Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Amazon showed just how big it is againNot only are they so big they can get around the global supply chain crunch by building their own containers and putting them on their own planes, but they also take down thousands of web services when their cloud hits a grey patch.Their 'US-East' region of Amazon Web Services went out for hours this week crippling a wide range of apps likes Tinder, Coinbase and Disney+ but also smart home services like self-cleaning cat litter boxes and roomba vacuums! Amazon's own operations were also halted when their internal apps went down too.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erik Weihenmayer is one of the most accomplished mountaineers and adventurers in the world. He’s climbed Mount Everest, reached the top of the tallest peaks on each of the seven continents and paddled the entire 445 kilometres of the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. But what makes Erik’s achievements so unique is that he’s blind. Jack Tame chats to Erik about his expeditions and his latest adventure - in front of the camera with actor Will Smith as part of Disney’s Welcome to Earth series. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Tis the season to be jolly and this dessert is jolly good! A choux pastry wreath is a stunning dessert for the festive table and it is absolutely delicious.Serves 8-12Choux130g chilled butter, chopped250mls water145g plain flour4 large eggs (about 230g in the shell), lightly whisked½ teaspoon sea salt3 teaspoons sugar (optional)150g white chocolate¼ cup cream4 tablespoon fruit compote, I used Barker’s cherry and vanillaFilling300ml cream200g mascarpone2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 tablespoons icing sugar + extra to dust2 cups fresh mixed berries to serve1. Preheat oven to 170C fan and line a baking tray with baking paper. Drawn a 25cm circle on it to use as a guide.2. Heat the butter and water in a saucepan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until the butter melts and the mixture comes to the boil. Add the flour and use a wooden spoon to beat for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture comes away from side of pan. Transfer to the bowl of a standing mixer or to another bowl that you can use an electric beater in. Allow it to cool for 4-5 minutes.3. Begin to beat and add an egg with the beaters still running. Once incorporated, add the next and so on. I beat the final egg with a fork first before drizzling it in bit by bit as you may not need all of it to get a choux pastry mixture that is thick and glossy.4. Use a tablespoon to spoon 12 even spoonfuls within the drawn circle on your tray. I start with one at 12 o-clock, then six, then 3 and 9 and then I fill in the gaps. Using a finger moistened with water, smooth out any peaks on top of the choux mounds.5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until puffed and golden. Reduce the heat to 100 C fan and bake for a further 10 minutes. Turn the oven off. Leave the puffs in the oven for at least 1 hour to dry and crisp up. Cool.6. Carefully cut the profiterole ring in half horizontally. Discard any pieces of uncooked dough from the profiterole centres. It can now be stored in an airtight container for a few days. Crisp it in a 100 C oven before filling and decorating.7. Melt white chocolate over a gentle heat, whisking in enough cream to form a thick smooth sauce. Cool to warm. Spread each profiterole with white chocolate sauce. Chill briefly to set.8. To fill; Dab fruit compote into each profiterole, add some fresh berries too. Beat together cream, mascarpone and icing sugar until stiff peaks form – watch you don’tover beat it. Spoon this mixture into the ring base and gently place the top ring. Dust with icing sugar.9. To serve, pull apart each profiterole and serve with fresh berries.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin gives us the lowdown on Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch and a sobering documentary about Covid called The First Wave."The French Dispatch" is inspired by New York magazine and is set in France. Rudkin says it's an incredible lineup with stars, a lot of them familiar with Wes Anderson fans."The First Wave" is a National Geographic documentary that looks at the first wave of Covid-19 cases in New York. Rudkin says the tone is quite right to watch the film as we have moved on in the world with Covid.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne is celebrating the 23rd birthday of an icon of the entertainment industry but it's not quite who you think! He told Jack Tame the Big Mouth Billy Bass is set to tragically spend its birthday on Thursday once again high and dry and out of battery in some dark places in garages."I urge all our listeners who have a Big Mouth Billy Bass in their shed or loft release him like you would any unwanted fish."The Big Mouth Billy Bass made an estimated US $100 million in nine months.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let’s get one thing straight: It would be fantastic if New Zealanders didn’t smoke.Our Smokefree 2025 aspirations, although perhaps a smidgen optimistic, are excellent. The steps we’ve taken over the last few decades, from advertising restrictions to plain packaging laws, excise tax hikes to the recent ban on smoking in cars, have made a massive difference to the number of New Zealanders who smoke cigarettes. I look back to the childhood evenings I spent in rugby clubrooms, heavy with a fog of cigarette smoke, and it feels like a different life.But I do have some reservations about the phased-in ban on cigarette sales. Restricting drug access can have unintended consequences. Would we have seen the surge in dairies being robbed in violent robberies if we hadn’t massively increased excise taxes? Of course not. And more broadly, does banning drug use ever work? In my experience, human-beings will always find a way to get an illicit fix. If you ban anything, you automatically create illegal demand. And the black market for cigarettes might not end up being too big, you can be sure it will exist. It already does!The thing that tilts me in favour of the proposal is that the drug which makes cigarettes so addicitive – nicotine – isn’t actually