Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Returning to the industry after four years, Grammy nominee Laura Marling has released her eighth studio album ‘Patterns in Repeat’.  The album comes after the birth of Marling’s daughter, an 11 track work exploring motherhood and the circle of life.  Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on this new release from the celebrated folk musician.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey   John Grisham is known worldwide for his bestselling novels, but it’s his real-life passion for justice that led to his work with Jim McCloskey of Centurion Ministries, the first organization dedicated to exonerating innocent people who have been wrongly convicted. Together they offer an inside look at the many injustices in our criminal justice system.  A fundamental principle of our legal system is a presumption of innocence, but once someone has been found guilty, there is very little room to prove doubt. These ten true stories shed light on Americans who were innocent but found guilty and forced to sacrifice friends, families, and decades of their lives to prison while the guilty parties remained free. In each of the stories, John Grisham and Jim McCloskey recount the dramatic hard-fought battles for exoneration. They take a close look at what leads to wrongful convictions in the first place and the racism, misconduct, flawed testimony, and corruption in the court system that can make them so hard to reverse.  Impeccably researched and told with page-turning suspense as only John Grisham can deliver, Framed is the story of winning freedom when the battle already seems lost and the deck is stacked against you.     The Elements of Marie Curie by Dava Sobel   For decades Marie Curie was the only woman in the room at international scientific gatherings, and despite constant illness she travelled far and wide to share the secrets of radioactivity, a term she coined. She is still the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields.  Her ingenuity extended far beyond the laboratory walls; grieving the death of her husband, Pierre, she took his place as professor of physics at the Sorbonne, devotedly raised two daughters, drove a van she outfitted with x-ray equipment to the front lines of World War I, befriended Albert Einstein and inspired generations of young women to pursue science as a way of life.  Approaching Marie Curie from a unique angle, Sobel navigates her remarkable discoveries and fame alongside the women who became her legacy – from Norway’s Ellen Gleditsch and France’s Marguerite Perry, who discovered the element francium, to her own daughter, Irene, a Nobel Prize winner in her own right. The Elements of Marie Curie deftly illuminates the trailblazing life and enduring influence of one of the most consequential figures of our time.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Presidential Election is coming in hot, with Election Day set to arrive on November 5th.  Jack Tame is over in New York at the moment, and this week, instead of sharing his own thoughts, Kevin Milne decided to pick Jack’s brain about the race and the current state of US politics.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024 has been a tricky year for many organisations and businesses – whether it be through having to make significant changes or being affected by the current economic environment. Now is a good time to stop and take stock of how the year has impacted on your people. One great way to do this is through a psychosocial risk assessment.   What’s a psychosocial risk assessment? It looks at all the psychological and social hazards in a workplace that can potentially cause mental or physical harm to your people.   Some easy examples are:   Bullying   Micromanagement   High workloads   Less obvious examples include   Job insecurity   Lack of clear role description   Physical work environment e.g., spending all your working day in the cab of a crane   Psychosocial hazards are a leading cause of mental health problems at work (e.g., stress, depression, anxiety) and also physical health problems (e.g., musculoskeletal problems, high blood pressure, heart problems). Now is a good opportunity to look at what hazards are at your place to set your people and organisation up to perform at their best in 2025.   First steps you should take:   Make sure management is involved and supportive – you’ll hit a ceiling in how far this can go if they’re not on board. If they need any convincing, there have been a number of cases in court recently where organisations have been fined anywhere between $50k and $1.8million for not looking after the mental health of their staff   Talk to staff to find out what things are really like at the coal face. Leaders can sometimes make the mistake of thinking they know all the ins and outs of an organisation and while they will know some of it, nothing beats talking to people who are actually doing the job   Look at data you already have, e.g. are there areas with high levels of sick leave or with high annual leave balances – why might this be the case?   Lastly, you might need to call in the external experts, which is where organisations like ours can help out.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Beyond the undeniable dazzle of Disneyland, the Orange County city of Anaheim rewards the explorer with a slew of surprising experiences and eye-opening cultural encounters. With the 2024 White House race top of mind, get your fill of presidential prestige, by taking a jaunt through the Richard Nixon Presidential Library." "The historic heart of the city is known as Anaheim Colony, in deference to the original German settlement that took root in 1867, developing Anaheim as a wine production settlement. Anaheim takes its name from the Santa Ana river and the German word for home, ‘heim.”" 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 2nd November 2024, Kiwi music legend Ladyhawke reflects on her career as she prepares to circle back in time and perform her debut album at Auckland's Others Way festival.  Jack considers the qualities that define the US presidential race. And, Kevin Milne quizzes Jack in an open conversation about his take on the election.  Can AI create an app tracking presidential race calls across networks in real-time? Tech expert Paul Stenhouse put AI to the test and shares his learnings.  Sporto Andrew Saville spills all on the packed weekend of sport and Estelle Clifford gushes about the brand-new album from indie darling Laura Marling.  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.

BOB’S BEST BUYS  Taylors Jaraman 2022 Shiraz $26 Why I chose it:   I needed a big rich Aussie red to match my braised lamb shanks. Taylors is my “go to” wine producer when I’m looking for a classic Barossa-style red (this is made from a blend of Clare Valley and McLaren Vale grapes).     What does it taste like?   An intense wine with rich, ripe berry-fruit, vanilla, black pepper and chocolate/mocha flavours.     Why it’s a bargain:   It delivers more bang for the buck than just about any other red wine I can think of. I don’t know how they can make a wine of this quality at such a modest price.     Where can you buy it?   The Good Wine Co., Auckland $25.99  Whiskeyonline, Auckland $25.99  Winesale.co.nz, Lower Hutt $25.99     Food match?   Braised lamb shanks or similar hearty roast lamb dishes     Will it keep?   It is delicious now but should become even mellower and more complex in a few years.      LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seeing as Jack’s in the US (and we are home in NZ) it might be nice to just grab a few plants, structures, and colours that belong in our hearts and minds. If I remember well, America has some stunning trees, shrubs, and plants that knock the eyeballs out of your head. What I remember well are the dogwoods, known here by their Genus name of Cornus.   This is a brilliant tree from Athens (Georgia):     Just so you know: we can grow these here too – flowering in spring and often deep autumn colours too. Easy in full sun and part shade with fertile, well-drained soils   Julie would also go with “white” and “America”.   