Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Let’s plant some Beans A typical summer crop from the vegetable garden, it's always good to get ultra-fresh beans on the menu. They can be grown right around the country, although in cooler areas the growing season may be somewhat reduced. Beans originate from Central and South America. I remember seeing them grown on tepee-like wooden structures in the Amazon jungle by the local tribes, in open patches where the dwellings received some sunlight. That suggested that the original varieties produced their beans in dappled sunlight. Our modern varieties require almost full sun to be prolific. “French Beans” are my favourites. They require nice, well-drained soils with some fertility added. I often mulch the plants to stop competition from weeds. There are many different varieties, see Kings Seeds catalogue and pick the one that you like.Sow them about 12 cm apart in rows, and sow the seeds 3 cm deep in that friable soil. Sow them in their spot, they don’t really like transplanting a lot. Keep watering when weather gets dry and harvest the bounty regularly.Because these French Beans are small-ish plants (as opposed to the “climbing beans”) they tend to produce all their pods in rapid tempo and mostly all “at once” in a window of a few weeks. To continue the supply through summer. Repeat sowing the rows on a three-to-four-weekly basis. Even on Christchurch's Port Hills I can still sow the French Beans till early February. Climbing Beans are often true “perennials”. The common old “scarlet runner” (which I often find too tough and stringy) is one of those varieties that comes up every year if you leave the crown and root system in the ground. Climbers require a climbing framework. A tepee or a metal, tall “fence” structure. It pays to make these structures strong as the weight of a fully-grown bean plant can be quite substantial, especially in rough winds. I prefer the Blue Lake in taste and texture. “King of the Blues” yields a lot too, and I reckon it’s closely related to the “Blue Lake”. The trick with climbers is to pick frequently (and don’t let the pods go too old and tough!!), which makes the plant produce more and more flowers and - hence – beans. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fleets are the new way to Tweet Fleets are disappearing Tweets, or they're Twitter's version of Stories. Twitter says the fleets make people feel more comfortable posting, knowing it disappears. They tested this first in Brazil, then Italy, India and South Korea before rolling it out globally this week. It's also a way to try and stop harassment. The idea is that knowing that the messages are sent directly to someone and not public for others to see and 'like' makes it less appealing. There've also been changes to Instagram The homescreen has been redesigned to make it easier to access their Reels and Shop offerings. Reels is the TikTok competitor and Shop is something IG has been building up for some time now to allow people to buy products directly in IG. You can even tag items in photos for people to shop like an interactive catalogue. What makes this more sneaky, is that they've put these new icons in the spots where the 'create' button used to be! Muscle memory is going to be a mission. Instagram is fast becoming ‘Facebook 2’ Apple's self-designed processor is blazing fast. This really is the next chapter of Apple's computers. The iPhone and iPad have been made possible thanks to Apple's self-made chips, and now they're coming to their computer lineup. It's impressing the tech community. The new chip delivers better processing performance than a fully tricked out $6,000 MacBook Pro using an old chip. It also runs cooler and uses less battery. The challenge is that all the software that currently runs on Macs but won't work natively on this new laptop until its been redeveloped, so it may pay to be a second or third adopter, rather than a first. It also means that iOS and Mac apps will be able to run cross-platform which will make app development more efficient. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've got a mortgage, low interest rates can be a huge relief. But for those living off their savings, often retirees, it is making life pretty difficult. Enable.Me's Hannah McQueen has been looking at the impact with Jack Tame. If you want more help, head to www.enable.me LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screentime Queen Tara Ward has some tips for TV shows to get into this weekend: His Dark Materials: A new season of the HBO drama based on author Philip Pullman’s beloved trilogy of books. His Dark Materials follows Lyra, a brave young woman from another world, whose quest to find her kidnapped friend leads her to uncover a sinister plot of a secret organization, encounter extraordinary beings and protect dangerous secrets (Neon). Seachange Revisited: Set 20 years on from the original Australian drama, SeaChange sees Sigrid Thornton’s character Laura Gibson return to Pearl Bay to attend the birth of her estranged daughter’s baby. Rising sea levels, community cover-ups and some very stormy weather conspire to convince her this town now needs her as much as she needs it (Acorn TV). We are the Champions: a lighthearted documentary series that explores an array of unique competitions, from the quirky (cheese rolling) to the bizarre (frog jumping), and the passionate communities who compete (Netflix). LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phenomenally successful podcaster Guy Raz is best known for his series "How I Built This".In it, he quizzes the world's most successful business people about how they got to where they are. Now, he's got a new book out about what he's learned, called "How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs"He's been speaking with Jack Tame. