Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Disclaimer  When an intriguing novel appears at the bedside of a journalist whose career has been built on revealing transgressions, she is horrified to realise she's a key character in a long-buried story, one that exposes her darkest secret (Apple TV+). Sweetpea   Rhiannon Lewis doesn't make much of an impression - people walk past her in the street without a second glance. That is until she is pushed over the edge and loses control, and Rhiannon's life transforms (Neon). The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes  A second season of the local series about a group of volunteers with young onset dementia as they navigate the highs and lows of running a fine-dining restaurant under the guidance of renowned chef Ben Bayly (TVNZ+ from Monday 14 October).   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Mistake   A talented surgeon's life unravels when a new public reporting system for surgeons' performance is introduced. Her colleagues distance themselves, and even her partner, a hospital nurse, abandons her.     The Outrun   After living life on the edge in London, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands where she grew up, hoping to heal.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bored of making the same old recipes? Is cooking becoming more of a chore? You might be stuck in a rut. Fortunately, Nici Wickes has some advice on how to pull yourself out and get back into the swing of things.  She recommends checking out cookbooks or magazines for some new recipes, eating out or trying new restaurants for some inspiration, and of course, taking a look to see what interesting things may be tucked away in your cupboards.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supermarket collectable schemes are a dime a dozen these days, with most franchises running a collectable promotion every year. Most buy into the scheme, collecting the stickers or cards and trading them in for a free product, but there are some out there who pass on them.  To Kevin Milne it feels like these people are just throwing away money, and wonders why people would pass on a free container or two.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As someone who considers themself at least semi-literate, with the benefit of a reasonable education and at least a passing interest in the world, I can confirm there is nothing quite so humbling in middle-age as learning a new language.    At short notice, I’m hoping to briefly visit a Latin American country for my work in a few weeks’ time, and in preparation this week I downloaded a few apps and subscribed to podcasts to try and re-up my Spanish.   My history with Spanish is one of big surges and even bigger retreats.    I studied it until seventh form at high school. I wasn’t very good but at least I learnt a few nouns and could ask some basic questions.    But when I moved to New York as a 24-year-old I decided to learn Spanish in a way I never had when I was a teenager. I moved to a Latin neighbourhood. I did thrice-weekly lessons on Skype, just speaking with a tutor friend in Mexico’s south.    After a few months of studying, I decided to visit her.     “Estoy excitado,” I said, trying to express my excitement at the impending trip. My tutor laughed and explained that’d just informed a conservative Catholic mother that I was horny.    “Gaah... estoy tan embarazada!” I blushed.    She bent over in laughter again. Turns out embarazada is not embarassed. Embarazada is pregnant.     It’s amazing what immersion will do though. When I visited Chiapas, I’d collapse in bed, exhausted at the end of every day from 12-hours of speaking. But after just a few weeks, I could swear I was just starting to dream in Spanish. That’s when you know it’s sticking.   Then, though. Oof. An almighty retreat. I fell out of lessons and Spanish fell out of my head. I eventually moved home and studied Māori, which I absolutely loved, but which has a similar vowel sound to Spanish. Often over the years when I’ve reached for the word, I’ve pulled a noun from the wrong language. And now, I’m embarrassed to admit that although my wife is Persian, in Farsi I can’t even say hello.   There are some people though, for whom language comes easier than others. I’m good with sound and speaking with false confidence but very poor with grammar. My brother is much more studious, but I swear he also just gets grammatical structure. It’s like he sees the matrix when he’s studying language.    I’m fascinated by people who can speak many languages. There’s a New Zealander named Harold Williams, who basically no one has ever heard of, who is considered one of the greatest polyglots in history. He was the foreign editor for The Times in London and spoke as many as 58 languages. As a lad in Christchurch in the late 1800s, he described having a ‘brain explosion’ when he was about seven-years-old. He bought himself the New Testament in every language his bookshop could order and taught himself that way.    