) but still…: even half a dozen grumpy paper wasps are a threatening sight, because those critters are well-known for their lack of humour. The irony is that male Paper wasps do not sting!  The story is very much one of opportunistic display. It involves the concept of hanging out on a 'lek site'. This is a place where males gather to attract females;  The guys often fly up in the sunshine and “fight” with each-other for the best position on the lek site; the place where they are quickly spotted by soliciting females.  males with the neatest, smallest yellow spots on their second abdominal segment are usually seen as the preferred, prettiest boy on the block.  These are the boys chosen to be the partner and sperm donor for the females that will hibernate and start a new colony in spring.  Now… where is that spot on my second abdominal segment? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wine: 2020 Main Divide Riesling, North Canterbury $21.99  Why I chose it:  - Riesling is the best value NZ wine  - It is an exceptionally good wine  - Main Divide (Pegasus Bay) is a top Riesling producer  What does it taste like?  - Medium-dry riesling with the delicate aroma of white wildflowers and flavours that suggest lime and apricot. Delicately luscious wine with appealing purity and a lingering finish. Great value at this price.  Why it’s a bargain:  - Great wine at a competitive price  Where can you buy it?  - Whisky and More, Waikato $16.99, The Good Wine Co, Auckland $17.99, Fine Wine Delivery Company, Auckland $17.99, First Glass Wines and Spirits $17.99  Food match?  - Great on its own without the complication of food. Onion tart is my favourite. Hawaian Pizza is also a good match.  Will it keep?  - I prefer fresh, youthful Riesling but they can become quite interesting with age – mellow and toasty. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Citadel: A sci-fi action thriller starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra as spy agents whose memory is wiped after global spy agency Citadel is taken over, and who must fight back to remember their past (Prime Video).   Love and Death: Based on the true-crime story of Candy and Pat Montgomery and Betty and Allan Gore - two churchgoing couples enjoying their small-town Texas life…until somebody picks up an axe (Neon).   Miriam Margoyles: Almost Australian: New Australian citizen and well-known British actor Marian Margolyes embarks on a 10,000 km, two month camper van journey to discover what it means to be Australian today.    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can now use WhatsApp on multiple devices  Still one phone, but up to four other devices. This seems like a seemingly simple thing, but it's taken years to make it happen - because keeping your messages in sync, and fully encrypted, was a challenge. This now means you'll be able to use WhatsApp on your computer, without needing your phone to be connected or linked.  Meta's earnings sent their stock price soaring this week. They brought in $28.6 billion in revenue last quarter, up 3% on last year. They now have 3 billion people using at least one of their products daily.  Are we seeing the beginning of the end of Twitter?  There certainly seems to be momentum around a new twitter clone called Bluesky. It's still in beta and invites are the golden tickets of the internet at the moment. It looks exactly like Twitter - because it was actually started by Twitter before Twitter was bought by Elon Musk. This was a project to create a decentralised social network protocol.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you know if you’re a good friend?   And what’s the right number of friends to have?   These are questions journalist and broadcaster Elizabeth Day sets out to answer in her latest book Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict.   Elizabeth is best known for her incredibly popular podcast How to Fail – where she interviews every star imaginable on their three biggest failures.   Growing up she wanted everyone to like her and became determined to become a ‘Good Friend’.  But when the pandemic threw us all a curve ball, Elizabeth started reassessing what friendship really means.    Elizabeth Day joined Jack Tame from London. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autumn brings quince and quince bring me happiness. Poached quince are so incredibly delicious and worth doing if only for the magical transformation of the colour as they cook – from creamy yellow to a deep ruby.  How to prepare quince: - They are ready to pick when they are a creamy yellow. Don’t worry if they have some black spot on them. - Peel with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Halve or quarter them with a sharp knife, being careful as they are VERY hard to cut through the core. I leave the core in at this stage as it’s much easier to remove this cleanly once the fruit is cooked and softened. - Lay out in an ovenproof dish. Mix together ¾ - 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup white wine/sherry, or other sweet wine and one tablespoon with enough warm water to cover the quince. Pour over the fruit until just overed. Cover dish tightly with foil. - Bake in oven set at 160 C until softened – about 3-4 hours.   Use poached quince for dessert with cream or icecream, in baking, on pastry, to have alongside roast lamb or pork etc etc.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Polite Society (cinema)  A merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, POLITE SOCIETY follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.  Peter Pan and Wendy (Disney + out on Friday)  Wendy Darling, a young girl looking to avoid boarding school, meets Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. Wendy, her brothers, and Tinker Bell travel with Peter to the magical world of Neverland, where she encounters an evil pirate captain. Jude Law is Captain Hook.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to tell an interesting little story about his son's experience watching his favourite side West Ham playing in London last week.   He ended up sitting next to a wheelchair bound West Ham fan in the Wheelchair Access area.   The guy's first question to my son Jake was "What's your favourite West Ham chant." Jake replied, "Stand up if you hate Tottenham, stand up." As the words are coming out his mouth, Jake panics, thinking he's been really thoughtless given he's talking to a guy who can't stand up;  Turned out it was the other guy's favourite chant too.   It's a funny and slightly moving story of British football fans.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s become the most disgusting part of my morning routine. I stir, rub my eyes, stretch a little bit and grab my phone. And after I’ve checked all the news websites and scanned my overnight messages, I open Instagram. Before the app even loads, I know what the algorithm will deliver to top of my feed. Some days it’s a milky yellow, like the colour of brie. Some days it ‘s brown or black or has a cottage cheese-like quality, filled with fine lumps. Sometimes it’s a proper surgical procedure. Sometimes it’s just squeezing. One of the first things I do every morning is watch a video from Sandra Lee, aka Dr Pimple Popper, as she lances a hideous pustule on one of her poor patients. Before you say anything, don’t worry! I disgust myself! It’s not that I *like* watching pimple popping. It’s just that I find the videos incredibly compelling. And I’d probably be too ashamed to admit I get something out of watching pimple popping videos but for the fact I know I’m not the only one. Sandra Lee – Dr Pimple Popper – has an Instagram following the size of New Zealand. She has her own TV show following her and her patients as she exorcises cysts and boils and miscellaneous subcutaneous lumps while learning a bit about their backstories. She’s got a good sense of humour and an empathetic nature and she calls her followers ‘popaholics.’ I don’t know who was the first person to work out there was an audience for this, but following Dr Pimple Popper’s success, there are all sorts of other dermatological spinoffs and social media stars who’ve built huge followings with their disgusting work. It must be one one of the weirdest sub-cultures and professions to flourish in the internet age. ‘Mum and Dad, when I grow up... I want to be a professional pimple popper.’ Heads up. This next bit’s gonna’ be really disgusting. I want to tell you about my favourite types of pimple popping video. You might naturally think the worse the pimple, the more compelling the watch. But you’re wrong. It’s true that quite often, Sandra Lee has some poor patient with a tennis ball-sized growth on their jaw or a small marrow between their shoulder blades. A sebaceous cyst which has really got out of control. She has to scalpel down, squeeze out the ooze, and remove the cyst sack. But nah, that’s a bit too surgical for me. Me, I’m old school. I like blackheads, ingrown hairs, and above all else an incredibly disgusting dermatological phenomenon called a 'dilated pore of winer'. It’s kind of like a blackhead and an ingrown hair combined. It’s not creamy or liquidy like most pimples. It’s hard, like a plug buried just under your skin. You’ve gotta lance the sides and then manipulate it off its setting. If all goes well you can pop it out whole and it leaves a clean little crater in its wake. Four billion years of evolution and this is where we’re at? Humans are so messed up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fearing love lost, the Australian singer wears his heart on his sleeve over the 45-minute runtime.  London-born and Sydney-raised, Ruel (real name: Ruel Vincent van Dijk) got his first break at the young age of 14 after his father shared one of his demos to Grammy Award-winning producer M-Phazes. Ever since, his profile has burgeoned.  Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.  Six years later, the singer looks back at the whirlwind of his adolescent relationships as he wrestles with self-sabotage and a broken heart on 4TH WALL. Introspective with a cinematic swell, Ruel brings together some of his best tracks to date.  Live Nation & Secret Sounds is excited to announce that five-time platinum artist Ruel will be touring New Zealand throughout April 2023. Playing his first ever headline Arena show, the hugely anticipated tour will see the Australian trailblazer light up stages in Auckland & Wellington, hot off the release of his debut album 4TH WALL, out Friday 3 March.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Messenger – Megan Davis  Wealthy and privileged, Alex has an easy path to success in the Parisian elite his father mingles with. But the two have never seen eye to eye. Desperate to escape the increasingly suffocating atmosphere of their apartment, Alex seeks freedom on the streets of Paris where his new-found friend Sami teaches him how to survive. But everything has a price - and one night of rebellion changes their lives forever.  A simple plan to steal money takes a sinister turn when Alex's father is found dead. Despite protesting their innocence, both boys are imprisoned for murder. Seven years later Alex is released from prison with a single purpose: to discover who really killed his father. Yet as he searches for answers and atones for the sins of his past, Alex uncovers a disturbing truth with far-reaching consequences. Unscripted – James B Stewart and Rachel Abrams  The shocking inside story of the struggle for power and control at Paramount Global, the multibillion-dollar entertainment empire controlled by the Redstone family, and the dysfunction, misconduct, and deceit that threatened the future of the company, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalists who first broke the news.  In 2016, the fate of Paramount Global—the multibillion-dollar entertainment empire that includes Paramount, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Showtime, and Simon & Schuster—hung precariously in the balance. Its founder and head, ninety-three-year-old Sumner M. Redstone, was facing a very public lawsuit brought by a former romantic companion, Manuela Herzer—a lawsuit that placed Sumner’s deteriorating health and questionable judgment under a harsh light.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long-haul travel does come with the risk of travel fatigue, aka jet lag. IATA believes flying through just 2 time zones opens you up to jet lag.  The best thing you can do is adjust lightning-fast to your new time zone.  How should you go about managing sleep time?  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, is probably the best thing you can do.  Do you take magnesium or melatonin to help induce sleep?  What about sleeping pills on a flight?  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What systems work best?  What questions should couples ask when talking about money?  What does money mean for you?   What is your safety number?  What is debt ratio number?  How do you need to be taken care of in relation to money?  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Spider time!  Autumn – everybody is looking for a place to hibernate and those that are not hibernating will be looking for a place to find a mate. This is the time of the year to go outside after sunset, with a head-torch on, spotting our clever arachnid friends.  Jumping Spiders (aptly named Salticidae – reminding me of Salto Mortale, the deadly jump) are everywhere inside our homes, on the plants outside and on the window sills where it’s nice and warm. Warmth means good conditions for flies and other prey – so that’s where these spiders perform their daring jumps  Outside the windows you often find messy websites, inhabited by Badumna the grey house spider.   Ironically, the white-tailed spider preys on Badumna and are therefore often found on the kitchen windows in the evening.  A rather large and rather common dark spider is currently also on the move: it’s Uliodon, the “Vagrant” spider (therefore aptly named, as it is of no fixed abode) that is knocking on doors to find a girlfriend or boyfriend.  