Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

With Māori Language Week just over the horizon, Kevin Milne is thinking about just how far broadcasters have come. 

He took Jack Tame back to NZBC in 1971, his first year in radio, and the job he was assigned to compile the weekly radio news in te reo.  

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'Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger' charts the reunion of Liam and Noel Gallagher for their 2025 tour.  

It's filled with rare footage and untold stories, chronicling the band's journey from the streets of Manchester to global rock stardom.  

Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts on the documentary. 

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The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen  

Extrasensory perception. 
The Gift. 
A Sixth Sense. 
Or something else…. 

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history. 

Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era - no microwave, television, or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet. 

Why has Betty lived in such profound isolation for so many years, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across two timelines - Betty’s 1960s era of 5 o’clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women - old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years. 

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion (Vol. 1) by Beth Brower  

'I've arrived in London without incident. There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years has been nothing but incident.'  

The year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian's. But Emma's plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian's.  

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House. 

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"Straddling the US-Canadian border, crowned by the Rainbow Bridge, Niagara Falls is a striking destination, dishing up a heady mix of thundering natural wonder and vibrant parklands. Yes, there’s plenty of tourist tat clustered around both sides of the border, from faded casinos and wax museums to Hershey World and the Fudge Factory, but it’s nature that really holds court here. The Niagara River, and the entire Great Lakes Basin of which it is a part, is a legacy of the last Ice Age, connecting Lake Erie with Lake Ontario. While some water is annually replenished from rainfall and snow melt, a significant proportion is “fossil water”, leftover from the melting ice sheets 10,000 years ago."

Read Mike's full article here.

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Kate Hall joined Jack Tame to provide an update on how her Suburban Homestead Project has been coming along. 

What is the Suburban Homestead Project?  

We’re transforming our small suburban Auckland property using homesteading and permaculture principles, showing that you don’t need a rural lifestyle block to grow food, produce more yourself and work more closely with nature.  

What we've done:  

Hot water heat pump:  

We’ve recently replaced our old hot water system with a Reclaim CO₂ hot water heat pump. We’re already seeing a significant reduction in our hot water energy use/bill –  around 64% less electricity used!  

Turning an underused space into a productive garden:  

We’re repurposing old timber posts (from Repost) that previously had a life in vineyards to create new garden edging in a darker, previously underutilised part of our section. The goal is a productive space filled with things our children will enjoy, including fruit trees, and somewhere we'll eventually bury both babies’ placentas.  

Designing with nature, not against it:  

We’re working with Treeborn to understand what will actually thrive in that space, including documenting sunlight at different times of day. It’s a good example of permaculture thinking: observing light, wind, water, and conditions first, then choosing plants and designing around what nature is already doing.  

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What is earwax?  

Why does earwax sometimes cause problems?  

How do we know if we have an earwax problem?  

How do we treat earwax?  

Remember: earwax is normal, it protects the ear, we can’t prevent it, and never use cotton buds in the ear! 

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On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday September 12th 2026, Food In A Minute legend Allyson Gofton joins the show to talk about her beautiful new cookbook, 'Give. 

Jack wonders if the world will eventually end at the hands of AI. 

Nadia Lim serves up a Rhubarb, Raspberry, and Ginger Strudel Braid that will impress your guests.  

We hear all about the new foldable Apple iPhone Duo from our techxpert Paul Stenhouse. 

And how can you maximise space at your suburban property? Sustainability expert Kate Hall has some great suggestions for your next home project. 

Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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A few weeks ago, we discussed the story of one of those beautiful centipedes captured by a young lady (Raine). A lovely 5 centimetre long body with long legs and fast movement – a beauty!  

I thought it might be prudent to tell the story of our native giant centipede, often found at night in the North Island. In Latin the name means “one hundred legs”, but they ain’t got that many!  

Usually, they have somewhere around 23 pairs of legs... or 21 pairs, or 25 pairs, or 27 pairs – always an odd number of pairs of legs (never an even number – why? Who knows!). 

The front pair of legs is modified into hollow fangs with which they bite and administer poison to subdue or kill prey.  

That poison also acts as a digestive juice: they inject it into prey, and it starts to dissolve the inner structure of the insect/prey so that after half an hour all the centipede needs to do is suck the dissolved innards of the prey up like a soup!  

