Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Wicked: For Good  Now demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba lives in exile in the Ozian forest, while Glinda resides at the palace in Emerald City, revelling in the perks of fame and popularity. As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, she'll need to reunite with Glinda to transform herself, and all of Oz, for good.    Playdate   A chance encounter with a stay-at-home dad lands a man in hot water as they find themselves pursued by a team of ruthless mercenaries.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The famed New Orleans Po’ Boy is a sandwich to beat all sandwiches. It’s messy, generous, and utterly delicious: a baguette stuffed with lettuce and fried prawns (or “shrimp”) and oysters, and with plenty of punchy mayo.   Makes 2-4     Ingredients  For the sauce, whisk the ingredients below until combined, taste and season to suit you.   ¼ cup mayo   2 tbsps. thousand island dressing   1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)   1 tsp smoked paprika   1 tsp Worcestershire sauce   1 tsp horseradish (optional)   Squeeze of lemon   Get the below sorted before you start frying:   1 long soft baguette or 2–3 smaller rolls, split lengthwise   Dressing as above for spreading   Shredded lettuce   Sliced tomatoes   Pickles, sliced   Fried seafood:   200g raw prawns, peeled and deveined   6 fresh oysters, drained   ½ cup plain flour   ½ cup fine cornmeal   ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional but good)   ½ tsp each dried thyme & oregano   ½ tsp sea salt + pinch of pepper   Oil for frying (neutral oil like rice bran)     Method  Mix the flour, cornmeal, herbs and spices and salt in a shallow bowl.   Pat the prawns and oysters dry – this helps them crisp beautifully. Toss them gently in the flour mixture until well coated.   Heat about 1cm of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the prawns and oysters in batches so they don’t crowd the pan. They only need 1–2 minutes per side – you want golden, not tough. Drain.   To make the po’ boys, split the baguette and butter generously with butter, mayo, or the sauce you’ve made. Add the lettuce, tomato, pickle and then pile in the prawns and oysters. Spoon over the spicy mayo and press the top on.   Serve immediately — po’ boys wait for no one!    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We weren’t big on dining out when I was growing up.  Truth is, we couldn’t really afford to. With four kids, a mortgage, and decent cooking skills themselves, my parents didn’t really buy food. They bought groceries and the odd few rounds of fish and chips on the beach, but apart from that almost everything we ate was prepared in the kitchen at home.   That being said, every now and then there’d be a special occasion. Every now and then we’d make our way into the city and Christchurch’s historic Arts Centre, where each of us would line up for a lunchtime treat.   Back then, Dimitris served souvlakis from a little caravan, tucked into a little corner next to the old gothic revival buildings. Whenever you’d pass by, there would be a little group of people milling about and waiting for their order to be prepared. On a really busy day, the owner, Dimitris Merentitis, would have someone else working with him as he made his way through the orders. You could choose between single, double, or triple meat. Lamb, chicken, or falafel. The Tames always had the same thing: lamb souvlakis with a token bit of salad, and a hearty drenching of beautiful, garlicky, tzatziki sauce.   As you stood there waiting, you’d try and size up the people around you to work out how many orders would have to be completed and checked off before yours would be up. I remember being frustrated when someone would appear from a shop or a stall nearby, having ducked away for a few minutes while their order was prepared. Dammit, I’d think, surely, I’m next.  I don’t know about you, call me a heathen, but as far as I’m concerned there are few gastronomical combinations quite so glorious as hot meat in hot bread. It’s about as simple as it gets, pulled straight off the sizzling grill, wrapped in newsprint and passed into your hungry hands. The bread at Dimitris’ souvlakis was always so pillowy and soft. You’d navigate the first few bites with relative dignity, but by the time you got down to the last fistful of souvlaki, there was no room for quaint niceties like plastic cutlery. Everything would be soaking with meat juice and sauce. Heaven is a place on Earth.  It’s funny how people will always find and celebrate good food. Looking back, I recall the point when we crossed the threshold, in our family. Even though as teenagers our friends were always asking their parents to go to McDonalds or KFC, when each of us had a birthday roll around, we’d ask to go to Dimitris.  And it turns out we weren’t the only ones. We might have thought it was a family secret, but it was a family secret that was apparently shared by half the people in Canterbury.   After years and years and years of serving up how every many million souvlakis, Dimitris has built his operation into a gastronomic institution. From the little stand in the Arts Centre to his Greek restaurant and prominent spot in Riverside Market today, Dimitris is a dining destination that I’d argue now ranks among New Zealand's best-loved spots: Queenstown has Fergburger. Wellington has Fidel’s. Christchurch has Dimitris.  This weekend, Dimitris celebrates forty years of operations in the Garden City. Forty years. So much of the city has changed in that time. The CBD looks completely different. Entire neighbourhoods have gone.    But some things have never changed. Lamb. Bread. Lashings of tzatziki. Dimitris’ success is sizzling, mouthwatering proof you can’t improve on perfection.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An attorney by education, David Baldacci is an acclaimed novelist with a penchant for suspense and legal thrillers.   He’s written over 50 books, and his specialist knowledge of the US political and legal systems make his stories international bestsellers.  ‘Nash Falls’ is his newest work, the tale of an ordinary businessman recruited by the FBI to help bring down a global crime network.   Baldacci has been writing for over thirty years, and Walter Nash, the protagonist of the novel, is unlike any he’s written before.  “I’ve been writing a long time and one of my chief things that I do to keep myself motivated is just to challenge myself,” he told Jack Tame.  “Get out of my comfort zone, create characters I haven’t created before.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A picture is worth a thousand words, or so the saying goes.  Images often convey more meaning and information than can be held in a sentence or two, an image often provoking more emotion or deeper thought.  Kevin Milne saw one such image earlier this week – an image of the Earth, taken in 1990, from 6 billion kilometres away: The Pale Blue Dot.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"As a quick hit to recharge when travelling to or from Europe, Doha makes for an eye-opening stopover in the heart of the Middle East. The capital of Qatar pulses with all the flamboyant bling of Dubai, overlaid with deep pockets of old world Doha, where tradition, heritage and culture abound. Doha seems to have nailed the sense of urban intermingling – the fusion of cutting-edge modernity and traditional vibes." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fourth studio album from Spanish singer Rosalía is a linguistic tour de force. ‘LUX’ is symphonic album, recorded in 14 different languages, its song’s inspired by the lives of various female saints. Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts on the album. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exit Strategy by Lee Child & Andrew Child   Jack Reacher will make three stops today. Not all of them were planned for.  First - a Baltimore coffee shop. A seat in the corner, facing the door. Black coffee, two refills, no messing about. A minor interruption from two of the customers, but nothing he can't deal with swiftly. As he leaves, a young guy brushes against him in the doorway. Instinctively, Reacher checks the pocket holding his cash and passport. There's no problem. Nothing is missing.  Second - a store to buy a coat. Nothing fancy. Something he can ditch when he heads to warmer climes. Large enough to fit a man the size of a bank vault. As he pulls out his cash, he finds something new in his pocket. A handwritten note. A desperate plea for help.  Third - wherever this bend in the road takes him. Impressed by the guy's technique and intrigued by the message, Reacher makes it his mission to find out more...     Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben & Reese Witherspoon   Maggie McCabe is on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge.  