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Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

3,620 episodes — Page 37 of 73

Mike Yardley: The Rees, Queenstown

"It was recently crowned New Zealand’s leading hotel at the 30th Annual World Travel Awards, beating out 11 other big-name hotels in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown. So what is all the fuss about? Does it really live up to all the hype? Channelling my inner-Curious George, I zipped to Queenstown to sample the supreme comforts of The Rees Hotel." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 9, 20238 min

Hannah McQueen: Financial progress shouldn't wait for perfect conditions

One of Hannah's key lessons (and an important point we make to all of their clients) is that financial progress shouldn't wait for perfect conditions. When life gets uncertain and throws a curveball, that’s the exact time financial opportunities tend to reveal themselves - ironically, at the least opportune moment. After the year that's been, we can probably all relate to that feeling! So the question becomes: If financial opportunity presented itself, would you see it for what it is, or would it simply pass you by? Our experience with clients would suggest the latter. So in the current climate where the high cost of living does not want to budge, where interest rates remain painfully high and many of us are due to refix if we haven't already, why is Hannah so optimistic? What are the opportunities she's seeing on the horizon and how do we see it for what it is and take advantage of it? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 9, 20234 min

Tara Ward: Beef, Happy Valley, Jury Duty

Beef The dark comedy about two Americans who begin to obsess over a road rage incident and let it slowly consume their everyday lives (Netflix). Happy Valley The third and final season of the superb British drama featuring Sarah Lancashire as police officer Catherine Cawood (TVNZ+). Jury Duty The unique documentary-style comedy series that shares the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one unknowing juror (Amazon Prime Video). LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 9, 20235 min

Francesca Rudkin: Dicks: The Musical and Next Goal Wins

Dicks: The Musical Two self-obsessed businessmen discover they're long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric, divorced parents. Next Goal Wins With the 2014 World Cup qualifiers approaching, down-on-his-luck coach Thomas Rongen tries to turn the American Samoa soccer team into winners. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 8, 20238 min

Kate Hall: Tackling sustainability when it comes to food at Christmas

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for many, but it's also the most wasteful. Kate 'Ethically Kate' Hall has a few tips for making sustainable choices this holiday season: -Shop local, buy from small vendors at Christmas or farmers markets -Consider making food the present or focus to reduce pointless gifts -Serve less meat, or pick meat that is sustainable sourced (e.g. Premium Game, the only wild meat hunted in NZ) -BYO takeaway containers to your Holiday events to reduce food waste -Use reusables instead of single use for your cutlery, dishes, etc. -Gift your leftovers to local food pantries or community groups LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 8, 20239 min

Ruud Kleinpaste: Parasites are everywhere

Parasites… Bodies everywhere!!! This is the time to take a good look at the small critters in your garden. You may go on holiday and need someone to control the “pests” on your plants, crops and fruit trees. We are talking predators, but especially parasitoids. The concept of parasitism is not always easy to grasp for non-entomologically inclined people. For starters you’ll need a good set of eyes and in some cases a decent magnifying glass or even a small microscope, to get the picture. So – what is it all about and how do you look for evidence of these clever critters? Parasites are organisms that take advantage of a host, by living off them or even inside them. Usually, parasites don’t necessarily kill their hosts directly (think: headlice, tapeworm, ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, scabies, etc). Parasitoids, however, tend to be fatal to our plant pests and other small creatures that live in our garden environment. The reason is simple: the larval stages of the parasitoids develop inside the host, and this causes internal destruction (remember Alien?). Most parasitoids are members of the wasp order, but they don’t really look like the common and German wasps. Parasitic wasps are often quite small and reminiscent of winged ants. Their size and insignificant black and brown colouring makes them hard to detect and identify as a “goodie”, so it may be more advantageous to keep an eye out for the, shall we say, results of their efforts. On cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli and such crops, the caterpillars of white butterflies cause many chewing holes. Small, 2-3 mm parasitoids (Cotesia glomerata) lay a number of eggs inside the living caterpillars; these eggs hatch into hungry grubs that take very little time to completely clean out the fluids, meat and musculature inside the hapless larva. When the grubs emerge from the dying host, they spin silken cocoons inside which they pupate. These creamy-white cocoons are a dead give-away for the presence of useful parasites in the cabbage patch. Of course, the message is obvious: don’t spray insecticides, as you’ll certainly kill the small black wasps that come out of those white cocoons! Parasitoids tend to be specialised in their job. There’s another species of small, black wasp (Pteromalus puparum) that likes to lay its eggs inside the chrysalis of the white butterfly. Evidence of this bodysnatching is the perfectly round emergence holes in the skin of an otherwise empty pupal case: the parasitoids will have left the cramped conditions inside that host already and are looking for more victims. Sometimes parasitoids species aim for an even smaller abode: imagine completing your entire life cycle inside an aphid. Yet there are tiny parasitic wasps that do just that. The adult wasps may be the size of flying dust, but the clobbered aphid is very easy to spot. Parasitised aphids are generally referred to as “mummies”: slightly bloated and discoloured with a parchment texture, they truly stand out from the crowd. Check out your roses, swan plants or any other aphid-infested plant for that matter. Mummies means parasitism is lending a helping hand in your garden and insecticides would do more damage than good. There are even parasitoids that develop inside the eggs of their host insects: A good example is the famous Trissolcus basalis wasp that hunts for the beautifully arranged egg clusters of our stinky green vegetable bug. When she has found such an omelette of opportunity, the female Trissolcus will lay one egg in just about every green vegetable bug egg in the cluster. She then wipes her abdomen over the finished job, to lay down a chemical scent or marker that will deter other Trissolcus females parasitising the same cluster of eggs, which makes sense: the space inside a green vegetable bug egg is just enough for the development of one parasitoids, not two. This, indeed, is a small world! To keep it ticking over in your garden: -Don’t spray insecticides. -Attract parasitoids by planting flowering plants with nectar for the adults. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 8, 20235 min

