Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

As the son of jazz legend Don Cherry, Eagle-Eye Cherry seemed destined for a life in the creative arts. His song Save Tonight is a boneafide classic, storming the charts upon its release. He leads a much more low-key life nowadays than he did back in the 90’s, but he’s still writing and performing live, and is set to visit New Zealand alongside the legendary UB40. It’ll be the first time Cherry has visited the country, and he told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame he’s very much looking forward to it. “It’s been on my bucket list for my entire life,” Cherry revealed. “So I’m really excited to come there and get to play for my fans, and to get to hear UB40 live, which I’ve never done.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should we be tipping in New Zealand? The question has arisen once more with a new proposal to encourage the practice in the hospo sector. Kevin Milne has been thinking about the proposal, and he’s not sure about the idea. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Don’t you love it when you venture to new territory which knocks your expectations out of the park? I’ve just had such an experience when taking a cool change from North Queensland’s tropical coastline for a highlands escape. Just over an hour’s drive from Cairns, the Atherton Tablelands is a bucolic and woodsy delight, where elevated fertile farmland and ancient rainforests set the stage for rewarding outdoorsy exploration. As I made my way over the twists and turns of the Gillies Highway, a nonchalant Southern Cassowary briefly brought the road traffic to a grinding halt. These birds are not to messed with and I happily gave him the right of way as he intimately ambled past my gleaming rental car, casting an imperious glance my way, as if to say, “you’re in my territory, now”. After that brief brush with the birdlife – and thankfully no rental car damage, the warm embrace of Yungaburra soon shuffled into view, 750 metres above sea level." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming seven years after the release of her last album, ‘7’ is the 7th studio album by Nelly Furtado. When announcing the album in July of 2024, Furtado said she had written “400-500 pieces of music in 4 years", fourteen of which were chosen for the album. She likened the album to a collection, the songs being more like “random seashells that may be similar but not all alike”. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frankie by Graham Norton Frankie Howe has lived a long life, her small flat is crammed full of art, furniture - and memories. Damian, her young carer, listens as she gradually tells him parts of her story - a story that takes us into a progressive, daring world of New York artists on the brink of fame, aspiring writers and larger-than-life characters. Always just on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie is never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage. But the outsider holds certain advantages, sees things others don't, can influence without drawing attention. And when the map has been lost, it's anyone's guess where you may end up, or the accidental choices you find you have made. Frankie discovers that life is not always the one we hope for, or the one others expect of us. Travelling from post-war Ireland to the dazzling art scene of 1960s New York by way of London, Frankie is an immersive, decade-sweeping novel about love, bravery and what it means to live a significant life. The Life Impossible by Matt Haig “What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet…” When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan. Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past. Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 21 September 2024, Eagle Eye Cherry joins Jack to discuss his bonafide classic track Save Tonight, his love for performing live, and what he's expecting for his first time ever touring in New Zealand. Jack talks about how stiffer competition from across the ditch will help New Zealand's rugby improve too. Chef Nici Wickes has the perfect recipe for new season asparagus, right as it is springing into stores. Man of many talents, Graham Norton has a brand-new book out and book reviewer Catherine Raynes delivers her verdict. And tech expert Paul Stenhouse explains why the US government is looking to force cars to have AM radio. 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 new phenomenon has emerged: dreamscrolling. The opposite of doomscrolling, dreamscrolling has people looking at dream purchases or things they’d one day like to own – houses being a common choice. It even seems to have some benefits when done in the workplace, both to those doing it, and the organisation. Dougal Sutherland reveals a couple of the key benefits it can have: - Dreamscrolling gives us that little psychological “hit” of joy, even if it’s about something imaginary! When we fantasize about the “what-if” it’s like, for a moment, we’re living our best life in that dream house – and it feels good. - Overseas research has shown that dream scrolling can help some people with financial planning as it serves to motivate and inspire them to actively save for, or invest in, that thing they’re dreaming about. So it can help motivate us and change our behaviour for the future. - At a time when many of us might be feeling a bit down in the dumps, particularly if you live in Wellington or work for the government, it’s probably not surprising that a good chunk of dreamscrolling happens at work. That might not be a bad thing though as the boost in positive mood you get can flow through to how you engage with your work and people around you. And it’s certainly better than doomscrolling! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A week or so ago, a wonderful kids book couriered its way to my front door. It’s a book about our native bees in Aotearoa, written by Rachel Weston. It’s titled “Kiwi Bees have tiny knees”. How refreshing to finally read a book about our native bees, not the introduced pollinator from Tropical Africa which migrated through Europe and all the way to Asia. Our native bees are from Aotearoa and there are 28 species in our land, most of which have not been studied well at all! After Spring has started this year (that will be from tomorrow morning 12:43 am onwards) I shall come back to this magnificent book in detail, simply because it deserves a lot more entomological attention. For now, I will alert you to page 21: Clever little bees: Pollinating Mistletoe. That simple line grabbed my attention immediately, and on the day I received the book I started a complete week of Mistletoe frenzy; and it is all to do with Gardening! Our tiny bees pollinate mistletoe? For Real? Rachel’s book has a QR Code on page 21 which allows you to see them at work, check out the video here. A Leioproctus native bee (pretty small insect!) chews open the red mistletoe’s flower and harvests nectar and pollen. When it does the same trick with the next flower of the bunch, the pollen will fertilise that neighbouring flower. Bellbirds and tui are probably the main pollinators of these mistletoes, but those tiny bees also contribute to the reproductive system. That is just as well, seeing our native birds might be locally under pressure from predators etc – so if bees can take over some of that pollination job from the birds, the mistletoe might have better chances for survival. We have 8 species of Mistletoe in New Zealand (number 9 is presumed to be extinct), but browsing by possums and loss of habitat or host trees puts the species under pressure. Mistletoes are “parasitic” plants that live on their hosts and extract nutritious liquids from these host plants. This doesn’t seem to harm the host plants or trees in a major way. Once the mistletoe started flowering (some have very small flowers, other species have beautifully coloured flowers that stand out!) the pollinators will be attracted and do their job. That leads to