Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Persuasion When Frederick Wentworth -- the one who got away -- crashes back into Anne Elliot's life, she must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances. The Gray Man When the CIA's top asset -- his identity known to no one -- uncovers agency secrets, he triggers a global hunt by assassins set loose by his ex-colleague. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne is concerned about the dire shortage of hospitality workers in the southern tourist spots. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has been listening to Pacific Heights a.k.a Devin Abrams from Shapeshifter. He's released a new solo album called The Waters Between. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hall says approximately 50 percent of a household's waste is organic matter. She shares her tips on where to start. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mid winter is a great time - no leaves on trees, you can see the structure of the tree (it’s “skeleton”) so you get a great impression of where all the branches are and in which direction they’re going. They are dormant and won’t get “hurt” by this savage pruning. I have a few apple trees (varieties) and I treat them all the same: Prevent them from growing too tall - it is really difficult to pick fruit when they are too high. Have a look for the fruiting “spurs”, those rather fat, short branchlets from which the fruits hang. These spurs can be delivering apples for quite a few years, so don’t cut them off. Strategic pruning. Minimize branches inside the tree space – allow the wind to go through the centre –drying out after rain Cold nights – frosts in the forecast This is not a worry for apples and pears etc, because they are dormant and very much frost-hardy. Fruiting plants that need some frost protection: Avocado, cherimoya, some citrus varieties, guava, passionfruit, tamarillo. The more tropical they are the more protection they need; no surprises with these ones: Banana, Papaya and Pineapple Frost protection: Wrap plants in frost cloth; or keep them in large pots/containers so they can be moved under eaves or indoors; Liquid frost cloth such as Vaporgard; it acts like a waxy cuticle on the leaves, and is therefore also good against drought stress (reduces transpiration); Can be sprayed onto the leaves – every six weeks; another trick is to leave sprinklers on at night to reduce damage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wine expert Bob Campbell is a big fan of Taylors, a large family company that makes good wines at reasonable prices. His pick of the week is their 2019 Shiraz. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon has bought a doctor's office network The giant bought One Medical for $3.9 billion - it's third biggest acquisition yet. For $199 a year One Medical offers guaranteed the same or next day doctors' visits, 24/7 telehealth, waiting rooms that feel more like hotel lobbies and on-site labs. Amazon has been getting more into the health space - the doctor's office is now in addition to a pharmacy, devices to track your health, grocery stores for your food, an online store for exercise equipment, and even streaming devices for at-home workouts. With all these acquisitions, is Amazon a tech company anymore? Twitter v Elon Musk will be in court this year A five-day trial will be happening in a Delaware court in October. Twitter asked the courts to fast-track the trial. Musk wanted it in February next year - which he says already is fast. The Judge though said the longer the delay the greater the risk to Twitter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Man Who Fell to Earth: a science fiction series about an alien who crashes deep into the oilfields of New Mexico with a mission: he must find a brilliant scientist, the one woman on earth who can help save his species (Neon). In Plain Sight: Shetland’s Douglas Henshall and Line of Duty's Martin Compton star in this dark crime drama - based on a true story - about one detective's pursuit of a serial killer during the 1950s (Neon). Hitmen: Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins star in this British comedy as a pair of unlikely assassins (Vibe, from Wednesday). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He’s the journalist behind the BBC’s most awarded podcast series to date. In 2016, Josh Baker had just survived a bomb explosion in Iraq when he heard of an American woman and her kids wanting to escape Syria. Josh spent four years unravelling the jaw dropping story of how the family got there in the podcast I’m Not A Monster. And now he’s back for more - with a newly announced series two focusing on UK ISIS bride Shamima Begum. Josh Baker joins Jack Tame on Saturday Morning. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin has been watching Where the Crawdads Sing and The Quiet Girl. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin and his wife Linda will become grandparents next month. So how are they preparing? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A confession: I didn’t want the All Blacks to lose, but I’m sure I’m not the only rugby fan who felt a little flicker of satisfaction or joy as they unraveled last weekend. They were woeful. The Irish were superb. And for anyone who has ever prickled at the smugness with which the All Blacks and New Zealand Rugby sometimes present, the result felt like just desserts. It’s true, I’m a lousy fan. At halftime I was slagging them off, but a few minutes later I screamed and screamed when Will Jordan sprinted off for that runaway try. ‘Go boy! Go! Go!’ I might be an All Blacks cynic but deep down, I still wanted them to win. Crises call for cool heads. If the coaching staff had all been sacked this week, if half the team had been dropped and Sam Cane stood down as captain, there’s a reasonable chance we’d be furiously accusing New Zealand Rugby of overreacting. But as All Blacks fans we demand an assertive response. A panicked reaction would have done little to help the team’s fortunes, but whether it’s the coaches, leadership team, or a wholescale tactical shift, something big still has to change. So far we haven’t seen it. Ian Foster was contrite at yesterday’s media conference, but coy about his future plans. That approach can’t last for long. You cannot repeat the same action and expect different results. The best explanation for the mystery at this stage is that New Zealand Rugby is working through changes to the wider coaching team. Employment negotiations take time. If the All Blacks do bring in new coaching talent, perhaps it will go some way to sorting their lineout and organising more creative attacks. Regardless, Ian Foster only has a handful of games to prove himself. One final point. There is still opportunity in all of this. Yes, it’s nice to support a team as dominant as the All Blacks. I’m a Crusaders fan and I don’t get sick of winning! But often the greatest sporting narratives are those in which an athlete or a team overcomes adversity. Victory against all odds. Historically, the All Blacks haven’t faced too much adversity. But here it is. The team is at odds and ends. The players are being criticised. The coaches and their bosses are being hammered in the press. Maybe they will falter. Maybe we’re watching the unravelling of a once-mighty team. Maybe Silver Lake has bought a dud. Or maybe, through whatever changes are necessary, and through the pluck and determination of a unit that can only be truly tested when its back is against the wall, the All Blacks will find a way to rise up. They’ll fight. They’ll avenge their defeats. They’ll banish a home series loss to Ireland to the annals of pub quiz trivia nights and truly live up to the reputation of the jersey. Maybe it’s lunacy to even ponder a World Cup victory next year. But crazier things have happened in sport. And who knows? A year out, maybe the result against Ireland was just what they needed. Lofty as it may be, the All Blacks owe it to us to do everything possible to try and realise that dream. And we owe it to them, through our cynicism and scorn, to keep the faith a little bit longer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wordle is coming to a table near you The internet game is getting an 'offline version'. The NYT and Hasbro have teamed up to create 'Wordle: The Party Game'. You could very easily create it at home as it's just mini whiteboards and tiles with either green or yellow for yes or no. It'll be $20 and is ready for shipping around October in North America. More affordable satellite internet is coming to campervans and boats Elon Musk's Starlink has got a new customer base - those on the move. The FCC has given approval for cars, trains, planes and boats to be connected to Starlink's internet. It was previously only available to homes and stationary campervans. The Starlink service is significantly cheaper than other satellite operators, who typically use geostationary satellites. Starlink uses thousands of lower altitude satellites which move, but are arranged so there's always a cluster in view. Hawaiian Airlines has signed up for the service to provide free internet for passengers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has been listening to Lizzo's new album Special.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catherine Raynes has been reading Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gilliam McAllister and Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever been to Toowoomba? No, neither had I. Changing the habit of a lifetime on a recent road-trip in Queensland, I took the 2 hour drive west of Brisbane to the Great Dividing Range, where Woombie or Tbar as the locals call it, clings to the escarpment, 700 metres above sea level. As you enter from the east, the city seemingly dangles on the edge of the elevated plateau, overlooking the undulating green patchwork of the Lockyer Valley. Beyond the city limits of this sprawling country hub, Toowoomba is enrobed by the agricultural powerhouse of the Darling Downs region. Toowoomba is Australia’s largest inland city and it’s Queensland’s Garden City, playing host to a fiendishly popular Carnival of Flowers in September - the longest running floral event of its kind in Australia. It welcomes hundreds of thousands of hyper-coloured flowers in full bloom, planted across the city’s parks and public spaces. But it’s not just the plants that attract out-of-towners. A glut of gorgeous, manicured gardens lie within the city’s boundaries, graced with stately homes and broad tree-lined streets. To help get my bearings, I joined a two hour guided excursion with Lindsay from Toowoomba Sightseeing, introducing me to the city staples, from the historic CBD to panoramic vistas over the range. Lindsay remarked that Toowoomba is like a volcanic saucer, with rich red soils. “Everything grows here.” An essential stop is at Picnic Point, located on the eastern side of Toowoomba, serving up enormous views across the topographical grandeur of the region. A picturesque highlight is the imposing sight of Table Top Mountain. Its name is rather self-explanatory and looks like a mesa from the American Southwest. 