Paul Stenhouse: Threads is getting set for its European debut

It's coming December 14th. Threads has been slowly launching features: it now has hashtags (and even emoji hashtags), a web app, polls, an edit button, the ability to view a 'for you' feed and most recent threads, and they're testing "trending hashtags" in Australia. Threads is reportedly struggling with some stats, indicating it's down 80% from its launch peak. Threads almost wasn't called Threads. "Epigram" was a popular name internally at Meta. The project's codename was "Textagram". LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 8, 20235 min

Nici Wickes: Beef fillet with mustard tarragon crème

A beef fillet is as impressive as it is easy to cook and serve for a crowd. Get your butcher to prepare the eye fillet, removing silver skin and tying with kitchen string at 5cm intervals. This is for even cooking and ease of slicing. Serves 10-12 Ingredients 2-2.3kg beef eye fillet 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons sea salt 4 tablespoons each fresh thyme and rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon chilli flakes 3 teaspoons cracked black pepper 1 whole garlic bulb, broken into cloves 500g vine tomatoes 1/3 cup store-bought Mustard tarragon crème ½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream 2 tablespoons hot mustard Small handful fresh tarragon leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried ¼ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon sea salt Method 1. Allow beef fillet to come to near-room temperature before cooking. Rub with oil then sprinkle liberally with salt. 2. Preheat oven to 200 C and place a large shallow roasting dish in to preheat. 3. Place fillet in the hot oven dish and sear on stove top until browned on all sides. Add garlic cloves and tomatoes to the dish before putting in the oven for 30 minutes. 4. Chop fresh herbs on a large chopping board and add chilli flakes and pepper. Remove beef fillet and use tongs to roll hot fillet in herbs and pepper before returning to the oven. Keep checking every 5 minutes for doneness - when cooked to medium-rare it ought to have tightened somewhat but still have some give in it when poked with your finger. Remove fillet, cover with foil then a folded tea towel and rest for 20 minutes before slicing. 5. Make the crème by whisking all ingredients together to a smooth sauce. 6. Serve beef drizzled with pan juices and with oven roasted tomatoes and garlic with mustard crème and pesto. Nici’s Note: When cooking beef to perfection I use the rule of roasting for approx. 12 minutes per 500g for medium rare or 16 minutes for medium. Whole beef fillet can be cooked a day out and then warmed through in a 160 C oven for 20 minutes, before slicing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 8, 20237 min

Kevin Milne: Lifelong Friendships

This week Kevin Milne has been celebrating loyal friendships. His brother Brian was filled in a car crash when he was 23 years old, and Friday marked his 80th birthday. Kevin was joined by friends of his brother who have never forgotten him or them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 8, 20236 min

Jack Tame: New experiences

New experiences make you feel young. At least, that’s what I told myself as I slipped into a gown, folded my pants and shirt into a plastic container, and followed the technician through the big double doors. It took me almost 37 years to get my first MRI. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but even though I’m pretty good with claustrophobia and that kind of thing, I still felt a little blush of nerves, the hesitation of the unknown, as the giant machine shifted me into position. The technicians had advised me not to move. So of course, just as soon as the machine began scanning my insides, whirring and beeping around me, I developed an itch right on the tip of my nose. I breathed through it as best I could and by the time, I was ready to be extracted, 40 minutes later, I swear I was almost about to doze off. If new experiences make you feel young, my MRI results did not. Reasonably advanced arthritis. Various tears and bits of damage to body parts with long names. A bone spur steadily nibbling away at the already-reduced cartilage in my hip. Not the end of the World, but also not the kind of ailments that will ever improve. The pain I have been feeling in my left hip isn’t going away. When it comes to the sports I love to play, there are some tough decisions that lay ahead. The next morning, I went to the optometrist. The news didn’t get much better. I swear I was reading every line on the chart, and he was saying, ‘Good.... good... good!” But then after he’d trialled me with various exercises, the optometrist turned his chair towards me and explained it was time to consider reading glasses. Again, hardly the end of the World. But a first for me. ‘Really?’ I asked. Surely, I thought, he’s just trying to swindle me for a fancy pair of designer specs. “There’s been a decline since your last check.” He said. “Not a massive decline, but a decline.” He showed me again what it felt like with corrective lenses over my eyes. The letters on the chart were clearer. I thanked him, limped out and squinted at the sales rack to try and work out if any of the glasses there would suit my face. Yesterday morning, I woke up to a text on the family group chat. Overnight, my sister had had her baby. A boy. Her third. Fit and healthy and doing well. I had that primal response. A photo of a child, hours old, whom I’ve never met, and whom I already love so much. It’s funny, one minute you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. And then you realise you don’t. The thing that makes this tolerable is knowing that at least someone else does. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 8, 20234 min

Estelle Clifford: Drax Project - Upside

Kiwi R&B band Drax Project has finally released their second studio album 'Upside'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2, 20236 min

Catherine Raynes: Good Material and The Edge

Good Material - Dolly Alberton Andy's story wasn't meant to turn out this way. Living out of a suitcase in his best friends' spare room, waiting for his career as a stand-up comedian to finally take off, he struggles to process the life-ruining end of his relationship with the only woman he's ever truly loved. As he tries to solve the seemingly unsolvable mystery of his broken relationship, he contends with career catastrophe, social media paranoia, a rapidly dwindling friendship group and the growing suspicion that, at 35, he really should have figured this all out by now. Andy has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend's side of the story. The Edge - David Baldacci When CIA operative Jenny Sikwell is murdered in rural Maine, government officials have immediate concerns over national security. Her laptop and phone were full of state secrets that, in the wrong hands, endanger the lives of countless operatives. In need of someone who can solve the murder quickly and retrieve the missing information, the U.S. government knows just the chameleon they can call on. Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine spent his time in the military preparing to take on any scenario, followed by his short-lived business career chasing shadows in the deepest halls of power, so his analytical mind makes him particularly well-suited for complex, high-stakes tasks. Taking down the world’s largest financial conspiracy proved his value, and in comparison, this case looks straightforward. Except small towns hold secrets and Devine finds himself an outsider again. Devine must ingratiate himself with locals who have trusted each other their whole lives, and who distrust outsiders just as much. Dak, Jenny’s brother, who’s working to revitalize the town. Earl, the retired lobsterman who found Jenny’s body. And Alex, Jenny’s sister with a dark past of her own. As Devine gets to know the residents of Potter, Maine, answers seem to appear and then transform into more questions. There’s a long history of secrets and those who will stop at nothing to keep them from being exposed. Leaving Devine with no idea who he can trust... and who wants him dead. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2, 20233 min

