Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Screentime Queen Tara Ward has been testing out some TV for your weekend. Total Control: Rachel Griffiths and Deborah Mailman star in this Australian political drama about fearless Indigenous senator Alex Irving, who finds herself at the center of media attention after a shocking event and, barely weeks into her political career in Canberra, must deal with betrayal inside the government (Acorn TV). The Gloaming: An Australian crime thriller. When an unidentified woman is found brutally murdered, Detective Molly McGee teams up with fellow cop, Alex O'Connell, with whom she shares a tragic past, to solve the crime (TVNZ OnDemand, from Sunday). Formula 1: Drive to Survive: a new season of the gripping documentary series about Formula 1 racing (Netflix).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With our relatively COVID-free status, plenty of people overseas are dreaming longingly of a life in New Zealand. One high-profile American, LA born-and-bred wellness expert Lauren Roxburgh, has been able to make that a reality. That's thanks to her Kiwi husband, producer and director Gus. She’s got a big profile in the US. Lauren is known as Gwyneth Paltrow's "Body Whisperer" and can regularly be found doing media appearances including Good Morning America and E! And if that’s sounding a bit too woo-woo for you, among her former clients is a little known basketball player called LeBron James. Lauren, Gus and their two kids have just made the move to Wanaka and she's been speaking to Jack Tame. And if you want to try her free 7-day body reset, head to this website: www.laurenroxburgh.com/body-reset-guideLISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FEIJOA & TOASTED COCONUT STRUDEL This strudel recipe uses feijoas as well as apples and adds a hint of the South Pacific with toasted coconut which makes it an even more magical dessert! Serves 2-4 1 cup feijoa flesh (scooped out of the skins), chopped small 1 granny smith apple, grated or diced very small 1 tbsp honey 2 tbsp golden raisins ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp vanilla extract ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs 2 tbsp long thread coconut, toasted Zest from ½ lemon 50g butter, melted 4 sheets filo pastry Ice cream to serve Preheat oven to 180 C. Line a tray with baking paper. Combine the feijoa, apple, honey, golden raisins, ginger and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a low heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Cool. In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, coconut and lemon zest. Drizzle in half the melted butter and combine. To assemble the strudel: lay out the filo sheets, one on top of the other, brushing melted butter between each layer. Work quite quickly when you do this so that the sheets don’t dry out. Brush the top layer with butter too. Spoon the breadcrumb mix along the long edge of the pastry, about 10cm above the bottom edge and 3-4cm shy of either side. Pile the cooled fruit filling on top of this. Start to roll your strudel up, bringing the edge of pastry closest to you up over the filling and continue to roll, tucking in the sides/ends about halfway through. Carefully place the strudel on the lined baking tray, seam side down. Brush the top with melted butter. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm thick slices with vanilla ice cream. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching Jodi Foster's Golden Globe winning The Mauritanian and The Grizzlies. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne's been remembering Colin Simon, whose funeral was last week. Colin was the man who designed the iconic logo for the Chch Commonwealth Games - where the Union Jack was made kiwi.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a slow moving disaster. And now, at it’s worst, it’s a massive intractable problem affecting millions of people. It’s the sort of situation that could have maybe been averted if people had taken action a whole lot sooner, but they didn’t. No, I’m not talking about the container ship in the Suez Canal – far and away my favourite story of the week! I’m talking about the housing crisis, and the government’s new efforts to calm down the ludicrous changes in the housing market.I know I go on about housing but apart from Covid-19 it’s surely the most immediate crisis we face. What do I think of the announcement? It’s a punt. It’s a gamble. A bet. Jacinda Ardern wouldn’t say this week what the changes to the brightline test or interest deductability will do to house prices or rents. In an interview I did with Grant Robertson that will air on Q+A tomorrow, the Finance Minister is similarly non-committal. The government introduced these changes but they don’t honestly know what the effect will be. They hope it cools the market, but they don’t know. Labour was elected three-and-a-half years ago on bold promises to sort the housing crisis. They don’t talk about transformation much any more, but our housing market has certainly transformed, just not in the way they wanted. Since taking over in 2017, the median price nationwide has increased 47%. Of course, the pandemic has played a big role in that. But keep in mind, house prices increased 26% under a Labour-led government’s watch before the pandemic. And that kind of increase wasn’t enough for Labour to push the policies we’ve seen this week. Indeed I think it’s pretty obvious these policies have been put together in a rush. Treasury hasn’t had time to do its sums. They don’t have much of the detail about exemptions and new builds. The brightline extension and deductability changes were not included in Labour’s electoral campaign less than six months ago. Again... this is a gamble. This is a punt.All that being said, from a political perspective, I think it’s a good punt. Labour is doing a much better job of reading the public mood on this, than National is in opposition. They sense that even the so-called Mum-and-Dad investors of the World with a few properties up their sleeves are probably feeling a little uncomfortable with the market’s recent growth.When it comes to broken promises, they’ve clearly misled voters on the brightline extension but from the government’s perspective, it won’t matter. Grant Robertson is taking the fall. If his ruling out the brightline extension last year was really just a case of speaking too definitively, he could have clarified his comments at the time and before people voted. But Robertson will take one for the team. If it was Jacinda Ardern who had emphatically ruled a brightline extension in the same way her Finance Minister did, there’s no way they would have introduced that change this week.From an economic perspective, is it a good punt? It depends who you listen to. Every economist has a different forecast. Maybe the changes will be successful in just getting everything to chill out for a bit. Some forecasts have a drop of up to ten percent.For me, it’s simple. This problem has been left too long. The time to act wasn’t this week. It was years ago. We needed political courage but instead, for years, successive leaders have only introduced policies they were sure were politically popular. Policy-making by opinion poll. The ambulance is officially at the bottom of the cliff. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel writer Mike Yardley has been Roaming Waikato's riches.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Music reviewer Estelle Clifford has been listening to TV personality Jon Batiste's new album We Are.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book reviewer Catherine Raynes has been reading When I Ran Away by Ilona Bannister and The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool's looking at how your relationship can impact your child's resilience. LISTEN TO HIS TALK WITH JACK TAME ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CholesterolOur resident Doctor Bryan Betty has some tips on keeping your cholesterol in check. He's a GP, and Medical Director for the College of GPs.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The biggies of Autumn Equinox is tonight at 10.37 pm. Autumn officially here and two little rotters are the “biggies” in your garden! 1) Tomato (and potato) Psyllid These have been working quietly away in your tomato patch. Many generations have gone before them, but what you see now is the culmination of their damaging activities. Yellowing leaves, covered with fine, white crystals that actually taste quite sweet. Many tiny hopping, aphid-like sap-sucking bugs everywhere (actually they look more like tiny versions of cicadas). Your plants will be looking poorly and tomato yield will seriously decline I used to rarely get them, simply because I am fanatical about pulling up nightshade weeds. I reckon the psyllids overwinter on these weeds, so removing them meticulously helps a lot to keep your patch clean.Sprays with insecticides need to commence well before you see the first psyllids, it keeps their populations down too. I don’t grow potatoes, but if you do: only use the early varieties. Pre-Christmas! Now is really too late for control. Regular neem sprays will keep them down, aim for the newer leaves/growth on the tomato plants, especially in late spring and summer. 2) Two-spotted spider mites In a warm, dry summer, these acarids (related to arachnids) are present in massive numbers on their favourite host plants: beans, buxus, frangipani leaves – they’re everywhere!. They come in groups of lots of tiny mites, often in plenty of mite silk (gossamer). They hate wet, cold feet. A spray with cold water in the evening is not appreciated! Better still, add some fatty acids like Yates Mite Spray or Mavrik. You’ll need to do that quite a few times. Biocontrol: fast-moving red predators can control spider mites! Buy them at Bioforce (on-line). LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instagram is exploring a kids version of the app Apparently, kids under 13 are asking their parents for Instagram accounts but giving them those are 1) against the terms of service and 2) letting them off into the discover tab with no oversight. Instagram says they want to change that.. by launching a kids app with parental controls and ways to give parents "transparency" - so I assume that means a look into what their kids are liking and following. It's still early days but FB says they'll share more later. Messenger for Kids was launched in 2017. Microsoft Powerpoint can now coach you to be a better presenter The AI robots can now watch you deliver a presentation and give you pointers on how to make it better. Speaking too fast? It'll tell you! Too many umms? It'll tell you! Are your eyes looking all over the place? It'll tell you! Reading your slides? Yep.. it'll tell you! It's been available on the web version of Powerpoint for a bit, but is now launching in the Windows and Mac apps. YouTube's trying to make a TikTok clone Save me. YouTube Shorts has launched in the USA in beta. You won't need to download a new app, it's available on your mobile YouTube app home screen. It'll have the same personalized feed like TikTok for you to get lost in, but won't have the advanced creator features like "duet". One benefit is that the videos are available across all of YouTube so can easily be shared and embedded too. The reviews haven't been hot. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Following the events of 'Avengers: Endgame,' Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities -- and their patience (Disney+). Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal: Reenactments drive this documentary investigating the mastermind behind a scam to sneak the kids of rich and famous families into top US universities (Netflix) Billy Connolly: It’s been a pleasure: a special episode celebrating Sir Billy Connolly’s 50 year career and his retirement, featuring interviews with guests like Sir Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg and Sir Paul McCartney (TVNZ1, Monday 8.30pm). LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’ve probably heard of, or even seen, Disney’s movie Soul. It's about a jazz musician, stuck in a mediocre job, who finally gets his big break. What you might not know, is the movie’s animated lead Joe is partially based on real-life jazz musician John Batiste. He’s just won a Golden Globe, and is nominated for an Oscar for his work on the screenplay. But that’s not the only thing he’s got on his plate. He’s also the bandleader and musical director at the Late Show with Stephen Colbert with his band Stay Human, and has a new album out: We Are. He's been speaking with Jack Tame. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin's been watching French Exit and Zach Snyder's Justice League.