So in reality, the centipede has an external stomach in the form of that poison that pre-digests the food in the prey’s own body!  

The poison is a nasty neurotoxin that really causes quite a bit of damage to humans too – I'd know! I’ve been bitten and it caused a 2.5-hour paralysis in my right arm and hand – I couldn’t write for a few hours! Then there was an itch for weeks and weeks and weeks. Some big centipedes can be really dangerous, but I don’t think there are any cases of fatalities…  

But it must have been close, every now and then…  

Centipedes are really fast hunters; they have amazing long rear legs that grab anything that annoys them – I can show you how to “stroke” a centipede and in which direction so you don’t end up caught in those hind legs, which means an almost certain bite!  

Each body segment has its own set of “brains” or neurological centre. That regulates the leg movement and coordinates the magical motion they display.  

They usually crawl into nice dark and moist places, because their skin is relatively thin and they dry out very quickly.  

When a mother has eggs, she is very dedicated and looks after them for weeks and weeks – almost like an incubating mother hen. She also licks the eggs constantly to keep them moist and clean of bacteria. There is evidence that her excretion has some very powerful anti-bacterial and anti-microbial compounds in it, that could be very useful for future human medicine! 

Even these scary centipedes need protection, because they may contribute to our future techniques in human medicine.  

Look after all these creatures on our (Animal) Planet! 

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Apple’s iPhone Duo has been revealed  

The Apple fan boys are fanboying. My X feed has been lit up with excitement. The dual app view has already turned into a meme. The magic opening and closing animation which seamlessly transitions between the open and closed views has already been recreated on Androids and laptops. The developers are nervous about the work ahead designing for all its new form factors. That animation and the smart way they’ve reconfigured the UI shows Apple has done the foldable better than any of the others in the market. But it’s funny because the actual folding screen is made by Samsung.   

It will be the hottest status symbol around. 

Some other Apple innovation caught my eye though...  

Apple has found a way to verify that a photo was taken on an iPhone. In the age of AI and misinformation, verification is going to be key. How do you know that photo was actually real? Apple will now take a copy of the photo, along with the sensor data and “sign” that as a reference image unable to be edited. They’re thinking of it like a digital negative. It’s a great addition and here’s hoping we get more of this type of thing from other phone and camera makers. 

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Slow Horses  

Season 6 follows Diana Taverner as she embroils the dysfunctional MI5 agents of Slough House in a high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge, forcing them on the run. Available this Wednesday 16th September (Apple TV). 

Taskmaster NZ Season 7 

Taskmaster New Zealand is back for its seventh season with its most star-studded cast yet. Premiering on September 14th, Jeremy Wells returns as the Taskmaster and comedian Paul Williams returns as the Taskmaster's assistant. This season's contestants are Rose Matafeo, Dave Fane, Rhys Mathewson, Morgana O'Reilly, and Hoani Hotene (TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+). 

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A beautifully braided pastry, bursting with tart rhubarb, juicy raspberries and warming ginger, all wrapped in golden puff pastry with a sweet almond crunch.   

It’s an eye-catching dessert or morning tea treat that’s easier to make than it looks. Serve it slightly warm with a scoop of ice cream, a dollop of crème fraîche, or thick yoghurt for a real treat.  

Serves 6–8  

Prep time: 20 minutes  

Cook time: 35 minutes  

Ingredients  

TO SERVE: ice cream, crème fraîche, or yoghurt  

Method 

Preheat oven to 200°C. In a large bowl, gently toss together the rhubarb, raspberries, sugar, lemon zest, grated ginger, cornflour, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.   Lay the cold sheet of puff pastry on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Spoon the fruit mixture lengthwise down the centre of the pastry, leaving a 6–8cm gap at the top and bottom.   To braid the pastry, use a sharp knife to cut diagonal slits about 2.5cmapart on each side of the pastry, leaving a 1–2cm gap on either side of the filling. Starting at the top, fold the pastry strips over the filling, alternating sides to create a braid pattern. Gently stretch the strips as you braid and tuck the ends underneath to snuggly encase the filling.   Whisk together the egg and milk, then brush the braid with the egg wash. Sprinkle over raw sugar and sliced almonds.    Bake for 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp, and the filling is bubbling slightly at the seams. Allow to cool for at least 10–15minutes before slicing.   Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream, crème fraîche, or yoghurt. 