But now, after a devastating series of personal tragedies, Maggie is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy - as well as absolute discretion.  Halfway across the globe, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfils her end of the agreement.  But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself – or she will be the next one who is . . .  Gone Before Goodbye.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 15 November 2025, leading legal thriller author David Baldacci joins Jack to discuss the state of US politics, AI and ownership, and their influence on his latest novel Nash Falls.  Jack considers the convenience of digital IDs and wallets.  Nici Wickes spotlights the mango in her first BBQ firing of the season.  Master sommelier Cameron Douglas shares a bright, taut, fresh, salivating wine pick.  And Kevin Milne discusses a famous photo that sparked some major inspiration for him this week.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The holiday season is often filled with waste, but this year could be different.  If you’re looking to shift your holiday celebrations towards the sustainable, but aren’t quite sure how to broach it with your family, Kate Hall has a few tips for you.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tohu Pinot Gris 2025, Awatere Valley, Marlborough RRP from $18.99   The Awatere is located on the eastern site of Marlborough with many of the vineyards at the north-eastern reaches. On a clear day, the North Island is easy to see. This location means many of the vineyards are exposed to the easterly and southerly breezes, but there are significant sunshine hours to ripen the grapes.   The wine styles are nearly always fresh and taut, often with a saline quality to the acidity. Lots of citrus and pomaceous fruit flavours are common in the wines.   Founded in 1998, Tohu Wines is the world’s first Māori-owned wine company. They produce excellent wines including sparkling and Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and this Pinot Gris.   This wine has some delicacy about it, it is bright, taut, fresh, salivating. The varietal flavours of green and red apple, white peach, pear and some honeysuckle deliver the core mid-palate flavours and weight. Salivating and just dry on the palate with textures from lees and acidity creating a vibrant mouthfeel. Well-made, balanced and ready to drink from late 2025 through 2028.     The season: rather excellent   Warm spring.  Near-perfect flowering.  Above-average yields.   The diurnal shift from warm days to cool night ensured both flavour development and acidity were preserved.    Food match:   New season sweet corn with lots of butter and sea-salt with this wine is a near perfect match. You can also dip the corn cob into a sour-cream sprinkled with nutmeg for some extra matching.   Alternatively, a sweetcorn fritter topped with sour-cream and a slice of smoke salmon works just as well with the Tohu Pinot Gris.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this time of the year there’s only one place I’d love to be: The North Island.   These are the largest moths in Aotearoa. They are also very nicely coloured – lots of green and yellow as well as white and orange patches. Their wingspan is up to 150mm, and they’re a noisy flyer at night.   Females are often larger than males – they lay masses of eggs as they fly through the forest at night.   The relatively small caterpillars hatch on the forest floor and commence eating dead wood, infected by fungal material.    The funny thing is that these very young caterpillars only move around for 6 to 12 months, after which they move up tree trunks to find out what the wood tastes like… Once they’ve found a suitable tree with nice bark and yummy phloem and xylem, they will start to build a long-term tunnel system in which they can live 5, 6, or even 7 years.   It’s a 7-shaped tunnel that goes into the trunk and down (yes, the shape of a 7!), and it lives there for 7 years.  The puriri moth “homes” are always protected by a patch of silk that protects the dwelling from enemies such as centipedes and even small birds. The silk is tough enough to keep the predators out.   Caterpillars chew on the re-growth of the Cambium at night and bit by bit, which is why it takes so long for these larvae to become “mature”.   Once they have reached their final “instar” (size) they turn into a chrysalis (a “Pupa”) that finally becomes that huge green ghost moth that we see flying at this time of the year.   The adult moths (which grew to that size in 7 years!) have just 24 hours (and at most to 48 hours), to do all their loving, living, and shopping.  They look spectacular and full of protein and eggs….   Which is why Ruru are keen on hunting these insects  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders are getting a new ChatGPT feature   In a pilot with select countries, you'll be able to have a 'group chat' with ChatGPT. It's available on all plans, and Open AI wants feedback before it's rolled out more broadly. You can invite between 1 and 20 people to join you. Apparently ChatGPT knows when to stay quiet and when to chime in, and you can summon it if you need.      Americans can now put their passport on their phone   Apple has launched Digital ID in the USA, allowing anyone with a US passport to be able to load it onto their phone. At the moment, the best way to think about it is like having a verified digital copy on your phone with you. You can't use it at the border just yet, but you can use it at security checkpoints for domestic flights. Slowly State IDs are rolling out on the platform too, so it will be interesting to see if hospitality establishments allow this as a form of ID.   NZ is working on digital driver's licenses, which had a goal to launch in "late 2025", but it seems they won't be done 'natively' with the Apple or Android software, but will be in a separate app.      Is the iPhone "pocket" the next big fashion thing?   Apple has partnered with Japanese designer Issey Miyake. The iPhone Pocket is described as a "cloth sling" for your phone that costs $150. If you want it as a cross body, that'll be $230. It looks like a sock with handles on it that then join again at the top, so there's a loop in the middle so you can thread it onto your bag. It's "3D knitted", in wildly bright colours and fits any iPhone (or, non-Apple phone). it's only available in select locations, so might be the next Labubu?    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Death Valley   Retired actor John Chapel and detective sergeant Janie Mallowan team up to investigate murders each week in Wales (TVNZ+, TVNZ1 from Sunday).    I, Jack Wright   When Jack Wright dies in what appears to be a suicide, Sally faces an earth-shattering revelation about her husband's will and DCI Morgan makes a shocking discovery (ThreeNow).    The Beast in Me  Author Aggie Wiggs has receded from public life since the death of her young son, unable to write, a ghost of her former self; but she finds an unlikely subject for a new book when the house next door is bought by Nile Jarvis (Netflix).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Running Man   In the near future, "The Running Man" is the top-rated show on television, a deadly competition where contestants must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins. Desperate for money to save his sick daughter, Ben Richards is convinced by the show's ruthless producer to enter the game as a last resort. Ratings soon skyrocket as Ben's defiance, instincts and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite, as well as a threat to the entire system.    Keeper   A wife becomes isolated in a secluded cabin and has to fend off an unspeakable evil.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s nothing like a butterflied chicken sizzling on the BBQ – it’s juicy, full of flavour, and cooks evenly every time. Pair it with warm tortilla, fresh salsas, limes, and chilli and you’ve got yourself a fiesta of flavour!    Ingredients 1 free range chicken, butterflied (ask your butcher or do it yourself) & brined (optional, see note)   3 tbsps. olive oil   2 tsp sea salt    3 tbsps. tomato chutney    2 limes – zest and juice of one, the other cut into wedges   3 garlic cloves, crushed   1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted   1 tsp smoked paprika   ½ tsp chilli flakes    2 tsp sea salt and ½ tsp pepper to season   1-2 tortilla per person   Salsa – see below    Limes, lettuce, guacamole to serve      Mango salsa    1 ripe mango, diced finely    ½ red onion, diced very finely    Small handful of fresh coriander, chopped   1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted   Juice of one lime   ¼ tsp salt       Method  Heat BBQ to medium-high. Rub chicken with 1 tbsp olive oil and liberally sprinkle with salt.   Place chicken on the grill, skin side down, with the BBQ hood down if you have one on your BBQ, or cover with foil or a large roasting dish if not. Cook for 15-20 minutes then flip.   