Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Wine: Tiki Single Vineyard Pinot Gris 2024, North Canterbury, $23.00   In recognition of Matariki and to highlight we have a growing number of Māori wine producers in NZ (Tiki, Tarras, Steve Bird, te PA, Tohu).   A crisp, dry style Pinot Gris with aromas and flavours of green pear and apple, some citrus highlights and a touch of quince. Just dry on the palate with an immediate bite of acidity and phenolics for texture and mouthfeel. There’s a fine less quality adding complexity and breadth across the palate. Best drinking from late 2024 through 2027.     The Food: A wine that is delicious with all sorts of hangi fare – especially kumara and pork belly. If you prefer seafood, then poached salmon with lemon is a great match. Vegetarians will like this wine with cashew nut dusted tofu burger with red beet and tasty cheese.     The season: 2024 was an excellent year for most growers in NZ.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the time of the year when my training sessions begin in all speed: teaching silvereyes and some other birds to come and visit our garden. After all, today’s the start of winter!  It’s not just about giving these lovely birds some well-deserved food for winter (although that helps!), it’s a simple way to get them to know where we live!   By regularly feeding these insectivores, they will be imprinted to come back in spring and summer, and that helps an entomologist (and his grandson) to identify the various individuals during the months of the year.   We feed these birds a number of yummy meals: Protein rich meat balls from the Mad Butcher, Lard Blocks, Nectar bottles, Cut-open fruit, etc.  Hundreds of them will visit our “kitchen”, and we know they will come back in spring and summer.   Why? Simply because this is where they get some great food, especially when it’s wintertime, but also in summertime, when our plants are damaged by scale insects and mealy bugs, whitefly and caterpillars, beetles and psyllids. Other great food are the chrysalises of moths and herbivorous wasps; but to be frank, their most effective pest control deals with aphids and the sap-sucking “scales and mealies”   I have seen these birds devouring 80% of the scale insects on my citrus bush in the garden. It was a relentless exercise by the small flock that came back twice a day to lift the tiny insects off the stems.   Other great birds in winter, spring, and summer are tui and bellbirds.   They too love to gobble the sugar water snacks. When you have flowers in the garden, these two natives will likely pollinate your plants!   Training these birds in winter has a second beneficial outcome:   The hundreds of silvereyes, finches, starlings and other garden visitors can be caught in my garden with mist nets; the next step then is to give them a metal ring with individual numbers.    It allows some of my colleagues to come over to my place and become skilled at “catching and banding” all sorts of birds. This will be useful for future Science Projects in Ornithology.   Ha! Even my 12 year old grandson keeps an eye on the silvereyes that he banded – it’s wonderful to see these young kids having a go and learning about Nature in quite a different way.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rosa Flanagan of the Two Raw Sisters is serving up a delicious salad – perfect to take along to a long weekend gathering.  Serves: 6    Time: 40 minutes      Ingredients:  1 cauliflower, cut into florets    2 tbsp cooking oil    1 tbsp pomegranate molasses    1/2 tsp sea salt    1/2 cup quinoa    1 cup water       Quick Pickled Red Onion    1 red onion, finely sliced    3 tbsp apple cider vinegar    ½ tsp sea salt       Pomegranate Lemon Oil    3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil    1 tbsp pomegranate molasses    Zest and juice of 1 lemon    ¼ tsp sea salt       To Serve    3 stalks kale, stalks discarded and leaves finely chopped    1 cup herbs, chopped    ¾ cup seeds, toasted       Method:    Preheat the oven to 200C.    Place the cauliflower on a baking tray and toss with cooking oil, pomegranate molasses, and sea salt. Place in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes or until golden and crispy in parts.    While the cauliflower is roasting, make the other components.    For the quinoa, add the quinoa and water to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the heat.    For the pickled red onion, add the onion, vinegar and salt to a small bowl. Toss together and allow to pickle for at least 5-10 minutes.    For the pomegranate lemon oil, add all ingredients to a cup and mix to combine.    When you are ready to serve, add the cooked quinoa, cauliflower, kale, herbs, seeds, pickled red onion, and drizzle over the pomegranate lemon oil to a big salad bowl. Gently toss to combine.    Store any leftover salad in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 4 days.    Simple Swaps / Additions    Great work lunch salad, just leave out the herbs and add fresh each day.    Add any other vegetables in addition or in replacement of the cauliflower e.g. kumara, eggplant, fennel, capsicum, zucchini, broccoli, pumpkin, potato.    Quinoa for any other grain e.g brown rice, orzo pasta, millet.    Instead of pickling the red onion, add to the roasting tray with the vegetables.    If you don’t have pomegranate molasses, leave it out. We use and recommend the brand, Lebanon Gardens.    Kale for any other greens e.g rocket, silverbeet, watercress, cos lettuce or spinach.    Seeds for any other seed or nut e.g sesame seeds, almonds or walnuts.    Delicious served with avocado chunks and a side of protein such as halloumi, falafels, tempeh, salmon, chicken, lamb or beef.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Better account security is coming to Facebook   They will be adding passkey support. Why are Passkeys better? Because they prevent you from being tricked into giving your credentials to a fake site. They also can't be stolen, guessed, or leaked.    A password doesn't care who it sends it to, you just hand it over and if it matches it lets you in, but you could be handing it over to anyone, the real site, or a fake site. A passkey is a more sophisticated form of authentication that first sends you a secret key. If that secret key matches, meaning that site and your device can now confirm they know each other, then a different key is sent back to log you in – the site also verifies that.   Think of it like a secure handshake with only the one person you want to shake hands with – everything is verified before sending any details.     Meta and Oakley are teaming up for a smart glasses collab   Meta really wants smart glasses to be a thing! They're releasing five Oakley styles to appeal to more people. The Oakley glasses have a 3K front-facing camera (that records video), open-ear speakers, and microphones built into the frame. When connected to your phone you can listen to music or podcasts, conduct phone calls, or chat with Meta AI.     Your Kindle is about to get more accessible   With the latest software update rolling out there'll be more options for adjusting line spacing, paragraph spacing, word spacing, and even character spacing. It's a big improvement for those with vision impairments.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy  Featuring exclusive interviews with survivors, paramedics and festival staff, this documentary examines the 2021 Astroworld tragedy and its aftermath (Netflix).     American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden   An exploration of how the world came together to hunt down al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the events of September 11, 2001 in New York City (Netflix).     