Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Kevin Milne recently made an investment into a local art piece – a work called ‘Black Beard’ by Simon Kerr.  The former leader of the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang, Kerr has shifted focus from crime to painting.  He also recently saw the huge Banksy exhibition at Wellington’s Tākina exhibition centre, and it got him thinking about the contrast in his and Kerr’s circumstances.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year, Kate Hall has been participating in a challenge.   At the beginning of the year she set out to only eat food products that were created in New Zealand, and with 2024 coming to a close, she decided to reflect on how it went.   She joined Francesca Rudkin for a chat about the wins, surprises, and failures, and has created a blog so those interested in eating local know where to shop.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 7th of December 2024, Francesca Rudkin chats with Dan Weetman of the Black Seeds as the band celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album that helped them break through, ‘On the Sun’.  Francesca questions whether our local airlines are being less reliable or if we are just complaining more.  Hugh Grant is back in a film role completely opposite to how we've seen him before - Chris Schulz balances two very different vibes with his film picks.  And if you could fit summer in a sentence it might sound something like 'mangoes and ice cream'. Chef Nici Wickes drops a delicious recipe for a seasonal treat.  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.

This is the moment when adult Huhu Beetles emerge from their rotting logs. If you are nearby a forest (especially a pine forest) you will be familiar with the sharp collision noises on your kitchen window when preparing dinner. Those huhu beetles fly towards the light and crash audibly.   They’ve spent a few years as huhu grubs in dead wood, where they help with the decomposition – ashes to ashes, dust to dust!   The grubs, of course, are a famous New Zealand delicacy: massive bits of protein can be quickly fried in a pan with a bit of salt and pepper (or even other fancy condiments). Just be prepared to prick a few holes in the body of this massive grub so that you won’t get any exploding internal body segments! Happened to me – just look at my kitchen ceiling!   Some kids would be keen to help you out in the kitchen – it’s practical curricular topic to discuss the necessary search for alternative proteins in our country.   Talking about alternative proteins: Slugs and Snails are a real pest in the garden at this time of the year – moisture and new plant growth encourages them, and eggshell barriers don’t work at all   Control measures that work:    Weed control will expose them to predators (thrushes). Give your local song thrush (which might be nesting in or near your garden) an “anvil” to smack the shells of snails on – a large flat (decorative!) rock is perfect.  Using Bait pellets in a pottle dug into soil. A take-away container with lid on and bait inside, with holes cut in the side of the container to let slugs and snails in but prevent dogs and cats from getting at the bait.  An alternative version is to use some off cuts (15-30 cm long) of plastic wastepipe with a diameter of 50 to 75mm, which allows access to slugs and snails, but not to birds. Put some bait in the pipes and anchor them down with a heavy brick. They also love to hide in half grapefruit skins (upside-down).  Encourage Carabid beetles (Ground beetles) – they often feed on slugs and snail juveniles and eggs.  “Hunt-and-kill evening” with the kids (at full moon?) – always a good excursion after dinner. Grab a headlight torch and a bucket to collect them in… night sleuthing! Remember: these hermaphrodites can produce a few hundred eggs each, so reducing populations now makes good sense.   Trapping under cloth, planks, and other artificial cover. Slugs and snails love that cover as it increases relative humidity and stops them from drying out.  Around the wooden outside of raised beds, put a strip of copper foil, almost all the way around, plus a sizeable 6 Volt battery providing power to both ends of the copper strip. This creates a nice current that they are reluctant to cross, and it protects your vegies/seedlings.  But... why not eat them?   In France, the brown garden snail (originally from North Africa) is the second-preferred species of escargot for human consumption.   Collect the fattest ones and eat them! That will make you an invasivore!     Escargot - pourquoi pas?   Cantareus aspersus is, to us, an exotic species of snail. It is commonly accepted that it was introduced to New Zealand by the French around the early 1860s. The reason for this is really simple: the brown garden snail is highly prized as escargot in the Mediterranean region. In fact, it has always been the preferred back-up for the slightly larger, but closely related vineyard snail (Helix pomatia).   Recently I read that European populations of Cantareus have become depleted as a result of non-sustainable over-harvesting of wild specimens. These days the species is the subject of heliciculture, the captive rearing of these delicacies, also known as snail farming.   I suppose there may be a few people out there who can set aside the horrific idea of eating invertebrates (quelle horreur!) and who would like to be part of the latest ecological craze of harvesting a truly wonderful resource that yields fat-free, cholesterol-free protein from the comfort of your own back yard.   I have tried this recipe many times and demonstrated it on live television with consenting adults (Good Morning show) and absolutely wildly enthusiastic kids (What Now?).   Snail control á la Gourmet involves collecting the finest, fittest and fattest garden snails from the threatened garden areas. Put them in big jars and "starve" them for 4 to 5 days on old white bread. This "starving" is an important procedure.    As you will undoubtedly remember from experiments, carried out at your primary school's nature table, the snails have a habit of excreting dark, stringy poopy-plops. I think it's time to inform you of the fact that these dark, stringy poopy-plops will have to be evacuated from the snail's gut system before cooking, simply because they taste like… yes, they taste rather bad!   White bread will slowly replace the dark excrement, and it improves the ta

TikTok set to be banned in the US after losing appeal   TikTok may be banned in the United States from early next year. An appeals court has upheld a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok in the country by early next year, or be banned. The company hoped the court would agree with its argument the law was unconstitutional, and impacted the free speech of its 170 million US users. Unfortunately for ByteDance, the court upheld the law, saying it "was the culmination of extensive, bipartisan action by the Congress and by successive presidents".      AI can now accurately predict the weather   DeepMind, a Google company that develops A.I. applications says they've found a way to create reliable 15 day weather forecasts, saying these could be life-saving because they give people more time to prepare for extreme weather. What's more, it can create the 15-day forecast in minutes, compared to hours with a super-computer.  One of the senior researchers at DeepMind says it's like they've “made decades worth of improvements in one year".    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Doves   When a spy posing as a politician's wife learns her lover has been murdered, an old assassin friend joins her on a quest for truth — and vengeance (Netflix).     