/on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/rss 九一星空无限 Fri, 31 Jan 2025 06:02:51 Z en /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/david-gray-british-singer-songwriter-talks-mortality-touring-and-writing-dear-life/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/david-gray-british-singer-songwriter-talks-mortality-touring-and-writing-dear-life/ 25 years ago, David Gray was renowned for how famous he wasn’t.   He had a cult of fans and listeners hooked on his sincerity and plainspokenness – but he hadn’t quite broken into the mainstream.    And then came his career-making album White Ladder, recorded in his home and going on to become one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century so far.   His lasting success has led him to the release of his 13th album Dear Life.   The album is heavily influenced by themes of mortality, which Gray says have been present in his writing and works since the death of his father.  “I was up close and watched him die, and that changes your perspective on things,” he told 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Jack Tame.  “Just like watching one of your children being born – it's a privilege to be there.”   “Obviously when you see the sort of parentheses that hold our fragile little lives, you reassess everything.”  Gray also cites the western obsession with agelessness and anti-aging as an influence, as well as the deaths caused by Covid-19.  “This all I ambiently fed in, I think to probably my natural inclinations.”  The songs in ‘Dear Life’ are very direct, Gray says, explaining that they were “born standing up” and ready to go.  “They’re not cutting any strange angles away, they’re not hiding themselves,” he told Tame.  “That’s not to say that they don’t play games within that fixed gaze... there’s a lot of humour, there’s a lot of delicacy.”  “But it was just such a pleasure to write.”  LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 25 Jan 2025 01:09:10 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/estelle-clifford-franz-ferdinand-the-human-fear/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/estelle-clifford-franz-ferdinand-the-human-fear/ Released early January 2025, ‘The Human Fear’ is Franz Ferdinand’s sixth studio album, focusing on the concept of “searching for the thrill of being human via fears" as described by frontman Alex Kapranos.   The album touches on fears such as social isolation, the fear of leaving an institution, and fear of staying or leaving a relationship.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 25 Jan 2025 00:51:02 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/catherine-raynes-nemesis-and-the-crash/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/catherine-raynes-nemesis-and-the-crash/ Nemesis by Greg Hurwitz   Evan Smoak is a lone wolf operator. It goes with the territory for a former off-the-books government assassin. He certainly can't afford to go up against one of the few people he likes and trusts in this world. But Tommy Stojack, a gifted armorer and gunsmith whom Evan relies on, has crossed a line. And when Evan confronts him, instead of clearing up a deadly disagreement, he comes under attack. Now it's war. Tommy's got problems of his own though. He promised a dying comrade that he'd be there for the man's son and now the boy's in a world of trouble. The very last thing Tommy needs is Evan showing up with vengeance on his mind. The scary thing? Evan isn't even the most dangerous threat to arrive on the scene . . .    The Crash by Frieda McFadden   The nightmare she's running from is nothing compared to where she's headed. Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn't realize she's heading straight into a blizzard. She never arrives at her destination. Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she's made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle occurs- she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears. But something isn't right.   Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn't what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet. And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself-and her unborn child.    LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 25 Jan 2025 00:30:07 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/mike-yardley-free-roaming-tasman-bay/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/mike-yardley-free-roaming-tasman-bay/ Over the summer break Mike Yardley took advantage of the gorgeous weather to take a trip to the South Island’s Tasman Bay.  He joined Jack Tame for a chat about his family holiday in the south, visiting sun-drenched spots like Kaiteriteri, Motueka, Mapua, and hitting the pedals on the Great Taste Trail.  LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 25 Jan 2025 00:13:32 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/kate-hall-sustainable-back-to-school-tips/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/kate-hall-sustainable-back-to-school-tips/ With the school year kicking in soon, the time has come to complete the costly task of back-to-school shopping. Kate ‘Ethically Kate’ Hall has a few tips on picking sustainable options that could save you some money.    Start at Home    Use unfinished exercise books by removing used pages and calling it new.  Deep clean old lunch boxes, sharpen short pencils, and repair cracked rulers.  