Some years ago, she took some cuttings from an ancient plant that grew around a very ancient building, here in the Halswell Quarry – that building is now history, but the cuttings are not!   The Philadelphus (also known as a Mock Orange) hails from the American New World, is easy to grow and known for its magnificent, sweet scent.   Juuls grows it on a fence – you can also grow it as a shrub or even a wobbly hedge.   It loves sunlight and well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Don’t let it dry out too much – water every now and then but don’t make it too wet.   Mulch is useful, as is some general fertiliser every now and then plus some potash before it flowers in spring. Take cuttings in Autumn… Easy!   I am a fan of spectacular colours.   And you simply can’t get past dense blues. A Meconopsis was “born” in South-East Asia and there are many, many species. Unfortunately, they have quite a few negative ‘habits’.  They are tricky to grow and often short-lived. Very difficult to successfully sow as seeds (sow them in late summer) and are very sensitive when you want to split them up by diversion to plant them in early spring.   Part shade, and no full sun, and a nice mulch of rotten manure or compost – it feels like spoilt brat.   Despite all this, it’s a plant known as “Blue Poppy” and belongs to the Papaver Family   We’ve managed a couple of successes, and it makes me go down the garden when they flower.   This is what I call “Spectacular”.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can AI build an app? Tech expert Paul Stenhouse puts it to the test. I had an idea. ‘All The Calls’ - an app that tracks presidential race calls across networks in real-time. It absolutely is possible, however it's not without its headaches and frustrations. But wow – it is absolutely impressive.    You need to be very, very good at describing things. I have never thought about my words so much.  Things I learned:   You absolutely need to still be technical.   Once you head down a bad path with the AI Bot you're stick on that track.   Was it a total pain in the backside at times? Yes.   Did I find myself in frustrating loops fixing something only for it to break again on the next prompt? Yes.   Did it suggest some terrible solutions? Yes.   Do I think my mum could have built this? No... but maybe with some learning.   Over the course of the week, I found my rhythm on how to interact with it. What context it needs, what words to use.     The takeaway: it actually showed me the power of communication, and the need for the skill to communicate.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Diplomat   A second season of the excellent American thriller starring Keri Russell, who plays a career diplomat who must juggle her new high-profile job as ambassador to the United Kingdom and her turbulent marriage to a political star (Netflix).     A Remarkable Place to Die  Detective Anais Mallory returns to hometown Queenstown, New Zealand and faces startling homicides. She cracks cases while confronting personal ghosts from her past (TVNZ+, from Sunday).    Special Ops: Lioness  A new season of the American CIA thriller starring Zoe Saldana as an undercover agent fighting against the war on terror.   Joe attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA's spear in the war on terror. The Lioness Program enlists Cruz to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism (Prime Video).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here    A generational story about families and the special place they inhabit, sharing in love, loss, laughter, and life.  A Different Man   An aspiring actor undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. However, his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare as he becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve found a whole new way to make pizza – on the BBQ! All you need is one of those hooded BBQ's and a loaf of Turkish pide, ciabatta, or another flatbread, and you’re away.    Fungi pizza bread Ingredients   1 large loaf store-bought ciabatta, focaccia, Turkish pide, or similar   ½ cup crème fraiche   ½ cup grated cheese - I used parmesan    2 cups sliced mushrooms    Sprigs of rosemary or thyme    Drizzle of olive oil   50g blue cheese, crumbled   Fresh herbs to serve - I used parsley     Method  Heat BBQ or oven to 200 C.   Use a serrated knife to remove the top crust off your bread.   In a bowl mix the crème fraiche and half the grated cheese and spread over the cut side of the bread. Scatter over remaining grated cheese, mushrooms and herbs.  Season with salt and pepper. Finish with a decent drizzle of oil and bake on the top rack of the BBQ (or upper level in the oven) for 10-15 minutes until bubbling and golden. Add the crumbled blue cheese as soon as it comes off the heat and scatter with parsley.     Slice, eat and enjoy!      Other toppings in place of the mushrooms:    Prawns, dill, chilli sauce & squeeze of lemon    Grapes, honey and flaked almonds   Chopped bacon or ham & pineapple   Pork & fennel sausage pieces & olives    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who’s gonna win?   How I wish I could tell you. But from here in the heart of Washington DC I’m happy to be humble. I think anyone who says with supreme confidence or with certainty that they know who the next President of the United States is gonna be, is just blagging.    I’ve spent the week on the road. I’ve been through parts of Arizona, Georgia, New York, and DC. From a Donald Trump rally in Atlanta to Kamala Harris’ Closing Argument in front of the White House.    I’ve spoken with African American voters backing Donald Trump, new migrants voting for the first time, abortion rights advocates, business owners, a cryptocurrency organiser, and a professor of constitutional law.    One of the consistent qualities is how exhausted people are by the whole thing. They’re so ready for this race to be over. Here’s what I think could be the qualities that ultimately define the race:  1) The gender divide. There is a 16-17 point difference between male and female preferences in this election. More than 60 million votes have already been cast and, given we still have a weekend before election day, it seems highly likely that more than half of voters will cast ballots before Wednesday.    Here’s why that’s notable: of the votes cast so far, women are voting at much high levels than men. It’s about 55% vs 45%.    A married couple who are really good friends of mine experience this first hand. He loves Trump. She loathes him. They just agree to mostly avoid talking politics at home. Something similar must be playing out in tens of thousands of American households.    Donald Trump’s strategy relies on turning out a lot of young men – hence the bro podcasts, the UFC, the embracing of crypto and Elon Musk. This is risky, in that young men belong to the demographic most likely not to vote. But I’ve been doing this long enough to know that Donald Trump has made a real habit of bucking conventional wisdom in politics.    2) The economy always factors in people’s choices, but aside from that and aside from Donald Trump’s character... there are two highly motivating issues in this election. One is the border security and immigration, the other is abortion access. If you go to the rallies or hear the candidates speak, Trump absolutely hammers the border issue and Kamala Harris hammers reproductive rights.   3) The polls. I told myself in 2016 I wouldn’t trust the polls again. I told myself in 2020 I wouldn’t trust the polls again. The problem is the pollsters don’t release their modelling. How do they account for Donald Trump’s support among young men if young men don’t usually vote in the same numbers as other demographics? If people misled pollsters by telling them they were supporting Hillary when they were really supporting Trump, will they do that again? Or has Trump shame passed as a notable phenomenon? Right now, Kamala Harris is doing worse in the polls than Hillary Clinton and worse than Joe Biden, but is there a chance the pollsters have overcorrected?    