Underdogs   Ryan Reynolds narrates a celebration of the unique behaviours of animals who don't usually get to be the stars of the show, from their hidden talents and unconventional hygiene choices to their unsavory courtship rituals (Disney+).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Echo Valley   Kate's secluded life is interrupted by her troubled daughter when she shows up frightened and covered in someone's blood. As Kate unravels the truth, she learns how far she'll go for her child.    Merchant Ivory   Archival footage and interviews provide insight into the partnership, both professional and personal, between director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone says the best time to travel with a baby is before it can walk. Makes sense, when you think about it. Most toddlers, once they’ve learnt to trot around the place, live for nothing more. All they want to do is walk. In fact, if you think about it, you really don’t want to get close to even blurring the line between rolling and crawling and waddling away. The moment your child is old enough and independently spirited enough to drag themselves around, you’re done for. There is no reasoning with an exhausted one-year-old on a packed 777. You can’t calmly explain that actually the pilot has just put on the fasten seatbelt sign. You can’t even vegetate them with a screen. As the old advice goes, if you’re going to travel with a young one, you’re best to do it when they’re really young. Hold them tight and they’ll mistake turbulence for rocking. Chuck them on the boob or the bottle if their ears are popping. And hey, you’ll be at your destination in no time! Or not. As someone who usually prides themselves on embracing new experiences, even I’ll concede that as our departure date approached, I felt an unmistakably growing sense of anxiety about our journey: 24 hours to Toronto with a four-month-old little boy and his eight-year-old brother. It all seemed so easy when we booked the tickets! The stress really kicked in the moment the taxi arrived to take us to the airport. Having purchased a special travel carseat secondhand, it was a rude shock to discover that it didn’t really fit our cab like it fitted the cars in the instructional YouTube videos. Cue ten minutes of wrestling and cursing and a t-shirt neckline already drenched in sweat. Timing an 8pm flight with a baby means being at the airport at 6pm, which means getting a cab at 5.15pm. Our boy is fine in a carseat so long as he’s moving. But when it’s the beginning of a long weekend and everyone is leaving Auckland at once, nobody’s moving. You’re lucky to get more than a couple of car lengths without coming to a standstill again. By the time we arrived the airport he’d already screamed his lungs out and my blood pressure was sitting somewhere between concerning and see-a-medical professional immediately. Just 23 hours to go. I’ve travelled enough and been sat next or near enough babies to know a lot of the theory around flying with little ones, but the thing you only fully appreciate once you’re in charge is how precarious any moment of peace always seems.  They might be fast asleep in their mother’s arms as the plane taxis to the runway, but he’s never more than a little jolt away from potentially stirring and screaming. It’s like you’re cradling a pink, chubby little grenade who’s missing a pin. He might go off and it might be catastrophic. He might scream and scream until all the babies on the flight slowly tip off each other, like a cadre of car alarms at 30 thousand feet. Or he might just sleep. The potential for either option is never more than a few seconds away. Of course, some things are just destined to go wrong. The moment you put your baby in the bassinet and he goes to sleep, there will be turbulence and you’ll be forced to take him out, bright and alert as a little meerkat. The moment you successfully navigate the Row 48 bathrooms and their slippery changing table and make it back triumphant to your seat, you will recognise a familiar straining expression on your baby’s face. The moment you’re sure that your son couldn’t possibly have any more burps and you just happen to lower that spill cloth for a couple of seconds, he will make sure to exploit that sartorial weakness so before long, his dried milk can mix in with that dried sweat from the taxi, earlier on. The moment you land, you will discover there’s been a mix up with the luggage and the carseat that’ll take a long time to fix and jeopardise your connection. It will be Lord of the Flies in the customs queue, you will miss your connecting flight and the replacement will somehow fail to have to transferred the infant’s booking... so what, you ask, do you suggest we just leave him in Vancouver? Most of this isn’t any one person’s fault, but rather the inevitable hiccups when navigating the crazy logistics of internal travel. In fairness, Māni did about as well as anyone could expect of a four-month-old, but travelling long haul with a baby has certainly tested my enthusiasm for the whole new experiences thing. Sure, he might have spewed in the middle of the aisle while half the plane was watching him. He might have gone through a dozen nappies, three rompers, a cardigan and no fewer than five bibs, but next time I’ll remember that I’m the one who needs to pack extra clothes in his carry on. After it all, there we were, more than 24 hours since we left home, pulling into a quiet street in a little town on Lake Ontario. It was almost 3.30am, local time, the dead of night. Māni’s grandparents were waiting to meet their grandson for the first time. Māni’s great-grandparents were w

Queen of the stage, Alison Quigan is a mainstay in New Zealand’s performing arts scene.   You may know her best as Yvonne Jeffries, Shortland Street’s maternally-minded receptionist, or from one of her many theatre productions, as Quigan has spent her career creating stories that portray the real lives of Kiwis on stage.   She’s back to her theatrical ways, directing a brand-new production by Sir Roger Hall, ‘End of Summer Time’.  It’s the story of retired cow cocky Dickie Hart and his wife Glenda’s move to Auckland, a decision Dickie thinks is the beginning of the end.  Quigan told Jack Tame that Hall’s a great observationist, and it’s his understanding of his audience that allows them to connect with his works.  “He’s been telling the story of this particular generation for 50 years, and he is very loyal to them and they are very loyal to him.”  She started directing his plays in the late 80’s when she took over Centre Point Theatre in Palmerston North, but as a solo show, this one is a little bit more complex than normal.  “You’re actually trying to create all the other characters with the actor, and obviously with the writer, and so it’s a case of making sure that he’s, he can get from A to B to C to D, to all of that, so he can get through to the end of the play,” Quigan explained.   “So there’s the practical part of understanding how a solo show works, but also reassuring and just loving what this other person can bring to the play.”  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taskmaster NZ, The Traitors NZ, The Chase NZ – Kevin Milne is wondering if New Zealand has run out of ideas of our own.  Being inspired by the success of overseas productions is fine, he says, but we shouldn’t just be copying them outright.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Their 27th album and their most theatrical yet, Phantom Island is the latest release from Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.  It’s a partner to their prior album, Flight b741, and was recorded during the same sessions, continuing on with the same themes, but with a more orchestral sound.