Ashleigh Hoeta on her journey to breaking the equipped powerlifting record

In 2020 Ashleigh Hoeta felt numbness in her leg, her face drooping and was rushed to hospital to find she’d suffered a stroke. She had to teach herself how to walk again, move her legs and fingers, all while raising two children. Not only that, in October this year, her father passed away after a long battle with emphysema. Now, Ashleigh has just become the first woman to bench 317.5kg in equipped powerlifting, breaking the world record. She’s one of the top women arm wrestlers and an ex international gymnast. Ashleigh Hoeta joined Jack Tame to discuss her journey and breaking the world record. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2, 202315 min

Tara Ward: Scrublands, Artful Dodger, Slow Horses

Scrublands An Australian crime drama about a journalist investigating a murder in a small rural town (ThreeNow). Artful Dodger This spinoff of the Oliver Twist story sees the Artful Dodger sent to 1850s Australia to carry on his dodgy behaviour (Disney+). Slow Horses A new season of the delightful spy thriller that sees Gary Oldman play the boss of a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents (AppleTV+). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2, 20234 min

Francesca Rudkin: Napoleon and The Old Oak

Napoleon A look at the military commander's origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine. The Old Oak A pub landlord in a previously thriving mining community struggles to hold onto his pub. Meanwhile, tensions rise in the town when Syrian refugees are placed in the empty houses in the community. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2, 20236 min

Mike Yardley: South Dakota's tourist trail

"Rising up from the western South Dakota plains, just over the Wyoming state line, the Black Hills region beckons like an emerald isle in a sea of prairie. These ponderosa-covered mountains, slashed by creek-carved canyons and softened by alpine meadows have a majesty all their own. But this picturesque pocket of South Dakota also serves up a head swirl of landmark sights and experiences, which makes this region a runaway highlight of any American West road-trip." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2, 202310 min

Dougal Sutherland: Neurodiversity and ASD in the workplace

A few weeks ago we discussed ADHD in the workplace and how this is beginning to show up a lot in recent times. Following on from that, we are seeing a lot more people in the workplace with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). Together ASD, ADHD and Learning Disabilities are sometimes referred to as “neurodiversity”. ASD now the term used for what used to be call Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. A stereotype would be Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rainman but really important to note that the difficulties are experienced on a spectrum. We're now seeing more adults diagnosed in adulthood for much the same reasons as ADHD (i.e., missed during childhood, not enough services out there, have had a child diagnosed with ASD and now wondering about it for themselves). The main difficulties for people with ASD in the workplace are around social relationships, a strong need for routine and sameness, and sensory hypersensitivity (e.g., very sensitive hearing). There are other symptoms which include very strong “obsessional” interest in specific topics (e.g., being an expert on the French revolution) and some unusual behaviours (e.g., handflapping when distressed). People with ASD report not having the natural understanding of how social relationships work. They might find it hard to keep eye contact and have difficulty balancing conversations (e.g., they talk too much about themselves and not ask anything of the other person or barely participate in a conversation, might take things very literally). Expressing their emotions might be difficult because of the difficulties in social interactions. Hypersensitivity might make working in certain environments very difficult. What can be done to help? Recognition and understanding always hugely important for both the employee and employer. Work out together what can be done to the work environment to reduce stress. It may also, with permission of the individual, be useful to educate the wider team about ASD. Work out best ways of communicating with the person. It may also be useful to get a professional assessment to help guide employee and employers in what steps to take. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2, 20236 min

Ruud Kleinpaste: Growing tomatoes

Growing tomatoes is one of the big hobbies of New Zealanders, especially males! It’s great to have a go at these fruit – there are many many varieties too and everybody has their favourite ones. But there are some problems that can occur, whether you’re raising them in an open garden bed, or in a tunnel house Tomato – (potato) thrips are a nuisance; they got here a few decades ago and will attack Solanaceous plants (potatoes, tomatoes, nightshades, poroporo, and such weeds) Tomato thrips adults and nymphs I used to get heaps of them when growing tomatoes in Auckland, but in CHC they seem to be prevalent only in autumn (takes longer to develop plague proportions); My best preventative action is to pull Solanum weeds out everywhere. It prevents them from settling on these hosts and survive during winter. When you have a hassle: spray the plants with oil (Conqueror Oil or Neem Oil) on a regular basis (every 10 days or so); aim for the newer leaves/growth on the tomato plants. Sprays with insecticides need to commence well before you see the first psyllids; it keeps their populations down too. I generally don’t grow potatoes (only the early season varieties of potatoes (before Xmas) Blossom End Rot on Tomatoes has always been translated as a deficiency of calcium. Apparently that is a myth in itself; it has more to do with the inability of the plant to transport calcium through the plant. Gibberellins appear to be playing an important role in that job and most NZ soils are not deficient in calcium; so: try some fertilisers with gibberellic acid (Seafood Soup/Seaweed Tea!) Often the first tomatoes of the season show some Blossom End Rot. With settling temps and regular fertilisation/watering these symptoms often disappear. Early Blight and Late Blight on stems and leaves can move pretty quickly through the plants. Here comes the watering again!!! Only water the soil (NOT the leaves); remove the lower leaves as soon as practicable, so they don’t drag on the moist soil and get infected. Underwatering also helps in this matter: keep the area drier; make sure the wind/air movement can dry the plants and stems quickly. If you have persistent hassles with blight: keep a regular fungicide treatment going Passionvine hoppers (Scolypopa australis) I call them fluffy bums – as their “nylon-filament tails” are prominent features (of course these tails are made from fine waxy material!) Photo / Supplied They suck sap from a wide variety of host plants, often climbers (Wisteria, Passionfruit vines) and Perennials (salvia, Hydrangeas, Camellia, you name it!!) Sap-sucking is their big impact on garden plants – sometimes they debilitate their host, pooping honeydew all over the place and that creates a deposit of sooty mould, like with some many sap-sucking insects in the garden Slowly they grow larger and larger shedding skins along their journey (moulting), until they reach adulthood in summer: Moth-like insects with delta-shaped wings, showing prominent vein-markings; they, too, suck plant sap These insects have the ability to jump quickly and far and the adult passionvine hoppers also flick and fly very smartly… avoiding the insecticides you may want to spray at them!! They are impossible to spray with insecticides. But the fluffy bums might still be reduced in numbers in spring, when they are still young: On a wind-still morning, grab an aerosol can with simple fly spray and create an insecticidal mist around those densely-packed groupings of young and impressionable fluffybums; they may try to “jump away from danger”, but won’t be able to succeed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 1, 20234 min