The election is Wednesday. I think it’s pretty unlikely we’ll have a result that day and it’ll take time before either Harris or Trump is officially the President-elect. Regardless of who wins, I think, sadly, the American electorate is going to remain bitterly divided.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wiggles have been going strong for over three decades, and their lineup has changed a bit along the way.  Going from four to eight, the current lineup includes the original Blue Wiggle, Anthony Field, alongside a cast of newer faces: Tsehay Hawkins, Lachy Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Evie Ferris, John Pearce, Caterina Mete, and Lucia Field.  Tsehay Hawkins joined the Wiggles at age 15, taking over from Emma Watkins as the Yellow Wiggle in 2021.  "That was a pretty, pretty surreal moment,” she told Jack Tame.   The Wiggles team is a pretty close-knit group, Hawkins revealed.  “Everyone’s friends, we’re all actually mates, so that makes it so much easier.”  “It doesn’t feel like work.”  The Wiggles are coming to New Zealand this summer, bringing their Sound System Dance Party to Christchurch and Mount Maunganui.  It’s our first-ever dedicated dance festival for toddlers, featuring reimagined dance versions of the classic hits, and Dorothy the Dinosaur on the turntables.  “She’s levelled up,” Hawkins said.  “She still does all the Wiggle stuff, but now we've got remixes of the OG Wiggles songs, but we've made it like, club vibes. We’ve got full house, techno, and that’s what we’re doing in January next year.”  “We're so stoked to be coming back.”  For more information, visit kyaevents.co.nz.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jack Tame isn’t the only one with fond memories of New York.  Kevin Milne visited the city back in 1996, spending a week there filming a video for TVNZ’s travel programme.   He joined Jack to reminisce about the experience and his memories of the city.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buying property is an expensive and often difficult task, so how do you get the best deal?  Ed McKnight of Opes Partners joined Jack Tame to offer up some tips and tricks to get the best deal when dealing with the property market.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"If you’re heading to the West Coast via Lewis Pass, make a date with the starring town of Reefton. From Springs Junction, the highway threads through the verdant beech forest finery of Victoria Forest Park, New Zealand’s largest conservation park of its type, spanning 180,000 hectares. There are gold mining and quartz mining relics in the area, with a variety of sublime hikes, from short strolls to epic, multi day tramps. But the hospitality beacon is Reefton, the Town of Light, where the glint of gold gave birth to its name courtesy of the vast quartz reef that spawned the 1870 gold rush." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just over a week after its release, Kylie Minogue’s Tension II has netted her a landmark 10th Official Number 1 album in the UK.  The 13 track album also debuted at Number 1 on the ARIA Chart, and in Minogue’s words, it’s a continuation of an era she’s delighted to explore.   “I can’t possibly let it be over just yet! Welcome to Tension II.”  Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the new release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Waiting by Michael Connelly   In cold cases, it’s not the hope that kills you. It’s the waiting.  Renée Ballard and the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit get a hot shot DNA connection between a recently arrested man and a serial rapist and murderer who went quiet twenty years ago. The arrested man is only twenty-four, so the genetic link must be familial: His father was the Pillowcase Rapist, responsible for a five-year reign of terror in the city of angels. But when Ballard and her team move in on their suspect, they encounter a baffling web of secrets and legal hurdles.  Meanwhile, Ballard’s badge, gun, and ID are stolen—a theft she can’t report without giving her enemies in the department ammunition to end her career as a detective. She works the burglary alone, but her mission draws her into unexpected danger. With no choice but to go outside the department for help, she knocks on the door of Harry Bosch.  At the same time, Ballard takes on a new volunteer to the cold case unit: Bosch’s daughter Maddie, now a patrol officer. But Maddie has an ulterior motive for getting access to the city’s library of lost souls—a case that may be the most iconic in the city’s history.     The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell   When a tragedy breaks a family apart, what can bring it back together?  The Birds seem to be the perfect family: mother, father, four children, a picture-book cottage in the country.  But one Easter weekend, something happens - something so unexpected, so devastating, that no one can bring themselves to talk about it.  The family shatters, seemingly for good.  Until, years later, they are forced to return to the house they grew up in, and to confront what really broke the family apart...    LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 26th October 2024, Yellow Wiggle Tsehay Hawkins joins Jack to chat about the energy it takes to be a part of the iconic group, and her incredible passion for dance.  Jack offers his thoughts on why New York is the best city in the world.  Film reviewer Francesca Rudkin shares two movie picks, perfect for the long weekend.   And, Australian icon Kylie Minogue dropped her new album, fresh off her Vegas residency and heading into a major world tour - how did the 80s nostalgia dance tracks stack up?  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.

Warmer days are on their way, and sunny days bring with them increased risk of skin damage.  There’s plenty of sunscreen brands and SPFs on the market, but not all of them will treat the planet as well as they’ll protect your skin.  Kate “Ethically Kate” Hall joined Jack Tame for a chat about what to look for when hunting for sustainable sun protection, and what else you can do to protect your skin.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guess what – last week I found my first gorgeous Tineola bisselliella moths of the season.  A pretty yellow-brown, tiny moth with an orange hairdo. I remember this critter from the Netherlands all those years ago, and it has reached New Zealand not terribly long ago, as far as I can see.   This cosmopolitan moth is becoming more and more common in the Christchurch region. Although it’s spreading to a few New Zealand Centres: Wellington, Napier and who knows where else.  This attractive moth has a very descriptive vernacular name: Webbing Clothes Moth.   Its larvae (also known as caterpillars) chew on woollen materials, as well as taxidermied skins and feathers.   From now on they’ll be on the wing at my place, laying eggs in our woollen rugs and woollen carpets, chewing holes in all those natural products that keep us warm.   It really hacks me off if I find them in my taxidermied pheasant or kiwi. They also destroy feathers!   But when Julie finds evidence in her fancy clothes cupboard, I will be severely questioned “when is the last time you sprayed their favourite habitat?”   “Do something!”   And off I go to my mates at Safeworx, a company that stocks the most effective Pyrethroid insecticide aerosols on the planet – I should know, because in the days when I was a real entomologist (and working for the Ministry of Agriculture) we developed these insecticides for aircraft quarantine reasons, so that no nasty interlopers would enter Aotearoa: creatures such as Mosquitoes that transmit human diseases, Malaria, Dengue, Ross River Virus etc, etc.   This was a long time ago: the nineteen eighties!   Spraying the walls, ceiling and floor of Aircraft holds to measure the efficacy of the Synthetic pyrethroid on flies, mosquitoes, moths, and beetles…   Those were the fun days!   Ask the folks at Safeworx for a few aerosol cans of the residual aircraft hold spray – I’m sure they’ll find the right one.   Spray the surfaces where the damage is found; aim at a distance of around 60 centimetres and move over the woollen materials in a brisk tempo. The spray dries relatively fast and will be killing insects for at least 8 weeks (and much longer if the treated areas are out of direct sunlight).    