Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Does your partner avoid talking about feelings? Relationship expert Steven Dromgool shares his advice on how to get them to open up.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cicadas are on the wane towards the end of March – I still haven’t found the egg-laying site containing “Jack”s offspring ;-)But Black field crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) are still making a heck of a noise in the late afternoon/evening, especially in the North Island and top of the SouthTeleogryllus commodus (Supplied)You won’t see them often, as they hide in cracks in the soil during the day; when the sun goes down the crickets will come to the surface to eat grasses – they can do a lot of damage to pasture and lawns, leaving bare soil around their home cracks.Black field crickets make their characteristic noise by rubbing their wings together. (Mating calls!)Control is quite hard – In the old days, Farmers used wheat, soaked in Maldison, strewn over the paddock, in early summer (January is the month before crickets become adults and hence, reproduce!).For a lawn it might be a nice idea to pour water with a good dash of dish-washing liquid down the holes of these insects in the middle of the day; The crickets emerge in the non-day sun (because the soapy water stings their eyes, I reckon) and the sun will heat the black bodies up real quick (Natue’s Micro-wave oven!)Another “singer” in autumn is the Katydid (Caedicia simplex); mostly afternoon and early eveningIt creates a rather unique noise by rubbing the edges of its stiff forewings together, like a fingernail on a comb. The noise has the quality produced by a ventriloquist – the insect “throws its voice” so you can never be sure where it is calling from.Katydids feed on garden plants, especially flowers and they truly seem to like the roses and Dahlias that flower in autumn! They are well-camouflaged on green plants, so birds, frogs and lizards can find it tricky to locate them.After dark it’s the time for tree weta to start up their communications; A soft rasping noise that is repeated frequently by rubbing the impressive hind legs onto a raised “file” situated on the abdominal segments.Tree weta (Supplied)It is their way of keeping in touch with partners and flatmates while feeding at night. But sometimes they also make that noise when they feel threatened or disturbed: they raise their legs and warn you to “back off!!”The irony is, of course, we don’t really know anything about the “language” and communication capabilities of these weta… They’ve been around for 180 million years or so, making them one of our oldest critters in Aotearoa.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hannah McQueen from enable.me gives her advice on how to hold your nerve amid all the market volatility. Should you just sit tight and wait for it to calm down before making big investment decisions, should you go conservative while things are all over the show? Amid the Ukrainian invasion, sharemarket volatility and predictions of house price declines, is sitting on your hands or maybe putting your money under the mattress a good idea? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are we one step closer to being able to iMessage someone on WhatsApp?The EU has agreed in principle to a new law that would force interoperability between smaller messaging services and the giants of the industry. This would mean that a startup would be able to get into the iMessage or WhatsApp ecosystem. WHat's unclear is if that will mean the end of the blue/green bubble situation and force the ability to be able to contact someone using iMessage via WhatsApp. The Digital Markets Act also gives you the right to uninstall, more access to data, advertising transparency, reduces app store restrictions and will prevent "self-preferencing" - effectively allowing companies to put their products at the top of the page.Classic Instagram is back.. kindaDitch the algorithm! You can now see your IG feed in the classic reverse chronological order. You can also now add up to 50 accounts as 'favorites' to see first - luckily you won't be notified when you're added or removed from a favorites list. To change the view (and it's only temporary while you're in that session) tap the instagram logo and select either "following" or "favorites".LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taboo: A dark, gritty historical drama. Tom Hardy stars as adventurer James Keziah Delaney, who returns to London during the War of 1812 to rebuild his late father's shipping empire. However, both the government and his biggest competitor want his inheritance at any cost - even murder (Netflix).Life and Beth: Amy Schumer stars in this Disney+ drama. After a sudden incident, Beth, a seemingly successful woman with a long term relationship and steady career, takes a look back at her past to see who she wants to become.Bridgerton: A second series of Netflix’s record-breaking costume drama, created by Shonda Rhimes. During the Regency era in England, eight close-knit siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family attempt to find love.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You could recognise the dulcet tones of Canadian crooner Michael Bublé anywhere.Michael has just released his 11th album, called Higher. It’s a mix of covers, originals and collabs with the likes of country music icon Willie Nelson. He says he’s never been more excited after finishing an album. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drive My Car Drive My Car is a 2021 Japanese drama-road film co-written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. It is primarily based on Haruki Murakami's short story of the same name from his collection Men Without Women. An aging, widowed actor seeks a chauffeur. The actor turns to his go-to mechanic, who ends up recommending a 20-year-old girl. Despite their initial misgivings, a very special relationship develops between the two. Night Raiders is now on general release In a post-war future, a mother joins an underground band of vigilantes to try and rescue her daughter from a state-run institution. Oscars are on Monday – who are the frontrunners? The 94th Academy Awards will be held on March 27 in Los Angeles. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I first came across this salad in a café in Melbourne that served the most exquisite Vietnamese-inspired dishes. It’s the perfect summer salad and the grapes I consider a nod to the days when Ho Chi Minh City was considered the Paris of the Orient.SERVES 22 boneless, skin less chicken breasts½ onion, chopped roughly1 stick lemon grass, smashed2 lime or young lemon leavesSalt & pepper50g rice vermicelli – soaked in boiling water until el dente (about 5 minutes) & drainedDressingJuice of two limes1 tsp sesame oil1 tablespoon grated palm sugar1 tablespoon fish sauce4 tablespoons coconut milk1 cup grapes , red or green, halved2 chillies – de-seeded & sliced1 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs – mint, coriander, Vietnamese mint,¼ cup crushed peanutsRemove the tenderloins from the breasts and set aside. Poach chicken by putting breasts in a pot and covering with water, chopped onion, lime leaves, lemongrass, salt and pepper. Bring to a slow simmer and simmer for 15 minutes (add the tenderloins about half way through). Allow to cool in the stock then remove and slice across the grain into 1 cm slices.Soak vermicelli in boiling water until soft. Drain well. Set aside.In a big bowl whisk together dressing ingredients - lime, sesame oil, grated palm sugar, fish sauce and coconut milk. Taste and check for balance of flavours. Add more acid (lime juice), sweetness (sugar) or salt (fish sauce) as required. Add the vermicelli, chicken, chillies and herbs and toss well. Garnish with peanuts and serve.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne recently offered to get groceries for friends isolating and discovered a few surprises on their list. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year, in those fleeting months before Delta was discovered in the community and the Trans-Tasman bubble was closed, I flew to Australia and spent a few days with my grandma. It was just the two of us for four or five days. A grandma and her eldest grandchild, sixty years between us. By that stage, Granny was too frail to drive. I hired a car and we went on a few day trips together. She took me up to Kapunda, where the first of her ancestors to arrive in Australia settled almost 190 years ago. We went to a museum that celebrated the life of her best-known relative, Sir Sidney Kidman, a cattle barron who once had landholdings greater than the size of Australia. We lunched at our family’s favourite cheap Italian cafe, the first place I ever tasted gelato. In the evenings, Granny told me about her childhood. She was born in the 1930s on a remote station, 500km north of Adelaide. The closest property with other children was more than fifty miles away. As a girl, once a week there was a radio show that helped to direct Granny’s correspondence classes. In the mornings, Granny’s mum would help her to study. In the afternoons she’d play with her little brothers. As I think I told you last year, Granny had photos of the old camel trains which the workers sometimes used to get things to market. Granny died last week. I’ve spent the last few days driving all over Adelaide, taking her furniture to second-hand shops in the biggest truck I could hire. With my Mum and one of my sisters, we went through her house, room by room, shelf by shelf, drawer by drawer, through 94 years of memories: Diaries from her travels. Jewellery and knick-knacks picked up decades ago at exotic foreign markets. Paper clips and magnifying glasses and a thousand coat hangers. The trash and treasures of a rich life. From correspondence school on that remote sheep station, Granny never lost her hunger for education. She was the first female physics student at the University of Adelaide. She studied at Oxford. She earned a PHD. In the 1950s and 60s, she moved into a new exciting field of research and became a bit of a pioneer in her field. It was something to do with technology and information and there were myriad potential applications. Something called computing. My Grandad was a professor at the same university. I never knew it until this week, but in a professional capacity, so as to stand on her own two feet, Granny only ever used her maiden name for her work. And since she was a woman who worked full-time when that was still quite uncommon, Granny insisted on paying to have someone else do the housework. It was funny, at her funeral, to hear Mum call her a feminist. But she was. Of course, she was. A few years ago, in a university campaign for International Women’s Day, she even lived to see herself in billboard form. Death is hard. Her loss leaves a massive gap. But if I’m honest, the sadness I feel at Granny’s death is eased a bit, in knowing she had such a full life. I aspire to live a life as full as my Granny’s. And I feel grateful. Grateful that at an age and stage where I had genuine interest, I took the time to sit down with Granny. I listened to her stories. I looked at her photos. I paused and considered and appreciated her extraordinary journey, from the camels and the dust of her childhood to the cutting edge of computer science and beyond. For what it’s worth.. my advice is this: if you have someone in your life who’s getting on... a parent, a grandparent, an old friend. Don’t wait. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t put it off any longer. If you have to travel, travel. If you have to take time off work, so be it. It’s worth it. And you’ll never regret it. Sit down and ask for their story before it’s too late.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has been listening to British singer Ella Henderson's new album, Everything I Didn't Say - her first in eight years.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jump – Larry Miller One of the most successful Black businessmen in the country, who has led Nike’s Jordan Brand from a $150M sneaker company to a $4.5B global footwear and apparel powerhouse, tells the remarkable story of his rise to the pinnacles of international business and reveals the secret that tormented him and defined his success. The Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less-than-ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley has been dreaming of overseas breakfasts and chats to Jack Tame about the world's iconic early morning meals. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm Rands gives his tips on what we can do about the mounting waste from Covid.