Dr Bryan Betty: The truth behind 'old wives tales'

Dr Bryan Betty joined Jack Tame to chat about the truth behind some 'old wives tales': Whether you’ll get a cold if you go outside with wet hair. If you’ll get arthritis if you crack your knuckles. Whether you should chew your food 30 times before swallowing. If you’ll get square eyes watching too much television. If eating Carrots will give you better eyesight. Is the five second rule for dropped food accurate? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 1, 20233 min

Paul Stenhouse: Google's deleting inactive accounts and Happy Birthday Chat GPT!

Google is starting to delete inactive accounts Accounts which have been created but never used are first on the chopping block. They'll start being deleted today. Then accounts that haven't been active in more than two years. To keep an account active you'll need to log into it, and then it'd be best to complete an action like send an email, watch a YouTube video or add a contact. Happy Birthday ChatGPT! It was a year ago that ChatGPT burst onto the scene. It moved AI from something that was magic in the background —like Spotify's weekly personalized playlists, or Netfix recommending what to watch next— to a product people could directly interact with and put generative capabilities into the hands of everyone. It's now used by 100 million people a week. Businesses now are looking at ways to integrate and use it in their workflows, and it's made the creation of chatbots easier by giving it source documents and fewer pre-defined steps. According to Pitch Deck, more than $21 billion has been invested in generative AI startups so far this year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 1, 20233 min

Nici Wickes: Strawberry Shortcake

Rich, buttery, and simply gorgeous. The combo of strawberry, rhubarb and vanilla in this shortcake is so, so good. Makes 1 x Swiss roll tin Ingredients: 2 regular chips of strawberries, chipped and chopped 2 cups chopped rhubarb, cut into 2 cm lengths 2 tbsps. sugar Zest of half a lemon 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 225g butter 1 cup sugar + 1 tbsp 2 large eggs 2 ½ cups flour 2 tsps. baking powder Whipped cream to serve Method: 1. Set the oven at 180 C. Line a Swiss roll tin with baking paper. 2. In a bowl toss strawberries and chopped rhubarb with first measure of sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and leave to sit while you make the shortcake dough. 3. Make the shortcake: Cream the butter and sugar (reserve the 1 tbsp sugar measure) until light and creamy, then beat in eggs. Stir in the sifted flour and baking powder, mix well and chill for 15 minutes. 4. You won't be able to roll this mixture (it’s too buttery) so with floured hands gently flatten half of the mixture into the lined tin. 5. Spread the fruit over the base then cover with the other half of the shortcake – you can crumble it over as it will spread as it cooks - and cook for 40-45 minutes hour until golden brown. 6. Sprinkle with extra 1 tbsp. sugar to serve. 7. Serve warm or cooled slices with whipped cream. Make it yours: - Use blueberries in place of rhubarb. - Add lemon zest or a decent pinch of cinnamon to the pastry. - Sprinkle top with chopped hazelnuts midway through baking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 1, 20236 min

Kevin Milne: The good and the bad of Marriage

Kevin went to a function with his wife this past Wednesday. He may have been oblivious to the state of the shirt he was wearing, but his wife was not. The events that followed, in Kevin's words, perfectly illustrates some of the good and bad things about marriage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 1, 20235 min

Jack Tame: Crocs are back in fashion

Fashion. It’s not a subject I can profess to knowing an awful lot about, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the ebbs and flows of what’s hot and what’s not, it’s that you can never rule anything out. No matter how unfashionable something is, no matter how objectively horrible it looks, at some point it will be in. It’s easy to forget, once upon a time codpieces were the height of sophistication and taste. It happened with sneans, sneakers and jeans. And even though it would seem very unusual by today’s standards to see a group of young men loping around with their pants halfway down their thighs and their underwear sticking out, low-riding was until recently very fashionable and sadly given the cyclical nature of fashion, it’ll probably be fashionable again. This brings me to Crocs. I’m hardly the first person to notice the popularity of the plastic-y modern clog. But I’ve been struck by the way in which Crocs have crossed from being a sort of ironic haha-I’m-wearing-ugly-shoes option for middle aged people who wanted to wind up their teenagers, to a shoe which is actually cool, cool. Crocs have been worn by popstars and Hollywood heartthrobs. For several years now they’ve been the boot of choice for the likes of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and fashionistas at openings in fancy art galleries. Nowhere is this more obvious than with kids. I was standing at the bottom of a large and slightly intimidating slide at a West Auckland playground last weekend, waiting for my stepson to come on down. And kid after kid after kid whipped off a pair of Crocs and threw the shoes to the bottom of the slide, least the rubbery soles stunt their momentum on the way down. The way kids wear them, of course, is with Jibbitz. Jibbitz are little charms that you can attach to a pair of Crocs in much the same way as you might wear a charm on a charm bracelet. It’s a way for kids to further personalise their Crocs and distinguish their pair from everyone else’s. Fashions come and go but one thing that has never changed in the schoolyard: shoes are still the ultimate status symbol. But of course, as is the danger with in-demand fashions, there are inevitably downsides to the popularity. At least one New Zealand school has introduced a complete Crocs ban. Several others are banning the Jibbitz charms as kids argue over them. There’s always the risk you might push a trend too far and get caught out as the fashion tides change. Ugly is trendy, I get that. But I must confess to wondering how far the concept reaches after being confronted this week by an ad for a Croc accessory I’d never seen before. Croc Nuts. The perfect solution for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life, this Christmas. For those who are familiar with Truck Nutz, it’s more or less the same concept. A pair of gleaming metallic testicles which you can clip to the back of your Crocs to swing around in the breeze as you go about your business. Taste may be in the eye of the beholder. But let this serve as a reminder to all of us: in fashion, you can never rule anything out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 1, 20234 min

