Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Not everything can be recycled ... We’ve talked about things you can recycle, here are the things to keep out: Plastic bags, food and garden waste, hazardous waste and chemicals, polystyrene trays and packaging, coffee cups, batteries, nappies, clothing window glass, mirrors or light bulbs, cookware, electrical items, building waste and medical waste. But even things that can be recycled will go straight in landfill if you’ve put it into plastic bags, because no one wants to puts their hands into these. Washing containers is important. Make sure they’re empty of liquid or residue. They need to be rinsed out but not spotless. Clean enough for optical sorters so they know which type of plastic it is. ...but these things can be! At the moment, manufactures are getting off scot-free. When the new plastic and packaging started coming out, business managed to talk local government in thinking it was their problem, so there was no economic reason for brands to make it easy to recycle. But some brands are starting to make it easier to get rid of trickier packaging. * Terracycle’s website has details on how you can recycle Gilette Razors, schwarzkopf products, alt and vape products, colgate, Gillette colgate, sealed pouches … to name just a few. What happens to them? Things like the Sealord pouches are shredded, cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products. Razors are broken down and separated by material. Plastics are cleaned and pelletised to be recycled into new products, and metal materials are sent for smelting and conversion to new alloys. If you go onto their website, you can find your local collection point or create your own. * Expol collects polystyrene, collection points on their website. They collect over 300 cubic metre per month. * Nespresso takes back coffee pods - although it’s better to just use a reusable one in the first place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An unexpected side effect of COVID is lots of people have been hoarding cash. Around $600m more cash seems to be in circulation. enable.me's Hannah McQueen has been talking to Jack Tame about why we want to have cash on hand - and whether it poses any major issues.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Underground Railway: a 10 part adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a young woman named Cora who escapes a Georgia plantation and boards a train on a harrowing trip as she seeks true freedom while being hunted by a notorious slave catcher (Amazon Prime Video)Halston: Ewan McGregor stars in this drama based on the life of American designer Halston, as he leverages his single, invented name into a worldwide fashion empire synonymous with luxury, sex, status and fame. (Netflix) Secret Bridesmaids Business: An Australian drama about a woman's perfect wedding that takes a dark turn when one of her bridesmaids inadvertently brings a malevolent stranger into their lives, opening the door to the hidden world of their intimate secrets (TVNZ OnDemand). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love is in the air this spring in the eastern United States, where billions of cicadas will soon appear in the biggest emergence event since 2004.The insects are part of a group called Brood X — also known as the Great Eastern Brood — which is expected in a geographical range stretching from Tennessee to New York.These cicadas have been subterranean for 17 years, tunneling and feeding beneath the soil. When they are back above ground, finding a mate will be, understandably, a top priority. The loud, buzzing drone cicadas make is actually a mating song emitted by male insects, flexing a drumlike organ called a tymbal."It's all boys calling girls," said entomologist Eric Day of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University extension. "First you get a few here and there, then what happens is they start chorusing — there's so many of them that the cicada calls all combine in this huge chorus."While cicadas can be a nuisance for some orchardists and farmers, witnessing them is also an awe-inspiring experience, Day said."This is a real treat. This is an unusual biological phenomenon. Periodical cicadas only occur in the eastern United States; they don't occur anywhere else in the world," he said. "It's just going to be an amazingly big, big show."When and where will the cicadas emerge this year?That show doesn't kick off until the ground warms up. Cicadas, which are not harmful to humans or animals, begin to emerge when the soil reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit, Day said.A few individuals will probably come out in mid-to-late April, Day said, stragglers that the entomologist nicknames "lonesome Bobs," who call and call to no avail. The true, large-scale emergence might happen in the first or second week of May, depending on location.Scientists differ about the precise range of Brood X cicadas, but entomologist Gene Kritsky, dean of behavioral and natural sciences at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati — and the unofficial dean of Brood X cicadas — expects to see them in 14 states plus the District of Columbia.Brood X — the "X" is the Roman numeral for 10 — is the largest group of 17-year cicadas, said Kritsky, author of the new book "Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition." (Other periodical cicada groups emerge on a 13-year cycle.)Scientists don't know the precise reasons behind the cicada schedules, or why both kinds of periodical cicadas have prime-numbered life spans. Emerging en masse, though, helps the bugs survive predation and mate successfully, as birds and small mammals only can pick off so many cicadas at once.When it comes to such reproduction strategies, this year's cicadas have a lot in common with other broods. What sets Brood X apart from other cicada emergences, however, is proximity to large metropolitan areas."About 35 million Americans will have the opportunity to interact with Brood X," Kritsky said, noting that they will likely be spotted in Philadelphia; Washington, DC; Baltimore; Cincinnati; and Indianapolis. In the past, Brood X cicadas have even emerged in New York City's Central Park.Early signs of cicadas include finger-size holes in the ground near the base of trees. You might also spot a chimneylike tunnel poking out of the soil.Subscribe to CNN's Wonder Theory newsletter: Explore the universe with weekly news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.When the insects do appear, they make an impressive amount of noise. Once, Kritsky said, he recorded a cicada chorus while sitting in a cemetery below the flight path for Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron, Kentucky.The insects clocked in at 96 decibels, drowning out the sound of passenger jets passing directly overhead. The chorus won't last long, however. Cicadas usually die just four to six weeks after emergence.Will cicadas harm your garden?When cicadas emerge, gardeners may see the...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ransomware attacks draw headlines when they take down major operations: hospitals, cities and most recently, a US fuel pipeline. Not only do cybercriminals scam businesses demanding large sums of money or they'll wreak havoc on their computer systems, this week's gas shortages showed how it can also have broader impacts.But ransomware against individuals — specifically, anyone who uses the internet — can also be very damaging. Hackers can lock computers and threaten to delete or expose sensitive information and photos in exchange for money.The concept predates the widespread adoption of the internet. In the late 1980s, the inventor of ransomware attacked the attendees of the World Health Organization's international AIDS conference with infected floppy disks, asking for $189 to decrypt files on their computers. Nearly three decades later, the US Justice Department recently said 2020 was "the worst year to date for ransomware attacks." Security experts believe attacks against both corporations and individuals will only continue to grow because they're easy enough to execute and people are paying.Here's what to do if you've fallen victim and how to protect yourself.How it happensCriminal organizations behind ransomware attacks don't care if the victim is an individual or a business — they just want to get paid. Ransomware is often obtained through social engineering — an act of someone stealing personal data by using information gleaned from their social media account — phishing emails or getting someone to click on a link on a website. It's especially prevalent on pornography and pirate websites that promise free viewing. Ransomware kits are also sold on the dark web, a part of