Reduce temperature to medium and finish cooking – about another 30 minutes. I rely on a thermometer reaching 85-88 C, stuck into the thickest part of the thigh to tell me it’s cooked, but the old ‘tear the drumstick away’ method will do the trick too – it ought to come away easily.   Mix remaining olive oil, chutney, limes zest and juice, garlic, cumin, paprika and seasoning. Brush this all over the chicken once cooked and return to the BBQ for 2-3 minutes more. Rest the chook.    Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl.  Warm the tortilla on the grill, set out lettuce, salsa, guacamole, lime wedges and other ingredients and invite everyone to build their own taco!     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I hate carrying my wallet. Not because I’m a prickle pockets —I swear I’ll always buy my round!— but because at heart, I’m an optimiser. I don’t want something else to remember, a bulge in my back pocket. I want to be able to do everything with the least baggage possible. My wallet has four cards. Just four. Bank card, credit card, driver’s license, and my TVNZ access card. Until two weeks ago, I needed a card to get into the Newstalk ZB offices as well, but not anymore. We’ve moved to a digital swipe system, an app on our phones. Very 2025. I don’t carry cash. My wallet has nowhere to put it. Except for the $2.40 in change in the centre console of the family Corolla, I don’t have any cash whatsoever. I barely use my physical debit and credit cards; I just pay for everything with my phone. For the best price I still need a real card for the bus, although they’ve recently changed the system so that in a pinch I can pay with my phone. My library card is digital. Concert tickets are digital. Auckland FC, Air New Zealand – it’s all on my phone. If all goes well with the Government’s rollout, in a few months we should be able to access digital driver’s licenses. In the US they’ve now gone one step further. As of this week, American citizens with either Google or Apple phones can upload their passports to their devices and store them in digital wallets. The systems scan your passport and then read the little chip. They compare the photo page with a biometric scan of your face. You can use it as ID for domestic travel and although you still need a physical passport for international flights, surely it won’t be long until your digital ID does that too. I know what you’re thinking. Digital passports, bank cards, driver’s licenses. Digital swipe cards for getting into the office. What could possibly go wrong?! And I agree with you! The more that our vital ID and payment systems go digital, the more vulnerable many of these systems might be to failure, power outages, coding errors, or hacking. At least for the near future, there will be traditional options. They’re not scrapping plastic driver’s licences just yet. But all things being equal, I reckon 2026 might be the last year of my life in which I actually need to carry a wallet. I’m going to be first in line for a digital driver’s licence. A year from now, everything I need from my cards I should be able to do my phone. And while I know there are risks, I know it’s a single point of failure, I know it’ll be even more of a disaster if I accidentally lose my phone. Truthfully my concerns are drowned out by an even stronger impulse. Sure, there are security concerns. But man, just think of the convenience. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An extremely prolific author, Michael Connelly has published more than 40 books.  He’s created in-depth universes surrounding well-known characters like Mickey Haller in the Lincoln Lawyer and Harry Bosch, who’s appeared in 24 of Connelly’s novels.   His universes continue to grow with a new addition to the Lincoln Lawyer series, ‘The Proving Ground’, which sees Haller team up with a journalist to take on big tech, AI, and uncover a whistleblower in hiding, all with billions on the line.  Connelly professes to be a fan of technological innovation, exploring things like the internet, DNA analytics, and data storage in previous novels.  “AI was kinda like, primed for me.”  “For every great discovery and invention, and move forward with technology, there’s always somebody out there who is looking to turn it against is,” Connelly told Jack Tame.  “And there were a couple of cases that really caught my eye, that made me, you know, say, yeah I know AI is gonna change the world for the better, but are we moving too fast?”  Every week there’s some new development with AI, whether it's a new problem, a new use, or a new integration into an already existing platform.  “The Proving Ground is an exploration of it,” he says.  “I don’t wanna say it’s didactic, or tells anyone how to think, but it does, you know, maybe raise a flag and say, ‘take a look at this.’”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the weather turns warmer, more of us are taking advantage and hanging our clothes outside in the sun to dry.  Kevin Milne’s not sure if the silly season has just come early, but he’s realised he’s quite the fan of clothes pegs – one kind in particular.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight is the grand finale, Oasis performing the final show of their reunion tour down under in Sydney, Australia.   Every show was sold out, fans ecstatic they’re able to see a band they never thought they would after their break up in 2009.  Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame as the minutes tick down before the concert begins to provide a vibe check.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Singapore never fails to serve up an electrifying experience, constantly refreshing and enhancing its enticements. After paying my respects to Singapore’s beloved water-spout mascot, the Merlion, overlooking Marina Bay, I ventured over to the jaw-dropping botanical blockbuster of Gardens by the Bay, armed with my Go City Explorer Pass. "Take a stroll through Kampong Glam. Once the seat of Singapore’s first sultan, the neighbourhood's colourful shophouses are home to a jumble of cafes and boutiques wedged among decades-old perfumeries and fabric merchants." Read Mike's full article here.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Breath of the Gods by Simon Winchester   What is going on with our atmosphere? The headlines are filled with news of devastating hurricanes, murderous tornadoes, and cataclysmic fires. Gale force advisories are issued on a regular basis by weather services around the world.  Atmospheric scientists are warning that winds – the force at the centre of all these dangerous natural events – are expected to steadily increase in the years ahead, strengthening in power, speed, and frequency. While this prediction worried the insurance industry, governmental leaders, scientists, and conscientious citizens, one particular segment of society received it with unbridled enthusiasm. To the energy industry, rising wind strength and speeds as an unalloyed boon for humankind – a vital source of clean and ‘safe’ power.  Between these two poles – wind as a malevolent force, and wind as saviour of our planet – lies a world of fascination, history, literature, science, poetry, and engineering which Simon Winchester explores with the curiosity and Vigor that are the hallmarks of his bestselling works. In The Breath of the Gods, he explains how wind plays a part in our everyday lives, from airplane or car travel to the ‘natural disasters’ that are becoming more frequent and regular.  The Breath of the Gods is an urgently-needed portrait across time of that unseen force – unseen but not unfelt – that respects no national borders and no vessel or structure in its path. Wind, the movement of the air, is seen by so many as a heavenly creation and generally a thing of essential goodness. But when it flexes its invisible muscles, all should take care and be very afraid.     The Detective by Matthew Riley   For 150 years, women have been going missing.  And all of the investigators who went in search of them - from 1877 to the present day - have disappeared, too.  Now Sam Speedman, a most unique private detective, is on the case.  Brilliant, direct and disarming, Sam is ... different. He's not your average private detective. But then again, this isn't your average case.  For not even he will be prepared for what he will find.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple of months ago we covered Prosopagnosia – the inability to recognise faces. Following on from that, today we’re covering Aphantasia – the inability to see mental images.   Most of the time most of us, if asked to remember something or “picture” something in our minds, we create a mental image of the thing or person.   For example, if asked to remember what you had for breakfast this morning, many of us will mentally see the weetbix and toast – not always in perfect detail, but there will be a picture of the thing.   But for a small number of people, this is just a theoretical idea. They have aphantasia.   