Sight Unseen   Homicide detective Tess Avery is forced to quit the job she loves after nearly killing her partner and being diagnosed as clinically blind. Reluctant to accept help, Tess uses an assistance app and connects with Sunny Patel, a professional seeing-eye guide and agoraphobe living 3,000 miles away. Haunted by the unsolved cases she left behind, Tess uses a hidden camera and earpiece, while Sunny remotely steers Tess through life's obstacles —and crimes— as the two challenge preconceptions about ability, trust and where to draw the line (ThreeNow).     Man on the Inside   A retired professor gets a new lease on life when a private investigator hires him to go undercover inside a San Francisco retirement home (Netflix).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heretic   Two young missionaries become ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they knock on the door of the diabolical Mr. Reed. Trapped in his home, they must turn to their faith if they want to make it out alive.      Our Little Secret    After discovering their significant others are siblings, two resentful exes must spend Christmas under one roof while hiding their romantic history.     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The magic of ice cream in a cone is never lost on me and with this vegan version you can keep everyone happy this summer.    The mangoes are perfect right now – pricewise and ripeness. Get them while you can and make this creamy ‘ice cream’.      Ingredients:  1 cup chopped & frozen mango    1 large banana, chopped and frozen     2 tbsps. coconut cream or milk   Coconut to serve    Passionfruit syrup to serve         Method:  You do need a blender to make this recipe, though a food processor may do the trick too.   Place your ingredients into the blender and pulse until it is smooth and creamy (it’s the banana that gives it this gorgeous texture), then either serve immediately or freeze in containers. It will freeze to quite hard so give it 30 minutes to soften for optimal scooping.     Scoop into cones and garnish with whatever you fancy, but I love the tropical flavours of mango, coconut and passionfruit but go wild with whatever you like – popcorn, sprinkles, crushed crunchie bars, freeze-dried fruit…      Nici’s note:   By keeping a stash of chopped, frozen fruit in a container in the freezer you’re only ever 10 minutes and a blender away from ice cream!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I started counting headlines about Air New Zealand two weeks ago after my flight from Nelson to Auckland was delayed by about an hour.    Then last Saturday my partners flight from Napier to Auckland was delayed after a bird strike. Neither delay was hugely consequential – just a little irritating.     But since then, there have been a number of press articles about issues with planes.    On the 30th of November, an Air NZ plane sat on the tarmac in Hong Kong for hours before being canned after a fuel fault and then crew sickness.    An Air NZ flight from Wellington to Sydney was diverted to Auckland on the 1st of December after engine problems.    And a flight from Gisborne to Auckland on the 2nd of December returned to Gisborne after engine problems. The plane landed safely after shutting down an engine shortly after departure.    Investigations are underway for both engine issues.    Anecdotally you don’t have to search too hard to find someone who’ll share a story of a flight delayed or cancelled, often at the last minute.    It got me wondering if we’re experiencing more incidents, delays and cancellations than before; or are we just complaining more? Do we feel we can complain more because quite often we’re paying good money to fly around our little country?    Recent figures released by the Ministry of Transport, which compare Jetstar and Air NZ’s services on the main trunk jet routes they compete on, show that in September Air New Zealand recorded 80.4% for on-time departures (within 15 minutes of schedule), and Jetstar 78.0%.    For on-time arrivals, Air New Zealand recorded 82.1% and Jetstar 80.6%. In January, Air New Zealand was sitting at 88% and it dropped to 77% in March this year. So reliability has fluctuated throughout the year.   Another interesting figure - Air New Zealand’s cancellation rate was 1.4%, more than twice Jetstar’s which was 0.6%.   So yeah, the stats could be better. We all accept airlines can’t control the weather, but Air New Zealand has had other issues to grapple with.     Planes out of action due to high global demand for engine maintenance meant 10 jets were out of service in the first half of this financial year.  It is not expected this will be sorted until 2026.    On top of this, the travel market has been a mixed bag, leading the airline to announce this week they will be running fewer flights on some domestic routes in 2025. Who knows what this will do to prices?    A 1.4% cancellation rate is tiny in the overall scheme of things – but when combined with other disruptions and high prices, Air New Zealand has its challenges cut out for them. For so long they have been a beloved New Zealand brand, but since Covid it’s been like pushing a Dreamliner uphill. Have you run out of patience yet?  The Air New Zealand service and staff may be fabulous, but as long as long as the fleet and financials remain under pressure it looks like it will be difficulty to quiet the headlines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From NZ Music Commission - Award-winning Aotearoa artist AJA has today shared her timeless, unravelling and hypnotic bilingual debut album KĀWAI. 7 years in the making, today’s body of work from this bona fide talent is a truly authentic display of an artist finding her voice and inviting listeners into the inner-workings of her world. Alongside producer Mara TK (Electric Wire Hustle, Meeting House Records), and a talented network of band members, collaborators, and features, AJA (Ngāti Raukawa, Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Porou) effortlessly blends her ethereal melodies and flexes mesmerizing vocal agility with introspective musings on the world around her. “KĀWAI is a reflection of who I am, who I love, what I have respect for and what I value,” says the artist.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cat who Cracked a Cold Case by LT Shearer A crime gone unsolved for five years . . . The life of Lulu Lewis, a retired police detective, took an unforgettable turn when Conrad first introduced himself to her. Unforgettable because:a) Conrad is a special cat.b) Special because he told her so.Yes, that’s right, he can talk. (For obvious reasons, this ability remains a closely guarded secret while they live together on her canal boat, The Lark.) Visiting an old friend in Manchester, the pair stumble across a chilling news report about a trail of bodies found across the city that echo a string of cold case murders from Lulu’s past in London. Joining forces with the local police, the pair must use every ounce of their intuition to find a connection between the seemingly random killings – and track down a ruthless murderer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whooping Cough A national epidemic has just been declared in New Zealand. Reported 260+ cases diagnosed in past four weeks. Whooping cough is potentially a fatal disease especially in younger children and babies less than one year. Three babies died last year in New Zealand from whooping cough when we didn’t have an epidemic! What is whooping cough? Caused by a bacteria called pertussis. Damages lining of throat and lungs causing cough. Cough can go on for weeks or months – called ‘100’ day cough. Very easy to catch – spreads