Our historic comfort in our majority monolingualism is one of the great faults of New Zealand culture. It’s sloppy. Insular. It’s embarrassing to visit poor neighbourhoods in poor countries and realise that despite the relative lack of educational opportunities, kids can speak more languages than many or most of us can. It’s wonderful to see the revitalisation of te reo Māori, but New Zealand must still be one of the most monolingual developed countries on Earth.    So, here we go again. Like trying to start a lawnmower that’s been sitting in the shed for fifteen years, I’m pulling at the starter cord and pleading the engine to fire.    “The cat likes to sleep.”   “I would like to buy a ticket for the train.”   It’s so humbling to go so far back. Embarazada, even. And yet still so rewarding when you feel something stick. Excitado!   That’s the thing about language. More than vowels and consonants, it is the front door to culture, a gate to a whole new World.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rena Owen has cemented herself in New Zealand’s pantheon of film and television greats.  The award-winning actress has a packed acting career, with roles in everything from Once Were Warriors, to Star Wars, to Whina, to Shortland Street.   She stars in productions that create lasting legacies, conveying stories from the culture and history of New Zealand, and her latest work follows suit.  Taki Rua Theatre – Breaking Barriers tells the story of what became the unofficial Māori theatre company, an ensemble of artists breaking barriers, shattering cultural norms, and pioneering a bicultural partnership.  Owen joined Jack Tame to discuss the significance of the theatre, her acting career, and her upcoming film roles.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi soul musician Louis Baker has released his third EP, Medicine his first work as sole producer.   The EP reflects the bond Baker has with his craft, allowing him to connect with himself and communicate with the world.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on this new release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Sri Lanka has loomed large on my bucket-list for quite some time. Nicknamed the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, I’ve just ventured to the teardrop-shaped island nation for the first time and it smashed my expectations. Over the course of a week, I savoured Sri Lanka’s colourful cities, vibrant cuisine, ravishing landscapes, astonishing World Heritage treasures and glorious wildlife, which were all seamlessly stitched together by On the Go Tours and their Colombo, Caves and Kandy group tour." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney   Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common.  Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties—successful, competent, and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their father’s death, he’s medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women—his enduring first love, Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke.  Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined.  For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude—a period of desire, despair, and possibility; a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.   For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude – a period of desire, despair and possibility – a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.        The Siege by Ben Macintyre   Britain’s best-selling historian writes the first definitive account of the famous televised SAS storming of the Iranian embassy in London in 1980.  On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British citizens. A tense six-day siege ensued as millions gathered around screens across the country to witness the longest news flash in British television history, in which police negotiators and psychiatrists sought a bloodless end to the standoff, while the SAS – hitherto an organisation shrouded in secrecy – laid plans for a daring rescue mission: Operation Nimrod.  Drawing on unpublished source material, exclusive interviews with the SAS, and testimony from witnesses including hostages, negotiators, intelligence officers and the on-site psychiatrist, bestselling historian Ben Macintyre takes readers on a gripping journey from the years and weeks of build-up on both sides, to the minute-by-minute account of the siege and rescue.  Recreating the dramatic conversations between negotiators and hostages, the cutting-edge intelligence work happening behind-the-scenes, and the media frenzy around this moment of international significance, The Siege is the remarkable story of what really happened on those fateful six days, and the first full account of a moment that forever changed the way the nation thought about the SAS – and itself.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stats NZ has released the latest data from the Census, giving fresh insights into the lives of people across the country.  Kevin Milne has been taking a look at the latest numbers and there’s a couple things he found interesting, and some he wasn’t surprised by at all.