This spray formulation works very well on most insect species and its residual activity is suitably long.   If you have trouble with house borer (another cosmopolitan pest that causes damage in New Zealand), a quick spray over the timber, furniture and wooden antiques will knock the borer beetles out as they emerge from their timber “homes” where they developed over the past year or so.   Timing is everything! The beetles usually emerge early December to mate and lay eggs, if you spray the infested timber in the last week of November the beetles will not survive this part of their life cycle.   It’s worth a try.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another week, more AI advancements.   A crazy powerful AI is just months away  Reporting from The Verge says OpenAI will release a new model, codenamed "Orion", in December. The report says the launch strategy is different - instead of making it available in ChatGPT first, it's going to be given to their paying partners via APIs.   OpenAI's CEO says this is "fake news", but if the reporting is true, it's said to be potentially up to 100 times more powerful than the current GPT-4. They just closed a $6.6 billion funding round and are working to restructure themselves as a for-profit company. Maybe it'll be "ClosedAI"?       Adobe says artists need to get on the AI bandwagon   Their VP of Generative AI says they’re “not going to be successful in this new world without using it". It's all-in on the tech, and there won't be a product in its suite without it.   "We’ve always innovated with conviction, and we believe in the conviction of what we’re doing here". The company says the AI features, such as their Firefly tool that extends and generates bits of images for you, are some of the most adopted products Adobe has ever released. But will it kill art? There's a growing backlash to the tech in the creative community, but the VP goes on to say that "human creativity will be a critical part of it" and there "will be a thirst for artists who do things by hand".  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Territory  When the world's largest livestock farm is left without a successor, the most powerful factions in the Australian outback: miners, landowners, cowboys and gangsters, start preparing their weapons (Netflix).      Simone Biles Rising: Part 2  The redemption arc for Simone Biles is complete, with the final instalment of this documentary series that follows the American gymnast as she competes in the Paris Olympics (Netflix).        Line of Duty  It’s an oldie, but a goodie. All six seasons of the brilliant British police drama about investigating corrupt officers has just dropped on Netflix.  As a result of refusing to participate in a cover-up, DS Steve Arnott joins a special and controversial unit dedicated to rooting out corruption within the police.    LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lee   The story of photographer Elizabeth `Lee' Miller, a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II.   Venom: The Last Dance   Eddie Brock and Venom must make a devastating decision as they're pursued by a mysterious military man.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a good idea with a long weekend to make a big batch of some staples that can be eaten for lunch or dinner, dressed up of down. This rice salad is the perfect example; serve it with smoked salmon or a steak or teriyaki chicken or just on its own.    Makes about 6 cups       Ingredients  4 cups cooked brown rice or sushi rice    1 cup shelled edamame beans (avail in frozen section of supermarket)    ½-1 telegraph cucumber, sliced thinly    3-4 radish, sliced thinly    1 cup pickled mushrooms – see below    Options to add – tuna, hot smoked salmon, shredded carrot    ¼ cup store-bought roasted sesame dressing    Squeeze of lemon juice    Black sesame seeds to serve      Method  Toss all of the ingredients together (hold some radish and the sesame seeds back, to garnish), tumble onto a serving plate and drizzle over sesame dressing, some of the mushroom pickling juices and the lemon juice.   Scatter over remaining radish and sesame seeds to serve.       Pickled mushrooms   Makes one jar    Ingredients  200g brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced   1 tbsp finely diced onion   1 tsp grated ginger    1 tsp brown sugar    75mls rice wine vinegar    1 tbsp soy sauce   Boiling water      Method  Cram sliced mushrooms, onion, ginger and sugar into a jar. Pour over rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and then boiling water to cover. Leave for 2 hours or overnight. Seal and keep in fridge until ready to use.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m writing this in Central Park. I’m right up in the North East corner, sitting on a bench by the Harlem Meer, 100m or so from the apartment where I lived for the second half of my twenties. It’s so familiar. The warm evening air, people laid out with picnic mats, a guy with a big plastic bin of churros. Kids chasing each other, squealing, skylarking, the sound of traffic crawling down Fifth Avenue. Across the road, staring down the length of Central Park is my favourite obscure building in all of Manhattan. The views from this thing would cost enough to make an Oligarch’s gulp. But it took until a couple of years ago for the city to finally convert it from its previous use: a low-security prison. I haven’t been in New York for two years. When I was last here, post-Covid, it felt a bit dark. Back in the day, I used to be so blasé about safety – I felt more threatened in central Christchurch late at night than I did in East Harlem. But Covid changed that. You could sense people were fearful and untrusting. It’s better now. More like the New York I remember. When I landed this week, I did my usual thing. I got a coffee and a pastry, I put in my headphones, and I walked. It took me a morning until I had the rhythm of the traffic, j-walking with confidence and checking the right way up the streets as I crossed. I rode the subway everywhere. I mostly didn’t need the map. Amazing how you can feel nostalgic for the gentle resistance of a turnstile bar, for the lurching, screaming, and shuddering of a metal subway car, staring dead-eyed through the windows into the black. Even when a city is familiar, taking time away and coming in with fresh eyes gives you a perspective you don’t have when you’re immersed in it, living it. I’m realistic enough to accept it probably means you look at things with rose-tinted glasses. But there’s a reason all of my friends here have moved out to the suburbs. The thing that has surprised me most is that I feel it too. It’s not that I’m tired of the city, it’s just that I’m not sure I have the energy and the patience for the hustle and the horns, the concrete and the studio apartments. One thing doesn’t change though: New York is the best city in the world. For two simple reasons. Number one: diversity. There cannot be a city with a greater spread of cultures, ethnicities, languages, and socio-economic extremes. The thing that everyone has in common is that everyone is different. And the result of that diversity is the greatest concentration of interesting food, music, and art on the planet. And the other reason it’s the great city is public space. Because almost everyone lives in small spaces, everything public is always busy, and every public space is used. There’s a collective experience, whether people are conscious of it or not. It means the tiny little strip of land on the corner of Madison and 110th has been converted into a community garden. It means the benches alongside the triangle of green at Broadway and 72nd are always filled with people, just watching the World go by. And it means here, tonight, on a random Autumn evening, as Central Park’s leaves turn gold, and the sun drops below the West Side, there are hundreds of people out enjoying the moment, socialising, playing, eating, relaxing. It feels vital, alive. Even a bit magical.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Morpurgo is a literary treasure.  