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weather is getting hotter, so Nici Wickes has some hints on how to make sensational salads. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching post-World War Two drama The Secrets we Keep and Sam Neill dark comedy Rams. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne's old stomping ground, Avalon TV Centre, is being made into apartments. He's been reminiscing with Jack Tame about his time there. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2013, I was living in the U.S and charged with covering most of North America as a reporter for TVNZ. I remember ringing my manager early in the year and asking about our plans for the San Francisco America’s Cup.“No one really cares about the America’s Cup.” She said. “If it was here in New Zealand, maybe we’d do a bit more. We’ll have one reporter in San Francisco but that’ll be more than enough.”To be fair, my manager at the time was from overseas and had only been living in New Zealand for a year or two. Subsequently, I felt obliged to push back a little bit.“Ummm…” I said. “I think you’re underestimating what this competition means for New Zealanders. “I get it… sailing’s a bit off-Broadway. But there’s something about this competition in particular that Kiwis just LOVE. Between events, sure everyone’s a bit ambivalent. Some of us moan about the court battles and the politics. But just wait! Just wait. When the America’s Cup rolls around, every New Zealander is suddenly a match-racing, hydro-foiling, sail-trimming expert.”By the end of the Louis Vuitton cup a few months later, such was demand, about a third of our entire newsroom had relocated to San Francisco. But I’m sure that same pattern applied heading into the Bermuda competition. Call it the lifecycle of the average Kiwi America’s Cup fan.We love the event. We’ll plan our day around the regattas, and turn out at victory parades for our sailors. Then in the years the follow, we only pay a little attention to the new rules and the squabbling between different syndicates. Maybe we whinge a bit about how it’s a sport for rich guys and who cares about sailing anyway. And it takes us a good few rounds of match-racing to pay any attention to the next competition. Then, though, Team New Zealand starts winning. We’re reminded that their budget is a fraction of the budget some of the other big players enjoy. Jimmy Spithill gets a good couple of digs in our collective, and whattaya know?! Talk about fair-weather sailors. All of a sudden we’re all back onboard the boat.I’ve been in isolation this week, sitting in my hotel room, watching all the videos of the new Team New Zealand boat, Te Rehutai. The Ocean Spray. It looks spectacular. Several of the boats do, and when those monohulls are up and foiling, my mind boggles over the physics at play. And sitting here in managed isolation, I’m reminded of just how lucky we are to have an event like this to host, given the state of the World. An event where any and all of us can theoretically go and gather on the North Shore beaches or North Head, and watch those yachts compete. If ever there was to be an advertisement for New Zealand… however many million-people tuning in from shuttered countries, to a jewel in the South Pacific with glorious scenery and no community transmission (touch wood). This is a significant opportunity. So. Enjoy it. You owe it to everyone around the world counting down to a miserable winter of lockdowns. That’s my challenge. If you’re one of those who blushed just a little when I described the lifecycle of the average America’s Cup fan, and you usually leave it until the last minute to get on the Team New Zealand bandwagon… do it differently this year. This America’s Cup will not be without scandal. It won’t be without scrutiny. And nor should it. But let’s not be cynical for the sake of being cynical, as I think we sometimes are when it comes to the America’s Cup. We always say this competition is an opportunity to showcase New Zealand. But on and off the water, never has that sentiment been more true. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kylie Minogue has a new album that's bringing back Disco, and Estelle Clifford's been taking a listen.LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationships expert Steven Dromgool has some advice for your relationships with the little people in your life: how to build your child's self esteem. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationships expert Steven Dromgool has some advice for your relationships with the little people in your life: how to build your child's self esteem. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catherine Raynes has been reading Annabel Langbein's new memoir Bella, and Dawn French's new book, Because of You. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Controlling aphids It’s the time for aphids to explode in your garden. Whether you are growing roses, peaches, or at least another 400 different plant hosts, aphids will turn up at some stage in your life. Aphids are known as sap-sucking insects. But most importantly, aphids are great at transmitting virus diseases, from which a host plant rarely recovers. Aphids will continue to be a pain right through the summer and well into autumn, so get ready! Parthenogenesis is their game: females produce live young daughters who – in turn – will be able to produce their own off-spring within 10 days or so. This can explode quite quickly! Control has to be swift, to reduce female populations quickly. “Digital control” is the art of squashing the blighters between thumb and forefingers. It’s easy and organic – no pesticides! Biological control has many different versions: Buy yourself some parasitic wasps (Aphidius