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lockdowns were great for Biodiversity – you’ll remember the stories about the return of dolphins in the canals of Venice etc. People went walking outside in parks; less use of cars – less pollution, birds coming into town.It was not so good for the Environment Business:Zealandia: Wellington’s most impressive restoration centre; 225 hectares of pure gold with endangered species returning to the city: Falcons smacking homing pigeons out of the air, Kaka all over the place – tui in huge numbersZealandia relies on visitors – THEY ARE LAUNCHING AN APPEAL – go and see the place, absorb the Nature that’s there, experience what Aotearoa used to look and sound like… and DONATEZealandia is INSPIRATIONAL and such a good tool for EDUCATION!!!Schools that do a lot of environmental education outside the classroom are also struggling with reduced contributions from parents in the pandemic years; my latest job-area is in teacher PLD (Professional Learning Development), especially trying to get us all to work with the Natural Resources we find in school grounds, related to the whole curriculum…There are hugely successful players (Look them up!!) in this area: BLAKE (Sir Peter Blake Trust), Enviroschools, Treemendous (Mazda Foundation), Garden-to-Table, Field Based STEM, Toimata Foundation etc.These organisations and initiatives are often sponsored by companies that “get it” and supported by Ministries (Education, Environment and DoC)But for your local school it might be useful to contact the principal or the Science team to see if you can contribute your skills to the “efficience of learning”Of course: learning outside is especially useful in Covid times due to reduced chances of transmission.One of my favourite examples of Nature-Nerdness are the raptors at the Bird of Prey Trust Wingspan in Rotorua. https://www.wingspan.co.nz/There you can see Falcons flying and hunting; they train kahu and rehabilitate injured birds that rely on flying skills to survive in the New Zealand Landscape; They even support one of our newest New Zealand Native birds: the Barn Owl, which is now firmly established in Northland.Wingspan also suffered huge losses of income during Covid, especially since they started to plan building an education centre.One of the way they fund-raise is by selling “raptor pellets”, usually to teachers that want to do something different in the biological classroom: Birds of prey (raptors) eat meat with bones, fur, feathers as well as the meat; they then regurgitate the roughage and indigestible materials as a “pellet”. These pellets can be teased apart and bones and other materials can be identified in the classroom, to identify the types of food that were eaten by the birds.Wingspan sent me a nice packet of barn owl pellets for my education work and I am going to give away a packet to five teachers in NZ that contact me with the best reason why they would like a packet;Address: [email protected] don’t forget your name, your school name and addressLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holding: Based on the novel by Graham Norton, this comedy-drama follows the story of Irish police officer, Sergeant PJ Collins, a gentle mountain of a man who hides from people and fills his days with comfort food and half-hearted police work (TVNZ 1 on Sundays/TVNZ OnDemand). The Newsreader: launching on new free-to-air channel Eden, The Newsreader is an award-winning Australian drama set in a TV newsroom during the 1980s, as the professional and personal lives of two newsreaders become entangled (Eden, Thursday nights/ThreeNow). Joanna Lumley’s Britain: After a lifetime of travels that have taken her across the globe, Joanna Lumley is making her most personal journey yet, retracing old steps and exploring the wonders of the country she calls home (TVNZ 1 on Saturdays/TVNZ OnDemand). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Campbell has been diving into the Spanish Reds - his best buy this week is the 2020 Piqueras High Altitude Garnacha, Spain $16.99.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix wants you to have your own account that you pay for, Currently you're allowed to share your account with your household, but not anyone beyond that. In Chile, Costa Rica & Peru they're testing what happens if they offer 'extra viewers' as sub accounts for a small fee. Netflix has seen their subscriber numbers plateau, share price drop and content costs continue to soar. Cracking down on password sharing might net them a new million more subscribers in the US alone. Microsoft Office is adapting to the new hybrid work trends Changes are rolling out to Microsoft Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint over the next six months to make flexible working a little easier. In Outlook, you'll be able to RSVP to a meeting as an in-person or virtual attendee so the organizer knows what to expect. Teams will have a new layout option to have remote people's video at the bottom of the big screen, as well as having notes and the chat window viewable. There'll also be new 'in-room' companion features you can use on your laptop. PowerPoint will allow you to put live video into your slides, like picture-in-picture. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever grappled with the BIG questions of life like why do we exist or what is our purpose? Well, Brian Greene ponders these types of questions for a living. Brian is a world-renowned theoretical physicist. He uses science and math to understand the complex workings of the universe. He’ll be here in June to speak about his new book, called 'Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter and Our Search for Meaning'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buying lunch every day becomes expensive and, dare I say it, not that healthy. Bought food is invariably more calorific than food you make yourself. Focus on loading up your lunch choices with protein – chicken, beans, tuna, tofu, quinoa – for sustained energy (i.e. it will fill you up and keep you feeling full for longer) plus some carbs to bulk it up slightly – think noodles, rice, pasta, bread, pastry – but you don’t need too much of these. Then include fresh ingredients like leafy greens and grated veges and in cooler months, canned tomatoes, grains, beans etc in soups stews etc. Lunch Buddha bowl: Makes enough for 4 serves 2 cups cooked rice – I like using brown rice 1 ½ cups frozen shelled edamame beans (available in supermarkets) 1 ½ cups grated or roughly chopped veges – carrots, snow peas, thinly sliced broccoli florets 1-2 tbsps tamari or soy sauce, to taste 4 cups chopped/shredded red cabbage, spinach, lettuce or kale Optional toppings 1-2 ripe avocados Chicken, salmon or tuna Thinly sliced cucumber Thinly sliced spring onion Lime or lemon wedges Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling Sesame seeds Pour boiling water over edamame beans and leave for 3 minutes, then drain. Divide the rice, edamame and raw veggies into 4 bowls/lunch boxes. Arrange toppings of your choice. Drizzle lightly with tamari/soy and any other dressings and top with sliced green onion and a lime wedge or 2. Chill till ready to serve.Here’s some more ideas that can all be made the night before for saving time: Wraps – load them up with salad, chicken, ham etc – leave out the cheese. Sammies – make them extra good with spicy chutneys, mustard, mayo and smashed boiled eggs etc and season them well with salt and pepper Line muffin tins with tortilla and fill with Bolognese, egg/ham/sweetcorn/spinach/feta, top with cheese and bake for 20 mins at 180 C.