the internet not detected by search engines where cybercriminals often sell and buy illicit materials.Older computers running operating systems that are no longer supported by the manufacturer, such as Microsoft's Windows 7, and don't offer security updates are more susceptible, as well.Once the ransomware has been clicked, a hacker can gain access to that computer and demand a ransom to relinquish control. Because the system locks as soon as it's infected, it's not possible to negotiate with the criminal. Many times, hackers will urge people to pay with cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, which can be received anonymously and is harder to trace.The biggest motivating factor behind these incidents is money, and sometimes a criminal will use fear tactics, such as threatening to publicly expose sensitive photos, to entice people to pay. "When criminals attack individual users, they often ask for small amounts of money, as they know most individuals can't or won't pay thousands of dollars to get their data back," said Randall Magiera, cybersecurity expert and professor of information technology at Tulane University.What to do if you've fallen victimThe FBI's general guidance is that victims should not pay a ransom. "The FBI does not support paying a ransom in response to a ransomware attack," according to the FBI website. "Paying a ransom doesn't guarantee you or your organization will get any data back. It also encourages perpetrators to target more victims and offers an incentive for others to get involved in this type of illegal activity."If a hacker gets a credit card number and goes on a shopping spree, a bank can often reverse the charges, but the use of cryptocurrency makes funds nearly impossible to get back. Some common malware infections can be reversed with existing cybersecurity tools but many cannot."Ransomware groups evolve their tactics generally when they see that cybersecurity tools can counter them," said Michela Menting, research director at ABI Research. Some security researchers have tools to decrypt ransomware, but they're not always reliable because many ransomware versions exist.People who are hit with ransomware should treat their computer as though it's...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re new to bread making then making this simple Italian slab bread is a great place to start.2 ½ cups warm water2 tsps instead yeast2 tsps honey or sugar600g (just shy of 5 cups) high grade flour¼ cup olive oilFresh rosemary1 tbsp sea salt 1. In a large bowl gently stir together the water, yeast and honey. Let sit for 5-7 minutes until it’s foamy.2. Add flour and salt and mix until a scraggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.3. Add a decent splash of olive oil to another large clean bowl. Scrape the dough into this, turn to coat in oil, cover with a plastic bag and leave for at least 3 hours at room tempt or 8-12 hours in the fridge. Pull it out one hour before you want to cook it to allow it to un-chill.4. Generously oil a roasting dish or shallow sided tray. Keeping the dough in the bowl, imagine it’s a clock face and systematically gather the edges up and fold these into the centre, starting at 12 o/clock, then three o’clock, then six, then nine, then repeat this 2 times. Transfer dough ball to the well-oiled roasting dish. Let rise in a dry, warm spot until doubled in size – about 1 hour.5. Heat oven to 220 C. Lightly oil your hands. Gently stretch the dough to fill your tray/baking dish. Dimple it all over with your fingers, pressing your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan. Drizzle with remaining more olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt. Bake until puffed and golden brown all over, about 20–30 minutes.6. Brush with more oil when it’s out of the oven and serve!LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know when you call a business, and they're experiencing 'higher than normal call volumes'? Kevin Milne doesn't believe them. Jack Tame's been asking him why. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching new Angelina Jolie thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead, and Irish romcom Finding You. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I was a kid, one of the greatest treats in my life was to be allowed to stay up and watch TV with my mum and dad. It didn’t happen all that often. It might surprise you, given I’ve spent half my life working in TV, to know that we weren’t really a big TV family.My parents liked what they liked and disliked pretty much everything else. And instead of trying new stuff, they would get a VHS and record their favourite programmes, then watch them over and over and over again. In the 1990s, that meant watching about three shows on repeat. Inspector Morse, Letter to Blanchy, and McPhail and Gadsby.One of my earliest TV memories is of sitting in our lounge and watching Letter to Blanchy. Specifically, I remember the gag with the jetboat and I remember how it made my parents laugh and laugh.Honestly, as a kid, nothing makes you feel safer than seeing your parents so happy that they are properly weeping with laughter. Dad used to rock back and forth on the couch watching David McPhail and Jon Gadsby. Mum would squint her eyes super tight. I was so young that I only understood some of the jokes but I understood that it was really funny, and I loved it.David McPhail comedies bookended my childhood.Just before I moved away from home, TVNZ produced Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby. It was a cult hit and although I don’t think it ever had massive mainstream success in New Zealand, it apparently did extremely well on ABC in Australia.It was a very non-PC satire poking fun at New Zealand and the education system that honestly probably wouldn’t and couldn’t be made today. It followed McPhail as an old-school teacher brought in to relieve a classroom of boys in the lowest stream of a state high school. The Māori teacher couldn’t actually speak Māori. Instead of his surname, the guidance counsellor insisted everyone call him Steve.And David McPhail was at his absolute best. He marched up and down the hallways, a baton under his arm, the perfect characterisation of a teaher transported directly from the fifties, except he always made the effort to correctly pronounce his students’ names.As a family, we’d hang out for new episodes. We watched both seasons through and through again. Dad would rock back and forth on the couch as he laughed. Mum would squint her eyes super tight. We constantly had to shush each other so we wouldn’t miss the next joke.David McPhail gave us those moments.He will be missed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy Shark is an Aussie indie pop singer-songwriter, but don’t let that make her sound small-time. She’s just released her new album ‘Cry Forever' which features collaborations with Travis Barker and Ed Sheeran. Estelle Clifford has been taking a listen for Jack Tame. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re crafting plans for some fresh and sublime adventures this spring and summer, sun-splashed Tasman Bay, at the top of the South, is a spell-binding proposition. Tickle your toes in the golden sand, savour drool-worthy food, feast your eyes on the burgeoning arts trail, graze from the vineyards and famed craft beer scene or try your hand at some enthralling soft adventure. Cable Bay Adventure Park certainly ticks all the boxes for thrilling outdoorsy adventures. Champion multi-sporters Richard and Elina Ussher took over the 400-hectare site three years ago – and it’s continuing to charge ahead in leaps and bounds. Their vision is driven by an abiding desire to be great custodians of the land. Their nursery is pumping out over 50,000 native seedlings a year, powering the afforestation programme, complementing the remaining ancient native forest which enrobes much of the property, boasting some seriously impressive old-growth podocarp specimens.Totara was previously felled extensively on the site. I stopped to admire a magnificent carving of Tane Mahuta, carved out of a totara that was felled on the property 50 years ago. One of the best ways to appreciate the verdant splendour at Cable Bay is to enjoy a fling with the park’s signature attraction, the Skywire. The tour starts with a 4km ride in one of their 4-wheel drive vehicles, passing through pristine native forest. The Skywire is set 300m above the base café, serving up delirious views of Cable and Delaware Bays, the western ranges and north towards D’Urville Island. Billed as the world’s longest flying fox experience, this 3.2km ride hoists you across the canopy, 150 metres above the forest’s wondrous mosaic of green.The Skywire seats up to four “flyers” at a time, not