The author of War Horse and Private Peaceful, he’s written around 150 books, loved particularly among children and young people.  He’s returned with yet another novel, Cobweb following a little dog heading to London in the aftermath of Britain’s triumph at Waterloo.  Morpurgo told Jack Tame that much like many of his stories, Cobweb was inspired by a friend of his who walked 250 miles from the West Coast of Wales to London on a drovers’ road.   Drovers’ roads are the paths farmers would use to bring their livestock from their farms to the market, as back before vehicles and public transport became common, walking was the only way to reach the big cities.   While researching drovers’ roads, Morpurgo realised that their stories, and the stories of drovers’ dogs in particular, aren’t well known.  “And I thought, that's a story that mostly no one knows, so why don't you tell it? Tell that tale? So that's what I did.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A painful form of arthritis, gout is the second most common form affecting New Zealanders.   A major international study involving around 2.6 million people, has revealed that genetics are a major cause, not lifestyle choices.   Dr Bryan Betty joined Jack Tame to run through the study, what gout looks like, and how it impacts people.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi musical icon Kimbra is back with another album.   Idols & Vices (Vol. 1) is a collaborative album, featuring the likes of BANKS, Dawn Richard, DRAM, Skrillex, and Sahtyre, and while Kimbra doesn’t stray too far from her experimental pop sound, there is more R&B and hiphop influences in this work.  Music Reviewer Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release.  “It grows on me day by day, this album.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue by Sonia Purnell   When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were predictably scathing – and many were downright sexist. Written off as a mere courtesan and social climber, her true legacy was overshadowed by a glamorous social life and her infamous erotic adventures. Much of what she did behind the scenes – on both sides of the Atlantic – remained invisible and secret. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, interviews and newly discovered sources, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how she left an indelible mark on the world today.  At age 20 Churchill’s beloved daughter-in-law became a “secret weapon” during World War II, strategically wining, dining, and seducing diplomats and generals to help win over American sentiment (and secrets) to the British cause against Hitler. After the war, she helped to transform Fiat heir Gianni Agnelli into Italy’s ‘uncrowned king’ on the international stage and after moving to the US brought a struggling Democratic party back to life, hand-picking Bill Clinton from obscurity and vaulting him to the presidency.  Picked as Ambassador to France, she deployed her legendary subtle powers to charm world leaders and help efforts to bring peace to Bosnia, playing her part in what was arguably the high-water mark of American global supremacy.  There are few at any time who have operated as close to the center of power over five decades and two continents, and there is practically no one in 20th Century politics, culture, and fashion whose lives she did not touch, including the Kennedys, Truman Capote, Aly Khan, Kay Graham, Gloria Steinem, Ed Murrow, and Frank Sinatra. Written with the novelistic richness and investigative rigor that only Sonia Purnell could bring to this story full of sex, politics, yachts, palaces and fabulous clothes, KINGMAKER re-asserts Harriman’s rightful place at the heart of history.  See Less      The Valley by Chris Hammer   Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are back – and Nell is thrown into her most emotionally fraught investigation yet.  A controversial entrepreneur is murdered in a remote mountain valley, but this is no ordinary case. Ivan and Nell are soon contending with cowboy lawyers, conmen, bullion thieves and grave robbers.  But it's when Nell discovers the victim is a close blood relative that the past begins to take on a looming significance.  What did take place in The Valley all those years ago? What was Nell's mother doing there, and what was her connection to troubled young police officer Simmons Burnside? And why do the police hierarchy insist Ivan and Nell stay with the case despite an obvious conflict of interest?    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Savouring Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands is an adventure to relish. Swathed in lush jungle greens, pepper-potted with shapely hills and anchored by a gloriously soothing lake at its heart, the seduction is fast and sweet in the gateway city of Kandy. The very name Kandy conjures visions of splendour and mystique. It’s a city that proudly keeps its legends, traditions and folklore alive." "Another huge highlight was visiting the storied Geragama Tea Factory. Located close to Kandy, this is one of your classic old-school tea factories, specialising in long leaf tea for over 120 years. They do a great job in chronicling the rise of Ceylon Tea and how the nation remains one of the world’s top five tea producers." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever been so anxious that your stomach started hurting? In addition to its well-known impacts on mental health, stress can also make people feel physically ill—and a new study could help explain why.   Although it’s fairly common knowledge that the gut “talks” to the brain by releasing hormones into the bloodstream, this recent study showed the relationship going back the other way: from the brain to the gut to the immune system.   Researchers have found that removing key glands (called Brunner’s glands) in mice, which line the walls of the small intestine, triggered inflammation and increase the chance of infection. Similar thing happens in humans who’ve had tumours removed in their gut.   It seems that removal of these glands leads to a reduction in gut bacteria which triggers inflammation and subsequent pain.   When the researchers took a closer look at these glands, they discovered a connection to the vagus nerve that goes from the base of the brain to the internal organs, influencing digestion, blood pressure, and even memory and mood. Fibers that connect to Brunner’s gland lead directly to a region of the brain known as the amygdala, which plays a key role in emotion and the stress response.   Researchers found that when mice are under chronic stress their glands shut down—causing gut bacteria to dwindle and intensifying inflammation.   The take home message: being under mental stress can lead to a painful stomach! It highlights the importance of monitoring your stress levels and keeping good gut bacteria.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Passionvine Hoppers came up in conversation a week or so ago: a nuisance for gardeners, especially in the warmer north (but more and more a pain-in-the-South as well!).  I also remember that Aucklanders often called them lacy-winged moths. Shows you that entomological knowledge has always been slow to sink in up there in the North Island.   They are certainly not moths, these critters belong to a totally different insect order: the Homoptera, or sap-sucking bugs. Yes, these are some of the insects you can legitimately call “bugs” in entomological parlance.   LIFE CYCLE:   Eggs hatch in October – the timing relates to warmth in spring.   The tiny fluffy bums (“nymphs”) suck sap from a wide variety of host plants and slowly grow bigger and bigger. They also become nimbler and can hop greater distances as they grow larger in spring.   Late in spring (December onwards) the Fluffy Bums will moult their last moult and turn into a winged adult Passionvine Hopper.    One nymph of passion vine hopper (fluffy bum) and three winged adults in summer.  They will still suck sap from your favourite plants – they will also continue excreting sticky honeydew all over the plants and leaves below.   (And as we all know, honeydew is a perfect place for sooty mould to grow – black, ugly fungal material that looks as if a miniature fire has burnt your plants).  