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin has been watching Turning Red and The Adam Project this week and gives Jack Tame her review. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne has been celebrating with the Irish this week for St. Patrick's Day. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Call me a sucker. Last Sunday morning, the petrol gauge in my car dropped to one bar and I pulled up at Mobil and filled up with gas. It cost $150 to fill my 2012 Toyota hatchback. In twenty years of driving, it was the most money I’d ever spent filling my car. Of course, it felt painful. But I figured I didn’t have much of a choice. The war in Ukraine looked set to continue and even if I waited, I knew I’d have to fill up sooner or later. The next day Labour cut petrol excise tax by 25c a litre. Cutting the price of petrol for three months and halving the cost of public transport will cost almost $400m. The policy had almost no scrutiny or oversight. There was no regulatory impact assessment. The Ministry of Transport and Treasury have kindly agreed to a ‘post-implementation assessment.’ They’ll tell us how it went, after it’s all over. Brilliant. But although the Government has framed the tax cut as an urgent and nimble piece of leadership, we should describe it for what it really is: cynical and reactionary. Transport makes up a significant slab of our carbon emissions profile. As painful as it was for businesses and households alike to have petrol at $3 a litre – and I appreciate that for some people it was extremely painful - the surge in prices presented an unrivaled opportunity to encourage significant behavioural change. The Government is concerned about the cost of living crisis? Last I checked, they said the climate crisis was the nuclear free issue of this generation. There are plenty of other more targeted ways to relieve cost of living stresses. Taking a couple of bucks off the cost of a bus ticket won’t encourage more people onto public transport if the cost of filling their car is just the same as it’s always been. The truth is, petrol taxes would never have been cut if Labour had been well ahead in last week’s poll. They saw the poll numbers. They freaked out. They dropped almost $400m to try and win back some popularity. And the annoying thing is... it works. The reason New Zealanders haven’t kicked up a stink is that fundamentally, we would prefer the comfort of cheaper petrol than a government with the courage to make difficult but necessary choices. This is why we find ourselves in the shit. This is why our housing is some of the least affordable in the World. This is why we have a looming crisis over the cost of superannuation. This is why we’re dragging out heels on doing anything meaningful about climate change. We voters only care about the short term. And our politicians only care about keeping us happy. They’re not nimble or urgent. They’re cowardly. But ask yourself this: regardless of your political stripes, wouldn’t you prefer a government to be led by its principles than by the polls? A society deserves the leaders it elects. Once again, Jacinda Ardern’s Government has shown it’s more interested in doing what is popular than what is right.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford's been listening to Kiwi artist BENEE's new album Lychee.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remember Me – Charity Norman A close-knit community is ripped apart by disturbing revelations that cast new light on a young woman's disappearance twenty-five years ago. After years of living overseas, Emily Kirkland returns to New Zealand to care for her father, Felix, who suffers from dementia. As his memory fades and his guard slips, she begins to understand him for the first time - and to glimpse shattering truths about his past. Truths she'd rather were kept buried. Davos Man – Peter Goodman Drawing on decades of experience covering the global economy, award-winning journalist Peter S. Goodman profiles five representative "Davos Men"–members of the billionaire class–chronicling how their shocking exploitation of the global pandemic has hastened a fifty-year trend of wealth centralization. Alongside this reporting, Goodman delivers textured portraits of those caught in Davos Man’s wake, including a former steelworker in the American Midwest, a Bangladeshi migrant in Qatar, a Seattle doctor on the front lines of the fight against COVID, blue-collar workers in the tenements of Buenos Aires, an African immigrant in Sweden, a textile manufacturer in Italy, an Amazon warehouse employee in New York City, and more. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley says Vivid is back after a two-year hiatus thanks to Covid. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool shares with Jack Tame compatibility questions to ask when you think you’ve found ‘the one’.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the things that are bothering New Zealanders in the late summer and autumn days are wasps. There are a few species that really drive people mad:The German wasp is just one of them; the Chinese paper wasp is another one.They are quite different from each-other and easy to identify:German wasps are stockily-built insects, mostly yellow with some black stripes and spots on their body;The Chinese paper wasps are much more slender and often fly with dangling, long legs. Their bodies are mostly black with thin yellow stripes and spots.There are other distinguishing features (such as nest shapes and sizes and where they prefer to build their nests.But what they have in common is the fact that they have no sense of humour.But this little segment is not about all these details at all… it is about their name, or should I say their names!