Embrace resourcefulness - clever parenting and saves money!      Treasure Hunt for Supplies    Before you visit a store, turn finding existing school supplies into a fun game with the kids. Ask school leaver families if they have leftover supplies, or share your extras with others.     Shop Second-Hand    Explore second-hand stores for pens, pencils, books, and folders. Unique and vintage stationery can often be found here. Shop at places like All Heart Store who have high-quality second-hand stationery and office supplies - second hand and supporting an amazing charity.      Ditch the Plastic    Avoid plastic adhesive covers; try reusable options like DIY fabric covers.     Opt for Sustainable lunchware    Invest in eco-friendly options like Bento Ninja’s stainless steel lunch boxes with dividers to minimize single-use packaging.     Challenge the “New Only” mentality Push back against the stigma around second-hand school supplies – value doesn’t decrease with use.  Cover books with fun, second-hand fabric and embrace vintage stationery for a unique touch.    LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 24 Jan 2025 23:49:59 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/ruud-kleinpaste-learning-from-our-trees/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/ruud-kleinpaste-learning-from-our-trees/ Our holiday on the West Coast of the South Island (Punakaiki) was just what we needed – weather in Christchurch was cold and wet, but on the West Coast sunny and warm.   I re-discovered a tree I have missed since leaving Auckland 14 years ago: Rhopalostylis sapida is its name. Gardeners know it as the Nikau Palm.  There are two species in the New Zealand Territories: R sapida is the common Nikau in North Island and South Island, occurring mostly on the coast from Okarito in the West and Banks Peninsula in the East.  It also occurs on Chatham Island and Pitt Island and the variety that grow there is a lot more elegant, especially in the younger form: the fronds (leaves) have a more drooping attitude, a bit like the traditional palms in the tropics. I reckon we should have a taxonomic discussion about its identity (a different species?).   The Nikau on the offshore Islands of the Hauraki Gulf show a similar elegance (Little Barrier, Great Barrier etc etc). I must say: I prefer those drooping forms over the tightly growing leaves pointing towards the sky.    Flowering takes place in Spring and Summer and the colours are wonderful.   The seeds that are formed a year later are one of the Kereru’s favourite snacks. These birds’ ecosystem service is to disperse the seeds through the forests – a lovely job!  So… if you find Nikau seeds and want to have a go at germinating them: chuck them in water for a few days and take out the seeds; the flesh is easy to remove. Plant the seeds in good seed-raising mix (or even in a plastic bag!) until they germinate. Plant them in tall pots – keep them in shade.    When they start to grow (My goodness… they are slow!) ensure that you give the palm’s roots some space. When transplanting be careful not to damage the roots, especially the tap root!   The second Native species in New Zealand occurs in Raoul Island (Kermadec Islands group). Its scientific name is Rhopalostylis baueri. This is a gorgeous form with large leaves and beautiful drooping habits. They are great to grow in large containers. I found some of these baueri (often called Rhopalostylis baueri var cheesemanii) as Christmas present for my local gardener at home.   It’s one of those finds that fills a space in my heart too and it gives us a few years of “advantage” to get that beauty growing. Plant in shade, out of frost sites and be very careful with the roots.   In Punakaiki I learned exactly how much that time advantage is:   Nikau take about 40 years to start forming a trunk   They can grow to 15 meters tall   Have “rings” around their trunk where old leaves were attached, so you can more-or-less guess how old the tree is: two or three rings per year Do the Maths!   Too slow? Sorry to hear that.  LEAVE YOUR LEGACY! IT’S WORTH IT  LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 24 Jan 2025 23:36:32 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/bob-campbell-balvonie-prosecco-marlborough/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/bob-campbell-balvonie-prosecco-marlborough/ BOB’S BEST BUYS   Wine: Balvonie Prosecco, Marlborough $34.59   Why I chose it:  It is the only Kiwi Prosecco I know of  Prosecco may be the world’s most popular sparkling wine  100% Glera   A popular style, everyone loves Prosecco   A perfect summer wine   Have a Prosecco tasting and compare it with Australian and Italian Prosecco   What does it taste like?     An attractive, creamy sparkling wine with an appealing mellow freshness and restrained mousse. An initial marmite-like yeastiness faded quickly leaving a clean, mouth-cleansing sensation in its place. It could easily be mistaken for an Italian Prosecco.   Why it’s a bargain:   It’s not cheap but it is good and certainly worth the price.   Where can you buy it?   On the Balvonie website.    Food Match:   It's versatile, good with most seafood.   Will it Keep?   Drink up.   LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 24 Jan 2025 23:24:49 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/paul-stenhouse-openais-latest-tool-can-complete-tasks-for-you-such-as-booking-flights-or-restaurants/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/paul-stenhouse-openais-latest-tool-can-complete-tasks-for-you-such-as-booking-flights-or-restaurants/ OpenAI's latest tool can complete tasks for you.  The biggest thing is that the operator can take actions for you using its 'computer vision'. Basically, it takes screenshots of the webpage, then can click with its virtual mouse and keyboard to complete things, like book a flight, or a restaurant. It's a big step forward because traditionally to do these things you needed to use APIs - structured data messages with explicit details. Now you can write a sentence and the AI will just do it. No preparation needed.    Excited? Well, it's available now, but only for those with the $200-a-month ChatGPT Pro service.  LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 24 Jan 2025 23:13:49 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/full-show-podcast-25-january-2025/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/full-show-podcast-25-january-2025/ On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 25th January 2025, legendary singer songwriter David Gray tells Jack how mortality and relationships inspired his new album ‘Dear Life’.  Jack spent his summer holidays tramping in the backcountry, he reflects on the solitude and lack of connectivity in the bush and whether that will last as technology improves.  Cameron Diaz has released her first movie in a decade, Francessca Rudkin reviews her comeback film.  Open AI can now complete tasks for you - only catch is a pretty hefty price tag. Tech commentator Paul Stenhouse has all the details.  And Ethically Kate, Kate Hall has some sustainable back to school tips.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 24 Jan 2025 23:12:44 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/tara-ward-severance-the-night-agent-karen-pirie/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/tara-ward-severance-the-night-agent-karen-pirie/ Severance  Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives; when a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs. Season 2 has just been released (Apple TV+). The Night Agent  While monitoring an emergency line, an FBI agent answers a call that plunges him into a deadly conspiracy involving a mole at the White House. The second season released earlier this week (Netflix).   Karen Pirie  After the promotion to Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit, Karen Pirie reopens the cold case of a murdered barmaid. Her investigation unearths flaws in the original 1995 inquiry (Neon).      LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 24 Jan 2025 23:09:37 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/kevin-milne-the-most-tedious-line-in-public-speaking/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/kevin-milne-the-most-tedious-line-in-public-speaking/ An MC is responsible for ensuring an evening runs smoothly, keeping everything in line and keeping the guests entertained amid the various speakers and events.  However, there’s one line commonly said by the MC that Kevin Milne wishes they’d do away with.   LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 24 Jan 2025 22:07:03 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/francesca-rudkin-back-in-action-and-we-live-in-time/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/francesca-rudkin-back-in-action-and-we-live-in-time/ Back in Action  Fifteen years after vanishing from the CIA to start a family, elite spies Matt and Emily jump back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown (Netflix).    We Live in Time  Almut and Tobias are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. Through snapshots of their life together —falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family— a difficult truth is revealed that rocks its foundation.   As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken, in filmmaker John Crowley's decade-spanning, deeply moving romance (in cinemas).    LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 24 Jan 2025 21:48:31 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/nici-wickes-italian-plum-and-ricotta-tart/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/nici-wickes-italian-plum-and-ricotta-tart/ Let's talk about the wickedly good plums that are all about at the moment. People with plum trees will be harvesting them by the bucket load and creating all manner of deliciousness.    This tart is just divine and works with pretty much any variety of plum. It’s not too sweet so I find that people who claim not to have a sweet tooth love it!   Serves 6-8     Ingredients Base & topping   1 ½ cups plain flour   100g ground almonds   2 heaped tbsps. raw sugar   1 tsp baking powder   75g butter, chilled   1 medium egg      Filling  400g ricotta   2 tbsps. sugar   75mls sweet dessert wine   Zest of a lemon   6-8 plums     Method  Heat oven to 180 C. Grease a 26cm ceramic pie dish.   In a food processor blitz flour, almonds, raw sugar and baking powder to mix. Add butter and process until you have fine crumbs. Add egg and pulse until coarse crumbs form, that will hold together when pinched. Press a little more than half this mixture into the base and up the sides of prepared dish. Chill.   