Now this is a species that can cause the trouble often erroneously linked to white-tails and their bites.   And then there are the master-builders of silken contraptions; these are often found in Native bush, or gardens with a good amount of large trees, especially trees with holes and other nooks and crannies in them: the Horizontal sheetweb spiders Cambridgea.  That sheetweb can be huge and the spider hangs on the underside of that trampoline, waiting for a moth to make the tiny mistake of falling onto that web; a very quick move by the owner sees that moth being impaled by two sizeable fangs full of toxins that dissolve the insides of that prey. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hannah McQueen has been running enable.me for more than 15 years, and in that time has seen a huge change in the number of people who own shares. The sharesies/hatch/DIY investor revolution means many people have a portfolio when previously it was only those who had significant wealth, or a personal passion, who did.  The problem is there are more and more people randomly selecting shares, rather than investing strategically, or in a diversified way. FMA research shows a decent number of people invest due to FOMO or because someone said it was a good idea, without doing any research themselves – and our observations echo that.  As a learning mechanism, or a bit of fun – great – but for most people the margin for error to land them where they need to be for retirement is too small to invest too much that way.  It’s not a dig at investment platforms – just a warning that there are risks to directing too much of your investment funds in a scattergun approach. I liken it to picking the route before you’ve identified the destination – who knows where you’ll end up.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple is now a bank  It's offering a savings account earning an extremely competitive interest rate! Their Apple Card partner Goldman Sacks is also powering this savings account. It's tough to define these days what "Apple" is as a company - they make devices, offer cloud services, create TV shows, sell apps, and now offer a savings account.  Goodbye Twitter's blue checkmarks  After many many false starts, the blue checkmarks people had for being 'notable' have disappeared. The only way to get a blue checkmark now is to pay for Twitter Blue - which requires you to verify your phone number. Elon Musk tweeted that he is paying for some of the Twitter Blue accounts personally - like that of Lebron James. Others have a blue checkmark and want to get rid of it because they seem embarrassed for paying for Twitter.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Diplomat: Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell star in this political thriller about a career diplomat who has to juggle her new high-profile role as an ambassador with her turbulent marriage to a political star (Netflix). Drops of God: A sleek thriller about a woman who discovers the world’s greatest wine collection has been left to her by her estranged father, but she must compete against a Japanese man to claim the inheritance (Apple TV+).   Quantum Leap: a reboot of the classic 1990s drama about a scientist who finds himself able to travel through space and time (Neon). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Neeson’s career has spanned 47 years, over 100 films- and too many iconic roles to count. From Oskar Schidler, to Qui-Gon Jinn, to Ra’s al Ghul, to everyone’s favourite retired CIA operative Bryan Mills to brooding private detective Philip Marlowe in the 2022 release Marlowe. Liam Neeson theorised with ZB’s Jack Tame that a character like Philip Marlowe has managed to keep readers and viewers intrigued over a century after his creation because people are drawn to noble protagonists who care about seeking justice. “Here’s this guy, kind of down on his luck I suppose, carving out a not very lucrative career and seeking some kind of justice for a murder or some crime that’s been committed and doing it in his own way. Sometimes he works for the bad guys, sometimes with the good guys. Something about that, there’s a rebel in there and there’s also an Arthurian knight of the Round Table in there.” Marlowe holds the unique distinction of being Liam Neeson’s 100th film, but he remains modest about his accomplishments on stage or the screen. Even when Jack pressed further, Neeson still wouldn’t name any personal highlights. “Seriously, I can’t. A lot of that is just luck, Lady Luck.” The theme of seeking justice and avenging crimes is clearly timeless, as it’s a driving force behind another iconic role filled by Neeson- retired CIA operative turned father figure Bryan Mills from the 2008 hit Taken. Surprisingly enough, Liam Neeson never actually imagined Taken being a hit- or eventually a meme. As he explained to Jack Tame, he assumed this was going to be dismissed as direct to video-grade cheesiness. “It’s funny, when I first read that script (Taken) I thought- this is so corny. I heard this or feel like I’ve seen this in so many movies.” “I thought it would be straight to video. Like straight to video. But I wanted to do it because of all the fighting and I loved being with the stunt guys, doing all that stuff. And it was three months in Paris, how bad could it be?” Liam Neeson explained to Jack Tame that Taken was the start of the point in his career where he became an action star, as he later featured in The A-Team, The Grey, Wrath of the Titans and all the Taken sequels. “If I had five cents for every time I said, you know, I have a particular set of skills, I will find you… I’d be a very rich man. Because my kids would always say- Dad, would you leave a message for my friend?”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is this the ultimate ANZAC scone? I’m marrying up our favourite fruit – feijoas – with Aussie’s favourite scone – pumpkin! And it’s a winner.  Makes 10 large scones  ¾ cup pumpkin pulp (see note) ½ cup chopped feijoas 3/4 cup plain yoghurt (or use ½ cup milk + ¼ cup cream) 3 cups self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 60g butter, chilled ½ tsp sea salt 2 rashers of bacon, diced 75g parmesan, grated Preheat oven to 200 C. Line a tray with baking paper. Whisk pumpkin pulp with yoghurt (or milk & cream) until incorporated. Stir in the chopped feijoas. In a large bowl combine flour and baking powder and grate in chilled butter. Pour in pumpkin mixture, season and stir to combine with a butter knife. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly and gently until it comes together in a smooth dough. Press out to form a 3cm-thick rectangle. Cut into 10 pieces and transfer each to the tray. Toss the bacon and parmesan together and sprinkle over each scone bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm slathered with butter. Nici’s note:  For ¾ cup pumpkin pulp, halve a small butternut pumpkin lengthwise, scoop out seeds and discard. Roast halves, cut side up, until soft. Scoop cooked flesh from skin and puree with a stick blender or mash well with a fork. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paper Spiders   Starring NZ- American actress Stefania Lavie Owen.  A teen makes a series of tough choices as her mother's paranoid delusions threaten to destroy their loving relationship.  Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival  The true story of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance.  28 lost adventurers must fight for their lives after their only lifeline is destroyed in the most uninhabitable place on Earth – Antarctica. The story's told by the only man ever to have repeated their incredible feat - explorer and adventurer Tim Jarvis. Following in the beset crew’s footsteps, Tim reveals the enduring legacy of Shackleton's crisis leadership in the face of impossible odds - a lesson more relevant to us now than ever before.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne has been reading about King Charles III with his coronation imminent. He's come across some fascinating and curious facts about him, such as, he travels with his own supply of blood.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Credit where credit’s due. Our government hasn’t wasted a minute under the Australian Prime Ministership of Anthony Albanese to dramatically improve the relationship with our closest neighbour. With Scott Morrison out, and two governments closely aligned on the ideological front, in less than a year several major policies have been changed for New Zealanders’ benefit. Application of the 501 deportations was significantly pared back, and now New Zealanders in Australia have a more direct path to citizenship. It restores something akin to reciprocity for the first time in more than twenty years. But while the policy is excellent news for New Zealanders in Australia, it may not be so good for New Zealand. The more complicated path to citizenship was one of the few deterrents remaining for Kiwis considering moving to Australia. “New Zealanders who leave for Australia raise the I.Q of both.” It made for a cute quote, you’re kidding yourself if these days you agree with Rob Muldoon’s famous line. If you’re a young, ambitious New Zealander today, why would you choose to stay? I texted my friend in Melbourne this morning to ask about the changes. He was delighted – he moved over after the Christchurch earthquake and has been waiting for these changes to apply for Australian citizenship. “Out of interest,” I said. “What would it take for you to move home? I know you miss your family, but what more would you need?” He sent me a three symbol reply. “$$$” “Our household income over here is roughly 400K,” he told me. “We’d be super lucky to get two thirds of that in NZ even before we accounted for the exchange rate, and there are way fewer jobs in our fields.” I think all of us have bright, successful, friends and family members who could be contributing to New Zealand’s society and economy but have moved over and haven’t come back. There are roughly ten times more New Zealanders – almost 700,000 – living in Australia than Australians living here. There’s every likelihood this change will contribute even more to the bleed. And it isn’t just Kiwis like my mate, working in corporate and IT jobs. It’s every sector. When my sister worked as a teacher in Western Australia she earned roughly $40,000 more every year than she would have in New Zealand at the same time. At the start of this month, The Guardian reported that 5000 New Zealand nurses have registered to work in Australia since August of last year. It’s only three hours away. When you compare pay, conditions, and lifestyle, the rational question isn’t why a young person would consider moving to Oz. It’s why wouldn’t they? We’re always going to struggle to compete economically with Australia. The nature and make up of their economy means we can only get so close. I don’t begrudge the tens or hundreds of thousands of Kiwis who will benefit from these changes. But as Australia gives New Zealanders an even better deal, it’s a prime opportunity to pause and ask ourselves what more we should be doing to stop them leaving in the first place?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ideal Home Noise - Vera Ellen Ideal Home Noise is a record unearthed from much introspection and an attempt to find some comedy and lightness in an otherwise dark period for Vera Ellen. With two "voices” battling throughout the album, the instrumentation is sometimes light — featuring synths and electronic drums — and sometimes heavy — with ballad-like piano and raw vocals.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Those Mothers – Megan Nicol Reed When a local father is convicted of the possession and distribution of child pornography, the tight-knit, middle-class community is quick to unravel. He is granted permanent name suppression, and soon friend turns on friend, neighbour delivers up neighbour, and hysteria rapidly engulfs them all. Who among them was capable of such moral trespass?Bridget, Roz and Lucy have been friends forever. Their lives revolve around their children, their community, each other. With their husbands and kids, they holiday together every year. Every year, until last summer, when everything went so terribly wrong.   Strange Sally Diamond - Liz Nugent Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died. Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and worried police, but also a sinister voice from a past of which she has no memory. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, recluse Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, finding independence, and learning that people don't always mean what they say. But when messages start arriving from a stranger who knows far more about her past than she knows herself, Sally's life will be thrown into chaos once again . . .See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sustainability commentator Kate Hall joined Jack this morning to chat about kombucha, and tell us her method for making it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autumn can be busy! It might be getting cooler and days shorter, but some vegetable crops can be planted right now. Use the warmth that is still in the soil to germinate the seeds or to give small punnet-seedlings a better start for growing through the late Autumn/Early winter months. Fresh Peas: Easy peasy, as the seeds of those peas (the peas themselves!!) have enough reserves inside them to make them grow. Nice, friable soil that can drain the winter rains away. Good nutritious compost in there as well Broad beans: Similar gig! Plenty of growth potential and they might ripen quite early too. These are good greens for the winter (if you like them). Broccoli: Another suitable winter vegetable that can be planted now —there’s still some warmth in the soil they’ll grow well in the next month— even if they slow down afterwards, you’ve got a month’s worth of advance before they start taking it easy. Slow ripening means that they don’t all ripen at once, so pick the biggest ones as they mature Most other cabbage varieties will also grow from now on Carrot seedlings: These will also germinate at lower temperatures. Remember to create a soil that is free of lumps and stones, so that the carrots keep straight and do not “fork”. An extra handful of Phosphate will give them the impetus to grow nice roots Egyptian Walking Onions: These are my favourite onions and they’ll be quite happy to be planted (the small bulbils that form at the top of the mature plants). I tend to give them a bed on their own, so they can “walk” anywhere they like and right throughout the year; a raised bed with a regular dose of compost/mulch plus some seafood soup (liquid fertiliser) will sustain them ad infinitum. Maybe now is a good time to prepare a new bad for your garlic. (Garlic should really not be grown in the same bed, year after year. To avoid getting hammered by onion rust, I plant my garlic in early May to be at least a month ahead of the mythical and prescribed planting routine (shortest day) and harvest time (longest day). I’ve noticed many people struggle with these dates due to debilitating rust. Go early!! And Julie reminds me of the bulbs that need planting this autumn, so that we can look forward to some colour and cheer in spring: Narcissus, Tulips, Ranunculus and the wonderful smelling Freesias. Honestly, grab a catalogue (Wildflower world, Palmers, Oderings, etc) and spoil yourself; Good well-drained soils are often essential.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Bryan Betty joined the show today to chat about Rheumatoid Arthritis; what it is, it’s symptoms, and how to deal with it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Stenhouse joined Jack Tame to chime in on Montana banning TikTok, Coachella being livestreamed, and LinkedIn’s new verification services. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Last Thing He Told Me Hannah must forge a relationship with her 16-year-old stepdaughter, Bailey, to find the truth behind why her husband has mysteriously disappeared.   Transatlantic An American journalist, during 13 months spent in France in 1940-41, manages to arrange safe passage out of France and on to the US for more than 2000 refugees who are in danger of losing their lives.   Blow Up The new Warner Bros Discovery series Blow Up challenges contestants to create giant inflatable works of art in a bid to be crowned New Zealand’s greatest balloon artist, and win $25k.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The longest running classical crossover act in the world, The Ten Tenors has performed over three thousand times all across the world since their creation in 1995. The group was formed in Queensland Australia, but features a couple of Kiwis in their lineup as well. Cameron Barclay and newcomer Andrew Papas joined Jack Tame to chat about performing and what it’s like to be part of the group. Jack was also treated to a performance from the entirety of the Ten Tenors, as they kick off their Greatest Hits NZ Tour. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autumn is the season for pumpkins and nuts so here I’m combining them both to bring you this incredible dish! Serve it as a main course or as a side to go with a chop, some roast lamb or a piece of grilled salmon. It’s lovely!   Ingredients: 3-6 wedges of pumpkin, skin on 2 tablespoons olive oil + extra 1 teaspoon sea salt Decent pinch freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup of sour cream Juice from half an orange or lemon ¼ cup toasted seeds and nut (I used sunflower and pumpkin seeds + almonds) 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or honey     Method: Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a tray with baking paper. Brush pumpkin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40-50 minutes until tender and browned a little. Whisk sour cream with orange juice and an extra splash of olive oil. Spoon half of this dressing onto a serving plate. To serve, place pumpkin onto sour cream base, sprinkle over plenty of the seed/nut mix and then drizzle over the remaining sour cream dressing. Top with pomegranate molasses or honey, serve and enjoy!   Variations: Add a tsp of mustard to the sour cream. Scatter over fresh parsley or coriander leaves to serve. Use hazelnuts or walnuts. Mix cashew butter, lime, sesame oil and chilli flakes to make a different creamy dressing. Add some juicy grapes to the final dish. In the final 15 minutes, roast some button mushrooms (toss with oil first) with the pumpkin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Navalny Detailing the 2020 assassination attempt of Russian opposition leader and former presidential candidate Alexei Navalny, in which he was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent. A House Made of Splinters In war-torn eastern Ukraine, a group of women run a home where they manage to create a warm place for children placed out of home due to violence or alcohol abuse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After suddenly losing power on amid Easter Sunday preparations, Kevin Milne pays tribute to the people who have the technical know-how to solve the maintenance problems the rest of us can’t. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If I’m ever in a job interview and they ask me what my weaknesses are, I won’t hesitate in my answer. No, I won’t say I work too hard or that I care too much. I’ll be honest and say that I’m impatient. For me, that was a big part of the reason I was so excited when TV streaming services finally got good. Instead of waiting for episodes to be drip-fed to the audience, week by week, I could turn on telly and watch a whole series in a night if I so chose. To be honest, bingeing twelve hours of television at a time is not really my style. But in the first few years of streaming, we were told repeatedly by Netflix and co why getting a whole series at once was such a good idea. It changes storytelling for the better, they told us. You don’t have to worry about weak cliff-hangers. Writers don’t have to shoehorn a whole story arc into exactly twenty-three minutes. It’s more organic. More nuanced. More thoughtful. We should’ve known better. But instead, we fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. The streamers played us like drug dealers play addicts. They published full season of bingeable TV upon full season of bingeable TV, niche shows, big-budget dramas, the best programmes in the history of television, and when subscriptions were near an absolute maximum across the board, they cut down on the supply. If you think about it, the economics are simple. Why have your audience bingeing TV, watching a month’s worth of telly in four days and then pausing their subscriptions? It’s much smarter to have them pay you the same amount but only give them one episode ever week. There’s another downside to the drip-drip-drip model that I only appreciated this week. For almost five years I’ve been watching Succession, one of the best programmes on TV. Right now, Succession is broadcasting it’s fourth and final series. It’s dark. It’s funny. It’s surprising. It’s observant. It critiques our culture and reminds me of my twenties in New York. And given it’s the last season, the pièce de resistance, I’ve been deliberately waiting for a gap in my schedule to sit down and properly enjoy it. Between Easter, work, and everything else, I’ve been tempering my impatience and waiting for a moment when I can properly savour ever second of the final season glory. To be fair I think Succession has always been a weekly episodic. HBO never went to the Netflix full binge model. But there’s a difference in the way that audiences behave between the two different styles. When full series are published all at once, no one gives up spoilers. It’s generally accepted that as a viewer, you won’t necessarily watch a whole series on the day it becomes available. You might, but most people will probably spread out a series a little bit. How many of us have talked about TV, and asked our friends – carefully – what episode they were up to? But a show like Succession is different. There are millions of viewers around the world, waiting for the hour every week in which they know a new episode will become available. And because that’s the way they’re watching the show, the presume everyone is doing the same thing. You can see where this is going. This week, Succession delivered its biggest plot twist in five wonderful years of storytelling. A huge twist. A massive shock. A Shakespearean dynamic-changer. But I didn’t see it for myself. Having carefully, deliberately waited, I read it on Twitter. Twice. Then I saw it again in a newspaper headline. Maybe streaming ruined TV-watching etiquette. And maybe impatience isn’t such a bad thing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third studio album from Matt Corby, ‘Everything’s Fine’ is the official follow-up to 2018’s ‘Rainbow Valley’.  Matt Corby has always been a musician’s musician. Every note he plays and every lyric he sings is both considered and intellectual – and with his third album Everything’s Fine he continues this reputation while developing his sound for today’s listener.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I Will Find You, Harlan Coben  From the # 1 author and creator of the hit Netflix drama Stay Close, a page-turning thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page. The new Harlan Coben blockbuster has arrived.  Go as a River, Shelly Read  From the publishers of THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS, ONCE UPON A RIVER and GREAT CIRCLE, a soaring, heartstopping debut novel of female resilience and becoming, for fans of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING.      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Savouring exotic flavours and iconic dishes is one of travel’s great rewards. But some of the most popular dishes do not originate from where you would think. Let’s start with a Caesar Salad.  What about a Japanese Curry?  Take a cruise in Alaska and Baked Alaska is sure to feature on the dessert menu. Is it Alaskan?  How about Chicken Tikka Masala?  One of the most deceptively named dishes would have to be Mongolian Beef.  One of the most popular dishes in Peru is Lomo Saltado. Strips of beef with onion and tomato. But is it Peruvian?  Speaking of Peru - Pisco Sour. Is the national drink actually Peruvian?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is it so hard to talk about the 'big' topics with our significant other? What happens if we just avoid it?   Is there a secret to making it easier?  Relationship expert Steven Dromgool joins Jack Tame to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an early warning for the coming month; You’ve heard me saying this once, you’ve heard me talk about it a thousand times: Those fallen leaves are worth their weight in gold.  No matter if we are talking about deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves in autumn) or “ever-green” trees, they all need to replace these green factories that turn Carbon di-oxide and minerals into sugars and Oxygen. And the power plant that makes it happen is current sunlight (not fossil sunlight!)  The old leaves return a lot of chemistry to the mother tree before they drop off (it’ll be used again to make new leaves next spring). But what the old leaves contain, as they float down to the ground, is mostly carbon.  You may have heard about “climate disruption” or “climate change”?, a problem that is summed up by the fact that we have too much carbon in the air and not enough in the soil.  Nature’s technique is to get that carbon back into the soil via trees and growing things called “leaves”.  So here’s the best tip for the Planet and your garden:  Build one or more chicken-wire cages (1 meter by 1 meter and – say – one meter tall; Use some sturdy stakes to keep it all in shape. Now, when the leaves come floating down gather them up and chuck them in that cage and leave them there for a year or so. They turn into leaf mold, full of carbon and light in weight This stuff is the best compound to make seed raising mix (add some light, friable compost) Leaf mold also makes potting mix (with compost and fine bark) It also makes a perfect mulch on the flower beds (weed control) Leaf mold is a key ingredient for vegetable garden soil (add compost, mineral soil and fertiliser) It rejuvenates old beds that need some “time out” (keep it fallow) Leaf mold is perfect to make heavy, wet clay into a much better draining soil (increasing spaces in the soil) It even does the opposite: making free-draining sandy soils a lot better at holding on to moisture (reducing spaces in the sandy soil).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wine: 2021 Te Kairanga Rosé, Martinborough $25.99  Why I chose it:  Versatile, suits warm weather and cooler weather Was a stand-out wine in a recent blind tasting From a top vintage (buy now while stocks last) Who doesn’t like Rosé? (A winemaker recently told me that more men buy Rosé than women in NZ) What does it taste like?  Reasonably pale, gently aromatic rose with raspberry sherbet, crushed strawberry and watermelon flavours. Dry, refreshing wine with good flavour intensity and a lingering finish. Why it’s a bargain:  High quality wine at a middle-of-the-road price. Where can you buy it?  co.nz are selling it for $20.99 if you buy six bottles for $125.95 Food match?  You can enhance the pleasure by serving the wine with pink-tinted foods such as prawn cocktails or salmon sushi – it really gives it a lift. Will it keep?  No, drink up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India is getting its first Apple Store  I'm shocked that they don't already have one! The store will be over 2,000 sqm. It won't be   The Apple Careers website has given some clues that this will be the first of many stores as Apple is hiring for team members for "various locations".  