This is also the time for mating and female Passionvine Bugs will lay eggs in the autumn. They prefer to insert the eggs in thin branches, leaving a patterned oviposition site, which keeps the eggs in good nick during the winter months   CONTROL and PREVENTION:   Keep an eye on the new fluffy bums hatching in your garden right now! Those tiny nymphs often congregate in large flocks at the ends of new growth; they are still very feeble in their movement and won’t be able to escape a cloud of fly-spray aimed at them on a wind-still morning.  Small, young nymphs  Spray these young passionvine hoppers in October with a good dose of fly-spray.  In autumn there is a second chance for control: spot the new egg-sites on thin twigs and tendrils, cut these off and burn them in the fireplace (Fried Eggs!).  Eggs laid in thin twigs and curly tendrils    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 19 October 2024, uniquely talented author Michael Morpurgo joins Jack to discuss his love for fact within fiction, a memorable discussion with Roald Dahl, and the intriguing inspiration behind his new children's novel Cobweb.  Jack discusses team loyalty and his pride in wearing blue to Auckland FC's first match.  Chef Nici Wickes shares a quirky tip to ensure the icing of your Hummingbird cake stays light and fluffy.  And, in her new album, Kiwi musician Kimbra is circling back to her collaborative ways. Music reviewer Estelle Clifford delivers her verdict on the resulting sound.  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.

Amazon is joining other top tech firms with a foray into nuclear power   This deal is to explore the development of small modular nuclear reactors. AI needs massive amounts of computing power, and that requires electricity. Virginia's power demand is already growing 5% YOY and is expected to be double 2024’s level in 15 years.   In addition to that, Amazon is part of a $500 million financing round in a private company opening four small nuclear plants in the West.   The WSJ called it a "renaissance" of nuclear power. The approach seems to be a little different this time though - with smaller plants rather than large sites. The larger sites run billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule. These companies want to make sure they have the power when they need it.     And, Amazon will now also be delivering election night news   Their Amazon Prime Video Service will host a live broadcast of the results hosted by former NBC broadcaster Brian Williams. It's the first time the streamer has got into the news game. It says coverage will be an “informative, accessible and non-partisan presentation", which will reference third-party news sources across all political affiliations. Maybe the idea is for Brian Williams will be our guide to all the information being presented?    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rivals  David Tennant and Aidan Turner star in the small-screen version of Jilly Cooper’s novel set in 1980's England about a rivalry between two powerful men that takes over their lives (Disney+).   The Diplomat   British consul Laura Simmonds and her Barcelona colleague Alba Ortiz fight to protect British nationals in trouble in the Catalan city. Their diplomatic skills are stretched to the limit by the cases that walk through the Consul's doors (Neon). The Office Australia   Hannah Howard is the managing director of packaging company Flinley Craddick. When she gets news from Head Office that they will be shutting down her branch and making everyone work from home, she goes into survival mode, making promises she can’t keep in order to keep her “work family” together. The staff of Flinley Craddick indulge her and must endure Hannah’s outlandish plots as they work toward the impossible targets that have been set for them (Prime Video).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Return   After 20 years away, Odysseus washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. The king finds much has changed since he left to fight in the Trojan War. His beloved wife, Penelope, is a prisoner in her own home and hounded to choose a new husband. Their son faces death at the hands of suitors who see him as an obstacle in their pursuit of Penelope and the kingdom. Odysseus is no longer the mighty warrior his people remember, but he must face his past to save his family.      Merchant Ivory   Archival footage and interviews provide insight into the partnership, both professional and personal, between director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I make a few versions of the mighty hummingbird cake but this is an easy, light, manageable version. I like to describe this cake as a banana cake that goes on a Jamaican holiday.   Serves 8-10      Ingredients    1 ½ cups plain flour   ¾ cups brown sugar    ½ cup desiccated coconut    1 heaped tsp cinnamon   ½ tsp each baking powder and baking soda   2 medium eggs   ¾ cups oil – I used grapeseed oil    2 ripe bananas, mashed – about 2 bananas   1 cup crushed pineapple + ¼ cup juice      Brown butter cream cheese icing    100g butter   250g full fat cream cheese   1 – 1 ½ cup icing sugar     Method  Heat oven 180 C. Grease and line a 23cm cake tin.    Take two bowls. In one put all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, coconut, spices and raising agents. Whisk together.    In the second bowl, beat together eggs, oil and bananas. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, add the crushed pineapple and the juice and stir to combine.    Scrape batter into the tin and bake for 45-55 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Rest for 10 mins then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.       Make the icing  Melt butter in a small pot until it splutters. Keep cooking until the spluttering subsides – 4-6 minutes – then it will begin to foam and brown. Cook, watching carefully, until it is browned and gives off a wonderful nutty aroma. Cool completely.    Beat cream cheese and browned butter and add the icing sugar gradually. Beat until smooth.    Split the cake through the middle and fill with half the frosting, using the remaining for the top of the cake. Serve and eat!    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rare celestial object has made an appearance in the skies over New Zealand.  Comet C/2023 A3 hasn’t been seen in our skies in for 80,000 years, and with the length of its orbital period, it’s not going to be seen again by anyone alive today.  Kevin Milne caught sight of A3 passing by on Wednesday, and it got him thinking about the last time it passed by, and the next time it’ll show up.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I never thought I would support Auckland in anything.    I mean —duh— I’m from Christchurch. When I was a kid, it was a given that Aucklanders were nothing more than latte-swilling, overpriced-haircut-donning, ostentatious-sports-car-driving primadonnas.   My parochialism isn’t the only force working against Auckland City FC. When the brand-new club kicks off in its very first A-League match this evening, it faces the unique challenge that comes from trying to launch a new team and a new club in a competition which is already well-established.     Think about it. Most of the teams we support in sporting competitions have either been around since the competition’s inception or have built up a fan base over many decades.   I support the Crusaders because I was born and raised in Christchurch and when Super Rugby was established, they were everyone-in-my-life’s team.   I support Liverpool because when I was 6 or 7 and watched football highlights on the news, I asked Dad what English club we supported and stuck with that.    The Warriors inspire my loyalty because for all the highs and the lows —so many lows— they have endured for thirty years and never really shaken that underdog status. And they’re the New Zealand Warriors. Not the Auckland Warriors. So we’re good.    Theoretically at least, it’s a bit harder to inspire loyalty in a team that arrives late to the party. Especially when that team is the third Auckland-based professional football club to compete in the Australian top league. RIP the Auckland Kingz and the New Zealand Knights.    