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ingredients6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on or offOlive oil2 medium red onions1 ½ tsp cinnamon1 heaped tsp ground coriander1 tsp cumin1 heaped teaspoon gingerSalt and pepper1 preserved lemon - flesh & pith removed - chopped(or use 2tbsps lemon zest & pith) 5 cups (approx.) stock, vegetable or chicken1 tbsp honey1 cup pitted prunesHandful of fresh coriander, chopped, to garnishMethodHeat the oil in a heavy-based casserole dish or saucepan (that has a lid preferably). Add the onions and spices and cook until fragrant, then add the chicken, toss to coat in the spices and cook until beginning to brown on one side. Add the preserved lemon, stock and honey.Give everything a good stir then put the lid on (or cover tightly with foil) and simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour or until the meat falls away from the bones. I check it after 45 mins and add more water if it looks like it needs it, and the prunes at this stage.Replace the lid and continue to cook. (Alternatively this dish can be cooked in the oven (170° C) for 1.5 hours).Before serving, baste the chicken well with the juices and taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper to season. Garnish with a handful of chopped coriander and serve with bread to mop up the juices. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne reckons the Wellington Regional Council proposal for commuter parking fees is nuts. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was December 17th that we first saw the America’s Cup AC75s racing in anger. Three months to the day from the first race on the Hauraki Gulf, to the race in which Emirates Team New Zealand tied up the Auld Mug.I’ve been in the viaduct for almost every single race day over those three months. So, while the powers-that-be squabble over where to host the next competition, these are my Good and Bads from the 36th America’s Cup. Let’s start with the bads: -It really hurt not having foreign tourists in Auckland for the competition. It obviously affected retailers and hospitality. Over three months, I had a lot of lunch breaks at the fantastic Pantry Cafe at the gleaming new Park Hyatt hotel (I Highly recommend the portuguese custard tarts). It’s maybe the closest cafe to the Team NZ base. But until the last few days of the cup, it didn’t come close to being full. And more than the economic side of things, no foreign visitors hurt the atmosphere of the America’s Cup. Nothing against Kiwis but we generally aren’t the most excitable or passionate sport fans. And I couldn’t help but wonder, in that last week, if getting a Trans-Tasman bubble up in time for a few Aussies to come over and party would’ve added another dimension to the event. -I think the sporting contest itself was a bit ‘meh.’ I know these are new boats and they’re only going to improve, but whether it was the port entry or the wind conditions or the relatively narrow passing lanes, a lot of the results from the Christmas Cup and the Challenger Series felt pre-determined. -My last ‘bad’ is the number of competitors. Covid-19 played a role. So too did the cost of entry. Hopefully one of the benefits of staying with AC75s for the next few America’s Cups will be an increase in the number of teams that are able to compete.As for the goods... I’ve got a few:-Even on the days when the racing was average, the boats looked incredible. I’m still beguiled by the physics. How does a 75 foot boat pop up and fly on a foil at 5 times the speed of the wind?! It’s madness.-You have to be a real misery guts to not see that as a television event being broadcast to different places around the World, the Cup was spectacular. I know the vast majority of us aren’t massive sailing fans and couldn’t explain the difference between a 49er and a Laser. I know most of the World doesn’t care either. I know that contesting the America’s Cup attracts the elite of the elite. But seeing those pictures of foiling monohulls on the Hauraki Gulf, in the shadow of Rangitoto, North Head, and Bastion point, interspersed with shots of Kiwi fans eating icecreams in the glorious sunshine, was really special. For Brand NZ Inc... the TV product makes for an awesome advertisement and even if it’s only watched by a few keen fans overseas, I think it can only have done our reputation good.-Finally... is it so bad to have something to celebrate? A lot of people love to bag on the America’s Cup but one look at the TV1 ratings will tell you, actually, it probably brought a lot of Kiwis joy at a time when things have been a bit shit. Ok.. it’s just sport. And it’s an off-broadway sport. And very few people will care about it in a few days. But when most of the World is virus-ridden, and air travel is super-difficult... it was nice to see a few Kiwis fly.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After taking his fill of Palmerston North’s urban enticements, the big backyard of Manawatu was calling Mike Yardley.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s some new research out of the US about financial mistakes. It’s not about the mistakes themselves, but the fact they all tend to start in the same decade – your 30s. Hannah McQueen from enable.me joins Jack Tame to share her advice on the issue.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Nick Jonas was one third of the Jonas brothers, he released his own album. And now, his third solo album Spaceman is out in the world. Estelle Clifford has been taking a listen. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saving water Now we’ve looked at collecting your rainwater (more detail here) and using rainwater (more detail here) let’s look at how to use less water in the first place. Bathroom * Get tough on those who spend hours in the showers, have a timer with loud alarm so everyone in the house can hear. * Put a bucket in the shower as you wait for warm water, then use in the garden. I've been doing this for years, because when you manage your own water, and don’t rely on the council, you realise how precious it is. * The bath is a luxury. If you have one share it someone you trust to be not too dirty. I also go second. * Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. Wet the brush, turn it off, then rinse it at the end. This may save your household up to 750 litres of water per month. * Flush your toilet on the short flush where you can. If you have an old-fashioned cistern, you can get a bottle of sand and water, and put it in. Cuts down the water used each time. Laundry * Choose machines with good water ratings, definitely a front loader, as its uses only a fraction the water of a top loader. You get a better wash too. * Only run loads when they are full. Garden * If you know me I always say: “mulch mulch and then