the formation of fertile mistletoe fruit (seed inside the small, juicy berry) that will draw in the bird species that enjoy those fruits. As soon as they pick off their snacks, the birds may suddenly realise that the seed is surrounded by a seriously sticky glue. Some birds try to take the glue off their beaks by wiping the fruit and the seed over the branches of the host plant on which the mistletoe grew. Some birds will have a go at swallowing the fruit and seed regardless, ending up defecating a very sticky poo that the bird will wipe off its “bottom feathers”, usually on the same branches that grew the mistletoe. And that is how Nature distributes the mistletoe through the landscape. As gardeners, what can we learn from that? A few years ago, I managed to adhere some green mistletoe seeds on a native host plant: kowhai! It hasn’t flowered or seeded as yet but my neighbour is a few years ahead of the game and I got some seeds off him – now it’s all on! Ileostylus micranthus seeds in abundance. The tiny green bits of growth are the flowers on this species. I have stuck heaps of seeds all over the neighbourhood in an attempt to find out what kind of trees would work as hosts of this green mistletoe (Ileostylus micranthus). So far we know kowhai and divaricating Coprosmas (C. virescens), as well as apple, pear, peach, and plum! The way to attach the sticky seeds is no surprise: the sticky seeds are squeezed out of the fruit and positioned on the "collar" of the branch. Tag it with some colourful wool or something like that, to keep an eye on progress for the next few years. I reckon this is the way to spread our native mistletoes back into their original habitat. There’s quite a bit of info on these plants on our internet: here and here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob's Best Buys: Rimapere Baron Edmond de Rothschild 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, $30 Why I chose it: - Top vintage - Best of Marlborough with a French accent - Sauvignon doesn’t get much better than this - Delicious now but no rush - It has great purity and power - Due to be released, but buy it while stocks last What does it taste like? A delicious sauvignon blanc with real finesse. Flavours are a medley of passion fruit, lime zest, guava, and a suggestion of feijoa. A vibrant and refreshing wine with appealing purity. It has a strong Marlborough signature with a subtle French accent. Why it’s a bargain: It’s not the cheapest sauvignon around, in fact as sauvignon goes it is moderately expensive, but is also very, very good. In my book it offers good value. Where can you buy it? It is just about to be released so check out your nearest fine wine retailer. When ordering in advance, don’t forget to enquire about a discount. What’s a good food match? The folk at Rimapere recommend pairing it with salads, white meats, or fish in sauce dishes. I can’t argue with that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we power the rise of AI? The answer at the moment seems to be nuclear power. Microsoft has partnered with a shuttered nuclear power plant called Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania to bring back its Unit 1 facility. It was shut down in 2019 because of increased competition from cheaper sources such as natural gas, solar, and wind power. Microsoft says it'll purchase all the power from the plant for 20 years. So, Constellation says it'll spend $1.6 billion to get it back up and running by 2028 – as long as the regulators allow it. You may know the name Three Mile Island because of a nuclear meltdown at the "Unit 2" site, in 1979. The US Government could soon force cars to have AM radio With the rise of internet connected electric vehicles, AM radio has been phased out. Tesla, BMW and Volkswagen promised to remove AM radio saying the electric engines can interfere with the sound of AM radio. Plus, why do you need it if you can stream Spotify, Pandora, or iHeart? Well, what happens if you're out of a coverage area? What happens if there's an issue with the communications systems? How do you get emergency information? Well, US lawmakers believe the answer was, and is, AM radio. It's got a huge coverage area, even in rural areas, and is integrated with emergency alerting systems. The AM for Every Vehicle Act was overwhelmingly approved by a house committee and will now go before the house for a vote and, if successful, will go to President Biden to sign. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Penguin Following the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb aka The Penguin seeks to fill the power vacuum left by Carmine Falcone’s death and finally give his mother the life he promised. But first, Oz must confront enemies new and old (Neon). A Very Royal Scandal Based on the real-life 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew over the scandalous accusations the Prince faced regarding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre. A Very Royal Scandal follows the action of Maitlis and Prince Andrew in the lead-up to the interview, the event itself and the many questions left in its wake that would change their lives forever (Prime Video). Nightsleeper The overnight train from Glasgow to London is hacked. Passengers are trapped on board, including police officer Joe. As the train hurtles towards disaster, Joe manages to make contact with Abby, the cyber security director (ThreeNow). LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thelma Thelma Post is a 93-year-old grandmother who loses $10,000 to a con artist on the phone. With help from a friend and his motorized scooter, she soon embarks on a treacherous journey across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her. Marguerite’s Theorem When a brilliant mathematics student at France's top university presents her thesis, a mistake shakes the certainty of her planned-out life. She decides to quit everything and start over. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Off the top of your head, where do reckon the Wallabies currently sit in the World rankings? Sure, they’re behind us. They’re behind South Africa, of course. But they’re also languishing behind Scotland, behind Italy, would you believe. According to World Rugby, the Wallabies of September 2024 are the ninth best national team in men’s rugby today. They only just squeak in ahead of Fiji. When I was a kid, the Bledisloe felt like the biggest thing in rugby outside of a World Cup. It probably wasn’t, of course. Tests with South Africa were at least comparable, I guess, and Lions tours had their prestige. But I would get so worked up for Bledisloes because they always felt like anyone could win. I still remember epic Bledisloe clashes. The John Eales era. George Gregan and that tackle, Jeff Wilson spilling the ball as he dived for the line, the Wallabies just holding on for Bledisloe glory. But what happened? New Zealand Rugby’s had its issues, but arguably no country that plays rugby has experienced anything like the decline that Australia has experienced. Those epic Bledisloe clashes of the past are becoming ancient history. It’s 22 years since Australia last held the Bledisloe - we now have an elected Member of Parliament who has never seen the Wallabies win it. And get this: according to the Australian Sports Commission, rugby is the country’s ninth-most-popular sport by participation. Aussie Rules has four times as many kids who play. Basketball is five times more popular. Rugby loses out to rock climbing and badminton. There are a range of things that have likely contributed. The private school rugby culture in Australia has isolated the sport from a huge slab of the population. Concern over head knocks will have impacted participation. The domestic rugby competition was hollowed out and ultimately scrapped, which means the Super Rugby teams are the only real professional options for young players. The AFL has 18 teams. The NRL has 16 Australian teams. Super Rugby will now have just four. It’s telling that a city of five million