600 metres high, the two-hour return climb itself is quite demanding with a lot of large steps over the Camel's Hump and a scramble just before the summit. Used as a training track for hikers prepping for Mount Kilimanjaro and the Kokoda Trail for years, stick to the well-worn trail. But the sweet reward is at the summit, flat-topped and treeless, is the unrivalled horizon-wide panoramic fix. Back in the city, street art is one Toowoomba’s calling cards, with a spree of laneways, building walls and public spaces vividly cast in eye-catching works. There’s a dedicated Street Art Trail that weaves many of the works together, including Mark Lane, Bank Lane and Searle’s Walk. But it’s Neil Street where most of the action is, with over 50 murals to feast your eyes on. Adding further texture and character to the city centre, Toowoomba’s old bones have been lovingly preserved, with impeccably maintained facades gracing the city centre and some showpiece buildings, including more than 50 heritage-listed sites. The bedazzling 1911 Empire Theatre is the pride of locals, with its resplendent art deco lobby. Then there’s the old post office and courthouse, venerable sandstone masterpieces from the late 19th century.For a complete change of scenery, I headed to Ju Raku En, the delightful Zen-like Japanese Gardens, located at the University of Southern Queensland. I spent an hour casually zoned out admiring the five-hectare garden, crowned with a rippling lake, carefully aligned boulders, conifers, bamboo stands, cherry blossom trees, photo perfect bridges and curvaceous paths, in one of the largest Japanese gardens in Australia.Next up, The Cobb & Co Museum which is home to the National Carriage collection’s huge array of vehicles, horse-drawn carriages, outback memorabilia, and extensive displays. The National Carriage Collection comprises 47 restored horse-drawn vehicles, which played an important role in Queensland’s development. Established in 1853 by Freeman Cobb with the intention of initially servicing the Victorian goldfields, Cobb & Co quickly developed to become the most successful company of its kind in Australasia during the 19th Century, pioneering transport routes, delivering mail,...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Dromgool says post-wedding blues are definitely a thing and it's quite common. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you reckon…Entomophagy?? When I was born, there were 2.5 billion people on the planet and now we’re pushing eight billion. (No wonder it’s getting more difficult for Kevin Milne and myself to get a decent car park in the city).Seriously, our economic “growth at all cost” really has had its day. We’re using resources in an obscene tempo, creating a carbon bubble in the place we don’t need carbon (the air!) and pollute water, rivers, lakes and oceans. On top of that we are changing the earth’s Natural resources and life-forms go extinct at the estimated rate of 150 species per day. In one sentence: we are crossing our Planetary Boundaries and seem to have dumped the term and concept of “limits”. Converting good horticulture and agriculture land to more and more dwellings is part of the growth gig too and that has repercussions for the way we “produce” protein. On my travels through New Zealand Schools (Teacher PLD via FieldBased STEM, Treemendous Education Programme and Blake Inspire), I have started chatting with students and educators about entomophagy and in particular our humble garden snail, Cornu aspersum. This species was imported by the French from North Africa for their famous culinary product called escargot. It’s one of their preferred species! This very same species was accidentally introduced into Aotearoa and is considered a pest in the garden, requiring slug bait, snail bait, metaldehyde and other toxins to “control” them. How easy is it to cultivate these snails in captivity? How do you “feed” them and in what kind of conditions. How do you clear their gut-contents before cooking and frying in garlic butter and what are the benefits of eating molluscs? (human health, conversion of green material into protein, compared to the efforts of a cow, sheep or pig) What about breeding locusts, crickets, chrysalises of silk worms, etc etc. Why stop at Molluscs? Imagine the emotional roller-coast ride the kids wen trough when I talked about the brilliant taste of Tarantula cephalothoracic muscles! A few weeks after visiting Riverdale school in Palmerston North (a Treemendous event), I received a booklet with the most delightful prose around the issue of entomophagy. They had obviously organised a serious debate on this topic, requiring a heap of scientific research and literature investigation. Luckily, my alma mater (Wageningen University) have always been strong in that topic of eating bugs (publishing bug cooking books and having a yearly festival on useful bugs and edible critters), so there’s a growing interest in that stuff. Here are some cool comments: Growing forests through pollination: ”if we ate bugs than they wouldn’t be able to do their very important jobs” “DEATH!! Something no one likes; this might happen if we start eating bugs, because some of them have a thing called venom…” “Did you know that for one pound of beef you need 22,000 L. of water, but you only need 1 L. for a pound of crickets…” “Think about the landscape: Farms take up a lot of space: one pound of meat takes 200 sq meters of land to grow; to raise a pound of crickets it only takes 15 sq meters” “if you’re a mum you do lots of jobs and once you’re finished you will get very tired; but if you eat bugs it will give you the energy, so you will only get tired at the end of the day” “Humans shouldn’t eat yucky bugs because some bugs can actually make you sick. Did you know that?” “if you want to eat crickets you have to eat 75 of them in a meal. And it will take a really long time to find that many, so why bother” “Bugs make up 80% of all known kinds of animals on earth; by eating bugs we help the crops grow (because they eat our plants” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Bryan Betty talks about the importance of sleep and how many hours you should be ticking up a night.