through the air – cough/sneezing - one person can on average spread to 12 others. What are the signs? Depends on age - Younger the child more at risk of becoming very unwell. Starts with runny nose, temp and sneezing 1-2 weeks Cough develops, very irritating, bouts of coughing with gasping for air between coughs, may last minutes and may vomit after cough. Older children typically whoop as they gasp for breath. Younger infants less than 6 months: go blue with cough spasms, stop breathing, not able to feed, get exhausted – may need hospital. Gradually over weeks, up to 3 months cough gets better. In older adults and children – symptoms less severe. Who is at risk? Partially immunized children. Babies too young for their first immunization at 6 weeks. Children with heart or lung conditions. How is it treated? Antibiotics may reduce the severity if given early and can reduce spread. However, there is no treatment for the cough once it starts. Babies: The cough may make the baby difficult to breath and unable to feed. Sometimes will need to go to hospital for oxygen treatment and feeding through a nasal tube. How do you prevent it and when to see your doctor? Immunization is the only protection. In particular pregnant mums after 16 weeks should be immunized as gives protection to baby in first6 weeks of life. Partially immunized children at risk. See your doctor if your child has difficulty breathing or looks unwell. Call ambulance if child or baby goes blue coughing, stops breathing or seizure. Current outbreak The latest ESR data, which covers the four weeks up to 8 November, showed rates were highest among infants less than a year old, those most vulnerable to severe disease, and with a high proportion requiring hospitalisation. It also identified hotspots in in Wairarapa, Southern, Whanganui and Capital and Coast health districts. Wairarapa had 13 cases, which was by far the highest rate at 25.4 cases per 100,000 people. That was followed by Southern at 11.6 (42 cases), Whanganui at 11.4 (8 cases) and Capital and Coast at 10.4 (34 cases).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don’t you love coming across something so unexpected and unusual, on a road-trip? That’s how most visitors feel when they first clap eyes on the bewitching glory and striking landforms of the Paritea Clay Cliffs. It’s one of the most popular geo-sites in the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark, just minutes from Ōmarama, on Henburn Road. It is absolutely worth the 15 minute diversion off the main road to savour this serrated geological wonder, complete with a slot canyon to shimmy through.  Mike Yardley.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A book review in recognition of it being Movember The book I want to discuss is A Life Less Punishing by Matt Heath. I was asked to read the book in preparation for a podcast with Francesca Rudkin. My initial response was lukewarm – was worried it would be another celebrity self-help publication with lots of fridge-magnet quotes about loving life and being the best person you can. I was very pleasantly surprised about how good it was. Was so good I interviewed Matt on a webinar recently that Umbrella held for Movember. Interesting points about the book: Matt wrote it largely to try and help himself and sort his own life out Decided to read a history of world philosophy and see what he could learn – somewhat of an unconventional approach! He draws a lot on the Stoics and does a great job of explaining their philosophy of life, which is quite different to the staunch, unfeeling image often portrayed of them The book goes through a whole range of common emotions that men experience and discusses why we have these feelings and what do we do with them, particularly the difficult ones like shame, anger, guilt, sadness etc Matt is very honest about some of his own less than flattering experiences and some difficult times in his life e.g., relationship break up, death of his mum His level of honesty and self-reflection is itself inspirational for guys My main takeaway points that I believe are really helpful for guys to consider in Movember: Give away your fantasy life – the life that you could have – your imagined life Instead settle and accept that you have this moment – you can learn from the past but you don’tactually live there – you live here and now so pay attention to the here and now You can make choices about your emotions – they’re not inevitable nor uncontrollable, although they are impacted by the past Get yourself an imaginary coach or guide who is setting you challenges and helping you overcome them – for those with religious tendencies this could be a spiritual guide, for those who aren’t of that persuasion choose someone you respect and look up to – matt chose Willie Apiata I’d recommend this book to men over 40 as they’re likely to find it very relatable. I’d recommend it to men under 40 as it gives you some excellent life lessons without you having to live through them. And I’d recommend it to women who have a male partner in their lives – might give you a really good insight into what makes them tick.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

White fluffy pests – Mealybugs One of the rottenest pests gardeners can get on their plants are Pseudococcuslongispinus, or any of its close relatives. Longispinusis derived from the word meaning “with a long spine or tail” – so we’re talking about the Long-Tailed Mealybug. To identify these insects, you’ll need good eyesight. The way to start your identification is to look for dense, white patches of silkall over your plants, especially over the leaves and on the stems. If you scrape off the fluffy white deposits, you’ll get to the insects hiding underneath that fluff. Big ones and smaller ones all living together out of the rain and out of the sun. 1-4mm in size. They eat a massive range of plants, both edibles and ornamentals. The spines and tails give the game away – there are also droplets of honeydew in amongst the mix. These insects feed by plumbing their mouthparts into the veins of the plants where they extract honeydew, a sweet sap that contains Nitrogen which makes the young bugs grow. Ah! Yes … the group of sap-sucking bugs is the only invertebrate cohort that can be called “Bugs” in the naming game of Entomology! They ingest the sap and poop out honeydew. But their numbers and activities on your plants are debilitating for the plants, causing yellowing and ill-thrift, plus black sooty mould all over the place. Control is difficult: the white, fluffy, silky stuff makes the bugs waterproof. Water-based sprays cannot penetrate through their skin, unless you use some systemic insecticide that is taken up by the plants. Groventive is such a systemic spray but read the label and you find it cannot be used on edible crops! Conquerer Oil and Neem Oil are non-systemic treatments that will give the immature Mealybugs a run for their money (suffocation and inhabit their feeding from the plant). But it will require regular spraying (once a week) until all bugs have starved to death or suffocated. Thoroughly cover the infested plant – and don’t forget the underside of the leaves too!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ludwig - (TVNZ+ from Sunday) David Mitchell stars in this British comedy about a reclusive crossword puzzle setter whose life is upended when his identical twin, a detective, vanishes. Taking on his brother’s identity, he hunts for clues in the disappearance. Rebus -(ThreeNow) A BBC drama based on the Ian Rankin series of books about a Scottish detective who is drawn into a violent conflict that turns personal when his brother crosses the linein order to provide for his family.  