couldn’t sustain a side. How many people in Melbourne didn’t even know the Rebels were a thing? And as a TV entertainment product, sorry, but the Brumbies vs the Force rarely compares to the thrill of the NRL. All of this is not to diminish this evening’s game. And I’m certainly not hoping for a Wallabies win. But ultimately, it’s in our interests for Australian rugby to somehow work its way back into something akin to the force of the past. New Zealand rugby needs better competition from across the ditch. We need the spectre of potentially losing the Bledisloe! Maybe I’ll eat my words, but as much as I’ll enjoy the game this evening, right now... it doesn’t feel like all that much of a contest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A quiche is a fabulous vehicle for asparagus and it makes a fabulous lunch or dinner. Serves 4-6 Ingredients 1-2 sheets short crust pastry 5 large eggs ½ cup grated cheese ½ cup cream (can use milk) ½ cup chopped parsley ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp black pepper 100g cold smoked salmon 5 spears asparagus, cut into 4cm lengths Method 1.Preheat oven to 190 C and place a tray in to heat on the middle (or a little bit higher) rack. 2.Roll out the pastry to fit a 23cm loose-bottom tart tin. Press into tin, leaving any overhang as this will fall away when cooked. Prick all over with a fork. Chill for 15-30 minutes before baking for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool. 3.Sprinkle cheese over pastry case. Whisk eggs with cream to mix. Add in parsley, salt and pepper. Pour into pastry case. Sprinkle over cut asparagus and salmon bake for 35-40 minutes or until a slight wobble in the middle. Remove and cool to warm to serve. Nici’s note You can get away with blind baking pastry without the beans/rice if it is pricked all over, well-rested and chilled so that it doesn’t shrink. Make it your own Use feta instead of salmon. Use drained tinned salmon or tuna in place of smoked salmon. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Troy Kingi is a man on a well-documented mission, creating ten albums in ten different genres, over the course of ten years for his 10:10:10 project. Through this project, Troy has carved a remarkable reputation for musical versatility. In August, he released album number 8 in the project, Leatherman & the Mojave Green, a rock album that has brought him back to his roots. Before getting to work on his final two albums, Kingi has found the time to squeeze in a tour of New Zealand. Leatherman was recorded in Joshua Tree, a national park in California, and Kingi told Jack Tame that the choice to record there was him trying to rekindle the flame that got him into the industry in the first place. “I was at a point where I was questioning all my directions, and back in the beginning, I’d just write for the loving of writing and things would flow the way they’d flowed. And I felt like I kind of lost that,” he told Tame. “So actually going back to a genre of style that is probably the core of who I am, it was timely, it was like, perfect timing.” He’s been touring the album around New Zealand since its release, with more shows still to come in Christchurch, Hamilson, Tauranga, Napier, and Gisborne. More info on shows and tickets can be found here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi music collective TOI has released their newest album ‘Waves’, showcasing their signature sound of modern soul, old school funk, and R&B, along with a new experimental approach. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the new release. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Precipice by Robert Harris Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe. In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley – aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless – is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to her obsessively, sharing the most sensitive matters of state. As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, a young intelligence officer is assigned to investigate a leak of top secret documents – and suddenly what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that will alter the course of political history. Billionaire, Nerd Saviour, King: Bill Gates and his Quest to Shape Our World by Anupreeta Das Few billionaires have been in the public eye for as long, and in as many guises, as Bill Gates. At first heralded as a tech visionary, the Microsoft cofounder next morphed into a ruthless capitalist, only to change yet again when he fashioned himself into a global do-gooder. Along the way, Gates forever influenced how we think about tech founders, as the products they make and the ideas they sell continue to dominate our lives. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he also set a new standard for high-profile, billionaire philanthropy. But there is more to Gates's story, and here, Das's revelatory reporting shows us that billionaires have secrets and philanthropy can have a dark side. Drawing upon hundreds of interviews with current and former employees of the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, academics, nonprofits, and those with insight into the Gates universe, Das delves into Gates's relationships with Warren Buffett, Jeffrey Epstein, Melinda French Gates, and others, to uncover the truths behind the public persona. In telling Gates's story, Das also provides a new way to think about how billionaires wield their power, manipulate their image, and pursue philanthropy to become heroes, repair damaged reputations, and direct policy to achieve their preferred outcomes. Insightful, illuminating, and timely, Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King is an important story of money and government, wealth and power, and media and image, and the ways in which the world's richest people hold us in their thrall. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many investment properties can the average investor afford to buy? It depends on income, but Ed McKnight has run some numbers. Plus, he answers the question of how much they really make. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Colourful, playful, sun-splashed Cairns enjoys the unique distinction of being cradled in tropical wonder. The gateway city straddles two World Heritage-protected treasures: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest. I took a daytrip to the family-favourite destination of Fitzroy Island. Just 45 minutes from Cairns on the Fitzroy Flyer, this barefoot island getaway serves up a flavourful dabble with the Great Barrier Reef. The island is designated a National Park, in deference to its spectacular walking trails, rainforest, beaches and abundant marine life, in the calm sheltered waters. It’s jaw-dropping to think the island was previously connected to the mainland before the last Ice Age." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 14th September 2024, the man with a remarkable reputation for musical versatility, Troy Kingi joins Jack to chat album number 8 in his 10:10:10 series. Jack ponders a social media ban for those under 16 years of age. Spring is making itself known and chef Nici Wickes shares a deliciously creamy recipe perfect for moments of seasonal entertaining. Can ice cream tub lids be recycled? Kate sets things straight about what can't be recycled through curbside bins. Plus, Apple have released a surprising product - a hearing aid! Tech expert Paul Stenhouse discusses the tech-for-good. 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.