being banned at all. I’ve got heaps of mates who have moved off the lungas’ and onto vaping instead. I’m almost 35, I’ve never smoked a cigarette and I’m confident I never will. But I have had a hoon on a few vape pens in my time. With watermelon or mango or cool mint flavours, I can see why the kids like them so much. Banning cigarettes simply wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t have something like vaping as an alternative. But that has its own issues. There will be many young New Zealanders – tens or hundreds of thousands, even – who might never have smoked a cigarette, but become addicted to vaping instead. I suppose this is a cost of progress.I have to say though, I prickle when I compare our politicians’ proactive work with tobacco to that of other drugs. If we were to step back and consider what drug harm needed priorisiting in New Zealand, cigarettes and tobacco wouldn’t be top of the list.It’d be booze. Booze is the number one cause of death for young New Zealanders aged between 15 and 49. Booze kills almost three times as many New Zealanders every year as smoking. And that’s not to mention all of the crime, violence, and societal problems it causes.For tobacco, we’ve gone hard. We’ve banned advertising and sponsorship. We’ve cranked up excise taxes. We’ve introduced plain packaging laws and banned smoking indoors. We’ve heavily subsidised programmes to help Kiwis quit.With booze? ... Nothing.I’m not suggesting we ban alcohol. Of course not. But it looks increasingly likely New Zealand will move to ban the sale of cigarettes before it gets anywhere near introducing the simplest advertising or marketing restrictions for our most harmful drug.I’m open to the phased-in ban on cigarettes. I hope it’ll work. The Cancer Society reckons it’s courageous. But if you want real courage, find me a government that’ll do something meaningful about alcohol.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has been listening to US indie singer-songwriter Julien Baker and her new album, Little Oblivions. She told Jack Tame this album can be confronting at times. "What I loved about this album is it's so well produced and in-control-sounding and it's about a whole lot of stuff when you're not in control...It's quite clever."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book expert Catherine Raynes has been enjoying Jodi Picoult's new novel Wish You Were Here and acting legend Stanley Tucci's memoir Taste: My Life Through Food. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Dromgool share his tips for remembering missing loved ones at Christmas with Jack Tame.Covid restrictions can hit people hard at Christmas but there are ways to make space for the loss and still celebrate. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Common problems and questions1) Compost bin or worm farm is full of little white worms and moreI often see a compost bin as a miniature version of a perfect ecosystem.Anybody who’s job it is to break down organic matter will live there – first the “shredders” of waste material: millipedes, slugs/snails, slaters, roaches, beetle larvae, some maggots – even mice and rats.Their waste (excrement) is broken down by the next group of “composters”: fungi, amphipods (litter hoppers)Next lot is the extremely numerous springtails and tiny fruitfly larvaeThen come the mites (minute), bacteria and other small “finishers”. sometimes fungal, some worms.Even worm farms should have all these in them at some stage and that’s how Nature runs the show2) Leafcurl on stonefruit/peaches/plumsFungal disease that started last autumn when infection began; The new buds that were formed in autumn and during early winter got the fungal spores on them and it manifested itself as leafcurl in spring and early summer.Prevent next years’ infection by spraying double dose of copper when half your leaves have fallen off in autumn – do that twice in a row a few weeks apart3) Fruit trees not fruiting well or flowering plants not flowering wellUsually a deficiency of potash (the “K” in NPK)Did you fertilise your plant at all?? If answer is not: use some rose fert or tomato fert a few times a year – little and often. I tend to grab Seafood soup and Seaweed tea and alternate those often.Just using Blood and Bone (Mostly “N” and some “P”!!!) does not give a plant much incentive to grow flowers and fruit: Chuck some sulphate of potash around the ailing plant in late spring, and during summer – water well in and do it again in early spring next year – That usually does the trick4) Need pollinators!!!Some people think that lack of fruit is result of “no bees”.MaybeAlways make sure you have plenty of flowers around your garden that will attract the insects that do the pollination… and it’s certainly not just “bees”: Blow Flies, beetles, thrips, mites, drone flies and hoverflies as well as the dozens of native bee species we have in NZ (some can be tiny!)I adore the colourful exotic flowers you can plant around the vegie garden or orchard; but some of the tiny native flowers are just as attractive and they cater for a totally different “market”Biodiverse gardens includes biodiverse plantings and that even may include “weeds” such as dill and flowering parsley and flowering wild carrot and especially yarrow!!!5) Tiny black insects digging tunnels in my clay soilHa! Those are some of the native bees we just discussed; these critters are brilliant at all their jobs and make a tiny, thin tube into the soil where they have a few larvae, fed on pollen and nectar;Our native bees are not “social” bees (like honey bees) but each tunnel is one pair… mind you they do like living “together” with other pairs in that patch of soil, so it looks like they’re almost social.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley gives us the lowdown on the Catlins - from Curio Bay to Nugget Point.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance expert Hannah McQueen talks about how to make 2022 a more fruitful one financially. While we can’t control Covid, she tells Jack Tame, there are other things within our control that people can focus on amid high inflation and rising interest rates."Depending on your problem, there's a particular strategy that's appropriate."She said there are easy fixes.