some more mulch”. It keeps the water in the garden and the weeds out. Nature hates bare soil and will put something in it if you do not. You never see bare soil in healthy nature sites. * Water long and not often. A little water with the hose of an evening fells like you are doing good but all you are doing is training the feeding roots into the top of the soil. Then these will suffer when you go on holiday or forget for a while. Long watering, penetrating the soil, trains the roots deep and then you can do it only once a week. And while you’re at it … * Wash your car with a bucket of soapy water . Only use the hose to rinse off. Use ecostore dishwash then you can wash the car on the lawn and the detergent will feed the soil rather than poison * Check your house for leaks. Be suspicious if your water bill goes up suddenly. Some councils will even subsidise a repairman to come and fix your leaks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The disappearance of Stephanie Mailer, Joel Dicker In the summer of 1994, the quiet seaside town of Orphea reels from the discovery of two brutal murders. Confounding their superiors, two young police officers, Jesse Rosenberg and Derek Scott crack the case and arrest the murderer, earning themselves handsome promotions and the lasting respect of their colleagues. But twenty years later, just as he is on the point of taking early retirement, Rosenberg is approached by Stephanie Mailer, a journalist who believes he made a mistake back in 1994 and that the real murderer is still out there, perhaps ready to strike again. Before she can give any more details however, Stephanie Mailer mysteriously disappears without trace, and Rosenberg and Scott are forced to confront the awful possibility that her suspicions might have been proved horribly true. What happened to Stephanie Mailer? What did she know? And what really happened in Orphea all those years ago? The Family Doctor, Debra Oswald Paula is a dedicated suburban GP, who is devastated by the murder of a friend and her children by their estranged husband and father. Stacey and the children had been staying with her after fleeing his control, and Paula is haunted by the thought that she couldn't protect them when they most needed it. How had she missed the warning signs? How had she failed to keep them safe? Not long after, a patient with suspicious injuries brings her anxious young son into Paula's surgery. The woman admits that her husband hurts her, but she's terrified to leave for fear of escalating the violence, and defeated by the consistent failures of the law to help her. Can Paula go against everything she believes to make sure one woman is saved, one child spared? She isn't motivated by revenge. She's desperately trying to prevent a tragedy . . . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mycorrhizal fungi and planting tricks We are getting more and more information on how plants, shrubs and trees grow in association with other organisms in their ecosystem Yes: pollinators and biological control agents, as well as composters in the soil and the earthworms (earth workers) that aerate the soil and take well-produced organic matter deeper and deeper into the soil levels, where roots can pick up the nutrients. But over the past decade or more scientists have made some grand discoveries around the role of fungi, assisting plants (Watch Susan Simard’s TED talk How Trees Talk to Each other) Mycorrhizal fungi extending root zones of host trees and shrubs. They form Mycorrhizal networks that “connect” trees with each-other (sharing food, communication and warning neighbouring plants for bark beetle attacks etc). Some of the orchids would do so much better if the mycorrhiza is included in the orchid mix; The way to achieve that is by mixing in some old mix in the new mix, when replanting your orchids. When I dig native trees and shrubs (beech, rata, Pittosporum, kawakawa, etc) into the garden, I often make a short journey to a nearby native forest to grab a large bag of moist leaf-litter and humus from the top-layer of the soil. That material is likely to contain quite a few beneficial fungi, including some mycorrhiza, that would help with the establishment and subsequent growth of the native trees. It facilitates the up-take of phosphorus and Nitrogen. Trick is to get the fresh leaf-litter and use it as soon as you can: I tend to mix that biodiverse leaf-litter into the top layers of the soil where I plant the new trees. You can also use it as a moist mulch. Recent research in NZ (Ngā Kākano Whakahau) explored how to re-introduce native mycorrhizal fungi in restoration projects; replanting old paddocks with native trees is tricky!) One of the interesting findings was that – just like in forests – a succession of organisms (almost from fast-germinating “pioneers” to slower germinating later developing species) is crucial for establishment. That means that even Mycorrhiza have their time and place in the restoration and regeneration of forests! Maybe I should go to a young forest first and get some leaf-litter and humus from there before jumping straight to the old-growth forest!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might remember the story of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post reporter killed in a grisly manner by operatives of the Saudi royal family. It sounds wild, but last week a US intelligence report was released, showing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself had approved Khashoggi's murder. The killing is the basis of a new documentary by Bryan Fogel .. who is the director of Icarus .. The Oscar winning doco about the Russian doping scandal. His new film is called The Dissident. Bryan joins Jack Tame to talk about the film.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trapped: An Icelandic crime-drama series following a police department as they try to uncover a mystery in a fjord nearby a small Icelandic town (TVNZ OnDemand) Last Chance U: Basketball: the latest season of this sport documentary series takes an honest and gritty look inside the world of community college basketball (Netflix). Finding Joy: a second season of the Irish sitcom about a woman dealing with a messy breakup who must take on a new work assignment that forces her to look for happiness in the most unusual places (Acorn TV).