Estimated to affect about 1% of people – not a disorder in itself but considered one end of a spectrum related to how well or poorly we can visualise things in our mind.  Some people become aphantasic after a head injury or damage to the brain. Others have never had it and assume that terms like “mental pictures” were just meant to illustrate the idea of thinking about something, rather than referring to an actual thing that other people do.   There’s been a growth in the use of the term aphantasia since the mid 2000s after the publication of an article in a neuroscience journal describing the condition, which led others to go “I’ve got that too!”   At the other end of the spectrum is hyperphantasia – mental images are so clear and vivid that it’s hard to distinguish them from reality. People are aware that their visions are imaginary though – if you don’t realise this it’s an hallucination.   Some things that are associated with aphantasia: over-represented in people who work in maths and IT roles; much poorer autobiographical memory; also much poorer recognition of other people’s faces and probably some overlap with prosopagnosia; occurs more in people with autism.  For hyperphantasia – much better autobiographical memory and over-represented in artists.   Interestingly, people with aphantasia typically report that they do dream and see images in dreams.  There are some indications that there are differences in brain wiring for people at either end of the mental imagery spectrum but no conclusive proof yet! Some suggestion that most children have very strong mental imagery but that they lose this ability as they grow, and the brain goes through a “pruning” process whereby it loses connections that aren’t so useful or needed.     LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 8 November 2025, an author who is very familiar with bestseller lists, Michael Connelly joins Jack to discuss being an unofficial voice for Los Angeles, and how the devastating fires changed his perspective on the city and prompted him to start over for his new book ‘The Proving Ground’.  Jack considers what makes a good meal, and how much a Michelin Star means.  Strawberries are here and Nici Wickes shares her favourite way to serve them while the season is still early.  Kevin Milne champions a humble tool: the clothes peg.  Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland delves into a condition in which people are unable to see mental images.  And music correspondent Chris Schulz is vibe checking live from Sydney as Oasis get ready to perform the final gig of their reunion world tour.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Christmas on its way, the season of spending is fast approaching.   The allure of credit cards becomes stronger at this time of year as people try to figure out how they can afford everything they need to.   Financial planner Lisa Dudson joined Jack Tame to give some advice on how best to balance credit cards and build good habits.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three reactions to the concept of “feeding your plants”:   Plants feed themselves through Photosynthesis (you don’t need to feed your plants!)   They’ll pick up elements in the soil that they need for growth and development – nobody feeds the plants in a native forest.  What’s scientifically needed for our gardens is a soil test that indicates which chemical elements are lacking in soil.  This is about the Science of Fertilisers.  This is the time of the year when soil temperatures are the best for plant growth. Roots work over time to extract minerals, dissolve them in water, and transport them through the phloem bundles to the leaves of plants, where photosynthesis puts it all together and creates carbohydrates and chemicals that allow cell-elongation (growth).   Plants use three main elements for bulk growth “food”: Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (K), which are generally known as NPK (their chemical symbols).   N is used to make green stuff: leaves and Chlorophyll (LAWNS, LETTUCE, SPINACH, HEDGES).  P is good for root development and plant health (CARROTS, PARSNIPS, POTATOES, etc).  K (potash) is for sex: flowers and fruits (TOMATOES, APPLES, STRAWBERRIES, FLOWERING PLANTS).  Other elements needed for a plant to function are needed in much smaller quantities:   Mg (Magnesium), S (Sulphur), Ca (Calcium), Cu (Copper), Fe (Iron), Zn (Zinc), Mn (Manganese), and a heap more of those minor “trace elements”.  There are a few different types of fertilisers:   “General” Fertiliser – for general growth. Usually something like N-P-K 7-3-6 or 12-4-13 (note how Phosphorus is usually less than the N and K).  Potato fertiliser: N-P-K 3-9-6 also good for carrots and parsnips.  Tomato or rose fertiliser, which is usually higher in potash (K): N-P-K  3-4-9. This helps to stimulate flower and fruit growth.  Of course you can always use the general fertiliser (which tends to be highest in Nitrogen) and simply add a few handfuls of Superphosphate (P) if you grow root crops, or handfuls of Sulphate of Potash (K) if you want to up the dose of K (potash) for flowers and fruit.   Organic fertilisers usually have lower concentrations of elements, and they are often less prone to fertiliser run-off into water courses. Chicken poo (a “natural” organic fertiliser) has a high content of Nitrogen which can burn plants – I would always send it through a cycle of composting before use.  I use General fertiliser on my young tomatoes to get them growing up and create a strong climbing vine before the flower buds are formed. Once they start flowering, I assist the plants with more potash to keep on making fruit – I just switch to a higher potash fertiliser such as Wet&Forget’s Seaweed Tea.   Seaweed Tea and Seafood Soup were designed to quickly fertilise lawns and large amounts of vegetables. It has this clever system of watering your plants and enriching the soil. I use the contents of Soup and Tea in watering cans – often in a very mild (or “weak”) solution. In the tunnel house I do this almost every day to water the tomatoes; with small amounts of tea or soup I add a little bit of fertiliser with every watering -  works brilliantly!    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is going to force the streamers to make Australian content   It'll focus on those with more than 1 million Australian subscribers, which means Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video will all be included.   The law will require them to spend at least 10% of their total Australian expenditure or 7.5% of their Australian revenue on new Australian drama, children's, documentary, arts, and educational programs.   The bill was not introduced earlier as the Aussies first waited out the 2024 US presidential election and later feared that its winner, Donald Trump, could counterattack with tariffs.      Elon Musk's trillion-dollar pay package   Tesla shareholders overwhelmingly approved a pay package that could make CEO Elon Musk, already the world’s richest person, the world’s first trillionaire.   His new deal has some rather lofty targets and if met would give him stock valued at a trillion dollars. These include:   Delivering 20 million Tesla vehicles and one million robots   Getting 10 million subscriptions to Tesla's Full Self-Driving feature   Bringing one million self-driving Robotaxi vehicles into commercial operation   Earning up to $400bn in core profit   Eventually lifting Tesla's overall market value to $8.5tn, currently $1.4tn   Elon is calling this not a new chapter but a "new book" for the company, really centring around autonomous projects. Optimus is designed to be an autonomous humanoid robot performing "unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks”.  He's already worth around half a trillion dollars so even if only some of his goals are met, he's the closest human to reaching a net worth of a trillion dollars.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hack  Examining the "News International" phone hacking scandal, through the work of Nick Davies, a journalist who uncovered evidence of phone hacking, as well as the investigation into the murder of Daniel Morgan, a private investigator (TVNZ+, from Sunday).    Death by Lightning  Presenting the story of James Garfield, who rose from obscurity to become America's 20th President and Charles Guiteau, the man who assassinated him (Netflix).    Playing Gracie Darling  When Joni's best friend Gracie vanished at 14 during a séance, it haunted her; 27 years on, a girl vanishes when a group of local kids are playing "Gracie Darling" and Joni must face her fears to uncover the truth (ThreeNow).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bugonia   Two conspiracy-obsessed men kidnap the CEO of a major company when they become convinced that she's an alien who wants to destroy Earth.    