It's online store opened to India in 2020 and iPhone are manufactured in India.  Twitter's latest fight is with newsletter platform Substack  Any tweet that contains a link to a Substack has had its reply, retweet and quote tweet function disabled because it throws as error to the user. This comes after Twitter blocked embeds of Tweets into Substacks. Substack says this is why writers deserve an independent platform which supports their work. Twitter has made changes to their API recently, and Substack has launched a feature to Twitter called "Notes" which are small posts (like Tweets).  Twitter and NPR (National Public Radio) are also in a dispute about a label on their profile calling NPR "a state affiliated media outlet", which it isn't. NPR has stopped publishing on Twitter. NPR says it gets less than 1% of its finding from federal sources - lots comes from donations. Elon Musk shared a screenshot of the label and commented "seems accurate".  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nolly: Helena Bonham Carter teams up with It’s a Sin writer Russell T Davies for this biopic about the rise and fall of British soap star Noelle Gordon (TVNZ1, from Sunday night)   Boom Boom!: A two-part documentary series about the controversial life and career of tennis champion Boris Becker (Apple TV+)   Tiny Beautiful Things: Grab your tissues for this emotional drama starring Kathryn Hahn and based on the book by Cheryl Strayed (Wild), about a woman coming to terms with the death of her mother decades before (Disney+)   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The band’s made up of three brothers – Jayden, Jesse, Johnny – and their mate, Rick.   They started from humble beginnings in Blenheim before heading to the bright lights of Auckland.   The band’s debut album Venus Ate Mars was released in 2020 and did exceptionally well.  They backed it up with touring the festival circuit both here and in Australia. The boys have just released a new EP called Slush Honey: Side A and Jack Tame caught up with two of the brothers –Jayden and Jesse - this week. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air   Sonny Vaccaro and Nike pursue basketball rookie Michael Jordan, creating a partnership that revolutionizes the world of sports and contemporary culture. Directed by Ben Affleck, starring Matt Damon.   The Pope’s Exorcist  Father Gabriele Amorth, chief exorcist for the Vatican, battles Satan and innocent-possessing demons. A detailed portrait of a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime. Starring Russell Crowe.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne joins Jack Tame to chat about the irony of our interisland ferries' mechanical problems just when Bluebridge and Interisland ferries were finally offering first-class on-board service. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve all done it.  Every last one of us in a group chat or on a team email or instant messaging platform.  Let he who hath not accidentally texted someone when saying something ill-advised or nasty throw the first stone.  I’ve got friends who in a rage have sent the most awful messages slagging off their flatmate and calling them a slob, only to have the flatmate in question walk into the room and hold up their phone.   “I don’t think you meant to send this to me.”  Eurgh.. you don’t say.   I’ve got friends who’ve accidentally texted their crush, confessing their love. Friends who’ve done similar things when they’ve been considering break-ups. There was a rumour at my work about a message that was accidentally sent to a colleague via instant messaging on our office computer network. The sender begged and pleaded and bribed IT staff with chocolate and wine to come in on a weekend and delete the message before the receiver logged into their computer on Monday morning. I dunno if it’s true but the scenario sounds believable enough.   The problem is that sometimes the impulse to be professional is exceeded by the impulse to be a human being. We can be nasty, gossipy beasts. And in the digital age, you’re only ever a big red button from disaster…  Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere has learnt all of this the hard way, after being caught out for allegedly calling her colleague Chloe Swarbrick a “crybaby” in a message that was sent to the wrong group chat.  Most of the coverage of this little whoopsie has focused on the word “crybaby” and the high-school drama of the whole thing. But I saw something else in it. For me, the real takeaway from was not that Elizabeth Kerekere was slagging off one of her colleagues. It wasn’t that she apparently doesn’t like Chloe Swarbrick, or that she used a petty term. The really interesting thing was the context in which she did it.   Kerekere sent the message literally as Chloe Swarbrick was speaking, arguing in the house in favour of an alcohol bill which could have had massive impacts on social harm in our country. Kerekere’s own profile on the Green Party website says she’s dedicated her life to issues of health, mental health, violence prevention and youth development, all of which would be directly affected by Swarbrick’s proposed changes.  And yet, at the critical moment in the bill’s progression, Elizabeth Kerekere appeared only to view the bill through the lens of her personal ambitions. She didn’t care about affecting change, she cared about what the publicity around the bill would do for party list rankings. So much for health, mental health, violence prevention and youth development, all those issues which she claims to care so much about. What’s the point in helping to make positive change if doesn’t help Elizabeth Kerekere?  Kerekere’s text was revealing, not because it publicised her beef with Chloe Swarbrick, but because it revealed hypocrisy. In an extremely rare moment this parliamentary term when a Green Party bill was debated in the house, Kerekere didn’t put the kaupapa first. She didn’t put first the communities she purports to represent. She didn’t put first violence prevention, health, or social harm.   In that moment, she put Elizabeth Kerekere first. I think that says a lot about character. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fall Out Boy   ALBUM: So Much (For) Stardust  Fall Out Boy's new album, So Much (For) Stardust, is a return to some of the band's familiar sound and style of writing.    It's the first album that the pop punk band has released in five years. The last one, Mania, was full of experimentation in sound that some fans didn't love.   Wentz and Stump know how polarizing the album was. So Much (For) Stardust is a more recognizable sound. It's also a show of the maturity and experience that the band members have garnered in the two decades working together – and some of the absurdity that has prevailed.  LISTEN ABPVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Last Days of Joy – Anne Tiernan  A stunning novel about a family reeling in the wake of a devastating act. Sharply funny, intensely moving, and with a cast of unforgettable characters, The Last Days of Joy will make you laugh out loud even as it moves you to tears.   Wanderlust - Reid Mitenbuler The mesmerizing, larger-than-life tale of an eccentric adventurer who traversed some of the greatest frontiers of the twentieth century, from uncharted Arctic wastelands to the underground resistance networks of World War II.  LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley is once again the envy of us all with his travels to the Sunshine Coast. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sustainability expert Ethically Kate has some ideas for sustainable ways to celebrate Easter without boycotting it altogether like alternatives for less wasteful Easter baskets for the kids. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pretty flowers in autumn – some are huge and some have really deep colours.  Varieties are numerous in all sorts of colours and shapes and sizes; small ones, huge ones; (doubles, singles, “waterlilies”, breeders have been pretty active in this field, especially Dr Keith Hammett – ex DSIR in Auckland)  NOW’s the time to scout around finding what you might like yourself.  Café au Lait Le Baron Kennemer Land  You can buy them as plants (often cuttings) or, more commonly, as “tubers” (root structures, long-ish “bulbs”) from which the plants grow;  Planting in Spring after frosty times have stopped; (established plants in the soil the tubers are reasonably protected from frosts, but newly planted tubers need frost protection!!)  Where to plant those Tubers? Well-drained soil to avoid rotting; alternative: raise the bed to create a well-drained medium.  Healthy soil with decent amount of compost, rock phosphate and lime – general fertiliser N-P-K.  It pays to cover the plants with a good layer of compost (3 inches thick at least). It really sets them up for decent growth in spring and summer and it keeps weeds at bay; it also keeps moisture in the soil during hot, dry summers  They do need a bit of space (almost a meter), so they can expand and keep sunlight on their leaves.  Pick flowers late Summer – Autumn… with a bit of luck they’ll provide colour for a long time!  Insects and fugal problems can be a pain in the in bum:  Powdery mildew (a real autumn fungus on the leaves) can be slowed down by spraying copper sprays on the leaves when nights are getting cooler and dew settles on the leaves. Copper stops the fungal spores from starting their dastardly journey  Katydids often go undetected as they emerge later in afternoon and evening, making a ZZdits sound; they chew the flowers petals making the symmetrical look slightly less symmetrical  Earwigs hide inside the flower heads and chew whole petals, shredding the flowers and creating a very grumpy Julie;  Mind you, those earwigs do a fabulous job in all other months of the year by being predators of aphids and such real plant pests!!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The downsizing dilemma – it’s a natural progression to downsize the family home when the kids fly the nest and you head into retirement, but people usually expect it to release more cash than it does.   If you find yourself in that situation you can end up in a pickle.   Why does it not provide as much of your retirement savings as people expect?   Why does timing become important?   Does moving to a cheaper area solve all that?   How do you avoid having an over reliance on your home, and what do you do if you are reliant on it?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TikTok's sister app is about to launch in the US  It's called Lemon8. Think of it as Instagram - with its focus on text and images - but powered by the TikTok algorithm, and focused on fashion, beauty and lifestyle. It seems to be heavily skewed towards shoppable experiences. It launched in Japan in 2020. Bytedance has been reaching out to content creators to get them to start posting on the app offering up stipends, placements and more. Lemon8 is available to download from the app stores, but it has not been formally launched in the US. It is available in the UK, Singapore and Indonesia.    ChatGPT has been blocked in Italy  They are investigating privacy concerns that break GDPR rules. There’s no age verification for minors to use the tool, which collects their data. There’s also concern about the data sources used to train the tool, and how Italian citizens can control the data held about them.   LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rabbit Hole: Kiefer Sutherland stars in this action-packed thriller about a corporate spy who discovers everything he’s been fighting for is built soon a web of lies (TVNZ+). The Power: Based on Naomi Alderman’s bestselling novel, Toni Collette and John Leguizamo star in this sci-fi drama about a world where teenage girls mysteriously start shooting electricity out of their hands (Prime Video).   Wellmania: An Australian comedy that sees Celeste Barber plays human tornado Liv, a woman forced to rethink her hectic lifestyle after a major health scare (Netflix). LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most will by now be familiar with the name Melanie Bracewell.  The Kiwi comedian has found success on screen, on stage and online...   She’s written for 7 Days and Wellington Paranormal – featured on Have You Been Paying Attention – won the Billy T Award and went viral around the world with her impressions of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.   And now, Mel’s taken the leap across the ditch to try and crack the Aussies.   But it won’t be long before she’s back on our home shores to tour her show Forget Me Not and host the Best Foods International Comedy Gala next month.   Melanie Bracewell joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Look out for eggplants right now in grocers and farmer’s markets – they can get as low as $3-$4 each and they make for a really hearty meatless meal. Try this recipe for meltingly soft, richly flavoured and utterly scrumptious eggplant and feta fans.  Makes 4  2 eggplants 4-6 medium tomatoes, thickly sliced 100g feta 2-3 tbsps capers 2 tbsps each fresh thyme & oregano Salt & pepper to season ¼ cup olive oil Parsley to garnish Heat oven to 180 C and line a shallow baking tray with baking paper. Trim stalks from eggplants and halve lengthwise. Make four or five thick cuts in each half, leaving each intact at the stalk end. Tuck tomato slices and feta into each cut, sprinkle over capers, herbs and salt and pepper. Drizzle generously with olive oil and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil then continue baking until soft and collapsed – about another 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle over fresh parsley and serve alongside a simple salad and/or bread. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dungeons and Dragons  A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a long lost relic, but their charming adventure goes dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.  