“German wasp” and “Chinese Paper wasp” are the common names (also known as vernacular names) of the species.Their scientific names are, respectively: Vespula germanica and Polistes chinensis. And that makes total sense, because those names are the real Latin names that were given to these two wasp species by the authors who described them. The common names were derived from their Latin names.So far, so good.The Chinese paper wasp (P. chinensis) got its name because it hails from the China, Korea and Japan region on the planetBut the German wasp (V. germanica) does not originate from just Germany at all! It originally lived right throughout Europe and Northern Africa and as far east as Ukraine and Moscow, right up to North India.Yet the author of this wasp species (The Danish entomologist Johan Fabricius, a student of the famous Carl Linnaeus!) decided to call this pest Vespula germanica, the German wasp.In the 18th Century it was not unusual to name an important human pests after the neighbours with whom you had the most quarrel or conflict and Germany was sometimes on the receiving end of these name-calling exercises… and that was even before the World Cup Soccer was invented!The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) was a name conjured by Linnaeus himself; yet the species had nothing to do with Germany. It originally came from South East Asia or thereabouts and spread to busy Europe with the increase in trade and people movement.Or it might have even come “out-of-Africa” with us… all those years ago!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shane Warne's death has sent shockwaves around the world. He's suspected of dying from a heart attack and our resident doctor Dr Bryan Betty says it's a reminder for middle aged men to get a yearly heart check-up.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here are some rules I try to abide by when looking for budget-friendly meals· Only use what’s in season· Shop with a list but stay open to a bargain· Ties in with above, don’t stick to ingredients if they’re expensive, substitute for something cheaper eg. jars of capsicum/peppers instead of fresh, rump steak instead of sirloin or cheaper yet, learn how to cook well with eggs or pulses for your protein, use sour cream / crème fraiche instead of cheese in cooking· Spices are your friend for cooking on a budget - they pack a punch for very little expense· Avoid semi or fully prepared meals – they’re expensive whichever way you look at it· When shopping compare the per gram cost – you’ll be surprised that larger portions are not always cheaper (mayo is a good example of this!)· Beef up curries / casseroles with vegetables (carrots / potatoes / onions / pumpkin / spinach) – good for the body and the wallet· Shop to the theme of “You can’t always get what you want”· The Destitute Gourmet, Sophie Gray, has 3 principles for saving $$: Plan ahead, Eat Healthy, Eek out the luxuries www.destitutegourmet.co.nz – great website· Practice or LEARN to cook well – that way your health and your food bill is in your handsMy favourite 3 budget meals:1. 3 meals from one roast chicken; a roast, then use some meat for sandwiches or tacos / make soup with the carcass2. Lasagne made with lentils instead of meat and sour cream/cream fraiche instead of cheese on top3. Rosemary & potato/pumpkin frittataLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple's going "peak performance" This event saw the continued rollout of the new Apple chips across their devices - including into the iPad Air and the launch of the wildly powerful Mac Studio. The screens on their phones, tablets and laptops have always been incredible and now there's an affordable option for a high quality Apple monitor! Announced alongside the Mac Studio is the Studio Display which is a 27" 5K monitor with an updated camera, three mics and six speakers. It's around $2000, which is a steal compared to the Pro Display at $5,000 monitor and $1,000 stand. Its launch did see the death of the 27" iMac though. Print your own lipstick at home Can't decide which shade to buy? Now you can print them all at home...and as you need them. This cool device from Yves Saint-Laurent prints lipstick. You load the cartridges in the bottom of the device, use an app to select the color you want, and it'll print it straight into a compact for you to apply now or take on-the-go. You can take a photo of your outfit and the app will suggest lip colors for you. Depending on what cartridges you select, it can produce between 1000 and 4000 shades. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

History-making and title-taking about sums up an astonishing 12 months for Kiwi squash player Paul Coll. The 29-year-old is the first Kiwi male to take the top spot in world rankings, something he says was “unexpected”. Paul is based in Amsterdam but is always on the move playing in tournaments around the world, the latest being the Windy City Open in Chicago, where he won his first title as number one. Paul Coll joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Somebody Somewhere: A new HBO drama. Sam is a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggles to fit the hometown mould. Grappling with loss and acceptance, she discovers herself and a community of outsiders who don't fit in but don't give up (Neon). Winning time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: A new drama about the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports' most revered and dominant dynasties - a team that defined an era, both on and off the court (Neon). Joe vs Carole: A new series that dramatises the events of documentary Tiger King, telling the tale of Joe Exotic, the former Oklahoma zoo operator and big cat breeder who was put on trial and sentenced to 22 years in prison for plotting to murder another big cat enthusiast (TVNZ OnDemand). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching two great films this week:Blind Ambition (Doc - Cinema) Having escaped starvation and tyranny in their homeland of Zimbabwe, four refugees have conquered the odds to become South Africa's top sommeliers. Driven by relentless optimism, a passion for their craft and unshakeable national pride, they form Zimbabwe’s first ever wine tasting team and set their sights on the coveted title of ‘World Wine Tasting Champions’. From the moment they arrive in France to compete, this team of mavericks turns an establishment of privilege and tradition on its head. A truly uplifting documentary that celebrates just how irrepressible the human spirit can be. Off the Rails (Drama - Cinema) Now in their 50s, four friends re-create an inter-rail journey across Europe, but this time 18-year-old Maddie is taking her mother's place, fulfilling her dying wish. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne is celebrating the start of the Bluff oyster season and reckons they’ve gotta be the best oysters in the world.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the best things about my job is that when a new poitical poll comes through, I get to look at the results just a little bit earlier than everyone else.Labour 37. National 39. Boomfah.A few things are obvious. People are sick of Covid. We’re sick of restrictions. Sick of disruption. We’re sick, sick, in more than 200,000 cases. Covid is stressful. We’re right in the throes of the surge. That’s never going to bode well for whatever government is in charge.Inflation. The cost of living. Whack. Didn’t I say in my very first show of this year, that inflation would be the word of 2022? Not Omicron. Not Antigen. Not Wordle. Inflation.Is it Labour’s fault? Yes and no. When it comes to our economy, New Zealand is a dinghy hitched to the back of a the global mega-liner. And the bulk of the really big spending, the billions and billions of dollars that were pumped into our economy over the last two years during Covid-19, was committed to save jobs. Don’t forget, National said it would have done the same. Any time National MPs are asked for actual detail about the wasteful spending they say has contributed meaningfully to the cost of living increases, their argument falls apart pretty quickly. The main reason the cost of petrol has increased so much is that Russia invaded Ukraine. Sorry, but that wasn’t Jacinda Ardern’s fault.That being said, in the eyes of voters, at least National acknowledges it. For much of this week, Jacinda Ardern was trapped in a little game where she doesn’t want to use the word, crisis. She doesn’t want to explicitly say there’s a cost-of-living crisis. Ah, yes. Deja vu. What goes around comes around, eh? The Crisis game is the same game Labour MPs played when in opposition, when the National government of the day didn’t want to say there was a housing crisis, even though it was self-evident at the time (Incidentally, it has become, much, much worse under this government).The Crisis Game is just a name game. It’s not a serious policy debate, it’s a debate over a label. But here’s an idea: Just admit it. Accept it. Use the term. Take the blow and move on.This government, in its prioritisation of messaging and communication, contorts itself into all sort of peculiar positions to avoid ever making any sort of concession. They rarely concede anything is worse-off on their watch. They never frankly admit they might have got something wrong.People see through it. They’re tired of it. It’s dishonest. It comes across as smug. And for something like inflation, it makes you look out of touch.There is a lot to be said in life for a bit of humility.And I reckon that poll underscored one thing, more than anything else; the government can no longer lean on its Covid-19 response for voter support.In all likelihood, the next election won’t be fought over Covid. It’ll be fought over the economy. It’ll be a classic back-pocket debate. ANZ reckons house prices could fall 10% this year. The OCR could rise one hundred basis points. Russia isn’t leaving Ukraine. Inflation won’t be tamed overnight.New Zealanders could be in for a tough period. Least of whom, Jacinda ArdernLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has been listening to Jamie McDell’s new self-titled album and gives it top marks.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Very Last List of Vivian Walker – Megan Albany: New book from Award winning Australian Writer Vivian Walker is dying. This is not on her list of things to do. A darkly funny debut that proves even the most imperfect of lives is worth celebrating. Now that I've got cancer, I know I should be letting go and just being in the moment with my child but, seriously, what mother has got time to spend with their kids? Em and Me – Beth Morrey: The author of The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is back with a new novel. A mother. A daughter. A secret waiting to be discovered. For too long – since the sudden death of her mother as a teenager, since the birth of her daughter, Em, when she was just seventeen – Delphine has been unable to let go of the past, obsessed with protecting Em and clinging to a secret that could ruin everything. She’s been living life in safe shades of grey. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley has been roaming around mighty Manawatu, home of the Turbos and wind turbines. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the questions I get asked all the time is ,’why don’t we grow food on the grass beams on our street’One of the biggest users of water and chemicals is actually our love affair with grass. Let alone the energy and petrol used to mow it.Back in European history, us peasants who came from there, used to have vegetable gardens and only the lords in their manors had lawns kept short and neat by sheep and groundsmenNow we are all lords and ladies but this has a high ecological cost. So change your own lawns to veges, flowers, ground covers and natives for bird lifeAnd this flows on to the beams along our streets. We are getting less backyard space as we concentrate our housing, so what is possible with our public landLet’s look at the problems and regulations and see what solutions are out thereStreets are full of dirty polluting cars that will make any food grown there inedibleA very good point but some streets have very low traffic and food could be grown. In all others there are plenty of options.Fruit trees with thick skins like citrus or feijoas are being planted successfullyGrow pollinators especially for the local bees. We are talking here of all sorts of flowering ground covers, shrubs and trees. And native plants for our birdsWe will end up with rotten fruit all over the footpath and bred verminIn successful plantings locals make a pact to be the guardians of specific fruit trees on their street. This has been working successfully in many areas of NZ. Some councils have even put online where the current ripe fruit is availableAnd if this doesn’t work and the council isn’t prepared to do the cleanup then, pull them out and change to bee and bird friendly plants.And the vermin problem hasn’t eventuated in areas with these schemesThe maintenance men are always digging up the streetsYes they are and you just need