Mike Yardley: Road-tripping Southern Montana

Southern Montana is the Wild West of dreams and the Hollywood big screen, sprawling over a rugged and serene landscape. After taking in the manifold treats of Wyoming, a dabble with Montana’s big-skies and rock-star good looks is an essential addition to an American West road-trip. Part rough-and-tumble Rocky Mountains and part expansive prairie, the state doesn’t boast any major cities – they are more like overgrown cow towns. Main Street Red Lodge: Credit Mike Yardley But if you’re in need of an urban fix, your best bet is Billings, the state’s most populous city – about the size of Hamilton. Nicknamed the Magic City, the moniker came about from Billings’ expansive growth in the golden age of railroads, steamboats and cattle barons. The city is a springboard for historical explorations and outdoorsy adventure. First impressions count and what captured my attention on arrival in Billings is how the city is dramatically cradled by magnificent sandstone cliffs known as the Rimrocks. Deposited by an ancient inland seaway and slowly carved over millions of years by the Yellowstone River, these scenic "rimrocks" backdrop the northern edge of town. Rim Rock by Kayak, Billings. Photo / Supplied I struck out on the trails at Swords Park which offers enormous views from the rimrocks. Just keep an eye out for the rattlesnakes! Zimmerman Park and Phipps Park offer fabulous walking trails too, while if you’d rather take to the water to admire the rimrocks, hire a kayak for a dreamy float at sunset on the Yellowstone River. Immerse yourself in nature’s splendour! History also adorns Pompeys Pillar, a striking sandstone monolith just of town. It’s where William Clark carved his name into the stone in July 1806 before continuing his famous expedition west with Meriwether Lewis. If you’re up for a culture fix, there’s a good clutch of museums in Billings. I particularly enjoyed the Western Heritage Center, housed in the city’s old library, proudly preserving the stories and history of the Yellowstone River Valley and Northern High Plains. Don’t let the city’s brightly illuminated, flame-throwing oil refineries symbolise your sense of nightlife in Billings. Bar-hopping the craft breweries is where the city excels, come nightfall. Angry Hanks Brewing. Photo / Supplied Clustered in the downtown district, hop-scotch your way from Angry Hanks and Thirsty Street Brewing Company to Uberbrew and Montana Brewing Company. Right next door on Montana Ave, Hooligan’s Sports Bar will top off your all-American night out on the town. Montana Ave, which has been transformed into a very hip strip of hospitality, parallels the railroad that gave the city life in the 19th century. For the kids and kids at heart, the only thing better than a binge at the Caramel Cookie Waffles bakery is to get your fill at the gourmet ice cream store, Big Dipper. In the blazing Montana sunshine, this place is like a refuge! I highly recommend a scoop of Banana Cream Pie and tangerine sorbet. A block away, The Burger Dive dishes up creations like I’m Your Huckleberry burgers, which have been honoured by the World Food Championships. Their garlic-drenched fries will linger long in your memories – if not on your breath. Caramel Cookie Waffles, Billings. Photo / Supplied But it’s that angus burger topped with smooth goat cheese, bacon, a fresh cut onion ring and huckleberry and chili barbeque sauce, that really hit the spot. Few tastes carry such revered status as the huckleberry does in the American West. They grow wild across Montana, resembling large dark blueberries and Native Americans still use them as a traditional medicine – packed with antioxidants. They certainly taste great in a burger! Where to stay? In the heart of town, the Northern Hotel is the grand dame, first built in 1940, but extensively refreshed a decade ago. You’ll enjoy swish accommodations with all of the creature comforts, plus the on-site dining is superb. Enjoy a classic but upscale breakfast at Bernie’s Diner. To the west of Billings, Red Lodge is a small-town gem that will charm your pants off, edging the Yellowstone River. This sweet little town is nestled in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains and lassoed by Custer National Forest. The main street, flanked by evocative old stone buildings, brims with enticements, from western-wear stores and antique shops to art galleries and great hospo options. You’ll love the gift store, Montana CC Legends, which is loaded with trinkets, treasures and impressive local art. Sweet-tooths must not miss one of the best confectionary stores I have seen in a long time – Montana Candy Emporium. Think the Remarkables Sweet Shop on a gigantic scale. This Red Lodge institution has been a mainstay for decades, housed in a nostalgic building, overspilling with nostalgic candy. Montana Candy Emporium. Credit Mike Yardley The handmade chocolate treats at the counter are sinfully good, but being in Montana, it would be rude not to stock up on huckleberry

Nov 24, 202310 min

Estelle Clifford: Troy Sivan 'Something To Give Each other' Review

Estelle Clifford joins Jack Tame to talk about Troy Sivan's new album 'Something to give each other' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20235 min

Catherine Raynes: The Reluctant Beatle and Lawrence of Arabia

The Reluctant Beatle "Biography Of George Exploring the Fascinating Life Of The Reluctant Beatle." Step into the world of George Harrison, the quiet and introspective Beatle whose story has long been overshadowed by the charismatic presence of his bandmates. Lawrence of Arabia by Ranulph Fiennes The authoritative and illuminating biography of T. E. Lawrence - the man who inspired the iconic film Lawrence of Arabia - from "The World's Greatest Living Explorer" Ranulph Fiennes.Thomas EdwardSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20235 min

Kate Hall: Sustainable Christmas Wrapping

- Most wrapping paper is not recyclable, especially when it's in little pieces. - What to use instead: reusable wrapping paper, sheets, pillows, glass jars, containers, wrapping paper that you've saved throughout the year. Get crafty or find things from around the house plus second hand shops. - How to avoid it altogether: gift non-physical things. e.g. acts of service (my husband and I cleaned my parents house!), quality time (dinner voucher), or scrap gifts altogether and focus on the day together. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20238 min

