Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool has been looking at how to manage loss in a relationship.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strawberries to take your mind off winter I tend to totally ignore my winter feelings when the weather is rubbish. In fact, there’s nothing more positive than planning the next summer fruit extravaganza: STRAWBERRIES! The young plants are available in shops now – many varieties. For me in Canterbury, a good producer is Cama Rosa; It actually fruited until June! Royal (also known as Camino Real) works good too. I am tempted to track down Sundae (large and vigorous plants that fruit well into late summer). And also Temptation, which is “day-neutral” (means: it will flower and fruit no matter what the day-length is). Now’s the time to put the beds together. After all the winter rain you can quickly assess where the garden is prone to inundation (not good!). Often raised beds (just a foot or so above ground level) can solve the wetness problems. Be careful not to compact the soil when it’s soaking wet – aerate it and add organic matter. Weed-free, good drainage, slightly raised. Work in good, rotted compost so it’s all nice and fluffy. Mulch is seriously important to keep ripening berries off the soil, because it’ll make them rot. Black plastic? Pros and cons – I’m not a fan. My solution is Dark compost mulch with perhaps some barley straw on top of that. Anything to keep fruit off the soil: bark, crushed shell, gravel. NETTING is also very important. Birds love strawberries and they’ll eat them before they are ripe. Either build a low cage so you can drape bird net over the top, or use hoops to make a netted space. Keep the patch weed-free as it reduces shading and competition in the root zone. If you haven’t got a lot of space, use a large wooden box to grow them in. At least 25cm deep. Fill it with good potting mix and let the strawberries “hang over the edge, if you like. The disadvantage of this method is you have to water them constantly, especially when the rain has stopped and temperatures are rising! See: these thoughts are great to combat the drab winter! Now get into your garden centre and get some new, fresh plants. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're seeing signs property investors are getting the jitters, after recent law changes.Enable Me's Hannah McQueen's been speaking to Jack Tame about whether it's time to sell your investment property. If you want more help, she's available at www.enable.me LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cauliflower, cheddar and ale soup Recently I sat a friend’s kitchen bench and watched her make this soup. As she ladled it out into big bowls my mouth was watering with anticipation. It’s like the best cauliflower cheese you’ve ever had, in a soup form! 2 tbsp olive oil + extra for drizzling 1 onion, finely chopped 1 leek, sliced thinly 4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock 150ml pale ale ½ a large cauliflower, broken or chopped into florets 3 tablespoons of picked thyme leaves 150mls cream 150g cheddar, grated 1 tsp wholegrain mustard ½ tsp smoked paprika to serve Finely grated rind of 1 lemon Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion, leek and whole cloves of garlic and sauté until softened. Try not to get too much colour on them as it will brown your soup. Pour on stock and ale, add cauliflower and thyme leaves, cover and simmer until tender – about 20 minutes once it’s come up to heat. Blend with a hand-held blender until very smooth, add cream, cheddar and mustard, and stir until cheese melts. Season to taste. If it’s too thick at this stage add a little more stock to thin. Serve up in bowls, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with lemon zest, a pinch of paprika and a decent grind of black pepper. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bleachers is an indi-pop act you might not have heard of ... yet. It's the stage name for Jack Antonoff, who is variously-known for his role in the band Fun; as well as a collaborator with our own Lorde, Taylor Swift and a laundry list of other stars as a writer and producer. But recently, he's been working on a new album as Bleachers, called ‘Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night', and he's been speaking to Jack Tame.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zoom calls on your TV The days of huddling around a laptop or propping up your phone on a table to chat with your friends is over. Finally you'll be able to sit back on your couch and have a comfortable Zoom meeting! With Amazon's FireTV Cube device, you can now plug in a webcam and use your TV as a Zoom display. There were ways to utilize your TV today, but it always involved a computer. With this, you'll be able to ask Alexa to join your meeting and you'll be connected. This has been a massive gap in the market - and I'm expecting to see more in the space. Tech companies are requiring vaccination Silicon Valley's tech companies are planning to reopen their offices to staff at the end of Summer and many of them will require everyone to be fully vaccinated. Facebook, Google and Lyft are some of the big names leading the charge. Just when the offices will be fully open though is still in flux. The Delta variant has already pushed back many September reopening plans to October. What's still unclear is what happens to those who are unvaccinated. Do they stay working from home? Or do they face disciplinary action for not turning up to the office? Facebook is just printing money Despite being the home to misinformation and being in the firing line from various angles, Facebook's business continues to boom. It's second quarter saw revenues up 56% to $29 billion and its profit was up 101% to $10 billion. That means FB is growing faster than Apple or Microsoft. It's daily users are up over 10% too. Why? Facebook says it's because of the lockdowns around the world and is cautioning investors not to expect this type of growth in the second half of the year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pursuit of Love: a new British drama starring Lily James, Emily Mortimer and Dominic West. Set in Europe before World War II, the story follows the adventures of the charismatic and fearless Linda Radlett, and her best friend/cousin Fanny Logan. Consumed by a desire for love and marriage, they both seek out the ideal husband (Amazon Prime Video). Smother: An Irish drama set on the rugged coast of County Clare. When Val Ahern's husband is found dead at the foot of a cliff the morning after a family party, the matriarch starts to dig into the family's secrets to find out who might be responsible (TVNZ OnDemand, from Sunday). Zomboat: a quirky British comedy. A Zombie apocalypse is unleashed in Birmingham and sisters Kat and Jo, together with unlikely travel companions Sunny and Amar must flee for their lives...by canal boat (TVNZ OnDemand). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francesca Rudkin's been watching new Kiwi drama The Justice of Bunny King; and historical film Warrior Queen of Jhansi.