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sponge pudding brings such comfort on a cold night and I adore the flavour combo of figs with honey and ginger! Serves 6 8-12 fresh figs, halved 90g honey 50g butter 150g softened butter ½ cup caster sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp lemon zest 150g plain flour 1 ½ tsp baking powder 2 tsps ground ginger Custard, cream or ice cream to serve Preheat oven to 180 °C and grease a deep ceramic pudding dish. Gently melt the honey and butter in a heavy based frying pan. Add the fig halves and toss them to coat in the buttery honey mixture and cook for one minute. Pour off syrup into a ceramic dish. Beat second measure of butter with sugar pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating in before each addition. Add the lemon zest then sift in flour, baking powder and ground ginger and mix to combine. Spoon batter over syrup the ovenproof dish. Press figs into the mix, cut side up. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and sponge is cooked through.. Serve warm spoonfuls with lots of runny custard, or cream, or ice cream, or all three!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nomadland A woman in her sixties who, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad. Gaza (documentary) A portrait of a people attempting to lead meaningful lives against the rubble of perennial conflict and going beyond the reach of television news reports to reveal a world rich with eloquent and resilient characters. Judas and The Black Messiah Offered a plea deal by the FBI, William O'Neal infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne has discovered an old menu he kept from the legendary Wellington cafe, the Green Parrot, which he assumes is from the 1970s. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

House prices in New Zealand increased last month by more than any other month in the last 25 years. More than any other month since March, 1996.Just think about that. We’ve had a residential housing crisis for years. House prices have been rising and rising and rising. We have our borders closed, our single-biggest export industry has been turned off and shutdown overnight. And yet... with inflation pouring into asset prices, median house prices increased more last month than in any other month since Braveheart won best picture at the Oscars.According to the Real Estate Institute, the median house prices in Wellington and Auckland increased by about $100 thousand dollars in February. The median price in Porirua – Porirua! – increased more than $270 thousand. Ten thousand dollars a day.When I hear those kind of numbers, I have a couple of reactions. Selfishly, I feel grateful that I have the security of already owning my own place. Secondly, I feel for people who don’t, and who’ve just seen their deposit requirements increase by tens of thousands of dollars.But most of all I wonder this: how will this end?Three years ago, Labour came to power promising to address the housing crisis. They failed. Kiwibuild was a disaster. House prices increased 27% in their first term before this even-crazier spike. They didn’t introduce any tax changes policies that meanfully changed the equation. No person in a position of political leadership publicly supported any policy that would significantly reduce house prices.And truthfully, that was the time to do it. I’m talking about the difference between policies that would simply slow price inflation and policies that actually go further and reduce property value. I accept that introducing dramatic changes now and wiping 15 or 20 percent off house values could be disastrous for our economy in what is already a temultuous moment. Cliches abound, but the horse has bolted. There is no putting the genie back into the bottle. You can reform the RMA and address supply-side issues. You can call on the Reserve Bank to consider loan-to-debt ratios and limits on interest-only loans. But it’s too late. House prices are already way too expensive.So. Back to my question.How will this end? What’s the end game for a nation with some of least affordable housing in the world, where according to the ASB Housing Confidence Survey, a record 73% of people expect house prices will keep rising over the next year? I will repeat this again. Last month, the median house price in Porirua increased ten thousand dollars a day. Nothing against Porirua, but does that sound right and balanced, to you?At some point there has to be a correction. Our politicians might not be prepared to take on the middle-aged voters who own all the assets, but corrections take many forms.Regardless of whether you own property or not... this will affect you. It will affect all of us.I worry it will be very ugly, indeed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford has been listening to the new Kings of Leon album, When You See Yourself. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book reviewer Catherine Raynes has been reading The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher and The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationships expert Steven Dromgool has been explaining the three love lessons to learn by 25. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a long time since Crowded House did a full tour, so what’s a few more days? The band was due to reform for a tour starting this week, but the first few dates have been postponed (cheers COVID). Devising a tour during a pandemic isn’t the only thing they’ve been working on, the band is also about to release its first album in over a decade ‘Dreamers are Waiting’. Neil Finn has been talking to Jack Tame. Click here for tour datesLISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our resident traveller Mike Yardley has been on a city break in Palmerston North. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Campbell's Best Buy for the weekend is the Torea 2018 Pinot Noir, Martinborough $18.99.