is the parasite to look for) and you can get them on-line. Alternatively, get some ladybird beetles that devour aphids, or some larval lacewings. Mind you the trick is to attract these goodies, by providing them with the right flowers with pollen and nectar, so they will breed and multiply and lay eggs among the aphid colonies. The right flowers are Phacelia (the blue tansy), buckwheat, parsley flowers and carrot flowers, as well as dill, fennel, borage, queen Anne’s lace, and such umbelliferous delights. Sprays are tricky, as they can kill the good buggers that will hunt your aphids. Organic sprays are pyrethrum (which will indiscriminately kill any insect, to be frank) and neem oil, which may not affect hard-bodied critters, such as parasitic wasps and predatory beetles. Spraying oil (Conqueror Oil etc) will often smother the aphids and sometimes also the beneficials, depending on the dose-age. Then there is Insecticidal soap, also known as “fatty acids”, containing potassium salts. This is the ancient version of abrasive soap; the stuff we used to see on TV commercials with “Madge, you’re soaking in it!!”. The more abrasive the soap, the more it rips the skin off an aphid; no wonder the insecticidal soap or fatty acids (knowns as “Yates Nature's Way Vegie & Herb Spray) works pretty well! This stuff is usually rather survivable for predators and parasitoids So far, I have only mentioned organic materials that would be great for food crops. The trick is to spray at the sides on which the aphids are active – often the under-side of leaves. The other thing to consider is that it pays to repeat the spray process at least three times on a weekly basis.That way you’ll get the next generation of sucking bugs that weren’t killed by the earlier sprays. It means you really reduce the populations on your plants…so keep at it! LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationships expert Steven Dromgool has some advice for your relationships with the little people in your life: how to build your child's self esteem. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resident traveller Mike Yardley has been having some wild Times in Turangi.LISTEN TO HIS TIPS ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Campbell has a special wine to share this festive season: HaHa Brut Cuvee, Marlborough $21.99 LISTEN TO HIS REVIEW ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google is starting to limit how much storage you get for free Google Photos currently allows you to store an unlimited number of photos - it's one of the reasons that people love it so much. But as of June 21, 2021, any NEW photos you upload will start to be counted towards your 15GB Google account storage. Once you start to go over that, you'll need to start paying. The same rule also applies to NEW or modified files in your Google Drive folder from June 21, 2021. Also, if you’re over your storage limits and not paying, then Google may delete files or documents you haven't touched in some time. Instagram is changing up its home screen It’s going to make it easier to access their Reels and Shop offerings. Reels is the TikTok competitor and Shop is something IG has been building up for some time now to allow people to buy products directly in IG. You can even tag items in photos for people to shop like an interactive catalogue. What makes this more sneaky, is that they've put these new icons in the spots where the 'create' button used to be! Muscle memory is going to be a mission. Instagram is fast becoming ‘Facebook 2’ Space fans, there's another SpaceX liftoff this weekend The test earlier this year sending two astronauts to the ISS was a success, so now four astronauts are headed there on a SpaceX rocket. It's only SPaceX's second time sending humans on their rockets. Crew-1 will also be the longest-duration human spaceflight mission ever launched from US soil expected to be at the ISS for half a year. The previous record was 84 days. The launch is planned for 7:49 p.m. EST on Saturday, so 1:49pm Sunday NZT. Girlfriends are pranking their boyfriends The PlayStation 5 is a hot hot commodity at the moment and a new Instagram lense allows you to place a virtual PlayStation 5 box anywhere you like.. so at your front door, at the foot of your bed, in the kitchen.. and then you can send that picture to an unassuming partner. You can also send their response to social media.. and those responses have been joy, excitement and disbelief that their girlfriend would be so nice to them. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screentime queen Tara Ward has some suggestions about what to watch this weekend. The Comey Rule: a political drama miniseries based on former FBI director James Comey’s book about his experiences in the run-up to the 2016 election and the early months of Donald Trump’s presidency (Neon). The Crown: season four of the royal drama hits the 1980s, this time starring Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher and Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth (Netflix, from Sunday) All Creatures Great and Small: a heartwarming reboot of the classic British series based on James Herriot’s books about a trio of vets working in Yorkshire during the 1930s (Vibe, from Monday)LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Towsend is sometimes referred to as the “JK Rowling of Australia”...but it's no longer a name she relishes...more on that later. The first three books of her young adult Nevermoor series was sold for a six-figure sum, and the rights have been sold to 20th Century Fox. The series follows Morrigan Crow, who was born cursed - doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. She's forced to take part in near-impossible trials in order to join the Wundrous Society and escape her fate. The third book in the series, Hollowpox, has just been released, and she's been talking to Jack Tame about the release. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Film reviewer Francesca Rudkin has been watching Freaky, which is based on the classic body swap premise, and Charlatan. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Golden syrup & sourdough tart There’s no other way to describe it, this tart is dead dreamy! Makes one 20cm tart / serves 4-6 1 sheet sweet short pastry Filling 2 medium eggs 50mls cream 1 teaspoon sea salt 350g golden syrup 70g butter, melted ½ cup sourdough crumbs 1 tablespoon lemon juice + 1 tsp zest Ice cream or crème fraiche (or both!), to serve Heat oven to 180 C. Roll the pastry into a 5 mm thick disc to fit your tin. I used a 20 cm tin but you’d get away with a slightly larger, less deep one. Press the pastry firmly into the base of the tin and prick all over with a fork. Rest and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes Next, blind bake the tart shell. Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with dried beans or rice – fill it right to the top. Bake for 20 minutes, carefully remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10-12 minutes, until golden. Cool. Make the filling by lightly whisking the eggs, cream and salt in a bowl. Add golden syrup to the melted butter and mix to combine then stir this into the egg mixture. Add breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice and stir until well combined. Reduce oven to 155 C. Place the tart tin on the heated tray and carefully pour in the treacle mixture, filling almost to the top. Slide it gently back into the oven and cook for 45minutes or until just set. The middle 3 cms ought to have a slight wobble. Place on a wire rack to cool. Transfer to a serving board or plate to serve and sprinkle over sea salt and serve just warm or cold with ice cream or crème fraiche. Nici’s note: Sometimes it’s worth blind baking a tart shell if your filling is quite wet, as with this tart, and you want that buttery crispness in the end result. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne's been looking at a new quiz that suggests career changes to those who've lost their job thanks to COVID.Keen to hear what the suggestions were?Listen to the audio aboveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This morning we’re making history together. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time a nationwide show has been broadcast in New Zealand, from within managed isolation. Hopefully the technology holds. Hopefully my tests come back negative. But if you hear a bang on the door in the background...it might be my breakfast. You don’t find out where you’ll be quarantining until the plane hits the tarmac in New Zealand. A policeman is the first person down the air bridge. He takes the microphone at the front of the cabin. “Hi everyone, welcome back to New Zealand. On behalf of the New Zealand Government I’m in charge of organising your transportation to a Managed Isolation Facility. Today, we’re taking you to Hamilton.” Bugger. Nothing against the Tron… but after schlepping across the states, and 13 hours over the Pacific, no one’s terribly keen for a bus trip. Before we passed through customs, we were screened by a nurse. You know the little arrival cards where they ask if you’ve got fruit or veggies or items worth more than 10 thousand dollars? They’ve added an extra couple of pages just for Covid-19. When we arrived at our Hamilton hotel, the army was waiting. A young captain dressed in camoflague, walked onboard the bus and explained that we’d all disembark, one by one, and be screened by another nurse. ‘I know it sucks,’ he said. ‘But it’ll be alright. You guys might not realise this, but the carpark here is one of the biggest exercise areas out of all the isolation hotels.’ A Tainui man came on and welcomed us with a waiata. ‘On the count of three, everyone say Kia Ora!’ A distinctly meek reply. ‘Come on! This is gonna be fun!’ he said. ‘We’re gonna do Zumba classes! Kia Kaha whanau’ Inside, they had trestle tables with KitKats, apples, and Whitakers Chocolate. Down the hall, there were five or six nurses set up. After each had them had finished screening a passenger, they sprayed down the chair with disinfectant. There was a welcome pack in my bedroom. A journal. A pack of cards. And an 86-page guide to life in managed isolation. One of our first priorities was filling out two weeks of meal requests. You get three choices for dinner and lunch. It arrives in a paper bag and someone bangs on your door. So far, it’s been great. Not Michelin starred, no. But good. Healthy enough, fresh, hot, and tasty. What have I eaten so far? Roast chicken, smoked salmon salad, chicken Caesar salad, vegetarian korma. You can order takeaways and get them delivered. My colleague had his Playstation delivered. I was walking down the hall when I saw a soldier and the hotel manager wheeling an exercise bike off to someone else’s room. For two hours a day we’re allowed to walk laps in the carpark. The hotel only has passengers from my plane and it’s split into five different groups. So for example, my group might get walking time from 9am til 10am. And then another hour from 7 'til 8pm. First thing every morning, ten people at a time are allowed to go for a jog. The entire perimeter of the hotel is surrounded by security fencing. There are soldiers and private security guards… and they’re sticklers for rules. We asked if we could leave a little GoPro camera at reception for one of our colleagues from the outside world to come past and collect? It would have saved us hours of work and the camera’s only the size of a lemon - it could have been disinfected with a couple of wipes. Sorry.. they said. The rules say nothing comes out. Fair enough, too. There are all sorts of little things that many of us might not think of. You can’t get any washing done until after you’ve passed your Day Three Covid-19 test. There’s no recycling, instead you just have to put your plastic and cans in a big black bag. One of the hotel managers told me that when we leave, it’ll take three days to do a deep clean of the whole building. Three days just to do the laundry from...