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid   In the summer of 1980, astrophysics professor Joan Goodwin begins training to be an astronaut at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond; mission specialists John Griffin and Lydia Danes; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer. As the new astronauts prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined and begins to question everything she believes about her place in the observable universe.  Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.       Vianne by Joanne Harris   On the evening of July 4th, a young woman scatters her mother’s ashes in New York and follows the call of the changing winds to the French coastal city of Marseille.  For the first time in her life, Vianne feels in control of her future. Charming her way into a job as a waitress, she tries to fit in, make friends, and come to terms with her pregnancy, knowing that by the time her child is born, the turning wind will have changed once again.  As she discovers the joy of cooking for the very first time, making local recipes her own with the addition of bittersweet chocolate spices, she learns that this humble magic has the power to unlock secrets.  And yet her gift comes at a price. And Vianne has a secret of her own; a secret that threatens everything…    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Do the Galapagos sea lions know how good they have got it? Sprawled across the pristine beaches, they wallow, snooze, and frolic across the powder-white stretches of sand, blissfully unconcerned by curious passers-by entering their slice of paradise on a goggle-eyed shore excursion. In fact, some of the sea lions waddled up to greet us into their realm of unrivalled wonder. The Galapagos grips you good, and doesn’t let go. I’m fresh back from my maiden visit to this extraordinary group of islands with Viva Expeditions, enjoying a four-night cruise aboard the magnificent La Pinta." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly a million people in New Zealand are currently receiving Superannuation, getting payments of between nearly $600 and just over $1000 every fortnight.   But in this cost of living crisis, how easy is it to survive on the pension?  Ed McKnight tried living on it for a week and came to a couple of conclusions around what it would be like to retire.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oral hygiene is incredibly important for maintaining your health, but when you’re brushing twice a day, you can burn through brushes pretty quickly.  With dentists recommending toothbrushes be replaced every three months, New Zealanders send an estimated 20 million toothbrushes to landfill every year.   Is there a better option? Kate Hall offers a few tips that could help bring down the waste.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 14 June 2025, legend of the screen and stage Alison Quigan joins Jack to discuss directing a brand-new theatre production from Roger Hall.  Jack considers what real life skills we need in the world of AI.  Kevin has a few thoughts on what skills we should be nurturing and hopes they might translate to more original ideas.  Francesca Rudkin dishes on the dishy stars in new film ‘Materialists’.  And Mike Yardley recounts his exploration of the Galapagos Islands.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Damage in the garden can strike at any time.   Serious leaf damage (chewing and molesting of foliage all the way down the branches of a tree or shrub) is not something that small birds tend to do.    At ground level you can rightly guess that sparrows and quail are the possible delinquents, but when it really looks like full-on destruction you will need to do a bit of research:   Large bites in leaves: classic possum damage! Skeletonised Pohutukawa was bringing the trees to extinction – Project Crimson was the organisation that started the rescue mission.   Possums work on their local, favourite tree in the neighbourhood – constant chewing puts trees under pressure to make more leaves, often with an increased amount of sugar – Yum!   Bark damage is easy to spot: big scratches up and down the tree. Possum poo (1-1.5 cm in length) is often found under the tree – a dead give-away!   But the most ridiculous damage in your garden is possum chewing on fruit, especially citrus. It’s often like the possum helps you to peel the fruit – it only seems to like that peel and doesn’t often touch the fruit, unless it is very sweet and ripe.   Possums are rather destructive eaters. They eat a decent number of different trees – their favourites are Pohutukawa, Totara, Kohekohe, and Tawa, and their feeding habits literally have an impact on the make-up of our forests.   That means that our forests are often changed in composition, which in turn could have an impact on the sequestering of carbon.   All possums in New Zealand together eat about 21,000 tonnes of vegetable material – almost equivalent to the weight of the Sky tower!  They also eat birds, and the eggs in their nest, and many larger insect species.  At night, possums roam their territory. They are not always easy to find, as they are rather sneaky when going from tree to garden. We used to have them in the city of Auckland and many people simply didn’t believe they would have them in densely populated areas.   But even on quiet nights, possums can be heard making their special noises: growling, hissing, and screeching.    Possum control is best attempted with the good old “Possum Trap”, also known as the Timms Trap.   There are also the newer models of re-setting traps.  Cam Speedy is a brilliant trapper and his best lure for possums is the following mixture:   Make a “blaze” with flour (1 kg) and icing sugar (100 gr), plus 15 ml of cinnamon, peach, eucalyptus, or vanilla essence.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disney and Universal are suing AI image and video generator Midjourney   With just a couple of sentences you can create your own scene starring Homer Simpson, a Minion, or a Star Wars character. That's cool, but a problem for the studios who own the IP for that content.   The studios call Midjourney a “virtual vending machine” and “bottomless pit of plagiarism” in their suit.    Many of these AI companies have been using copyrighted material under "fair use" provisions to train their models, but this lawsuit directly challenges that. The lawsuit seeks damages ($150,000 per infringement) and an injunction that would immediately stop Midjourney’s operations.    Apple is bringing Call Screening to iOS26   Why are you calling me? That's the question the caller will now need to answer before you decide to pick up. Not interested, ignore them! This builds on the "live voicemail" feature they already rolled out. With this update, telemarketers will need to explain themselves before you answer! Spam calls are a real problem in the USA, so this will come as a welcome relief for many.     CarPlay can now be customized for car makers   Aston Martin is Apple's first CarPlay Ultra customer. The two collaborated to bring Apple Car Play to the driver's dashboard. So now your maps, music controls and more will be right there, not off to the side screen. But the main CarPlay screen will now have car control capabilities such as air vents, temperature, and driving preferences. It brings the Tesla style experience to more automakers.     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Attenborough: Ocean  David Attenborough explores the planet's undersea habitats, revealing the greatest age of ocean discovery and emphasising the ocean's vital importance while exposing its problems and highlighting opportunities for marine life recovery (Disney+).    Titan: The OceanGate Disaster   OceanGate's Titan tourist submersible imploded in 2023 on a deep-sea dive to the Titanic. This documentary details how a bold vision ended in tragedy (Netflix).    