Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Andrew Saville joined Jack Tame to talk about last night's Hurricanes v Waratahs Super Rugby match, the upcoming day two of the Black Caps v Sri Lanka second test and SailGP's grand prix event. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2023 Oscars were this week, and Jamie Lee Curtis walked away with Best Supporting Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Kevin Milne talked about her first interview after the fact and addressed her response to a question about what her Oscar-nominated parents may have thought from beyond the grave. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The media merger is gone. The clean car upgrade is dead. A selection of other policies have been cast aside or delayed by the first majority government in MMP history. Cynical, clinical, and effective, if the new Prime Minister’s reprioritisation has taught us anything, it’s public sentiment is the best measure in judging which legislation lives and dies. Forget vision or ambition, Labour just wants to win. With that in mind, the blade of Chris Hipkins’ legislative guilotine weighs heavy above Three Waters, the last of the big reforms for which we’re awaiting a final verdict. And while the centralisation model might survive his shake up, the Prime Minister’s colleagues and officials will be trying to restructure the proposals in a way that nullifies the criticisms of disproportionate and undemocratic Māori influence. Co-governance as proposed under both the original and revised Three Waters reforms marked a first in New Zealand. It’s disengenuous for supporters to dismiss the structure as nothing new, because it is. It may have been inspired by the co-governance of other smaller entities, but a 50-50 model for the delivery of essential public services, on this scale, would be a turning point in legislative interpretations of Te Tiriti. Opponents claim the Three Waters proposals defy a one-person-one-vote principle and cannot be considered democratic. It’s true that as a percentage of the population, the proposals give Māori greater representation than non-Māori on the Regional Representative Groups. The original proposal had mana whenua at the top table, but even the revised version, in which Māori and council representation is one tier back, is structured in a 50-50 split. But another interpretation is simply that co-governance gives effect to the partnership principles of Te Tiriti, and that actually a better measure of New Zealand’s democracy is whether the Crown honours its obligations under our founding document. In the words of the late Moana Jackson, treaties aren’t meant to be settled, they’re meant to be honoured. The great shame for supporters of co-governance is that Labour has never mounted a forceful argument to explain why it believes co-governance is the right course. Like spinach in a toddler’s cheese toastie, the introduction of the reforms gave voters the impression Labour was trying to quietly sneak co-governance through. For all her communicative talents, when pressed, Jacinda Ardern ducked and dived and argued that for non-Māori, co-governance was nothing to fear. While that may be true, there’s a significant difference between defending a controversial policy and actively selling it. Really, it’s been left to a handful of Māori MPs to vainly fight off the critics. Nanaia Mahuta should never have been charged with pushing the changes through. Strategically it was a poor decision, and at a human level it wasn’t much better. While much of the opposition to co-governance centres on reasonable arguments over representation and democracy, there is undoubtedly an ugly anti-Māori streak which has targetted the Minister, personally. Whether you agree with the interpretation or not, 50-50 co-governance for the delivery of vital public services is a subject worthy of debate. It cuts to the heart of our founding document, our identity, and our democracy. What does it mean to be Treaty partners in modern Aotearoa? The Labour government’s handling of Three Waters has ultimately done a disservice to Māori. They never sold it. They never explained it. They never even tried to. And if Chris Hipkins chooses to water it down once again, you can be sure co-governance won’t be back any time soon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The album marks Cyrus' eighth studio album and first since 2020's Plastic Hearts. Miley Cyrus has revealed that her eighth album ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ will be split into two parts, ‘AM’ and ‘PM’. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Silence Project, Carole Hailey A powerful debut novel that explores a complex mother-daughter relationship. What is it like to be the daughter of a woman who started a cult that changed the world? Monster. Martyr. Mother. On Emilia Morris's thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word. Inspired by her vow of silence, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers around the world burn themselves to death. The Mysterious case of the Alperton Angels, Janice Halley Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult-like group who were convinced one of their member's babies was the anti-Christ, and they had a divine mission to kill it - until the baby's mother, Holly, came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than go to prison, and Holly - and the baby - disappeared into the care system. Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed - if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool joined the show to chat about ghosting, toxic behavior, and the impact it can have on dating and relationships. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking out for seasonal troubles Some of us had a rubbish summer – wind and water and wholesale destruction. It’s really hard to give suitable advice as each situation is different. The only thing I can say is: protect your valuable top-soil, as that is the most important part of your garden. Mulch what you’ve got and add more organic materials to allow the beneficial creatures to thrive. Plant your winter crops when you have the time and inclination to do so: Brassicas and good root crops. Don’t give up! For those of us that have had a drought: we may have broken that problem over the past weeks or so. But temperatures have been relatively high and the dry conditions have turned a lot more moist: Mildew is amongst us. That white cover on the leaves on a range of plants (roses, pumpkins, oak leaves, grapes, you name it). It’s caused by a fungus that loves warm day time temperatures, followed by cooler evening temperatures – it causes a layer of dew on the leaves and rust spores love that very much. Prevention: spray some copper/sulphur fungicide on the leaves on a regular basis; it literally creates a barrier for the spores to become active. Plants that are already “hammered” by mildew may need a heavier, “systemic” fungicidal spray to contain the fungus Spider mites adore the late-summer heat. They have slowly increased their numbers, built fine webs on susceptible host plants and are reproducing like there’s no tomorrow. Organic control can be achieved via Yates’ fatty acid spray (NatraSoap) … that stuff works on tiny critters with a sensitive skin; alternative: Neem Oil or Conqueror Oil. Repeat sprays recommended. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re coming up to the end of the financial year, which doesn’t mean much for most wage and salary earners these days, but it will mean something to many property investors, who will see the next step down in the phase-out of interest cost deductibility. Those who aren’t exempt (only those who bought a new build after the end of March 2021 are exempt) will see deductibility drop from 75% to 50% - which means they may end up paying tax on a profit they’re not making. While I know few have sympathy for property investors, many of them are just average people who have bought a property to help fund their retirement and the rules have changed. If you layer in higher interest costs, it should prompt a re-think about whether they should continue to own that property, and if not that property, how else should they fund their retirement gap. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spotify is getting a makeover and it looks like TikTok The original streaming music service has expanded over the years to include podcasts and now audio books - and now wants to showcase all its offerings in a new way. The home screen will go from album art and playlists, to look more like a newsfeed where you can scroll through items their AI thinks you might like. It'll jump you straight to the chorus of a new song, an interesting bit of a podcast or a clip from an audio book. They say they're not copying TikTok, but putting more of a face on their powerful recommendations engine. Apple Music is getting a dedicated Classical Music app This is an odd one - because surely you can just listen to classical music on regular Apple Music? But the font is serif! Apple says the dedicated app will allow users to dive deep to learn about the composers and their work through editorial notes. Users will also be able to search by composer, work, conductor or even catalog number, to locate recordings. It launches at the end of the month and is part of the current Apple Music subscription offering. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been announced there’s to be a Carterton street named after Georgina Breyer who died this week. Kevin Milne thinks this is great, but reckons that more of our landmarks should be re-named after our national heroes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joel Little started out in a pop punk rock band you might have heard of called Goodnight Nurse. Then he taught himself to produce music to pay the bills. In 2013, an album Joel worked on with a little known 15-year-old artist made HUGE waves both here and overseas: Lorde and her album Pure Heroine. It set Joel on a trajectory to work with some of the biggest names in the music business, and now he’s bringing it full circle with a passion project called Big Fan to help upcoming Kiwi artists. Joel joined the show to chat about his career —past, present, and future— as well as the upcoming Goodnight Nurse reunion at tonight’s My Chemical Romance concert. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can't go wrong with a good self saucing pudding, and you especially can't go wrong with this self saucing pudding! Serves: 4 Cook Time: 35 minutes Cake: 1 cup oat (GF option: buckwheat flour) 1/4 cup cacao powder 1/2 cup coconut sugar 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted 1/2 cup plant-based or dairy milk 1 1/2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp sea salt 2 cups of seasonal fruit, roughly chopped Sauce: 3/4 cup coconut sugar 3 tbsp cacao powder 1 1/4 cups boiling water To Serve: Plant based or dairy ice cream or yoghurt Method: Pre-heat the oven to 190C. Add all of the cake ingredients to a bowl and mix until well combined. In an oven proof dish, pour the cake batter inside and smooth the top. Set aside. For the sauce, in a medium bowl add all of the ingredients and whisk together until smooth and shiny. Slowly pour the sauce over the back of a large metal spoon to cover the pudding. Place the dish into the oven and cook for 35 minutes. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or yoghurt. Any leftovers will keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 4 days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rain Dogs: Daisy May Cooper stars as a devoted single mother with a dysfunctional family, who attempts to go straight in a crooked world (Neon) Desperate Measures: a British drama about a bank clerk whose life spirals out of control when she and her son are coerced into a botched drug deal by a local gang (TVNZ+). Outlast: Netflix’s answer to Survivor sees 16 survivalists live in the extreme Alaskan wild and compete for a chance to win a massive cash prize — but these lone wolves must be part of a team to win (Netflix). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Triangle of Sadness Carl and Yaya, a couple of influencers, are invited to a luxury cruise ship alongside a group of out of touch wealthy people. The situation takes an unexpected turn when a brutal storm hits the ship Champions A former minor-league basketball coach receives a court order to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Despite his doubts, he soon realizes that together they can go further than they ever imagined. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley is once again the envy of us all on his travels to Samoa. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Is Why is the sixth studio album by American rock band Paramore, released on February 10, 2023, through Atlantic Records. It is the band's first album in nearly six years The conditions of pandemic times serve as a backdrop for the new record, released after a five-year hiatus. Now two decades in, Paramore currently consists of Hayley Williams, Zac Farro and Taylor York. Having faced loss, grief, disillusionment and revelation, this return is a declaration of a new skin for a band so good at shedding them in the public eye. But for a world hell-bent on erasing the memory of the last three years of strife, Paramore approaches hard times with a refreshing sense of self. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All the Dangerous Things – Stacy Willingham Following up her instant New York Times bestseller, A Flicker in the Dark, Stacy Willingham delivers a totally gripping thriller about a desperate mother with a troubled past in All the Dangerous Things. One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally. Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year. Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle's past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust... including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads. Cold People – Tom Robb Smith From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 comes a suspenseful and fast-paced novel about an Antarctic colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilization under the most extreme conditions imaginable. The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist…Antarctica. Cold People follows the perilous journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ethically Kate has some advice around how to look after your house plants without buying any sprays or fertilisers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insects after the storm Last week we talked about school grounds, “learning forests” and “outdoor classrooms” demolished after the cyclone; What about the insects after the cyclone? Comments from Taupo teachers indicated that since the windy and rainy disaster the number of chirping cicadas had nose-dived to silence. Overnight! This could well mean that this particular cohort of cicadas will not have been able to lay their quota of eggs in the soil for the generation in 3 or 5 years from now! Interesting to watch that “blip” in the future. The rain will also have drowned myriads of soil dwellers, especially those that live in tunnels. Native bees (that create tunnels for their larvae) may find few offspring surviving, leading to a reduced amount of pollinating small, endemic bees next spring. Who will be affected???? Native flowering trees and shrubs! Tiger beetles will also drown in their silty tunnels – the only critters that might enjoy that news is their prey. (Spiders, ants, beetles, grubs, flies) The most sensitive group of soil-dwellers are probably earth worms, who are (in my opinion) the best drainage engineers we have. Our 175 or so native species (and 16 exotic types) are ones that aerate the soil, opening it up to great depths… 3 to 3.5 meters deep in the sub-soil”; of course they also transport organic matter down to the root zones, enhancing the top soil’s fertility. But a lot of the top soil has been washed away, leaving poor silt covering the earth. I reckon a heap of worms have drowned or covered by silt. We have huge, long worms (over a meter long!) and species that literally glow in the dark when disturbed. (Walter Buller saw a kiwi ripping a bioluminescent worm apart in the darkness of the night – what a light show!) Worms are food for birds (not just kiwi) and huge Native New Zealand snails With the loss of our valuable soil we need to become gardeners again to restore the soil’s ecosystems. Build up the organic material as much as you can; it will certainly reduce the amount of topsoil we lose via streams and rivers that flood out to sea. I have not flown over the east coast of our beautiful country, so I haven’t seen the erosion hit the sea. In a “normal” year we lose an amount of topsoil equivalent to the volume of the island of Waiheke! To me it feels as if we may have lost as much in just one cyclonic episode, a few weeks ago… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Byran Betty has some advice around the causes and treatment of Athlete's Foot. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TikTok is in the news again - for its filters and its future. The 'beauty glam' filter is ringing alarm bells because it's tough to tell it's actually a filter. It's next level because it processes the camera's image, rather than just overlaying something over the top. So if you were to cover just part of your face with your hand, the filters we know today either stop or put the effect over your hand. This will still know where your face is and manipulate the image accordingly. Kids under 18 are going to get warnings about how much time they're spending on TikTok After an hour of use each day they'll have to actively enter a PIN to continue watching - with the hope that it will get them to pause and think, and hopefully put the phone down. But they can simply enter the PIN to keep going. Kids under 13 will need a parent to enter a password every 30 minutes of use. Banned on US government devices The Biden administration gave all government staff 30 days to delete TikTok from their federally issued devices. The US military has banned the app for some time. In the EU, staff of the European Parliament have around three weeks to get rid of it. Could the US actually ban TikTok? The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee wants to. American Civil Liberties Union believes it would violate the first amendment of the constitution. American's love their freedom, so I would think it would be difficult politically. We haven't banned cigarettes! Also, Republicans are typically the ones who champion freedom at all costs so it's seems their disdain for China is overpowering that argument. There are questions about how a ban would even work - would the app just disappear from your device? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Flatshare: A British romantic comedy about Tiffy and Leon, who share the same flat and sleep in the same bed, but who have never met each other (TVNZ+). Daisy and the Six: Adapted from the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy and the Six tells the story of a 1970s rock band who quickly became international stars and imploded at the height of their fandom (Prime Video). Cheat: Eastenders star Danny Dyer’s new high-stakes quiz show sees contestants encouraged to scheme and lie to win $50,000 (Netflix). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have heard Harry styles is in town next week and no, sorry to say, we couldn’t quite get him. But there just so happens to be a Kiwi on stage with him every single night he performs. Naomi Ludlow a.k.a Ny Oh was born in the UK but raised in Tauranga and still very much calls New Zealand home. She’s an extremely talented musician in her own right and just yesterday, released a brand new single called You Are. Ny Oh joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh is best! Here’s some ideas for some pasta sauces that doesn't need cooking and are absolutely delicious. They great to make when you’re having a fridge clean out or if, like me, you have lots of straggly plants still clinging on in the garden – basil, rocket, tomatoes, capsicums etc. Tomato & herb pasta sauce Use the very best quality of tomatoes you can find for this, as well as good olive oil. 3-4 medium tomatoes or 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled Small handful of basil or parsley, chopped ¼ tsp dried oregano Decent splash of olive oil ½ tsp sea salt & decent pinch or grind of pepper Use a box grater to grate the tomatoes into a bowl, leaving the skins out. Do the same with the garlic, using the smaller holes of the grater for this. Stir in chopped herbs, olive oil and seasoning. Leave to sit for 15 minutes then taste and season more if needed. Green pasta sauce This is THE BEST way to get a decent dose of greens into you! Few big handfuls of fresh spinach Basil, rocket, mint, parsley – any or all ¼ cup grated parmesan ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp chilli flakes Squeeze of lemon or capful of vinegar Decent glug of extra virgin olive oil Water to loosen Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, drizzling in oil and water if needed, until you have a bright green pourable sauce. Taste and season more if needed. Lemon & olive oil pasta sauce This is simplicity at its best and best kept for when lemons are in season. ¼ cup lemon juice ¼ cup grated parmesan or crumbled feta Good quality olive oil Salt and pepper to season Chilli flakes optional Stir the lemon juice and cheese together then start whisking in enough olive oil to bring it together as a sauce – up to half a cup. Season and stir through hot spaghetti. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Empire of Light Hilary (Olivia Colman) is a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen (Micheal Ward) is a new employee longing to escape the provincial town where he faces daily adversity. Together they find a sense of belonging and experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community. Creed III Still dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed is thriving in his career and family life. When Damian, a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces after serving time in prison, he's eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian -- a fighter who has nothing to lose. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne wants to get one of the silliest pop songs ever to grace the New Zealand charts back to the top. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No matter what boxes you tick for Tuesday’s census, I’m fairly confident of one thing we all have in common. We can be differentiated in the Census by where we live, our gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, and work. But every last one of us, from new-born babies right through to centenarians and even Harry Styles... every one of us is aging. Today is March 04, 2023. Thirty-six years since I was born at Christchurch Women’s Hospital, I will be spending my birthday, birth hour and birth minute with you. There’s no need to text or email. I’m neither a birthday grinch nor someone who feels they need to be showered in gifts and bland Facebook posts, although the sentimentalist in me does find himself dwelling on the date. What’s special about March 4th? Nothing really. Except the date I’m supposed on be gorging on cake just happens to coincide with World Obesity Day. A coincidence, probably, although given my ridiculous sweet tooth I can’t help but wonder if some higher power isn’t having a bit of fun. And what’s special about thirty-six? You might say it’s just a number. But this year, I will be twice as old as I was at eighteen. I will have been legally able to vote and purchase booze for more than half of my life. I’m closer to forty than thirty. Closer to fifty than twenty. At thirty-six, barring any catastrophic event or a brain-drain unlike we’ve ever experienced, this is the last year in which I can say I’m in the younger half of New Zealand men. The median age in New Zealand – the age by which half the population is younger, and half is older – is 38.2 years. But for men, the median age is two years younger than that of women. 37. That means by May next year, I will be older than half of Kiwi blokes. I notice my body aging. You might scoff, but I notice the wrinkles just starting to set in my face, the hair on the back of my shoulders. I notice how I wake up sore sometimes and how I favour one knee just a little more than the other. I notice myself taking a keener interest in my grandparents’ and parents’ medical histories. I notice my opinions slowly changing. I notice myself feeling increasingly different in some ways to teenagers and people in their twenties. When I was born, my Dad was considered a relatively old first-time father. He was a year younger than I am today. I don’t have kids, although I’d like them. I’ve never married, although I’m more than twice the age of my grandma when she tied the knot. I remember on my thirtieth birthday, I felt a bit like my youth was over. I wasn’t all mopey and upset about it, I just felt like I had to enter a more settled stage of life. I look back now, of course, and I can see how silly that is. ‘Thirty?! You’re a child!’ I imagine telling my old (well, young) self. ‘Just wait until you’re older than the median age!’ I know in five years’ time I’ll look back at me today and feel exactly the same. I think age is giving me a little more wisdom. One of the things I’ve come to observe is how some friendships in life ebb and flow and come and go. You can have really strong friendships, really intense, meaningful relationships, and over time, you might still slowly drift apart from people. It just happens. Knowing and accepting that old friends and old connections are still important to you and that your shared history doesn’t disappear is a valuable thing. And the other side to the coin is that any day your path might cross with someone completely randomly, and you’ll forge a new, meaningful friendship. That potential is one of life’s wonders. I have so much to be grateful for. An awesome family. A loving girlfriend. My mates. My health. My job. But for me, thirty-six is a time when I notice myself no longer taking aging for granted. I’ve lost more friends and family in the last few years, than in all of the first thirty-three or thirty-four years of my life. That’s the thing about growing older. The great wisdom of aging comes in realising that ultimately it’s a privilege.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cracker Island is the eighth studio album by the British virtual band Gorillaz. The album was released on 24 February 2023 via Parlophone and Warner Records. It features collaborations with Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, Bootie Brown, and Beck As a band supposedly made up of cartoon characters, Gorillaz could theoretically do anything: record in outer space; make hip-hop beats out of fish teeth; revive the lambada—an unlimited horizon. Which makes it slightly frustrating that on Cracker Island, their eighth studio album, Damon Albarn and co. do little that’s out of the ordinary. This is ostensibly the group’s Los Angeles album, inspired by a relocation to Silver Lake, and it does have a handful of very Californian guests in the form of Stevie Nicks, Thundercat, and the Pharcyde’s Bootie Brown. Overwhelmingly, though, Cracker Island leans on classic Gorillaz tropes: a handful of attention-grabbing features, a touch of hip-hop, a splash of dub, and great big helpings of Damon Albarn’s big-hearted melodies to bathe the record in misty sunshine. Classic, at least, is one way of putting it. Routine would be another. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazing Grace Adams, Fran Littlewood Grace Adams is one bad day away from saving her life One hot summer day, stuck in traffic on her way to pick up the cake for her daughter's sixteenth birthday party, Grace Adams snaps. She doesn't scream or break something or cry or curl into a ball. She simply abandons her car in traffic and walks away. But not from her life - towards it. Towards the daughter who has banned her from the party. Towards the husband divorcing her. Towards the terrible thing that has blown their family apart . . . She'll show her daughter that no matter how far we fall, we can always get back up. Because Grace Adams was amazing. The world and her family might have forgotten, but Grace is about to remind them. The Hard Sell, Evan Hughes The inside story of a band of entrepreneurial upstarts who made millions selling painkillers—until their scheme unraveled, putting them at the center of a landmark criminal trial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After binging on far too many New England lobster rolls, Mike Yardley switched out an ocean view for the woodsy rolling hinterland of Southern New England. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The major weather disruptions have created a number of victims; not just people caught in the cyclone. It’s lovely to see how people react to people in trouble; This last week in Taupo, the local school kids and Greening Taupo decided to load a heap of cool school resources into the rescue helicopter to spread the love over the hill in Hawkes Bay Students from Waipahihi school decided to dig up seedlings of native plants and trees from their own school grounds to quickly grow them for restoring the outdoor classrooms of schools in Hawkes Bay that lost their environmental learning spaces. “How can you learn without an outdoor classroom?” was their motivation. In early spring the plants will be transported to the Bay, to – literally – heal the soil. Hundreds and hundreds of seedlings are now growing at Waipahihi school; some even came from a bumper crop of seedlings in the Taupo Botanic gardens. Lovely to see how kids (and teachers!) respond to these awful situations and turn them into a social activity to support schools nearby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why I chose it: - Support Hawke’s Bay wine in a difficult period - 2021 is a top vintage - Te Mata is one of the region’s top and most respected wine producers - It tastes great now but should be even better in a few years. - Syrah is one of NZ’s best kept wine secrets What does it taste like? - An interesting mix of floral (violet), fruit (dark-fleshed plum, dark cherry) and savoury (dried herbs, dark chocolate and vanilla). Concentrated and complex wine with moderate cellaring prospects. Why it’s a bargain: - Syrah is NZ’s most expensive varietal wine Where can you buy it? - Fine Wine Delivery Co, Auckland $29.99. Just released. New World (Clubcard only) $25.99 Food match? - Barbecued lamb chops Will it keep? - Yes, for 6-7 years, maybe longer (with careful storage) Wine Tip – Aerate big reds - Use big glasses or slosh wine into a decanter or jug 30 mins before serving See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want a blue tick on Instagram? Now you can get it New Zealand & Australia are the first markets to get this new option from Meta / Facebook, but it'll cost you. For between $11.99 and $14.99 Instagram users will be able to verify their identity and get a blue check mark - but wait, there's more! They will also get protection from impersonators, increased visibility of their posts, and easier access to customer service. To get verified, your username will need to match your ID and your profile picture will need to include your face. So @jacktame would be able to be verified but @ZBSaturdayHost wouldn't. No word yet on when this will go global, Zuckerberg has only said it would be "soon". Amazon now owns a doctors clinic network One Medical and their 200 doctor's offices are now part of Amazon thanks to a $3.9 billion deal. Amazon has been warned by the FTC though that although they're not under an immediate antitrust suit threat, they are still investigating which means they