Whisk or beat filling ingredients, except plums, until you have a mostly smooth cream – I don’t mind a few lumps of ricotta. Pour mixture into chilled crust. Slice plums into 6 slices and place these on top of filling. Cover with remaining crumb mixture and bake for 40-45 minutes until set. Cool.   Serve at room temperature or chilled.     Nici’s note:   This tart keeps well for a few days in the fridge, and it even improves with time.    LISTEN ABOVE Fri, 24 Jan 2025 21:34:03 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/tami-neilson-and-dr-jada-watson-country-musician-and-musicology-professor-on-the-gender-inequality-in-country-music-and-the-f-word/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/tami-neilson-and-dr-jada-watson-country-musician-and-musicology-professor-on-the-gender-inequality-in-country-music-and-the-f-word/ Classic female country artists like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, and Faith Hill, along with modern-day musicians like Kasey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, and Shania Twain are pioneers of the genre.  Despite their influence and hand in elevating country music to the heights it’s reached in the modern era, only 10% of country music airplay and awards are granted to women.  This is one of the astonishing facts in Tami Neilson’s latest show ‘The F Word’, which combines music with the research of musicology professor Dr Jada Watson.  The two first met on Twitter, both very vocal about challenging inequality in the country music industry.  “I followed her because she wrote, you know, these incredible articles," Neilson told Francesca Rudkin.  “What I loved about her work was that for an artist, she was kind of giving us the tools to feel validated I guess, you know, vindicated.”  Neilson says she wanted to tell the story of women in country music through song, backing it with the black and white statistics of Watson’s research.  Despite country being one of the largest genres of music in the United States, women are disproportionally represented, an issue Watson says has historic roots.  “We have to remember where country came from and the time in which it was developed, and this was 1920’s United States, racially segregated country.”  “Most cultural institutions were racially segregated and then sort of built into that framework was also different forms of discrimination or oppression,” she said.  One of the stories they tell in ‘The F Word’ is that of the Carter Family – one of the founding families of the country music genre.  Watson says that in the recording sessions including people like Jimmie Rodgers, the Carters said that a woman in the lead would never sell.  “We think of them as the founding family of country music,” Watson told Rudkin.  “And so that idea of women not selling, or not being possible to sell has really been baked into the fabric of the institution that is country music.”  The ‘F Word’ will be performed on Saturday, March 8th at Auckland Town Hall. Tickets are available at aaf.co.nz/  LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 18 Jan 2025 02:10:25 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/estelle-clifford-david-gray-dear-life/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/estelle-clifford-david-gray-dear-life/ David Gray has released his first studio album since 2021.  ‘Dear Life’ is his thirteenth album, filled with intricate layers of instrumentation, vocals, and harmonies.  In Gray’s words, it’s an album of emotional crisis and resolution, morality and faith, reality and illusion, love and heartbreak, magic, science, loss and acceptance.  Estelle Clifford joined Francesca Rudkin to give her thoughts on the release.  LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 18 Jan 2025 01:42:14 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/catherine-raynes-one-dark-night-and-the-wedding-party/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/catherine-raynes-one-dark-night-and-the-wedding-party/ One Dark Night by Hannah Richell   He murdered her at the folly on their wedding day, left her body for the crows. They say she haunts the woods now, a girl in a white dress.  Everyone in the small town of Thorncombe knows the tales of the haunted woods where the birds don’t sing and a girl in a white dress roams, luring people to their deaths. But when a girl is found dead the morning after Halloween, her body carefully arranged at the bottom of an old stone folly, the community is thrown into turmoil.  Local police detective Ben Chase is assigned to the murder investigation, but when the victim is identified as a student from his teenage daughter’s school, tensions rise. Was she the victim of a party prank gone wrong, or does the girl’s death represent something more ritualistic and sinister? As the investigation unfolds and the noose tightens around Chase’s own family, the only thing anyone can be sure of is that no one is safe until this violent killer is caught.     The Wedding Party by Rebecca Heath   A bride-to-be lying to everyone. A grieving mother who can't move on. A little sister keeping secrets of her own. And a member of the wedding party who won't survive to cut the cake.  What happened on the jetty a decade before was an accident, everyone agrees. Or do they?    LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 18 Jan 2025 01:03:19 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/mike-yardley-exploring-the-flavours-of-blenheim/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/mike-yardley-exploring-the-flavours-of-blenheim/ "Bracketed by the biscuit-brown Wither Hills and the lofty prongs of the Richmond Ranges, Blenheim’s vast blanket of the Wairau Plain bursts with possibilities. When it comes to winery finery, few venues can hold a candle to the elemental elegance of Wither Hills Cellar Door & Restaurant. Exuding a mix of contemporary design and relaxed sophistication, coupled with soul-rinsing views from their four-storey tower; the Wither Hills Winery is pitch-perfect for a wine tasting and bite to eat." "Steve and I then headed over to Vines Village, which is homebase for Explore Marlborough’s wine tours. They offer a great range of options, included guided or self-guided tours. Kitted out with a trusty e-bike, over the next few hours, we tootled our way around the vineyards, mostly on off-road trails, including the fabulous stopbank of the Wairau River, which serves up elevated views of the vast bucolic canvas." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:38:52 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/kevin-milne-the-newest-pet-in-the-milne-household/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/kevin-milne-the-newest-pet-in-the-milne-household/ Kevin Milne has a new "pet". It's not an animal per se, but rather an robotic vacuum cleaner and mop. Kevin got his from a Boxing Day sale - reduced from $1,250 all the way down to $250. And with a price drop like that, he's wondering how many people own these robotic vacuums. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:32:40 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/dr-dougal-sutherland-starting-2025-with-some-oomph/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/dr-dougal-sutherland-starting-2025-with-some-oomph/ 2024 was a bit of a rough year, with job losses, hard economic times, and low business confidence. The new year offers a chance to reset.  Dr Dougal Sutherland offers his top tips for starting 2025 off with some oomph:  If you have a job, count your blessings! Lots of people lost theirs last year and so it’s important to remember that even though it may not be the best job in the world, at least you’re in paid employment!   Plan out your holidays for the year as best you can. Have a look for the public holidays that are happening in 2025, can you make any of these into longer weekends (e.g. four days instead of three) and give yourself that extra time to rest and recover? Looking ahead I can see there is quite a gap of public holidays between Matariki and Labour Day – can you plan for some leave then? Four months is a long time to go without a break, especially in winter.  Make a daily ‘Have to, Hope to, Love to list’ – “Have to” are things you must do today; “Hope to” are things that you can do if you have time; “Love to” is at least 1 thing per day that fills your cup – make sure to give this as much priority as “Have to”.  Take some time to reflect on 2024 – what did you learn from the year? What went well and you would like to keep doing? Anything that you would like to avoid doing again that you did last year?   Think about the people in your life – are there some who you would like to see more of? Can you plan ahead to make time for them? On the other hand, is there anyone who it may be better off not to have in your life? Are there some (polite) ways that you ease off these relationships?  LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:05:45 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/ed-mcknight-should-you-buy-a-holiday-home/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/ed-mcknight-should-you-buy-a-holiday-home/ As 2025 settles in and everyone settles back into work, you may be left daydreaming about that bach you rented over the Christmas break.   You may be tempted to buy one of your own – but should you?  Ed McKnight joined Francesca Rudkin to run through the pros and cons of buying a holiday house.  LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 17 Jan 2025 23:53:10 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/full-show-podcast-18-january-2025/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/full-show-podcast-18-january-2025/ On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 18th of January 2025, New Zealand country music star Tami Neilson and Dr Jada Watson talk about their new show ‘The F Word’ – combining Jada's research with Tami's music.  Francesca Rudkin reflects on some bad crowd behaviour at the tennis.  Chef Nici Wickes gives some ideas on how to use up the glut of courgettes in the garden – including using them in ice cream.  Have you returned from summer holidays desperate to buy a holiday home? Ed McKnight has the pros and cons of buying a bach.  Plus, David Gray is back and Estelle Clifford gives us her thoughts on his new album 'Dear Life'.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 17 Jan 2025 23:12:38 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/oskar-howell-tech-commentator-on-the-lack-of-innovation-and-new-product-development-in-the-technology-landscape/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/oskar-howell-tech-commentator-on-the-lack-of-innovation-and-new-product-development-in-the-technology-landscape/ Tech ebbs and flows when it comes to advancements – sometimes we’re flooded with them – other times there is very little new stuff hitting the market. As we head into 2025, has tech development and innovation stagnated?   