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Although Working from Home might have been new for many of us under Covid, research in the area has been going on for decades. This international research, combined with studies carried out in New Zealand over the past 4 years, notably by Prof Jarrod Harr at Massey Uni, is pretty clear that from a wellbeing and productivity perspective the hybrid model of working is better than working in the office 100% or working from home 100%. Hybrid working gives the best of both worlds – 2 or 3 days in the office and 2 or 3 days at home.  Advantages of hybrid working include:   An increased sense of autonomy for workers – you have some choice over when/where/how you work. Higher levels of autonomy are associated with higher levels of wellbeing.  Less stress and better work-life balance.  You still get the advantage of social interactions when in the office.  Working from Home 100% of the time isn’t ideal – people report higher rates of low mood and loneliness. Also, higher rates of burnout, possibly due to not having clear stop/start times. Working from the office 100% of the time reduces autonomy and has poorer work-life balance.  The disadvantage of the hybrid model is not everyone’s job allows them to work from home for 2-3 days per week and these people see others as getting a perk they don’t have.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 5 October 2024, award-winning actress Rena Owen joins Jack to discuss the 30-year anniversary of Once Were Warriors, gearing up for the live action Moana, and the role of Māori theatre throughout her career.  Jack shares his love for maps and the remote, extreme, curious places he's drawn to when studying them. He considers the chances of a visit to Diego Garcia following the news that sovereignty of the island will be passed to Mauritius.  Sally Rooney's highly anticipated fourth novel is Booktok’s latest obsession – with influencers vying for advance copies and the book becoming something of a commodity. Book reviewer Catherine Raynes shares her thoughts on Intermezzo's literary merit.  How does Joker: Folie à Deux match up to the critical and commercial juggernaut of the first Joker film? Film reviewer Francesca Rudkin delivers her verdict.  And man-in-the-garden Ruud Kleinpaste joins Jack in studio to chat planting before the dry season sets in - plus, brings a special guest.  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.

It’s already getting dry in Canterbury, and I still need to do a lot of planting in order to save us from starvation. Juuls has planted Christmas spuds. Seed potatoes: “chitted” (meaning the “eyes” have started to run out) and the plants are doing well – shooting up in their large tubs on the deck. Every week or so we carefully add some soil on top of the stuff that’s already there, so that the main stem will produce more and more potatoes.   This is Julie’s “spud race” for the spring challenge at her work.   Potato fertiliser always has a bit more “P” (Phosphate) in it to encourage root growth and tuber growth. Jersey Bennes and such early varieties are probably the best to use before Christmas.   Potato-Tomato Psyllid   I don’t want to play Russian Roulette with this pest: it damages potatoes and tomatoes, so I prefer to keep potatoes well away from my tomato tunnelhouse.  It’s called Biosecurity!  Tomatoes   Should have been sown now in seed-raising mix and transplanted outside when the frost danger is over; in the tunnelhouse I don’t have that problem, so can bang them in as soon as they are 20cm tall with good roots.    I’ve got my favourite line up: Tigerella, Sweet 100, Black Krim, Artisan Blush, etc, plus some new stuff I uplifted from the Kings Seed Catalogue.    Initially feed them with general fertiliser and start using tomato/Rose fertiliser when flowers develop the new fruit – Seaweed Tea (Wet&Forget)  Broad beans are another must in our garden – I was lucky to have them survive the winter and self-seeded in the coldest months of the year   The related French beans need to be sown too – do a row every month or so, so keep the supply coming during summer and into autumn!   If you’ve never tried growing Witlof (endive) try sowing it now.      During spring and summer, you grow the root system sturdy and large. In late autumn harvest the roots and bury them in a tub with sandy soil in a dark spot (under the house). The roots will sprout these white and delicious chicons which taste wonderful and bitter; recipes everywhere! Even the French like them.  I usually keep up with my lettuce (COS!) and spring onions but will need to plonk in the peas and beans ASAP before the summer sun creates havoc.   These crops have a habit to grow in just about any soil condition. As long as they have good light and are not kept too dry.   Liquid fertiliser seems to be the best way to keep ’em happy, and when I chuck Seafood Soup and Seaweed Tea on them they shoot up with vapour trails   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People often fanaticise about sudden wealth – a windfall of money large enough to solve any problem.   