Ballad of a Small Player   When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I love strawberries but this early in the season they can lack flavour. My advice is to warm them up! Roast or grill or in a pan with some sugar and lemon juice and you’ll find them a different berry altogether – jammy, sweet, and full of flavour.      Ingredients:  2 cups strawberries, hulled and large ones halved or quartered   1 tablespoon brown or white sugar    Juice from one orange    1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped   Yoghurt or cream to serve   Handful of hazelnuts, toasted and chopped       Method:  Gently heat strawberries in a pan on the stove top or in the oven, with sugar, orange juice, and vanilla until they slump a little.   Serve with yoghurt or cream and sprinkled with hazelnuts.      Serving suggestions:    Spooned over brioche toast or toasted croissant topped with fresh ricotta. In a bowl with quality vanilla ice cream, a lick of balsamic vinegar or grind of black pepper and crushed hazelnuts. Make or buy some crepes and fill them with roasted and cooled strawberries with chopped pistachios folded through Greek yoghurt or whipped cream. Spooned on top of a homemade Basque Cheesecake or a bought sponge cake, for a glorious ruby red crown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It arrived in the hands of a waiter, who moved with the lightness and grace of a ballet dancer across the restaurant floor. It had a fleshy colour. A creamy, brown kind of hue.  It was inflated to the size of a balloon, but the shape was slightly less uniform.   “Asparagus,” said the waiter. “Prepared in this pig’s bladder.”   I don’t know how many bladder-based meals you’ve had in your life but that was a first for me. The asparagus, I should say, was absolutely delicious. But not so amazing that I personally felt compelled to give up roasting food in my oven in favour of bladder cooking, from then on.  I was dining at Eleven Madison Park. It’s an extraordinary fine-dining restaurant at the foot of Madison Ave in New York, just across the way from the Flatiron Building. Tom Brady had his penthouse across the road. I once saw Rupert Murdoch walking his dog in the park outside. And the food at ELP is as fancy as the neighbours. As a winner of three Michelin Stars, Eleven Madison Park is widely considered one of the very best restaurants in the world.  The Michelin Star system is certainly an effective marketing tool. It has been with me.    I’ve sought out other Michelin-starred restaurants in New York, including when Kiwi Matt Lambert won a star for his work at The Musket Room. I’ve dined in Bilbao, where they have a higher concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants than anywhere on Earth. I’ve lined up early and eaten at what was the world’s cheapest Michelin starred restaurant – dim sum in Hong Kong.    As much as anything, I’ve treated eating at most of these places as an experience. A rare treat. Not so much as a source of nourishment, but as food for memories.    As the Michelin judges turn their attention to our restaurant scene, I just hope they don’t come here expecting the absolute finest of fine-dining. I appreciate they look at a range of restaurants, but for a few exceptions, la-de-dah's not really us. We don’t do fussy. We don’t do fiddly. We do a more casual, relaxed style that befits our culture. Really good ingredients cooked well and more often than not, designed to be shared.  It’s funny, as incredible as my night was at Eleven Madison Park, the single best meal of my life wasn’t at a Michelin-starred restaurant. There were no white tablecloths, no sommelier-curated wine list.  It was in tiny, legally questionable firetrap of an apartment in Paris, that my best mate called his home. I’d flown in with another mate the day before, and the three of us had gone for a long jog by the Seine to try and kick the jetlag. On the way back home, we stopped by one of the local farmers’ markets and picked up some gooey cheese, tomatoes, salami, and baguette. We sprawled out on the floor of the apartment, cutting off hunks of each and stuffing them into our mouths. It was heaven.  And that’s the thing about the best meals. Ultimately, it’s not the truffle mousse or the poached dodo’s egg or even the inflated pig’s bladder that makes the magic, it’s the people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re anything like me, the moment you saw the World’s most famous art gallery had been robbed of the French Crown Jewels... one thing came to mind.   It’s silly really, because at the end of the day it’s a crime. A serious crime. Nevertheless, it’s hard to totally ignore the audacity and romance of it all.   What’s the difference between a robbery and a heist? Whatever it is that distinguishes those words... there is something seductive.    We were told the thieves were organised, efficient, and used specialist equipment. I imagined a Tom Cruise-like figure firing a grappling hook out of a special gun, repelling from the ceiling and acrobatically navigating a room of invisible lasers, any of which if broken, would immediately trigger an alarm and a carbon dioxide pump that would starve the room of oxygen and suffocate the thieves where they stood.  Alas, as more detail has emerged over the last two weeks, it’s become clear the Louvre Heist was less Mission Impossible and more Mission-to-Mitre-10.    The specialist equipment the thieves used? It was a plain old over-the-counter angle grinder like the second-hand Makita I have in my tools cupboard at home. I’d never thought about it before, but the problem with publicly displaying crown jewels worth tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, is that security in the display cases can only go so far. As well as being hard to access for potential thieves, in the event of a fire, the cases need to be openable in a few seconds. So they need to be super-secure. But also super-accessible.  What could go wrong?  What the thieves seemed to have worked out is that using an axe or a hammer was a bad idea. It would have potentially taken hundreds of blows to break through and get the goods. But the museum’s own firefighting handbook lays out the best course of action for quickly getting into the Louvre’s secure display cases: you don’t smash, you cut.    Although they’ve made a series of arrests, lessons abound for the French authorities. It’s shocking they had such poor security camera coverage around the museum. But as more and more detail comes to light, I think there’s a valuable lesson for all of us:   The disguises. The thieves weren’t in military fatigues. They weren’t dressed in all black. They weren’t wearing crazy masks like the ones in MoneyHeist. They were wearing the universal uniform of authority: high-vis vests. The great irony of a garment designed to be seen is that it has become so ubiquitous, we don’t see it, even when it’s being worn by thieves, in broad daylight, stealing some of the most valuable jewellery in the World.    The Paris Police, who has street cameras trained on the area where the thieves parked their truck, sheepishly admitted this week that no one paid any attention to the men on the video feed. In their hi-vis vests, they looked like a regular construction crew, said a Police spokesperson. And Paris has heaps of construction.   It looks increasingly likely the men will not get away with their theft. And though clearly they were organised, this was hardly the perfect crime. They dropped some of the jewels and left heaps of evidence at the scene. They tried to burn the truck but the gas tank wouldn’t catch. The big question now is whether or not the jewels are still intact.    Still, they have proved something. For the biggest heist at the World’s most-famous museum in more than a hundred years, the biggest heist since the Mona Lisa was pinched way back in 1911, you only need three things:   A charged battery on your angle grinder. An air of confidence and purpose. And most importantly, a high-vis vest.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 1 November. Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the capital of the world’s largest democracy, Delhi embodies the essence of modern India – a vivid paradox of old and new, rich and poor, foreign and familiar. It’s been fourteen years since my last visit and the economic transformation is ever-present. High rises, swanky malls and residential colonies housing the booming middle-class are mushrooming everywhere. As my engaging Wendy Wu Tours guide Girish remarked, as we were whisked into the city from the airport, “Delhi is more than a mere city, it has morphed into the national capital region.” With the metropolitan population now nudging 30 million, Delhi is a megalopolis and on-track to becoming the world’s most populous city in three years’ time.  