After recycling was standardised in February, many people are still unaware they can't put any caps or lids in their curbside recycling bins. A new scheme has recently launched, allowing people to bring their caps and lids into participating supermarkets to be properly recycled. Kate ‘Ethically Kate’ Hall joined Jack Tame to give a refresher on recycling, and a bit of advice in how to make it easier. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve been pretty busy in the garden, tunnel house, and grassy building site. That always seem to happen with me just before spring emerges – it’s a frantic time. Spades When you’re digging out flax or any plant, tree, shrub for that matter, some soil types make it difficult to get into with a regular spade. We had a rather dry late winter period with soil becoming pretty hard to open up. My best investment for these conditions is my trenching spade: A long and tapering blade that ends up with just 10 centimetres of bottom edge, easy to drive into the soil and allowing you to tackle the hard clay with a minimum amount of effort. I tried to dig out large, old flax plants and the only way to do that is with a trenching spade – no contest! Of course, as the name suggests, trenching spades were invented to create long narrow trenches for power lines of water pipes. Why dig our more than you need to? Weeding implements We all know what a hoe is; a push or pull device that can cut plants off their roots. I am really simplifying the various hoes in existence – there are many different varieties, but the system is quite simple: you either push the blade through the top-layers of the soil, or you pull. My favourite hoe is the one created by a Dutchman Jaap Sneeboer. I think he calls it “the Royal Hoe” – how Dutch is that! It has a double attack ability: a regular pull hoe that is made from very sturdy metal, and a three-tine fork that can go deeper to remove rather sturdy roots. That fork is also brilliant for aerating the soil. It’s a tall, and solid hoe that will do a multitude of jobs before you start sowing new seeds or planting new veges. Cutting Flax leaves Always a real pain in the bum. Flax leaves are so resistant to secateurs and knives. I have them on the sides of our driveway and you can literally imagine how these long and resistant leaves always grow out over the drive... The “knife” that works well is the Niwashi Flax knife and the Maruyoshi flax cutter (there are all kinds of models on the NZ market now). Make sure that you get a sturdy one that lasts for years. It’s a mean tool! The curved blade has extremely sharp teeth that will go through flax leaves without any trouble at all. The teeth are angled towards the bottom and therefore will always work in a downward motion. Of course, they will also cut the leaves of Cabbage trees. A Cultivator This thing weeds, pulls out roots, and cuts out all the undesirables from within the rows of edibles and ornamentals, without accidentally hitting the desirables! The Clark Cultivator was designed in Christchurch and is used as a hand-tool. The main blade emerges in a 90 degree angle and is super sharp. It rips roots off the weeds and the pointy end can be manoeuvred with incredible accuracy. That pointy end is also very useful if you want to quickly dig a hole to transplant anything that needs a new position. It even allows you to create a perfectly straight line to sow some seeds LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple released a surprising product this week... a hearing aid. They were awaiting FDA approval, but today they got it, making it the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device to receive such approval. It's more tech for good! Approximately 1.5 billion people around the world are living with hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization. The Apple Hearing Study revealed that 75% of people diagnosed with hearing loss haven’t received the assistive support that they need. How does it work? You open the health app to take a hearing test from the comfort of home - it takes about five minutes. It builds an 'audiogram', just like what you'd get at the doctor's office, and uses this to personalize your hearing experience. If you struggle with high, mid, or low tones these will be boosted accordingly allowing you to hear conversations and the environment around you more clearly. It's designed for folks with mild to moderate hearing loss. It's worth pointing out that AirPods could be a very successful company all on their own. Apple has sold tens of billions of dollars worth of them, and it's thought there are over 100 million users globally. Typically if someone has their AirPods in it signals 'leave me alone', but not anymore. So, should you, will you, talk to someone with AirPods in? OpenAI's new AI can 'reason'. Get set, we're entering a new phase of AI. Open AI's "o1", the first in a planned series of “reasoning” models that have been trained to answer more complex questions - and they say it can do it faster than a human can. It's better at producing code and solving "multistep problems", but it's much slower and more expensive. In the qualifying test for the International Mathematics Olympiad, the GPT-4o scored 13%, this new model scored 83%. In an online code competition, it reached the 89th percentile of participants. The next model... Open AI says it will perform at the PhD level for physics, chemistry and biology tests. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Slow Horses A dysfunctional team of MI5 agents and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb, navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces (Apple TV+). Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos Twenty-five years after it first debuted, The Sopranos remains a touchstone for prestige television. Featuring interviews with cast and crew, this two-part documentary delves into the psyche of renowned Sopranos creator David Chase (Neon). Location, Location, Location NZ Friendship ended with Kirstie and Phil, now Jayne Kiely and Paul Glover are your best friends. The local reboot of the iconic property series begins on TVNZ1 and TVNZ+ this Sunday night and promises a swagbag of nervous New Zealanders looking to make their property dreams a reality. Episode one takes viewers inside the notoriously chilled out housing market in Tāmaki Makaurau, where one buyer teases she is known to “dry wretch” when she gets nervous. If that’s not high stakes television, we don’t know what is. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speak No Evil A dream holiday turns into a living nightmare when an American couple and their daughter spend the weekend at a British family's idyllic country estate. Radical Sixth grade students at Jose Urbina Lopez Elementary are among the worst performing students in Mexico, with their world one of violence and hardship, not possibility. It might seem like a dead end, but it's the perfect place for new teacher Sergio Juarez to try something different. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This one pan wonder of a dish is perfect to serve a group – it’s full of fresh flavours but is creamy and comforting too. Serves 4-6 Ingredients 3-4 free-range boneless skinless chicken breasts Salt and pepper to season 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 leek or onion, finely sliced or diced 1 cup chicken stock 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon chilli flakes ¼ cup cream 1 ½ cups peas 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Method 1. Remove tenderloin from chicken breasts. Slice each breast horizontally in half so you have two thinner pieces plus the tenderloin per breast. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken. 2. Heat oil in a large pan on a medium heat. Lightly brown chicken on both sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate. Add butter to the pan and add leeks or onions and cook gently until softened. 3. In a bowl mix stock, lemon juice, garlic and chilli flakes and pour this over leeks/onions. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook for 10 minutes or so. Add chicken back into the pan to heat through then pour over cream. At this stage it can be either placed over a gentle heat or popped into an oven heated to 180 C to cook for a further 6-8 minutes until sauce is thickened a bit. 4. Pour boiling water over frozen peas and let them sit for 5 minutes then drain. Add the peas to the pan in the final 2 minutes of cooking. 