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How would you feel if your phone's camera was always watching? Qualcomm's latest processor will have this capability - which means it could be coming to Android devices as early as next year.Here's how they're pitching it.. it makes it easier to unlock your phone because it will unlock the moment you look at it. You can then quickly look over at your phone to see notifications instead of needing to pick it up. They're pitching it as making your phone more secure, because as soon as you're not looking at it, it will lock. If it can see you and someone else, then private information or notifications could be hidden.They say the images are not recorded or saved, the camera is just scanning for faces. When it's in this scanning mode, none of the other phone's functions are connected. Only when a face is detected is when those other systems are activated and the face is authenticated.Jack Dorsey, one of the founders of Twitter had a big weekHe stood down from his CEO position, handing it over to the CTO. He's presumably going to now focus more of his attention on Square, which this week got renamed as 'Block'. Facebook rebranded as Meta to own the metaverse space, now Square wants to be everything Blockchain?LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acting legend Melanie Lynskey is a true Kiwi success story. She rose to fame as Pauline in Peter Jackson’s 1994 film Heavenly Creatures and has since starred in the likes of Two and a Half Men, Togetherness and Mrs. America. The 44-year-old now has a starring role in new thriller series Yellowjackets which has rave reviews so far. Jack Tame catches up with the actor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol: Based on the 2009 Dan Brown novel of the same name, The Lost Symbol is the story of a young Robert Langdon (Ashley Zukerman) being tasked by the CIA to solve a number of puzzles when his mentor (Eddie Izzard) is taken (Neon, from Monday 6 December)Heels: A new American drama about two brothers and rivals - one a villain, or "heel," in the ring; the other a hero, or "face," war over their late father's wrestling promotion, vying for national attention in small-town Georgia (TVNZ OnDemand).Moone Boy: Created and written by Chris O’Dowd, Moone Boy follows Martin Moone, a quirky young boy who lives in a small Irish town, has an imaginary friend named Sean. With Sean's help, Martin navigates life as the youngest member of a chaotic family (TVNZ OnDemand).LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Using frozen bananas as a base for ice cream creates a beautiful creamy texture!Add to it 2-3 cups of other frozen fruit (store-bought is fine) and about a third of a cup of liquid, either coconut cream, pouring cream or maple or sugar syrup. It’s great to use a high-powered blender for a smooth, gelato texture but a food processor will do the trick too, just stop and scrape down the sides frequently. Serve it immediately or freeze it solid then thaw for 15-25 minutes before scooping. Get as creative as you like with adding flavours!Berry vanilla ripple2 large bananas, chopped and frozen1 teaspoon vanilla paste400g frozen berries2-3 dates, soaked in warm water1/3 cup cream or coconut creamDark chocolate to serve1. Blend one frozen banana with vanilla until smooth – this will be your ripple. Set aside.2. Blend remaining banana with frozen fruit and dates and with the motor running drizzle in the cream or coconut cream and blend until smooth. Spoon into a lined loaf tin. Top with banana vanilla mix and with a spoon handle, marble it through the berry ice cream. Serve immediately or freeze for 2+ hours before scooping.Kiwifruit choc mint and coconut1 large banana, chopped and frozen400g chopped and frozen kiwifruit1/3 cup maple syrup or honeySmall handful mint leaves4 tablespoons grated dark chocolateCoconut to serve1. Blend everything except the coconut together until smooth. Spoon into a lined loaf tin. Top with coconut and either serve immediately or freeze for 2+ hours before scooping.Mango passionfruit1 large banana, chopped and frozen400g chopped & frozen mango1/3 cup coconut creamPassionfruit pulp or syrup to serve1. Blend everything except the passionfruit together until smooth. Spoon into a lined loaf tin. Top with drizzled passionfruit syrup and either serve immediately or freeze for 2+ hours before scooping.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin's been watching Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog and a documentary called Burning, about the Australian bushfires.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Out of all the political speeches that have been made this week, Kevin Milne speaks to Jack Tame about an interview Jack did with Jim Bolger which impressed him the most."In my mind, the interview was remarkable."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

107 days.Maybe it’s Stockholm Syndrome. Maybe I’ve found a few more freedoms but lost my mind. I dunno. I never thought I would say this, but there actually a few things I’m going to miss about lockdown life.I only considered it last weekend, on what it transpired was my last lockdown picnic. Saturday was a glorious, warm summer night in Auckland. A whisper of a cool evening breeze. It was the sort of temperature where it’s so perfect you don’t think about the temperature. It doesn’t cross your mind.The park was chocka’. Everywhere, families and groups of mates had laid out their picnic mats to lounge and laugh and graze and sip wine in the fading light. The grass was soft. Kids were playing. Birds were squabbling in the twilight. It was bliss.