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Stokes is taking a break. The Christchurch-born English cricketer and hero of the 2019 Cricket World Cup is certainly one of the biggest stars in the game. But his mental health isn’t great. Understandably, the death of his Dad last year has had a really big impact on him. Because of Covid-19, and at the behest of his Dad, Ben Stokes couldn’t make it back it back to Christchurch for the funeral. Now, he wants to take some time. The break is indefinite.That’s three very high-profile sportspeople then, in the space of just a couple of months. Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, and now Ben Stokes, have all come out and said they need to step back.I’ve heard some pretty lousy takes on Simone Biles’ decision, this week. It was suggested to me by a colleague that the young American gymnast lacks resilience. I would have thought that getting up in the small hours of the morning almost every day for your entire life to manipulate your body in extreme and painful ways, surviving being sexually abused by your coach, winning thirty Olympic and World Championship golds, becoming so good at gymnastics that judges don’t know how to score you and they literally have to brainstorm for the names of the things you are performing, then using your platform to go public about your harrowing sexual abuse in the hope it will help other survivors, all by your early twenties, actually displayed a level of resilience that most of us could only dream of.I wish she was competing. Simone Biles is the biggest star of the games. And unlike basketball or tennis, the Olympics represents the pinnacle of the sport in gymnastics. Her choice not to compete would not have been made lightly. I respect her decision. What do Naomi Osaka, Ben Stokes, and Simone Biles all have in common? All three have excelled in their respective sports. All three have been at the very top of their respective games. Perhaps there is something to learn from this about the pressures on athletes to maintain elite levels of performance. Excellence brings with it the expectation of continued excellence.We can’t, in one breath, bemoan the mental health crisis in this country, and then criticise these athletes in the next. They deserve our support, not our criticism. Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, and Ben Stokes have all pulled off superhuman athletic performances. It doesn’t mean they’re not human.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi actress Thomasin McKenzie has had a wild ride. She was called one of the “Fifteen rising stars poised to dominate 2021” by Vogue Magazine.And she’s living up to that, starring in handful of upcoming films.Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, Psychological thriller Last Night in Soho and Kiwi film The Justice of Bunny King. Thomasin joined Jack Tame from MIQ, where she’s been since returning from London. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was the right decision to open the Trans-Tasman bubble and it’s the right decision to close the Trans-Tasman bubble.I don’t think any of us was particularly surprised at Cabinet electing to shut things down for a couple of months. Disappointed? Sure. It sucks for those of us with family on either side of the Tasman Sea. I was fortunate to visit Australia last month and I had been hoping to go over again in September. I don’t know when I’ll see my brother or Grandma next.But given just how infectious the Delta strain is proving to be, and given our low levels of vaccination, it’s a responsible and entirely reasonable call to close things down and reduce the threat of importing infections.Remember – this is the way the bubble was designed to function. From the word go, there was risk for anyone who decided to go to Australia. You bought a ticket. You chose to travel. You assumed that risk. I actually think the people who’ve come back from New South Wales and into MIQ should consider themselves very lucky they haven’t had to pay for the privilege when everyone else does.When the Government established the bubble, the Delta strain wasn’t causing nearly as many issues as it is right now. They made the decision with the best information they had available. You could argue they actually could have opened much earlier with a similar level of risk. They’re now acting on the best information they have available in shutting it all down.I also recall that when the bubble opened, National promised not to try and score political points if it was later forced to close. The opposition has stayed true to its word. They think it makes sense to shut down.There are valuable lessons in all of this. New South Wales has neatly demonstrated just how quickly things get out of hand with the Delta strain when you don’t lock down hard, especially when a majority of the population hasn’t yet been vaccinated.We can use this downtime to consider what changes we should make to the bubble when it does come time to reopen.Should we establish special short-term quarantine facilities for people travelling in the bubble?Should we only let vaccinated people travel without MIQ?And maybe the most obvious question: Given the bubble will be closed until at least the end of September and we’re all supposed to have had a jab by the end of this year, does it actually make sense to reopen the bubble before all adult Australians and all adult New Zealanders have had access to a vaccine?For the sake of a few months, I reckon a majority of Kiwis will be quite happy to see it closed until Christmas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next week Jack Tame has a very special interview, legendary musician Jack Antonoff. He’s part of Fun and is a producer who works with musical heavyweights including Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey and P!nk. He also has a solo project, making music under the name Bleachers and his new album is Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night. Estelle Clifford has been listening to the first few tracks. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tsarinas Daughter, Ellen Alpsten Born into the House of Romanov to the all-powerful Peter the Great and Catherine I, beautiful Tsarevna Elizabeth is the world's loveliest Princess and the envy of the Russian empire. Insulated by luxury and as a woman free from the burden of statecraft, Elizabeth is seemingly born to pursue her passions. However, a dark prophecy predicts her fate as inexorably twined with Russia. When her mother dies, Russia is torn, masks fall, and friends become foes. Elizabeth's idyllic world is upended. By her twenties she is penniless and powerless, living under constant threat. As times change like quicksand, an all-consuming passion emboldens Elizabeth: she must decide whether to take up her role as Russia's ruler, and what she's willing to do for her country – and for love. The House of Kwa, Mimi Kwa Mimi Kwa ignored the letter for days. When she finally opened it, the news was so shocking her hair turned grey. Why would a father sue his own daughter? The collision was over the estate of Mimi's beloved Aunt Theresa, but its seed had been sown long ago. In an attempt to understand how it had come to this, Mimi unspools her rich family history in House of Kwa. One of a wealthy silk merchant's 32 children, Mimi's father, Francis, was just a little boy when the Kwa family became caught up in the brutal and devastating Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. Years later, he was sent to study in Australia by his now independent and successful older sister Theresa. There he met and married Mimi's mother, a nineteen-year-old with an undiagnosed, chronic mental illness. Soon after, 'tiger' Mimi arrived, and her struggle with the past - and the dragon - began ... Riveting, colourful and often darkly humorous, House of Kwa is an epic family drama spanning four generations, and an unforgettable story about how one woman finds the courage to stand up for her freedom and independence, squaring off against the ghosts of the past and finally putting them to rest. Throughout, her inspiration is Francis's late older sister, the jet-setting, free-spirited Aunt Theresa, whose extraordinary life is a beacon of hope in the darkness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resident traveller Mike Yardley gave Jack Tame the rundown on what's hot and what's not in Tarawera.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Nature there is no waste, one’s systems waste is another systems food. Humans’ diets are so varied we have all the minerals and elements needed in farming. But this combination of wonderful elements usually becomes pollution, and we have to set up expensive industrial plants to try and mitigate any damage. The answer? Composting toilets. I first came across a simple system when I visited the artist Hundertwasser in the early eighties at his home in the Bay of Islands. He just had a simple bucket that he added a handful sawdust to it at each use. There was no smell! If any organic matter is left submerged in water it makes for anaerobic decomposition. It's smelly – you’ll know what I mean if you’ve ever left even grass clippings in a wheel barrow of water by mistake. If you keep the water out and you have aerobic decomposition, there is very low smell, especially if the composting loo is well ventilated. We have been using this system since we moved into the eco village in 1986. I still remember the kids were ashamed to bring their friends home from school because of our weird toilet! We soon moved onto a more sophisticated outhouse which is basically two large compost bins with a room above them and a tall chimney that means air is constantly sucked through the compost keeping it dry and evaporating the urine that ends up in it. After one year, the active waste and sawdust pile is moved into the second chamber to compost again. I have to service this once a year. It takes about 2 hours, and that includes transporting the compost from the second chamber to spread under my fruit trees as mulch. When you see this compost you wouldn’t know it wasn’t straight from a garden shop. Commercially, you can buy units that use a similar system but are much more compact. We have one of these as well now as our second toilet. The other system, we affectionately call the ‘poo fryer’, has an element that dries out the feaces and urine. These are often found at DOC huts along with a small solar power panel to run it. Unfortunately, with our current system once human waste is combined with a lot of water it becomes very hard to extract the nutrients again. The other problem is that often chemical, pharmaceutical and heavy metal contaminants end up in the mix as well. At present, composting loos are mainly found at homes of bioneers like ourselves, remote areas and outdoor festivals. We set up 4 bucket composting loos for my daughter’s wedding last year and they went without a hitch. We just used the bucket and lid combo the sell for chemical toilets for caravans and boats. Much nicer using sawdust and easier to empty too. Internationally, compost loos are coming into urban areas as well, in offices and blocks of flats. The compost is being used in gardens or to make biogas for heating or cooking. I predict in twenty years’ time you will be using one too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago we dealt to the clothes moths and their caterpillars;The conclusion was that their ecosystem service is to recycle keratin: hair, fur, wool, nails and skin. This is part of the decomposition job that many invertebrates do when an animal dies,Keratin is really hard to digest; Mammals and Birds can’t do that (cat’s fur-balls; owls ejected pellets, etc); these moths are therefore valued members of the RECYCLING SQUAD.This appears to be the most common carpet destroyer in Aotearoa; probably because our houses are a lot more “open” than – for instance – in Europe.Less insulation (especially in older homes), more moisture inside, not well sealed, wooden structures and draughty windowsWe also have this habit of living outside a lot: leaving windows and doors open in summer time, so that there is an unlimited indoor-outdoor flow.Carpet beetles are quite different from the clothes moths – different family of insects.Also a different life-cycle and different tactic of chewing on carpet.The adult beetles (those with the ability to reproduce) have a real beetle “look”… a little bit like miniature ladybird beetles: the membranous flight wings are hidden under some sturdy forewings:They are actually quite beautiful little beetles: patterned in browny-orange, white and black; a couple of millimetres in size that’s all they are.But these beetles are not really your problem at all! In fact they are pretty useful pollinators in your garden.In mid-summer you can find dozens of them in your marigolds, yarrow and even pohutukawa flowers; I bet you that the vast majority of New Zealanders rarely notice them there!Later in summer when the beetles have mated, they fly into your home through the open door or window and lay their eggs in your woollen carpet.Little larvae will start gnawing at the keratin (wool), especially on the underside of the carpet backing, so that the woollen strands become loose and are easily sucked up the vacuum cleaner.They look a little like “hairy maggots” and they are pretty resilient down there.And just like the clothes moths, their habitat of choice is birds nests, lined with feathers and fur, as well as carcasses of dead rodents, hedgehogs and birdsBreaking down the keratin is their gig!The trick is simple. All you need is a clever enzyme that chops the protein into bits and you will have earned your reputation as one of the few insects that are literally able to split hairs.Like is the case with clothes moths: control can be achieved with some residual insecticides – active ingredients such as permethrin and other synthetic pyrethroids will do the job well; (Safeworx aerosol cans)It works well and is residual for 6 to 8 weeks, as long as the substrate treated is not exposed to direct sunlightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Giesen 0% Rosé, Marlborough $17.99 Why I chose it: Growth in low or zero alcohol wines and spirits80% less calories than full strength wineBest of the three 0% alc. Wines on offerFull strength Rose with alcohol removed (less than 0.5% alc) spinning cone.Nice to have a glass of wine at lunch without feeling drowsy afterwards.What does it taste like? Subtle strawberry flavours. Dry, fresh and clean. A bit simple but has good purity and a good acid/sweetness balance.Why it’s a bargain: Not so much of a bargain as a niche wine for certain occasions.Where you can buy it? Online from Giesen.co.nz/wineNewly released so not widely available yet. Food match? Smoked salmon. Fairly versatile food matchWill it keep? Drink it within a year. Having said that, I opened a Giesen 0% Sauvignon Blanc released a year ago recently and it was still drinking well. Check out Bob's website www.therealreview.