to be prepared to lose these plants and start again . And be careful of the types of trees near access points and key infrastructureIt’s dangerous if the footpaths aren’t clear, safe and accessible for all usersThis is true and must be considered in the design of the planting. Especially if the tree chosen may become too big. Don’t plant pears or plums unless they are a miniature varietyThe roads are for cars to drive and mustn’t be covered in rotten fruit and especially people on the road picking that fruitTrue again and this is a combination of local guardians keeping the trees trimmed and collecting excess food, plus initial design of the plantingThey will get vandalisedTo an extent but so far their hasn’t been much of this happening. We look after our own streets if we have an attachment to what is happening there.And around NZ these problems have been overcome. Council often don’t have clear policy on this so it will pay to contact them. However, I do know a few people that are in the guerrilla gardening mode, they just act now and ask for forgiveness later.If this is too hard Council can be approached to let some land in the local park be used for community garden.And the prize is, more community togetherness, possible common compost schemes, free seasonal food, better bird and bee life and a generous more liveable city life.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winter crops need to go in!Might not feel like it, but winter is just around the corner.Soil is still warm-as, so when you plant seeds, they germinate quite quickly; take advantage of that helping hand, so that seedlings will grow quickly in the warm conditions, while they slow down on their way to lower temperatures.Brussels Sprouts:Sow now (early March); transplant the seedling in May in a pre-prepared bed in full sun with nice, friable soil with a good dollop of Lime (NOT dolomite lime!). The lime (high pH) prevents club root disease.Plant them in a spot where they are protected from too much wind. These Brassicaceae are rather top-heavy and could easily topple over!“Improved” and “Jade F1” are good varieties that usually do well. You can also find a purple-red heirloom variety; In early winter after the first frost!! You can harvest themCabbages and Broccoli are also still worth planting; they are related to the sprouts, so a similar modus operandus applies for them. Don’t forget the Lime…I had a good run with red cabbage, this year (a favourite of one of my – 8 year old – grandson, Edouard). I think he eats it raw!Leeks can sometimes be a bit of a bother when you sow the seeds. The tiny, thin seedlings are a bit of a pain when it comes to transplanting them; I prefer to buy seedlings that are already reasonably sturdy and easier to handle.Use friable and deep, fertile soil; Create “furrows” in which you plant the seedlings.As the plants grow gradually bury the stems in the soil from the higher sides of the furrow: buried leeks will have white stems as a result of lack of light. I often push this “blanching” trick to a rather maximal position, by burying the stems as far as I can. White leek stems taste a heck of a lot better than green ones!Early march in warmer areas of Aotearoa is still a good time to sow the last crop of French beans – they could last you well into autumn. Maybe not a winter crop as such, but close, if you keep them in a warm and sunny spot.Spring onions will go on and on and on; plant a row or two for the stir-fry or soups, Udon or Somen. I usually cram them in close proximity to each-other (5 to 6 cm apart) and mound them up as they grow, just like the leeks.Making use of the autumn sun and temperatures, Carrots will germinate easily too; important to have very friable soil without stones of hard clay patches; It really pays to make the growth of carrot roots as effortless as possible for the plant, otherwise you’ll get those forked carrots!Fertiliser with some extra Phosphate to develop those roots.The best thing about carrots is that you don’t need to harvest them all at once: the best way to “store” them is by leaving them in the soil.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank lending changes are prompting lots of borrowers to look at second-tier lenders when the banks say no. Enable.me's Hannah McQueen speaks to Francesca Rudkin about who exactly are these second-tier lenders and what you should look out for.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple & Google have turned off live data in their maps to protect the people of Ukraine Live map activity is great to help detect traffic and disruptions when life is normal, but in a war zone it can be dangerous. Both Google & Apple have now disabled these features which collect user data to show clusters of activity. In the US at least, the maps can show busy locations, such as how many people are at a particular gym or bar, but can also show hotspots such as shopping districts, beaches, or protests. There was a fear that people congregating to shelter could inadvertently appear on a map. The live traffic feature tipped of academic researchers that the Russian invasion was happening, because there was a traffic jam at 3:15 in the morning right near where satellite images had previously showed the staging of Russian military vehicles. Dr Jeffrey Lewis a Professor at Middlebury Institute in California started tweeting his findings and updates as the traffic jam rolled towards Ukraine. Cryptocurrency's ability to transcend borders is in the spotlight With Russia out of the SWIFT banking system and sanctions on financial activity with Russia, Cryptocurrency is being used to skirt the move money. It's peer to peer nature makes it Hillary Clinton warned last year that she saw crypto as an easy way to bypass government financial controls, but also feared manipulation of the crypto markets by China or Russia. She called on regulation in the past and has again come out strongly against crypto companies saying that it's disappointing some are refusing to end transactions with Russia. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dropout: Based on the popular podcast and based on true events, The Dropout is a tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. Amanda Seyfried plays American entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes, who develops healthcare technology that puts millions of patients at risk and loses everything in the blink of an eye (Disney+). Pieces of Her: this might well be your binge watch for the weekend! From the team behind Big Little Lies and The Undoing, Toni Collette stars in this thriller about one woman’s quest to understand her mother after a violent attack brings an unknown past to light (Netflix). Our Flag Means Death: Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi star in this new comedy set in 1717, about wealthy landowner Stede Bonnet (Darby) who has a midlife crisis and decides to blow up his cushy life to become a pirate. It does not go well (Neon). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We often feel like we never have enough time in the day and the time that we do have needs to made the most of! Luckily, we have the likes of clinical psychologist-turned-writer, Dr Alice Boyes, to save the day. Alice is a Kiwi based in the US and her blogs on the popular website Psychology Today garner millions of views. She has written a brand new book called Stress-Free Productivity. It’s a tool-kit to help readers flourish...without the burnout. Dr Alice Boyes joins Francesca Rudkin to talk about her book. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all need a bit of cheering up after the week we’ve had so here’s an absolute favourite that’s worth the effort – custard slice! 2 sheets store-bought puff pastry 1L full fat milk 75g butter, chopped 2 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup sugar ½ cup custard powder or corn flour 4 egg yolks 1 cup icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 180 C. Line a 20-22cm tin with baking paper, allowing some to hang over the sides for easy removal later. Roll the pastry to slighter thinner and larger than they come. Place the pastry sheets on baking trays lined with baking paper. Use a fork to prick holes all over the pastry then top the pastry sheets with another sheet of baking paper and another baking tray. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely on wire racks before trimming to fit your tin. Make the custard: Place 3 cups of the milk, butter, vanilla and sugar in a pot and heat until just before boiling point. While it heats, in a bowl whisk the custard powder/cornflour, remaining milk and egg yolks together until smooth. Slowly pour this mix into the hot milk, whisking as you go. Reduce heat to low to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until you have a thick, glossy custard. Place your first pastry sheet on the base of the tin, pour over the custard and top with the remaining pastry sheet. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or until set, before icing. To make the icing, mix the icing sugar and vanilla together with a little hot water. Start with a tablespoon or two first, adding a little more at a time until you have the right consistency. Pour over the pastry and chill again for 1 hour. Once set, lift out onto a chopping board and use a large serrated knife, or scissors, to slice into squares. Eat up! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The BatmanThe Batman ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis. ‘Jeen-Yuhs’ - Kanye West documentaryThe lives of an emerging superstar and a filmmaker intertwine in this intense, intimate docuseries charting Kanye West's career, filmed over two decades. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne wants to talk about an issue which, strangely, involves Dad's Army.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am over Rapid Antigen Tests – and we’ve only been able to buy them for a week!Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the use of these tests. They alleviate the pressure on laboratories struggling to cope with testing numbers, and allow us to take responsibly for our own health as the contact tracing is overwhelmed. Most importantly, they allow people to keep earning a living, business and schools to stay open, and help critical services and supply chains to remain operational.We’ve seen the role they have played overseas. We understand their purpose and their value.I love em. But I’m already over the effort involved with trying to get one.We have had all the time in the world to organise how they’re distributed; yet the feedback this week is that once again delivery has been haphazard, and frustrating for many. It’s a familiar refrain.RAT’s are free for those with Covid symptoms or who are household contacts – so they should be. But some of these people are waiting in queues for hours to pick up their test or pre-order. Others are whipping through testing sites in no time at all. Some are being given packs of 5 tests even if there are only two people in the car.The distribution kinks are still being ironed out as we go, but you can understand why some are thinking twice about putting themselves through it.And if you’re being driven to buy your own RATS it’s been a frustrating experience as well. Stock has been slow to reach shelves and from what I’ve seen in chemists and supermarkets this week they’ve run out pretty quickly. Prices vary. It’s good to see some suppliers will be selling at cost, for those who aren’t I have less kind words.Demand will be high. I can understand the ease of having a few RATS in your medical kit. Makes life easy when one of the kids claims to have a sore throat, but is clearly trying to avoid a maths test. It also makes sense to do a test before visiting an elderly family member or heading to a wedding or function.But many do not have an extra $30 - $45 a week to throw a pack of RATs in the supermarket trolley.And don’t even get me started the challenges businesses are having trying to do the right thing and source their own supply.This week someone said, let’s not let RATS become the new toilet paper. And I couldn’t agree more. I’m resigned to the fact it will take at least the rest of this month to get our response working properly.It might also give the government time to come to their sense and do at least what Australia did, and hand out ten free home test kits over a three month period for pensioners and those with community services cards. How about every household getting free RAT tests like they did in the UK?The government has abdicated its responsibility for our health and handed it back to us as individuals, and I understand why, but this comes with an obligation to give us the tools we need to look after and manage ourselves. And for many it needs to be free. Who thought we’d be looking to the UK for best practice on anything to do with COVID, but with RATS they got it right.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley has been hanging out in the city of Palmerston North.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.