‘Why don’t we always do this?’ asked my mate.I reckon. Picnics were one of the few great pleasures of lockdown. I know it wasn’t just me. Every evening I passed the park, it was close to standing room only. It actually reminded me of the Great Lawn in New York’s Central Park. In a city where most people live in tiny apartments, it’s normal to organise an outdoor picnic with your mates. As we learnt in Auckland this year, people will use good public spaces.I’m gonna miss riding my bike in lockdown. What a joy to race around the city with only half the usual traffic. Only half the usual reasons to be scared for your life. Apparently global bike sales have gone bananas during the pandemic. I looked at buying a bike from the U.K until I realised that because of demand, I’d be waiting almost a year for it to arrive. As I discovered in lockdown, there are a few simpler ways to deal with the stresses of the pandemic than by heading outside for a quick blat up Auckland’s volcanoes, the elements on your face.What else will I miss about lockdown? I’ll miss the flexibility of working in my pyjamas. I’ll miss having an easy excuse not to hit the gym. I’ll miss feeling a tiny bit excited about a trip to the supermarket... Countdown?! Oh, what a treat!The thing I hope I can sustain from lockdown is the way in which the restrictions make you reckon with the things that are important in life, but which we sometimes take for granted. Friends. Family. Job security. The local cafe that makes our neighbourhood just so. To slot back into pre-lockdown life, exactly as we were, would be a shame.Yep, I’ll miss elements of lockdown, but I certainly won’t miss lockdown.107 days. Good riddance to that.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catherine Raynes has been reading Mercy by David Baldacci and the marvelous Miriam Margolyes' memoir, This Much I Know is True. She joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley gives Jack Tame the lowdown on the magic of Fiordland. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago, Taranaki-born woman Jane Wynyard swapped her high-profile PR career in London for the arid plains and tropical climate of Kenya. She went from high heels, designer dresses and celebrity parties to jandals, shorts and a camera. Jane now works as a communications consultant for various conservation groups, while roaming all over Africa to film and photograph wildlife. She speaks to Jack Tame about her wild adventure. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has been listening to Ladyhawke's new album, Time Flies - her fourth album and the first in five years. She told Jack Tame this is all the stuff we'd expect from Ladyhawke - except this is more personal.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing tomatoes It’s great to have a go at these fruit – there are many varieties too and everybody has their favourite ones. But there are some problems that can occur, whether you’re raising them in an open garden bed or in a glasshouse/tunnel houseTomato – (potato) psyllids are a nuisance interloper in NZ. They got here a few decades ago and will attack Solanaceous plants (potatoes, tomatoes, nightshades, poroporo, you name it).I used to get heaps of them when growing tomatoes in Auckland but in Christchurch they seem to be prevalent only in autumn (takes longer to develop plague proportions).What to look for?First sign is “ill-thrift” on tomatoes; you just pick there’s something wrong. If you then look closely at the leaves you’ll find small “nymphs” – especially on newer leaves and on the underside.You’ll also find lots of tiny white crystals of excrement of these sap-suckers – it tastes like sugar (and it is!). Call it solid, crystalline honeydew if you like. When the sap-sucking bugs develop they turn into adult psyllids: like a small aphid with wings – often hopping away when disturbed.When you photograph them or look up close they are actually quite beautiful!Control/PreventionIn my Canterbury tunnel house (and in my open garden) I rarely get them now, simply because I am fanatical about pulling up nightshade weeds. I reckon the psyllids overwinter on these weeds, so removing them meticulously helps a lot to keep your patch clean.Sprays with insecticides need to commence well before you see the first psyllids. It keeps their populations down too. I use neem oil if I have to spray, regular neem sprays will keep them down. Aim for the newer leaves/growth on the tomato plants.I see some recommendations for Spinosad (Yates Success) and abamectin but have never used that.I don’t grow potatoes but if you do, only use the early varieties (before Xmas!) so that your risk of spreading the psyllids to the summer tomatoes is somewhat reduced.A really fine horticultural pest control mesh, covering your tomatoes from spring onwards, will keep the psyllids out of your crop. You can get that mesh in garden centres and at the place where it was developed and tested: the Biological Husbandry Unit at Lincoln UniversityLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Campbell has been enjoying the best red under $20 he's had for a while - the Taylors 2019 Shiraz. It's a full-flavoured wine, perfect for summer BBQs. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tara Ward joined Jack Tame and shared her picks for this week:The Beatles: Get Back: Directed and produced by Peter Jackson, this three-part documentary season follows The Beatles as they made their 1970 album Let It Be, using hours of unseen material and footage (Amazon Prime Video). Annika: A new detective series about the sharp, witty and enigmatic DI Annika Strandhed, as she heads up a new specialist Marine Homicide Unit (MHU tasked with investigating the unexplained and brutal murders around the Scottish coast (Vibe, from Tuesday). The Great: a second season of the satirical comedy-drama about Catherine the Great, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult (Neon) LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lush is bailing on social media They've deleted all their content from Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok saying they'll stay off those social media channels globally until the platforms ensure a safer environment for their users. They're saying goodbye to strong marketing channels with 659,000 Instagram followers, 275,000 Twitter fans and more than 1 million Facebook followers. They say their products - like the bath bomb - are designed to help people switch off and relax - which is the opposite to what social media does. Samsung to start making chips in Texas They'll be spending $17 billion on a new factory spanning five million square meters and creating 2,000 jobs - it's a big project! They'll be making advanced logic semiconductors, which are used in phones and computers. It's an effort by Samsung to diversify the supply chain for desperately needed chips, which are largely produced in Asia. Biden's administration