Beatles 64 - (Disney+)Produced by Martin Scorcese, this new documentary looks at The Beatles’ 1964 US debut and the Beatlemania fan frenzy that followed, as seen through rare behind-the-scenes footage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 30 November. Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sequel to Disney’s smash-hit animation Moana has sailed into cinemas this week. In the first film, Moana was chosen by her wayfinding ancestors and the mysterious forces of the ocean to restore the natural order of things. The new film sees Moana reuniting with demi-God Maui for a new seafaring adventure. Both stories champion Pacific mythology and Moana 2 is making history as the first indigenous-language film to premiere globally alongside its English counterpart – with a Te Reo Māori version released simultaneously this week. Cast members Temuera Morrison, Awhimai Fraser and David Fane join Jack Tame in studio to talk about the film. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia passes its under-16 social media ban While this law has good intentions, how it will actually work is unclear. Unfortunately, there's not a good way to verify ages (or even people) online which makes this an almost impossible task for the social media companies.  Credit Cards could be one way to verify those aged over 18, but it also means that only those who can get a credit card can use the service. But this age restriction is 16, so there's nothing that exists. Unless the government wants to roll out a 16+ government issued ID. But the government is already ruling out the use of official documents, such as a passport, due to privacy concerns -- so what on earth do they do?   Meta is building a $10 billion undersea cable that spans the globe When your company accounts for 10% of all fixed internet traffic, and 22% of mobile internet traffic, you know the pipes are important! Reporting from TechCrunch says they are planning to build a 40,000+ kilometre cable network around the world that will take around 10 years to complete.  Initial plans show the cable going from the US east coast to South Africa, up to India, down to Australia (Darwin), then up to the west coast of the US - purposely avoiding places of "geopolitical tension" such as the Red Sea, and the South China Sea.    It's enticing for Meta because they'd get to prioritize its own traffic (a win for their customers) and allow Meta to tap into AI infrastructure in India.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Goodrich - (in cinemas) Art dealer Andy Goodrich's life gets upended when his younger wife leaves him and enters a 90-day rehab program while also threatening divorce. Andy takes charge of their 9-year-old twins, thrusting him into the world of modern parenthood for which he is deeply unprepared. With his career falling by the wayside, he soon leans on his pregnant daughter for support, ultimately becomingthe father she never had. Absolution - (on Prime Video from December 3) Starring Liam Neeson, who says this will be his last action film at 72 years of age. An ageing Boston gangster tries to reconnect with his family and fix the mistakes from the past, but his criminal lifestyle soon threatens to destroy everything he holds dear.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A cruise ship is offering to take Americans on a world cruise for the entire time Trump is in power. It visits 140 countries over four years. Trump aside – it wouldn’t be a bad way to round off your time on the planet, would it? Or wouldn’t it? Jack Tame speaks to Kevin Milne about the $40,000 a year expedition and whether Trump’s administration could tide New Zealand over the employee shortage. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next year, the Auckland Philharmonia will perform an incredible one-night-only performance of ‘Gene Kelly: A Life in Music’.   The show is a mesmerising trip down memory lane, with a combination of film clips, stories and live performance highlighting the legendary dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly – who celebrated and popularised dance within mainstream cinema.   Leading the orchestra, is musical conductor extraordinaire Neil Thomson, who has worked with orchestras across the world.   He's currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Director at Orquestra Filarmônica de Goiás (Philharmonic Orchestra of Goiás).  Thomson told Jack Tame he has a personal connection with this show, having done a many of the films live with symphony orchestra around 10-15 years ago.  “I was booked to do Singing in the Rain at the Albert Hall,” he said, explaining that it was the first time the film had been done in that format.  “About a month before the show, I got this email and the title was ‘From Mrs Gene Kelly’,” he revealed.  “And I had this very friendly note just saying she was going to be introducing the show, and it would be nice to meet me, and everything.”  Thomson says that he and Patricia got on rather well, and began to work together more often, leading to this very show highlighting the extent of Gene Kelly’s musical talent.  “The films have been absolutely scrubbed up,” he told Tame.  “You’ve never seen prints like it. I mean, it’s fantastic, they’re so clean. The sound is so clean.”  Tickets for all shows at the Auckland Arts Festival are available at www.aaf.co.nz/  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne has an old sign hanging up in his garage.   He picked it up from a garage sale as a curiosity, but it came from an Auckland Pub in the 1980’s.  The sign states that any known gang member or person wearing gang patches or emblems will not be permitted in the hotel.   Kevin’s always found it a bit funny, and he’s wondering why people would feel safer not knowing if there’s a gang member next to them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Released on November 15th, Shawn is the fifth studio album from Shawn Mendes, and it features him at his most intimate and honest.  The album details everything that’s happened in the two years since his abrupt cancellation of his Wonder world tour, and the public spectacle the unravelling of his relationship with Camila Cabello became.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough   Born to an American myth and raised in the wilds of Graceland, Lisa Marie Presley tells her whole story for the first time in this raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir faithfully completed by her daughter, Riley Keough.  In 2022, Lisa Marie Presley asked her daughter to help finally finish her long-gestating memoir.  A month later, Lisa Marie was dead, and the world would never know her story in her own words, never know the passionate, joyful, caring, and complicated woman that Riley loved and grieved.  Riley got the tapes that her mother had recorded for the book, laid in her bed, and listened as Lisa Marie told story after story about smashing golf carts together in the yards of Graceland, about the unconditional love she felt from her father, about being upstairs, just the two of them. About getting dragged screaming out of the bathroom as she ran towards his body on the floor. About living in Los Angeles with her mother, getting sent to school after school, always kicked out, always in trouble. About her singular, lifelong relationship with Danny Keough, about being married to Michael Jackson, what they shared in common. About motherhood. About deep addiction. About ever-present grief. Riley knew she had to fulfill her mother's wish to reveal these memories, incandescent and painful, to the world.  To make her mother known.  