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff Bezos goes to space This Blue Origin launch was so much more impressive than the Virgin Galactic launch. The take off was dramatic, the landing of the booster rocket was flawless, and the return of the capsule was uneventful - exactly what you want! The tech behind this unmanned launch is unreal. Plus Wally Funk got her dream to come true. A large chunk of the internet went down Again we're shown just how centralized the internet has become. Akamai - an internet infrastructure company - tried to update a configuration, but it didn't go to plan. Instead, it took the DNS service offline which broke services for some of the biggest brands and internet services in the world. Everything from airline check-in kiosks, banking systems, 911 call centers and more went down until it was reverted. There are a handful of companies which, over time, have come to provide critical services everyone relies on. The Olympics go 4K Every drip of sweat will be able to be seen this time around as 4K feeds of the Olympic action is being made available. It's a huge technical feat because it requires every part of the system to be upgraded - from cameras, to production equipment, to broadcast systems - not to mention people's TVs at home. Surround Sound will also be broadcast to make you feel like you're there in the stadium. Unfortunately it won't be available in New Zealand's broadcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Death: Starring Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater, this drama is based on the terrifying true story of Dr Christopher Duntsch, a charismatic neurosurgeon whose patients ended up permanently maimed or dead after routine surgeries. As victims piled up, two doctors and a prosecutor set out to stop him (TVNZ OnDemand) Girls5Eva: When a one-hit-wonder girl group from the 90’s gets sampled by a young rapper, its members reunite to give their pop star dreams one more shot. They may be grown women balancing spouses, kids, jobs, debt, aging parents, and shoulder pain, but surely they can also be Girls5eva? (TVNZ OnDemand) Sexy Beasts: The latest “I can’t believe this is actually a thing” reality show. Hoping to say goodbye to superficial dating, real-life singles sport elaborate makeup and prosthetics to put true blind-date chemistry to the test (Netflix).LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweet and spicy, this is the perfect accompaniment to roast pork or to have with cheese and crackers. Makes 2 small jars 10 medium tamarillos, skinned and roughly chopped 1 red pepper, sliced thinly 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped or ¼ tsp chilli flakes 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 2 cups sugar ½ cup apple cider vinegar 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar Squeeze lemon juice ½ tsp salt Bring all ingredients to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer for 40-60 minutes or until mixture thickens and becomes syrupy. Test a cooled teaspoonful for heat and add more chilli if you want it hotter. Spoon into warmed, sterilized jars and place lids on. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Girls Cant Surf It's the 1980s and the world of professional surfing is a circus of fluro colours, peroxide hair and radical male egos. GIRLS CAN'T SURF follows the journey of a band of renegade surfers who took on the male-dominated professional surfing world to achieve equality and change the sport forever. Featuring surfing greats Jodie Cooper, Frieda Zamba, Pauline Menczer, Lisa Andersen, Pam Burridge, Wendy Botha, Layne Beachley and more, GIRLS CAN'T SURF is a wild ride of clashing personalities, sexism, adventure and heartbreak, with each woman fighting against the odds to make their dreams of competing a reality. Waiting for Anya During the harrows of WWII, Jo, a young shepherd along with the help of the widow Horcada, helps to smuggle Jewish children across the border from southern France into Spain. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Saville joined Jack Tame to discuss the comings and goings at Tokyo Olympics 2020 and the pause of quarantine free travel with Australia, and what that means for the scheduled Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The last member of Kevin's family turned 20 this week. What is there to celebrate about a daughter's teenage years? Isn't it all bad? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For all our species’ achievements and all our billionaires blasting off to space, a few events this week have reminded me of one our fundamental shortcomings. Human beings are not very good at listening to Mother Nature. Take the Olympics. It’s very obvious to anyone with a scintila of intelligence the Olympic Games should not be going ahead. I love sport. I love the idea of the Olympics in theory. But for goodness’ sake, could there be a less-appropriate time than in the middle of a global pandemic to have people from all corners of the Earth travelling to gather together in one place? (Anyone would think there are billions of dollars on the line, and that concerns over that money might have outweighed every other concern). Infection numbers are surging once again in Japan. Mother Nature is telling us something but the organisers of the games blunder on with their eyes squeezed shut and fingers in their ears. My second point is this: I feel sad for Toa, Wellington’s orca calf, and I really sad for those who’d grown close to Toa throughout the rescue effort. I know this is delicate and I’m not trying to upset anyone, but unfortunately there was a sense of inevitability about the situation. It’s heartbreaking to see a little calf like Toa separated from its pod and it’s only natural for us to anthropomorphise, but I was personally a bit uncomfortable about it all. I just worried that a lot of people (And a lot of children) were getting caught up in the romance of the story and a bit caught up in false hope. Mother Nature can be cruel and sometimes all the will in the world cannot defy her. My third point on Mother Nature regards the