Our hotel was in New Delhi, the more modern, planned city within a city, that was built by the British in 1911 and replaced Kolkata as the national capital, twenty years later. In a city notorious for its air pollution, which is supposedly steadily improving, one of the great paradoxes of New Delhi is that it’s also swathed in a sprawling green canopy. It’s arguably the greatest legacy from British rule, because the new city was deliberately, meticulously planned to be nestled within a vast green cover, fanning out from Connaught Place on those broad long avenues. Large-canopy trees like banyans, mango, and pilkhans were selected by the British, while indigenous trees ideally suited to the climate have added to the canopy in recent decades. That sprawling tree cover is certainly a godsend from the fierce Delhi heat.   Delhi’s contradictions abound. You’ll still see working elephants trudging along traffic-clogged roads, as fire-engine red Ferraris zip by.  Handwritten posters singing out, “Customs confiscated goods sold here,” still compete next to glossy fashion billboards for Gucci and Prada. It’s all part of Delhi’s curious fabric. The city is littered with so many crumbling tombs and ruins, most of them are not even on the tourist map. But if you are  a first-timer to the city, signature sights include marvelling at the sheer grace of the soaring Qutb Minar Tower.   It was built 800 years ago by the Turkish Slave King Qutb-ud-din Aibak to celebrate his victory over the Hindu Rajputs. Wander through the sculptural Jantar Mantar, a huge, open-air astronomy observatory built in 1725 by Jai Singh, creator and ruler of Jaipur. Admire the 16th-century garden tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun, precursor to the Taj Mahal, which was built by Humayun’s great-grandson. Over in Old Delhi, two Mughal-era masterpieces, the imposing Red Fort (which was the Mughal seat of power for 200 years) and Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque. Both sandstone show-stoppers are definitely worth exploring. The mosque was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1656 and it took 5000 labourers 6 years to complete. Within its hallowed walls lie sacred relics like Prophet Muhammad's hair.   Beyond ticking-off the capital’s great monuments, heading to Old Delhi is like a journey back in time. The beating, chaotic, carnival-like heart of Old Delhi is Chandni Chowk, Delhi’s 400 year old marketplace that was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The market has been redeveloped to tame some of the chaos, including some fully pedestrianised streets and non-motorised transport lanes. But as I gazed at the spaghetti-like tangle of street wiring that garlands the crowded market lanes, there’s no denying the ramshackle, faded glory feels amid this pulsating hot-spot of old-school commerce. Be sure to get your fill of jalebis from a street food vendor. Made from a deep-fried spiral-shaped wheat flour batter, which is then soaked in a sugar syrup, a plate of piping hot, crispy, sticky jalebis is a very satisfying sugar hit.  We enjoyed a classic rickshaw ride through the throng of traders, shoppers and wandering cows, all heaving in those pencil-thin lanes. Girish also led us through the Khari Baoli Spice Market in Chandni Chowk, positively bulging with so many spices, nuts, herbs, pickles, preserves, rice and teas. Renowned as Asia’s largest wholesale spice market, it’s an aromatic head-blast. Shops and stalls bulge with heaping mounds and baskets of over a hundred different spices, headlined by turmeric, cardamom, coriander, star anise, ginger and cumin. Just as they have for hundreds of years, shoppers, dealers and chefs converge here every day to haggle and hustle.   Many vendors have been peddling their wares for generations. Dawdle too long in front of a stall, and traders with huge sacks of chilis or cardamom pods will soon bump you out of their way. One of the oldest and tidiest shops is Mehar Chand and Sons. They’ve been in business since Queen Victoria ruled over them. And it’s a great place to stock up on packaged spices, tea and saffron. Anshu Kumar, who is part of the family that has owned the shop since its inception, tells me that one of their biggest sellers with international visitors is turmeric, power

Kate Hall joins Jack Tame to share her experience with using reusable nappies for her newborn. She covers:  How to wash them (a very commonly asked question on social media)  Her favourite brands - Clever Wee Fox, Fluffy Ducks and Kekoa  Her daughter is 4.5 months and has saved over 1000 nappies from going to landfill!  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This time of the year a wonderful Pohutukawa “shrub” is flowering its little heads off: Metrosideros carminia known as the crimson rata; a Native in the North Island all the way down to Taranaki and Hawkes Bay. It comes as a shrub when you get them from cuttings, but they’ll move up like tree climbers when they emerge from seeds. Pollinators love them – and so do I. Favourite food of tui and bellbirds, as well as silvereyes and wood pigeons (kereru). Kowhai come in many different species and heights; there are fabulous, gnarled forms which, in themselves, are beautifully sculptured. Divaricating shrubs!! Muehlenbeckia astonii. A Native plant that could be your new hedge, or your sculpted shrub, or even a suitable nesting site for native birds. It’s all about elegant little leaves, hanging from a zig-zagging system of branches that you will only find in Aotearoa. In winter the whole shrub will change colours to a Dark-Orange that will stand out, no matter what the weather is like. White flowers – and all this is endemic. May I introduce you to the Corokia - another yellow Native of our country. It’s full of flowers at this time of the year; also with zig-zag twigs and Endemic distribution – we know how to grow weird and wonderful natives! Often on these flowering shrubs you will find native bees sucking nectar for their off-spring, pollinating the flowers and creating large amounts of seeds for our landscapes Horopito (Pseudowintera colorata) is another one of those shrubs that stands out in its colour – It’s native to New Zealand, and our local “garden fiddlers” have managed to breed a range of varieties in all sorts of colours. If you want to see them spectacularly bunched together in our native habitat, go to the Catlins: you’ll fall in love with them! Oh – and the leaves are edible… lovely and hot. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Often people experience sneezing and congestion and are unclear of the difference between a cold and hay fever - very common in spring.  What is the difference?  This time of the year can be confusing especially with a late carry over of winter illnesses. Basically, hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, dust or pets. The common cold is an infection caused by a virus most often: rhinovirus. Hay-fever comes on suddenly, lasts for days to weeks, often frequent sneezing, and red itchy watery eyes, itchy throat, nose. No temperature. Common Cold: Comes on gradually over days, last 5 to 10 days, thick yellow nose discharge, mild eye irritation, less sneezing, often temperature and muscle ache.   How should you tell the difference?  If itch eyes and nose think hay fever. If you feel achy and unwell more likely a cold. Hay fever does tend to occur at certain times of the year – especially spring, or lawn mowing. With a cold often have ben in contact with someone who is sick     How do you treat them?  Hay fever :  It is important to try and avoid irritants : keep windows closed especially on windy days, shower after being outside.  We use anti-histamines (stops itch, sneezing), often eye drops(stops watery eyes) and nasal spray(stops nasal congestion).  Common Cold:  Antibiotics do not help – it’s a virus. Stay at home - don’t spread. Paracetamol or ibuprofen for aches and temperature. Nasal spray decongestants for nose Throat lozenges for sore throat. Usually, will improve over a week.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nvidia becomes the first company to hit $5 trillion in value Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Nvidia's shares have climbed 12x. Just three months ago it was the first company to hit $4 trillion. It's 8.3% of the S&P500 so those who hold low-cost index funds in their retirement accounts will feel the effect of every Nvidia market move - both good and bad.  Five trillion is just a staggering number. You would need to take New Zealand's government debt ($182 billion) and times it by 27 in order to reach that same number. It's worth almost double the top nine pharma companies combined and 1.6x the top eight global oil companies combined.  Amazon fires 14,000 people It made huge cuts to its corporate workforce to cut some of the fat from its covid hiring spree and leaning into AI tooling. Those severance payouts will cost it$1.8 billion. Together with the better than expected results in the AWS segment, the stock popped 7% this week. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Down Cemetery Road - (Apple TV+) Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson star in this British series about a woman who hires an investigator after an explosion and a girl goes missing on the same night in a quiet suburban neighbourhood.   