This extraordinary book is composed of both Lisa Marie's and Riley's voice, a mother and daughter communicating across the transom of death as they try to heal each other. Profoundly moving and deeply revealing, From Here to the Great Unknown is a book like no other-the last words of the only child of a true legend.     In Too Deep by Lee Child and Andrew Child   Reacher had no idea where he was. No idea how he had got there. But someone must have brought him. And shackled him. And whoever had done those things was going to rue the day. That was for damn sure.  Jack Reacher wakes up, alone, in the dark, handcuffed to a makeshift bed. His right arm has suffered some major damage. His few possessions are gone. He has no memory of getting there.  The last thing Reacher can recall is the car he hitched a ride in getting run off the road. The driver was killed.  His captors assume Reacher was the driver's accomplice and patch up his wounds as they plan to make him talk.  A plan that will backfire spectacularly . . .    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley admits he’s a child at heart, and believes that nothing can reawaken your inner child like the escapist innocence, magic, and sparkle of Disney.  On his visit to LA recently, he decided to stop by the Disneyland Resort and swing through the parks.  He joined Jack Tame to discuss the dos and don’ts for those eyeing up a Disney holiday.  Read Mike’s full article here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christmas is coming, bringing with it an overabundance of waste.  If you’re interested in making your Christmas celebrations a little more sustainable, Kate Hall has a few tips and tricks, including a list of over a hundred sustainable present ideas.  She joined Jack Tame for a chat about gifts they’ve given and received in the past, as well as explained the “no gift” Christmases her family has done – focusing instead on quality time or acts of service.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 23 November 2024, conductor extraordinaire Neil Thomson joins Jack to discuss the world of orchestra, the legacy of dancer and director Gene Kelly and a spectacular one-night-only performance with the Auckland Philharmonia.  Jack shares some very exciting news!  Wicked has landed in cinemas after gaining major pop culture momentum this year - does it deliver?  Plus, chef Nici Wickes shares a recipe dear to her heart.  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.

A moth or so ago I was walking around the Halswell Quarry, looking for native bees. We have about 28 species of these bees in New Zealand, and the unfortunate thing is that we know very little about these creatures.  A new book by Rachel Weston described how these tiny bees make holes in the ground where their larvae (babies) are raised. The air space around those tunnels is quite busy, with bees coming and going constantly; some air traffic control could well be a useful asset to these tiny habitats!    I didn’t just find a heap of native bees but also a few holes of significant size: conically shaped holes with a diameter of at least 30 millimetres, situated in a dry bit of soil, protected from regular rain fall.   It reminded me of the holes I used to have under the eaves of our old open car port.   In the pit of these holes live a very clever Neuropteran insects, known as Antlions. The cool thing is that this extraordinary species is the only “antlion” endemic to New Zealand – it’s ours and it lives nowhere else in the world.   The fully-grown adult is a sizeable lacewing with beautiful wings, shaped by a multitude of fine veins. It’s not a strong flyer, but elegant when it climbs up the vegetation around the area where it grew up. This insect feeds on pollen and small insects, but it is not very long-lived.     The larvae (young versions) of these antlions are the ones that create those magnificent holes in the soil through clever movement of their bodies. Excavation is a fine art.    They are predators, meat eaters, and the holes are their traps. These predators are equipped with a mean set of jaws.  When an insect ventures into the realm of these antlion babies, they will tumble down the steepish slope, down to the bottom in the centre. That’s where the antlion larva is waiting to grab its prey with impressive, sharp mouthparts that look like pincers.   Their diet is any invertebrate that is small enough to be subdued: crawling caterpillars, small beetles, native bees, ants that made navigation errors, etc.    The coolest part of the antlion’s arsenal is the tactic of making the potential prey lose their footing!   As soon as an ant tumbles down the slope and dislodges some sand or bits of soil, the antlion baby starts tossing some soil, throwing sand uphill in the direction of the prey to make it lose its balance!   And of course I can’t help fuelling the fight by dropping some soil particles into the antlion’s clever trap – now this is a fight to watch!   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BOB’S BEST BUYS  Wine: Tohu 2024 Rose, Nelson $18.99    Why I chose it:  It tastes as good as it looks. Its pink, white and gold label captures the essence of Christmas. It’s a crowd-pleaser – who could possibly not like this wine?  2024 was a great Nelson vintage.    What does it taste like?  Pale straw-coloured rose with restrained guava, pomegranate, wildflowers and raspberry flavours. Pristine wine with appealing purity and a seamless texture. A hint of sweetness is balanced by gentle, fruity acidity to give a pleasantly dry finish.    Why it’s a bargain An exceptional wine at a great price.    Where can you buy it?       The Good Wine Co, Auckland $15.99 First Glass Wines and Spirits, Auckland $16.99 Blackmarket.co.nz, Auckland $16.99        Food match?   Perfect with the snapper that I plan to catch in the New Year.    Will it keep?    Drink up!    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WhatsApp's transcribing your (annoying) voice notes  Got a friend who loves a voice note but you don't want to listen to their ramblings? WhatsApp's new AI feature will transcribe the note for you to read. Hurray!  The feature is rolling out globally to Android and iOS users “in the coming weeks”, according to the company.  This is a fun addition because it's faster to talk, but it's quicker to read. Now you get the best of both worlds.    Bitcoin is approaching $100,000  Donald Trump's presidential win and his love for crypto has buoyed the digital currency to reach record highs. It broke $98,000 for the first time on Thursday.  Bitcoin has gained more than 130% so far this year, and 40% just since the presidential election.  A fun aside: in 2010, a programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz made history by purchasing two pizzas for 10,000 bitcoins - a world first real Bitcoin transaction. They were worth just fractions of a cent each. Today those 10,000 bitcoins would be valued at over $980 million.    Amazon is investing $4 billion in ChatGPT's rival  If it feels like deja vu, it's because it is. This is the second $4 billion investment Amazon has made just this year. A condition of the deal is that Anthropic must use AWS for their primary cloud provider and will use Amazon’s AI chips to develop its most advanced models.    Rumours the ChatGPT Web Browser is coming  Reports in The Information suggest you could ditch Google's Chrome browser and use a ChatGPT browser instead to browse and search the web. It could also include partnerships and integrations with a variety of eCommerce websites and apps – I assume these would be almost like super premium sponsored results? OpenAI isn't commenting.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dune: Prophecy   10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, the Harkonnen Sisters combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit. From the writer-producer of Haunting of Bly Manor, Diane Ademu-John (Neon).      