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Composting I have a new compost bin, designed and made in NZ by the Carbon Cycle people. Their idea is to make good-looking bins that are so elegant that you don’t need to “hide” your bin, somewhere in a dark corner of the garden. And that means you use it more and make it your pride and joy. I also reckon that if you have a good system and good set of bins, you can create enough carbon “credits” to allow you to fly the odd sectors on your favourite airline. Hedge stems and branches = Carbon Hedge leaves/foliage = Nitrogen Lawns/grass blades = Nitrogen Firewood and wood chips = Carbon Weed rough stems and hard roots = Carbon/foliage mostly Nitrogen Sawdust from the odd DIY job = Carbon Twigs and branches = Carbon Carbon to Nitrogen ratio is crucial for good composting. Carbon to nitrogen should be about 30:1 in mass.If you have far too much lawn clippings, your compost will get wet, dark green and slimy. Too much Carbon (and no Nitrogen), the woodchips/branches/twigs/stems will not break down I love the bins, simply for the brilliant biodiversity, especially invertebrates. These critters simply do not know the concept of “waste". They all have a job to do in the recycling process. Maggots (N) Wood borers (C) Slaters (C) Millipedes (shredders of N) Molluscs (N raspers)Beetles (do all sorts of things – can even be predators and fungal consumers)Springtails (run the finishing school of compost making – they prepare the friable black stuff) Earthworms (transporters of all the best organic matter down into the soil. But I am not someone who walks around with just invertebrate-eyes. Compost is also made by Bacteria and such small organisms And most of all: fungi! After all some fungi literally soften up all the hard ingredients (bark, timber, hard-wood, nuts etc) so it can be broken down by other organisms (often insects). The number of species of fungi that can be involved is absolutely stunning. Inside a compost bin there are sooo many fungal species and each one does its job at the certain moment of compost developmen. This is why I always keep a good chunk of old compost in my bin when I start a new cycle: keep the spores in the system, together with things like insect eggs and pupae. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter’s rolling out “Super Followers” Imagine getting exclusive Jack Tame content via Twitter for $4.99 a month. A Jack Tame supporter badge could be added to your profile, with exclusive content, super follower only newsletters, special deals and access to the Jack Tame community. It’s a way to give back to creators you enjoy and keep those creators on the Twitter platform. Twitter has also announced “communities” which you can join and follow, like Facebook Groups. Both features are still to launch, but last time Twitter talked about subscription products and pro features their stock price jumped. It seems this is where the analysts want Twitter to go. Zoom meetings get accessible Captions are coming to all accounts - including free accounts. You’ll be able to enable live ai generated closed captions. It’s a feature their pro accounts have had for a while and brings them up to parity with Google’s Hangouts. It’s a great feature for folks who are hard of hearing, but also for those who multi-task. If you miss what someone said, thankfully there’s a slight delay in the caption and you can catch the question on screen - perhaps that tip comes from personal experience! Lyft has reinvented.. calling a taxi Not everyone has a smartphone, but lots of people need rides. So what do you do? You use your phone to call Lyft and sort out a ride. Yes, Lyft has reinvented calling the taxi company. They're trialing the service in Florida where there is a significant older population. They'll quote you an up front price, then when you book you'll get text updates with the status of the ride. What's old is new again! LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National Treasures: Scotty and Stacey Morrison are joined by a panel of experts as they search for objects and taonga significant to New Zealand’s history (TVNZ 1, Sunday 8.30pm) Zero Zero Zero: an Italian crime drama television series that follows the journey of a cocaine shipment, from the moment a powerful cartel of Italian criminals decides to buy it until the cargo is delivered and paid for, passing through its packaging in Mexico and shipment across the Atlantic Ocean (Neon). Back: A British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb about a man set to take over the reins of the family business after his father’s death, until his plans are threatened by the arrival of a foster brother he has completely forgotten about (S1 TVNZ OnDemand, S2 Comedy Central, Tuesdays 9.40).LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nici’s Amazing Tomato Sauce Hot chips and homemade tomato sauce. Does it get any better? This rich tomato sauce is absolutely fabulous and I make a batch every year, some for my pantry, some for gifts. Makes about 2 litres 2kg fresh tomatoes, chopped roughly 400g can crushed tomatoes 2 large apples, chopped roughly 2 large onions, chopped roughly 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white or raw sugar 1 cup malt vinegar 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground all spice ½ teaspoon ground cloves Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a large pot and simmer it vigorously for about 2 hours until it is completely pulpy and it ought to have thickened a bit by then too. In batches, put it through a blender until smooth. Try not to over blend as it will lighten the colour to an orange hue. Sterilise bottles or jars by heating in an oven set at 100 C for 15 minutes. Pour hot sauce into hot bottles and jars and seal with lids. Wipe clean and cool. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching Kiwi film Cousins, and new animated movie Raya and the Last Dragon. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne's had a win at the dry cleaner this week. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The estate for Doctor SeussHas made a public call It’ll keep publishing his booksBut it won’t publish them all. Six different titles Will no longer be dispersed. But is it a reasonable reaction? Or cancel culture at its worst?In case you missed it between the raging pandemic and urgent warnings over potential tsunamis, the second highest-earning dead celebrity has caused a few ructions this week. The company that manages the catelogue for Dr Seuss has announced it will no longer continue to publish six of his titles because they contain racist or insensitive imagery. Of the books that will no longer be published, the only ones I recognised were To Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, and If I ran the Zoo. All the other real Dr Seuss classics – Greens Eggs and Ham etc – will continue to be published.Of course, those on the frontlines of the Twitter culture wars haven’t wasted time seizing upon the decision and working themselves into a state. Some politicians in the U.S say Dr Seuss is being cancelled. Others say Dr Seuss was racist.I think you always have to consider these things in the time and context in which they were created. Times change. People change. Attitudes change. Values change. Standards