5. To serve, top with chopped parsley and a decent grind of black pepper and serve with some buttercrunch or cos lettuce. Nici’s note Adding the peas towards the end of cooking ensures they keep their vibrant green colour. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m a slave to social media and it drives me nuts. I feel compelled to have Twitter and Facebook for work. Instagram for socialising. I wisely never touch TikTok because from all accounts, that’s the most addictive platform of the lot. But if I have to battle to stop myself from reflexively picking up my phone and checking the ‘gram, I can’t imagine how hard it is for the generations who’ve never known a world without smart phones. Australia looks set to forge ahead with a ban on social media for young people. The South Australian government will ban it for kids under 14 and put the onus on the platforms to use age verification tools in making sure younger kids aren’t setting up accounts. 14 and 15 years olds will need explicit parental permission to access the likes of Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and X. But is that excessive? Is social media really comparable to booze or tobacco? And if it’s causing harm, is it really the state’s job to step in? I’m a huge fan of the work of U.S Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of ‘The Coddling of the American Mind.’ He says that overprotection from parents and schools has caused young people to be less resilient than in the past. I think there’s a lot in that. But I also agree with him that a lot of social and psychological damage in young people stems directly from social media. No phones until high school and keep them off social media until they’re at least 16, he says. Don’t you think it’s crazy that social media executives openly admit they refuse to let their own kids use their platforms, while claiming it’s all good for everyone else’s? I supported the phone ban in schools. I think it’s common sense. And in a way, this is the same: it’s a collective action problem. At the moment, parents know that if they let their kid on social media at a young age, even at 13, which is the stated age limit for many of the platforms, it’s potentially doing them harm. But if they deny their kid any social platforms, parents often feel the child runs the risk of being socially ostracised. Easy to say this now, given our boy’s only seven, but I’d like to think if in the future it’s a binary choice between letting him access social media when he’s really young, or supporting him if he gets stick because some of his classmates are online and he’s not... well, I’d take the latter option. I guess I’m a bit old school and strict. But regulation would mean a collective standard. The same rules across the board. And if we agree that an unregulated system isn’t doing our kids much good, perhaps it’s time to consider something different. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Kevin Milne watched the US Presidential Debate this past week, one comment reminded him of a similar scaremongering scandal from his youth in Christchurch. Donald Trump, in one of his tirades against immigration, accused Haitian migrants in Springfield of eating other people’s pets – an accusation with no basis or evidence, just like the one Kevin remembers from 1950s Christchurch. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lord of the Rings franchise is held very near and dear to many Kiwi’s hearts, and the brand-new retelling of the franchise has been nothing but popular upon it’s release. The Rings of Power had an estimated 25 million viewers tune in for its Season 1 premiere, and it’s second season has begun. It’s set thousands of years before the events of JRR Tolkein’s novels, with Middle Earth’s infamous villain inhabiting a flesh and blood body for the first time on screen. Australian actor Charlie Vickers plays Sauron, a twist only revealed in the final episode of the first season, as his charismatic Halbrand was unmasked. The twist was something of a surprise to Vickers as well, as he only found out after they had begun filming. “I filmed the first two episodes of the show, not knowing I was playing Sauron,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame. “And then they called me into their office in Henderson and they said, you’re, so it turns out that Halbrand is Sauron.” “I was left reeling, in a good way.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No matter how smart you are, you’re always at risk of getting caught by a scam. They’re on the rise lately, and even those who know all the signs and think they’ve taken all of the precautions are finding themselves on the sharp end of the stick. Kevin Milne is rather familiar with scams and consumer affairs, but a recent incident had him cancelling his credit card as quick as possible. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short n’ Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album was an instant success. Released on August 23rd, it was her first album to top the Billboard 200 chart, and was the third biggest debut week for an album in the US in 2024. It’s a 12 track album, mixing influences of country, rock, disco, and R&B with Carpenter’s signature pop style. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson The crumbling house - Burton Makepeace and its chatelaine the Dowager Lady Milton - suffered the loss of their last remaining painting of any value, a Turner, some years ago. The housekeeper, Sophie, who disappeared the same night, is suspected of stealing it. Jackson, a reluctant hostage to the snowstorm, has been investigating the theft of another The Woman with a Weasel, a portrait, taken from the house of an elderly widow, on the morning she died. The suspect this time is the widow’s carer, Melanie. Is this a coincidence or is there a connection? And what secrets does The Woman with a Weasel hold? The puzzle is Jackson’s to solve. And let’s not forget that a convicted murderer is on the run on the moors around Burton Makepeace. All the while, in a bid to make money, Burton Makepeace is determined to keep hosting a shambolic Murder Mystery that acts as a backdrop while the real drama is being played out in the house. Safe Enough by Lee Child From the world's number one thriller writer, twenty pulse-pounding short stories are collected for the first time in one edition, complete with an introduction from the author plus an exclusive brand-new short story featuring Jack Reacher and Maggie Bird from Lee Child and Tess Gerritsen. I was the guy who always found a way. I was the guy that couldn't be stopped. A drug-dealing hit man unburdens his fears to a stranger. An overlooked rookie cop is assigned to the department’s file room. A ruthless killer only kills bad guys. A methodical bodyguard quits his job when he’s outsmarted. A military mission is planned to perfection... Meticulously plotted and utterly compelling, these are intimate portraits of humanity at its best and worst. Each story is entirely distinct. And with their economical prose and unexpected twists, each could only have been written by the creator of Jack Reacher. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"After taking my fill of nature’s feisty features at Volcanoes National Park, the sun, the sand and the coastal draws of the Big Island were calling. The Kona Coast is a 100km long sweep along Hawai’i’s western coast, brimming with attractions and experiences that smashed my expectations. Lined with lava fields, coffee farms, and some of Hawaii’s most beautiful coastline, I wish I’d set aside more time on the Big Island to delve into its numerous delights. There are charms at every turn. The beating heart of the tourist scene is Kailua-Kona, the colourful and bustling town a short distance from Kona Airport. It incorporates Kailua Village which once a sleepy fishing village and retreat for Hawaiian royalty." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 7th of September 2024, star of the 'Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ series Charlie Vickers chats with Jack about what it's like to be Middle Earth's most infamous villain. Bananagrams anyone? Jack ponders how astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will pass their unexpectedly extended time in space. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! 36 years on from the original, the Deetz family is back - Francesca Rudkin gives the details on just how the Burtonian spirit stacks up. Lee Child moves away from his well-known character Jack Reacher in his brand-new book. Reviewer Catherine Raynes shares her thoughts on Child's storytelling skills. 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.