The Portable Door   A man lands an internship at a mysterious London firm with unconventional employees, including the charismatic CEO who is incorporating modern corporate strategy into ancient magical practices.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne recently took a walk round the zoo with his daughter. An idea crossed his mind as to how we could help fund our deteriorating health system.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the start of this year, my girlfriend decided to sell her old dunga’. It was a good decision. Her car was a big, old, fat 2.6L sedan with blind spots the size of a bouncy castle, and the only thing it loved more than chewing through vast quantities of petrol was being as difficult as possible to wedge into parallel parks. ‘Good news!’ she said to me, one day. ‘I sold my car for three thousand dollars!’ ‘That’s fantastic! I replied. And so, what are you thinking now? ‘Well, I’ve got your car,’ she said. …. I don’t think I truly appreciated New Zealand’s lagging mathematics achievement until I noted the laxness of my girlfriend’s attitude to the situation. ‘I can give you the three thousand if you really want it,’ said my girlfriend. ‘But my car’s worth ten thousand dollars.’ I said. Welcome to love. The reason I’m telling you this is not actually anything to do with cars. It’s about what I decided to do next. Because, faced with a carless future, I did nothing. Three months ago, my girlfriend and I decided to become a one-car couple. Between us, living in two different houses, in different suburbs, with her son and various jobs to balance, we decided to see if we could get by with just the one vehicle. The theory was pretty simple. Whenever I could, I would ride my bike. She would walk more and use public transport. Both of us would have to be a bit thoughtful about our requirements in advance. I thought of it as Corolla coordination, as we tried to plan out our weeks as best we could. If it was raining, or we had stuff to carry, or we were running late for an important meeting, we wouldn’t guilt ourselves about spending money on Ubers. I figured whatever we spent on Ubers would be more than covered by our savings on a new car, insurance, and petrol. Today is April 1st, three months into 2023. Three months since we made the switch. The thing that has surprised me most is how easy the whole thing has been. Now, I get it. We’re not on a farm. We’re not running separate glazing businesses. We don’t have eight kids. And we live in a city. But we do have some complications. We are balancing a lot. And anyone who’s paid attention to the news will know there’s been a fair bit of rain in the upper North Island this year. Still, if I was to break it down, I’d say that 90% of my journeys have been by bike. The only slight issue I’ve had was an incident where I had to excuse myself from a book launch party after zipping across Auckland on a particularly humid evening, only to find myself with sweat literally dripping onto some of the other guests. On a few occasions, my girlfriend and I have been going to the same event. With our Corolla coordination, she’ll take the car and I’ll take the bike, and I’ll beat her there through the rush hour traffic. And as for Ubers and public transport? I’ve spent about $170 in three months. That’s a whole lot less than a car, insurance, and running costs would’ve set me back over the same period. I know this setup won’t suit everyone. I’m not suggesting it will. But New Zealand has one of the highest car-ownership rates in the world. And I reckon I’m not the only one who might be surprised at how easy it is to downsize. Call it Corolla Coordination. Or Mitsubishi Marshalling. Or Hilux Harmonising. Outlander Ordering. Maybe if you’re getting rid of an old dunga, set yourself a challenge, too. Sure, it’s handy to have one car. But ask yourself, do you really need two?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rolling Stone says: Lana Del Rey spends her ninth LP taking a close look at herself — and reminds us she's in a creative class all her own.  She has another ridiculous song title on her album called: Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paris, The Memoir  From the woman who is credited, for better and for worse, for launching what we know as the celebrity focused, brand driven, social media obsessed popular culture of today, comes an honest and surprising memoir that reckons with that truth, and shows that there is so much more to Paris Hilton than you might believe.  Behind Paris Hilton's meteoric rise from Upper West Side club kid to household name lies her self-proclaimed 'superpower' of ADHD and a hidden history that traumatized and defined her.   Shocking, funny and surprisingly profound, Paris is the deeply personal memoir of the ultimate It Girl and a stunning inside view of a pop culture phenomenon.   Until, in a revealing documentary, she disclosed that her childhood was shattered by two years of strip searches, isolation, beatings, restraint, and brainwashing within the now infamous 'troubled teen industry', Paris Hilton was simply the billionaire heiress America had watched grow up on television, on the internet, and in tabloids.   But there was always more to Paris Hilton than met the eye.    Did I Ever Tell You This, Sam Neill  In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion.  Did I Ever Tell You This? is a joy to read, a marvellous and often very funny book, the work of a natural storyteller who is a superb observer of other people, and who writes with love and warmth about his family. It is also his account of his life outside film, especially in Central Otago where he established Two Paddocks, his vineyard famous for its pinot noir. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

- The East by West Ferry offers great excursion options. (Matiu/Somes Island.)   - How was the birdlife?  - And the ferry connects to Days Bay, too. ( Then take an ebike to Pencarrow Lighthouse.)   - North of the Capital, the Escarpment Track is pulling the crowds.   - If the weather's not behaving, what's new at Wellington Museum.   - And the Te-Whanganui-a-Tara exhibition is a fresh feature?  ( Gigantic photographic carpet of the region on the floor.)  For more tips on great trails and culture stops in Wellington, Mike's article is on the website.  www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/travel/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is anxiety actually? If it's not real, can't you just tell someone to snap out of it - or get over it?  So, what helps?  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We had a bit of rain this week… and a huge amount of wind as well.  It really showed me I had underestimated the ripeness of my “Sanguine Peaches”, a variety that never fails to perform here in Christchurch. An acquired taste: very sweet and spicey; The name originates from Sanguine de Savoie, meaning “the blood of savoy”.  Another favourite tree fruit is the apple “Initial”; perfectly crisp and not too sweet; the great thing about “Initial” is that it seems to be quite resistant to all sorts of diseases, so… easy to grow in an organic garden.  Pome fruit (apples) are best pruned in wintertime, when the tree is dormant. They require good eyesight, as you’ll need to be careful leaving the fruiting spurs so that the tree has some fruit to set next season. Watch the shape and size of those spurs when you harvest the fruit, so you know what to look for during winter pruning.  One apple I always “wait” for is the late ripening “Monty’s Surprise”; An old apple variety, discovered a few decades ago  It has several wonderful advantages: It’s relatively resistant to diseases and pests – I’ve noticed little evidence of black spot and such pathogens  In the earlier part of the season (late March, early April) Monty’s surprise is a tangy cooking apple – the fruit are large… some get too “huge”;  Mid-April onwards, when the fruit ripens further, it becomes an eating apple. Tastes great! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is it?  Serious infection of blood or brain (meningitis) Can lead to very severe disease or even death. Caused by a bacteria called meningococcal. - 15% of us carry it in our nose and throat and it doesn’t harm us. For reasons we don’t understand it can occasionally transmit to others and cause the disease.   Who gets it?  Peak those under 5, and teenagers/young adults up to 25 High risk are young adults moving into halls of residence – university or boarding school We don’t understand why some get the disease. Bug doesn’t survive long outside the nose or throat – thought spread close contact kissing, eating utensils, sneezing. How do you recognise it?  Often starts with temp, vomiting or muscle/joint pian like any other illness. However, it can worsen every very rapidly without warning – severe headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, rash – serious requires urgent medical attention. It is rare, however can happen out of the blue with little or no warning. What to do about it?  Antibiotics can cure if get early enough However only real protection immunisation. Under-fives now have a meningitis vaccine in immunisation schedule 13- to 25-year-olds: moving to halls of residence, boarding school can get a free immunisations for the main types of meningitis. As parents think about immunising their children if going to university or boarding school – talk to your GP or Nurse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chat GPT stunned the tech world by launching plugins  Now you can get Chat GPT to connect to a range of applications to enrich what it knows, and what it can do. For example, you can now connect it to Expedia and have it search flights, or recommend hotels. You can connect it to Bing to search the internet - yes, it can now know real-world and real-time information. You can even connect it to your email and calendar through a service called Zapier to have it send emails and more.   TikTok's CEO grilled on Capitol Hill  Shou Zi spent five hours taking questions from lawmakers. He says there is still some data in a data center in Virginia and Singapore that China-based employees can access, but that is in the process of being deleted. From then on, all US data will be stored in a US data center and governed by US law, only accessible by US-based employees. He says TikTok has never, and would never, share US user data with the Chinese government. These committee hearings also continue to show just how little our law makers know about technology, with painful questions.   Adobe launched its generative AI called Firefly  It's designed for creatives, and it looks pretty awesome.   You can create images from scratch or use something already in your design canvas to use as a prompt. So, you could take an image of a church and ask for variations of it. The thing that looks the coolest is that it keeps it all in separate layers so you can move things around and tweak as needed. Want a picture to look brighter, or more moody - you can ask for that too. Need the sky brightened up to make your vacation look perfect - it can do that too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Night Agent: An American spy thriller. While monitoring an emergency line, an FBI agent answers a call that plunges him into a deadly conspiracy involving a mole at the White House (Netflix).  Yellowjackets: Season two of the dark thriller starring Melanie Lynskey, about a team of talented high-school girls soccer players who survive a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness (Neon).  Lucky Hank: Bob Odenkirk returns to the small screen in this comedy-drama as a grumpy English professor whose life begins to unravel (TVNZ+). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was 1990 in Ireland, when three sisters and their brother decide to form a family band.  Thus, The Corrs were formed and their version of Celtic-pop somehow worked.  They’re one of the biggest musical acts to come out of Ireland, selling 40 million albums worldwide and creating six bestselling albums.  The band went on a decade-long hiatus to raise families before returning to the charts in 2015.  And now, they're heading our way for two shows later this year.  Sharon Corr joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This cake is gorgeous! Lime & coconut are great friends and bring in the pineapple, guava-like flavour of feijoa and wow, it’s a winner  150gbutter, softened  3/4 cup caster sugar 3 large eggs 150gself-raising flour  2 tbspsyoghurt or milk  Slug of rum 3/4 cup desiccated coconut 1 cup feijoas, chopped Zest and juice from 2 limes, plus 1 extra lime Icing  250gcream cheese  2 tspsvanilla extract  ½ -1 cup icing sugar Preheat oven to 170°C fan bake. Line a 23cmcake tin with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and pale. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. Don't worry if it curdles at this stage, it makes no difference to the end result. Fold in the flour, stirring until just combined. Add in the yoghurt, rumand coconut, mixing well, then fold in the chopped feijoas, lime zest and juice. Scrape the batter into your prepared cake tin. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until it springs back to the touch. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the tin to cool completely. Make the icing: Beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in enough icing sugar (I only use ½ cup as I prefer a strong cream cheese and less sweet flavour) until the icing is thick and spreadable. Ice the cold cake and garnish with zest fromthe extralime.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Living (at cinemas)  Overwhelmed at work and lonely at home, a civil servant's life takes a heartbreaking turn when a medical diagnosis tells him his time is short. Influenced by a local decadent and a vibrant woman, he continues to search for meaning until a simple revelation gives him a purpose to create a legacy for the next generation.   Featuring Bill Nighy and Sex Education’s Aimee Lou Wood.  