Also, I really love the Wellington Phoenix fan culture. And the club has been playing so well! Maybe I’m wrong, but there’s a risk that any rivalry in a Kiwi derby could feel a little forced, at least early on.    But, for all of that, Auckland FC has one massive dynamic working in its favour. People in the 09 are so ready for a proper football team. You see it every time the Phoenix play at Eden Park. You see it at All Whites games. You see it on the sidelines of how many thousand junior football games on Saturday mornings. Sure, it may take a few seasons to deepen the well of loyalty, but you would be hard-pressed to find a city or a market on Earth that isn’t hungrier for a team to support.    And so tonight, I’ll be there. One of more than 20,000 at a sold-out Go Media stadium. I must have a dozen friends attending. Some have already bought season passes.    You can hold the fancy haircut. Hold the latte. But I’ll be proudly crossing the Rubicon and dressed in blue. And if in years to come anyone should question my loyalty to AFC, well, at least I can say I was there from day one.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the most famous foodies in the Southern Hemisphere, Donna Hay is one of the Queens of Cooking.   She’s known for her minimalistic approach to food styling, fresh and vibrant ingredient choices, and grounded recipes for busy people still interested in eating well.  Her latest book ‘Too Easy’ offers an array of delicious dishes like one-pan undone lasagna, crunchy chipotle chicken traybake, and sticky pork belly that won’t leave you slaving away over a stove for hours.  When it comes to her recipes, Hay seeks a quicker path from A to B.  “The one-pan undone lasanga, I realised I hadn’t cooked my children lasagna in a very, very long time, because even on the weekend, Jack, I’m not coming home and layering up all of that deliciousness and taking two hours out of my life for it to be consumed by two very hungry boys in a matter of minutes.”  “I guess it's just life that kind of dictates what, what I'm gonna try and twist and turn into a great recipe.”  LISTEN ABOVE    Donna Hay’s One-pan Undone Lasagne   If you love everything about lasagne except the time it takes to make it, then this is for you. This is not a traditional recipe for lasagne – it’s more for those wanting all the comforting gooey yumminess of lasagne but in an instant. Try it – you’ll love it!    Ingredients  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  1 brown onion, finely chopped  3 cloves garlic, crushed  600g (1 lb 5 oz) beef mince  1 litre (34 fl oz) good-quality beef stock  3 x 400g (14 oz) cans crushed tomatoes  2 tablespoons chopped oregano leaves  sea salt and cracked black pepper  250g (9 oz) fresh lasagne sheets, cut into 5cm x 21cm (2 in x 8½ in) strips  ¼ cup (5g/⅛ oz) chopped basil leaves, plus extra leaves to serve  mascarpone cheese topping  350g (12½ oz) mascarpone  1 cup (80g/2¾ oz) finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve  1 x 125g (4½ oz) fresh mozzarella, drained and sliced    Method  Heat a large deep ovenproof frying pan over medium–high heat.    Add the oil and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the garlic and beef and cook for 6 minutes, stirring, until the beef is well browned. Add the stock, tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper and bring to the boil.   Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 35–40 minutes or until the mixture has reduced by roughly one-third. The mixture should still be quite saucy.   Add the lasagne sheets, a few at a time, and gently stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the pasta softens. Remove from the heat and stir through the basil.    Preheat oven grill (broiler) to high.    To make the mascarpone cheese topping, combine the mascarpone, parmesan and pepper. Top the lasagne with small spoonfuls of mascarpone mixture and mozzarella. Grill for 10–12 minutes or until the lasagne is golden and bubbly.   Finish with extra basil and parmesan to serve. Serves 6     Cook’s note: If you have dried lasagne sheets, pop them into boiling water for 30 seconds or until pliable, drain and use as you would fresh sheets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dubbed the “most ‘Coldplay’ Coldplay album,” Moon Music is the band’s 10th album, and potentially one of their final ones. Chris Martin has confirmed that there’s a concrete plan for two more albums after this, before the band shuts up shop.  Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the band’s latest release.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins   An isolated Scottish island, accessible to the mainland only twelve hours a day. A famous (some might say infamous) artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared after visiting her twenty years ago. A present-day discovery that intimately connects three people and unveils a web of secrets and lies.  Welcome to Eris: an island with only one house, one inhabitant, one way out. Unreachable from the Scottish mainland for twelve hours each day.  Once home to Vanessa: A famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago.  Now home to Grace: A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation.  But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, a visitor comes calling.  And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge....     Unfiltered: My Incredible Decade in Formula 1 by Guenther Steiner   Formula 1 sensation Guenther Steiner, author of the number one bestseller Surviving to Drive, takes readers into the heart of his ten years running Team Haas, packed with hilarious stories and unprecedented insight into the world of elite motorsport.  Fasten your seatbelts as Formula 1's favourite underdog, Guenther Steiner, takes you on a wild ride through his ten years at Team Haas.  From the first seeds of his idea to establish a new F1 team to the challenges of funding and building that team from the ground up, Guenther shares the real story of the origins of Team Haas, immerses readers in the high and lows of its first decade on the grid, and opens up about his departure from the team at the end of 2023.  As Guenther recalls his proudest achievements and the many, many disasters he has faced, he takes readers behind the scenes, into the pit lanes and garages, and out on to the circuits of the world's greatest race tracks. We spend time with drivers, mechanics, executives, sponsors, commentators and fans, and take in many personal moments too, all the while grappling with the big challenges and small details that keep the wheels of a Formula 1 team turning.  Told in his inimitable style, packed with hugely entertaining stories, outspoken opinions and unvarnished truths, this is Guenther at his very best – insightful, opinionated and completely unfiltered.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"After savouring Sri Lanka’s western coast, the nation’s famed cultural triangle serves up a bevy of World Heritage ancient treasures in the heart of the island. Travelling with On the Go Tours, we farewelled the city buzz of Colombo and drove east for several hours to Dambulla, home to the spectacular Dambulla Rock Temple. Sri Lanka has a long history of the presence and practice of Buddhism and this sprawling cave complex is quite the treasure-chest. The Dambulla temple is not only one of the oldest sites for Buddhist monasticism, but it has served as a pilgrimage site for twenty-two centuries. The massive cave temple complex is unique in Southeast Asia because monks carved the caves out from rock, towering 160 metres above the surrounding plains. There’s more than 80 caves across the site, but the major attractions are spread over five caves which contain statues and paintings of Buddha and his life." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our oceans are filled with a variety of things: sea creatures, plants, algae, coral, rubbish. Some things belong there, and some don’t.  