Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

One of the questions I get asked all the time is ,’why don’t we grow food on the grass beams on our street’ One of the biggest users of water and chemicals is actually our love affair with grass. Let alone the energy and petrol used to mow it. Back in European history, us peasants who came from there, used to have vegetable gardens and only the lords in their manors had lawns kept short and neat b...

Winter crops need to go in! Might not feel like it, but winter is just around the corner. Soil is still warm-as, so when you plant seeds, they germinate quite quickly; take advantage of that helping hand, so that seedlings will grow quickly in the warm conditions, while they slow down on their way to lower temperatures. Brussels Sprouts: Sow now (early March); transplant the seedling in May in a p...

Bank lending changes are prompting lots of borrowers to look at second-tier lenders when the banks say no. Enable.me's Hannah McQueen speaks to Francesca Rudkin about who exactly are these second-tier lenders and what you should look out for. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple & Google have turned off live data in their maps to protect the people of Ukraine  Live map activity is great to help detect traffic and disruptions when life is normal, but in a war zone it can be dangerous. Both Google & Apple have now disabled these features which collect user data to show clusters of activity. In the US at least, the maps can show busy locations, such as how many people...

The Dropout: Based on the popular podcast and based on true events, The Dropout is a tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. Amanda Seyfried plays American entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes, who develops healthcare technology that puts millions of patients at risk and loses everything in the blink of an eye (Disney+).  Pieces of Her: this might well be your binge watch for the weekend! From the...

We often feel like we never have enough time in the day and the time that we do have needs to made the most of! Luckily, we have the likes of clinical psychologist-turned-writer, Dr Alice Boyes, to save the day.  Alice is a Kiwi based in the US and her blogs on the popular website Psychology Today garner millions of views. She has written a brand new book called Stress-Free Productivity. It’s a to...

We all need a bit of cheering up after the week we’ve had so here’s an absolute favourite that’s worth the effort – custard slice!  2 sheets store-bought puff pastry  1L full fat milk  75g butter, chopped  2 tsp vanilla extract  ½ cup sugar  ½ cup custard powder or corn flour  4 egg yolks  1 cup icing sugar  1 tsp vanilla extract  Preheat oven to 180 C. Line a 20-22cm tin with baking paper, allowi...

The Batman The Batman ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis.  ‘Jeen-Yuhs’ - Kanye West docu...

Kevin Milne wants to talk about an issue which, strangely, involves Dad's Army. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am over Rapid Antigen Tests – and we’ve only been able to buy them for a week! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the use of these tests. They alleviate the pressure on laboratories struggling to cope with testing numbers, and allow us to take responsibly for our own health as the contact tracing is overwhelmed. Most importantly, they allow people to keep earning a living, business and schools to s...

Mike Yardley has been hanging out in the city of Palmerston North. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estelle Clifford's been listening to Avril Lavigne's angsty new album, Love Sux.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fear Index – Robert Harris: The Fear Index is a 2011 novel set in a period of roughly 24 hours from the 6 May 2010—the date of the British general election and the Flash Crash. It’s been made into a new film starring Josh Hartnett. Dark Horse – Greg Hurwtiz: Evan Smoak - Orphan X aka The Nowhere Man - is back at break-neck speed in a thrilling new adventure from Gregg Hurwitz. Having just surv...

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool gives us his advice on the age-old trick question: I love you but I'm not 'in love', should I leave? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the old days, when I was a long-haired hippie (!!!) I used to make my own liquid fertiliser for the organic garden. Two reasons: 1) it brought all sorts of elements into the top soil (beneficial for plants) 2) the liquid in the barrel often had the most amazing life-forms living in it (especially rat-tailed maggots! – I’ll get into details in a later episode of “Jack’s weird and wonderful world...

Wine expert Bob Campbell has been tasting Neudorf 2021 Rosie's Block Moutere Albariño from Nelson.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social Media is a minefield Now is the time to be very careful.. there is a lot of misinformation - whether deliberate or accidental - on the platforms.  There's an account - @aircraftrack - that is tracking military aircraft and, based on this, has been accurately predicting when the air-attacks will take place. Then through live cameras and posts from citizens you can see the explosions from mul...

Raised by Refugees: a new New Zealand comedy. Pax Assadi is your typical 12-year-old from the early 2000s - obsessed with hip hop, girls, and Eddie Murphy. His parents came to New Zealand in the late '80s as refugees and want him to get good grades, but all Pax wants to do is fit in. However, a major international incident makes that very difficult (Neon). Landscapers: Olivia Colman and David Thew...

Kiwi comedian Pax Assadi is no stranger to the stage. He started his career in stand-up comedy in 2012 and was nominated for the Billy T Award just a year later.  However, his new project takes him from stage to screen. Pax has just released his new TV comedy series, Raised by Refugees.  It’s based on his experience growing up in Aotearoa as a half-Pakistani and half-Iranian kid. His parents want...

Uncharted: Street-smart Nathan Drake is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor "Sully" Sullivan to recover a fortune amassed by Ferdinand Magellan, and lost 500 years ago by the House of Moncada. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland.   Hive: An Albanian-Kosovan drama film about struggling widows who start a business to sell a local food product, hoping to provide for their families. Togeth...

Before we say goodbye to nectarines, plums, peaches and the rest of the summer stone fruit, make this tart and serve it with great dollops of cream. Makes one 23cm tart 1-2 sheets store-bought sweet shortcrust pastry 5-6 nectarines, plums, apricots or peaches Filling 100g unsalted butter, softened 100g (caster sugar 1 tablespoon plain flour 2 size 6 free-range eggs, 3 tsps vanilla extract 1 cup +...

Eleven years ago, Kevin Milne spent two weeks in Ukraine filming a documentary for Intrepid Journeys. He speaks to Jack Tame about his experience visiting the country now at the centre of world news. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World is changing before our eyes. Russian forces continue to advance into Ukraine. Residents in Kyiv are being handed guns as they prepare to try and defend their homes. I won’t pretend for a moment to be some high-placed geopolitical analyst but in watching the events in Eastern Europe this week I’ve been taken by a few things. 1) For all the tanks and artillery, paratroopers and fighter jet...

You can now see the data powering your Uber rating  Uber's new privacy center shows you a lot more of the data they collect about you...including your rating as a passenger. You can now see exactly how many 1-star rides are ruining your perfect 5-star score. They're also showing you how many rides you've taken, how many Eats orders you've made.. which makes for horrifying reading for some!  Is the...

Catherine Raynes has been reading The Maid by Nita Prose and Again, Rachel - the first sequel from Marian Keyes about everyone's favourite character, Rachel Walsh.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.