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump may have lost the US presidency, but Jack Tame watched on in Washington, as 70 million people still voted for another four years of Trump presidency.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If I could charge a dollar for every question I answer on talkback radio concerning spittlebugs and passionvine hoppers, I’d be retired and lying on a beach in the Bahamas – or perhaps more likely in Namibia or Amazonia, the high desert of Arizona. Characteristic patches of bubbles up (spittle) and down the stems of lavender, Coprosma and a heap of other host plants. Many of these are caused by the so-called meadow spittle bug (an exotic species from Europe. We have about 15 species in NZ - many native – few introduced ones. Most gardeners in southern regions will know these frothy bubble-houses and most gardeners think they are “disgusting”. I reckon they’re a marvel of engineering! The larval critters suck sap/fluids from the plant, excrete this through their bottom and add some glue-y excretion from a gland on the abdomen. Then they use their abdominal contractions as a “bellows” and pump air into the watery mixture, causing fine and coarse bubbles to form. Try that in the bath, next time! When you wipe away the bubble, the green-ish creature is exposed and immediately starts “repairing” it’s home – that way it will remain in a moist environment and – more importantly: hidden from predator’s view! Damage and consequences to the plants? NIL Ecosystem service: the adult froghoppers emerge with wings from that bubble, jump around the garden and usually end up as food for insectivorous birds. All good! The Passionvine hopper is a more northern sap-sucker, found Northland to Marlborough/Nelson. It can become very numerous indeed on some desirable plants, often climbers like wisteria and passionfruit vines, as well as perennials like salvia, hydrangeas, and camellias. Huge numbers can debilitate these hosts as both nymphs and adults relentlessly such phloem juices from the stems and lianes. They excrete honeydew which can cause a bout of black sooty mould deposit all over the plants. When that honeydew is splattered all over or native tutu vine in the bush, bees can pick some serious poisons, which are then incorporated in the honey produced! Very poisonous to people! In early November the nymphs hatch from their eggs. I call them fluffy bums – as their “nylon-filament tails” are prominent features. Slowly they grow larger and larger shedding skins along their journey, until they reach adulthood: moth-like insects with delta-shaped wings, showing prominent vein-markings; they, too, suck plant sap. These insects have the ability to jump quickly and far and the adult passionvine hoppers also flick and fly very smartly, avoiding the insecticides you may want to spray at them! But there is some other trick you can play right now, to control the numbers of hoppers in your garden, this summer: The babies are just hatching now and climb to new growth in the top of their host plants. On still mornings, you can simply cull their numbers by using an aerosol spray can (that emits fine mist of insecticide) and spray the tiny nymphs in a misty cloud of spray. They can jump all they like, but won’t be able to avoid contact with that aerosol in the still of the morning; those new-borns are far more susceptible to insecticide sprays than in a week or so now’s the time! LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in 3500 BCE, the Ancient Egyptians used baking soda as a cleaning agent and to dry out bodies for the process of mummification. Also known as sodium bicarbonate, it's actually a salt. Go ahead and try it; you’ll find that it tastes like a milder version of the salt in your shaker. It is slightly alkaline (the opposite of acidic), which is key to understanding why it’s such a good cleaner. Keep your fridge smelling nice: Baking soda absorbs odors, so just leave a box of it in your fridge. That’s because most odors are acidic and, because baking soda is alkaline, it reacts with the acids in the air to neutralize them. Unclog your drains: Baking soda reacts with vinegar, and this acid-base reaction is the reason baking soda and vinegar are cleaning partners in crime. The baking soda and vinegar volcano might be a science-fair classic, but that same explosive chemical reaction can do wonders in your kitchen or bathroom. Pouring baking soda and vinegar down a drain can unclog it; slathering a baking soda paste inside your filthy oven and then splashing a little vinegar on it cuts through grease and leaves it gleaming. Use it instead of soap/jiff: It’s slightly abrasive. For some things, baking soda works better than typical soap. Although both are alkaline (not acidic), soap contains fat molecules that make it less harsh. Baking soda, on the other hand, is abrasive, which gives it the grit to dislodge particles and remove stains from a number of surfaces. Use it as a fire extinguisher: It passes gas, carbon dioxide, the same stuff you exhale. When baking soda is heated above 300°F, it releases the gas. That makes baking soda a great fire extinguisher (and the only way to put out a grease fire) because the influx of carbon dioxide cuts off the oxygen that had been fueling the fire. Use it for pest control: It’s a great nontoxic form of pest