weather events of the last week. This time last Saturday, I started the show by speaking to you about the Groundswell farmer’s protest. As I was on air, the rain was falling heavily in Buller and parts of the Upper South Island. Things were starting to look really bad. But by the end of the weekend, the scale of the destruction was clear. Westport was inundated in what was apparently a once-in-a-century weather event. The image that stuck with me was of cow carcasses being scraped up off the beach. Cows that’d been swept off their land and to their deaths. To be honest, I’m a little surprised more people haven’t noted the irony of the situation. The Groundswell protest was followed almost immediately by an historic flood that absolutely hammered farmers. I understand Groundswell was about a lot of different things. But some of the central issues people protested were government climate change policies. I’m not saying last week’s flood was totally attributable to climate change. But the main reason we have emissions reductions targets and a rebate scheme that taxes big, fossil-fuel burning vehicles is to ultimately try and prevent traumatic weather events like last weekend. Perhaps Mother Nature is telling us something. Perhaps it would pay to listen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Mayer’s got a new album out, and he seems to be making fun of it before the rest of us get the chance It’s got an 80’s soft rock vibe so what’s he called the album? Sob Rock. Estelle Clifford’s been taking a listen. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our book reviewer Catherine Raynes has been reading The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave and When The Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's school holidays, and you might have teenagers around more than usual. Relationships expert Steven Dromgool has some tips for what to do when teenagers are driving you crazy.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Improving Your soil Mid-winter isn’t a great time to start digging in your sodden soil. It can be quite fragile, yet it provides us with organic materials that can: 1) Sequester carbon 2) Store moisture 3) Retain fertility 4) Grow trees that provide us with oxygen 5) Be a home to an amazing biodiversity 6) Feed us (vegie gardens!!) Mulching and adding is the thing to do in winter. Pea straw is a fab cover that suppresses weeds and keeps things “warm” in winter. It slowly breaks down it becomes humus and dark organic matter which is perfect! Pea straw should ideally be 20 cm thick. Chipped branches and sawdust-like material do that too, but they often “steal” some Nitrogen from the soil to help it break down. A handful of Urea (50% Nitrogen) will speed that up and keep your soil fertile. Old leaf-mold or dried, compressed leaves from last autumn are excellent cover too - like pea-straw. Compost from your carbon-cycle compost bin is a step-up from just “mulch”. It contains a variety of nutrients that will become available when plants start growing again in September. Lawn clippings are perhaps a bit too soggy to drape over the garden soil. Often they will lie there as a wet, damp mat, going slimy etc. If you use those around tree trunks, make sure they do not touch the base of the tree, otherwise you can get collar rots and such Fatal Fungal Fatalities. Best to mix them with sawdust/woodchips to create that “balance” of N:Carbon of 1:30. Adding fertilisers? Not now! Still far too cold to be of any use and in rain it all washes off down-hill, polluting water courses – streams – rivers – oceans. Coffee grinds? Not great as a mulch! Acidity will become too high. Also, fine particles will reduce the amount of air in the soil and hence increases water retention and “pugging”. It’s best to chuck your spent coffee grounds into a compost bin and let them do one cycle in there. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A scary virus has been spreading through New Zealand, filling our EDs, and it's particularly bad for children.Our resident GP Dr Bryan Betty has been giving Jack Tame all your need to know about Respiratory syncytial virus aka RSV. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden wants you to be able to fix your iPhone He signed an Executive Order directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent manufacturers from imposing restrictions on independent repair shops and do-it-yourself repairs. Basically, devices we buy are having their lives cut short because the hassle to repair them makes it easier to just buy a new one. Take it somewhere that isn't authorized and you'll void the warranty. But it's not just cellphones or laptops - it's also farm equipment, hospital devices, cars and more. Biden says this is anti-competitive and the "right to repair" movement wants to see more competition in the repair space, devices designed to be easier to maintain and more information from manufacturers about how to fix them yourself. Google Calendar is designing for a hybrid workforce Google is now allowing folks to rsvp to invitations with more details about how they plan to attend. The new dropdown allows attendees to indicate if they’ll be in person, or virtually. That’s going to be important as US offices begin to open back up in major cities in the next couple of months. Bye bye Fleets They were Twitter's answer to Stories, but they didn't get people to post more as Twitter had hoped. They thought that if they disappeared quickly then people might feel more inclined to share more, but maybe this is a sign that people are learning that nothing ever disappears from the internet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime: Beloved actor and TV traveller Michael Palin revisits some of his popular travel documentaries. Through intimate conversation and his own personal archive, Palin reflects on how he got addicted to travel and the challenges he faced making the shows (Neon). Ted Lasso: It scored 20 Emmy nominations this week, and the second season drops of this charming series about an American football coach who is hired to manage and English soccer team - despite knowing nothing about the sport - lands on Apple TV+ this week. Heist: Millions in stolen cash. Missing luxury bourbon. Watch ordinary people almost get away with these extraordinary heists in this lively true crime documentary series (Netflix). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Edgar has a job you’ve almost certainly not heard of before - he’s a ‘coffin confessor’. For $10,000, he will spill your secrets at your funeral. Bill actually has a laundry list of other descriptions too, all of them worth of an interview in their own right. He's a former street kid, a prisoner, a sexual abuse survivor and an inventor. That’s when he’s not being one of Australia’s leading private detectives. He’s written a new book about his unusual life, and occupation, titled “Coffin Confessor”, and a movie’s being made about him too. Bill Edgar has been speaking with Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicken & leek family pie The pie is all about minimum fuss and maximum deliciousness! The flavour and creaminess of this pie belies the simplicity of making it and it’s a fabulous pie for the whole family. Serves 4-6 1 free-range ready roast chicken 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil 2 leeks, sliced thinly 200g crème fraiche ½ cup vegetable or chicken stock ¼ teaspoon black pepper 300g flaky pastry (or 2 sheets ready rolled) 1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash Parsley to garnish Heat oven to 190 C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Strip chicken meat from cooked chicken and cut up any larger pieces, like the breasts, and crumble stuffing if it comes stuffed. Set aside. Heat butter or oil in a large pan and gently fry leeks for 10 minutes. Add crème fraiche, stock and black pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring until you have a creamy sauce. Turn off heat and add chicken, stir to combine and cool. Roll out to a large rectangle about 30x40cm. Transfer it to the lined tray. Pile cooled filling down one half, lengthwise, of the pastry rectangle, leaving a border clear of filling. Brush edges with egg and fold over pastry to encase filling, pressing the edges together all the way around to seal. Trim any excess pastry. Makes some cuts in the top for steam to escape and brush all over with egg wash. Cook for 45 minutes or until golden brown and the bottom is cooked through too. Grind over some pepper and leave pie to stand for 5 minutes or so before cutting into thick slices. Garnish with parsley. Nici’s note: When cooking with stock hold off on adding extra salt as it’s often salty enough. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching French film The Godmother, and female-led action movie Gunpowder Milkshake.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two weeks ago, a heatwave in Canada and the U.S caused one thousand deaths. Yesterday, floods in Germany killed at least 125 people. As we go to air, hundreds of people in Buller are being evacuated because of massive rainfall. And New Zealand’s farmers are back home.You’d have to agree, for the most part the protest was a good bit of theatre. There were a few loopy extremists with whack-job signs, but the majority of tractor drivers are normal and presumably decent people who turned out because they feel unfairly picked on. Freshwater regulations, a ute tax, emissions reductions; they feel they’re being subjected to special treatment of the worst kind.Speaking of special treatment, did those protesting farmers feel the same way when their industry received the best part of a billion dollars in support for Mycoplasma Bovis? Did they take to the streets to protest hundreds of millions of dollars they received in irrigation subsidies? Did protestors turn out in anger at drought relief packages, or flood relief, or the Covid-19 wage support? If the agriculture sector is concerned about special treatment, just wait until it hears about the Emissions Trading Scheme.I’ll stop there though because honestly, ALL of us are hypocrites. As the farmers were protesting, I was on a plane. I landed and enjoyed a flat white. I eat meat a few times a week. I’m not so naive as to think dinner just falls out of the sky. All of us, regardless of where we live and regardless of what we do, are hypocrites of varying degrees. And all of us have to make sacrifices if we are to stop plundering the World for the sake of a quick hit and at the expense of the generations who follow us.For people in urban centres, it’s obvious. We have got to get used to living in neighbourhoods with high-density housing. We have got to stop moaning about bike lanes and start using the bus a whole lot more. For people in rural areas, the changes and sacrifices are just of a different nature.I understand that for many farmers it’s all just a question of proportionality. Farmers accept they have to make sacrifices but feel the things they are being asked to do are disproportionate to the sacrifices of people in towns and cities. It’s never going to be absolutely perfectly equitable but – take my examples above - if we’re honest, the sector has been well-supported for a very long time.I don’t think a few thousand extra dollars for a ute and some environmental compliance expenses are going to be so devastating that they fundamentally threaten farming communities’ way of life. So many farmers are already being proactive about adapting for the future, and it’s on government and the rest of us to make sure they are supported as they continue to do so.One last point: on Thursday, my sister had a baby daughter. I became an uncle for a second time and as my sister sent through photographs, I felt the wonderful, glorious rush of pure love run through my chest.Sometimes we get way so caught up focusing on what climate change adaptation and environmental protections will cost us as individuals, we don’t pause and consider who we’re making the changes for.All of us are hypocrites. All of us have sacrifices to make. And all of us have good reasons to make those sacrifices. Mine is called Elsie. She’s two days old.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nature Connections With school Holidays coming up and winter days often variable, here are some of my observations on how to connect kids with nature. I’ve noticed that bombarding kids with science and scientific principles is usually not a great intro into working in and with nature. Each person has different interests and those are the ones that allow a connection to be made. Image from Ruud KleinpasteIf you have kids there’s no doubt that each one is different – one may enjoy running around outside. While the other is content playing with lego; or building roads with trucks, setting possum traps; technology. Another loves to draw or paint pictures, read a book or engage in role-play…. When I work with students or teachers, I often tell stories, use language, or play piano. And all these activities have a really nice connection to our natural world. Image from Kate Parker - Kowhai and the Giants For example, last week I got a book by Kate Parker “Kowhai and the Giants” and basically it’s about Predator-Free NZ via a historical journey in story format. Well – that’s what I see in this book...but you can also interpret it as an indigenous history of discovery of Aotearoa. It’s about a magical creature “Kowhai” who gathers light for the giant trees, in a land in complete, ecological harmony. “Kowhai” is climbing trees and living in that ecosystem with all the – now - rare birds of our country. These scenes were originally designed as three-dimensional dioramas, lit from behind. Carefully cut-out trees and vegetation in which you can get totally “lost”, and inspirational images that take you back in time. And then the ships arrive… with people… and rodents; lots of ships, lots of people and lots of pests…scary stuff. As far as I can see, we are the only species (on the planet) that can tell stories and that – in my opinion – is one of the most powerful ways to get us out of the trouble we are in. Painting – for the curriculum: A few years ago I saw some real early drawings by a very famous New Zealand painter; he made these drawings when he was 7, 8, or 9 years old Here are a weka, a kiwi and a tui and note how he wrote a “W”, a “K” and “T” on these pictures – just as if he discovered the alphabet though his art! By the way – if you look at these drawings you may recognize the very beginnings of Don Binney’s art career! Music Listen to the sounds of Nature – what do you recognize? Who’s singing? Can you transcribe the notes of the bellbird, the blackbird, or the yellow hammer? Theatre Some teachers are capable of creating school productions from the stories you find in nature. Connections between caterpillars and their host trees, predators that chase their prey and weta utilising second-hand dwellings made by a borer, deep inside a tree … much more exciting than Shortland Street! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley has been doing some real-life international travel, and he has some tips for trips to Cairns & the Reef.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has some special music for the school holidays, Ziggy Marley’s new children’s album “More Family Time”.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By Malcom RandsYes we do live in disposable times. I heard managers at big box stores saying they wanted the public to be able to buy anything they wanted out of one pay packet. So that meant a radical decrease in quality to make this possible. So things don’t last long, and hey, for the retailers and manufacturers it means you will be buying from them again, real soon. And the eco impact of manufacturing and transportation all these products that soon become waste is enormous. Back in the day we bought from a local store, often only one of each item, and the retailer wanted it to be the best, so they were looking after you, their valued and regular customer. When I was young I thought these cheap prices were amazing, bought some garden tools, some only lasted a few days before they bent. As an alternative, I still have some tools from my great grandfather, manufactured over 125 years ago, and still in great condition. And we call this progress. So what do we look out for in buying something that will last. And to be fair, you may have to save up for a few week to afford it, but in the long run it is much much less expensive. 1. What are the materials and workmanship that make this more durable than its competitors 2. Look into reviews from customers and independent commenters 3. Is it manufactured ethically and has sustainable materials 4. Is there an aftercare program, including spare parts 5. Is the design timeless, especially around items that are fashionable like clothing or interior design 6. Can you buy it second hand, maybe left over from somebodies else’s great grandparents 7. How long is the guarantee, some are lifetime.Some examples Kitchen: Cast iron cookware: I first went flatting with this awful aluminium cooking set. And I wondered why cooking was hard work and I keep burning things and hated the dishes. I love cooking on quality cast iron fry pans and casserole dishes. The heavy bottoms smooth out and retain the heat . As they hardly every burn I will just rinse them out in hot water then hang them in the kitchen for next time. And yes, definitely able to be passed on one day. We even have a new business, the Ironclad Pan Company, making the highest quality cast iron ware here in NZ. Knives: We recently bought top range Japanese cooking knives. It’s like a revolution, the blade just slipping through those tomatoes. Toasters, electric jugs, mixers: There are now brands that will replace parts and repair. Often stainless steel will be the go-to for many kitchen tools. Home: Quality pens Linen Covers Leatherman or Swiss army multi tool Garden: Strong and guaranteed Mens: I don’t shave much now, just cheeks and lower neck, but when I’m finally finished with the refill pack I’m into an old fashioned razor and razor blade set. A good friend swears by it and he has a very thick beard when it grows.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, our book reviewer Catherine Raynes has been reading Mrs England by Stacey Halls and Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, treasury warned us the government’s on an unsustainable debt track, partially due to the aging population and the cost of superannuation. Enable Me's Hannah McQueen's been talking to Jack Tame about whether we need to raise the age of eligibility. If you to get in touch with Hannah, head here.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you own a PC, you need to install a security update now The exploit is codenamed PrintNightmare because of a flaw in a pre-installed system application that manages the printer functions. It’s in every version of Windows. The bug allows someone to remotely take over your PC. Microsoft has issued patches for all the latest operating systems as well as some of their older unsupported operating systems. Look out for the update and make sure you install it. Google Calendar is designing for a hybrid workforce Google is now allowing folks to rsvp to invitations with more details about how they plan to attend. The new dropdown allows attendees to indicate if they’ll be in person, or virtually. That’s going to be important as US offices begin to open back up in major cities in the next couple of months. The Billionaire space race blasts off this weekend Branson is off to space this weekend. It’ll happen Sunday here, Monday NZ time but the exact timing hasn’t been announced. We just know that the live stream will start at 9am (1am NZT). Apparently we’ll be able to watch the whole thing from the comfort of our couch. Where does space begin though? NASA says it starts 50 miles up which is where Branson is headed. However, the international standard is 62 miles up which is where Bezos is headed. 62 miles is the international standard. So if Bezos is going to get up higher than Branson.. does that make him the winner? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We Are Lady Parts: A British comedy that follows the highs and lows of Muslim female punk band Lady Parts, as seen through the eyes of Amina Hussein, a geeky PhD student who is recruited to be their unlikely lead guitarist (Neon). White Lotus: HBO’s new drama is a social satire set at an exclusive Hawaiian resort, and follows the vacations of various hotel guests over the span of a week as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise (Soho from 12 July, Neon from 19 July). Big Timber: An oddly compelling reality series that follows the dangerous work of Canadian logger and sawmill owner Kevin Wenstob, as he and his crew go to extremes to keep the family sawmill and their way of life alive (Netflix). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My kitchen rules for reluctant adults letting non-adults into the kitchen: * Understand that there will be mess! Give kids a lesson in how to wash up + BE prepared to act as kitchen lacky and tidy up after them (controversial I know but it does save you getting bad-tempered). * Don't let them cook whatever they want, guide them into cooking what you want. Kids will always want to make fancy cakes (because making and eating icing is the attraction) and elaborate desserts which are often not practical. Give them some recipe choices to choose from. *Get them to read out the ingredients as you get it out of the cupboards to ensure success and minimise food waste (from missing out ingredients) and it saves on the constant "where's the XXX" *Tackle some savoury recipes too even though kids will nearly always prefer baking sweet items. *Always let them lick the beaters! Baking biscuits or cookies is a school holiday right of passage if you ask me! These cookies/biscuits are so fabulous – chock full of oats, raisins and chocolate chunks! Makes 20-24 85g butter, melted ½ cup white sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1 cup + 1 tbsp flour 1/3 cup rolled oats ½ cup raisins 1/3 cup chopped dark or milk chocolate Preheat oven to 180 C. Line 2 trays with baking paper. Pour melted butter into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to whisk in sugars then add the egg and whisk until incorporated then stir in remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Make sure the flour is well mixed in. Roll large tablespoonfuls of dough into a ball and place on tray, leaving plenty of space between each to allow for spreading. I usually get about 9-10 on each tray. Flatten with your palm and bake for 6 minutes. Remove tray from oven and tap firmly on a bench top to take the air out of the cookies, then return to oven for a further 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool for a few minutes before transferring biscuit to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these crispy edged-chewy-in-the-middle cookies! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi artist Troy Kingi has just released his fifth album in the 10-10-10 series, where he’s producing 10 albums in 10 years in 10 different genres. Called “Black Sea Golden Ladder”, this is his ‘folk’ installment. He's been in the studio talking to Jack Tame about the album, and his upcoming tour.Sat 7 August @ Turner Centre, KerikeriSun 8 August @ Leigh Sawmill, LeighTue 10 August @ Forum North, WhangareiThu 12 August @ Clarence St Theatre, HamiltonFri 13 August @ Theatre Royal, New PlymouthSun 15 August @ Opera House, WhanganuiTue 17 August @ Theatre Royal, NelsonSat 21 August @ James Hay Theatre, ChristchurchSun 22 August @ Regent Theatre, DunedinSat 28 August @ Opera House, WellingtonSat 4 September @ Town Hall, AucklandLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has one for the kids and one for the adults.For the school holidays, she's been watching animated movie Moon Bound. And for the adults, and maybe some of the older kids, the new Marvel movie Black Widow. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne has had his Covid vaccination this week, and he's got a tip for anyone wanting to get there's a little earlier than planned. He's been explaining to Jack Tame.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pollsters say it’s unprecedented.Act leader David Seymour is doing better in the latest Preferred Prime Minister rankings than the leader of our second biggest party. But I’m not surprised at all, because I think David Seymour is one of the best politicians in Parliament.Let me qualify that. I’m not saying necessarily I agree with him on stuff. It has nothing to do with ideology or policy positions or anything like that. I just think in terms of actual politicking... he’s a canny and cunning operator who is milking every inch of advantage out of a unique political moment. For starters, Seymour knows how to pick his fights. Gun restrictions? Bam. He was on it in a moment. Hate speech laws? Same thing. Regardless of your personal position, the End of Life Choice referendum will be chalked up as a significant political victory for many years to come. David Seymour attracted people from right across the political spectrum to the cause. In this term, it was his probing in the house that opened up the He Puapua Pandora’s box. Again, I’m not saying I agree or don’t agree with Seymour’s positions. By he plays a strong political game. He knows how to get in the news. He’s not afraid to make a dick of himself in order to get a bit of publicity, and he’s able to laugh off a bungled cha-cha in one breath, and earnestly argue about a terminally ill person’s right to choose their own death, in the next.From a media perspective, ACT is incredibly proactive. In May, they published an alternative budget when National didn’t. We’re about to go into the parliamentary recess... ACT will have policy announcements every week that the house doesn’t sit, knowing there might be a little bit more space in the political news columns than there would be when the house is sitting. Will Labour, National, and the Greens do the same? I dunno. Again this is nothing to do with policy, but ACT’s press releases are often really funny. They’re objectively much more entertaining than anyone else's. They send them out really quickly, and it’s clear the releases haven’t been watered down through a committee of media advisors. Seymour is good at speaking in soundbites, or what we in broadcast media call ‘grabs’. Does that mean the party gets more publicity than it might otherwise? I can’t speak for all media, but maybe.I also think it’s interesting how closely David Seymour has managed his new MPs. Apart from him, Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden and maybe Nicole McKee... can you name any of ACT’s ten MPs?Exactly. There are plenty of pundits who would have thought a couple of those new MPs would have put their foot in it and messed up somehow, by now. But National’s the party of scandal, right now. For the time being, ACT’s MPs have their heads down and their leader does pretty much everything outward facing. That’s smart.Will it last? Nothing does forever. At some point National will get itself together, and we shouldn’t get too excited about a preferred Prime Minister poll more than two years from an election. But for now, David Seymour and his colleagues are doing everything an effective opposition should. Outwardly at least, they’re a cohesive unit. Their criticisms of the government are many and varied. Their policy positions are relatively coherent.I think it’s extremely unlikely David Seymour will ever be Prime Minister.. but right now, his party is the strongest it’s ever been.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, book reviewer Catherine Raynes hass been reading a sequal to RWR McDonald's hilarious The Nancys; Nancy Business. She's also giving her thoughts on When You Are Mine, Michael Robotham.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our travel editor has finally left the country! Mike Yardley has been in Queensland, and has some ideas for Tasty Bites in Port Douglas.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.