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sherwood: It’s the British drama everyone’s talking about. When two shocking murders shatter a small ex-mining community in the north of England, the manhunt threatens to inflame long-held divisions sparked during the Miners' Strike three decades before (TVNZ+) The Old Man: Jeff Bridges stars in this drama about Dan Chase, a man who absconded from the CIA and lives off the grid. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past (Disney+). Only Murders in the Building: the return of this warm-hearted comedy. Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez star three strangers who share an obsession with true-crime podcasts, who find themselves entangled when a murder takes place in their New York apartment building (Disney+) LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedy and controversy can often go hand-in-hand when it comes to Jimmy Carr. The British comedian quit a job in marketing at the petrol giant shell and his way in comedy with his famous boundary-pushing one-liners. Love him or loath him, Jimmy's gone on to become one of Britain's most successful comedy exports. He speaks to Jack Tame ahead of bringing his show, Terribly Funny, here next year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roll out a tray of these fabulous little treats for a rugby-watching crowd and you’ll be more popular than an All Black scoring a try!Makes 1212 bread rolls – I use soft white buns or sliders from supermarket ¾ cup store-bought onion jam or relish 300g shaved ham 1 cup grated cheese – tasty or whateverTOPPING 50g melted butter 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon dry English mustard 2 large eggs 1 cup grated cheese1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking dish that will fit the buns snugly, with baking paper.2. Split each bun in half horizontally, or do this as a whole unit if they’re all stuck together. Place snugly in the lined dish so that they’re touching.3. Dollop each bottom half with onion jam then top with plenty of ham and cheese. Place the tops on each and cut a cross in each top so the topping will soak in.4. Next, whisk the butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard and eggs together in a bowl then stir in the cheese. Spoon this onto each roll.5. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the topping is golden and bubbling.6. Serve immediately, with plenty of napkins!LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ring of Fire In 1962 the sport of boxing suffered an enormous setback to mainstream acceptability, when Benny ‘Kid’ Paret died after being pummelled by six-time welterweight champion Emile Griffith at Madison Square Garden, on live network television. Dan Klores and Ron Berger delve deeply into this event, drawing a wealth of testimony and analysis from a gallery of veteran New York boxing identities and commentators. Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a journey, a song A documentary deep-dive into the life and legacy of legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen told through the prism of his most anthemic and well-known song. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne returned to his old stomping ground of Auckland this week and has some thoughts to share.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Thursday night, New Zealand Today went to air on TV3 with roughly half of its show dedicated to an exchange between the show’s host, Guy Williams, and Auckland mayoral candidate, Leo Molloy.The piece was funny if not especially edifying. Even for the minority of us who do engage with local body politics, Leo Molloy is probably better known for his character rather than his policy positions.Leo Molloy spent the vast majority of the segment teasing and insulting Guy. He used various low-level juvenile slurs and repeatedly accused Guy of being woke and soft. It ended with the pair having a boxing fight with novelty gloves before Guy recorded a parody endorsement video for Leo’s campaign.Guy Williams is now facing a backlash for the piece. He’s been accused of platforming a mayoral candidate, of normalising offensive behaviour, and of ultimately helping Leo’s campaign. These are ridiculous critiques that only serve to further entrench the things they’re criticising.Context is important. New Zealand Today’s audience is looking for a laugh. I can’t imagine many of the viewers tune into what is clearly and obviously a comedy programme, expecting serious and robust analysis of local body politics. New Zealand Today is a comedy. It isn’t Q+A.Anyone who watched will have been left in little doubt as to the sort of mayor Leo Molloy might be. He’s rambunctious. Entertaining? Sure. But he can also be crude, volatile, childish, and offensive. This comes as little surprise to those who have been following the campaign. Only a few weeks ago, Leo Molloy lost his temper