Boston Strangler (Disney +)    Keria Knightly plays reporter Loretta McLaughlin, who becomes the first person to connect a series of murders and break the story of the Boston Strangler. She and Jean Cole challenge the sexism of the early 1960s to report on the city's most notorious serial killer.   A remake of an original film but reviewers are saying the new adaptation is better.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne went to see English stand-up comedian Michael McIntosh this week, he says it was a superb show.   But he can’t think of a more stressful occupation than being a stand-up comic. Walking onto a lonely stage several times a week with a couple of thousand fans expecting you to be hilarious, he was keen to have a yarn about this and joined Jack Tame.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My girlfriend was in Christchurch last week, waiting at the airport departure gate before flying to Auckland, when she sent me an excited text. “The Crusaders are here. All of them.” She said. “Well, I think they are. I don’t know sports.” She rang me a few minutes later, a bit star-struck for someone who supposedly didn’t care too much for rugby, to say that everyone at the airport was asking one guy in particular for photographs. Richie Mo’unga? I wondered. Sam Whitelock perhaps? ‘He’s a bit older. And he keeps looking at a laptop screen.” I sent her a photo. “That’s him! That’s the guy!” she exclaimed. “His name is Razor Robertson,” I said. “You’re probably looking at the next All Blacks coach.” Three days later, the deal was signed. I don’t think there’s another coach in the country who’s stardom compares to or even exceeds that of his top players, but Scott Robertson’s success has propelled him into a different stratosphere. It isn’t just the fact that he wins that makes Robertson popular. It’s how he wins. And it’s always been the same. Rugby journos, players and colleagues rave about the culture he fosters in his team. In a pretty gruff and grunty world, Razor has distinguished by his earnest concern for people and the connections he’s able to make with his players. He’s quirky. A bit unorthodox. But everyone is left in no doubt that he genuinely cares. And as a result, quite aside from any skills or tactics, or anything specific to rugby, he’s proved incredibly successful in getting the best out of his people. It takes a special kind of leader to motivate a team when they win year, after year, after year. It will remain an enduring stain on the reputation of New Zealand Rugby that the organisation’s head honchos could extend the same basic human decency to the current All Blacks coach. I was trying to imagine how I’d feel if my boss announced to the world that he’d be kicking me off air and replacing me with someone else, but that first he’d expect me to perform to my highest level for the next six months.  I can’t say I’d have acted with anything like the dignity and grace that Ian Foster has displayed throughout this whole fiasco. I thought there was an especially telling moment in Mark Robinson’s media round this week, in which he admitted to not having even spoken with Ian Foster in person to tell him about appointing a replacement. “He’s in a different time zone.” Said Robinson. “We’ll try to reach out and have that chat if we can.” Doesn’t that say everything? I was gobsmacked. At the same time as they were choosing a candidate for the culture he instils in a team, New Zealand Rugby couldn’t even extend the decency of a conversation to the man he’s replacing. It doesn’t matter who you are or what industry you work in, international rugby, elite sport or accountancy for all I care, culture comes from the top. And the best cultures are the ones whose leaders care for their people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Amelia' is the debut album from British pop artist Mimi Webb. After three years of development and a few lead-off singles, Mimi Webb released he first full studio album in early March. Music reviewer Estelle Clifford analysed the album and compared Mimi Webb's style to Emeli Sande and Dua Lipa. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Last Orphan: An Orphan X Novel The Last Orphan is the latest instalment in Gregg Andrew Hurwitz's Orphan X series. Evan Smoak was taken from a group home to be raised and trained up into an assassin for the Government's secret Orphan program, until he broke away to go underground and use his skills for good. The Government's onto Evan now and the President has a deal for him- eliminate a powerful target for his life. The Only Suspect Alex lives a quiet, comfortable life- until his wife announces that a previously disused nature trail is opening back up again after several decades. Alex is now living in fear and suspicion as the contractors get to work and a secret threatens to surface. The book flashes back to Alex's twenties and readers learn more about Alex's early life, including a hunt for a murder suspect that was never solved. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Commentator Elliott Smith is here with this weekend's sports highlights, including the unfolding second day of the Black Caps v Sri Lanka second test and SailGP's grand prix event. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel expert Mike Yardley shared some of his recommended spots for dinner, brunch and cocktails in New Zealand's capital.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which period products are the most sustainable and budget friendly? Kate 'Ethically Kate' Hall talked Jack through some of the better options available on the market. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autumn is near and the hot days have certainly increased life in the garden. Flowers are still banking on pollinators to do their job; they are numerous right now: flies, hover flies, beetles, thrips and mites; of course our native bees are still around as well. But the invertebrates that cause troubles in the garden and vegetable plots are also on the peak of their numbers; after all they, too, had a warm breeding season and many many offspring. The greenhouse thrips is one of those critters that loves to feed on the leaves of vegetables and ornamentals: beans, apples, Rhododendrons, Azalea, lilly-pilly, the list is endless. Best way to identify them is by distinct silvering of the leaves (especially the upper side) with a smattering of brown, often sticky poos on the underside. The plant will usually show the symptoms of severe stress, which makes sense as the photosynthesis is hampered: Thrips suck the cells dry (causing that silvering) and deposit the poo on the underside of the leaves. The insects look like miniature crocodiles under the microscope. Frequent neem oil sprays reduce their numbers; Mavrik and a range of other insecticides seem to do the job as well. Do the control now, before too many eggs and juveniles commence their overwintering phase! Last week we mentioned powdery mildew and that grey, mouldy fungus on plants. Regular sprays (fungicides) were suggested as a suppressing control. But the yellow-and-black ladybirds that live on the infected plants need some control as well! Contrary to what most gardeners think (that ladybirds are “beneficial” as consumers of pest insects), these Ozzie chappies are Gardeners! They literally spread the spores of mildew round on the leaves, creating the fungal gardens on which they thrive – they literally eat “mushrooms”! If your apple crop was destroyed by codling moth (Madex 2 or Madex 3 is the preventative spray to use after flowering!!!) the apples will fall on the ground with heaps of caterpillars coming out of their snackbar and looking for a place to pupate in or near the soil. My best advice is to remove those apples and put them in the food recycling bin for disposal; (DON’T put them in your compost bin as the pupae (chrysalises) will survive the winter and happily continue the codling moth damage next spring). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wine expert Bob Cambell reviews his pick of the week- Saint Clair 2021 James Sinclair Malbec out of Hawke's Bay. Bob Cambell told Jack Tame what he thought of this choice, and explained the rising popularity of malbec in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand and the UK are among the growing list of countries banning TikTok on Government devices amid mounting security concerns. Tech expert Paul Stenhouse explained this issue to Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screentime expert Tara Ward highlights her TV recommendations for the week: Ted Lasso Sports comedy-drama Ted Lasso is back for its' third (and presumably final) season. The heartwarming story of an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team continues on for Apple TV+. Will Trent Will Trent is an American crime drama based on a series of books. The show follows Will Trent, a Special Agent in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with a keen eye for observational detail, and it's available now on Disney+. Stuck Stuck is a sitcom following a recently unemployed older man and his outgoing younger girlfriend struggling with their long-term relationship, as the pair are now at a romantic crossroads. This series is available now on TVNZ+. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zion Armstrong has lived an impressive life as a former Commonwealth Games athlete and current president for Adidas North America, but his career wasn't always set in stone. As a teenager, Zion Armstrong got in trouble with the police and ran away to escape consequences- but the local chief of police happened to be a track and field coach who recognised Zion's athletic ability. Police chief Ross Dallow became Zion Armstrong's first mentor, and he conscripted him into joining the local athletics team to keep him out of trouble. Zion never forgot that moment, and remembers this chance encounter as a life-changing event that saved him from a dangerous path.  Zion's athletic days are beyond him, but even as the president of Adidas North America, he always thinks about the the power of chance encounters, support and effort. "It just takes one person. You'll never ever know what he or she is going through, so always be there to lend a hand and support people, because you never know what that chance encounter can do for someone's life." Zion told Jack Tame about how this one event shaped his athletic career and journey with Adidas. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rosa Flanagan from Two Raw Sisters shared her simple recipe for 10-ninute chilli garlic noodles: Begin with udon noodles, but you can substitute rice noodles or pre-packaged 2-minute instant noodles. For the sauce: Six cloves of crushed, finely chopped garlic One to two tablespoons of chilli flakes (or you can use fresh chilli) Three spring onions, finely chopped Five tablespoons of tamari (or soy sauce) One teaspoon of rice wine vinegar 1/2 a teaspoon of sea salt 1/4 a cup of sesame seeds 1/4 a cup of oil Finely chopped coriander Boil noodles until cooked, put the noodles in a large bowl and mix in the garlic, chilli flakes, spring onions, tamari, vinegar, sea salt, and sesame seeds. Heat the oil over a medium heat until hot, the pour the oil directly over the noodles. Mix together and add coriander. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods The sequel to the 2019 film Shazam! continues the story of foster child Billy Baston, who was given the power to turn into an older superhero, Shazam. This sequel is set several years after the first, and Billy and his foster siblings have to team up to fight the Daughters of Atlas, who plan to overrun Earth. Finding Michael This Disney+ documentary explores the investigation to track down the body of Michael Matthews after he disappeared while descending Mount Everest. Spencer Matthews, Michael's younger brother embarks on a personal mission to recover his brother's body years after his last steps down the mountain.  LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Saville joined Jack Tame to talk about last night's Hurricanes v Waratahs Super Rugby match, the upcoming day two of the Black Caps v Sri Lanka second test and SailGP's grand prix event. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2023 Oscars were this week, and Jamie Lee Curtis walked away with Best Supporting Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Kevin Milne talked about her first interview after the fact and addressed her response to a question about what her Oscar-nominated parents may have thought from beyond the grave. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The media merger is gone. The clean car upgrade is dead. A selection of other policies have been cast aside or delayed by the first majority government in MMP history. Cynical, clinical, and effective, if the new Prime Minister’s reprioritisation has taught us anything, it’s public sentiment is the best measure in judging which legislation lives and dies. Forget vision or ambition, Labour just wants to win. With that in mind, the blade of Chris Hipkins’ legislative guilotine weighs heavy above Three Waters, the last of the big reforms for which we’re awaiting a final verdict. And while the centralisation model might survive his shake up, the Prime Minister’s colleagues and officials will be trying to restructure the proposals in a way that nullifies the criticisms of disproportionate and undemocratic Māori influence. Co-governance as proposed under both the original and revised Three Waters reforms marked a first in New Zealand. It’s disengenuous for supporters to dismiss the structure as nothing new, because it is. It may have been inspired by the co-governance of other smaller entities, but a 50-50 model for the delivery of essential public services, on this scale, would be a turning point in legislative interpretations of Te Tiriti. Opponents claim the Three Waters proposals defy a one-person-one-vote principle and cannot be considered democratic. It’s true that as a percentage of the population, the proposals give Māori greater representation than non-Māori on the Regional Representative Groups. The original proposal had mana whenua at the top table, but even the revised version, in which Māori and council representation is one tier back, is structured in a 50-50 split. But another interpretation is simply that co-governance gives effect to the partnership principles of Te Tiriti, and that actually a better measure of New Zealand’s democracy is whether the Crown honours its obligations under our founding document. In the words of the late Moana Jackson, treaties aren’t meant to be settled, they’re meant to be honoured. The great shame for supporters of co-governance is that Labour has never mounted a forceful argument to explain why it believes co-governance is the right course. Like spinach in a toddler’s cheese toastie, the introduction of the reforms gave voters the impression Labour was trying to quietly sneak co-governance through. For all her communicative talents, when pressed, Jacinda Ardern ducked and dived and argued that for non-Māori, co-governance was nothing to fear. While that may be true, there’s a significant difference between defending a controversial policy and actively selling it. Really, it’s been left to a handful of Māori MPs to vainly fight off the critics. Nanaia Mahuta should never have been charged with pushing the changes through. Strategically it was a poor decision, and at a human level it wasn’t much better. While much of the opposition to co-governance centres on reasonable arguments over representation and democracy, there is undoubtedly an ugly anti-Māori streak which has targetted the Minister, personally. Whether you agree with the interpretation or not, 50-50 co-governance for the delivery of vital public services is a subject worthy of debate. It cuts to the heart of our founding document, our identity, and our democracy. What does it mean to be Treaty partners in modern Aotearoa? The Labour government’s handling of Three Waters has ultimately done a disservice to Māori. They never sold it. They never explained it. They never even tried to. And if Chris Hipkins chooses to water it down once again, you can be sure co-governance won’t be back any time soon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The album marks Cyrus' eighth studio album and first since 2020's Plastic Hearts. Miley Cyrus has revealed that her eighth album ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ will be split into two parts, ‘AM’ and ‘PM’.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Silence Project, Carole Hailey  A powerful debut novel that explores a complex mother-daughter relationship. What is it like to be the daughter of a woman who started a cult that changed the world?  Monster. Martyr. Mother.  On Emilia Morris's thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by her vow of silence, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers around the world burn themselves to death.    The Mysterious case of the Alperton Angels, Janice Halley  Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult-like group who were convinced one of their member's babies was the anti-Christ, and they had a divine mission to kill it - until the baby's mother, Holly, came to her senses and called the police.   The Angels committed suicide rather than go to prison, and Holly - and the baby - disappeared into the care system.   Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels.   The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed - if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool joined the show to chat about ghosting, toxic behavior, and the impact it can have on dating and relationships. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking out for seasonal troubles  Some of us had a rubbish summer – wind and water and wholesale destruction.  It’s really hard to give suitable advice as each situation is different.  The only thing I can say is: protect your valuable top-soil, as that is the most important part of your garden.  Mulch what you’ve got and add more organic materials to allow the beneficial creatures to thrive.  Plant your winter crops when you have the time and inclination to do so: Brassicas and good root crops. Don’t give up!  For those of us that have had a drought: we may have broken that problem over the past weeks or so. But temperatures have been relatively high and the dry conditions have turned a lot more moist:  Mildew is amongst us.  That white cover on the leaves on a range of plants (roses, pumpkins, oak leaves, grapes, you name it). It’s caused by a fungus that loves warm day time temperatures, followed by cooler evening temperatures – it causes a layer of dew on the leaves and rust spores love that very much.  Prevention: spray some copper/sulphur fungicide on the leaves on a regular basis; it literally creates a barrier for the spores to become active.  Plants that are already “hammered” by mildew may need a heavier, “systemic” fungicidal spray to contain the fungus  Spider mites adore the late-summer heat. They have slowly increased their numbers, built fine webs on susceptible host plants and are reproducing like there’s no tomorrow.  Organic control can be achieved via Yates’ fatty acid spray (NatraSoap) … that stuff works on tiny critters with a sensitive skin; alternative: Neem Oil or Conqueror Oil.  Repeat sprays recommended. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re coming up to the end of the financial year, which doesn’t mean much for most wage and salary earners these days, but it will mean something to many property investors, who will see the next step down in the phase-out of interest cost deductibility.   Those who aren’t exempt (only those who bought a new build after the end of March 2021 are exempt) will see deductibility drop from 75% to 50% - which means they may end up paying tax on a profit they’re not making.   While I know few have sympathy for property investors, many of them are just average people who have bought a property to help fund their retirement and the rules have changed.   If you layer in higher interest costs, it should prompt a re-think about whether they should continue to own that property, and if not that property, how else should they fund their retirement gap.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spotify is getting a makeover and it looks like TikTok  The original streaming music service has expanded over the years to include podcasts and now audio books - and now wants to showcase all its offerings in a new way.   The home screen will go from album art and playlists, to look more like a newsfeed where you can scroll through items their AI thinks you might like. It'll jump you straight to the chorus of a new song, an interesting bit of a podcast or a clip from an audio book. They say they're not copying TikTok, but putting more of a face on their powerful recommendations engine.      Apple Music is getting a dedicated Classical Music app  This is an odd one - because surely you can just listen to classical music on regular Apple Music?   But the font is serif! Apple says the dedicated app will allow users to dive deep to learn about the composers and their work through editorial notes. Users will also be able to search by composer, work, conductor or even catalog number, to locate recordings.  It launches at the end of the month and is part of the current Apple Music subscription offering.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been announced there’s to be a Carterton street named after Georgina Breyer who died this week. Kevin Milne thinks this is great, but reckons that more of our landmarks should be re-named after our national heroes.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joel Little started out in a pop punk rock band you might have heard of called Goodnight Nurse.  Then he taught himself to produce music to pay the bills.  In 2013, an album Joel worked on with a little known 15-year-old artist made HUGE waves both here and overseas: Lorde and her album Pure Heroine.   It set Joel on a trajectory to work with some of the biggest names in the music business, and now he’s bringing it full circle with a passion project called Big Fan to help upcoming Kiwi artists.  Joel joined the show to chat about his career —past, present, and future— as well as the upcoming Goodnight Nurse reunion at tonight’s My Chemical Romance concert. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can't go wrong with a good self saucing pudding, and you especially can't go wrong with this self saucing pudding! Serves: 4  Cook Time: 35 minutes  Cake: 1 cup oat (GF option: buckwheat flour) 1/4 cup cacao powder  1/2 cup coconut sugar  1/3 cup coconut oil, melted  1/2 cup plant-based or dairy milk  1 1/2 tsp baking powder  ½ tsp sea salt  2 cups of seasonal fruit, roughly chopped   Sauce:  3/4 cup coconut sugar  3 tbsp cacao powder  1 1/4 cups boiling water  To Serve: Plant based or dairy ice cream or yoghurt  Method:  Pre-heat the oven to 190C.  Add all of the cake ingredients to a bowl and mix until well combined.  In an oven proof dish, pour the cake batter inside and smooth the top. Set aside.  For the sauce, in a medium bowl add all of the ingredients and whisk together until smooth and shiny. Slowly pour the sauce over the back of a large metal spoon to cover the pudding.   Place the dish into the oven and cook for 35 minutes.  Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or yoghurt.   Any leftovers will keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 4 days.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rain Dogs: Daisy May Cooper stars as a devoted single mother with a dysfunctional family, who attempts to go straight in a crooked world (Neon)  Desperate Measures: a British drama about a bank clerk whose life spirals out of control when she and her son are coerced into a botched drug deal by a local gang (TVNZ+).  Outlast: Netflix’s answer to Survivor sees 16 survivalists live in the extreme Alaskan wild and compete for a chance to win a massive cash prize — but these lone wolves must be part of a team to win (Netflix). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Triangle of Sadness  Carl and Yaya, a couple of influencers, are invited to a luxury cruise ship alongside a group of out of touch wealthy people. The situation takes an unexpected turn when a brutal storm hits the ship  Champions A former minor-league basketball coach receives a court order to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Despite his doubts, he soon realizes that together they can go further than they ever imagined.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley is once again the envy of us all on his travels to Samoa. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Is Why is the sixth studio album by American rock band Paramore, released on February 10, 2023, through Atlantic Records. It is the band's first album in nearly six years  The conditions of pandemic times serve as a backdrop for the new record, released after a five-year hiatus. Now two decades in, Paramore currently consists of Hayley Williams, Zac Farro and Taylor York. Having faced loss, grief, disillusionment and revelation, this return is a declaration of a new skin for a band so good at shedding them in the public eye. But for a world hell-bent on erasing the memory of the last three years of strife, Paramore approaches hard times with a refreshing sense of self.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All the Dangerous Things – Stacy Willingham   Following up her instant New York Times bestseller, A Flicker in the Dark, Stacy Willingham delivers a totally gripping thriller about a desperate mother with a troubled past in All the Dangerous Things.  One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.  Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.  Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle's past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust... including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.  Cold People – Tom Robb Smith  From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 comes a suspenseful and fast-paced novel about an Antarctic colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilization under the most extreme conditions imaginable.  The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist…Antarctica.  Cold People follows the perilous journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ethically Kate has some advice around how to look after your house plants without buying any sprays or fertilisers.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insects after the storm  Last week we talked about school grounds, “learning forests” and “outdoor classrooms” demolished after the cyclone;  What about the insects after the cyclone?  Comments from Taupo teachers indicated that since the windy and rainy disaster the number of chirping cicadas had nose-dived to silence.  Overnight!  This could well mean that this particular cohort of cicadas will not have been able to lay their quota of eggs in the soil for the generation in 3 or 5 years from now! Interesting to watch that “blip” in the future.  The rain will also have drowned myriads of soil dwellers, especially those that live in tunnels. Native bees (that create tunnels for their larvae) may find few offspring surviving, leading to a reduced amount of pollinating small, endemic bees next spring.  Who will be affected???? Native flowering trees and shrubs!  Tiger beetles will also drown in their silty tunnels – the only critters that might enjoy that news is their prey. (Spiders, ants, beetles, grubs, flies)  The most sensitive group of soil-dwellers are probably earth worms, who are (in my opinion) the best drainage engineers we have.  Our 175 or so native species (and 16 exotic types) are ones that aerate the soil, opening it up to great depths… 3 to 3.5 meters deep in the sub-soil”;  of course they also transport organic matter down to the root zones, enhancing the top soil’s fertility.  But a lot of the top soil has been washed away, leaving poor silt covering the earth. I reckon a heap of worms have drowned or covered by silt.  