On the face of it the 4-day working week sounds like a good thing, but the devil is in the detail. Recently in the UK the government has indicated they may strengthen workers' rights to request this – however, it’s the right to request 40 hours compressed into 4 10 hour days, rather than 5 8-hour days. Although it might sound attractive at first, I’m not sure this is sustainable in the longer term, particularly for those who have family. If you include travel time, it could be that you end up being away from home from 7am – 7pm. Which would leave you Friday to recover and could ultimately lead to burnout. A better option could be the 100/80/100 4-day working week: 100% of pay, 80% of time, 100% of productivity. Initially pioneered by NZ firm Perpetual Guardian and taken up by hundreds of organisations around the world – although interestingly very few in NZ. It’s based on the idea that during a typical 5-day week there are only limited periods when we are productive – some estimate that it’s only about 30% of time. So, if we support people to be more focused and productive at work, we reward them with having to work less than they currently do. Global results are quite staggering: - 25% increase in revenue - 32% reduction in staff turnover - 66% reduction in burnout - 94% of organisations wanted to continue It doesn’t involve everyone simply working 4 8-hour days – some people might work 5 days but shorter hours, some 3 days but longer hours. Every year the “deal” is put to workers – if we can keep productivity at 100%, we will pay you for 40 hours but you only have to work 32. If productivity drops, we go back to the 40-hour week. Great idea as it puts the solutions back into the hands of the staff who work in their own interests rather than having management dictate. What can people do if they’re interested? - Don’t buy into the idea that “it won’t work for us” —everyone says that— if your business needs to provide services 5 (or more) days per week then hand this problem over to the staff to figure out. - Be prepared to do quite a bit of work beforehand e.g., how do you define productivity in your business, are you tracking people’s rates of burnout or wellbeing and if not, how will you do this? - Likely to need some training too e.g., how to effectively run a meeting so that people’s time isn’t wasted. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is prostate cancer a problem? - It occurs in the prostate, a gland that sits below the bladder and produces fluid for semen. - It’s the second highest cause of cancer death in men. 4000 are diagnosed a year, and 700 men die a year. - Over time the number of people being diagnosed, and death rate is dropping due to increased testing. - If you are diagnosed: 90% of men are alive after 5 years, and 90% alive after 10 years due to early treatment, and sometimes the cancer is slow growing. Are there symptoms that can indicate prostate cancer? Things to look out for: - A need to urinate urgently, difficulty with getting started and weak urine stream, dribbling after finish, blood in the urine. - However, these can be due to other ‘benign’ prostate problems: - BPH – Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy: the prostate getting larger with age, but it’s not cancerous - Prostatitis: an infection of the prostate If you notice any of these symptoms you need to talk to your GP. Should we be doing anything to check for prostate cancer? - Yes. From the age of 50 years, talk to your doctor about a two-yearly prostate check. - If you have a family history —father, brother— then you may need to start earlier at 40 years. - The check is very simple: a blood test called a PSA and quick rectal examination to feel for the size of the prostate. If a problem is detected what are the treatments? - If the blood test indicates a possible problem, then more tests are done: further bloods, possible MRI scan, a biopsy of the prostate to look for cancer. - If cancer is detected there are four main approaches: - Watch and wait: because the cancer is early and is considered low risk, slow growing, and may not cause a problem. - Radiotherapy to destroy the cancer. - Prostatectomy: where an operation is preformed to remove the prostate. - Hormone injections that shrink and control the cancer. Like all cancers can be treated if found early: if you are 50, a man, visit your GP and discuss a prostate check! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Anderson is an old mate from Sir Peter Blake Trust (Blake Inspire), who’s finally got his PhD and moved to the USA, taking up a job working on Climate Change. These observations are about the effect of climate change and how critters adapt to the cold. The Greenland wolf The Greenland wolf is a subspecies of the grey wolf, and their population is sitting at around 200. Their range is in the ice-free areas of northeast Greenland. Their main prey are hares, but they also eat the calves of musk oxen and seals. In the late early 1900’s a population in east Greenland was poisoned to extinction. But they were not considered high economic value due to their low abundance, compared to the fur trade of the Arctic fox. They have small pack sizes – usually only 3 or 4 members. Greenland wolf spoor. Arctic mosquito Arctic mosquitoes serve as an important food source to other animals. They are notorious for their role as pests to humans and wildlife, including caribou, whose populations can be affected by their attacks. They primarily feed on the blood of caribou. These mosquitoes spend most of their lives in an aquatic environment in shallow, tundra ponds. Their eggs become frozen in the winter and hatch into larvae when the ponds melt in the spring. Arctic mosquitoes spend about two to three weeks in the larval stage before they develop into pupa and then adults. They're most prevalent after a hatch, with the mosquito population spiking late June through July, and again, briefly, at the beginning of August. They can't fly in a light breeze. In fact, we only really had them annoy us for a warm (above freezing) day with no wind. The rest of the time we didn’t see them or have any land on us. As temperatures warm in the Arctic, mosquitoes emerge earlier, grow faster, and survive as winged pests even longer. Aedes Mosquito Hatching. Photo / Jacob Anderson My observations came from Alaska. Nosebot Maggots Caribou not only feed mosquitoes, but they also feed huge maggots of the Nosebot Fly (also known as Nasal Fly or caribou warble fly). These maggots are rather large and gain access into the caribou’s nostrils when their mum literally hovers near the caribou and sprays her babies into that nice, cosy nose environment (This adult fly does not lay eggs! Skipping that life-stage saves time for the life cycle). “Heavily infested caribou may be tormented by the irritating presence of the parasites and be thinner than other caribou, but the caribou meat is still OK to eat”, according to caribou hunters. The frozen Woodfrog (Rana silvestris) Here is an arctic creature that knows how to over-winter (-20 degrees). This frog simply freezes in the winter cold but manages to restrict the damage inside the body cells by increasing the amount of sugars inside the cells. Crystals in-between the cells allow the ice to form where the damage is very minimal. When the frog thaws, it slowly gathers enough warmth to move on with its life – no doubt mumbling to itself ”That was a heavy frost!!” (It reminds me of our unique mountain stone weta). Ice worms on the glaciers in Alaska These species only live in Alaska and are a relic of the old ice-ages. Small, dark worms (2 cm long) that live and crawl in the icy glaciers, their food is algae and pollen, as well as certain invertebrates that land on the glacier (I’ve seen small moths being “pushed-up” by weather conditions at lower elevations). The worms simply clean up the glacier’s surfaces. They can live in temperatures below zero, but will die when the temperatures go higher than +4.4 degrees centigrade. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk may have a new job if Donald Trump wins the Presidency He's already got X, SpaceX, and Tesla, and now he could be heading up a committee to audit the Federal government. We know little about the idea other than this group would develop a plan to eliminate "fraud and improper payments" within six months of being formed. There are better uses for Elon Muck's talents at the Federal level than an accounting auditor! Trump's “Make America Great Again” came from Ronald Reagan, who also happened to have a similar body during his term in the 80s called the Grace Commission. Apple's support for USB-A could be ending soon Apple has their Fall product launch next week, and while we are 99.99% confident we'll get a new iPhone, the reporting that's got my attention is about the Mac Mini. Reports suggest the new model may remove all the USB-A ports. They've already disappeared from the MacBooks, which suggests time is up on USB-A. Tech used for good! A lost three-year-old in a corn field the size of 200 football fields was found using a drone! The Wisconsin police called in the fire department for help. Using a thermal imaging camera, they located the boy and sent in a team to rescue him. What were his first words when they got to him? "I found a cat". Police said they saved hours of searching thanks to the drone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Perfect Couple When a lavish wedding ends in disaster before it can even begin - with a body discovered just hours before the ceremony - everyone in the wedding party is a suspect (Netflix). The Body Next Door In 2015, the Welsh village of Beddau found itself in shock when a prank involving a 'medical skeleton' revealed a dead body wrapped in plastic, setting the police on a global investigation to identify the victim (TVNZ+). The Boy That Never Was An earthquake shatters Harry and Robin's life in Morocco, and their child, Dillon, vanishes without a trace. Three years later, Harry spots a boy resembling Dillon with a red-haired woman at a crowded train station in Dublin city centre (TVNZ+). LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia's life soon gets turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter discovers a mysterious portal to the afterlife. When someone says Beetlejuice's name three times, the mischievous demon gleefully returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem. Borderlands Returning to her home planet Pandora, an infamous bounty hunter forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits. Together, they battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to uncover one of Pandora's most explosive secrets. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This slice is a classic and so easy to make! The tamarillo jam is a lovely surprise. Make 16-20 pieces Ingredients 6-8 large tamarillo, halved and flesh scooped and diced ¼ cup sugar 120g butter, softened 1/3 cup caster sugar 2 large eggs, separated 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 ½ cups flour, sifted ½ cup walnut meal 1 tsp baking powder ½ cup caster sugar ½ cup desiccated coconut Method 1. Make a quick tamarillo jam by simmering fruit with sugar for 15-20 minutes until thickened slightly. Cool. 2. Preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly grease and line sandwich tin. 3. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy then add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until combined. Fold in flour, walnut meal and baking powder and stir until it starts to come together. Tumble mixture (it will be clumpy crumbs) into prepared tin and press out evenly. Chill for 10 minutes. 4. Spread cooled tamarillo jam evenly over chilled base. 5. Beat the egg whites until foamy then gradually add sugar and beat until sugar is dissolved, mixture is glossy and soft peaks form. Fold in coconut. Spread meringue over the jam. 6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until meringue is light brown and crisped. 7. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Nici's Note To avoid blood sugar levels spiking and dropping, it’s best to include some protein when consuming sugar as this has the effect of tempering the absorption of glucose into the blood stream. The walnuts and eggs in this recipe will have this ‘sobering effect’ on the sugar content. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you play Bananagrams in space? Something tells me that with the whole gravity situation, they perhaps don’t recommend anything with lots of little parts. Anything that’s hard to keep as a full set on Earth is automatically disqualified from the International Space Station. No Bananagrams. No Monopoly. No scrabble, either. But Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are gonna have to find something to fill their time. An hour from now, the Boeing space vehicle that transferred them up to the space station is going to undock, propel itself into the Earth’s atmosphere, and hopefully for the sake of Boeing’s ever-sinking share price and diminished reputation, land safely in a New Mexico desert. Butch and Suni will be stuck with no way home, orbiting the Earth at 28 thousand kilometres an hour. I love space. I love the mind-melting distances, the extremes of energy and heat. I love the endlessness of its unknown. Supermassive black holes. I love the maths, even if I don’t understand it. And given human life gets its richness from relationships, meaningful work, and diverse experiences —you can put that on a tea towel— I would love to go. Suni and Butch felt the same way. And when they took off in Boeing’s Starliner on June 5th, they thought they’d be back on Earth just eight days later. But of course, that’s not what has happened. Three months on, Boeing has been humiliated. Its first crewed mission has had problems that can’t be fully solved remotely, and the capsule will return to Earth, empty. Butch and Suni thought they were going to space for eight days. By the time they’re flown back in February next year, they will have been orbiting the Earth for eight months. What’s the longest flight you’ve ever been on? Mine was about 17 hours. Obviously, a commercial passenger flight is more cramped and less interesting than a few laps on the International Space Station. But in this smart phone age, nothing has more thoroughly convinced me that I don’t have the attention span or temperament for long stints in one place, like a 12-hour stopover in a lower tier international airport. So. Boring. Newsflash: Jack Tame would struggle in prison. The good news is Butch and Suni can talk to their families. They can do a bit of exercise and socialise with other astronauts. Presumably NASA stumps for a Netflix subscription. But the one thing they can’t do easily is return to Earth. You can imagine that even for the elite-or-the-elite, it’s the kind of situation that does funny things to your head. So would you do it? Would you go, knowing a week on the space station could become the best part of a year or longer? Would you leave your family? Leave your life? Leave your cat, and your goldfish and the lawns to someone else’s care? No wind in your hair. No smell of fresh rain. No scrambled eggs that didn’t come in a packet. I would. I’d do it. I’d leap at the chance. Still, I reckon once might be enough. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Paralympics got underway this week in Paris, and for the first time in 16 years, Team New Zealand is missing a familiar face. Dame Sophie Pascoe, New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian, has decided to forgo this year’s Games in favour of staying home with her young baby. Pascoe is a 4-time Paralympian, bringing home a total of 19 medals – 11 Gold, 7 Silver, and 1 Bronze. However, while she may not be competing this year, that doesn’t mean she’s uninvolved, as Pascoe is presenting New Zealand’s TV coverage of the Games. She told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that as the Paralympics came closer she was feeling a bit nervous about presenting, as well as a bit of FOMO from not being over at the Games, however when they began she was content with her role. “I'm right where I need to be with my family, with my baby and right here, presenting and helping out the Paralympic team, but still feeling like I'm part of the team, but just in such a different capacity.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A change of pace from John Legend, as he releases an album of “sing-alongs and lullabies for children and families”. My Favorite Dream is Legend’s 10th studio album, featuring nine originals, three covers of Fisher-Price songs, and three bonus tracks. Legend says he was inspired to make the album both by his own experience as a child and his experience as a father to four children. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn Washington, D.C., 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; police officer’s daughter Nora, who is entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Bea, whose career has ended along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare. Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears apart the house, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy in their midst? Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor Finn and her best friend, Daphne, have grown up together in a small town in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Bonded by both having lost a younger sister to suicide, they've always had a close - sometimes too close - friendship. Now in their twenties, their lives have finally started to Daphne is at university and Finn is working in the Mountains, as well as falling in love with a beautiful newcomer called Magdu. Unused to sharing Finn, Daphne starts to act up in ways that will allow her to maintain the control over her best friend she's always relished. Then, one fateful day, Finn, Daphne and Magdu all go mountain climbing - and Magdu falls to her death. Is it suicide, or a terrible accident - or has something more sinister happened? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"If you’re planning a jaunt to the Big Island of Hawai’i, get in the hot seat. Immerse yourself in the might, power and wonder of nature’s cauldron. I recently took my first foray to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. The sheer size of the park is staggering – nearly as big as the entire island of O’ahu. The park climbs from sea level to over 4000 metres and encompasses two volcanoes – Kīlauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes and Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcanic mountain." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring begins tomorrow and with it comes everybody's favourite chore: spring cleaning. Kate ‘Ethically Kate’ Hall joined Jack Tame to give a few tips and tricks on how to get your home sparkling and fresh while keeping the environment in mind. A few of her tips include: - Using sustainable cleaning products - Using reusable cloths instead of single use wipes (e.g. old shirts or sheets) - Conserve water while cleaning (use a bucket and water the garden with it afterwards) LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 31 August 2024, legendary New Zealand athlete and our most decorated Paralympian Dame Sophie Pascoe joins Jack to discuss staying involved from home in her first time in 16 years not being at the Games. Jack compares Kamala Harris' presidential campaign to Hilary Clinton's 2016 run in the way Harris discusses her identity. Bring back lunchtime gigs! Jack and film reviewer Francesca Rudkin discuss the brand-new film about Beatles manager Brian Epstein and his lunch-break discovery of the band. Plus, chef Nici Wickes shares the perfect Father's Day brunch recipe with a special twist. 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 few weeks ago we talked about an “early Spring”, simply because I thought some of my plants were flowering a lot sooner than expected. Especially the Clematis paniculata one of the seven native species of Clematis in Aotearoa. Picture taken on Sunday 25 August, 2024 This is one of my favourite Native, New Zealand Climbers, also known as puawānanga, (flower of the skies). It belongs to the Family Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family – it always surprises me how something like Clematis paniculata belongs to the buttercup group, but then again, our plant taxonomy often has little to do with “resemblance”. I planted our Clematis some 6 years ago near the base of a dying old Birch tree. That birch literally karked it in the next six months, so it was the perfect tree for the climber to climb on. “Flower of the skies” needs to grow into the light, that’s where the flower buds will develop. The more exposed to sunlight, the better the buds develop. Another important consideration is that the roots of the Clematis need to be in moist, cool soils, according to all the old horticulture books. Gardeners translate this to “cool, moist, shady roots and flowers in warm, dry and bright, sunny places”. (I have always questioned the “cool, moist shady roots” bit as when you buy the plants from garden centres, they’ll often be in black, warm and dry plastic pots!) Having said that: the soil in which roots grow in gardens tends to be cooler than the conditions in which plants are kept on the Garden centre’s shelves… Ever since our Clematis grew up on the old, dead birch tree, the number of flowers increased dramatically. Spring-time flowering is spectacular, and I can’t control myself at this time of the year: always taking pictures as soon as the flower buds begin to adorn the (by now) decaying old trunk. Trouble ahead: This old Birch is nearing its last few years of strength. There will come a time when the Clematis will encounter serious struggles as a result of a collapsing, dead Birch! I am already thinking about another site for Clematis: some of the common Ozzie hardwood trees (Eucalyptus, Acacia, wattle, etc) are very tough and long-lasting structures even after death. This may well be a great (and long-lasting) climbing rack for our native Clematis. The good thing about training them up a dead tree is the abundance of warm sunlight for the buds. A few days ago I browsed through my collection of Clematis pictures on the computer. That’s when I found some pics (and dates) of flowering. All were starting the show in the third week of August. And right now – as this program goes to air, they always look like this: It looks as if Clematis the Climber is regular as clockwork! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OTU 2024 Sauvignon Blanc. Marlborough $16 Why I chose it: - I like Sauvignon, particularly when we get some warmer weather. - First of the excellent 2024 vintage. - Best of the 2024 vintage wines so far. - Don’t overlook the discounted 2023 vintage wines. What does it taste like? This early release wine confirms the general belief that 2024 was a cracker of a vintage; a crisp, dry white with lime zest and passion fruit flavours, with appealing purity. Why it’s a bargain: Classic Marlborough sauvignon at a terrific price. Where can you buy it? Glengarry Wines, Auckland: $15.99 The Good Wine Co, Auckland: $16.99 Supermarkets (check the vintage) Food match? Great with seafood, I like it with pan-fried scallops. Will it keep? Fresh is best – good for a couple of years, perhaps more. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.