will be happy with this news because they're focusing on bringing more critical manufacturing closer to these shores - the supply chain holes are so glaring it's becoming a national security risk. This will be Samsung's biggest investment in the USA so far, and should be producing components from late 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which is the most eco and healthiest of the milks (and yummiest)? We live in a world where the old milk aisle at the supermarket now also has soy, almond, rice, oat, coconut and even hemp milks. Macadamia milk seems to have come and gone at my local. Many people are changing for health reasons, mainly lactose intolerant and others because of the revolt against peak cow ruining the environment. So, what are the facts here? Let’s look at good old dairy, the product that some would say, made our nation great. Cow's milk is a good source of high-quality protein and is naturally rich in calcium, B vitamins and many minerals. But, the protein in diary is a common allergen and about 65% of the population have difficulty digesting lactose, a type of sugar in the cow's milk. And Dairy emissions per glass are 0.63 kg, land use is 1.79 square metres and it takes 125.6 litres of water to produce that one glass of milk. From now on, I will use this as a comparison rather than give you lots of figures. Also, we are so used to the taste and texture of milk we kind of use this as a standard. It took me a long time to find something else to put in my latte. Coconut milk This is squeezed from the white flesh of a coconut and is safe if you have a nut allergy. It has a third the calories of milk, but no protein and half the amount of fats. These fats however have been linked to heart health benefits. They have an eight of the emissions of milk and also have the benefit of storing carbon as the tree grows. They need very little water. Can be a sweet distinctive taste that not everyone loves. Soy This was the first major alternative and has been around for decades. This comes closest to cows milk as they have a complete protein and its nutritional profile closely resembles that of diary. Controversy has come about as so much soy is genetically modified and also soy isoflavones can bind to estogen receptors in the body. This is still not completely understood but does put many off it. It has one third the emissions of dairy, 14 times less land needed and 22 times less water needed. Almond This is made by soaking almonds in water then blending them and staining away the solids. Unsweetened almond milk is low in calories and much lower in carbs than dairy but also low in protein. Beware that many brands have added sugar in them so check the labels. Also, many brands use carrageenan to thicken and stop separation. Lab tests have shown carrageenan to promote intestinal inflammation and damage. It has a third the emissions of dairy and also captures carbon as the tree grows. It uses one sixth the land but over 7 times the water usage of the other plant-based milks. Only dairy uses about 30% more again. Oat Oat milk is naturally sweet and high in carbs. Its soluble fibre makes it creamer and also absorbs water and turns in to a gel which slows digestion and keeps you full longer. This fibre may also reduce your cholesterol levels. It has about a quarter the protein of dairy which make it second here, behind soy. It has a third the emission of dairy, uses eleven times less land and thirteen times less water is needed. Plus, it can be grown easily here in New Zealand. And this has been the winner for me. I buy a local brand called Otis which grows its oats here in New Zealand and makes a damn fine latte too. In fact, in the UK nearly 50% of the population have now changed to oats in their café coffees because it froths so well in the expresso machines; again, that magic fibre it contains. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching a Netflix film called Passing and a French film called Petite Maman. "Passing" is set in 1920's New York and is filmed in black and white. Rudkin said it's a very subtly charged social drama. "Petite Maman" was filmed in France in lockdown and is on at the cinemas. Rudkin said it's very intimate and it's a film you want to just pass over you.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here are some refreshing non-alcoholic drinks to get you through the silly season. The only thing you’ll feel the next morning is smug. Raspberry shrub Shrubs are fruity vinegar drinks and they’re amazing! Standard recipe is equal parts fruit, sugar and viengar but you can adjust these to your taste. Makes 200mls syrup 450g fresh raspberries 1 cup caster sugar ½ cup red wine vinegar Soda water to serve Ice to serve In a bowl, toss fruit with sugar, cover with a breathable cloth and leave to sit for 48 hours, stirring every now and again. In very warm weather, do this stage in the fridge. Drain the syrup (saving the fruit for ice cream, smoothiesetc)adn stir in red wine vinegar. Pour into sterilised bottle or jar and seal for 3 days before tasting. To make the shrubs, pour syrup into glasses and top with soda water and ice. I use a ration of 1:4 syrup to soda water but make them to your taste.Mojito/Faux-jito Makes 1 L ½ cup brown ¼ cup water Big handful of mint leaves + extra 2 teaspoons raw sugar 1 L Soda water ¼ cup lime juice Plenty of ice Make a sugar syrup by simmering brown sugar with water for 6-8 minutes. Leave to cool. Smash the mint with the raw sugar in a mortar and pestle. In a jug (or divide between individual glasses) swizzle together sugar syrup, smashed mint/sugar, soda, lime and ice. Serve with more fresh lime and wedges of lime. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne has been reminiscing about radio, as the medium hits a 100 year milestone in New Zealand. He told Jack Tame he wasn't always a fan of radio - when he was little he couldn't get changed in any room that had a radio in it. "I used to love Sports Round-up on the radio on the weekends."He said his fondest memory of radio as a kid was the Sunday request session which his family would listen to sitting down to Sunday lunch.