Say Nothing    Jean McConville, a single mother of ten, is abducted from her home in 1972 and never seen alive again. Through the eyes of various Irish Republican Army (IRA) members, explore the extremes some people will go to in the name of their beliefs, the way a deeply divided society can suddenly tip over into armed conflict, the long shadow of radical violence for both victims and perpetrators, and the emotional and psychological costs of a code of silence (Disney+).      Endurance    Nat Geo documentary telling the story of a legendary feat of leadership and perseverance. Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton kept alive his crew of 27 men for over a year despite the loss of their ship in frigid pack ice. Over a century later, a team of modern-day explorers sets out to find the sunken ship (Disney+).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wicked   Misunderstood because of her green skin, a young woman named Elphaba forges an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda, a student with an unflinching desire for popularity. Following an encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their relationship soon reaches a crossroad as their lives begin to take very different paths.   Part 1 of the story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. A feature film based on the Broadway musical.     Canary Black   Avery Graves, a CIA operative, is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to survive.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This recipe is just so divine and though it sounds complicated it really is very simple. My mum would cook this for our family dinners, to satisfy the vegetarians in the family.   Serves 6-8    Ingredients 3 - 4 very large onions  450 g fresh washed spinach or silverbeet  275 g ricotta  2 eggs  50g Parmesan cheese, grated  a good pinch of thyme or oregano  salt and pepper    Sauce  250ml cream  450g tin of tomatoes  cayenne pepper and salt    Method Preheat the oven to 180 C and butter a large oven proof dish.  Cut the onions (with the skin still on) from top to bottom only half way though, through to the heart.  Put them into a large pot of boiling water and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes. They will have opened up a little. Remove from the pot and let cool.  Now parboil the trimmed spinach or silverbeet until wilted then strain and squeeze all the water from it. Chop.  Mash the ricotta, eggs, cheese and seasoning then add the chopped greens and set aside.  Now the fun part....stuffing the onions: Remove the skin off the onions and separate the layers of onions - you should get 6-7 layers from each onion, place them on a tea towel to drain. The hearts of the onions can be chopped finely and added to the stuffing.  Place a spoonful of stuffing (don't overstuff) on each onion section and roll up and place seam side down in your oven dish so that they all fit snugly.  Now puree the tomatoes and whisk together with the cream and seasonings and spoon over the onions to coat them.  Bake for 45 minutes and spoon over more of the sauce if they look as though they are drying a little.  Lovely served with a salad.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first thing I noticed was Mava’s thirst.  In the years I’ve known my wife, I can’t think of a time when she’s voluntarily consumed a glass of water. Coffee? Sure. Iced latte in the morning, Pepsi Max in the afternoon. But water? Water has never really been her jam. And yet here she was, all of a sudden, glugging back glass after glass of the good stuff.  “You’re pregnant,” I said.  The next thing I noticed was her sweet tooth, or rather lack thereof.  “Do you want a treat?” I called from the kitchen. One of my wife’s finest qualities is she never says no to dessert. And yet... No.  “I just don’t feel like it,” she said.  “You’re pregnant,” I said.  It’s amazing how much a line on a stick can change your life.  I think when I was younger, I didn’t properly appreciate that sometimes life doesn’t go the way you expect it will. I have a lot of friends for whom getting pregnant and having children hasn’t been anything like our experience so far. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen, and it can be the most painful, traumatic experience. I feel so fortunate, in that sense.  Crazy how quickly the algorithms get you. You sign up for one baby app —‘this week your baby is the size of a turnip’— and all of your ads change in an instant to pushchair brands with soft Nordic names and umlauts. Oh, to have invested in the baby business a few decades back.  I’ve learnt a lot about my wife over the last 6 months. She’s tough. Retching at the traffic lights one minute, and back on with her day the next. How ever many billion years of evolution and pregnant women are left with scientifically-dubious acu-pressure bands and ginger tea?! The good news is her sweet tooth’s back. And her sense of humour never left.  I’ve found myself thinking about the other parents in my life, and particularly my own. I’m one of four. Four! And my folks had no help. I can already see why people rate raising children as their greatest accomplishment.  Although I understand it all in a theoretical sense, I’m not sure the full weight of impending fatherhood has yet sunken in, or will until our baby is born.  Mava is due in February. We’ve got a pram. We’ve got a cot. We’ve tossed around a few ideas for names, and I’ve been mesmerised by the images on the ultrasound screen. But even as I place my hand on my wife’s bump and feel something, someone, a bit of me shift and wriggle and kick, for now it’s all just magic.  I know there will be tough times ahead. Exhaustion and exasperation. But I also know the magic will only intensify.  A new baby. A new generation. A new life. And the sense that mine will change forever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Popular relocation series Moving Houses has returned for a third season, a former All Black behind the wheel.  The show isn’t one you’d expect to be as gripping as it is, but it turns out there’s plenty of space for danger and suspense when you’re moving a house on the back of a truck.  After a colourful rugby career, Andy Ellis has honed his craft as a landscape designer, and has now taken over as host for the show.  He told Francesca Rudkin that he really enjoyed meeting all the people involved in the show, from the truck drivers to the people moving their homes.   “Their stories are actually really fascinating.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"In the heart of Orange County, Anaheim is a glittering hospitality hot spot, cultivating a red-hot reputation as a foodie destination, with all the Southern California feels. From fuss-free street snacks and quick bites to spectacular gourmet glories, you’re seriously spoilt for choice. Underscoring Anaheim’s epicurean stripes, the Anaheim area boasts over 30 Michelin-recommended eateries." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coldplay’s Eden Park concerts have been a magical experience for many.  The band is being praised for the spectacle of the show, with a riot of colour, fireworks, and fun technology contributing to the overall effect.   Estelle Clifford celebrated her birthday at last night’s concert, and she says it was a magical night.