But a large sum of money falling into your lap can be complicated and confusing to handle.  Lisa Dudson joined Jack Tame for a chat about the best way to handle sudden wealth so you don’t wind up losing it all.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joan  Joan Hannington, a fiery and uncompromising woman in her 20s, is a devoted mother to her 6-year-old daughter, Kelly, but is trapped in a disastrous marriage with a violent criminal named Gary. When Gary goes on the run, Joan seizes the opportunity to create a new life for herself and her daughter. Adopting new identities and making new acquaintances along the way, Joan becomes a masterful jewel thief. She embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes journey that challenges her every limit, driven by her desire to create a secure home (Neon).     Last Days of the Space Age    In 1979, a power strike threatens to plunge the region into darkness in Western Australia, while the city hosts the Miss Universe pageant and the US space station, Skylab, crashes just beyond the city's suburbs (Disney+).     Brilliant Minds  Dr. Oliver Wolf is an eccentric but incredibly gifted neurologist who suffers from a rare condition that gives him a unique perspective on care, fueling his mission to change the way the world sees his patients. After his unusual methods result in his dismissal, he takes his unconventional approach to a new hospital: Bronx General, where he leads a team of bright young interns in tackling some of the world's most puzzling psychological cases. With their help, he must also challenge his own personal and social limitations by navigating all the expectations, politics and complicated relationships that come with the job (Neon).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple has been blocked from suing Uber for a car crash because they used Uber Eats   When you use Uber Eats you agree to a new set of Terms which state that you must use private arbitration to settle matters, rather than going to court. So, when the NJ couple got into a bad crash while in an Uber ride, a court says the Uber Eats clauses applied. They say they never recalled seeing that box, and also say their daughter used the Uber Eats account to order a pizza. The court said the mother had given her daughter the authority to sign the agreement when she handed over her phone.    Disney has done the same thing recently – initially arguing that a wrongful-death lawsuit because of an allergy at a theme park restaurant should be thrown out of court because of a Disney+ agreement the person had.   What does that mean when you sign up for a fast food app? Or use a business' website to perform services?  It’s a good reminder that the fine print is important. CNN, the US's largest news website, started rolling out its paywall   CNN's CEO was instrumental in rolling out the New York Times paywall - which is one of the most successful in the industry. Just like the NYT, only the most heavy users will initially be prompted to pay $3.99 a month for access. Those who just browse a few articles won't see any changes yet. One of CNN's Anchors said in an interview there were 300 people at each convention - so covering those large scale events isn't cheap! They need to develop new digital revenue streams that can offset declines in legacy TV.  CNN reached 117 million unique visitors in August across its website and apps. Its TV audiences' median age is 67 years old. The Times has roughly 10 million digital subscribers.        LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joker: Folie à Deux Struggling with his dual identity, failed comedian Arthur Fleck meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn, while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital.    Will and Harper   When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship in an intimate portrait of friendship and transition.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’re going to love this avocado whip. Double the recipe so you can enjoy it as a dip for corn chips and/or crudités, on toast, or dolloped in tacos. Use whatever herbs you have on hand. We love using rocket and/or coriander.  Margo Flanagan of Two Raw Sisters offers up a recipe for Eggplant and Avocado Whip from their new cookbook ‘More Salad’ - now available in stores.  Ingredients   2 eggplants, cut into bite-sized   chunks   3 tablespoons cooking oil   1 teaspoon sea salt   Avocado Whip   1 avocado   1 cup chopped fresh herbs   1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil   2 tablespoons hulled tahini   2 garlic cloves, crushed   juice of 1 lemon   1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt   100 g (3 1⁄2 oz) feta, crumbled   1⁄4 cup chopped fresh herbs   2 tablespoons dukkah   1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil     Method  Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).   Toss the eggplant chunks on a baking tray with the cooking oil and salt. Roast for 25–30 minutes.   