control, because when ingested by cockroaches or ants, gas builds up inside their hard-shelled bodies and causes their organs to fail. And that’s not all - it can also clean your veggies, revive stale-smelling sponges and scrub a BBQ. Recipe: Kitchen Cleaner and Deodorizer 4 tablespoons baking soda 1 litre warm water To clean kitchen counters, appliances, and the inside of your refrigerator, all you need is baking soda. "It makes a great deodorizer and can be used to shine stainless steel sinks and appliances," says Carolyn Forte, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab. To deodorize surfaces, use the solution above or pour baking soda straight from the box and into your drain or garbage disposal to remove odors. To shine and remove spots from stainless steel, make a paste of baking soda and water. Apply it with a damp cloth and rub gently in the direction of the metal’s grain. Rinse and buff dry. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pink Icing BunsAfter the week we’ve had (all that US politics!!) I feel like we need something absolutely frivolous and fun and these cream and jam-filled finger buns do the trick!Makes 14-16Buns100mls milk50g butter1 heaped tablespoon caster sugar1 medium egg, lightly beaten2 tsps instant yeast250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting250g high grade flour175mls tepid water½ tbsp sunflower oil Icing1 ½ cup icing sugar1 tsp raspberry juice2 tbsps waterCoconut for sprinklingFilling300mls cream, whipped¼ cup raspberry jam Warm half the milk and butter together until butter is melted. Whisk in egg and sugar and remaining milk. Sprinkle over yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes.Sift the flours into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk/yeast mixture and 100mls of the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until you have a scraggy dough, adding more water as you go, to get a soft, sticky dough. You may or may not need all of the water.Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins. Cover loosely with a plastic bag nd leave in a warm place for 1 hr or until the dough has doubled in size.Knock the dough back and divide into 14-16 pieces. Roll each into a finger about 12-14cm long. Transfer to 2 baking paper lined trays, spaced well apart. Cover again and leave in a warm place for 30 mins or until doubled in size.Preheat the oven to fan 180°C. Bake for 8-10 mins until lightly golden. Leave on the trays to cool completely.Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and stir in 2 tbsp water and raspberry juice for colour. Mix to a smooth icing that’s thick but a little runny too.Spoon the icing over the fingers, sprinkle with coconut and leave to set.Split each bun and pipe in jam then whipped cream. Eat and enjoy!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us know plenty about Annabel Langbein’s professional life. More than 30 cookbooks down, including the wildly successful Annabel Langbein: The Free Range Cook, her recipes are staples in Kiwi kitchens.But there’s a huge amount more to her story than that - from living as a Maoist hippie to possum trapping for a living. She’s written about her adventures - with some recipes thrown in for good measure - in a new book “Bella, my life in food”. Langbein joined Jack Tame to discuss her former wild side!LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the borders closed, Mike Yardley has been getting out and about and travelling a little closer to home, seeing what New Zealand has to offer.He joined Jack Tame to talk about his latest trip to Great Lake Taupō, exploring the mountain biking tracks, trails around Huka Falls, the Wairakei Thermal Terraces and discovering the best eats around. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roadkill: a British four-part television political thriller starring Hugh Laurie as a self-made, forceful and charismatic politician positioned in the cabinet as Minister for Transport whose public and private life seems to be falling apart – or rather is being picked apart by his enemies (TVNZ OnDemand, from 9 November).A Suitable Boy: based on the novel by Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy is a vast, panoramic tale charting the fortunes of four large families, exploring India and its rich and varied culture at a crucial point in its history (Netflix).The South Westerlies: A lighthearted drama about a town in the south west of Ireland that is earmarked for a Norwegian-owned offshore wind farm, and the woman who is tasked by her company NorskVentus to go undercover and quash local objections (Acorn TV).LISTEN ABOVE TO TARA WARD'S RECOMMENDATIONS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Medsafe's medicines classification committee last month considered coronial recommendations about the sale of paracetamol made after the inquest into the death of a Dunedin student.Alannah Lee Spankie, 20, died from acute liver failure in June 2017, after the University of Otago science student took a large amount of paracetamol.Coroner David Robinson in September found that Spankie had not intended to take her own life, and recommended tighter sales restrictions be placed on drugs which can currently be bought without controls at supermarkets.The committee received 18 submissions on Robinson's recommendations before today's meeting, being held in Wellington.The National Poisons Centre, based at the University of Otago, said in advice provided to the committee that paracetamol was the most common single substance involved in cases of intentional self-poisoning, and the substance it received the most inquiries about.In the last five months of 2016 there were four cases involving people who took 30g or more of the drug, centre records showed.In 2020, up until October 12, there were 54 such cases.Dr Bryan Beatty joined Jack Tame to talk about paracetamol and what you need to know about this ongoing conversation.