dissimilar to a chairlift, with around 1000m of gravity assisted free-wheeling, reaching speeds of up to 100km, before the ride beats to a more sedate pace allowing you to drool over the scenery, while filling your Insta-feed. Then you do it all again – backwards. I adored it. There’s no other ride in New Zealand quite like it. The park also boasts its own dedicated paintball area, Argo amphibious vehicle rides, quad bikes tours and bike trails – which are constantly expanding. Remarkably, access to the park’s MTB trails is free, so you either bring your own bike for a blast, or hire a bike from their full fleet of suspension trail capable e-bikes, mountain bikes and kids’ bikes.There’s even a shuttle service to whisk you to the top of the trails. All of the trail networks are built by a small and passionate group of volunteers with a real focus on minimising the environmental impact on the areas they’re traversing through. Just 15 minutes from Nelson, Cable Bay Adventure Park is an escapist destination in its own right. https://www.cablebayadventurepark.com/Eager to hit the pedals around the shoreline of Tasman Bay, I hooked up with Andrew Schwass and the team at Kiwi Journeys. This locally owned and operated family business is the region’s trusted local cycle tour operator, specialising in self-guided and supported tours on Nelson’s Great Taste Trail and the West Coast Wilderness Trail. They have handily located bases strung across the region, at Nelson, Mapua Wharf and Kaiteriteri. They are the go-to for everything you need to enjoy these rides - including the region’s biggest range of quality bikes, including new e-Bikes, trail bikes, mountain bikes and family equipment. Andrew kitted me out with an Avanti e-Bike for my fabulous foray on the Great Taste Trail from Richmond to Mapua Wharf. The entire trail is a whopping 174km-long circuit, bit it’s tastily arranged into manageable sections, including my romp which was an easy 20km ride.After fortifying myself with a delicious Tahuna Light Pilsner and pizza at Eddyline Brewery, I struck out on this splendidly designed trail, traversing the languid...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book reviewer Catherine Raynes has been reading The Beauty of Living Twice by Sharon Stone and Tall Bones by Anna Bailey.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationships expert Steven Dromgool has been talking to Jack Tame about the best ways to care for kids post-separation. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Planting fruit producing systems in small spaces Last week, we looked at saving space in the garden and still grow fruit trees. One of the topics was grafting fruit tree wood on a root stock that supressed growth. Some fruit trees are available as multiple-grafts: imagine a plum tree with two or three different varieties grafted on different sides of that one tree! You can add a pollinator and an extra variety for extended plum harvests. You can get triple-grafted apples, nectarines, you name it. Each variety tends to look slightly different in terms of leaves and branches. You can often pick exactly where the graft is – that is quite crucial for when it comes to pruning the tree (so you leave all varieties on the tree in roughly equal amounts of leaves and branches and fruiting spurs). For your balcony, you could get one of those multi-grafted trees and plant it in a large wine barrel on the 16th floor. Different ripening times stretch your harvesting season. Remember though: you can only graft apples on apples and nectarines on nectarines. You won’t be able to create a fruit-salad! The multi-tree hole trick works nicely too. Imagine you want to plant an apple tree somewhere, but can’t decide which of two or three varieties look like best. Well buy all three plants and chuck them in the same planting hole! Angle them slightly outwards, so that when they start growing they’ll each occupy their own - roughly one-third – space. You’ll find that these three trees tend to share their hole quite well (unless you have a super-dominant variety amongst them that out-performs the other two; in which case you’ll have to discipline that one through more vigorous pruning). Another way to save space with fruit trees is to plant them as a “Hedge”, close together and pruned carefully as a hedge. Take care to prune each plant right from the word “go”, so that the bottom branches are allowed to lengthen and fill up the base of the “hedge”. Imagine an apple hedge with different varieties, ripening at different times of Summer to late Autumn. A multi-varietal feijoa hedge is easy to keep going and it delivers fruit over a long time. A variant on the “hedge idea” is to have a few fruit trees espaliered on a pre-contructed set of posts and wires; this could be in front of a wooden fence, or as a structure that defines a long pathway, which will in future be lined with a fruit tree wall. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump is forced to stay off Facebook & Instagram for nowThe basics of the ruling was that the board believes that Facebook did the right thing - suspending the account for enough time to protect against "imminent harm". Facebook has a pretty clear policy and approach to this. Here's something odd though.. there's a bit of a technicality. At the moment Trump's ability to post is turned off indefinitely, but he's not permanently suspended. THey have a policy which allows for a permanent suspension, but not the ability to prevent someone from posting indefinitely. So that has given the Board the ability to send this decision back to Facebook to basically re-sentence Trump within the rules of the policies - and to provide reasoning - within six months. Clubhouse is trying ShowsClubhouse started as an app to allow you to effectively be a talk back radio show host. It's only been around a year, and it's valued at $4 billion. The trouble with the app though is that when you open it up, you're at the mercy of the live content at that very moment. Something fantastic might have just happened, but since it was live you missed it. So now they're paying to create 50 'shows' - giving selected 'creators' on the platform $5k a month to create. I imagine they'll try and schedule these so there is always something they like when you open the app. Facebook & Twitter have already launched their clones, which aren't too bad. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roald and Beatrix: Dawn French and Rob Brydon star in this heartwarming TV film inspired by the true events of Roald Dahl’s childhood meeting with Beatrix Potter (Neon). Utopia: An Australian satire set inside the offices of the "Nation Building Authority", a newly created government organization responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects (Netflix). The Masked Singer NZ: based on the South Korean series King Of Mask Singer, The Masked Singer NZ is a reality singing competition where 12 celebrities compete against each other in song, masked head to toe in extravagant costumes that completely conceal their identities (Three, from Sunday). LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate Mother's Day, here is an incredible true story about an Australian mother, her adopted child from India Saroo, and his life-long search for his birth mother. Saroo became an orphan aged five, after accidentally boarding a train to a different city. He barely remembered anything about his family, but managed to find them after a search using Google Earth. His story is depicted in the book A Long Way Home, which was later made into the movie Lion. His Mum, Sue Brierley, was played by Nicole Kidman and has since written her own book about the experience, "Lioness", and she's been speaking to Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudking has been watching COVID-themed heist movie Locked Down, and modern take on Oliver Twist; Twist.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mother’s Day Sticky buns This is one of the simplest and quickest sticky bun recipes I know and the buns are top notch. Makes 9 large buns Topping ½ cup brown sugar 3 big tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons maple syrup Filling 2 tablespoons butter ½ cup brown sugar 3 teaspoons mixed spice 1 cup walnut pieces Dough 3 tablespoons warm water 2 teaspoons instant yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 3 cups plain flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup plain yoghurt 1 large egg 100g butter, softened Preheat oven to 190 C. Line a 22x22cm baking tin with baking paper, making sure it comes up the sides. Melt brown sugar, butter and maple syrup and simmer for 1 minute. Pour half of this into the base of the lined tin. Make the dough by stirring the yeast and warm water together and leaving to froth for 5 minutes. While this happens whisk together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together frothy yeast mix, yoghurt and egg and pour this into the dry ingredients. Mix together - you can do this in a beater with a kneading attachment or with a knife - until combined. Add in butter, a tablespoon at a time and keep mixing until it’s incorporated. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to bring together. To assemble buns: Roll out dough to a 20x30 rectangle. Butter with softened butter then sprinkle over sugar, mixed spice and ¾ of the walnuts. Starting from the long side furthest away from you and roll up tightly, bringing it towards you. Use a sharp knife or, my preferred technique, dental floss or thread (see note) to cut into nine equal portions. Place in lined tin, evenly spaced to allow for expansion, cut side down. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove buns from oven and let settle for a few minutes before turning out onto a serving dish or board. Peel off paper to reveal the syrupy buns! To serve, top with remaining brown sugar, maple and butter mixture and sprinkle over remaining walnuts. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne's made a special purchase this week - and he's got a high-profile epidimiologist to thank for his new personal style. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He’s only been in the job three months but once again this week Joe Biden showed why he might actually accomplish more change than any President in decades. Biden spoke out against the big pharmaceutical industry that for so long has weilded massive lobbying power in U.S politics. When it comes to the Covid-19 vaccines, Biden said, intellectual property rights should be waived. If the WTO agrees with Biden, all manner of vaccine producers will be able to take up production to help out the parts of the World that aren’t as lucky as the increasingly-vaccinated US.And yes, you can be cynical about the whole exercise. It’s true that Biden is only making the call now that the US is well into its vaccination programme. A truly moral response might have ensured the likes of Delhi and Mumbai were vaccinated well before Chicago or Miami. But Joe Biden’s first few months in the gig have been far more successful than many of us imagined they could possibly be. He’s been brave, at times. He’s been strategic. He’s picked fights he can win and kept out of the fights he can’t.His massive $US1.9 trillion economic stimulus package has already been enacted and enjoys the support of a majority of Americans. His family and infrastructure plans, which would cost about $US6 trillion, are also really popular. But because Donald Trump didn’t give a toss about the deficit and only a few months ago mailed out checks to the whole country, Biden’s massive spending plans don’t seem so controversial. How’s he going to pay for it? Biden plans to crack down on the big American corporates that have been using offshore tax havens to avoid paying their share. What average American voter could possibly have a problem with that? Despite the rich relationship history of Biden’s foot and Biden’s mouth, in his first three months in the Oval Office he hasn’t made a major gaff. He’s back in the Paris Climate Accord. He’s introduced a no-Twitter policy for his advisors and they’ve managed to keep clear of the culture wars that have consumed so many of his political colleagues over the last few years. He’s walked a careful and delicate line on police brutality and race relations. Some of his gun reform laws, which would impact gun producers rather than gun owners, are particularly cunning.And I reckon there are two other significant reasons fo Biden’s success: The first is the stark contrast with his predecessor. Who could honestly argue that these few months in the U.S haven’t been a whole lot less politically stressful than at any time during Trump’s Presidency? Biden’s reforms sound boring compared to the daily outrage from Trump’s office, but if you look closely, some of them have the potential to signficiantly change American society. The second reason is perhaps even more significant. Biden is governing like a man who doesn’t have to worry about a re-election campaign. Will he run again in four years? Maybe. But probably not. Usually Presidents are at their most powerful in the first half of their first term, before the mid-term elections erode their power in Congress. But any desire to tackle the big stuff is tempered by the fact they want to get a second term. Biden doesn’t look like he has those concerns. Imagine a World where every leader made decisions with the same freedom: Stuff the polls. Stuff the focus groups. One term to make a difference and that’s it. Biden can afford to take risks and push the limits. Who would have thought that a Joe Biden Presidency could feel so incredibly refreshing?LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching Land and Kiwi documentary James and Isey.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book reiewer Catherine Raynes has been reading The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keffe.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fruit trees for the smaller garden (and balcony!) With the tinyfication of backyards, sections and driveways there is often no room for a grand-old apple tree, or grapefruit tree, let alone a majestic pear tree or Plum. Which is why many growers designed the dwarf varieties in apples, plums/nectarines/peaches and other types of fruit trees. These trees are grafted on normal rootstock, giving the tree a good spread of roots underground; but it is the dwarf varieties that limit their own growth. It keeps them small and dense/compact in growth habit, saving heaps of space. Another way to achieve this is by growing “normal” varieties on dwarfing rootstock. Yes, that rootstock inhibits the normally expansive growth of the fruit tree. Some of these dwarfing rootstocks really limit heights to a few meters only, making it easy to pick the fruit at harvest. Oh, by the way: the fruit is normal size! We often had “Flying Dragon” rootstock under our lemons and mandarins – that’s been around for ages! The two methods described allow you to have a dwarf tree on your balcony too! The grafted trees can easily sustain themselves in large pots (think half wine-barrel size) as long as they are planted in good quality container mixes. I think it pays to add some mineral soil (loam) in there, amongst all the good, dark organic matter (compost). The mineral soil gives the mix a better structure. One thing to look out for is regular watering, as potted or containerised plants/trees are much more prone to drying out. Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a “normal” tree that you can restrict in growth when you plant it in the garden, without having to prune the living daylights out of it twice a year? Well you can! “Bonsai it” If you can restrict the roots of a tree, it will become dwarfed – think of how Chinese and Japanese garden masters have been doing “bonsai” for thousands of years! (they prune the roots every year or so and re-plant their babies back into the mix). We now have bags that restrict root growth (“root control bags”). Plant your fruit tree in such a bag and dig the whole lot (Bag, mix, and tree) in your garden. You basically treat it like a normal tree in terms of watering, fertilisers etc. It’ll grow and produce fruits, but it will stay a lot smaller! Remember to utterly prepare your soil before planting any tree. Make sure the planting hole doesn’t run full of water that gets stagnant – it will rot your roots. Make it therefore well-draining, perhaps raise it slightly above the ground level. Good soil mix with some loam and lots of organic matter will support your tree for a long time. NEXT WEEK we carry on with these space saving ideas. We might even achieve a three-apple-varieties-in-one-pot system for the 16th floor.