Bob Cambell: Dashwood 2023 Rosé, Marlborough

Why I chose it: - How can they do it at this price? I guess the answer is “volume” but this wine is technically very good indeed. - Rose has become a popular choice in recent years - 2023 was a good Marlborough vintage What does it taste like? - Moderately deep-hued rose (A lot of people prefer paler Rosé but they should remember “the deeper the colour the richer the flavour” in an off-dry style with crushed raspberry and candy floss flavours. Quite intense with a refreshing cut of bright acidity and a lingering finish. A real crowd-pleaser. Why it’s a bargain: - It’s very price-friendly - I gave it a good score at a blind tasting. If I’d had to guess a price it would have been over $20 Where can you buy it? - Countdown $13 (check the vintage), Blackmarket.co.nz case of six bottles $77.94 (equ. $12.99 + Frt) Food match? - I like “pink foods” such as prawns, crayfish or scampi LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20234 min

Tara Ward: Faraway Downs, Time and Squid Game: The Challenge

Faraway Downs: Baz Luhrmann takes his 2008 film Australia starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman and reworks it into a six-part TV series, adding new footage and music (Disney+) Time: A British drama starring Jodie Whittaker and Bella Ramsey about three women who arrive at Carlingford prison on the same day (Neon) Squid Game: The Challenge: Inspired by the hit Netflix series, this sees real-life contestants compete in a series of high-stakes children’s games in pursuit of a $4.56 million dollar cash prize (Netflix) LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20236 min

Nici Wickes: Salmon with quick pickled asparagus

Plate up individual servings of this simple, elegant dish as a starter or set out a platter for people to help themselves. Serves 4-6 4 thick spears asparagus 1 small carrot, peeled 1 small zucchini 1 tsp sea salt 1 cup white wine vinegar 1/3 cup caster sugar ½ tsp mustard seeds 3cm piece lemon rind ½ cup thick Greek yoghurt or crème fraiche 200g-250g smoked salmon – I used hot smoked but cold smoked salmon will work just as well or smoke your own! 4 tablespoons good quality olive oil Ground black pepper Sprigs fresh dill Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard. Use a vegetable peeler to shave very thin strips of the asparagus stem and use a knife to cut the tips into thin slices. Cut the carrot and zucchini into very thin matchsticks. Toss together in a bowl with salt. Heat vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds and lemon rind and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this over the vegetables and gently toss them in the pickling liquid. Cover and set aside until required. Note that you could do this stage up to a few days before the big day, tossing them every now and again. To serve; spoon 1-2 tablespoons of yoghurt or crème fraiche onto each plate (or all of it on the platter) and spread it with the back of a spoon. Top with salmon, dividing it evenly between the plates. Add a decent spoonful of the pickled vegetables to each plate. Just before serving drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and add springs of fresh dill. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20235 min

Francesca Rudkin: Saltburn and The Velveteen Rabbit

Francesca Rudkin reviews Saltburn and new remake of the Velveteen Rabbit on this mornings program with Jack Tame SALTBURN A student is invited to an eccentric classmate's estate for an exciting summer. THE VELVETEEN RABBIT When 7-year-old William receives a new favourite toy for Christmas, he discovers a lifelong friend and unlocks a world of magic. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20235 min

Kevin Milne: Why Can't Winston Be More Civil?

Why Can’t Winston Be More Civil? Kevin Milne Joined Jack Tame to talk about the ludicrously of media scrums. Especially when it comes to trying to get anything out of Winston Peters... “If Winston Doesn’t want to talk, why don’t journalists just pack up and go back to the office?” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20237 min

Jack Tame: It's A Done Deal

We can dispute when the counter should have started – election night or the official results – but I suspect the waiting game will soon be forgotten as the new government is sworn in and the house sits in urgency. At first blush, I actually think the biggest winner of the three parties is National. Perhaps you’d expect nothing less from the highest-polling party, but there’s no doubt Christopher Luxon and his team were negotiating with a couple of wily, smart operators. And at the conclusion of negotiations, almost all of National’s policies remain on the table. They haven’t had to sacrifice their babies. Sure, there’s the foreign buyers’ tax. But given the scrutiny over the projected revenue numbers during the election campaign, I’d suggest National was none too bothered to have that policy tossed upon the bonfire. They can blame Winston Peters. Give him the win. And yes, it means a gap in revenue that will need filling, but something tells me National would much prefer that than monthly updates on how much the foreign buyer tax revenue was falling short of projections. There are some significant visable wins for NZ First: The $1.2B infrastructure fund – ka ching - the various gender and Māori language provisions, and a Covid inquiry. I think Winston Peters is a really good choice for Foreign Minister and Shane Jones is exactly where he wants to be with fisheries and regional development. NZ First will be really pleased. I think we’ll have to wait before we can properly assess the scale of ACT’s wins. There will be no Treaty referendum, and if it so chooses, it’ll be easy enough for the National Party to drops its support of a treaty principles bill straight after select committee. It’ll be interesting to see whether scrapping the Māori Health Authority, co-governance provisions, and changing various Māori names might take some of the heat out of that issue for the time being. Compared to NZ First, ACT has certainly taken on less-flashy ministerial positions. And again, we probably won’t be able to assess the true impact of the deal until we see how much regulation David Seymour can cut as the new minister, or how much Brooke van Velden can shake up workplace relations, or exactly what the new Arms Act will look like. In ACT’s coalition deal, it struck me that in many areas there are less concrete commitments, but that perhaps those commitments cover broader areas. The words explore, examine, and consider are sprinkled throughout the document. Listen to this, for example: In consultation with the relevant Minister, carry out regulation sector reviews, which could include the primary industries, the finance sector, early childhood education, and healthcare occupational licensing, in each case producing an omnibus bill for regulatory reform of laws affecting the sector. Maybe I’m being a bit of a bush lawyer here, but that theoretically has the potential to be enormously consequential. It also has the potential to change basically nothing. They haven’t even agreed with certainty what sectors will be reviewed. From Christopher Luxon’s perspective, I thought the Deputy Prime Minister split was a pretty elegant solution. But the real test of a coalition is not the detail in the deal, but the behaviour of the parties and the management of relationships when inevitably they disagree. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20235 min