change. So, for example, if a white person dressed in black face make up at a party twenty years ago, I don’t think they should be judged strictly by the standards of today. People should be allowed to change. I think some modern outrage neglects to recognise the context in which people made decisions.It applies for dress-up parties, and it applies for artists. It applies for Dr Seuss. I don’t think he was deliberately trying to impart lazy racial tropes or images upon the World’s children. If he submitted those books for publishing today, I doubt the publishers would accept them. But like all of us, I think he was a product of his time. I’m sure there are plenty of artists working today whose work we’ll look back on in years to come, and think... whoa... actually, that wasn’t very cool.I also think that as far as problematic racial images go, Dr Seuss’ picutres were hardly the most offensive or damaging slights known to the literary World. Yep, Dr Seuss has been published extensively. Yep, I understand there is a collective weight to stereotypes when they’re repeated in society often enough. But perspective is valuable, and sometimes the term ‘racist’ becomes a binary label for historical figures. They’re either racist or they’re not.Last month, the San Francisco School Board announced dozens of schools should be renamed because they celebrated problematic racist historical figures. Among those to be renamed: schools named after Abraham Lincoln. That’s ludicrous, obviously. And it’s the sort of thing creates false equivalencies, gets disproportionate media attention, and undermines the greater effort to address racial injustice. Of course there are now plenty of people who say that this is an open-shut case of books being banned. It’s not. No censor has stepped in and said children can’t read these Dr Seuss titles. There isn’t a Seussian bonfire being lit outside of Wellington’s poor old public library. They’re just not going to continue to publish a few of his books. Most of them, I’m guessing, you didn’t even know existed. If you really want to read them, you can. If you have these books at home, and you think showing your kids the offending images and using them as a learning opportunity is a better way to handle this kind of thing, that’s totally fine. The problem with the culture wars Is everything becomes a fight And if Dr Seuss were alive today He’d say this issue isn’t black and white. In the author’s mighty legacy This is just a little quirk Regardless of whether those books caused much offense, They weren’t the Doc’s best work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hayley Williams is the lead singer of American band Paramore, and she’s just released her second solo album, Flowers for Vases.Music reviewer Estelle Clifford has been taking a listen.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Land, Simon WinchesterIn 1889, thousands of hopeful people raced southward from the Kansas state line and westward from the Arkansas boundary to stake claims on the thousands of acres of unclaimed pastures and meadows. Across the twentieth century, water was dammed and drained in Holland so that a new province, Flevoland, rose up, unchartered and requiring new thinking. In 1850, California legislated the theft of land from Native Americans. An apology came in 2019 from the governor, but what of the call for reparations or return? What of government confiscation of land in India, or questions of fairness when it comes to New Zealand's Maori population and the legacy of settlers?The ownership of land has always been complicated, opaque, and more than a little anarchic when viewed from the outside. In this book, Simon Winchester explores the the stewardship of land, the ways it is delineated and changes hands, the great disputes, and the questions of restoration – particularly in the light of climate change and colonialist reparation.A global study, this is an exquisite exploration of what the ownership of land might really mean – not in dry-as-dust legal terms, but for the people who live on it.A Town Called Solace, Mary LawsonA Town Called Solace–the brilliant and emotionally radiant new novel from Mary Lawson, her first in nearly a decade–opens on a family in crisis: rebellious teenager Rose been missing for weeks with no word, and Rose’s younger sister, the feisty and fierce Clara, keeps a daily vigil at the living-room window, hoping for her sibling’s return.Enter thirtyish Liam Kane, newly divorced, newly unemployed, newly arrived in this small northern town, where he promptly moves into the house next door–watched suspiciously by astonished and dismayed Clara, whose elderly friend, Mrs. Orchard, owns that home. Around the time of Rose’s disappearance, Mrs. Orchard was sent for a short stay in hospital, and Clara promised to keep an eye on the house and its remaining occupant, Mrs. Orchard’s cat, Moses. As the novel unfolds, so does the mystery of what has transpired between Mrs Orchard and the newly arrived stranger.Told through three distinct, compelling points of view–Clara’s, Mrs. Orchard’s, and Liam Kane’s–the novel cuts back and forth among these unforgettable characters to uncover the layers of grief, remorse, and love that connect families, both the ones we’re born into and the ones we choose. A Town Called Solace is a masterful, suspenseful and deeply humane novel by one of our great storytellers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a feathered frenzy of preening birds, theatrical mating rituals and rampant adultery. Pinned to the ocean edge of Cape Kidnappers, it’s the largest and most accessible mainland gannet colony in the world. Its very name is steeped in historic drama, stemming back to Captain Cook’s visit in 1769 and the young Tahitian he had on board the Endeavour, employed as his translator. As the young Polynesian interpreter tried to negotiate with local Maori for fresh provisions and water, they wrongly assumed that he’d been imprisoned. Tragically the misunderstanding forced Cook to fire his cannon, killing two Maori warriors, as they tried to kidnap him. The young Tahitian managed to escape, making his way back on the ship, prompting Cook to name it Cape Kidnappers. I explored the cape with Gannet Safaris, the award-winning sightseeing company.