IT: Welcome to Derry - (Neon) This new horror series follows events in the 1960s in the time leading up to the events of the first film in Stephen King’s “It” series.  Educators - (TVNZ+) The return of the brilliant unscripted comedy series that takes us behind the scenes of a New Zealand high school. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’ll know quiz queen Anne Hegerty best for her on stage persona – the Governess.  She dominates tv screens every night on The Chase – with one of the best win rates of any chaser.  And now, Anne will be on our screens in a brand new kiwi version of the tv phenomenon – The Chase New Zealand.  She joins Jack Tame to share her secrets to trivia-based success. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tradies’ Blueberry & Lemon Loaf Cake  This loaf has such a delicate, buttery crumb and it’s absolutely gorgeous.  Ingredients: Makes one loaf  190g sugar  2 tbsps lemon zest  150g butter, softened 3 medium eggs 90g flour + extra for dusting blueberries ½ tsp baking powder 110g ground almonds ¼ cup lemon juice 150g fresh blueberries ½ cup icing sugar Few drops of lemon juice and water  Method: 1. Heat oven to 180 C fan bake. Grease and line a large loaf tin.  2. Briefly pulse sugar with lemon zest in food processor.  3. Cream the butter lemon sugar until really light and fluffy. Add in your eggs one at a time, beating between each and not worrying that it curdles a little, just move along and stir in the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and lemon juice. Make sure it’s all well combined but don’t overmix it. Lastly, fold in all the blueberries (dusted in a little flour).  4. Gently scrape batter into the tin and bake 45-55 more minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cover with foil during cooking if it darkens too much. Cool in the tin before carefully turning out.  5. Mix icing sugar with lemon juice and water to make a thin drizzle.  6. When loaf is completely cool drizzle over icing and serve in slices.  Other good food for hard-working tradespeople:  Pizza using wraps for the base  Fried Rice  A decent sandwich – well seasoned and stuff with ham, cheese, beetroot, lettuce, mustard etc  Afghans with raspberry icing  Bacon & egg pie  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pike River - (in cinemas) Two ordinary women who together stand up and take on the government, justice system and a company that will stop at nothing to protect itself, after the 2010 Pike River Mine explosion takes the lives of 29 men underground.  A House of Dynamite - (Netflix) Radars at Fort Greely, Alaska detect a nuclear missile. The president and his entourage must use the limited time they have to try to shoot down the missile before it reaches Chicago.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks' Grand Slam Tour is due to start this weekend as they face Ireland in Chicago.  The last time these two teams met at these grounds, Ireland beat the All Blacks in a historic 40-29 victory.  Andrew Saville joins Jack Tame to preview the match, and discuss whether or not the All Blacks can take their revenge. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kapiti Dairy products no longer having any connection to Kapiti - it's now owned by the French. Should the Kapiti region feel miffed?' Kevin Milne shares his thoughts on Fonterra's mega-sale to Lactalis and how it effects the identity of the Kapiti coast.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 25 October. Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was such a rookie mistake.   I was tramping in the Kahurangi, last summer. The Douglas Range, 1000m above sea level. And after we’d pitched a tent, as the sun got heavy and the surrounding hills cast their shadows long and deep, I realised I’d screwed up, big time.   Zzzzzz. Zzzzzz. Zzzzzz.   What made the error so much worse was that it wasn’t a bit of absent-minded forgetfulness. I’d carefully considered my options before loading my pack. It wasn’t that I’d forgotten to bring long johns or pants. It’s that I’d *chosen* not to pack them. Up top I had a poly-prop, jumper and jacket. But down bottom I had shorts… and that was it.   Zzzzz. Zzzzzzzz.   The only way to keep sandflies from biting is to keep moving. And the last thing you feel like doing after 8 or 10 hours of steady climbing… is keep moving. As if to wallow in my own stupidity, I ended up treading a middle ground. Moving just enough so as not to rest, but not enough to stop the sandflies from completely devouring me.   Still, I’ve had worse experiences with them. I’ll not forget my night at the mouth of the Heaphy River, where the swarms were so thick they hung in the skies like pockets of buzzing black smoke. Walking by, you had to make sure to close your mouth so as not to catch a bit of extra protein.   And you know what? I’d still take a sandfly over a biting gnat. I once chose to visit one of Utah’s national parks on a Sunday in the middle of biting gnat season. The locals call them ‘moose flies’ which I suppose could be cos’ they hang around moose, or just as feasibly in my experience because the gnats are a comparable size.  It wasn’t just the itching that killed me, though. My bare legs were soon covered in blood. I returned to Salt Lake City to discover every pharmacy closed for the rest of the weekend and spent the night lying in a tepid bath, trying to stave off shock.   Often it’s the obvious downside to natural beauty. If it’s a beautiful natural landscape… there will be something that’ll give you an itchy bite.  At least there’s one place on Earth you could still safely wear shorts.  Sure, you might be a bit nippy striding down the streets of Reykjavik in your stubbies, but at the very least you could be sure there were no sandflies. There were no biting gnats. No midges. No moose flies. No mozzies.   That was at least, until this week.   Scientists have confirmed that for the first time, the World’s deadliest creature has reached the last country on Earth. Iceland officially has mosquitoes.   And while sure, Iceland is not the Amazon. They’re not at risk of a Dengue Fever outbreak, You can still safely leave the Deet at home.   The truth is that the discover probably represents more than just an ecological quirk.   At an individual level, sure, it’s a potential nuisance. But what confirming mosquitoes in Iceland says about the state of the planet is probably far more serious.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Widow by John Grisham  The new incredible legal thriller and first ever who-dunnit from John Grisham. She needs a lawyer. He needs a payday. Simon Latch is a small-town lawyer struggling with debt, gambling issues and an impending divorce.  Last One Out by Jane Harper  He had been here, that was clear from the marks in the dust. And he had been alone. In a dying town, Ro Crowley waits for her son on the evening of his 21st birthday. But Sam never comes home.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to grand gestures, painting your entire city in the one colour is quite something. So much for painting the town red. How about pink? Jaipur beckons as one of India’s most enchanting destinations, where the Old City is harmoniously bathed in the same pink hue. The elegant capital of Rajasthan was painted in pink stucco in 1876 to welcome Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, who was the son of Queen Victoria and later became King Edward VII. Jaipur’s Maharaja chose the colour because pink symbolises hospitality in Rajput culture, and the gesture impressed the Prince so much that he nicknamed the city the "Pink City." The name – and the stucco - has stuck ever since. A year later, a law mandated that all future buildings in the Old City must be painted pink. As I swept into Jaipur on a private holiday Wendy Wu Tours, there’s no denying how that welcoming palette sweetly seduces even the most jaded of travellers. Jaipur effortlessly casts you under its spell, as you delve into its rich history and treasury of enticements. There is an unmistakeable magic about the place. Nearly 300 years ago, an enlightened maharajah with a penchant for jewels and a keen eye for architecture built this planned city, wedged between the arid hills of northwest India. Built in the form of a rectangle, Jaipur was divided into nine blocks, seven for public use and two reserved for the state’s most prestigious palaces and buildings. The entire city was girdled by a formidable protective wall. Called Jaipur after the city’s founder, Jai Singh II, the planned city soon gave rise to astonishing royal palaces and vast workshops of artisans recruited to establish a new commercial hub. These days, gem cutters, jewellery designers and garment-makers are still doing a flourishing trade in Jaipur. And the royals still occupy a wing of the majestic City Palace, while gleaming mid-rise