at a mayoral debate and challenged a member of the audience to fight him. Are these the qualities you want in a mayor? Maybe not. But they’re qualities that make for funny TV, which is surely why Guy Williams chose to film with him.People have compared Guy’s piece to late night comedians’ treatment of Donald Trump in the lead up to the U.S election. The comparisons are unfair. Last I checked, Leo Molloy is running on a platform of local body infrastructure issues. He isn’t advocating to ban Muslims. The piece has been compared with the media treatment of Toronto’s late scandal-ridden former mayor, Rob Ford. Last I checked, Auckland voters will elect the mayor, not Guy Williams. If New Zealand Today helps Molloy and proves to be a turning point in the campaign, voters will frankly be electing the mayor they deserve.Comedians everywhere operate in an environment in which they’re constantly monitored and regularly hammered for offending people.It’s true, I view the World from a position of privilege. Nonetheless, I err on the side of wanting a society where comedians are free to push the line. I want comedians to offend from time to time. Not because I find comedy funny – although I do – but also because I think those who are too readily offended ultimately hurt their own kaupapa.New Zealand Today is the perfect case in point. In the grand scheme of things, Guy Williams’ segment wasn’t offensive or problematic. It was comedy. Love him or loathe him, it showed Leo Molloy as he is.As part of the piece, Leo himself reminded Guy that the more attention he gets, the more he thrives. He’s right. Those who’ve kicked up in offence at the segment are only giving him more.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OPINION: Three leaders. Three countries. One week. Boris Johnson's resignation felt like a rare little win for the convention. There can be no doubt Donald Trump's leadership style inspired him, and the way Trump just thumbed his nose at all of the previous standards of behaviour for world leaders. Scandal after scandal, Boris Johnson managed to duck and dodge and deflect and survive what would have been politically fatal for most other leaders in the pre-Trump era. The temerity of having had your staff caught out partying, defying lockdown rules, and drinking together at Downing Street at the same time as the Queen was forced to sit alone at her husband's funeral! In one sense it is astonishing Boris Johnson survived as long as he did. But in another, I'm still surprised he announced his resignation. Entertaining he may be, but the man clearly isn't burdened by any great sense of integrity. I'll only fully believe he's gone when he's gone. But it's interesting to compare Johnson with Trump. In the end, it wasn't the public that forced Johnson's resignation. It was his own party. His political colleagues stood up and decided he'd gone too far. It's interesting to compare that with the Republicans in the United States, many of whom continue to undermine their democracy and deny the election result to stay onside with Trump. In a way, Johnson's resignation shows us just how messed up America really is. I think it's pretty evident Jacinda Ardern is much more popular overseas than she is in New Zealand. Overseas, they focus on what her leadership represents rather than the detail of what she has (or hasn't) achieved. They see a charismatic, empathetic young woman. Kindness. Stephen Colbert isn't digging too deep into KiwiBuild, child poverty stats, healthcare workforce shortages, and gang shootings etc. That being said, I think even Ardern's harshest critics have to give her credit her for this overseas trip. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Photo / Getty Images The pathway to citizenship changes announced for Kiwis in Australia, and Anthony Albanese's new 'common sense' approach to deportations should have a really significant impact on the future of 501s. Keep in mind, there's very little domestic political upside for Albanese to stop the deportations – his political opponents would immediately accuse him of being soft. He couldn't announce he was flat-out scrapping the policy. But from our perspective, he's done the next best thing. They're changes that were never going to happen under Scott Morrison and all come down to the relationship between the two current Prime Ministers. With the change in government across the Tasman, Ardern has managed to soften the impact of the 501s policy about as much as is politically possible in Australia. Well done. Finally, Shinzo Abe. What to say? Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo / Getty Images I lay in bed last night tossing and turning and thinking about it. I was a bit stunned. It's just awful, truly shocking. We're fortunate to live in an age where political assassinations are relatively rare – especially in big, developed economies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harper Finn joined Jack Tame to discuss his debut EPLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has been listening to Paolo Nutini's new album, Last Night In The Bittersweet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Comes Down to This - Theresa Anne Fowler Meet the Geller sisters: Beck, Claire, and Sophie, a trio of strong-minded women whose pragmatic, widowed mother, Marti, will be dying soon and taking her secrets with her. Marti has ensured that her modest estate is easy for her family to deal with once she’s gone––including a provision that the family’s summer cottage on Mount Desert Island, Maine, must be sold, the proceeds split equally between the three girls. The Patient Doctor - Ben Bravery A powerful and inspiring memoir about how one man's cancer diagnosis led to him becoming a doctor and advocate for change in the healthcare system. At the age of twenty-eight, with his Beijing-based science communications business doing well and a new relationship blossoming, Ben Bravery woke from a colonoscopy to be told he had stage 3 colorectal cancer. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel expert Mike Yardley has been travelling around SydneyLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hall has been on the hunt for someone to fix her mini oven cord and has her tips on why we should be on the repair bandwagon over buying new. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago, we dealt with lemons and other citrus – never got around to solving some pests and diseases and … pruning tips Lemons should be fruiting. Ensure that the load of fruit on the branches is not too heavy (breaking!), so remove fruit accordingly, especially from young trees and prune some off to let the frame-work develop; next year let a few more grow as the tree strengthens its branch system. Pruning should achieve a nice “open” structure of branches; if a bird can fly “through” the citrus tree/shrub it will be open enough to let the wind come through to keep things dry, after a rain shower Prune from now until August, so that the pruning cut can heal, which prevent lemon tree borer for entering through the pruning wound Not Fruiting well, this winter? (Meyer) Lemons have a habit of fruiting well every second year (usually in winter and spring months); therefore it’s best to plant two or three lemon trees to have a continuous supply of lemons! Peeled lemons hanging from your tree? Get a Timms Trap! Possums are the culprit Sooty Mould on leaves and fruit; If you have sooty mould (fungi growing on sap sucking insect’s excrement) now’s the time to use some spraying oil (Conqueror Oil) to get rid of the cause: scale/mealybug/whitefly) Neem Oil is often a good, organic “suffocator” of small sap-sucking insects. Use the Oils frequently (every two weeks or so) and spray both sides of leaves and branches. Diseases Citrus scab (Verrucosis) is easily identified by the rough patches on the skin; Largely a “cosmetic” disease that won’t affect the inside of the fruit (the stuff you eat); if you don’t like it (need to get citrus zest etc) then a spray with Copper sulphate or Natures way Fungus spray (containing copper) will control the disease for the next year. Just every now and then… keep it simple! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth Blake from enable.me asks what gives on three of the big main banks cutting interest rates in the past week.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More affordable satellite internet is coming to campervans and boatsElon Musk's Starlink has got a new customer base - those on the move. The FCC has given approval for cars, trains, planes and boats to be connected to Starlink's internet.It was previously only available to homes and stationary campervans. The Starlink service is significantly cheaper than other satellite operators, who typically use geostationary satellites. Starlink uses thousands of lower altitude satellites which move, but are arranged so there's always a cluster in view.Hawaiian Airlines has signed up for the service to provide free internet for passengers.Twitter is trying co-authored TweetsIt sounds like an influencer dream - where two Twitter accounts can together send a Tweet and have it appear on both timelines. It's currently only available to select accounts in the USA, Canada and Korea. Twitter is also testing 'Circles' in the USA which allows you to Tweet to only a select circle of followers.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life after Life: New Zealander Thomasin McKenzie stars in this BBC drama based on the book by Kate Atkinson, about a woman stuck in a time loop who dies and is continually reborn (TVNZ+) Blackbird: A drama inspired by real events, about a prisoner who gets an incredible offer. If he can elicit a confession from a convicted killer, he’ll be freed, and the mission becomes a challenge of a lifetime (Apple TV+) The Midwich Cuckoos: Keeley Hawes stars in this science fiction drama based on John Wyndham’s classic book about aliens in the midst of a small English village (Neon). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne's daughter has turned 21 and is having a big bash this weekend, which doesn't bode well for Kevin's fear of hosting parties.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin has been watching Thor: Love and Thunder and The Princess on Disney+.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are tamarillo’s the Brussel sprout of the fruit world? You either love them or hate them. I’m a lover and cooking them – stewing, baking etc – mellows their flavour beautifully. This cake is a good keeper but served warm with ice cream, cream, custard or yoghurt (or heck, all of them!) it is just magical. 225g (about 1 ½ cups) self-raising flour 1 cup caster or raw sugar + extra for topping 1 ¼ cups desiccated coconut 125g butter, melted 2 large eggs, lightly beaten ½ cup milk or yoghurt 4-5 ripe tamarillos, halved and flesh scooped Ice cream, whipped cream, custard or yoghurt to serve Preheat oven 180C and grease a 20cm round cake tin. Line with baking paper. Combine flour, sugar and coconut in a medium bowl. In another bowl, lightly whisk together the melted butter, eggs and milk (or yoghurt) until combined. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Scrape the cake batter into the tin. Chop or slice each of the tamarillo halves into 2-3 smaller pieces/slices. Scatter these over the batter, pushing some into it and leaving others on top. Sprinkle with extra 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake for about 1 hour or until skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before turning out to cool completely. Serve with ice cream, cream etc.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel expert Mike Yardley has been travelling around FijiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has been listening to Jack Johnson's new album, Meet the Moonlight.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catherine Raynes has been reading Lying Beside you by Michael Robotham and The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago, I made a quick comment about taking care when gardening and walking on wet soil. Compaction of the soil often causes removal of air bubbles from the soil and the roots will then be permanently surrounded by moisture; this can cause rotting and a heap of health problems for the plant. The “Rhizosphere” is the area around the roots of plants (trees, shrubs, herbs, annuals, perennials etc). It is the soil-zone that literally does all the work for Life on the Planet. Here the soil is probably its most Bio-diverse, with an incredible array of species, working to create fertility that is often utilised by the plants. It makes perfect sense that the roots of plants therefore inhabit that area of the soil. We’re talking Fungi and Bacteria, Insects and other invertebrates that literally consume dead plant materials and turn it into organic matter and compost that can chemically grab minerals and all the fertiliser elements and slowly release it to the plant roots. Rhizospheres contain a huge number of species, each doing their own job. Most of these jobs are in the field of “recycling”, others in “transport” (taking organic nutrients down to the roots) and then there are the predators and parasites (critters such as centipedes and nematodes) that take advantage of the abundance of life. I love the Tardigrades (“water Bears”) which are famous for their ability to survive being thrown into liquid nitrogen (cryptobiosis) and stay alive in that hostile environment for decades, while their normal life cycle spans just one year. But even these remarkable critters will struggle in compacted soil! The Soil (and especially its Rhizosphere) is – no doubt – one of the most important habitats on our planet. It provides us with food, supports huge food chains, is habitat for huge numbers of invertebrates and fungi, it grows trees (carbon sink – Oxygen – clean air – complex sugars – Supports a healthy water-cycle – stabilises climate – creates micro-climates – fixes Nitrogen – etc) So why the heck do New Zealanders call it “dirt”? If only we could have a look inside the soil layers and watch what’s going on. Well… when it comes to the actual root structures of plants and trees: we can! I recently came across a website from my alma mater University (Wageningen) in the Netherlands. This site is absolutely plastered with pictures of root structures of garden trees, shrubs and plants in the most incredible way. It literally gives you a view of the Rhizosphere and how every botanical species has its own characteristic shape and size of the root zone. You can see what a deep-rooted tree looks like (and why it can enter your sewer drain when it is planted too close to the house) and you can get an idea how certain shallow-rooters cover huge areas. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Campbell's best buy this week is the Kumeu River 2020 Kumeu Village Pinot Noir for $20 a bottle. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your Gmail may start to look different The new design brings together Gmail, Chat, Spaces and Meet in one 'Workspace'. It's meant to make it easier to access these new tools. Users have been able to opt into this change since February but Google is now making it opt-in by default. If you really hate it, you'll be able to change it back in the settings, but know that at some point in the future that option will too go away. Alexa can sound like your dead relative This is creepy as hell. With just one minute of recorded audio, Alexa can learn how to talk like someone. Amazon showed off this tech by having a child ask her dead grandmother to read her a bedtime story. There isn't yet a plan to make this available to the public. With these advances in technology, it's soon going to be very difficult to tell what information is real, and what is a 'deep fake'. There's also new AI tech (DALL-E 2) which can generate realistic images from words. "Aliens on the streets of New york" or "Surfing Santa" would generate multiple options of that scene. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Terminal List: Chris Pratt stars in this all-action drama about a Navy SEAL officer who investigates why his entire platoon was ambushed while on a high-stakes covert mission (Prime Video). The Lazarus Project: A science fiction thriller about a mysterious time loop that lets a secret organisation go back in time whenever civilisation is threatened (Neon) Good Grief: The return of the New Zealand comedy series starring Grace and Eve Palmer, about two sisters who inherit a funeral home after their grandfather’s death. TVNZ+ LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re normally used to hearing the bright and cheery voice of Nici Wickes before 10 each Saturday. Her delicious recipes and ideas have kept our tummies rumbling for many years on the weekend. However, this Saturday we thought we would turn the tables and put Nici in the hot seat as our feature interview. She’s releasing a new cookbook called A Quiet Kitchen. Not only does Nici share her recipes in it, it’s filled with her gruelling journey through menopause, her decision to stop drinking and how - after a lifetime of soul-searching - she has found profound joy in living alone. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Makes 6 / prep time 15 minutes / cook time 5 minutesDelicately cardamom flavoured yoghurt panna cotta is a perfect do-ahead entertaining dessert. These are easy to turn out to present on plates, but if you prefer you could serve them in the glasses, topped with the oranges and candied nuts.100 mls milk100 mls cream (or use all milk)⅓ cup caster sugar4 oranges3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed2 gelatine leaves1 x 380g tub Clevedon Buffalo Co Vanilla Bean yoghurt½ cup toasted walnuts½ cup caster sugarLightly grease ramekins or glasses with 100ml capacity with a neutral oil.In a small pan heat the milk, cream, first measure of sugar, zest of 1 orange and cardamom pods until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften for 5 minutes. Squeeze the gelatine of excess water and add to the pan of still warm milk mix stirring to dissolve. Cool for another 5 minutes, then strain through a sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the yoghurt. Divide the mix between the ramekins or glasses. Cover and refrigerate overnight to set.Remove the peel and any white pith from the oranges. Using a sharp paring knife, cut orange segments from the membranes and put into a small bowl.For the candied nuts, line a tray with baking paper. Heat the sugar in a small saucepan with ¼ cup water until the sugar dissolves and begins to turn amber, around 5 minutes. Add the toasted walnuts and stir to coat, then put onto the baking tray in a single layer. Cool and roughly chop. This can be made ahead and kept in airtight container.To serve, dip each ramekin briefly in a bowl of very hot water, run a knife around the edge and slip out the panna cotta onto a plate. Spoon over the orange and any juice and scatter over the walnuts.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin has been watching Spiderhead with Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Lopez's doco, Halftime.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne has been pondering the question - should New Zealand citizens living outside the country have their own electorate with their own MP?LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s perhaps my favourite thing about New Zealand politics. Just about as Kiwi as you can possibly get. Whenever it’s time to select an MP’s member bill for debate before our parliament, we don’t pick it out of some golden, jewel-encrusted box or have it delivered by regal horsemen from an impenetrable Swiss safe.We pick it from the biscuit tin. The biscuit tin. A thirty-year-old, blue-and-white biscuit tin with a label, ‘Members’ Bills,’ sellotaped on the front.It’s as though our democracy is a game of charades.The funny thing about the biscuit tin – aside from it being a biscuit tin – is that it seems to have a habit of throwing forward particularly interesting bills. That’s where Louisa Wall’s marriage equality bill originated. And this week it happened again. Chloe Swarbrick’s booze bill was pulled from the biscuit tin.I’m not someone who prickles at a good time, but I think our collective approach to alcohol is one of the biggest hypocrisies in New Zealand society. We won’t legalise cannabis, and we’ll live in a state of near-constant panic over the damage caused by methamphetamine, but we do almost nothing meaningful when it comes to alcohol harm.And it’s hardly like we don’t have the evidence of the harm, and advice on what we should be doing differently. One of the only recommendations from the Mental Health Inquiry that hasn’t yet been acted on is this:26. Take a stricter regulatory approach to the sale and supply of alcohol, informed by the recommendations from the 2010 Law Commission review, the 2014 Ministerial Forum on Alcohol Advertising and Sponsorship and the 2014 Ministry of Justice report on alcohol pricing.That 2014 Ministerial Forum was chaired by former Kiwis coach Sir Graeme Lowe, hardly someone who needs to be schooled on the role that sport plays in our society.Chloe Swarbrick’s bill would act on his recommendations and restrict alcohol advertising and sponsorship in sport. It would also give local communities far greater powers to decide how many liquor outlets can operate in their neighbourhood.There will be some people who think it’s inconsistent for Swarbrick to crack down on booze when she was a public advocate for legalising cannabis. They miss the point. She isn’t advocating to ban alcohol. She doesn’t want prohibition. She wants to take a few little steps in order to reduce alcohol harm.Alcohol arguably causes the most harm of any drug in New Zealand. Not weed. Not even P. Alcohol. I doubt Chloe Swarbrick’s bill will make it into law in its current form, but at the very least our politicians will have to debate it. Until now, every time this issue comes up,They’ve humm’ed and hah’ed and re-ordered their papers, mumbling and ducking for cover. They’re scared of the alcohol lobby. They’re scared of being called Nanny State.This time, there is no running from the debate.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.