Mike Yardley: Three Great Wild West Towns in the USA

"After feasting on nature’s splendour in Yellowstone National Park, I was itching for a dabble with the Old West’s frontier spirit." "Cody proudly touts itself as the “Rodeo Capital of the World,” and its colourful downtown brims with cowboy apparel stores, cheap and cheerful steakhouses and effervescent, boot-tapping saloons. I adored Cody and it’s infectious, welcoming ambience." "Located at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains on the Bozeman Trail, cute little Buffalo exudes charm in spades, proudly home to one of the most acclaimed Old West hotels." "Sixty years ago, Deadwood became the only city in the United States to be named a National Historic Landmark." Check out Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 18, 202313 min

Francesca Rudkin: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and The Killer (1)

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake. The Killer Solitary, cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, a killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. Yet, the longer he waits, the more he thinks he's losing his mind, if not his cool. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 18, 20237 min

Francesca Rudkin: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and The Killer

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake. The Killer Solitary, cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, a killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. Yet, the longer he waits, the more he thinks he's losing his mind, if not his cool. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 18, 20237 min

Estelle Clifford: Dolly Parton - Rockstar

Country icon Dolly Parton has matched her Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction with the release of her new rock album Rockstar. The 30 track album features both covers of iconic rock songs and a few original compositions, each track featuring an accompaniment from a star studded list. Rockstar is Parton's 49th studio album, and the only one of it's genre that she ever plans to do. "It's thirty songs! Why would I ever need to do another?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 18, 20237 min

Catherine Raynes: The Year of the Locust and The Drowning

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes If, like Kane, you're a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again - by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide - and when to shoot. But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive. Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart... The Drowning by Bryan Brown The body of a local teenage boy is found on the beach of a sleepy northern New South Wales town. David went for an evening swim and got into trouble . . . at least, that's what it looks like. Three weeks before, Leila, a young backpacker, didn't turn up for her shift at the local cafe. Benny, the owner, isn't worried. It happens - backpackers are always on the move. There'll be another one. One of the locals, Adrian, has been a help to Benny. He's found him a nice little sideline. Not exactly legal. Is that all Adrian is arranging on the coast? He once was a cop but has he gone bad? And in the backblocks outside town, a bikie gang is gearing up for a large consignment from South America. Murder, drugs, liaisons and lies are stirring up this small coastal town. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 17, 20233 min

Dr Dougal Sutherland: Barriers men face when it comes to mental health and the ways around them

In the middle of Movember, Dr Dougal Sutherland is joining Jack Tame to chat about the barriers men face to talking about their mental health and a few ways to get around these barriers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 17, 20237 min

Hannah McQueen: Parallels between running a marathon and achieving financial goals

Hannah McQueen has just returned to New Zealand after running the New York Marathon. While preparing for this event, she identified a few parallels between what it takes to run a marathon and achieving one’s financial goals. The notes: - Have a goal. - Understand your own limitations - not everyone’s a runner and not everyone is naturally inclined to make the best financial decisions (even if they know what they are). So: - Get someone who’s got experience/expertise to help you build a plan to achieve that goal. - This means the plan is tailored to you. - This means there’s an expert on hand in the event you experience a setback and the plan needs to flex or adapt to a new situation. - There’s someone to be accountable to (some of us aren’t very good at being accountable to ourselves). And if you are working with a professional: - Trust the process - others may have a different plan to you, so don’t compare yourself to others. - If you feel like you’re not ‘doing enough’ or progress has stalled, trust that your plan has been designed with you and your goals in mind and probably has a few contingencies if things don’t go to plan. You may not see the progress you’re making —or see how it’s helping you get to your end goal— but that doesn’t mean that you’re not 100% on track. - It will be uncomfortable, especially at first. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 17, 20236 min

Paul Stenhouse: Starlink's new competition from Amazon and Microsoft becoming an app on Apple devices

Elon's Starlink has competition from Amazon They're using the rockets from founder Jeff Bezos' other company Blue Origin (along with others) to launch over 3,000 LEO (low earth orbit) satellites, aiming to bring internet to every corner of the earth. They'll be between 590 and 630 kilometres above earth. Amazon's project has successfully launched its first two prototype rockets a month ago, and this week announced they're fully operational and passed all their tests with flying colours. They were able to stream 4K video and do two-way video calls over the network. These satellites have a custom electric propulsion system designed and built in-house by Amazon. They say it's a way to safely maneuverer the satellites in space in an eco-friendly way. They expect to start service by the end of next year, and have half of their constellation operational by July 2026. There are 1000 people working on the project. Windows is now an app for iPhones, iPads, Macs What a bizarre sentence that is. Microsoft wants you to use Windows on whatever device you have! The Windows app allows business users to connect to virtual PCs, running Windows in the cloud -- combining an array of services already in market (Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box, and Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Services). They have plans to offer the same service to consumers too. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 17, 20233 min

Guy Montgomery: Stand-up comedian on comedy and his 2024 tour "50,000,000 Guy Fans Can’t Be Wrong"

The Award-winning Guy Montgomery knows what it takes to be a successful and iconic kiwi comedian in a challenging, small, and competitive industry. Starting out as a young teenager, trialing jokes and learning to work a room, Guy has grown into a fantastic multi-tasking stand-up comedian, podcaster, and improviser. He’s making his way round the country with his brand new 2024 standup tour ‘50,000,000 Guy Fans Can’t Be Wrong.’ Montgomery told Jack Tame that the title is based on Elvis’ second greatest hits compilation ‘50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong.’ “I’ve always loved X number of anyone can’t be wrong.” He told Tame. “I think it’s so misinformed, I like the brazen arrogance of it.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 17, 202316 min