While the eggplant is cooking, make the avocado whip.   Process all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. (Alternatively you can use a stick blender.)   To assemble the salad, spoon all the avocado whip onto a flat, round plate. Use the back of a spoon to distribute it evenly around the plate. Arrange the eggplant chunks on top. Sprinkle over the feta, then the herbs and dukkah.  Drizzle the olive oil over just before serving.   Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.   Extracted from More Salad by the Two Raw Sisters. Photography © Food: Margo Flanagan and Lifestyle: Susannah Blatchford. RRP$49.99. Out 10 September 2024. Published by Allen & Unwin NZ. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know my idea of fun?    You’re expecting me to say sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, wild parties, cocaine-fuelled late-night debauchery! Guilty as charged... that sounds like a bit of me.    But no, my idea of fun is a map.    I’ve got a huge, detailed one on my wall. Winkle triple projection, Pacific-centred, of course. I can wile away hours, whole afternoons, intercontinental flights, just staring at a map.  And when you stare at a detailed map, you’re drawn to curiosities. To extremes. And naturally of course you’re drawn into imagining or fantasising what those places might be like in-person, rather than simple a coordinate on your wall.    There are three remote, extreme, curious places on Earth I’ve always fantasised about seeing. One is La Rinconada, the highest permanently populated town in the World. It’s in the Peruvian Andes, a grim, freezing mining town with a violent crime problem and where a slab of the residents may or may not have mercury poisoning. It’s higher than Everest Base Camp. And if YouTube is anything to go by, it is about as far from a few nights at Denarau as it’s possible to be.    The next are the Kerguelen Islands, aka the Desolation Islands, a vast 7000km2 archipelago in the sub-Antarctic. It’s home to amazing wildlife and a few dozen French scientists. And it’s huge! The main island is 150km long and 120km wide. Have you ever heard of it? It’s one of the most remote places on Earth.   And my final isle of intrigue is Diego Garcia. My Dad first told me about it as a kid. Imagine a point in the middle of the Indian Ocean, below India and about halfway between Tanzania and Bali.    For decades, Diego Garcia has been home to one of the most mysterious and secretive military bases on the planet. Its strategic location, its military runway, its fleet of long-range bombers and its ability to reload submarines with weapons make it hugely important to the U.S and the U.K.   But that only came about by a brutal history.    Although Diego Garcia had no indigenous population, enslaved people were brought there to work on coconut plantations, and over several centuries developed their own language and culture. In the 1960s, the Brits decided to kick them out. In order to develop the military base, they forcibly evicted all of the local population to Mauritius and the Seychelles.    For decades since, Mauritius has fought for the island and its surrounding archipelago. Chaggosians, as people from the Chaggos Islands are known, have fought to return to their home.    But I’ve always assumed I would never be able to go. The island is rumoured to be a CIA black site. According to a recent BBC report, only three journalists have ever visited. One pretended to have a boat problem and was only there for an hour and half. Another stopped to refuel in a Presidential plane. The most recent visitor had to agree to incredible restrictions on her reporting, was barred from numerous areas and accompanied by minders at all times.   But yesterday came news from Diego Garcia. After years of terse negotiations and an ongoing legal dispute regarding a group of Tamil asylum seekers being detained on the island, the U.K and Mauritius announced sovereignty of Diego Garcia and the other Chaggos Islands will be passed to Mauritius.    Will it mean the Chagossians can return? Probably not. Under the deal, the long-range bombers, submarines, and the base will remain for at least the next century.    Its official status might have changed, but for those of us who trace the atoll across the World on our office wall, Diego Gacia will be no more accessible, and no less mysterious. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival has all the ingredients for a good time – food, dancing, arts, and an incredible line-up of local and international artists. English/Kiwi rock band The Veils were announced this week in the first line-up of acts to headline next year’s WOMAD festival. The enigmatic indie band have a reputation for their intense live performances, and they’ll be teaming up with a few classical musicians for their performance at the festival. Frontman Finn Andrews told Jack Tame that it’ll be a “pretty raucous affair”. He said that working with classical musicians gives them the option to lean into the extremes.  “It kinda just intensifies that even more. I think it's gonna be really full on and really quiet and intimate as well.”  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Their first album release in six years, ‘The Forest is the Path’ is Snow Patrol’s eighth studio album, coming after 2018’s ‘Wilderness’.  While promoting the album on X, vocalist Gary Lightbody described the work as a “new beginning”.   “We honour the past, deeply. But while we honour the past we also want to cherish the present and look to the future. So this is the beginning of something, and we are so excited to share it with you all.”  Music Reviewer Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman   Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.  Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job . . .  Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?  Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty   Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed.  Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all.  How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.”  Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable.  A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.  If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working from Home has been a topic of debate this week with the Government’s new directive on the subject.  Kevin Milne is a bit split on the issue, but there is one thing he’s clear on: surely propping up other businesses isn’t a valid reason to force people back into the office?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Singapore is so much more than just a steamy stopover between flights. It’s a sparkling melting pot of Southeast Asian culture, brimming with an ever-expanding arsenal of headline experiences. But alongside ticking off the likes of Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands, the Lion City’s biggest roar is reserved for the sizzling street food scene spilling forth in the hawker centre. Singapore’s harmonious multiculturalism and all its culinary influences positively sing on the plate. Come nightfall, Lau Pa Sat in downtown Singapore transforms into Satay Street, where a riot of meat on skewers and peanut sauce hold court." Read Mike's full article here.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sustainable living doesn’t just benefit the world around you, but it can also have benefits for mental health.   Kate ‘Ethically Kate’ Hall joined Jack Tame to run through a few of the benefits that come with living more sustainably.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Planting from now on is becoming a much better idea. The chances of frost have diminished, but there will be still possibilities of “Spring Snow”, if you get my drift.   If you’ve had a look at the plants in your local botanic Garden, you’ll find what will grow well at your place. In many frost-free areas I’m thinking of Ngutu Kaka (Kaka Beak). This is a native plant that will look red and just amazing. It’s one of those plants I have always wanted to grow, simply because it looks stunning with those flowers, and it attracts the nectivorous birds.  As an old Trustee of “Project Crimson” (do you remember that organisation?) I am certainly a proponent of the Genus Metrosideros, which is the group of trees, shrubs and plants related to pohutukawa. Metrosideros carminea is one of those native gems that will wake you up in spring. Just look at that colour!  Just inhale the smell, and look at the insects associated with this native gem.   And then there are the not-so-native Vireya. They are Rhododendrons of tropical origin. They smell and love warm climates. My favourite one is Vireya tuba.      Originally from the mountains of Papua New Guinea, it grows up to 2 meters high and needs protection from frosts (grew well for us in Auckland and will do fine on the frost-free port hills). And its smell is just divine!   Winter flowerings. Bright and beautiful, but a native beetle has woken up too:   Lemon Tree Borer (Oemona hirta) will be on the wing soon. Laying eggs on damaged citrus branches or on pruned wood of citrus and many other native shrubs and trees.  The beetle grubs will create tunnels and cause a heap of damage! No more pruning and keep an eye on those grubs that will create havoc on citrus and other host plants.   And then there is our codling moth (which arrived all the way from Europe, many, many years ago). Moths lay eggs after flowering of the apple trees (and crab apples, and walnuts!) Out of those eggs hatch very hungry codling moth caterpillars that will tunnel into the developing apple fruits, spoiling them.    Control and prevention:   There is a cool spray called Madex3, used by commercial apple growers that value organic treatments. This Madex3 is a virus that should be sprayed a week or so after apple flowering (in the next week or two!). The virus will only kill Codling moth – very targeted! And may need a second spray a month or so later.   