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With our biggest city in its third month of lockdown, hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders still effectively barred from entering the country, inflation running at 5%, and hundreds of new infections being recorded every day, the decisions made by our government deserve the scrutiny of a coherent and effective opposition. And while ACT has done an extremely good job in the last year, our political system is naturally inclined to a centre-left/centre-right cycle.National’s leadership fiasco coincided with the most significant legislation of 2021 being passed through the house under urgency. The law will limit the freedoms of hundreds of thousands of Kiwis. No legal drafts were published. There were no select committees. No scrutiny. We are all better served by a good opposition.I’m not going to try to guess the new leader. But in the spirit of democracy, here are five silver linings to the National Party’s leadership spill.1) First of all, it’s done. Since the election in October last year, pundits have been speculating on the future of Judith Collins’ leadership. It’s been tiresome. Every political poll has resulted in the same debate. Anytime a political pundit has been short on ideas for a column, a few phone calls to Collins’ caucus foes was enough to stir it up again. In recent months, the debate has been one of ‘when’ rather than ‘if.’ Kua mutu. It’s done. We have certainty. National can move on.2) The timing suits. The house is about to rise for the year. The new leadership will have the summer to get organised and develop a few big policies to begin the new year. A clean slate for 2022. And unless a new leader makes egregious errors, it’s unlikely (Although never say never!) that anyone will contest the party leadership before the next election.3) Whoever is leader, it will be a unity ticket. Simon Bridges’ biggest mistake as leader the first time was promoting his mates and demoting the MPs who hadn’t supported his leadership bid. Regardless of who is leader, all of National’s MPs can see the importance of uniting the different caucus factions. Their individual futures depend on it. Although the Judith Collins spill was messy and awful, in the two days since, National MPs have maintained discipline across the board.4) The public and the caucus have little appetite for any politicking that appears overly cynical or vindictive. This is another lesson the new leaders need not learn the hard way. Collins pushed Todd Muller out. She demoted Chris Bishop, probably the single best-performing National MP this term. And regardless of Judith Collins’ intentions, the hit on Simon Bridges had the appearance of someone using Me Too and the attention on workplace bullying for profoundly cynical and self-serving reasons. This behaviour won’t fly.5) Even if the government doesn’t appear particularly vulnerable right now, Covid-19 makes for an environment where political fortunes can change very quickly. Yesterday, Sir Brian Roche’s latest report laid out stark shortcomings in New Zealand’s preparations for theDelta variant. Over the next two years, there will be many more opportunities for a good opposition to land a few blows. And hey, we don’t even know if Jacinda Ardern will run for a third term! In a World with Covid-19, the only certainty is uncertainty. And uncertainty makes for political opportunity.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our music reviewer Estelle Clifford shares her thoughts on Adele's highly-anticipated new album, '30'.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catherine Raynes has been busy reading Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Michael Connelly's The Dark Hours. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley's been walking the trails around Arrowtown and drinking wine in Gibbston Valley...the life! He shares his tips for the area with Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool tells Jack Tame how to get your partner what they actually want for Christmas instead of guessing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mental health and Gardening exerciseI have often wondered what it is like to live on the 16th floor.As a child, my parents always had a garden – that’s where I learned the “Manual of Outside Life”.As students in the Netherlands we lived (with a baby!) in an old city house without a garden, literally in the centre of Wageningen. The remedy: a jungle of pot plants and vines (Hoya, Stephanotis, Monstera) climbing through all rooms.Of course, my study topics and work were mostly outside in forests and parks, along river habitats and in national parks...and we had an allotment!What are your options on the 16th floor?Grow on balcony – many different ways to surround yourself with nature, flowers and even vegetables and fruit. Large container culture is becoming quite manageable.Do we still have allotments?Contact with the soil, plants, trees and shrubs has been shown to be great for mental and physical health. Listening to bird sounds and insect-buzzing adds to that and the smell of flowers and foliage nicely complements the whole experience.Other Options?Walk in local park – go to nearby forests such as the Waitakeres, Hunuas, town belt, dunes, beach.For gardeners with a small piece to grow stuff, ask yourself what would work there - how do you find out?The mere fact that you do research on that issue helps you to get outside too.Visit your local garden centre to see what works well. Better still, your local botanic garden is likely to have some great displays of local horticultural opportunities.Auckland botanic gardens have fabulous rows of hedges, endemic rarities, possible colour combinations that work in your area – it's all about INSPIRATION. There is Hagley Park, Wellington Botanic Gardens, Dunedin, Pukekura Park - there are so many great parks in Aotearoa cities and towns!If you are interested in planting some native specimens that will work in your area, make a day trip to your regional or national park. The reason I live in Christchurch is not because of the concrete and glass city, but because within an hour you’re somewhere really interesting.There’s a continuous park from Kahurangi to south Fiordland – just saying – with plenty of inspiration around what to plant and what comes feeding in your garden.For beginning gardeners, who really want to start their own little paradise, this is the best advice I can give: Go for a walk around the block and see other people’s gardens. See what grows well, see what you like.You might not know all the names of plants but here’s even a suggestion of how to find out - knock on the door or ring the bell and ask the owner.More often than not you’ll strike a garden-proud owner who will tell you what it is and chances will be pretty good that you end up meeting new local gardeners and walking away with some cuttings…You don’t have to be Dutch to appreciate that (but that helps too!). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Bryan Betty gives Jack Tame the lowdown on eczema and shares his tips on how to help soothe it.Bryan Betty is a GP and medical director for the College of GPs. He’s also on the Covid-19 advisory committee. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple will let you fix your iPhone at home They're even going to send you the parts! Huge news! Apple is creating the "Self Service Repair" program in early 2022 for those in the US, to fix iPhone 12's and 13s with things like broken screens, dead batteries and busted cameras. You'll be able to buy more than 200 parts and tools to make the repairs. Even better is these repairs won't void the warranty of your device, although if you damage it during the repair process it may. Making it easier for Americans to reach emergency mental health services The FCC has approved the use of 988 as a fast and memorable way to reach suicide prevention services. 6,000 people a day call Lifeline in the USA. This goes into effect next year. Unlike the 911 service, this number also supports text messaging - great for younger people or those who are hard of hearing or deaf. Crypto goes mainstream The Staples Center in LA, home to the Lakers & Clippers, is getting a new name: Cypto.com Stadium. The mobile wallet company paid $700 million to secure the naming rights for the next 20 years. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tara Ward joined Jack Tame and shared her picks for this week:Yellowjackets: Melanie Lynskey stars in Neon’s new psychological thriller "Yellowjackets" about a team of wildly talented high-school girls soccer players who survive a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to warring, cannibalistic clans, while also tracking the lives they have attempted to piece back together. The Wheel of Time: Set in a high fantasy world where magic exists but only some can access it, a woman named Moiraine crosses paths with five young men and women, sparking a dangerous journey that spans the world. Based on the book series by Robert Jordan. (Amazon Prime Video) Adele: One Night Only: Adele is back with an intimate concert performance, and speaks exclusively with Oprah Winfrey about life after divorce, weight loss and raising her son (TVNZ OnDemand and TVNZ 2, Monday 22 November)LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi favourites Sol3 Mio have released their fourth studio album called Coming Home. It's their most stripped back to date, featuring a mix of contemporary hits and well-known classics. The trio speak to Jack Tame about making the album and how the pandemic has played into it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re feeling stuck in a rut with your cooking, try shopping somewhere new like an Indian spice shop or Asian style supermarket, your local butcher or grocer instead of a supermarket. These crisp little chick pea shells are popular in India and I love to fill them with spiced potatoes, a tangy tamarind chutney and cooling yoghurt sauce. They’re so delightful to eat – they collapse divinely in your mouth. Spiced potato panipuri Makes about 15-20 300g Agria potatoes, peeled and diced 1cm pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon each cumin seeds, yellow and black mustard seeds 1 teaspoon ground turmeric ½ teaspoon ground garam masala Sea salt and ground pepper ½ cup store-bought tamarind chutney Panipuri shells, or can use crisped pappadums Yoghurt sauce Decent handful mint leave, chopped 1/3 cup thick plain yoghurt Pinch chilli flakes 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until just cooked but not falling apart, about 4-5 minutes. Drain well. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the spices for 30 seconds then add the potatoes and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until potatoes are cooked through. Smash about half the potatoes with a fork to give a chunky texture. Cool. Combine the yoghurt dressing ingredients. Gently tap the top of the panipuri with the back of a teaspoon to make an opening for the filling. Place a spoonful of the cooled potato in each shell. Top with a little tamarind chutney then a spoonful of yoghurt sauce. Serve immediately.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin gives her take on The Rescue - the edge-of-your-seat account of the rescue of 12 Thai school boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave system in 2018.She says the film is so remarkable because it's gripping, emotional, inspirational and horrifying at times.She's also been watching the romantic comedy, Falling for Figaro, which is more enjoyable than she thought it would be."It is very predictable, but hits all the predictable beats of cinema romantic comedy."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne's been reading, A Record of the Life of the Great Te Rauparaha. Kevin says he's quite a hero in Ngati Toa country, Kapiti, where he lives. It's lead him to wonder about the use of Te Rauparaha's haka, Ka Mate, by the All Blacks and other national teams.