Paris Has Fallen  A protection officer and an MI6 operative team up after a terrorist attack. Realising there might be a mole in the secret services, the duo race to take down their dangerous enemy and thwart a larger conspiracy threatening Paris (Neon).     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Materialists   A young New York City matchmaker's lucrative business gets complicated as she finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.    Dangerous Animals  A shark-obsessed serial killer holds Zephyr, a rebellious surfer, captive on his boat. Racing against time, she must figure out a way to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nici Wickes has been out at Fieldays for the last few days, checking out a few products and cooking up a storm. She joined Jack to round up some of her foodie highlights, as well as share her ‘super simple’ Korean-style rump steak recipe that’s been popular among the other visitors.  Korean Beef and Spring Onions    If I have to pick a steak to cook, I’ll go with rump every time as it’s so darn tasty! It’s great for a quick fry or grill.       Ingredients  3 tbsp caster sugar   6 tbsp dark soy sauce   2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for grilling   2 tbsp sesame oil   Squeeze lemon juice or 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar   1 tbsp grated fresh ginger   3 cloves garlic, grated    500g rump steak   6-8 spring onions, sliced    Toasted sesame seeds, to serve      Method  In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, soy sauce, oils, lemon juice, ginger and garlic. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Cut steak into .5cm strips across the grain and add this to the marinade. Massage the marinade into the meat and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight. Brush spring onions with oil. Cook beef and spring onions on a BBQ plate or in a hot pan. Baste with leftover marinade as they cook. The beef strips will only need about 30-45 seconds then give them a turn and cook for a further 15 seconds.  Pile it all on a place and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serve with rice or soft white buns.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I still remember the exact seat where I was sitting.    It was 20 years ago, and I was primed for one of the key exams in my tertiary education. I’d passed Teeline shorthand at 40 words a minute. 50 words, 60 words, 70 words. To progress on my journalism course and ultimately earn a degree I had one final challenge: I had to pass a Teeline shorthand exam at 80 words a minute.   We learnt Teeline from a wonderful tutor, a woman named Julie with exacting standards, a wicked sense of humour, and a way with words. She’d peer over your shoulder when you were tracing out different characters.   “That’s a squitty-looking outline,” she’d say with a wry smile.  The moment I realised I’d passed 80 words a minute, I walked up to the front of the class and kissed her on the cheek. It took five months of work with daily lessons. I drilled myself with cassette tapes at home. But in a stuffy room on Madras Street, finally, I’d done it.  But here’s the crazy thing. That was the very last time I seriously used Teeline shorthand. That’s no reflection on Julie. She was an amazing tutor, and shorthand skills had been fundamental for journalists for however-many decades. But back in 2005, what no one had apparently stopped to consider was whether those skills would be necessary in a world on the cusp on smart phones. What’s the point in trying to keep up with shorthand when your phone can record a verbatim interview and even transcribe it in real time?  Since our son was born, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about my shorthand experience in the context of AI. And I kept returning to a fundamental question: what skills and knowledge should we actually be teaching our kids?   In the UK, surveys have suggested that 90% of university students are using AI to help with assessments. I’m frankly surprised it’s not more. But educators around the world are trying to grapple with how to get around the likes of Chat GPT, Claude, and DeepSeek in assessing students’ learning. So far at least, technology which purports to scan students’ submissions for signs of AI is having mixed results at best. Many assessors are advocating for a complete return to in-person exams with hand-written essays.  And yet in stewing over this, I couldn’t help but wonder if in some ways that misses the point. It’s like long division in the age of the calculator. Sure, it’s a nice-to-know. But be honest. Do you actually use it? How many of us actually need manual long division skills in the modern age? What’s the point in rote-learning historical dates when they are but a Google away? What’s the point in learning where to place a semicolon when you can always spell and grammar check your work?  When it comes to AI, instead of trying to work around it, I wondered, are we not better just to fully embrace it and try to teach our kids how to maximise the utility of the technology?   Ultimately, two points have given me reason to pause. First of all, it occurs to me that we’re not very good at foreseeing what skills will and won’t be relevant in the workplace of the future. It was only a few years ago that everyone was urging young people to drop everything and learn how to code. Now, coding jobs are among the first ones being gobbled up generative AI.   And it’s easy in reflecting in my Teeline shorthand example to miss the even greater lesson. It’s true, Teeline skills haven’t been necessary or helpful in my almost-twenty years of journalism. But what has been helpful is the discipline that experience taught me. What has been helpful is the organisation skills, the accountability, the professionalism. In learning Teeline, I learnt shorthand. But more importantly, I learnt how to learn.  Whether it’s through long division, historical essays or anything else... surely that is the skill should aspire to educate in our kids. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nadia Lim is a chef with a finger in every pie.  She’s a MasterChef New Zealand champion, cookbook author, TV personality, dietitian, entrepreneur, and an inspiration for many in the kitchen.  Her recipes and passion have shaped the way many approach food, the release of her cookbook Easy Weeknight Meals inspiring plenty of people to take up utensils.  To mark the 10th anniversary of that very cookbook, a special edition is being released, complete with 16 bonus My Food Bag recipes.   Easy Weeknight Meals 10th Anniversary Edition, published by Allen & Unwin NZ, RRP $39.99. She told Jack Tame that ten years has gone by fast – time moving faster the older you get.  “I’m 40 this year and I started this journey out when I was like, 25, and gosh, the time’s just flown by,” Lim said.  “I’ve never been a great person at kind of, looking back in the past, but when anniversaries like this come around, it’s a good time to kind of look back and stop, pause, and reflect.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A significant milestone happened in Kevin Milnes life recently – or shall we say a Milnestone.  Wednesday marked 50 years since he and his wife Linda went on their first date, and he joined Jack Tame for a chat about marriage, relationships, and anniversaries.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britpop legends Pulp are back after 24 years.  They released their 8th album, More, which was recorded over the span of three weeks, starting in November of 2024.  In the Bandcamp description for the album, Jarvis Cocker writes:   “We hope you enjoy the music. It was written & performed by four human beings from the North of England, aided & abetted by five other human beings from various locations in the British Isles. No A.I. was involved during the process. This album is dedicated to Steve Mackey. This is the best that we can do. Thanks for listening.”  Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Surf House by Lucy Clarke   Wish you were here? Think again... High on the wave-pounded cliffs, far from the bustling souks of Marrakesh, sits The Surf House. A hidden gem on Morocco's shores, the house is a sanctuary for the surfers, travellers and dreamers who wash in. But the idyll is built on something rotten. And when Bea arrives, relieved to find refuge after a dangerous encounter in a Marrakesh alleyway, she soon gets caught in the swell of a deep, dark mystery. Because another young woman went missing one year ago - and the last place she was sighted was The Surf House.     The Oligarch's Daughter by Joseph Finder   Paul Brightman is a man on the run, living under an assumed name in a small New England town with a million-dollar bounty on his head. When his security is breached, Paul is forced to flee into the New Hampshire wilderness to evade Russian operatives who can seemingly predict his every move.  Six years ago, Paul was a rising star on Wall Street who fell in love with a beautiful photographer named Tatyana—unaware that her father was a Russian oligarch and the object of considerable interest from several US intelligence agencies. Now, to save his own life, Paul must unravel a decades-old conspiracy that extends to the highest reaches of the government.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Nestled on the western flank of the Andes, three hours northwest of Quito, I was swathed in the finery of the Chocó rainforest. Mashpi Lodge is an eco-tourism jewel, a five-star oasis within the wider Mashpi Reserve that serves up a resplendent rainforest encounter with the mighty Chocó. Truth be told, because the reserve traverses a wide altitude range, from 550 metres to 1400m, there’s the rainforest and the cloud forest. There’s a high level of endemism here, by the separation through the Andes. The forests on the western side of the Andes evolved entirely differently to the Amazon rainforest on the eastern side. To really make my head spin, geological history testifies that prior to the seismic uplift of the Andes, this was all one sprawling forest." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At some point in their life, most women will experience menopause.   It generally impacts women between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age New Zealand women will begin to experience menopause being 52.  At menopause, the ovaries stop releasing eggs and menstrual periods stop. In most cases, if someone hasn’t had a period for 12 months in a row, they are considered post-menopausal.   Significant symptoms are experienced by approximately 70% of those experiencing menopause – common ones including anxiety, low mood/depression, hot flushes, brain fog, nausea, and fatigue.  Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to discuss menopause, why awareness should be raised around it, and how to support someone dealing with it in the workplace.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 7 June 2025, Nadia Lim celebrates the 10th anniversary of her bestselling cookbook, Easy Weeknight Meals.  Jack considers who will come out on top in the battle between Trump and Musk.  Nici Wickes drops a delicious cookie recipe – with a secret ingredient to keep you satiated.  Mike Yardley has a crush on Ecuador, and joins Jack to discuss savouring the country's Cloud Forests.  And Britpop legends Pulp are back with their first album in 24 years – Estelle Clifford shares her thoughts and favourite tracks.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s been a lot of discussion and concerns about the long-term effects of vaping of late, especially regarding young people. New research has started to uncover potential long-term problems with vaping.    What is the problem with vaping?  It was introduced as a “quit smoking” tool and was accepted to be less harmful than smoking.  Useful as a quit smoking tool, as a substitute for cigarettes .  However, the growing issue in NZ is young people taking up vaping who would otherwise not smoke.  Surveys indicate that 26.5% of 18–24-year-olds and 10% of 14–18-year-olds vape daily.   Concerns if there would be long-term effects on these young people.     Is it addictive?  Many vapes have nicotine which is highly addictive.  Increasing reports of people not being able to get off vapes.  We know nicotine can cause concerns over brain development, increased risk of anxiety, raise blood pressure, and increased heartrates.  Vapes can irritate the lungs, causing coughs and even some concerns over increased risk of collapsed lungs.     A new study has started to shed light  A new study out of Oxford University has identified long term harm from vaping alone.  It followed nearly 250,000 individuals who vaped, over four years.  Major finding: vapers are 2.29 times more likely to develop Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease – COPD.  COPD is often referred to as emphysema: lungs stiffen, lots of mucous, recurrent infections, and reduced ability to get oxygen into the blood stream due to lung damage. Permanent damage.   Among 30-70-year-olds, they’re 1.39 times more likely to have high blood pressure.     Implications of this?  Obviously, it’s an issue for the number of young teenagers taking up vaping and an emerging health issue overall.  We need to think hard about our approach to vaping – Australia has made vaping prescription only.  Restrictions have been put in place in New Zealand.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes I feel like the “Labourer” in our household.   “Darling, can you please dig me a large hole for a Nikau Palm” followed by “pruning the fruit trees” and “covering the soil against blackbirds” or “create a nice pathway”.  Of course I have my own stuff to do/plant/remove/mow, but once I start the Hansa Chipper I am in my element.   Branches up to 2 inches in diameter are turned into excellent, fresh and sizeable mulch – stuff that will —in time— be the best organic matter to feed the soil and the plants that grow in situ. But it needs to be managed well.   Couple of things you can do with this chipping monster and the chips:   Create a thick layer of wood chips that cover the garden path. It keeps it covered in winter, and it stops a lot of weeds germinating on that path – saves a heap of weeding and keeps the surface relatively dry after winter rain.   But if you want to create a good mulch for your plants, you’ll need to add some Nitrogen (N).   Your chipped wood is mainly Carbon. The Nitrogen (in the form of Urea) is needed to turn the Carbon into balanced compost – a handful of Urea per square meter might do the trick.   Many people that have a compost bin stuff that bin full of lawn clippings, fruit remains, and vegetable matter and stalks, left over from a dinner   This compost bin is very full of Nitrogen and lacking a decent amount of Carbon —the opposite to the thick layer of wood chips— to be used as “Mulch”.  You guessed it: this compost bin needs a good amount of Carbon from the chipper to balance the C-N ratio required for a decent plant food fertiliser in the garden   Generally speaking, the C-N ratio required to make fertile soil should be in the order of 20-1 (up to 30-1).  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple's big developer conference is on Monday US time – what can we expect to be announced?   1. A more unified user experience across all the platforms.  