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Runner 

A former soldier and his unlikely partner become the targets of a ruthless cartel while racing to complete a critical medical delivery and save the life of a little girl. 

Practical Magic 2  

Practical Magic 2 returns to a world steeped in moonlit mischief and powerful ancestral magic, as the Owens sisters must confront the dark curse that threatens to unravel their family once and for all in a must-see cinematic event of fun, magic and mayhem. 

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We like to mix things up on a Saturday morning. Bit of this bit of that. 

So, in the interest of variety, having recently mused over the merits of different apple varieties and the joys of my family’s fabric shaver, I’ve got a different question for you this morning: 

How do you think it all ends? 

Heavy stuff for a Saturday morning, I know. But entertain it for a second. Not just how it ends for you or me, how it ends for all of us. Humans. People. The species. Will there ever be a day when homosapiens become no-mosapiens? 

Probably. I reckon so. Seems likelier than not, right? Depending on how you do the sums, they reckon the intensity of the sun will make it impossible for Earth to hold onto liquid oceans in a billion years or so. It’s a very literal deadline. If we are to survive, presumably well before the point at which the last ocean disappears, we’d have to have expanded our reach further throughout the cosmos. 

And while, sure, maybe an external mass extinction event outside of our control will wipe us out well before then —a meteor to make the dinosaurs’ one look like a mere pebble plopping in a pond— it’s hard not to escape the sense that for all of our brilliance, the end of our species is perhaps just as likely to be brought about with that most human of phenomena: hubris.   

An AI researcher named Evan Hubinger quit Anthropic, one of the world’s frontier AI companies this week in dramatic fashion. He issued a public statement saying the top companies were being too reckless, and in which he warned there is a greater than 10% chance the technology could “kill all humans” within the next decade. 

How? He was asked. 

Who knows? He said. Could be a novel bioweapon. Could be a huge strike on globally important infrastructure. The problem is we’d have little notice, and potentially even less capacity to stop it once it began. 

For anyone who geeks out on this stuff, it was a frightening conclusion to a pretty crazy couple of months. Only last week, with the release of independent reports into the incident, was the public properly appraised of the true scale of OpenAI’s recent Hugging Face hack, the thousands of autonomous AI agents which worked together, independently communicated with each other, roamed the internet and hacked an independent platform outside of human control. 

There's a term you hear a lot with AI now: recursive self-improvement. In simple terms it means the big companies are increasingly using AI to build AI. They can theoretically hit go and then leave it to make itself. But if we are already at a point where their systems are going rogue, where might the recursively improved systems be a few years from now? 

Hubinger’s comments appeared to divide the AI community. Some fellow researchers endorsed his existential concerns. Elon Musk dismissed them. Others suggested that going public and putting a number and a timeline on existential risk was exactly the sort of cynical play a big AI company might make if it was trying to impress investors about the strength of its technology. 

Personally, as much as I find the technology absolutely fascinating, I don’t feel sufficiently qualified to make a judgement. Besides, is a ten percent risk actually any worse than a one percent risk? Or a one-in-one-thousand risk? Still seems pretty risky, given the stakes! 

So all I’d say is in the interests of our continued existence, of seeing our children grow up, of seeing a second Auckland Harbour Crossing completed in the year 2084, I think it’s best we err on the side of imagining what might happen if we’re wrong. 

If we end up catastrophising the technology and we’re wrong, it is all just a marketing play, maybe we’ll inadvertently mint a few more Silicon Valley billionaires. 

But if we dismiss the warnings, the risk, refuse to slow down or regulate or control the technology’s development in some kind of meaningful way, and we’re wrong… 

Well… I’m tempted to put a tweak on that brilliant quote. 

The last thing we shall hear before the universal destruction is an expert on Twitter saying it's impossible. 

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Running a marathon is a task on many people's bucket lists – whether that be a half or a full. 

Some even dedicate themselves to ultramarathons – running 60 kilometres every day for 28 days. But most people don't run it in the coldest, windiest, and driest desert on Earth, enduring sub-zero temperatures and 100 kilometre winds.  