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richly blessed with world-beating nature trails, my first dose of outdoorsy soft adventure was on New Plymouth’s universally feted Coastal Walkway, the envy of many a New Zealand town. It was the perfect balmy autumn’s evening, and the shoreline trail was a hot ticket, with hundreds of folk lustily embracing a twilight stroll, as the slanting light of day’s end gilds the shoreline.The award-winning path which skims the Tasman Sea for 13km, not only offers celestial coastal vistas and world-class surf breaks, but is crowned with some compellingly large works of art. Keep walking north of the city to encounter the dramatic wave-like Te Rewa Rewa Bridge (freshly repainted), while Len Lye’s iconic breeze-bending kinetic sculpture, the Wind Wand, remains a much-adored city landmark.A botanical oasis at any time of year is the time-honoured sanctuary of Pukekura Park. Previously, I’ve savoured the city’s annual illuminated extravaganza, the TSB Festival of Lights, which transforms the park into a spangled wonderland. Transcending the summer holidays, Pukekura Park comes alive after dark with theatrical lighting installations and ingenious artworks.But regardless of the time of year, this inner-city paradise boasts exquisitely landscaped gardens, the lustrous Fountain Lake and a staggering variety of native and exotic plant collections. Change it up with an anecdote-rich guided tour to ensure you don’t miss the park’s star specimens and hidden gems, like the 2000 year old Puriri tree, the oldest hospital still standing in New Zealand, and a major film location for Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai.Ever since our pioneering days, Taranaki has been nicknamed the Garden of New Zealand and I revelled in some of the region’s botanical stars, including Tūpare. Nearly 80 years old, the restored Chapman-Taylor Arts & Crafts homestead and garden is a stately sight to behold. Sculpted from a hillside overlooking the Waiwhakaiho River, walk the winding paths cut into the hillside for sigh-inducing vistas and intimate garden rooms.Grand coniferous trees such as dawn redwoods, kauri, rimu and giant redwoods set the framework for the garden. They are supported by beautiful deciduous specimens such as the dove trees, tulip trees and liquidambars – the autumn show at Tūpare is very special. Smaller trees, typically maples and magnolias, are favoured alongside rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas and hydrangeas, all carefully planted by Sir Russell Matthews in 1932.Further afield, in the shadow of Taranaki Maunga, Hollard Gardens is a botanical bucket-lister, a Garden of National Significance that was established in 1927 by Bernie and Rose Hollard, now in public ownership. Bernie believed that the best plants were the ones worth waiting for. The plant that he bred and was well known for was the Rhododendron Kaponga which took 12 years to flower.The gardens remain an abiding legacy of almost a lifetime of tireless work by a private individual. It is a quintessential woodland garden, a joy to leisurely free-roam. Head gardener, Shannon, led me around its finest features, from the mature and intimate Old Garden to the buzzing diversity of the New Gardens. Hollard has recently been accentuated by the wonderfully popular family corner, complete with playground, free barbeques and kitchenette.Just east of Eltham, I ventured to the barnstorming conservation success story at Lake Rotokare. Home to the Lake Rotokare Scenic Reserve, this sublime 230 hectare predator-free environment is a cradle of native and endangered flora and fauna. It is the largest lake and wetland protected by a ring fence, which was constructed in 2008. (Rotokare translates as “rippling water.”) Alongside the8km long fence, their pest-trapping programme has eradicated 12 million mammals, allowing 9 threatened species to be reintroduced to the sanctuary.They include the North Island brown kiwi, North Island saddleback, North Island...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reuse, Reduce, Rethink, Recycle. Recycle is at the bottom of the chain as there are much better ways for cutting down on waste. But when we do recycle then let’s do it well. Different councils have slightly different rules. Often smaller councils don’t have the infrastructure to handle some products. In the bottom of South Island, they find it’s not worth shipping glass all the way to Auckland. Unless they pay the extra, it is use as aggregate in roading material or capping dumps. It can even be ground right to back to sand. Same with the tetra pack family of containers, only big councils have the gear to recycle these which are then sent overseas to be processed. What do we recycle easily? Plastic bottles, containers, and clear food containers 1 to 7. 1: PET plastics, soft drink bottles the most famous. These are recycled in NZ. The clear ones can be made in to anything. Coloured ones are less useful. They can be made into clothing , polyester etc. 2: HDPE, bathroom and laundry products. Slightly cloudy variety, often in milk bottles, is the most valuable. As soon as colour is added then these have more limited use. Ecostore uses recycled and carbon capture sugar based HDPE for its range. 3-7: Less wanted, often baled and exported or even sent to landfill for PVC and 7’s All bio plastics, unless going to a specialist collection, goes to landfill. Soft plastic This can only be recycled at soft plastic recycling stores, never in the recycling bin. Auto equipment means plastic bags gets wrapped around gear and workers have to go in with angle grinders to fix this every day. Aluminium and glass Can be recycled infinite times because they are pure elements, aluminium and silica. Steel cans are also fine. Paper Products like mail, newspaper and magazines, paper and cardboard packaging and egg cartons. Keep these out of your recycling Plastic bags, food and garden waste, hazardous waste and chemicals , polystyrene trays and packaging, coffee cups, batteries, nappies, clothing window glass, mirrors or light bulbs, cookware, electrical items, building waste and off course medical waste. You need to think of the workers and machines that are sorting this stuff. Stuff you have sorted already into plastic bags, and put the whole thing in the bin will go straight to landfill because no one wants to puts their hands into these. Washing containers is important. Make sure they’re empty of liquid or residue. Rinsed out but not spotless - just clean enough for optical sorters so they know which type of plastic it is. Pizza boxes: a bit of grease is okay, a few crumbs is alright - but masses of cheese no good. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dozens of patients who spend at least 12 hours a week hooked up to a life-saving machine are devastated Greenlane Hospital's renal unit is closing.For them it's a "safe haven" and a lifeline.Instead, the majority of these dialysis patients say they will have to travel further to Kereru Kidney Centre in Glen Innes - a $7 million Auckland District Health Board 12-year project opening later in the year.While the DHB says the Greenlane clinical centre is no longer fit for purpose, many patients spoken to by the Herald were heartbroken, with one saying "it sucks, for me time is precious".Patients who need dialysis treatment have entered the end stage of kidney disease and nearly all their kidney function is lost.A letter to the DHB, signed by 35 patients and seen by the Herald, said: "We have no issues with building more dialysis capacity but this is NOT achieving that, at HUGE cost."Greenlane unit needs to be kept operating as it also offers good dialysis plus proximity for the people who rely on its services."Auckland DHB director of adult medical, Barry Snow, told the Herald it was a priority for the DHB that the people in the Auckland central catchment had access to dialysis care that was close to home and in a unit that was fit for purpose."We are replacing the Greenlane Clinical Centre dialysis unit as it is no longer fit for purpose and we have been told by our patients that they wanted their care closer to home."The Herald was told by a source the decision to open Kereru Kidney Centre was based on a 2011 survey which showed 25 out of 38 patients lived closer to Glen Innes but that was no longer the case. Now, 10 years later, the majority of patients live closer to Greenlane.When the Herald put this to Snow he said: "We've positioned the new unit where there is higher need. Our mapping shows that the majority of Greenlane patients live within a short drive of Glen Innes, and the majority of those who don't, live within a short drive to Pt Chevalier."In response to patient concerns about potentially waiting longer due to capacity, Snow said the DHB was not expecting this."There will be one patient to one machine on each shift, the time available on each machine will be same and the staff-to-patient ratio will remain the same."Patients who used Greenlane would also have the option of using Carrington dialysis unit in Pt Chevalier.Nora van Der Schrieck, chief executive of Kidney Society Auckland, said she really felt for these Greenlane patients because it would affect them the most."Some patients won't get the benefit that others will and I can understand it because my own husband was on dialysis for many years and I know what it means to be shifted around and to have things change when you are doing well the way things are."When they move they are likely to come across different staff so it's a big, big change, so I absolutely sympathise with them."But she credited the DHB, saying it had done "a superb job"."The project had involved more consultation with patients than I have seen with any other DHB."It's unclear what would happen to the Greenlane unit.Snow said the DHB understood that a change in location was an adjustment for many patients and it sympathised with them."We will be providing support to help them on this transition."Meanwhile, dialysis care across New Zealand continues to be a "postcode lottery".For example, Whanganui dialysis patients have to travel 75km to Palmerston North at least three times a week to be hooked up to a machine for hours on end.Our resident doctor Dr Bryan Betty has been giving Jack the lowdown on kidney disease.