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I spent yesterday afternoon with a couple of doctors from Papakura Marae, going door-to-door visiting whānau who have tested positive for Covid-19. They were testing vital signs and oxygen saturation.The story will be on Q+A tomorrow. It was a good reminder of just how different our pandemic experiences are. My biggest day-to-day gripe is not being able to go to a restaurant. These doctors are working 12 or 13 hour days, risking their own health to try and help patients, many of whom are really seriously unwell.The dye has now been set for reopening. In a fortnight we’ll be in the traffic light system. Covid-19 will be spreading everywhere. That’ll be it. And my experience spoke to the two groups of New Zealanders who I think have the greatest reasons to feel let down by New Zealand’s pandemic response. When all is said and done and we look back at Covid-19 in years to come, these are the two groups of Kiwis that won’t forget.The first group is Māori. I’ve been harping on about this for months, but the early stages of the vaccine rollout left Māori behind and we’ve been playing catch up ever since. Despite all the millions of dollars pumped into community providers, the efforts to support remote communities, and the social media campaigns, the damage of those early failures cannot be undone. Māori health experts were ignored at the start of the vaccine rollout. Young Māori were left to Group 4. Community groups were sidelined. And when the Government made that pivotal decision to start relaxing the toughest restrictions in Auckland, Māori vaccination rates were more than 26% behind those of the general population.When I confronted the Prime Minister about this last month, Jacinda Ardern responded sharply, which indicates just how sensitive the Government is to this criticism. It’s true that from a pragmatic perspective, she and her Cabinet colleagues simply cannot wait to relax restrictions until Māori vaccination rates are equal to those of the general population. The anger and antagonism would be damaging for Māori and politically devastating for the Government. Jacinda Ardern has to govern for the whole population. But there is no changing the facts. Māori will soon make up more than half of all the Delta infections ever recorded in Aotearoa. In the face of a deadly pandemic, despite warnings from Māori public health experts, this Government made the two most critical decisions – the shift down from Level 4 and the impending opening of Auckland’s borders – when Māori vaccination rates were miles behind those of the general population. Those two decisions alone have more or less guaranteed Te Pāti Māori another term in Government. I think there will be Treaty implications. Waitangi next year could be very interesting indeed.The second group to feel an enduring sense of abandonment is New Zealanders overseas. Yesterday, Jacinda Ardern confirmed she won’t be changing MIQ until next year. But in going door-to-door, visiting positive cases, I was again reminded of the ongoing double-standards with our system. There is simply no scientific justification why a double-vaccinated person with a negative test, travelling from a comparable country, somehow presents more of a risk self-isolating at home than the thousands of people who are already self-isolating having tested positive the virus. Dr Michael Baker even says as much! Every week we are confronted with stories of Kiwis who want to visit dying loved ones and are being denied. I was recently in contact with a young doctor, double-jabbed, with multiple negative tests, who was granted an emergency MIQ spot, but then denied an exemption to leave and visit her dying grandad. He was the man who raised her. Every night, watching the news from MIQ, she would be reminded of the hundreds of positive cases who were isolating at home. She wasn’t granted the same level of trust. She wasn’t granted compassion. Her grandad died and was buried while she sat...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Music reviewer Estelle Clifford has been listening to the new album from Silk Sonic, an American R&B super-duo consisting of recording artists Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lemon treesThey love a warm, sheltered spot in full sun – protected from wind; usually not good with heavy frosts. (Meyer lemons possibly a few degrees below zero); protect the trees from heavy frosts with frost-cloth….…or grow them in a large pot that can be moved under frost shelter!Most citrus varieties are gross feeders – honestly: they’ll reward you with lots of fruit if you fertilise at least THREE TIMES per growing season (Oct – Dec – March); general fertiliser perhaps with some added sulfate of POTASH; “little and often” is the mantra.Good MULCH (past the drip-line), keep watered; they hate drought!They’re not good with root competition/crowding; (shallow rooters); keep grass away, especially Kikuyu.Pollination is usually not a problem; most varieties are “self-fertile”, but watch Meyer Lemons: when they are grown nearby a “seedless” orange, there will be pips – often heaps of them!Fruit maintenance: Don’t let young trees set too many fruit – prune some off to let the frame-work develop; next year let a few more grow as the tree strengthens its branch system.(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!Pruning regime: if you need to shape your tree, do it in period March-early September when lemon tree borer are not around to lay eggs on the pruned surfaces. Use Sharp, clean secateurs.Remove branches from within the bush/shrub/tree – let wind go through it – dries out – less rot.Pruning cuts don’t need a sealant, but if you’ve had history of die-back (fungal attack) then it will not harm to seal the wound...Disinfect secateurs from time to time – bleach or janola.Sooty Mould; 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.There are some root rots (Phytophthora) that can kill a citrus tree very quickly, in a matter of six to eight weeks the leaves go yellow, droop, turn brown and…fall off!Phytophthora is often spread through ground water (the spot is too wet for too long!).Dig the tree out and don’t plant another citrus in the same spot.Maybe put a plum in your Campari?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eco-man Malcolm Rands updates Jack Tame on how the COP26 Summit is going. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance expert Hannah McQueen takes Jack Tame through the new bank lending legislation.The new credit contracts and consumer finance amendment is resulting in the banks going through your spending with a fine tooth comb and often declining lending you’d expect to be able to get because you earn a good salary, based on the way you spend.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel expert Mike Yardley talks about the portside delights in Lyttelton, Christchurch. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.