Tech commentator Oskar Howell joined Francesca Rudkin for a chat about the state of the landscape compared to previous decades and the wide array of products produced.  He says it feels like a lot of these tech conglomerates are putting their eggs in the AI basket and using AI as a means to cut corners in developing good technology - gimmicks in place of proper innovation.   In 2025, a quarter of a century in, Howell would like to see some actual new tech – maybe these companies can get back to basics and stop with the fanciful AI and all that nonsense?   LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 17 Jan 2025 22:59:45 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/ruud-kleinpaste-the-pros-and-cons-of-the-summer-weather/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/ruud-kleinpaste-the-pros-and-cons-of-the-summer-weather/ Lots of moaning early January 2025: coolness and wetness in many different places. Wellington and Christchurch were the biggest moaners in New Zealand – the West Coast was just lovely.   Canterbury (after a few good weeks in spring) started getting wetter and colder as Summer commenced.   In the garden there was no amazing speed of growth, but that rainwater reminded me of a transplantation trick to get tomatoes, lettuce, spring onions, and other vegetables really taking root!   Transplanting in a dry garden is tricky – you would have to water the young tomato plants twice a day to allow them to survive.  That in itself is really tricky to execute. Too little water and the patch of soil is not wet enough to make the plants spread its roots. The young plants simply struggle to develop. Too much watering makes the young plants far too wet around the roots, causing all sorts of trouble, especially fungal diseases before the plants are even 30 centimetres tall.   This year’s cool and wet weather pattern showed me the trick to avoid transplants woes:   Soak your soil well before you plant the small vegetables.    That literally makes the soil nice and moist on a large scale, rather than dryish in-between the spots where you dig in the young plants.   This year no problems with a regular watering from the heavens – we could even have a Holiday without anybody needing to climb over the fence to water our vegetable plants!   A rather wet summer does have its problems, especially with early ripening fruits such as peaches and —in our case— apricots!   Regular wetness on these developing fruits often causes fungal diseases that can ruin and rot your crop in a matter of a few days. Brown rot is the obvious disease that moves rapidly through your tree(s).   If you are quick enough you can harvest that fruit and cut off the brown patches and somehow “save the day”.  But once that Brown Rot (aka Monilinia fructicola) is in the system you’ll be too late to keep it under control.   Prevention is the best tactic: thin out the tree after fruiting by removing branches, allowing a lot more space for next season – it will be sunnier and quicker drying too!  When you still get some brown rot, a preventative spray with copper-based fungicides, (organic, by the way!) especially after flowering, will reduce infection as the copper will kill the fungal spores the moment these land on the tiny developing fruit.   Follow these sprays up every 2 or 3 weeks and the Brown Rot will start to moan about the brilliant weather that still doesn’t result in rotten fruit    LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 17 Jan 2025 22:50:29 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/tara-ward-the-pitt-american-primeval-the-hardacres/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/tara-ward-the-pitt-american-primeval-the-hardacres/ The Pitt  A realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Neon).    American Primeval  A mother and son fleeing from their past form a found family while confronting a harsh landscape of freedom and cruelty in the American West (Netflix).     The Hardacres   In this 1890s rags-to-riches saga, the working-class Hardacre family are catapulted into the world of aristocratic snobbery, when a radical business idea makes them rich beyond their wildest dreams (TVNZ+).     LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 17 Jan 2025 22:27:44 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/chris-schulz-flow-and-the-brutalist/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/chris-schulz-flow-and-the-brutalist/ Flow  Winner of Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Golden Globes, this dialogue-free animal adventure centres on a cat who must work together with other species stuck on a boat after a flood devastates their home.   The world seems to be coming to an end, teeming with the vestiges of a human presence. Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences. In the lonesome boat sailing through mystical overflowed landscapes, they navigate the challenges and dangers of adapting to this new world.      The Brutalist   Escaping postwar Europe, a visionary architect comes to America to rebuild his life, his career, and his marriage. On his own in a strange new country, he settles in Pennsylvania, where a wealthy and prominent industrialist recognises his talent.    LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 17 Jan 2025 22:04:48 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/nici-wickes-creative-uses-for-excess-courgettes/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/nici-wickes-creative-uses-for-excess-courgettes/ The first courgettes from the garden are cause for a celebration. Not so the marrows that sneak up on you later in the season when you are heartily sick of grilled courgette and the neighbours are getting tired of you offering them as gifts!    Here’s some surprising and delicious ways you can use them.      Creamy salad or steak sauce  Makes about ¾ cup    Ingredients  1 cup chopped raw courgette   ¼ cup olive oil (or use iced water)    Handful of basil leaves or parsley or other herb you like    Decent squeeze of lemon juice or some other acid like vinegar    Salt & pepper   Parmesan cheese (optional)      Method  Blend it all together to a creamy, light green sauce and pour over salads or bbq meats.    Store in the fridge for up to a week.         Fresh fruit ice cream Freeze chopped courgette and use equal portions of it with a frozen fruit (berries or mango are good) to blend to a smooth gelato-like ice-cream.    Feel free to add some sugar or other flavourings and/or some liquid (not too much!) like coconut milk or cream / cream / water to help the blender out.    Best eaten straight away and from a cone.         Smoothies A lot of people load up smoothies with banana from the creaminess, but frozen courgette does the same without the sugar. Magic!    Somebody also told me that you can make jam with them but I’ve yet to test this theory :)      LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 17 Jan 2025 21:29:23 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/best-of-2024-dame-sophie-pascoe-on-saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/best-of-2024-dame-sophie-pascoe-on-saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/ "Best of both worlds": Dame Sophie Pascoe forgoes competing, presents Paralympics coverage  The Paralympics got underway this week in Paris, and for the first time in 16 years, Team New Zealand is missing a familiar face.  Dame Sophie Pascoe, New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian, has decided to forgo this year’s Games in favour of staying home with her young baby.   Pascoe is a 4-time Paralympian, bringing home a total of 19 medals – 11 Gold, 7 Silver, and 1 Bronze.  However, while she may not be competing this year, that doesn’t mean she’s uninvolved, as Pascoe is presenting New Zealand’s TV coverage of the Games.  She told 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Jack Tame that as the Paralympics came closer she was feeling a bit nervous about presenting, as well as a bit of FOMO from not being over at the Games, however when they began she was content with her role.  “I'm right where I need to be with my family, with my baby and right here, presenting and helping out the Paralympic team, but still feeling like I'm part of the team, but just in such a different capacity.”  LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 11 Jan 2025 20:00:40 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/best-of-2024-alan-bates-fight-against-the-british-post-office/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/best-of-2024-alan-bates-fight-against-the-british-post-office/ "They've been waiting far too long": Alan Bates digs into the fight against the Post Office In 1999 the British Post Office introduced a faulty piece of accounting software, the consequences of which would see over 900 subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted for theft, fraud, and false accounting.  Some lost their businesses, jobs, and homes, and many were left financially ruined. Others were convicted and sent to prison, some dying while they waited for justice.  The case has been highlighted in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office; the prosecution of Post Office subpostmasters being described as ‘Great Britain's worst miscarriage of justice’.  Alan Bates, a former subpostmaster, has been leading the charge and this week gave a strong witness statement at the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal.  He told 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Jack Tame that the outpouring of support from across the nation has been absolutely wonderful, and they may need to engage it going forward.  “Some of the, if you might call them, the baddies in all of this might be trying to get away scot-free,” Bates said.  “We have real concerns that they need to be held accountable for their actions in all of this, and often that fails to happen in so many of these big scandals with big firms.”  Bates told Tame that he’s never really struggled with accounting, so when the Horizon system was introduced to his own Post Office, he could see it was lacking from the outset.  “Once problems started occurring, it was pretty obvious what was the root cause of it all.”  He’s worked with computer systems before so he could not only see the issues with the programme itself, but with the stances the Post Office was taking on it.   Bates said they could never give him an assurance over the accuracy of the system, and they kept swearing no one else could access it, despite it being a network system that anyone could access if they had the right codes.  “They just terminated me, given me three months' notice and walked off with the investment.”  Bates professes to be something of a stubborn man, telling Tame that he knew his stance on the system was right and so he dug his heels in on it.  “We started meeting others over the years, and then we found out we weren’t the only ones, and they weren’t the only ones, and we sort of grew from there.”  In Bates’ opinion, a lot of this whole event has been about controlling the narrative, which the Post Office with its significant resources was able to do for ‘donkey’s years’.  “It wasn’t until we got them in the court, into the high court, and we got the judgements, the outstanding judgements from Judge Fraser, that the narrative changed.”  “They started losing their footing in all of this, and we started to take over.”  The most important thing in all of this, Bates told Tame, is getting the financial redress for the victims.  “They’ve been waiting far too long.”  LISTEN ABOVE  Wed, 08 Jan 2025 20:07:17 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/best-of-2024-dame-kiri-te-kanawa-on-saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/best-of-2024-dame-kiri-te-kanawa-on-saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/ "I'm aiming for a few more": Dame Kiri Te Kanawa ahead of her 80th birthday Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has had an eventful life.  One of New Zealand’s most prolific performers, the opera singer has performed in countries all over the world in several different languages, receiving a slew of honours over the years.  She retired in September 2017, her last performance taking place in October of 2016.  Since then, Te Kanawa committed herself to nurturing young artists, sitting as a judge in singing competitions and establishing the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation which supports young musicians and singers in realising their dreams.  Te Kanawa recently moved back to New Zealand after living in the United Kingdom for over 55 years, and her connection to both countries saw her sent as one of NZ’s official delegates for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.  Her 80th birthday is coming up this week, Te Kanawa telling 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Jack Tame that she can’t believe she got to this age.  “I thought 70 was bad enough, now we’re at 80.”  The celebrations might not be exactly what you’d expect for such a milestone, Te Kanawa revealing that she and her husband are going fishing.  They plan to just get enough for the table, as being out on the water is what Te Kanawa really enjoys.  “I’m, you know, a Pisces, my husband’s an Aquarius, so we’re water people.”  Te Kanawa moved back to New Zealand in 2021, settling down in the Bay of Islands.   While she does feel that it was the right choice, she does still feel homesick for England after having lived there for such a long time.  “We did it and we’re pleased we’ve done it, but I’ve left an awful lot of my heart behind.”  “But home is here, and I am thoroughly enjoying all the different things about New Zealand which I never knew about.”  One such thing is kiwis' refusal to give way to others in traffic, a contrast to the politeness she’s used to in England.  “There’s a whole lot of little things that people don’t do or do do that are nice.”  Despite having such a long career, Te Kanawa revealed that she doesn’t look back on it all that much, the rapid pace of her life and career overwhelming.  “It took me several years to calm down and about a year to sort of say that I’m not going to sing again.”  “It’s best not to look back, it’s always best to look forward.”  Since retiring from performing, Te Kanawa has instead put her efforts into supporting the next generation of artists with the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.  “We’ve had a lot of great successes,” Te Kanawa told Tame.  Some of the people the Foundation has supported have gone on to get major roles at Covent Garden, some singing in Glen Bourne and Salzburg.  “I’m so pleased that we’ve, we’ve helped them a lot, and it’s a lovely little group now that we’ve been sort of really mentoring.”  Mentoring is what she’ll continue to do, Te Kanawa having no plans to perform in public again.  “The past is in the past,” she said.  Te Kanawa told Tame that while her voice was very beautiful in the past, she hasn't trained it in years.  She said that even if she tried to start training it again, it would take months to get it anywhere near what she would like it to be.  “It’s just best to leave it, go to sleep, and let’s enjoy the youth of today.”  LISTEN ABOVE  Sat, 04 Jan 2025 20:02:35 Z /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/best-of-2024-tom-sainsbury-on-saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/ /on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/best-of-2024-tom-sainsbury-on-saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/ Tom Sainsbury talks comedy, dramatic aspirations, obsession with the "New Zealand character" Tom Sainsbury wears many hats - actor, writer, comedian, director, host, influencer - across film, tv, stage, and social media here in New Zealand and on international projects.  Kiwis might know him for his political impersonations or shows like Wellington Paranormal.  Tom is hosting a winter special of New Zealand’s International Comedy Festival, and having just returned from a very glamorous international sojourn, he joined Jack Tame in studio for a chat.   LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 31 Dec 2024 23:32:22 Z