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About a year ago, internationally renowned fashion blogger Garance Dore’s travels suddenly stopped. Nothing unusual about that, except the French-born and usually US-based writer happened to be in New Zealand at the time. Garance is a photographer, illustrator and author, who’s worked with everyone who is anyone in the fashion world. The New York Times once described her as the "guardian of all style". She’s loved her new pace of life here so much that she’s stayed - and is about to do a show at the Auckland Writers’ festival. She's been talking to Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First there were Lime Scooters, now there are Lime Mopeds After a successful launch in Washington DC, Lime is starting the rollout of electric mopeds in New York City. They are bright green, parked on the street, and ready to ride with just a click of an app. They work just like a Lime Scooter charging an unlock fee plus a ride per minute fee. There is a helmet locked in the back for riders to wear - and you need to submit a photo of yourself wearing the helmet before you can start. When you sign up for the service you also need to take a rider safety course and submit your drivers license for verification. Electric mopeds are already super popular in NYC. They launched a couple of years ago by a startup called Revel. Lime will be the second provider. Microsoft Word is changing its default font But to what.. you can help decide. Calibri took over from Times New Roman in 2007 but now it's time for something new. Microsoft has commissioned five new fonts - which are available now in Office 365 for you to try. So will it be an industrial style typeface, a serif, a sans-serif, something more contemporary, or traditional? The default won't change until the launch of Office 2022. Amazon is crushing it What pandemic? They just released their Q1 results and they're 44% up on last year with net-sales. Profits have gone from $2.5 billion this time last year, to $8.1 billion in Q1 of this year. Amazon Prime has 200 million members. My Robinhood stocks app has Amazon as a 96% buy rating, 4% hold. That would suggest analysts think there is a LOT more potential for growth yet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon's profits more than tripled in the first quarter of 2021, as the pandemic continued to boost its online retail, cloud and advertising businesses.The tech giant on Thursday reported a whopping $8.1 billion in quarterly net income, up 224% from the same period in the prior year, crushing Wall Street analysts' prediction of $4.98 billion. Earnings hit $15.79 per diluted share.Total net sales from the quarter grew 44% from the year-ago period to $108.5 billion, also beating the $104.5 billion analysts had projected.Amazon (AMZN) shares spiked as much as 4% in after-hours trading."Amazon has the almost perfect business for the world right now," James Harris, global chief strategy officer at Mindshare Worldwide, said in an email following the report. "The world's leading e-commerce platform, a growing cloud business and a smaller but growing advertising capability all working in unison. It's a compelling offer."The company's cloud unit and biggest money maker, Amazon Web Services, posted net sales of $13.5 billion during the quarter, up 32% year-over-year. That's an acceleration in growth from the prior quarter as more companies adopt the technology to help manage hybrid workforces.Among the other highlights from the quarter: Amazon now has more than 200 million paid Prime subscribers and streaming hours on Prime Video are up more than 70% year-over-year.Despite a tough year-over-year comparison because of the surge in demand the pandemic caused in 2020, Amazon still expects net sales between $110 and $116 billion, up 24% to 30% from the same period in the prior year, during the second quarter of 2021. That's assuming that its annual Prime Day event occurs during the quarter as normal.On Wednesday, the day before the earnings report, Amazon announced it would spend $1 billion to raise wages for more than 500,000 hourly workers by as much as $3 an hour as it continues its hiring push that has elevated its global workforce beyond 1.3 million people globally. The company will not, however, increase its $15 per hour minimum wage.Earlier in the first quarter, Amazon faced a landmark union drive at a warehouse in Alabama that drew intense scrutiny to its labor practices. Despite popular support from celebrities and even US President Joe Biden, the union vote was unsuccessful.The latter part of this year will bring a major leadership shakeup at the company, as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos steps down from his role as chief executive, to be replaced by current Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy, and the cloud unit gets a new leader.Today, a share in the company costs about $US3,500. Back in 1998, when they were just $US18, a man called Colin Bryar joined Amazon in the Senior Leadership Team, becoming Jeff Bezos’ “Chief of Staff” aka “Jeff’s shadow”. After 12 years, he left Amazon, and with colleague Bill Carr set up business coaching company Working Backwards. They’ve now written a book of the same name, and Colin's been speaking to Jack Tame.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screen Queen Tara Ward has some TV picks for your weekend. Life in Colour with David Attenborough: Using the latest camera technology, David Attenborough’s latest nature documentary reveals the extraordinary ways in which animals use colour: to win a mate, to fight off rivals and to warn enemies (Netflix). Waiata / Anthems: A new short documentary series about iconic musical artists from Aotearoa who translate and record their songs in te reo Māori, sharing untold stories of fear and discovery along the way. Featuring Drax Project, Katchafire’s Logan Bell, Bic Runga, Che Fu, MELODOWNZ, Annie Crummer, Hollie Smith and Don McGlashan, each episode tracks the artists path through the origin of the song to its translation and meaning, exploring how it came to be. Each episode ends with a powerful live performance. (TVNZ OnDemand) RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under: Start your engines Aotearoa and may the best queen win! 10 queens from across Australia and New Zealand with the most charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent have been selected to compete in the first ever RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under (TVNZ 2 & TVNZ OnDemand, from Saturday) LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne's spent a bit of time at the panel beater recently - and he reckons a good proportion of car accidents are caused by drivers who're using their phones. The fines have been upped this week, but could they go higher?LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m broadcasting to you from Wellington this morning. I was here celebrating with my colleagues last night for the Press Gallery’s 150th anniversary celebration. I was very well-behaved but I’m not totally sure that can be said of all of my colleagues.I was listening to Tix Roxburgh on talkback a couple of weeks ago. The subject was the National Party leadership, and a lovely caller rang up and offered up Tim a suggestion for who might make a good adversary for Jacinda Ardern in the next election. She was clearly a listener of fine taste and significant intelligence, and Tim handled her suggestion with perfect broadcasting poise. If you want to beat Jacinda Ardern, she said, there’s only one person for it. Jack Tame.I must admit, I felt a little flattered. Although, ruefully I note the suggestion hasn’t had a great deal of pick up or support, either on talkback or amongst my drunken colleagues at the Press Gallery bash.Nonetheless, in light of the National Party’s review into its devastating election loss, and in light of Judith Collins’ hard turn towards lazy race-baiting this week.I’m going to close my eyes and pretend