MacOS, iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS and even CarPlay will all be getting updates to bring everything into the same design scheme based on VisionOS – the software that runs the Vision Pro headset. It's all based around 'digital glass', so expect to see reflections, blurs, light, etc.   2. App redesigns for the Phone, Messages and Camera apps.   The phone will get a timeline type view, which combines favourite contacts, recent calls, and voicemails into a single scrollable window. The Camera has had so many features added to it that it's got a bit cluttered and confusing, so expect this to be simplified and reworked. Messages will get customizable backgrounds (like WhatsApp) and the ability to create polls. Safari will update too, to match the new glassy design.   3. Multi-tasking on iPad is coming closer to the Mac    Another step closer to one operating system to rule them all. It's expected that this new multi-tasking feature will be unlocked when using a keyboard and mouse, suggesting the iPad might get a more 'desktop-like' mode.    4. PDF editing is coming to the iPhone and iPad to sign documents, annotate, and edit.     WhatsApp is now on iPad   It has an iMessage-like two-column layout with a list of conversations on the left and the messages on the right. It supports multi-tasking and can do video calls with up to 32 people. WhatsApp has more than 3 billion monthly active users!     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Survivors  A young woman's mysterious death dredges up the past in a sleepy seaside town, where three young people lost their lives fifteen years ago and tore the town apart (Netflix).    Sara: Woman in the Shadows   A retired intelligence operative haunted by her son's premature death returns to spycraft and allies to unravel the mystery. While navigating old ghosts and dangers, she must balance justice for her son with learning who he really was (Netflix).    Stick   Pryce Cahill was headed for golf greatness when an on-course meltdown derailed his career; now struggling to stay afloat, he goes all in to mentor Santi a teenage phenom with high potential and maybe save himself (AppleTV+).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina  An assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma organization sets out to seek revenge after her father's death.    How To Make a Killing   Michel and Cathy, wed for longer than they can remember, lead a quiet but monotonous life in the mountains. When a bear bursts out in front of Michel’s car, accidentally killing two drug dealers and revealing a €2 million loot in the process, their life takes an unpredictable turn, especially when they decide to cover up the incident and keep the money! But their plan leads them to stumble upon an unexplained trail of dead bodies. More used to being honest than crooked, Michel and Cathy’s clumsy cover-up efforts soon put an interfering inspector hot on their trail.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These are ridiculously good and they just happen to be gluten-free! Chewy, densely rich and very, very moreish. Perfect to make for Coeliac Awareness Week – 9-14th June 2025.   Makes 12–15     Ingredients  3/4 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.      Note: These cookies are very filling as the peanut butter adds plenty of protein.      LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who could possibly, in their wildest dreams, ever have imagined it?    Who could possibly have foreseen that the world’s wealthiest man and the world’s most powerful politician might blow up their bromance in the most spectacular fashion? Elon on Don? Feuding? Nooooo. Say it ain’t so!    The curious thing is the pair of them do have a few qualities in common. Hypocrisy, for starters. Having pledged many dozens of times to pay down his country’s debt, Donald Trump pushed forward legislation that will actually grow the debt by an estimated NZ$4 trillion. Having pledged to cut waste from the same government’s spending, Elon Musk heroically cut support for HIV-positive mothers while simultaneously taking billions of dollars in subsidies and contracts that benefit his own companies.    Another common quality? The speed with which they both go nuclear. In the space of a few hours we had Trump threatening to cut SpaceX funding, Musk threatening to decommission the rocket used to get US astronauts to space, and an accusation about the Epstein files made without any evidence, which nonetheless, I thought the White House was notably less-than-emphatic in denying.    In my view, Elon Musk has been heading for a fall for a long, long time. I think his behaviour is erratic. Whether it’s Nazi salutes or his public statements, I think he seems unbalanced. I think the reporting about his drug use is consistent with his appearance at the White House and the fact he’s in multiple custody battles with multiple women over children he’s barely spent any time with says an awful lot of awful about his character. And while, sure, at his best, he has achieved some extraordinary things, you only need to log in to X to see that one of the most productive human beings in the history of our species is these days dedicating an obscene amount of his time and energy to juvenile posts, lies and conspiracies on social media.    Unlike Trump, Elon Musk isn’t charismatic. He isn’t funny. The more people see of him, the less they like him and his products. And despite his threats to start a third political party and take down Republicans who support the President’s bill, he doesn’t have anything like the pulling power or cult support of the President. In April, Musk poured almost NZ$50m into a single judicial election in Wisconsin and his candidate lost. If anything, Musk’s money and his support hurt the guy’s chances.  Who knows where this feud is headed? Maybe they’ll cool off and make up in a few days. Regardless, there will only be one winner. It won’t be Elon Musk.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand music’s big night out took place this week.  The Aotearoa Music Awards celebrated its 60th year, with our biggest musical stars glitzed and glammed for the red carpet.  Taking out two awards this year —Best Solo Artist and the highly coveted Album of the Year— was Fazerdaze, also known as Amelia Murray.  It’s her first time winning an Aotearoa Music Award, and she told Francesca Rudkin when her name was called, she felt weirdly calm.  “It feels kind of like it’s been a really long time coming,” Murray says.  “I’ve been nominated quite a few times before and it was kind of, it was nice to finally take home a trophy.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is set to trim hairdressing red tape.  Cabinet has accepted all the Ministry for Regulation recommendations, returning decisions on offering drinks during cuts, and allowing dogs in a salon to the business owner.  Changes come into force in July.  Kevin Milne may not be a huge fan of ACT, but he’ll say David Seymour is good at identifying silliness in rules and regulations.  He reminisced on the “pointless bureaucracy” that surrounds the hair styling industry.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ninth album to come from Miley Cyrus, ‘Something Beautiful’ is a concept album centred around the theme of healing.   The popstar says it’s “an attempt to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through music”, and when discussing the inspiration behind the music, Cyrus said "the nastiest times of our life do have a point of beauty. They are the shadow, they are the charcoal, they are the shading. You can’t have a painting without highlights and contrast."  An accompanying musical film of the same name is releasing in early June.  Estelle Clifford joined Francesca Rudkin to give her thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"As Arrowtown glowed in its golden, fiery blaze of autumnal hues, it was a thrill to be back in this treasure-chest township, cradled by nature’s splendour. It’s one of my all-time favourite holiday playgrounds and I was eager for a fresh dip from its glorious offerings." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly   wo sisters living on Martha's Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club - a spectacular novel inspired by true events from the bestselling author of Lilac Girls.   2016: Fresh from her mother's funeral, Mari arrives on Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts to study under the enigmatic painter Elizabeth Devereux. But she soon realises that her relationship to the island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.   1942: It's World War II, and Smith sisters Briar and Ginny are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together as the US army arrives on their island. In an attempt for normalcy, the sisters start a book club that quickly grows in numbers and becomes a lifeline for the women who remain on the island. That is, until a German soldier's arrival casts shadows of doubt and danger. Who can they really trust in their tight-knit community?   In this spectacular novel inspired by true events, bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly weaves a captivating tale of love, loss and resilience.    The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and his Kingdom of Clay by Christopher Clarey   Tennis is not short on history. When Nadal arrived on the scene in 2005, the record for men's singles titles at the French Open stood at six, held by Bjorn Borg. Almost twenty years later, Nadal has more than doubled Borg's total with a mind-boggling fourteen titles. His record will undoubtedly remain his signature achievement - the stat that will define him in memory twenty, fifty, even a hundred years from now. Fourteen certainly looks like the only major tennis record that will never be broken even if Nadal, a modest champion despite his flashy resume, rejects that kind of definitive thinking.  Nadal has won big and won often on any of tennis's surfaces, securing two Wimbledon titles on grass and four U.S. Opens on acrylic hardcourts. But clay, the slowest and grittiest of the game's playgrounds, is where it all comes together best for his explosive movement and warrior mindset. Clay is the canvas on which he has mastered his choreography, underlining the precision, speed, and raw power required to accomplish one of the most impressive sporting achievements of the 21st century - it is the essential stuff of his life and success.  Legendary sports reporter and bestselling author Christopher Clarey has interviewed Nadal and his coaches from his first French Open victory at nineteen, marking his debut as a rising star on the premier clay-court event in the world, to his most recent victory in 2022, closing out an astonishing career as one of the greatest players of all time. Brimming with behind-the-scenes insight into the story of a global sporting icon, The Warrior is a must-read account for the loyal sports fan - and anyone interested in the evolution of excellence.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Department of Conservation is currently seeking feedback on its Predator Free 2050 strategy.  The current strategy aims to completely eliminate five predators from New Zealand: rats, stoats, ferrets, weasels and possums.  However, they’re now asking whether feral cats should be added to the list as well.  Predator Free NZ Trust CEO Jessi Morgan told Francesca Rudkin that there’s estimated to be between 2.5 million and 14 million feral cats in the native bush.  She says that at the time the strategy was originally created, people were less aware of the impact they were having on native species, but there’s now an awareness and willingness to have them included.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next few months we’ll be “in the dark” so to speak – the shortest days of the year puts us in front of the Low Emissions Burner, keeping warm while reading gardening magazines.   What kinds of plants give us colour at this time?   Go and visit your local Botanic Garden and take a note book with you – I often look at the stuff that Julie plants at our place.  Tree Dahlia are huge plants that can grow up to 4 or 5 meters tall. They are true Dahlias, just a bit taller than your ordinary varieties.   Their contrast with blue autumn and winter skies is remarkable. Easy to grow and easy to prune after flowering. They simply grow another lot of branches next autumn!   Nerines are currently spectacular. Bright pink flowers delivered by a bulbous plant. Seeing we’re in rather frost-free part of the Port Hills, they keep on flowering. They belong to the Amaryllidaceae (bulbs) and don’t care about soil quality as long as it isn’t too wet. Easy to transplant.    Salvia leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage). Works well in full sun with well-drained soil and flowers up to a meter high even at this time of the year, visited by hordes of pollinators – especially Bumblebee Queens.  Smoke Bush (Cotinus species) is an oldy but a goody. Many different varieties and colours, especially in the purple range (Royal Purple, “Grace” etc) but also in lime green or red. Flowers look like smoky patches, but right now smoke bush is a variable painting of artistic colours.  Liquidambar leaves light up the lawn. Those autumn leaves can come in a wide variety of colours, creating patches of oranges, yellows, and purple. Leave them where they are! Birds will attempt to find food under those leaves (worms and hibernating insects) and when those leaves have slowly decayed, you can put them in the compost bin: free Nitrogen.  We have a Eucalyptus tree that flowers profusely right now. No idea what species it is but the Tui and Bellbird, silver eye and bumblebees, winter moths and nectivorous flies, as well as huge Gum Emperor moths (in summer) love this tree for all its gorgeousness.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ha Ha Merlot 2023, Hawkes Bay. RRP $19.00   Ha Ha means – to ‘Catch your breath’ in te reo Māori   A palate of plums and blackberry fruit scents, there’s a light violet touch and generous fruity core. Fine tannins with medium+ acid line to frame the flavours of plums and red berry fruits. Balanced and refreshing with decent length and lots of style. Best drinking from 2025 through 2028.     The Food:    Merlot is one of those wines that bridges the earthy umami flavours of winter fare almost seamlessly every time. One such dish a chicken ballotine stuffed with spinach, lentils and prunes. You can substitute out the prunes for dates, raisins or even dried apricot.   The natural sweetness of the fruit with the meat is what Merlot likes. Spinach and red wine tannins like each other a lot, and lentils provide the earthy theme to the dish. The lentils can be served on the side if stuffing them into a rolled-up chicken breast or leg doesn’t fit your idea of using lentils in that way.     The Season:    2023 was challenging to a greater or lesser degree through Aotearoa NZ. The north island was challenged by the wind and rain. Hawkes Bay where this wine was grown got smashed by cyclone Gabrielle. Producers of wine were quick to react and harvest only the best fruit to make wine. The South Island not so much at all. The bottom line is wine from the 2023 vintage on the most part are wines to drink and enjoy now.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 31 May 2025, hot off her big win at the Aotearoa Music Awards, Fazerdaze aka Amelia Murray joins Francesca Rudkin to discuss how it felt to bag her first AMA.  Francesca's championing an ACT policy.  Karl Puschmann discusses the brand-new film from Jesse Armstrong, Mountainhead.  And chef Nici Wickes delivers a sweet treat for the long weekend - cake fit for a King.