Donna Urquhart, a pain doctor, undertook that exact Herculean task, picking up a Guiness World Record for her efforts and has written a book about it – 'Life Without Limits'.  

She told Jack Tame the idea came about in 2021, when she was watching a video podcast in which Australian polar explorer Eric Phillips was talking about his expeditions in Antarctica. 

"I was just captivated by listening to him and also watching some of the footage," Urquhart explained.  

"I've always wanted to go on a big adventure ... I thought, oh wow, I wonder if you can run in Antarctica, and if so how far can we go? And that was the beginning." 

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It's Father's Day this weekend, and Kevin Milne can spy the perfect gift. 

Between the Warriors, Black Ferns, and the All Blacks, there'll be rugby on the screen from 5pm this afternoon till 3am tomorrow. 

So if you're looking for a gift, Kevin thinks just letting your dad sit or lie in front of the TV, watching back to back sport, is a pretty good option.  

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Reb Fountain's taken a turn for the personal in her highly anticipated new album. 

'Water For Gasoline' was written and recorded in the musician's own garage studio this year, the songs record live, and most in a single take.  

Chris Schulz told Jack Tame there's a rawness and intimacy to the album, the music sounding warm and inviting. 

He described it as her best album yet. 

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"It’s the city that produced Joni Mitchell, The Weeknd, and… Justin Bieber. And it was home to Meghan Markle, prior to her royal life, while filming Suits – but don’t hold that against them. Nestled along the shores of Lake Ontario —or should that be Lake America?— the beautiful, shimmering metropolis of Toronto is Canada’s answer to New York City. Undeniably cosmopolitan, it’s the vast forest of gleaming, glassy skyscrapers that constantly impel you to look up, when you’re strolling the streets. I’d heard mixed reviews about Toronto, or Toronno as the locals insist on calling it, but despite its big-city stripes, there’s a friendliness and charm more accustomed to a small town."

Read Mike's full article here.

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Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty  

After all their big little lies, what happens next? The gang is back. Madeline is planning her 50th birthday party. Jane is happily married to Tom (isn't she?). 

Celeste is haunted by memories of her dead husband, and troubled by her very alive mother-in-law. The kids are no longer kids. And things are falling apart. It's been ten years since Perry Wright fell from a balcony at the Pirriwee High trivia night but best friends Madeline, Celeste and Jane are still shadowed by his death. When an anonymous package containing a severed finger arrives at the school, and a man in a green Volvo is seen lurking around the kids, everyone is uneasy. 

Is the finger pointing to a mystery, or even murder? A lie masquerading as the truth? Or a secret about to blow up their lives? What is clear is that the truth will always hurt someone. 

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman  

In the Italian hills, a body is found on the steps of a private villa at sunrise. Our mis-matched detective trio Amy, Rose and Steve return, in pursuit of an elusive and ruthless killer. Between Italy and Palm Springs, via Barcelona and Steve's sleepy village pub, they uncover an impossible case where it seems that everyone is hiding something. . . 

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On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday September 5 2026, Donna Urquhart, an Ultramarathon runner who completed 1402km over 28 days in Antarctica, joined to tell us about her expedition. 

Jack has some thoughts about the New Zealand/Australia flag debacle... 

Chef Nici Wickes has a smashing pancakes recipe for us – perfect for Father's Day. 

We get the low down on the new 'Untold RayGun: Breaking Badly' documentary on Netflix from our TV expert Karl Puschmann. 

And do you suffer from 'Leisure Guilt'? Clinical Psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland is here to help you out. 

Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Do you suffer from “Leisure Guilt”?  

It's a new term coming out of the United States, and refers to people who feel guilty or uneasy about spending time on leisure rather than on something perceived as productive.  

The findings suggest that the problem is not necessarily a lack of leisure time. Rather, some people struggle to psychologically "permit" themselves to enjoy leisure. As a result, leisure becomes contaminated by productivity concerns, reducing its restorative value.  

This may help explain why some people:  

If that’s you there could be some ways to reduce your sense of guilt:  

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Most Gardeners are slowly getting more and more active, planting their specimens for the coming spring and summer (and I am not talking about Cosmic Crisp Apples!). 

Anything that would excite gardeners is just about ready to be given a spot: crops, fruit trees, flowers, ground covers – you’ll know what a garden looks like.  