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marry Me in Italy by Nicky Pelegrino   A dream wedding in Italy? It's the chance of a lifetime! Skye has been with Tim forever and the last thing she's thinking about is saying 'I do'. It's Tim that enters the dream wedding competition - he's longing to win an all-expenses-paid trip to romantic Montenello. An escape to a beautiful Italian hill town might be just what they need to find love again... Ana definitely isn't interested in getting married - she doesn't need a man to make her happy. But when she loses her job at a glossy food magazine, she jumps at the chance of a new life, renovating a crumbling Italian farmhouse. Her handsome (and very distracting) neighbour definitely isn't part of the plan. One thing's for sure, this summer has surprises in store!      No One Will Know by Rose Carlyle   Eve Sylvester is young and broke and needs a job fast. After years of foster homes, backpacking and a sailing trip across the Pacific Ocean, she has lost contact with friends and family. She is alone, desperate-and pregnant. Then she meets Julia and Christopher Hygate, a charming and glamorous couple, who seem to have the perfect life: loads of money and a breathtakingly beautiful mansion on a remote Tasmanian island. They make her a lucrative offer. Eve can move into their empty summerhouse and take up a very easy job. Eve thinks she's fallen on her feet-she has found a home, and her child will grow up in the aptly named Paradise Bay. But some things about the job don't add up. Why must Eve stay out of sight? Why have the Hygates employed an ex-con to run their yacht-charter business? And what about the mysterious boats sailing in and out of the Hygates' private marina? Has Eve made a deal with the devil? It's too late to ask questions. Eve is already in far too deep. Set against the stunning backdrop of a windswept island and its mysterious lighthouse, No One Will Know is a propulsive, seductive novel of suspense that reveals the terrible consequences of greed, staggering lies and fatal mistakes.     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne decided to take this morning to pay tribute to two exceptional entertainers.  He joined Francesca Rudkin to reminisce about renowned radio broadcaster Lindsay Yeo, who passed away earlier this week, and chat about Stephen Fry, who’s show he saw in Wellington on Wednesday.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While everyone knows about white noise, there are a few more colours of noise out there, each with a different sound and potential impact. Recent studies have found that pink and white noise improved concentration and memory for adolescents and young adults – but only those with ADHD. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Francesca Rudkin to run through green, brown, pink, and white noise, and the impacts they can have on people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 16 November 2024, former All Black Andy Ellis joins Francesca Rudkin to chat about turning his hand to hosting duties on the new season of Moving Houses.  Francesca proposes that redress for abuse in state care is not something to do half-heartedly.  Chris Schulz reviews the biggest film of the year, Gladiator II, and shares his hot take after attending Friday night's Coldplay concert.  Estelle Clifford celebrated her birthday at the Coldplay show and gives a full rundown on the experience.  Plus, Margo Flanagan of Two Raw Sisters shares the best way to brilliantly grill asparagus.  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.

Isn’t it just wonderful to suddenly get wind of a perfect idea that makes soooo much sense?   On my departure for Tauranga to do Nature Nerd stuff at the Bay of Plenty Garden and Arts Festival, I received a fabulous email from Laura, who runs the Envirohub Bay of Plenty.   Space for Nature.   This is the picture:   Nature doesn’t just belong in our National Parks, our rural areas and wild, open spaces.    If we use our spades and our plants, we can create a Biodiverse area around our homes as well. In cities and villages, in the centre of towns, all the way to the outskirts of those sterile new subdivisions.   It’s a matter of creating the right kind of habitat which will attract lizards, insects, birds, and magnificent fungi in autumn.   Your garden could become an important corridor of Native species nearby, allowing them to move deeper and further into your “hood”.  Trapping pest species is another way to add to the Biodiversity of your Quarter Acre Paradise.   Imagine becoming part of such a community that links us all together for the same generous reasons: creating a much better and enjoyable ecosystem, which will be making bird song a regular concert of the Neighbourhood.   There are many ways you can go about creating your own little Paradise: join a restoration team in your area (planting, trapping, weed removal, etc) and learn what works well in your district to get Biodiversity back in the backyard. You can also go for a walk in your local forest and identify what native trees, shrub, and plant species do well – identification is pretty easy when you use iNaturalist (an app on your smart phone).   You can also visit your local Botanic garden and learn from the professional Botanists!   Envirohub Bay of Plenty came up with another grand idea: sign the pledge to make Space for Nature in your Backyard and you’ll receive advice and resources to help you in your journey – plus a sign for your gate or letterbox (“We’re Providing Space for Nature”).  Plus, a Native Tree and a Trap to get rid of the unwanted critters   Such a simple idea.  Thank you Laura! You made my day.  For more information, visit their website here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rentvesting. The ‘own here, live there’ method seems to be gaining popularity among potential homeowners. The practice refers to renting a home to live in in an area that suits your lifestyle, while buying an investment property in an area you can more easily afford.  Ed McKnight joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss the practice – its pros, cons, and how to know if it’s the right option for you.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI is in everything - and it's giving us a lot of stuff we don't need.  Personally, I am sick to death of AI in everything, from phones and computers to TVs and fridges now.   The problem isn't the helpful AI that you can choose to use like ChatGPT and Midjourney, it's the annoying ones that they're installing without asking on our technology, like Copilot on Microsoft, Gemini on Google, Meta AI on Facebook, Grok on Twitter, etc    They're unavoidable and inconvenient and they're almost never fit for purpose. You can't actually rely on them to provide accurate info or do what you want them to. You can't delete Gemini from your Android smartphone so it's taking up space for nothing. I have a particular gripe about Facebook Meta AI, where the button is inconveniently positioned right next to the search button.   Everyone wants to be on the cutting edge of tech and position themselves as thought leaders, and that means forcing AI into consumer technology that no one's asking for.  I don't think it reflects how normal tech consumers think or act - we don't want to automate our lives, we just want things to make sense, be as they were when we left them, and if you're launching new features, let us choose when and where we want to use them.   We're in a tricky phase of AI adoption, where extensive and expensive investment has been made into the development of AI tools. Many big tech companies are now looking to justify that investment, by inserting the tools into just about everything there is.