Since ‘Litter Intelligence’ began back in 2018, citizen scientists have picked up, counted, and weighed over 621,000 individual pieces of litter from coastal survey areas across Aotearoa, more than 75% of which is plastic.   Sustainable Coastlines has launched their ‘Trash Species of Aotearoa New Zealand’ campaign, and Kate ‘Ethically Kate’ Hall joined Jack Tame to discuss the most common species, and chat about the ways we can keep them from filling our oceans.  Key Litter Species facts:  Scollipop (lollipop sticks): 8,301 sticks recorded in Litter Intelligence coastal litter surveys. Lots near kids' playgrounds!   Gutterfish is part of the construction waste family, which makes up more than 20% of the litter removed from Litter Intelligence coastal survey sites, by weight.   Blue snackeral is from the food wrappers family, which Litter Intelligence data tells us has been collected a colossal 39,013 times.   Pauarade features a plastic bottle top, one of the most common items collected in surveys we find an average of 18 for every 1,000m2 of coastline.   Smoki (cigarette butts and filters) are the 8th most common trash species found in Litter Intelligence beach surveys, with the data reporting over 18,890 collected to date.  For more information visit the Sustainable Coastlines site here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for 12 October 2024, culinary legend Donna Hay joins Jack to discuss what inspires her these days compared to ten years ago, and shares tips on cooking for a house full of hungry teenage boys.  Jack examines the difficulty of learning a new language at middle age.  Film reviewer Francesca Rudkin considers how small-budget kiwi film ‘A Mistake’ somehow landed A-List Hollywood star Elizabeth Banks.  Elon Musk hosted his robo-event, complete with new products and designs. Tech expert Paul Stenhouse dishes on the new taxis, vans and... humanoids.  And Kevin Milne and Jack celebrate how kiwi music legends Crowded House can sell out London's O2 arena, but still return to our smaller home-grown venues for their kiwi audiences.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are three reactions to the concept of “feeding your plants”:   1) Plants feed themselves through Photosynthesis (you don’t need to feed your plants!)  2) They’ll pick up elements in the soil that they need for growth and development, nobody feeds the plants in a native forest.  3) What’s scientifically needed for our gardens is a soil test that indicates which chemical elements are lacking in soil.  This is about the Science of Fertilisers.  This is the time of the year when soil temperatures are great for plant growth. Roots work over-time to extract minerals, dissolve them in water and transport them through the phloem bundles to the leaves of plants, where photosynthesis puts it all together and creates carbohydrates and chemicals that allow cell-elongation (growth).   Plants use three main elements for bulk growth “food”: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and potassium (K), which are generally known as NPK (their chemical symbols).   N is used to make the green stuff: leaves and chlorophyll (LAWNS, LETTUCE, SPINACH, HEDGES).  P is good for root development and plant health (CARROTS, PARSNIPS, POTATOES, etc).  K (potash) is for sex: flowers and fruits (TOMATOES, APPLES, STRAWBERRIES, FLOWERING PLANTS).  Other elements needed for plant functioning are needed in much smaller quantities:   Mg (Magnesium), S (Sulphur), Ca (Calcium), Cu (Copper), Fe (Iron), Zn (Zinc), Mn (Manganese), and a heap more of those minor “trace elements”.  There are a few different types of fertilisers:   1) “General” Fertiliser – for general growth: usually something like N-P-K 7-3-6 or 12-4-13 (note how Phosphorus is usually less than the N and K).  2) Potato fertiliser: N-P-K 3-9-6, also good for carrots and parsnips.  3) Tomato or rose fertiliser - usually higher in potash (K): N-P-K 3-4-9. This helps to stimulate flower and fruit growth.  Of course, you can always use the general fertiliser (which tends to be highest in Nitrogen) and simply add a few handfuls of Superphosphate (P) if you grow root crops, or handfuls of Sulphate of Potash (K) if you want to up the dose of K (potash) for flowers and fruit.   Organic fertilisers usually have lower concentrations of elements, and they are often less prone to fertiliser run-off into water courses. Chicken poo (a “Natural” organic fertiliser) has a high content of Nitrogen which can burn plants – I would always send it through a cycle of composting before use.  These are very general comments on how to use fertilisers; some plants require a bit more detailed knowledge or would benefit from changing fertiliser regimes in different times of the year (Cymbidium orchids have a green-growth phase to make leaves in spring and summer – followed by a flower bud initiation in autumn and flowering in winter).   I use General fertiliser on my young tomatoes to get them growing up and create a strong climbing vine, before the flower buds are formed.   Once they start flowering, I assist the plants with more potash to keep on making fruit – I just switch to a higher potash fertiliser such as Wet&Forget’s Seaweed Tea.   Dog Pee fertiliser   Most homeowners let their dogs use the backyard as their own personal toilet. Urine is very high in Nitrogen. Too much nitrogen will burn the grass and create yellow patches after sensational, dark green growth (a dog will usually come back to the same patch – territorial “marking”).   The concentration of nitrogen in the dog’s urine depends on the type of dog, its sex, and what the animal eats. Larger dogs will pee more and cause more damage. Female dogs also tend to cause more damage than males because they squat and urinate in one concentrated patch whereas the males spray their urine over a larger area and in much smaller doses each time. Finally, diets high in protein can increase the concentration of nitrogen in the urine since protein breaks down to release nitrogen compounds.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon   Why I chose it:   This wine was selected by Gimblett Gravels’ winemakers as one of the top reds from 2022.  A hearty red at a mouth-watering price.  2022 was an average vintage, but this is a well below average price   Can be enjoyed now or stored in a cool place and enjoyed in 5 or 6 years time   A versatile wine that appeals to a wide range of tastes   What does it taste like?    A fresh and fruity red with dark berry and plum flavours and a seasoning of spicy oak. Moderately intense. A delicious wine that makes me reach for a second glass.   Why it’s a bargain:            Punches well above its weight   Where can you buy it?          Whiskeyonline, Auckland $16.99  Vitis Cellars, Auckland $113.64 (12 bottles)  Blackmarket.co.nz $113.94  Check your supermarket shelves  What’s a good food match?   Barbecued steak.  Drink now or later?   Now if you like bright, fresh and fruity flavours, in five years if you prefer more mellow and slightly savoury reds.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk's “We, Robot” event saw taxis, vans, and humanoids  Elon says it will be "the biggest product ever" calling them an “autonomous assistant, humanoid friend".    He gave us a glimpse into a future. At the party robots danced, served cocktails, and chatted with guests with a voice that sounded like a human. It's cadence and tone were offputtingly normal. When an event attendee told Optimus he was doing a good job, the robot looked up in acknowledgement, then said “You wanna get a photo?” and made a peace sign with its hand.  In a video they were watering plants, collecting packages, cleaning the kitchen after dinner, unloading groceries and unwinding with a board game with the family’s kids.  The marketing materials said they're designed to take on the dangerous and boring tasks in your life. The lofty goal is to have them ready to sell by the end of 2025, with a price-tag of somewhere around USD$30,000.    They unveiled a robocab with two seats, no steering wheel, and is controlled through a large touchscreen mounted on the dashboard. And then there's the robovan, which looks like a futuristic Airstream caravan who's worst enemy may be a speedbump.         LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.