It’s available from some of the more switched-on suppliers in NZ:   Farmlands, Horticentre Hawkes Bay and Richmond, GoodtoGrownz.co.nz, just look for Madex3.   It’s not a cheap pest control material, but it will last for years in your freezer. And if you cleverly share a 100 ml bottle with your neighbour or friend it is the best and safest method of keeping the caterpillars out of your pip fruit.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 28 September 2024, frontman of legendary rock band The Veils, Finn Andrews joins Jack to chat new music, regrouping, and looking ahead to WOMAD 2025.  Jack considers his take on working from home versus in the office.  Film reviewer Francesca Rudkin offers her take on Brad Pitt and George Clooney's return to the big screen in Wolfs.  Mike Yardley dishes on $5 Michelin-star offerings in Singapore.  And Lianne Moriarty is back with a brand-new novel, Here One Moment, which book reviewer Catherine Raynes gives her thoughts on.  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.

What exactly is an abdominal hernia?   - It’s where an internal part of body pushes through weak part of your abdominal wall muscle, creating a lump that often you can feel.  - It’s very common, more common in men but can occur in any age from babies to the elderly.  - There’s several different types:   - Inguinal: occurs in the groin and can sometimes cause lump in the scrotum.  - Femoral: occurs where abdomen joins leg.  - Umbilical: the front of the stomach often around the tummy button.  - Hiatus: where stomach pushes up into the chest.  - Incisional: over a surgery scar   What causes hernias?   - Lots of different things: being overweight, coughing or sneezing, constipation, pregnancy.  - Some people have weaker abdominal walls, and hernias can occur more easily.  - Occasionally caused by injury from lifting – in which case can be covered by ACC   What should you look out for and are they serious?   - Most people notice a bulging lump in their stomach or groin.  - You may occasionally notice discomfort when bending over or lifting things.  - Generally they are small, and if they pop out they can be easily pushed back in. - Over time they can become bigger and cause more discomfort and pain.  - Occasionally the bowel can twist and not be able to be pushed back in and become strangulated. This is serious and requires urgent medical help.     What do about them?   - Your GP will take a history and examine you to diagnose a hernia, they may order a U/S if unsure.  - If it’s minor and not causing problems, just watch and wait.  - However, if it’s causing pain and discomfort, they may recommend surgery.  - An operation to fix the abdominal wall with stitches or what is called mesh, it’s often a keyhole surgery.  - You can try to avoid them by eating food with fibre so you don’t become constipated, not putting on weight, and careful lifting with your knees instead of your back.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your next smartphone will be on your face   Meta showcased their "Orion" glasses which they believe will be the smartphone of the future. They'll allow you to see 'holograms' of information or avatars of friends and colleagues, as well as have instant voice access to AI. This version of the glasses is the best we've seen when it comes to being an attractive pair of glasses that are light weight and have a high-quality projection screen that it's actually useful.   There's a tonne of tech around these, including a wristband that can interpret your hand signals to interact with the holograms and take actions. These glasses are not ready for primetime - they're costing $10,000 to produce. Right now you can buy the Meta Ray-Ban sunglasses, which are getting an upgrade. You'll be able to ask the AI to tell you about things you can see, thanks to video recognition tools.    Will a wildfire take out your dream home? A major real-estate site will give you a forecast   Zillow is one of America's go-to real estate listing platforms. They were the leader in providing a "Zestimate" of what your home is worth and will now lead the way to educate buyers on the potential climate risks to be thinking about. By the end of the year there'll be a section on each listing to show a risk score for the potential for wildfires, flooding, extreme temperatures, high winds and poor air quality, as well as the potential cost of insurance over time. Of those new listings added in August - 16% were at major risk of a wildfire and 13% at major risk of flooding.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nobody Wants This   An agnostic sex podcaster and a newly single rabbi fall in love, but can their relationship survive their wildly different lives and meddling families? (Netflix)    FROM   From the producers of Lost comes this tale of a nightmarish town that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents search for a way out, they must try to protect themselves from the terrifying creatures that come out at night (TVNZ+).   