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day of the Jackal   An elite sniper, a master of disguise and a highly trained killer, the Jackal is an assassin, coldly carrying out hits for a fee. Following an attack on a high-profile and notorious politician, he's offered his riskiest job yet, one that could pay him enough to leave this life for good. But his work has attracted the attention of Bianca, a tenacious British intelligence officer, whose world-class expertise in firearms makes her the ideal candidate to hunt him down.   What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, as the Jackal works to carry out his new mission, while being pursued by Bianca. However, as the hunt continues and more casualties are caught in their crossfire, it becomes clear that there may be other forces pulling the strings. As both Bianca and the Jackal's personal lives clash with their work, they risk everything, pushing themselves to their limits with disastrous consequences. (TVNZ+)     In Cold Water: The Shelter Bay Mystery   This true crime doc-series explores the mysterious drowning of a Canadian school teacher while on a fishing vacation. The only witness to her death was her New Zealand husband – former Napier city councillor Peter Beckett – who was later charged with her murder. (Prime Video; also on Sky Open 18-20 November)     Bad Sisters   A welcome return of the delightful Irish drama created, written by and starring Sharon Horgan, about five sisters who are bound together by the death of their parents and the promises they made to each other.  (Apple TV+)     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gladiator II   Years after witnessing the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius must enter the Colosseum after the powerful emperors of Rome conquer his home. With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, he looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people.    My Old Ass  An 18th-birthday mushroom trip brings Elliott face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self. When the older Elliott starts handing out warnings about what her younger self should and shouldn't do, she realizes she has to rethink everything about family, love, and what's becoming a transformative summer.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We always make this in summer when asparagus season is at its peak, fresh fragrant herbs are in abundance and your body naturally begins to crave fresher, lighter foods.      Simple Swaps / Additions    Asparagus for zucchini chunks    Mint for any other herb e.g coriander, basil or parsley    Pine nuts for any other nut or seed e.g pumpkin seeds, almonds or walnuts      Serves: 6   Time: 15 minutes       2 tbsp cooking oil   2 bunches of asparagus, left whole     ½ tsp sea salt       Mint, Lemon Pine Nut Salsa   1 cup mint, chopped   1 avocado, cut into chunks    3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted    Juice 1 lemon    2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil    ½ tsp chilli flakes    ½ tsp sea salt        Method:   Heat the oil in a  pan over a high heat. Once hot, add the asparagus. Allow to cook over a high heat for about 3 minutes, tossing every so often.     To make the salsa, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and gently toss to combine.    To serve, place the grilled asparagus on a flat platter and top with the salsa. This salad is best eaten and enjoyed soon after making and assembling.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday the Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition, and public sector leaders formally apologised to survivors of abuse in care. They spoke with sincerity and an understanding of what these victims had been through, but the most powerful words of the day belonged to survivors.    The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry took six years. The final report is 3000 pages long and features 130 recommendations. Tuesday was the first step in addressing this horrific abuse of vulnerable people - acknowledging it through a formal apology.    This might not sound like much, but many a leader in opposition has spoken out about this issue only to shy away and protect the Crown from liability when in power. So it was something.    But as we all know, as sincere and empathetic as those words were, it’s what happens next that matters - the actions taken that will make a difference to survivors' lives. It is the responsibility of this government, and those to come, to support survivors of abuse, hold those responsible accountable, and prevent it happening again.    This is a difficult task. There are many individual circumstances, over an extensive period of time, committed by a variety of institutions. It is going to take time to structure a system through which people are fairly compensated.    But they must be compensated.    Money does not make up for what happened. But for those who have been abused, ignored, lived lives filled with trauma and shame —some unable to live their lives to the full, hold down jobs, have fulfilling relationships— then compensation is a form of validation, and goes some way to helping with the pain.    When asked about what some have termed the ‘can of worms’ the inquiry and apology has opened - I was impressed with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s resolve to deal with it, while acknowledging it will be messy and hard and that the government will not satisfy everyone’s expectations.   But just because something is hard doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. If you’re in politics and avoid doing something which is so fundamentally right and moral because it's hard, then please pack up and go home.    For victims waiting up to 70 years for redress; I can understand the scepticism around what comes next. Something tells me though that Erica Stanford, the Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s response to the report, can do hard things.    The Prime Minister, who has read all 3000 pages of the Royal Commission’s report, said if you want to understand the gravity of what has happened go and read a few of the survivor’s accounts. I took his advice.    And this is what I got from it: this is not redress we want to do half-heartedly. Equally, it needs to be done with some urgency.    While the Government is hoping to have a structure and process in place for better financial redress in the first half of next year, there is also the challenge of making sure this does not happen again. How far the Government will go to legislate against abuse in care will show us how committed they are to taking responsibility.    Let’s do this once. Let’s do this right. Let’s do all we can to make sure it never happens again.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi musician Ladyhawke was a fixture of the late 2000s.  In 2009, Pip Brown, better known as Ladyhawke, stormed to number one on the New Zealand albums chart in 2009 with her self-titled debut and hit song ‘My Delirium’, leading to a slew of music awards, and international tours.  15 years later, she’s coming full circle, performing her debut album at the upcoming ‘Others Way’ festival in Auckland.  Ladyhawke told Jack Tame that she has a few tours and shows coming up, but wanted to do something special for the 15 year anniversary.   “I thought, why don't I do something special and do the first record front to back,” she said.  “There's a couple of songs on it that I'd never played live before.”  Although festival goers will be the only ones to get the full album experience, Ladyhawke has been playing a few of her older hits on her tours throughout the UK and Australia.  “Everyone's just, like, really happy. And I love looking out and seeing everyone singing along,” she told Tame.  “I know it's a bit of a nostalgia trip for people, which is, which is awesome for me too.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.