We have huge, long worms (over a meter long!) and species that literally glow in the dark when disturbed. (Walter Buller saw a kiwi ripping a bioluminescent worm apart in the darkness of the night – what a light show!)  Worms are food for birds (not just kiwi) and huge Native New Zealand snails  With the loss of our valuable soil we need to become gardeners again to restore the soil’s ecosystems.  Build up the organic material as much as you can; it will certainly reduce the amount of topsoil we lose via streams and rivers that flood out to sea.  I have not flown over the east coast of our beautiful country, so I haven’t seen the erosion hit the sea.  In a “normal” year we lose an amount of topsoil equivalent to the volume of the island of Waiheke!  To me it feels as if we may have lost as much in just one cyclonic episode, a few weeks ago… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Byran Betty has some advice around the causes and treatment of Athlete's Foot. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TikTok is in the news again - for its filters and its future.  The 'beauty glam' filter is ringing alarm bells because it's tough to tell it's actually a filter. It's next level because it processes the camera's image, rather than just overlaying something over the top. So if you were to cover just part of your face with your hand, the filters we know today either stop or put the effect over your hand. This will still know where your face is and manipulate the image accordingly.  Kids under 18 are going to get warnings about how much time they're spending on TikTok After an hour of use each day they'll have to actively enter a PIN to continue watching - with the hope that it will get them to pause and think, and hopefully put the phone down. But they can simply enter the PIN to keep going. Kids under 13 will need a parent to enter a password every 30 minutes of use.  Banned on US government devices  The Biden administration gave all government staff 30 days to delete TikTok from their federally issued devices. The US military has banned the app for some time. In the EU, staff of the European Parliament have around three weeks to get rid of it. Could the US actually ban TikTok?  The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee  wants to. American Civil Liberties Union believes it would violate the first amendment of the constitution. American's love their freedom, so I would think it would be difficult politically. We haven't banned cigarettes! Also, Republicans are typically the ones who champion freedom at all costs so it's seems their disdain for China is overpowering that argument. There are questions about how a ban would even work - would the app just disappear from your device? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Flatshare: A British romantic comedy about Tiffy and Leon, who share the same flat and sleep in the same bed, but who have never met each other (TVNZ+).  Daisy and the Six: Adapted from the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy and the Six tells the story of a 1970s rock band who quickly became international stars and imploded at the height of their fandom (Prime Video).  Cheat: Eastenders star Danny Dyer’s new high-stakes quiz show sees contestants encouraged to scheme and lie to win $50,000 (Netflix). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have heard Harry styles is in town next week and no, sorry to say, we couldn’t quite get him. But there just so happens to be a Kiwi on stage with him every single night he performs.  Naomi Ludlow a.k.a Ny Oh was born in the UK but raised in Tauranga and still very much calls New Zealand home.  She’s an extremely talented musician in her own right and just yesterday, released a brand new single called You Are. Ny Oh joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh is best! Here’s some ideas for some pasta sauces that doesn't need cooking and are absolutely delicious. They great to make when you’re having a fridge clean out or if, like me, you have lots of straggly plants still clinging on in the garden – basil, rocket, tomatoes, capsicums etc.  Tomato & herb pasta sauce  Use the very best quality of tomatoes you can find for this, as well as good olive oil.  3-4 medium tomatoes or 1 cup cherry tomatoes  1-2 cloves garlic, peeled  Small handful of basil or parsley, chopped  ¼ tsp dried oregano  Decent splash of olive oil  ½ tsp sea salt & decent pinch or grind of pepper  Use a box grater to grate the tomatoes into a bowl, leaving the skins out. Do the same with the garlic, using the smaller holes of the grater for this.  Stir in chopped herbs, olive oil and seasoning. Leave to sit for 15 minutes then taste and season more if needed.  Green pasta sauce  This is THE BEST way to get a decent dose of greens into you!  Few big handfuls of fresh spinach  Basil, rocket, mint, parsley – any or all  ¼ cup grated parmesan  ½ tsp sea salt  ¼ tsp chilli flakes  Squeeze of lemon or capful of vinegar  Decent glug of extra virgin olive oil  Water to loosen  Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, drizzling in oil and water if needed, until you have a bright green pourable sauce. Taste and season more if needed.  Lemon & olive oil pasta sauce  This is simplicity at its best and best kept for when lemons are in season.  ¼ cup lemon juice  ¼ cup grated parmesan or crumbled feta  Good quality olive oil  Salt and pepper to season  Chilli flakes optional  Stir the lemon juice and cheese together then start whisking in enough olive oil to bring it together as a sauce – up to half a cup. Season and stir through hot spaghetti. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Empire of Light   Hilary (Olivia Colman) is a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen (Micheal Ward) is a new employee longing to escape the provincial town where he faces daily adversity. Together they find a sense of belonging and experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community.  Creed III   Still dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed is thriving in his career and family life. When Damian, a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces after serving time in prison, he's eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian -- a fighter who has nothing to lose.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne wants to get one of the silliest pop songs ever to grace the New Zealand charts back to the top. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No matter what boxes you tick for Tuesday’s census, I’m fairly confident of one thing we all have in common. We can be differentiated in the Census by where we live, our gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, and work. But every last one of us, from new-born babies right through to centenarians and even Harry Styles... every one of us is aging. Today is March 04, 2023. Thirty-six years since I was born at Christchurch Women’s Hospital, I will be spending my birthday, birth hour and birth minute with you. There’s no need to text or email. I’m neither a birthday grinch nor someone who feels they need to be showered in gifts and bland Facebook posts, although the sentimentalist in me does find himself dwelling on the date. What’s special about March 4th? Nothing really. Except the date I’m supposed on be gorging on cake just happens to coincide with World Obesity Day. A coincidence, probably, although given my ridiculous sweet tooth I can’t help but wonder if some higher power isn’t having a bit of fun. And what’s special about thirty-six? You might say it’s just a number. But this year, I will be twice as old as I was at eighteen. I will have been legally able to vote and purchase booze for more than half of my life. I’m closer to forty than thirty. Closer to fifty than twenty. At thirty-six, barring any catastrophic event or a brain-drain unlike we’ve ever experienced, this is the last year in which I can say I’m in the younger half of New Zealand men. The median age in New Zealand – the age by which half the population is younger, and half is older – is 38.2 years. But for men, the median age is two years younger than that of women. 37. That means by May next year, I will be older than half of Kiwi blokes. I notice my body aging. You might scoff, but I notice the wrinkles just starting to set in my face, the hair on the back of my shoulders. I notice how I wake up sore sometimes and how I favour one knee just a little more than the other. I notice myself taking a keener interest in my grandparents’ and parents’ medical histories. I notice my opinions slowly changing. I notice myself feeling increasingly different in some ways to teenagers and people in their twenties. When I was born, my Dad was considered a relatively old first-time father. He was a year younger than I am today. I don’t have kids, although I’d like them. I’ve never married, although I’m more than twice the age of my grandma when she tied the knot. I remember on my thirtieth birthday, I felt a bit like my youth was over. I wasn’t all mopey and upset about it, I just felt like I had to enter a more settled stage of life. I look back now, of course, and I can see how silly that is. ‘Thirty?! You’re a child!’ I imagine telling my old (well, young) self. ‘Just wait until you’re older than the median age!’ I know in five years’ time I’ll look back at me today and feel exactly the same. I think age is giving me a little more wisdom. One of the things I’ve come to observe is how some friendships in life ebb and flow and come and go. You can have really strong friendships, really intense, meaningful relationships, and over time, you might still slowly drift apart from people. It just happens. Knowing and accepting that old friends and old connections are still important to you and that your shared history doesn’t disappear is a valuable thing. And the other side to the coin is that any day your path might cross with someone completely randomly, and you’ll forge a new, meaningful friendship. That potential is one of life’s wonders. I have so much to be grateful for. An awesome family. A loving girlfriend. My mates. My health. My job. But for me, thirty-six is a time when I notice myself no longer taking aging for granted. I’ve lost more friends and family in the last few years, than in all of the first thirty-three or thirty-four years of my life. That’s the thing about growing older. The great wisdom of aging comes in realising that ultimately it’s a privilege.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cracker Island is the eighth studio album by the British virtual band Gorillaz. The album was released on 24 February 2023 via Parlophone and Warner Records. It features collaborations with Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, Bootie Brown, and Beck  As a band supposedly made up of cartoon characters, Gorillaz could theoretically do anything: record in outer space; make hip-hop beats out of fish teeth; revive the lambada—an unlimited horizon. Which makes it slightly frustrating that on Cracker Island, their eighth studio album, Damon Albarn and co. do little that’s out of the ordinary. This is ostensibly the group’s Los Angeles album, inspired by a relocation to Silver Lake, and it does have a handful of very Californian guests in the form of Stevie Nicks, Thundercat, and the Pharcyde’s Bootie Brown. Overwhelmingly, though, Cracker Island leans on classic Gorillaz tropes: a handful of attention-grabbing features, a touch of hip-hop, a splash of dub, and great big helpings of Damon Albarn’s big-hearted melodies to bathe the record in misty sunshine. Classic, at least, is one way of putting it. Routine would be another.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazing Grace Adams, Fran Littlewood   Grace Adams is one bad day away from saving her life  One hot summer day, stuck in traffic on her way to pick up the cake for her daughter's sixteenth birthday party, Grace Adams snaps.  She doesn't scream or break something or cry or curl into a ball. She simply abandons her car in traffic and walks away. But not from her life - towards it. Towards the daughter who has banned her from the party. Towards the husband divorcing her. Towards the terrible thing that has blown their family apart . . .  She'll show her daughter that no matter how far we fall, we can always get back up. Because Grace Adams was amazing. The world and her family might have forgotten, but Grace is about to remind them. The Hard Sell, Evan Hughes  The inside story of a band of entrepreneurial upstarts who made millions selling painkillers—until their scheme unraveled, putting them at the center of a landmark criminal trial.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After binging on far too many New England lobster rolls, Mike Yardley switched out an ocean view for the woodsy rolling hinterland of Southern New England. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The major weather disruptions have created a number of victims; not just people caught in the cyclone. It’s lovely to see how people react to people in trouble; This last week in Taupo, the local school kids and Greening Taupo decided to load a heap of cool school resources into the rescue helicopter to spread the love over the hill in Hawkes Bay Students from Waipahihi school decided to dig up seedlings of native plants and trees from their own school grounds to quickly grow them for restoring the outdoor classrooms of schools in Hawkes Bay that lost their environmental learning spaces. “How can you learn without an outdoor classroom?” was their motivation. In early spring the plants will be transported to the Bay, to – literally – heal the soil. Hundreds and hundreds of seedlings are now growing at Waipahihi school; some even came from a bumper crop of seedlings in the Taupo Botanic gardens. Lovely to see how kids (and teachers!) respond to these awful situations and turn them into a social activity to support schools nearby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.