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking for a trip around the country while the borders are closed? Kevin Milne has a recommendation for you - the Northern Explorer. After he and his wife went from Auckland to Wellington, Milne told Jack Tame that it is "first class service" and there is plenty to enjoy - from the wonderful scenery through to the commentary and the food on board.However, there is one thing he noted that could make the service far more enjoyable.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sentinel by Lee ChildJack Reacher gets off a bus in Nashville, Tennessee, in a quest for food, lodging and some good country music. But when he encounters a band of musicians who have been cheated by an unscrupulous bar owner, he steps in to help…A Time for Mercy by John GrishamClanton, Mississippi. 1990. Jake Brigance finds himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial when the court appoints him attorney for Drew Gamble, a timid sixteen-year-old boy accused of murdering a local deputy. Many in Clanton want a swift trial and the death penalty, but Brigance digs in and discovers that there is more to the story than meets the eye. Jake’s fierce commitment to saving Drew from the gas chamber puts his career, his financial security, and the safety of his family on the line.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bruce Springsteen’s new album Letter to You released at the end of last month, he’s made history as the first artist to have a top 5 album on the Billboard 200 in six consecutive decades.Estelle Clifford’s been taking a listen, and joined Jack Tame to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I Am Woman Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays Australian musician and activist icon Helen Reddy. In 1966 Reddy landed in New York with her three-year-old daughter, a suitcase and $230. Within weeks she was broke. Within five years she was a superstar, the first ever Australian Grammy Award winner, and an icon of the 1970s feminist movement.ReunionIvy is packing up an expansive old Victorian home after the recent death of her in-laws. Her husband Jack, wheelchair bound from a stroke, haunts the halls moaning and muttering incoherently.Ellie, Ivy’s estranged daughter, shows up at the front door. She has been away for years, teaching at university and now 6-months pregnant. Ellie says she has come back to be alone and finish a research book on the origins of medieval science. The mother and daughter’s initial awkward interactions gradually fall into the familiar dynamics of previous years.But the old house conjures disturbing memories for Ellie who is haunted by the ghost of her dead sister Cara. Ellie grows more erratic and confused as Ivy tries to comfort her and contain Ellie’s increasingly strange behaviours. But Ellie’s anxiety over her baby, Cara, her guilty past and the supernatural curse on her unborn baby send her over the edge. In the end, Ellie discovers horrors from her past that she never expected.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the world’s largest batteries to store renewable energy is set to be built in Victoria to help drive down power costs for Victorians.The Victorian government on Thursday announced the 300 megawatt Tesla lithium-ion battery would be installed near the Moorabool Terminal Station, just outside Geelong, and would be ready by the 2021-22 summer.Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said it would be the largest lithium-ion battery in the southern hemisphere.She said an independent analysis had showed the battery would deliver more than $2 in benefits to Victorian households and businesses for every $1 invested.She said consumers would pay for the use of the battery through their power bills, but the reduction in wholesale energy prices delivered by the battery would mean Victorians paid less for power.The battery will help reduce wholesale prices by storing renewable energy at a time when the weather makes it plentiful and at its cheapest and then discharging it into the grid when power is needed the most, such as on a 40C day.The state government said the battery would also reserve a portion of its capacity to increase the power flow through the Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector by up to 250 megawatts to help reduce the chances of unscheduled power outages in peak summer months.Global renewable energy company Neoen will pay for the construction of the battery and for its ongoing operation and maintenance.Construction of the battery was expected to create more than 85 jobs, the state government said.Ms D’Ambrosio announced on Thursday she had directed the Australian Energy Market Operator to sign a contract with Neoen to deliver the new Tesla battery.“What we want to proof against is that lack of reliability when we’re in the middle of summer, when businesses need that power to keep running and Victorians need that power at home when they crank up their air conditioners to keep cool and to keep healthy,” she said.AusNet Services executive general manager of regulation and external affairs, Alistair Parker, said it was a “terrific idea”. AusNet will be responsible for connecting the battery into the electricity transmission network that they own and operate.“The particularly smart feature of this battery is the way it enables more capacity around the network day in, day out,” he said.Ms D’Ambrosio said the service was an 11-year contract worth $84 million, and the Victorian battery would be double the size of the one already installed at Hornsdale wind farm in South Australia.text by Jack Paynter, NCA NewswireSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A posthumous album has been released by Kiwi legend Ian Morris from Th’ Dudes. Estelle Clifford has been taking a listen. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book reviewer Catherine Raynes has been reading Impossible: My Story by Stan Walker, and Breathless by Jennifer Niven. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resident traveller Mike Yardley has been touring Whataroa and Okarito in South Westland.FOR SOME TIPS, LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christmas isn't always a time of joy, especially when you can't be with your loved ones. Relationships expert Steven Dromgool has some tips on managing the festive season while coping with loss. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birds in your garden. It’s breeding time! And although you may not realise it, there are likely some species making nests and breeding in dense bushes in your garden. First the story of James Russell: he’s the scientists that works of predator control and subsequent translocations of birds to pest-free islands and restored native bush. During lockdown he decided to do some bird banding in his garden. He was keen to catch his resident fantail that would visit every late afternoon, and he did! Every late-afternoon he caught another fantail – until he realised there were 36 “resident fantails” I in his garden. Moral of story: There are far more birds in your patch than you realise! Bird-banding often reveals a lot about bird populations. I have noticed, so far: 2 blackbird nests, 1 song thrush, 2 dunnocks (hedge sparrows), at least 1 gold finches, a green finch and a few chaffinches in the dense macrocarpa hedge. I also suspect a sneaky bellbird, and am hoping that the Californian quail like my dense wind-break at the bottom of the section. Code of Conduct around nests: If you do stumble across a nest in some shrubbery, while pruning, for instance, have a quick look to see if there are any eggs or young birds in it. If so, back out and conceal the nest as much as possible. Put branches back in their position asap; that gives them privacy from prey-ing eyes of predators. Most bird species can cope with a bit of disturbance – depends on how far in the brood-cycle they are. Usually when they have young in the nest, parents will keep on feeding them. Eggs are a “rather new” investment for the parent birds and they may sometimes pull the plug on that nest. Blackbirds and thrushes are often quite touchy: I noticed that as soon as the nest has been “discovered” and their privacy is breached, the young will fledge far too early and before they can actually fly away from cats and dogs! This puts them in a much more vulnerable situation.During the breeding season, the young birds sometimes do silly things, like fly clumsily into your windows. If you find those top-gun fails sitting on the ground like a stunned mullet, carefully pick them up and put them in a dark card-board box for an hour or so. Out of the light and no interaction. No feeding, watering or handling. Keep them quiet for a while and you’ll be surprised how they recover from such a knock! If your patient is a rare/endangered bird, please contact a local vet and organise some professional hospital care. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's talk the Reserve Bank will bring back strict LVRs because the property market is so hot. If you're wanting to get in first, what do you need to consider first? Enable Me's Hannah McQueen has been giving Jack Tame some tips - and if you want to get in touch with her in person, her website is www.enable.me LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's talk the Reserve Bank will bring back strict LVRs because the property market is so hot. If you're wanting to get in first, what do you need to consider first? Enable Me's Hannah McQueen has been giving Jack Tame some tips - and if you want to get in touch with her in person, her website is www.enable.me LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where does your Uber driver go to the bathroomThere almost isn't a type of service that isn't available on-demand in the US.. getting a meal delivered, hanging a picture frame, restocking the booze cabinet, getting a lift somewhere.. but what do the estimated 55 million gig workers do if they're out and about and need to go to the bathroom? Especially in a pandemic when lots of public restrooms are closed? Now they can open Wizz. Whizz has been developed "by gig workers for gig workers" to not only help find them a restroom, but a meal too. They can use the app to get access to a nearby restaurant's bathroom and get a discount on a meal for while they're there. A win/win. Because sometimes, even if you're delivering food for a restaurant, they won't let you use their facilities! It's starting in California, with plans to go national.What recession?! Just listen to these numbers.. Alphabet's Q3 revenue was up 14% on last years. YouTube alone bought in $5 billion. Google made $46 billion in PROFIT last quarter. Amazon made $2 billion more in Q3 than it did in Q3 of last year. Net sales reached almost $100 billion. Apple's Mac division and its services division are posting record revenues, but total revenues are flat. That quarter doesn't include the usual iPhone bump due to coronavirus production delaysYahoo has launched its own Yahoo Phone It's in that wonderful Yahoo purple too and comes preloaded with all your favorite Yahoo apps. It's basically an Android phone with some Yahoo flair. It's yours for $50, but you'll also need to get a Yahoo Mobile phone plan - that's $40 a month. You might ask whyyyyyyyyy!? Well, Yahoo is now owned by Verizon a big US phone company, so it seems they really want to make the most of that IP. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.