So far, so good… 

But from now on it pays to check the garden regularly – some pests are getting ready to find your precious plants as they develop through spring.  

The hardest plant pests to control are the scale insects, whitefly, mealybugs, and such sucking sap-sucking critters. They have a habit of hiding in nooks and crannies and will become active when spring creates warmer conditions.  

Scale Insects with ants  

Scales are insects that create themselves a waterproof and often hard cap. Some are “soft” scales, but are still well-protected. Females lay their eggs under that cap and the larvae (babies) hatch and leave their protected “home” to settle somewhere on your plants. Newly hatched babies have legs and can walk and disperse.  

Scale Insects sink their long tubular sucking tube into the phloem of the leaf/stem/twig/bark and suck the sweet sap, leaving “Honeydew”. This is harvested by bees, ants, and wasps – a dead give-away of sucking bugs being active on your plants  

Scale Insects with Mealybugs in front  

Mealybugs have a similar but white waxy “meal” over the top of their body (waterproof too!). They remain mobile throughout their life, though. 

Whiteflies laying eggs (left) and a close up of an adult whitefly (right).  

Whiteflies often occur in large (white) numbers on infested plants – you can’t miss them despite their small sizes. 

Control for these three groups:  

Oil sprays – stuff like Conqueror Oil, mixed in water. The oil will creep under the cap and destroy the scale-mealy-whiteflies. If you add an insecticide, it will drag the stuff onto their bodies even quicker. 

But there comes the crucial part: repeat sprays! Eggs are not killed by the oil and insecticides, so you’ll need to spray again to get the vulnerable young scales and mealybugs before they settle and take over.  

You have to do at least three oil sprays, about a month apart. The reason is that these pest insects are more-or-less waterproof, so any water-based insecticides would run off them like water off a duck’s back. 

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Stonecroft Gewürztraminer 2025, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay.  

RRP from $29.00  

Gewürztraminer: Backwards, this grape reveals its origins in three words: er= from; tramin (Italy) = the original home; gewurz = herbaceous or spicy. 

The wine:  

An elegant bouquet of white fleshed fruits from pear to apple, quince to white apricot. As the wine touches the palate, the textures of satin and crème fraîche are contrasted by the acid line – fine fruit tannins with a gentle push of phenolics. Core fruit flavours that reflect the bouquet are persistent and ripe. Delicious and fresh, a subtle-elegant expression.  

The food:  

Because this is a drier style it works surprisingly well with most fish dishes, pastas with a touch of cream, and seafood like salmon. Think creamy or oily food – satin-cream textured wine. Also good with semi-hard to hard cheeses.  

Definitively not good with spicy foods – this wine is not sweet enough for that. 

The season:  

The 2025 harvest in Hawke’s Bay is one to remember because of its warm, dry spring, excellent flowering overall, and an early start to the growing season. While summer was a bit cooler than a traditional Kiwi summer, the fruit developed well and evenly overall. It also led to one of the earliest harvests for some. The quality of the grapes ranges from very good to outstanding. 

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Don't think the weather forecast is accurate? Google says it's given it an upgrade  

Google's DeepMind has released their latest weather forecast model that has been improved thanks to AI.   

Using more real-time data than traditional forecasts (and their own previous models), WeatherNext 3 uses hourly satellite data to makes its predictions. They can create these hourly forecasts now at a 5-kilometer resolution and take into account the local landscape... so if you're in a valley, up a mountain, etc. This new model is five times more detailed than WeatherNext 2, which also only updated four times a day. They claim forecasts are up to 50% more accurate.  

To explore their full capabilities, search for "google weather lab" – there is a global rain radar, wind, and temperature maps. They're doing 15 day weather forecasts, broken down hour by hour. Or just use Google to search for the weather where you are – it's already been added globally to Google Search, Gemini, and more.  

The new era of Apple is here  

September 1st saw John Ternus take over as CEO. The geeks are excited because John is a hardware guy, so they think there'll be a lot more focus on innovation. The things released next week at the 'Surprise and Shine' event will be things his team has designed and developed (but under Tim Cook) and according to reporting at Bloomberg, they were a key reason why Cook stepped away ahead of the launch – to give him the best foot forward.  