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instagram isn’t just for square photos anymore   You can already post images with a rectangular aspect ratio of 4:5, but with 3:4, your photo won’t be cropped at the ends. You can still post a square too.   My theory is that this is in response to the resurgence of people taking photos on actual cameras again. The tourists in NYC seems to love a dedicated camera - and I don't mean a DSLR, I mean an old school 'digital camera' point and shoot style.  It's a little sad – one of the things that made Instagram special was that it forced creativity into a square. Same as with Twitter – 140 characters made things fun.     Your work Gmail will now start automatically summarizing emails   Google's Gemini investment is coming to your inbox if you like it or not. Gmail now creates summaries automatically for complex threads, and they’ll appear above the emails themselves. These are already available but require you to request it manually. The update will just be for mobile, and it may take up to two weeks before you see the feature.     Apple's Operating Systems are being re-numbered   According to Bloomberg, the iOS16, or iPadOS3 will all align under the year of release. So: iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. Will the iPhone be next? iPhone 25 and iPhone 26?    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Department Q   Carl, a former top-rated detective, is wracked with guilt following an attack that left his partner paralysed and another policeman dead. On his return to work, Carl is assigned to a cold case that will consume his life (Netflix).    The Better Sister    Chloe, a high-profile media executive, lives a picturesque life with her husband Adam and son; her estranged sister Nicky struggles to make ends meet; when Adam is murdered, the two sisters reunite and try to untangle a complicated family history (Prime Video).    Brassic    In a forgotten corner of Northern England, Vinnie and his mates are stone-broke. Driven to a life of petty crime, Vinnie, Dylan, Cardi, Ash, Tommo and JJ's friendship has stood the test of time, but the cracks are beginning to show. When Dylan's girlfriend Erin wants out to start afresh in a new town, Dylan is torn between following her or staying with the pals he thinks of as brothers. As their past indiscretions begin to catch up with them and the realisation hits that they are getting in way over their heads, the boys need each other now more than ever (Netflix).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you ever need to produce a celebration cake, this is it!     Serves 8-10     Ingredients:   Sponge cake    130g unsalted butter, softened   1 cup caster sugar   2 teaspoons vanilla extract    3 large eggs    2⅓ cups self-raising flour   1 pinch salt   1 cup milk      To decorate   1/3 cup raspberry jam, warmed slightly    1 ½ cup icing sugar    30g butter, softened    ½ cup raspberries (fresh or frozen, defrosted)    3-5 tablespoons, boiling water   1 ½ cups coconut thread   300mls cream, whipped with one tbsp icing sugar       Method:  Preheat the oven to 170 C fan bake. Grease two 20cm round cake tins and dust with flour. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until well beaten. Stir in the flour and salt then the milk and mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. Divide the batter between the cake tins, one third in one and two thirds in another. Bake for 25 minutes or until they spring back when gently pressed. The thicker one will likely need 5-7 minutes more cooking time. Leave to cool for 12-15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut tops off each sponge to level them if necessary, then split the thicker one into two layers. Mix icing sugar, butter and half of the boiling water. Press the raspberries through a sieve to collect the juice and add this to the icing. Aim for a smooth, runny icing, adding more water or icing sugar as needed.  Pour out onto a shallow dinner plate. Sprinkle coconut onto another dinner plate. Roll the sides of each cake layer in the icing to get the cake sides evenly coated, then roll in the coconut to cover. To assemble, place one sponge layer on a serving plate. Spread with jam, then dollop on whipped cream. Top with second sponge layer and repeat with jam and cream. Top with the final sponge layer. Spread the top with icing then sprinkle over coconut. Chill for 30 minutes before ready to serve. Use a serrated knife to cut and enjoy!   Nici’s note:    Feel free to use two store-bought sponges if you want to save time.        LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mountainhead   A group of billionaire friends get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.     Captain America: Brave New World   Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident after meeting with President Thaddeus Ross. He must soon discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s not often you will hear me unreservedly champion an ACT policy, but I am all in when it comes to their concern and policy response to sexually explicit deepfakes.   The US and UK are leading the way with legislative changes on this, New Zealand law lagging well behind.   ACT MP Laura McClure has prepared a bill to restrict the generation and sharing of sexually explicit deepfakes. Recently she announced "The Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill expands existing legislation around revenge porn and intimate recordings, and ensures that those who produce or share deepfakes without consent face criminal accountability, and victims have clear pathways to seek redress and removal of harmful content." This is a common sense move in a tech area which is so fast moving that we’re always playing catch up. Once upon a time we warned our children about nude pics. When it became apparent some just couldn’t help themselves, the recommended advice became that if they were sending pics, they should avoid showing identifiable features – you know, like their faces. The imagery that technology can now create in mere minutes far exceeds the considerable peril posed by the consented nude pic. Kiwi born Bloomburg journalist Olivia Carville has dedicated her career to unearthing the dark side of tech and the internet, and in her recent podcast Levittown focuses on the rise of deepfake pornography, and the battle to stop it. In the podcast she tells the story of how photos of young women were doctored without their consent, they were then shared on a website where men were encouraged to discuss what they would like to do to these women. It’s all a bit much for a Saturday morning I know, but it’s a fascinating podcast worth listening too, and even though it’s a New York story it has a crazy New Zealand twist to it. The point is though, the harm and trauma that comes from sexualised AI deep fakes is real and impactful, and victims must have legal grounds to do something about it. But it’s also about public clarity and drawing a strong line under what not acceptable. It’s thought 90- 95% of online deepfake videos are non-consensual pornography, and around 90% of them feature women.  McClures bill is a member's bill at this stage, but she has written to the Minister of Justice urging that the bill is adopted as a Government bill.  I hope they take her up on her offer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a decade of chart-topping hits, sold-out tours, and almost 300 million streams, Mitch James is stepping away from music for good. He's set to take the stage  one last time for The Final Show – an emotional send-off at the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday 24 May. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on Mitch James's final album. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.