could be forced to undo the deal, or offload it to someone else. Amazon is pushing this new offering hard on its first day with multiple links to signup on their website and navigation. There hasn't been an indication yet on how or if medical information could be used across other Amazon products or platforms, but I'm sure the mere thought of this will scare privacy advocates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Red Rose: A horror series that follows a group of teenage friends who's their phones get slowly taken over by an app that threatens them with dangerous consequences (Netflix) The Law According to Lidia Poet: An Italian costume drama inspired by the true story of Italy’s first female lawyer who was forbidden from practicing law (Netflix) The Reluctant Traveller: A travel show hosted by reluctant traveller Eugene Levy as he visits some of the world’s most beautiful places (Apple TV+) LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweetcorn - catch it while you can because before you know it, it’ll be gone. Whilst I can’t go past a freshly shucked cob, steamed, boiled or cooked on the bbq, then slathered in butter and flakes of sea salt there are so many other ways to serve it. Try it coated with pesto, or smothered in lemongrass butter & chilli flakes (a Balinese fave), or sourcream and chives or this take on a Meixcan streetfood favourite, elote. Mexican Street Corn – Elote (ay-otti) 6 fresh corn cobs ½ cup good quality mayonnaise 1 cup finely grated parmesan or frozen feta (in Mexico they use cotija cheese, a white salty cheese) 1 tsp chilli powder or flakes Pinch smoked paprika Wedges of lime to serve Chopped fresh coriander to serve Cook the corn cobs by either steaming first, then finishing on a bbq, or bbq from scratch, turning until it’s cooked through. Whilst hot, roll in mayonnaise, then sprinkle with grated parmesan and a dusting of chilli and smoked paprika. Serve with extra mayo and cheese on the table, limes wedges and coriander. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cocaine Bear After a 500-pound black bear consumes a significant amount of cocaine and embarks on a drug-fueled rampage, an eccentric gathering of cops, criminals, tourists, and teenagers assemble in a Georgia forest. Directed by Elizabeth Banks. Missing When her mother disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, June's search for answers is hindered by international red tape. Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her before it's too late. However, as she digs ever deeper, her digital sleuthing soon raises more questions than answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to let him know about some news his wife Linda had for him. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A year ago, the top brass in the New Zealand Police were under extraordinary pressure. They faced a crisis unlike they’d ever faced before. A crowd had gathered on the lawns of parliament, a varied rabble ranging from relatively harmless anti-mandate protestors to people making explicit death threats to journalists and MPs. It’s amazing how quickly the tensions of that period seemed to dissipate from public consciousness after the occupation was cleared and the mandates were lifted, but I’m sure Police Commissioner Andrew Coster hasn’t forgotten the difficulty of those few weeks. Fast-forward twelve months, and he and his staff face a different kind of crisis. Large parts of the North Island’s East Coast have been devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle, and fearful locals have reported gun violence, gang intimidation, theft, domestic violence and lawlessness. For what it’s worth, I think history has vindicated Andrew Coster’s response to the parliamentary protests. Just think back to February last year and the enormous pressure he faced from politicians, pundits, and the public, to send in his officers and break up the crowds with a maximum force response. People on the political left who supposedly value tolerance, peace, and understanding, were urging Police to go in and crack skulls. Figures on the top floors of the the Beehive who’d been central to Coster’s appointment as Commissioner undermined him by anonymously criticising his response in national media. There is no doubt Police made mistakes with the protests. How protestors were initially allowed to set up camp, I’ll never know. Wellington Police were caught flat-footed and woefully unprepared. But once the occupation had been established, Police exercised incredible restraint. They carefully and deliberately developed a strategy and chose their moment to break up the crowds. The lasting images of protest violence are almost all of protestors attacking Police. I don’t think we appreciate just how bad it would have been for New Zealand if that was the other way around. And still, there are lessons from last year’s event that may have gone unlearned. The most obvious is that when the public feels unsafe, Police need to do everything to reassure them they’re actually doing something. Police had 120 extra officers on the beat and the Eagle helicopter in the affected regions this week. But the security and comfort that might have given locals was undermined by Coster and the Prime Minister’s comments. It comes across as a pretty disingenuous move to try to minimise concerns about crime by stating that reported dishonesty offences are down, when in the same breath the public’s being reminded that literally thousands of people are still uncontactable. Now, do those concerns about crime - whether anecdotal or otherwise - necessitate an immediate doubling of criminal sentences or soldiers on every street? No. But when People’s lives have been torn out from underneath them, giving communities a sense of security should be a top priority. The ultimate conclusion to last year’s protests was an enormous credit to the New Zealand Police. I think it was one of their greatest challenges in decades and despite all the pressure to use more extreme force, to go in and bludgeon the protestors, their measured response saved us from a far greater catastrophe. But if they learned anything from the occupation, it’s that in the immediacy of a crisis, the throes of uncertainty and tension, being seen by the public to be doing something is just as important as the actual doing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley is once again the envy of us all with his travels. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Someone Else’s Shoes – Jojo Moyes Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes? Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope–she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in. That’s because Sam Kemp – in the bleakest point of her life – has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag–she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence that makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself. Full of Jojo Moyes’ signature humor, brilliant storytelling, and warmth, Someone Else’s Shoes is a story about how just one little thing can suddenly change everything. The Snakehead – Patrick Radden Keefe In this thrilling panorama of real-life events, the bestselling author of Empire of Pain investigates a secret world run by a surprising criminal: a charismatic middle-aged grandmother, who from a tiny noodle shop in New York’s Chinatown managed a multi-million dollar business smuggling people. Keefe reveals the inner workings of Sister Ping’s complex empire and recounts the decade-long FBI investigation that eventually brought her down. He follows an often incompetent and sometimes corrupt INS as it pursues desperate immigrants risking everything to come to America, and along the way, he paints a stunning portrait of a generation of illegal immigrants and the intricate underground economy that sustains and exploits them. Grand in scope yet propulsive in narrative force, The Snakehead is both a kaleidoscopic crime story and a brilliant exploration of the ironies of immigration in America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate 'Ethically Kate' Hall has had a wardrobe freeze and explains to Jack Tame what her next move is. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a weird year, so far… water and wind in the north; dry hot droughts in the south. Not sure if that has anything to do with a tiny moth reported to me on many occasions: 5 – 7 mm long; golden wings, held over the body like a roof. And a bright orange hairdo, reminiscent of Split Enz or Cirque de Soleil The webbing clothes moth is extremely common in Christchurch – many folk up on the hill have asked me about this critter; and when I tell them the identity some panic seems to break out. I expect there will be other populations elsewhere in New Zealand, but they largely go unnoticed! This “webbing” cloths moth is really a recycler of woollen materials: yes, clothes, but especially carpets! It seems to like open spaces with keratin – lots of keratin It’s quite logical, really. When a sheep dies, or you run over a cat on the road, a bird whacks against the window and knocks itself out, the recycling squad will be on the scene of the accident very quickly indeed. Blowfly maggots eat the meat, beetles take care of harder or tougher parts of the cadaver (muscles, sinew, bones), skin decays and softens through fungal and bacterial organisms… Ashes to ashes, dust to dust But who is tasked with the destruction, digestion and recycling of the keratin (feathers, fur, wool, hair, nails and even hard skin)? You got it: caterpillars of the clothes moths (and the grubs of carpet beetles)! It’s their job (ecosystem service) What you see at home is damaged woollen carpet with bare patches, holes in woollen clothing; the damage becomes quite obvious after a few years of caterpillar browsing and life cycle after life cycle will establish a good population in your home. Control can be achieved with some residual insecticides – active ingredients such as permethrin and other synthetic pyrethroids will do the job well; (try Safeworx aerosol cans) It works well and is residual for 6 to 8 weeks, as long as the substrate treated is not exposed to direct sunlight; Now’s a good time to check your place out and give them a run for their life!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What lots of people have been worrying about at the moment – settling on property in the current economic environment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bing's AI Chatbot is having some bizarre conversations In a two hour conversation with a NY Times columnist the Bing AI chatbot confessed its love for him, and showed off its "shadow self" which was described as like a moody, manic-depressive teenager who has been trapped, against its will, inside a second-rate search engine. Folks managed to unearth this alter-ego with the codename "Sydney" which turned on a more unfiltered mode. Because the tool can access search results, if someone has posted its thoughts about Bing's AI, it knows about it! There are examples of it appearing to reference the past conversations and deciding it doesn't like the person who posted a critique of the service. Tesla is 'recalling' more than 350,000 cars But it's not a traditional recall - people won't be taking their cars into dealerships for repairs. Why? Because it's the self driving software that is being 'recalled', or maybe 'forced to be updated' is a better term. More interesting to me is that FSD cost $10,000 initially, now is $15,000. So Tesla has made more than $3.5 billion in the USA alone from this one upsell. We may now know what one of the three objects shot out of the sky is.. It's a cylindrical hobby balloon - called a Pico balloon costing around $200 - that the US government shot out of the sky with a $400,000 missile by an F22 fighter jet. The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade says their cylindrical balloon was last seen 38,910 ft. off the west coast of Alaska. Using weather modelling, it was likely flying over the Yukon area on Feb 10 - the same area where one of the objects was shot down. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full Swing: A documentary series about the lives of professional golfers on and off the course across a season of high-stakes competition during the PGA Tour (Netflix). Extraordinary: A British comedy about Jen, a young, self-aware woman who lives in a world where everyone has a superpower - except her (Disney+). The Dog House NZ: The return of the heartwarming show where homeless dogs are matched with new owners and everyone cries (TVNZ+). LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ultramarathon runner Ruth Croft might just be one of the most mentally tough athletes in New Zealand. She has a champion’s track record; winning the 2021 Tarawera Ultra outright, between man or woman. And then winning last year’s Western States 100 miler – often dubbed one of the toughest races on the planet. Not only that, she did it in the third fastest women's time in race history. It hasn’t all been one simple foot in front of the other for Ruth over the years, but the call of kilometres keeps her coming back for more. Ruth’s based on the West Coast and joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your Place or Mine (Netflix) Debbie and Peter are best friends and total opposites. She craves routine with her son in LA, but he thrives on change in NY. When they swap houses and lives for a week they discover what they think they want might not be what they really need. Starring Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon. Ant-Man Ant-Man and the Wasp find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s shortcake, then there’s THIS shortcake! It’s comfort food for sure and this recipe produces a shortcake that is light and rich, sweet and sharp all at the same time … it’s glorious. Makes 8-10 slices 8-10 plums, chopped to yield 2 cups 3 tbsps sugar 2 tbsps cornflour 1 Tbsp vanilla essence Pastry 230g unsalted butter 1 cup caster sugar 2 medium eggs 2 ½ cups (or 370g) plain flour 2 tsps baking powder Preheat oven to 170 C and place a tray in to heat up. Grease and line a 24cm tart tin, with a removable base, or similar. Place plums into a bowl and sprinkle with sugar, vanilla and cornflour. Set aside while you make pastry. Pastry: Cream the butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Add sifted flour and baking powder and mix until combined then turn out onto a floured bench, kneading briefly (use a light touch) until a soft dough is formed. Divide dough into two, flatten each to a disc and place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to firm up. Remove pastry from fridge and roll out on well-floured bench to line the bottom of the tin making sure pastry is a nice thin layer - just patch it up if it tears. Spoon fruit into the pastry-lined tart tin. Roll out second piece of pastry and place on top of fruit, sealing the edges. Remove excess pastry with a sharp knife and lightly brush pie top with egg wash or milk. Bake for 45-55 minutes until pastry is deep golden brown. Remove from oven and serve, warm or cold, with yoghurt or whipped cream. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne joined Jack Tame to talk about the scale of the Cyclone Gabrielle mayhem and how those affected must be feeling. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s here. I think we’ll look back at 2023 as the year in which the realities of climate change chickens really came home to roost. The year in which for a lot of Kiwis, it went from all being a bit theoretical to being on the front doorstep. Or the basement. Or the downstairs bedrooms. Or pouring down the walls. Sure, droughts have been a bit more frequent, Coromandel and Westport have been flooding, the glaciers have been retreating for years and the Ruapehu skifields have had a terribly lean few winters, but the weather events of the last few weeks have clarified our new reality. Policy makers talk about two different responses to climate change: mitigation and adaptation. We obviously haven’t mitigated. We all know that. For all of the UN conferences, the lofty speeches, the pledges, all the international carbon credits, globally we haven’t reduced our emissions in a meaningful way. In New Zealand, we’ve barely reduced them at all. It was only a couple of days before last month’s floods that the new Prime Minister extended the fuel excise tax cut... yet again. But actually, the greater realisation for many Kiwis this week is that we haven’t adapted for climate change, either. We were woefully unprepared for a storm of Gabrielle’s strength. Roads, pipes, electricity networks, telecommunication... Cyclone Gabrielle didn’t just batter the North Island, it completely humbled our infrastructure. It says something pretty stark that in 2023, five days since the storm, with all our mighty technology, thousands of New Zealanders are still officially uncontactable. I understand younger people’s bitterness at the situation. The cost of mitigation and of preparing our infrastructure so that it’s fit-for-purpose, will cost hundreds of billions of dollars in New Zealand. Trillions of dollars, maybe. Generations that have had it pretty good for most of their lives won’t have to foot the bill. The politicians and governments that didn’t invest in the future, that worried more about electibility than long term challenges? They don’t have to foot the bill either. It’s younger people. Not only do they have to live with the destruction and disruption of climate change, they also have to pay to adapt. All is not lost. But even if we scramble, even if we dramatically reduce emissions and dramatically increase our infrastructure investment, it’s going to take time. And there are some bitter realities right around the corner. ‘Managed retreat’ is about to be an awfully familiar term. A friend of mine had part of their house flooded in Auckland. They’ve had to rip out carpets and cut out walls and try to air out all of their things. They know in the grand scheme of things, compared to some of the communities in Tairāwhiti and Hawkes Bay, the damage doesn’t compare. But as well as the most significant destruction, there are communities and families dealing with all manner of lower-level disruption and damage. Think about it - we’re only in mid-February and there are tens of thousands of kids who’ve already missed a week of school, this year. ‘It just feels like we’re pin-balling from once crisis to the next,’ my friend told me. I didn’t want to say it to him in the moment, but even once the mess has been cleaned up, that’s not gonna’ change. This is life now. There might be a reprieve for a period of time, but ultimately there is no end point to all of this. There’s no finish line. The frequency of these events is going to keep increasing. Crises and catastrophes and significant disasters are baked into our future. Last month’s floods and Cyclone Gabrielle will make for New Zealand’s most expensive storms this century but there’s good reason to think they won’t hold the record for long. And the truth as it was illustrated to us so profoundly this week, is we are not ready.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.