National Treasures   Explore NZ’s recent history - the wonderful, the hidden and the controversial. Join Scotty and Stacey Morrison, as they showcase unique historical objects and their personal stories. Made with the support of NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho (TVNZ+).  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Megalopolis  A conflict between Cesar, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare.  Wolfs  Hired to cover up a high-profile crime, a fixer soon finds his night spiralling out of control when he's forced to work with an unexpected counterpart.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring is a funny old time for fresh fruit. The apples and pears have been in cool store forever, rhubarb can be temperamental and scarce, and the berries and stone fruit are not nearly ready, so we’re left with the trusty banana.    I love my banana cake studded with walnuts and sultanas but you can also leave them out if you prefer.     Ingredients  125g butter, softened   ½ cup sugar   2 medium eggs   2 large, ripe bananas, broken into pieces   Drizzle of golden syrup or maple syrup   70g walnut pieces   ½ cup sultanas    2 cups self-raising flour    ½ tsp cinnamon    ¼ tsp baking soda   2 tbsps plain Greek yoghurt   Splash of milk if needed – see note   Method  Heat oven to 180 C. Grease and line a large loaf tin.   In a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.   Add a drizzle of golden/maple syrup, the banana pieces, walnuts and sultanas to the creamed mixture. Sift in the self-raising flour, baking soda and cinnamon and gently beat or stir to combine. Don’t over mix but make sure there are no remaining pockets of flour either. Stir in the yoghurt. If it’s too stiff a splash of milk might be useful too.   Scrape the batter into the tin. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when placed in the centre. Leave to cool.     Note  Having made this loaf cake many times I can attest that sometimes the batter is a little stiff, other times not so. It’s likely due to the size of the eggs, the variance in the temperature of the butter or the thickness of whatever yoghurt I’m using. I aim for a dropping consistency so if it errs on the stiff side, stir in a splash of milk to make it more manageable.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My take on working from home versus working in the office is you can’t really say any one model is perfect for everyone in every business or workplace and every sector or industry. There are workplaces where working from home might be better than working from the office. There are workplaces where the traditional model holds true. And there are workplaces that’ll find themselves somewhere in between.  I work six days a week, and typically do five in the office and one at home. Newsrooms are noisy, distracting, slightly chaotic, open-plan environments. That’s why I love them! But I have to read a lot, and I have to process detail. Once a week, it is so good to escape the office and bury myself in detail at home, without the risk of being distracted every two minutes.  Maybe I’m giving the productivity argument too much credit. If the primary reason to get public servants to go into the office in-person is actually just to prop up Wellington businesses, it’s a pretty lousy reason. But I actually think the reaction to the government’s directive this week was a bit overblown. They didn’t say all public servants HAVE to work from the office every day. They just said working from home was not an automatic entitlement, and that arrangements would have to be agreed between employers and employees. Working from home arrangements should only be agreed when they don’t impact agency objectives. Am I missing something? That seems pretty reasonable to me. I don’t see anything about mandating. My read is it still allows for flexibility, so long as it doesn’t compromise the quality of an agency’s work.   And actually, this government is making a bit of a habit of issuing directives that don’t cost it a thing, but will be met with a similar reaction from a big slab of the public.  A prime example is the cellphone ban in schools. I’ve always supported it. I just think it’s common sense, and now even the opposition education spokesperson supports it, too.   And teacher-only days! Unions and schools might rightly be frustrated at any implication they’re wasting time or doing something that isn’t worthwhile. Many schools time their teacher-only-days for long weekends, and regardless, schools still have to be open for a specific number of days a year. Also, I think it’s a bit rich to suggest that teacher-only-days have a major impact on truancy.   But I for one was surprised to learn that under the current rules, teacher-only-days are only supposed to be held outside of term time. Is there really a compelling reason that shouldn’t be the case?   It’ll be a blow to morale for many teachers and schools. But that directive was all about parents. And I can tell you now, a vast majority of them are not going to marching in the streets to demand a return of mid-term teacher-only days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.