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once you pull the plug and the water disappears you are using your grey water system. This goes into the council system, and often to a treatment plant to take out chemical cleaners and other contaminants. It’s then discharged into the rivers or sea.For example, the chemicals that are put into products just to make them foam more are a pollution that has to be taken out. All of this process costs us as ratepayers, and we’re flushing away water you could use again: laundry, bath, shower and basin water. Don’t worry, we’re not walking about toilet (black water) or even kitchen sink and dishwasher, where there could be contaminants from food, e.g. old chicken germs. Why should we use grey water? Grey water use reduces the need for and reliance on the mains water supply system.Reduces the wastewater peak flows discharging to council’s wastewater system.Allows gardens to be watered during drought periods.How do you use grey water?The main uses are in the garden. Unless you are an extreme eco warrior I don’t recommend the vege garden or herb garden. This is because the chemicals in every day products can be quite toxic and eco-destructive. During my time at ecostore I spent a lot of time weeding these chemicals out because even some plant-based products are harmful, like the foaming agents I mentioned before. You can use this water on your lawn, hedges, ornamental gardens and orchards.Also best practice is to put in a storage tank with a filter that can take out the laundry lint and if you have synthetic clothes it can also capture the micro plastic that literally come out in millions of tiny particles with every laundry wash. But I’m sure you have all switched to cotton, wool, linen and other natural fabrics by now! This storage tank can then have an overflow that goes to the municipal grey water system, if you find yourself not using it all. You should contact your local council here as different local authorities have different rules. The other great use is to use this water to flush your toilet. This uses about 17% of your water use so there is a great saving right there.How much water could I save?So collecting your rain water should see around a 50% reduction on your water useage. Flushing with grey water would see 17% and using grey water on your garden could see 18% reduction. Those are some serious reductions on your water bill! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID vaccine isn’t the only one we need to be thinking about right now! The government made the meningitis vaccine free to 13 to 25 year olds going into shared accommodation such as university hostels, boarding schools end of 2019. There is a low awareness of the availability.Bryan Betty is a GP and medical director for the College of GPs. He joined Jack Tame to explain everything you need to know about the vaccine.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A simple experiment with CaterpillarsLast year I made mention of the abundance of Gum Emperor Moth caterpillars in the collective Eucalyptus trees around New Zealand; Well to be a bit more precise: from Canterbury north! These absolutely fascinatingly pretty larvae are huge, colourful and prickly and strong in their legs, and belong to the Silk moth Family. They feed on Gums, Liquidambar and (South American) Schinus molle trees (all are un-related to each other – how weird!).This year we had heaps of eggs again – big eggs in large strings, laid on the leaves. And we noticed that the tiny black caterpillars literally ate most of the leaf-surfaces around the eggs, but left the eggs alone!I suppose it’s a strategy to not kill your brothers and sisters before they hatch from their eggs… but how do these siblings know that? I think the mother moth secretes some oily substance around each eggs that she lays – you can see the shining discolouration around each egg. Even fully-grown caterpillars will chew around the site where eggs were laid, so the deterrent effect must work for weeks.The small “instar” caterpillars are black and extremely hairy and very visible on the blue-green Eucalyptus leaves. I think their hairiness protects them from predatory birds, although shining cuckoos are possibly not deterred by such hirsute prey. We observed them staying on the lower, smaller and younger leaves, often in large clusters of their cohort.Once they moulted their skin a few times, they started to disperse a bit more. They also lost their black fur and begun to look more like the older caterpillars: blue-green colour with spiky, coloured protuberances on each body segment.From this moment onwards we felt that they were being targeted by birds – we found fewer and fewer of them, so we (Julie’s idea!) took three inside the kitchen a reared them on Eucalyptus foliage which we refreshed every three days or so: one small caterpillar and two medium-sized ones.And they eat!!! Eat!!! Suddenly you realise how much educational stuff you get from raising these critters:Swap Eucalyptus leaves for Liquidambar: They wouldn’t touch it! Not even when they got hungry!Theory: once they started their larval life on Gum trees they stuck with that host plant. Next year I start raising them on Liquidambar and see what happens if I reverse the choice to Gum.When the caterpillars change their skin (moulting) what happens to that old skin? You can’t find it anywhere!Many caterpillars eat their old skin and with this huge silk “worm”, it is no different; As soon as they have “walked” out of their skin, they turn around and start to nibble at it. They will not squander the micro-nutrients contained in that old skin – Nature does not know the concept of waste.There’s a video clip of the caterpillar eating its old skinThese caterpillars are constantly evacuating their slow-release fertiliser pellets – I collected them from the early days (1st instar) to the biggest (last instar) and you can now take measurements and average weight for the whole duration of the larval development – graphs, maths, statistics!And then there’s the chrysalis: You’d expect some soft silken cocoon (just like the oriental silk moths make) No… just rough, tough, brown Aussie stuff. I expect it helps them through the hottest times of the day and the coolest winter days, without losing too much moisture as metamorphosis takes places.There is a softer, “weak” spot in that sturdy cocoon: it is the spot where the hatching pupa pushes itself out of that cocoon in spring… to start life as a beautiful and impressive, large moth. I have seen the caterpillars spin their cocoon (see video), but haven’t had the time to sit there watching all night to discover how they make these “weak spots”.Another Day… another Night… another observational experiment!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.