Nici Wickes: A Winning Christmas Cake

It’s that time of year when we can no longer deny that Christmas will be happening in about 6 weeks! Get at least this fun job ticked off - making the Christmas cake. This recipe makes a neat little cake, perfect for smaller households or as a gift. Makes one small cake (15cmx15cm) Ingredients: 650g mixed fruit – I used currants, sultanas, raisins, dried apricots 1 tbsp honey 1 grated apple ¼ cup brandy ¾ cup loosely packed brown sugar 1 scant tsp baking powder 1 ¼ cups of flour 150g butter, melted 3 small eggs, beaten Blanched almonds for top (optional) Method: 1. In a large mixing bowl put the first 4 ingredients (fruit, honey, apple, brandy) and leave overnight. 2. Preheat the oven to 150 C. Prepare a 15x15cm tin with 2 layers of newspaper followed by another 2 layers of baking paper, sides and bottom. 3. Mix the brown sugar into the fruit mix and mix thoroughly. Add the flour and baking powder and give it another good mix. Now add the melted butter and finally the beaten eggs. Make sure all is mixed well - strong arms are needed! 4. Tip this all into your prepared tin and decorate with the almonds – any shape you like but if it’s a gift I'm inclined to shape them into a heart. 5. Place cake tin on a magazine in the middle rack of the oven and bake until a skewer comes out clean - about 1 ¾ - 2 hours. Leave to cool. 6. Wrap cake well in foil and store in a cool place in an airtight container until needed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 17, 20235 min

Kevin Milne: Should the Bird of the Year competition be geo-restricted?

The winner of this year's Bird of the Century competition comes as no surprise. Backed by an international campaign run by British-American comedian John Oliver, the pūteketeke swept the competition with a total of 290,374 votes, decimating its closest competition by over 270,000 votes. With the intense international involvement weighting the competition, Kevin Milne is wondering whether the Bird of the Year should be geo-restricted for following years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 17, 20235 min

Jack Tame: The Christmas Cake Curse

I love Christmas cake. Not any Christmas cake. Not every Christmas cake. But my mum’s Christmas cake, for whatever reason, gives me so much joy. It’s not that her cakes are crazy-fancy or anything. She uses store-bought mixed fruit. They’re not iced and there’s no surprising secret ingredient, but for whatever reason Mum has mastered the perfect Christmas fruit cake. They’re moist. They’re dense. They’re heavy. They’re a highlight of a Tame family Christmas. Perhaps it all just comes down to practice. She used to make ten or twelve every year and give them as gifts. But the moment I get home every summer, Mum has a couple of cakes waiting on the bench, and I carve off big hunks to eat while standing in the kitchen. Sometimes Dad eats it with blue cheese. But however well Christmas fruit cakes hit my taste buds, they also hit my stomach. Is it a PH thing? I dunno. Maybe the mixed fruit starts to ferment or sour in my gut? It doesn’t happen to anyone else. Not another soul. All I know is there is a direct correlation between my eating mum’s fruit cake and no one wanting to be within a twenty metre radius. “Oh GOD! What IS that?! Is something dead?” “Get the children! Ahh!” “Burn our clothes! Burn our clothes!” I don’t know exactly what happens, but somewhere deep inside me there is a chemical reaction of sorts. I’m the first to admit... it’s just awful. Putrid. The smell will curl your ears. The moment a bit of cake hits my stomach it’s like that scene from Titanic. “Are there any survivors?” Call it the Christmas Cake Curse. My mum flogs herself with Christmas baking. Mince pies, shortbread, mars bar slice, Russian fudge. It’s too much! We can’t fit all the baking in the cupboards. We’ve had to establish a Tame family Christmas baking spillover zone. And yet for all the abundance, all of that choice, my favourite Christmas treat just happens to be the one that’ll end up peeling the paint off the walls. Baking is an act of love. Baking, when you know how it affects your son, is an even greater act of love. But the greatest act of love this summer will be my noble decision to take a piece of fruit cake and politely excuse myself, outside. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 17, 20233 min

Estelle Clifford: Michael Franti - Big Big Love

Michael Franti’s new album with Spearhead was released last week. ‘Big Big Love’ is a seventeen-song album to accompany you through the “highs and lows of life”, as Franti puts it. In the post announcing its release Franti said the central theme of the album was “togetherness.” “Togetherness is the central theme in all the songs on this record. How do we get that feeling of togetherness, that feeling of closeness, that we so often overlooked and took for granted, but now has become so important? Not only just in terms of how we interact with each other in our neighborhoods or our personal relationships, but on a worldwide scale. How do we bridge these gaps so that people can feel close to one another again? There are forces in the world that use our division to achieve their greedy goals, their political aims, or just to divide people because they want to try to take advantage of it. I want to really use my music and my time in my life to bring closeness to people and help them feel like they’re not alone in this world.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 11, 20237 min

Arthur Brooks: How to live a Happy Life

Happiness is what arguably motivates you to do just about anything, Arthur Brooks is a Harvard University lecturer American author and public speaker, and he’s just about cracked the code when it comes to living a happy life. He just about lives and breathes the subject, Arthur’s written in the Atlantic's ‘How to Build a Life’ column, hosted the podcast ‘How to Build a Happy Life’, and now he’s teaming up with Oprah Winfrey to co-write a book. Arthur Brooks joined Jack Tame to chat about his work. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 11, 202313 min

Kevin Milne: The Hoity-toity Hall of Fame

Kevin Milne has opinions on culture. The Hoity-toity Hall of Fame is what Kevin calls the things people are expected to like but simply couldn’t care less about, such as the art of “influential” Kiwi artist Francis Hodgkins. He’s also wondering if he’s the only one feeling awkward because he's never read a Katherine Mansfield book. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 11, 20238 min

Francesca Rudkin: The Marvels and Nyad

The Marvels Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with two other superheroes to form the Marvels. Nyad Sixty-four-year-old marathon swimmer Diana Nyad attempts to become the first person ever to swim from Cuba to Florida. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 11, 20239 min

Tara Ward: Robbie Williams, The Buccaneers, and 007: Road to a Million

Robbie Williams A four-part documentary series featuring 30 years of never-before-seen archive footage about the British singer’s controversial rise to fame (Netflix). The Buccaneers This new historical drama set in the 1870s follows a group of wealthy American women as they travel to London for the debutante season (Apple TV+). 007: Road to a Million Succession’s Brian Cox stars as The Controller in this fun British adventure series that sees contestants compete in a series of Bond-inspired challenges around the world to win one million pounds (Prime Video). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 11, 20234 min