towers and a new subway system anchor Jaipur’s forward march. But for all the contemporary progress, it’s the architectural grandeur, proud sense of place and thriving craftwork traditions that make this destination so infectious. Street markets are splashed in colour and handicrafts, and Hindu temples can be found nearly every 100 metres. Though the streets heave with beeping and belching traffic, aimless tourists and dung-dropping cows, there is a charm and charisma to the carnival of commotion. Close to City Palace, my wonderful Wendy Wu Tours guide Vipin treated us to some sizzling old-school retail therapy. We walked under the peeling pink porticos of the roadside bazaars which were emblazoned with everything from puppets to pyjama pants; passing by carts of fried chickpea cakes, and marble-lined shrines with statues of Hindu gods. Garment-hunting was high on the agenda, for gifts to take home. Vipin led us to his favourite shop, where an explosion of colourful fabrics heaped in piles and stacked to the ceiling soon greeted us, as attentive staff served us Masala chai. Whether you’re after local, authentic t-shirts, shirts, trousers, scarfs, saris, rugs, cushion covers, towels or table-cloths…this is textile and garment-shopping heaven. As my sister snapped up some sensational saris, I haggled down the price on a sublime tablecloth with block-printed red elephants. The other boom retail business is jewellery, because Jaipur is a global centre for cutting and polishing precious and semiprecious gems. Head to Jewels Emporium’s stately white building and take a tour of the workshops, where cutters shape facets, and men at workbenches adorn gold settings with jewels, and rinse the gold dust from their hands in wash basins. That water is later sold to extraction companies. The quality of the workmanship is second to none, true Rajasthan’s abiding legacy. Jaipur’s Pink City bragging rights is best epitomised by the Hawa Mahal, or Palace of Winds. We stopped by to pose in front of this five-story palace façade, constructed from pink sandstone. Built in 1799, its iconic facade features 953 small windows which allowed royal women of the court to observe street processions without being seen while also creating a natural cooling effect. The palace's architecture is a blend of Rajput and Mughal styles, ornately designed with protruding bays of lattice stonework and cupolas mimicking Krishna’s crown. Could there be a more glorious façade in the world? City Palace is a stirring complex to leisurely explore, peppered with mouth-watering architecture, tranquil courtyards and lush gardens. The prize draw is the Palace of the Breeze, a triumph in building design, whereby the air circulates so efficiently that it keeps the occupants cool even in the extreme summer months, when the mercury can nudge 50 degrees. The on-site museum is studded with royal treasures, costumes and curiosities. Out in the courtyard, I admired some massive silver vessels that carried the Maharaja’s drinking water from the Ganges River to London in 1902 for Edward VII’s coronation. Yo

Building on Jack’s love of birds and bird-feeding in his garden – new research shows that listening to birdsong may actually benefit your mental health and improve sadness and depression.  Researchers took people with and without depression and then made them feel sad in the laboratory by playing movie clips. Sidenote – I read another study where they made people feel sad by playing a piece of Russian classical music slowed down to half speed and matched with sad faces! It’s not uncommon in psyc studies to mess around with people’s emotions and then make them feel better.  Then taught people mindfulness breathing or gave them opportunity to listen to birdsong. Both of these treatments led to people feeling happier. Listening to birdsong helped peoples heart rates to return to normal functioning, indicating it was good for the body as well as the mind.  What are the implications of this? Both are helpful at improving people’s mood. Mindfulness requires more effort from a person and learning a skill so might be harder to get up and running in the first place. But of course once you’ve learnt it you can do it whenever you want – the ideal self-help tool.  Listening to birdsong requires  much less effort on behalf of someone – you just lie back and do it! This might be particularly useful for someone who is quite down and has little energy or motivation to do much. Shows how our emotional state can be changed both intentionally and on-purpose, and just automatically  Also birdsong is free and possibly easily available – but you do need to be near some trees. This could have implications for things like urban design and building green spaces near and around new housing developments.  This builds on a growing amount of research showing the benefits of nature-based interventions for improving mental health. In the UK these are called “green prescriptions” – things like gardening and going fishing – like the UK TV show “Mortimer and Whitehouse - Gone Fishing”. Interestingly, there was a recent NZ study that showed fishing was really helpful in reducing depression, psyc distress, and anxiety Media release: World's largest angling mental health study reveals remarkable benefits - Fish & Game  So get out there – feed the birds and then listen to them sing. Garden or go fishing. It’s good for the mind as well as the body! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I arrived in New Zealand as an immigrant (in 1978), the Asian Paperwasp arrived here too. I remember I was impressed by the New Zealand obsessions to keep these invaders out of the kiwi ecosystems. A few years later I started working for the Ministry of Agriculture and the Asian (or Chinese) Paperwasp was still being pursued; unfortunately without success. We tried to create some pro-active techniques to stop unwanted critters making it to our wonderful country and every time some new pest arrives, I feel awful and ready to have a crack at a counter offensive.  So – here we are …. With a real “Hornet” (Hornets are a different group of wasps): The yellow-Legged Hornet. Have a look at the pictures of these brutes: they have yellow legs and are way bigger than the wasps we are used to. They are originally from East and South-East Asia (My birth place: Indonesia!!) and rapidly moving all over the place: the rest of Asia, Korea, Japan, Now Europe, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy Belgium and the UK. Almost exactly 8 years ago it showed its “EU Passport” in the Netherlands; Let me tell you that the Dutch moved rather quickly to knock that hornet on the head…  Good Luck!! Rather recently it was found in Ireland – an island with perhaps better chances to eradicate it. This Hymenopteran is on the move!! Nobody likes this beastie – it simply has no sense of humour; in terms of its dietary preference you could say that this Hornet is as selective as a vacuum cleaner. It goes for all sorts of native insects (flies, beetles, wasps, honey bees) ripe fruits, pollen and nectar, as well as people with allergies to wasp stings. So right now is the time to gather the Nature Nerds of our country and start our counter attack, together with the Ministry of Primary Industries. So far we’ve found 2 adult male yellow-legged hornets in Grafton and Albany – that was some months ago. A week ago there was a female (a Queen) in Glenfield, trying to build a brand-new nest. That nest was still small and light in colour: The very beginning of the nest, made by the queen (a so-called “primary nest”) This nest can grow much bigger as the colony builds up in numbers (up to 60 centimetre diameter); so far MPI haven’t found any established nests yet So, how can we all help to give MPI a hand getting rid of this pest species: Gardeners are usually extremely observant, when it comes to insects on the property and in this case the identification is relatively easy (especially with NatureNerd kids in the household!!) Identification: The Hornets (on the left) are quite a bit bigger than German wasps (on the right), common wasps and our established species of paperwasps. Thorax and abdomen have different colours too. Wings rather dark and not translucent – I reckon most people can see that easily. At this stage we simply do not have a useful treatment to kill these rotters in your garden; I’m sure some scientists as well as back-yard inventors might try their luck with all sorts of concoctions, fatal to the hornets, but in my opinion it’s best to do the following as soon as you find a nest or some big hornets in your garden: First Report it to MPI: Contact MPI’s exotic pest and disease hotline: 0800 809 966 Carefully take a photo of the suspect insect(s) Alternatively: report these pests online: https://report.mpi.govt.nz/pest/ Have a look at the Fact Sheet: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=keep+an+eye+out+for+yellow-legged+hornetsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.