that caller was right; imagine myself as leader of the National Party and offer a little advice to my colleagues as we make our way forward.First of all, forget the anti-Maori separatist stuff. As tempting as it when you’re seeking relevancy and frantically clutching at thin air... don’t fall for that tired race-baiting messaging. It’s lazy. It’s cheap. It’s desperate. You lost the last election because you lost the middle. You lost moderate voters. They aren’t the kind of people who are going to immediately switch back if you take extreme positions on anything. Second of all, focus on a consistent, coherent message. In the lead up to the election last year, it was sometimes impossible to know where the National Party stood on the pandemic response. Should we open up or close down our borders? Lockdowns or no lockdowns? It’s similar with other issues now. Take some of those Maori issues - National will run in the Maori seats but opposes the legislation around Maori local boards. National established Whanau Ora but calls a Maori Health Agency a separatist institution. It’s inconsistent. It’s incoherent. People have got to know what you stand for.I’ve got to say over the last six months, I think a couple of National MPs have excelled in this area. For me, Chris Bishop has probably been the standout National MP. His efforts on the Covid portfolio have been constructive. His criticisms have been reasonable. Above all... his messaging is largely coherent. His colleagues would do well to follow his lead.My third and final piece of advice is just wait. Hold your horses. Exercise a little patience and a little discipline. You don’t need to be at 40% in the polls right now. You don’t need to be concerned with leadership. What you need is for your MPs to go away and work on policy, and wait for Labour to make mistakes.This government hasn’t yet demonstrated the capacity to deliver on its promises. There will be scandals and failures. There will be opportunities.These are not exciting or sexy recommendations. But if you can show you are a cohesive and disciplined centrist party, with a coherent message, and not one that barks at every car or desperately says inflammatory things to try get in the headlines. I think you will be well-positioned to contest the next election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book reviewer Catherine Raynes has been reading Churchill and Son by Josh Ireland, and The Castaways by Lucy Clarke.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British indie-pop band London Grammar are planning to play Vector Arena in March next year. If you want to take a listen and get on board the hype around a real-life international act playing at Vector, their new album is California Hil, and our music reviewer Estelle Clifford’s been taking a listen.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool has been talking about caring for your parents - and the impact that can have on your other relationships. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley has been sharing his tips for the best way to go free-roaming South Taranaki. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The IRD's sent a warning shot to influencers - you could be liable to pay tax on your freebies. Enable Me's Hannah McQueen has been looking into who might be at risk. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winter crops need planting There’s still some warmth in soil so it’s a good time to get planting. If you are in south, maybe get some punnets, rather than sowing seed. Brassicas do well in winter: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, (Chinese cabbage for stir-fries) Brussels sprouts (but hurry!); these crops will stay “cool” and can be harvested during winter. Fabiaceae – a science word for beans and peas… Peas are good to grow now – harvest them when your conditions have allowed them to set fecund pods.Broadbeans are an acquired taste (I think) but autumn planting will allow them to be ripe in spring. Spinach (the real spinach, as discussed a few weeks ago) and silverbeet are also good to plant right now. But my favourite winter crop (and one that goes on to well into Summer 2022!!) is the “Perpetual Spinach” that looks like a silverbeet but is a lot milder and not so crunchie. This goes well into my favourite rice dishes (in the oven): Cook your rice; fry onion and mince (or bacon – or shrimps – or bits of steak) mix it into your rice. Then chop up raw perpetual spinach a dash of sweet chilli sauce, and work it all in a large ceramic pot (covered with lid) with parmesan cheese; whack in the oven at 180 degrees for an hour, while you open a beer or two. Beetroot is another one that will grow slowly in winter without bolting - plant them now. And because I still cannot let go of summer “greens”, I will continue planting a 6-pack (or 9-pack) of Cos lettuce in a sheltered place every now and then, to keep supply going. The same goes for Coriander. To be frank: this brilliant stir-fry green doesn’t really like our Canterbury heat at all (it bolts like the proverbial), but grows well in cooler temperatures. I always get a flurry of queries when mentioning asparagus. If you are really committed to growing asparagus then perhaps now is a good time to start working on a permanent asparagus bed – honestly: a few days’ work will get you at least 20 years of crop and the joy of cutting asparagus every spring. Select a suitable site: in sunny position on great soil. If you haven’t got great soil, raise the bed (at least 30 cm) and fill with weed-free topsoil, mixed with organic matter (compost). Begin the project now and get your plants (roots) when they show up in shops in July. Weed-free is the key and so is “well-drained”. Start work now and I’ll give you a picture that you can look forward to for decades. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple's launched a brand new product: AirTag If you lose things, or want some added peace of mind, then Apple's AirTag is for you. It's a small tracking device you can attach to your things so if they get lost you can locate them. You can use the FindMy app to make it play a sound, or you can use your phone to direct you to the Tag. The Tag sends out a beacon via bluetooth and an arrow appears on your phone directing you to the object. The magic feature though is when the item is far away from you, outside of bluetooth range. If someone else's iPhone detects the beacon, it'll use their connection to send you the location. So imagine you leave your backpack at a bar, then a patron's iPhone would anonymously connect to the Tag and you can see your bag's location on a map. The battery should last about a year and is user replaceable. Of course it wouldn't be an Apple product if you didn't need to buy an accessory! There is no way to attach it to something without an accessory - it doesn't have a loop. Could someone use an AirTag to track you? Yes, but there are safeguards built in. If your iPhone detects that an AirTag is moving with you it will send you an alert.. but that doesn't help Android users. From the mockup of the app, you'll be able to make that AirTag play a sound to help you locate it. If it's been away from its owner for three days, it'll start making a sound on its own. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tara Ward's got some TV picks for your weekend. Mare of Easttown: Kate Winslet stars in this gritty drama about a detective from Pennsylvania who tries her best to prevent her life from falling apart while investigating a mysterious murder (Neon). Creamerie: A darkly funny dystopian New Zealand series set eight years after a plague has killed all men, and where three women who run a dairy farm accidentally run over the last surviving male human on the planet (TVNZ OnDemand). Starstruck: The brand new six-part romcom created, written by and starring Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning comedian, writer and actor Rose Matafeo kicks off this week on TVNZ. Starstruck follows Jessie (Rose Matafeo), a millennial living in East London juggling two dead end jobs when she discovers the complications of accidentally sleeping with a famous film star (from Wednesday 28 April, TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand). LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Chris Parker spent 2020 getting famous in the most 2020 way possible: making vidoes about life in lockdown and posting them to instagram. Specifically he learned to felt, made characters like Ashley Bloomfield, and pulled them together into a hat .. while tens of thousands of people watched along online. The hat was later sold to the Auckland museum. But it wasn’t all felting and Covid. On his Instagram page he perfectly captured the weird and wonderful about last year, with viral sketches about modern life from pay wave to why everyone suddenly owns a cavoodle. He’s created a show around his felting "This is how I felt" and it’s part of this year’s Comedy Festival. Chris has been in studio with Jack Tame. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GORGEOUS GREEK SWEET CHEESE PIES This recipe is inspired by the Greek tradition of using soft, fresh cheeses in sweet pastries – in fact it was the way I started every morning when I travelled in Crete, along with a puddle of very strong coffee. Bliss. These are perfect for brunch, dessert or for party nibbles. Makes 6 small pastries 3 sheets filo pastry 100g feta 50g cream cheese 3 Tb caster sugar 1/2 egg, beaten lightly 30g butter, melted 2 TB Honey Zest from one lemon or orange Heat oven to 180 C. Mix together the feta, cream cheese, caster sugar and egg in a food processor. Pulse until just blended but still with little lumps of feta as these provide creamy, salty bursts of flavour in the end result. Cut each sheet of filo down the middle, lengthwise, so that you have rectangles with the short edges at the top and bottom. Assemble the parcels one at a time by brushing the pastry with butter then dolloping two tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto the pastry, then rolling/folding the parcel, tucking in the edges, until you have a snug parcel. Place on a tray. Brush the top with butter. Work quickly if you can, as filo dries out when left exposed to the air for too long. Bake the parcels for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Serve drizzled in warmed honey. Eat warm. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching Eddie Izzard's war thriller Six Minutes to Midnight and Netflix movie Stowaway.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne's been watching coverage of Prince Philip's funeral, and he's unimpressed at the attempts to lip read Princes Harry and William's reunion. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was the 81st minute. A dewy-looking night in the ‘Tron and the Chiefs were behind by one point. They had posession at about halfway. The Hurricanes defended desperately. Penalty Chiefs. One last play. One last kick. 45 metres. A game of Super Rugby to be decided by Damien McKenzie’s boot. If you were watching last night or listening to Nige... you’ll know what happened next. McKenzie did his trade mark little set up. He leaned forward, gave that slow turned-up little grin. He stepped up, and he slotted it. You didn’t need to wait for touch judges to lift their flags... the crowd told you everything you needed to know. Damien McKenzie slotted it. The Chiefs, at home, were victorious.It’s hard to keep up, but by my count it was at least the fourth or fifth time in the last few weeks where a Super Rugby game was decided in the last seconds of the game. A fortnight ago we had two golden-point deciders in one weekend, including another Damien McKenzie clutch play. Last weekend, the Crusaders went down to the Chiefs in the narrowest fashion – it was anyone’s game until the final whistle. Maybe with one or two exceptions, you feel at this stage of the competition that almost any of the five teams could quite reasonably be expected to beat any of the other five teams.And I just want to pause and acknowledge how refreshing that is. I often start my show on Saturday mornings by having a big whinge or a bleat about something, and we in the media spend heaps of time beating up on aspects of professional sport. So here I am. Mr Positivity. I think Super Rugby Aotearoa is once again proving itself to be a really refreshing, engaging, and exciting competition. The contests are tight. It’s stylish, attractive rugby... and best of all... there are only two games every weekend!It makes an interesting little study in contrast to consider Super Rugby Aotearoa competition and this week’s disastrous proposed Super League for European Football. Sometimes the best product, at least from a fan’s perspective, is not the format or competition that is going to make the most money.Who knows what we’ll go back to at the end of the pandemic. It’s great to think we might have a proper Pacific team, but there will be all sorts of financial incentives I’m sure to have teams jetting off everywhere. Beats me what the future of the game is in Australia.But as the Rugby Players Union and New Zealand Rugby continue to duke it out over the proposed Silver Lake private equity deal, I just think there are some basic lessons from Super Rugby Aotearoa that are worth keeping in mind in the future. For starters, less is more! I don’t want to be bombarded by games and teams with players I’ve never heard of. The Super Rugby Aotearoa format actually makes for a better competition than any other Super Rugby competition in years. You feel connected to the teams. It mightn’t be worth nearly as much money. But as a fan, come kickoff, I for one feel much more inclined to turn on the TV.Last night after Damien McKenzie slotted the winner, he was swamped by his teammates, and his captain Brad Webber was interviewed on the sideline about the last second win. “We’ve gotta stop doing that.” He said, smiling. “It’s not good for my heart!” he said. Maybe not. But it’s gotta be good for the game.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Music reviewer Estelle Clifford has been listen to The Offspring’s first album in over a decade: Let the Bad times Roll.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting rid of E-waste Oh, we love our phone and laptops, our toasters, blenders, vacuums, hairdryers, smoke detectors and everything that plugs in. We couldn’t live life without them! They unfortunately aren’t necessarily made to last a long time, and at the end of their lives they are all e-waste - you can’t put any of these in your recycling and shouldn’t put them in your normal rubbish. This is obvious with the larger items like TVs and washing machines , but smaller items need careful disposal as well. We are looking at around 80,000 tonnes of e-waste generated each year and only about two percent is recycled. This is one of the highest per capita amounts in the world. Also New Zealand is one of the only countries in the OEDC without a national e-waste scheme. The Ministry for the Environment has an initiative to create a product stewardship process for electronic waste, with results expected later this year. The insides of electronics are full of toxic materials. A Cathode Ray tube TV or monitor may contain up to 3kg of lead. With the rise of technology, we are seeing more fires from Lithium-Ion batteries. When these get compacted in the rubbish or recycling truck, the casing breaks, and the battery mixes with whatever else is in the truck. The same thing can happen with car parts or gas canisters from barbeques. This puts everyone including the fire service in danger. But electronics are also full of treasure, the rare metals that products and the new generation batteries need. Specialty recyclers are growing their capacity to take electronic waste in New Zealand. There are lots of places that are eager to get your computer or TV screen, refurbish it, and pass it on to a small business, school, or charity in need. They help keep these materials out of landfill, which also lessens the demand for new rare earth materials. Items that can no longer be re-used are dismantled by recycling technicians. The components are separated and graded as either general scrap metals or e-scrap. All e-scrap is exported under Environmental Protection Agency permits to facilities in Asia and Europe to be return into base elements to be used again. The other way to look at this issue is through product guardianship. In a circular economy there is no waste. So products are designed so that the manufacturers will welcome them back for the valuable components inside. This philosophy would completely change how we design our products. Some European countries are looking at only ever renting out large appliances, then the companies know they will take them back and make sure they are useful when they return. Auckland-based company Computer Recycling is hosting 30+ e-waste drop-off days around the city in 2021, providing opportunities for locals to divert their e-waste from ending up in local landfills including one today (Saturday 17 April). Computer Recyclingis working with neighbourhood group to facilitate over 30 of these collection days – dubbed “CR E-days”. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book reviewer Catherine Raynes has been reading The Crocodile Hunter by Gerald Seymour and Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel writer Mike Yardley has been playing tourist in Auckland. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.