We're expecting a folding iPhone (possibly called the iPhone Ultra - I personally hope they give it a new name like iFold to create something totally new, but who knows) but don't expect it to be cheap, as it's believed to start at US$2,000, and a touch screen MacBook.  

And on Thursday NZT, we'll see it revealed in a live Apple event, rather than the pre-recorded ones that started during the pandemic.   

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Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly 

From Australian academic to global meme, breakdancer "Raygun" recounts her offbeat path to the Olympic stage — and the infamy that followed (Netflix). 

Urzila   

Drop into the comedic chaos of Urzila Carlson as she ricochets between live stand-up and bombastic sketches. The whole thing crackles with a mischief that's bold, boisterous, and unmistakably Urzila (Neon). 

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This one is for all those sweet-loving fathers out there. Is there anything better than banana and pancakes? Yes, add a sprinkle of pecan maple crunch and dollops of sour cream which perfectly offsets the sweetness – delish!    

Serves 4  

Pancakes  

Ingredients  

Method  

In a jug, add the lemon juice to the milk. Leave it to sit for a few minutes, then whisk in the melted butter and beaten egg.    Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and mix well. Pour in the milk mixture and stir until mostly incorporated. Don’t over mix. The batter should be thick and a little lumpy, but without any visible flour.   Set the batter aside for 5-10 minutes. Thin with a little more milk if it’s too stiff after resting.   Ladle in ¼ cup of batter at a time into the pan so that you get evenly sized pancakes. Cook until the first side is golden brown, or until the top surface forms bubbles that burst, then flip gently and cook for 3-4 minutes more. Adjust heat accordingly. Repeat with remaining batter. Keep pancakes warm while you cook the bananas.    Run a dab of butter around the pan to lightly grease. Cook the bananas for a few minutes without disturbing until caramelised and starting to soften.    To serve, place two pancakes on each plate. Top with a decent dollop of sour cream, banana, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of pecan maple crunch. Eat up!   

Pecan Maple Crunch  

Ingredients  

Method 

Melt the sugar in a pan with maple syrup and cook on a medium heat for one minute.  Add butter, pecans, and salt and cook for 3-4 minutes.   Pour out onto a piece of baking paper (it should spread on its own, if not give it some help), sprinkle with salt and place in freezer to set. Chop up to serve.  

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Mayday  

When a U.S. Navy pilot on a top-secret mission during the Cold War gets trapped behind enemy lines, his only chance at survival is to form an alliance with an eccentric ex-KGB agent. 

The Whisper Man  

When his young son vanishes, a widower enlists help from his estranged father, a retired detective who put away the serial killer now linked to the case. 

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At first glance, it was a relatively easy mistake to make.   

Whoever was charged with setting up the dramatic display of flags outside Australia’s parliament had to hoist a total of 44 banners in place.  

The grand presentation on Capital Hill was supposed to be honouring the 125th anniversary of the first occasion on which Australia’s flag was flown. The irony? Whoever was on hoisting duty accidentally included two New Zealand flags, by mistake.  

And while we might scoff and write it off as the Aussies not understanding the difference between red and white or the difference between four and six, a more generous read of the situation will understand how someone in a rush might accidentally confuse the two and hoist the wrong flag, even outside their own parliament.  

It's ten years since John Key’s flag referendum. A decade on, it all makes for a bit of a quaint memory today. They were simpler times.  

But as a reporter based in New York, I distinctly remember being charged with a fascinating reporting assignment at the time. We wanted to find a diverse spread of people from all over the world, and figured it’d be hard to beat an afternoon doing vox-pops in the heart of Times Square. 

I had a camera, a microphone and the New Zealand flag. And to tourists from all over the world I asked a simple question: Where is this from? 

“Australia,” they said.  

“Australia.” Time and again.  

“That flag’s from Australia.”  

As a proud dual citizen, I don’t want to come across as hating on our Tasman brethren. But surely a central purpose, if not the central purpose of a flag is to distinguish your country or grouping from others.  

I want to be clear: given the challenges we collectively face today, I am notadvocating our politicians spend any time or resource changing our national banner. The moment’s passed and while it might return at some point in the future, I think we’d all prefer they focus on the economy and the cost of living right now.   

But as you enjoy the smorgasbord of amazing sport this weekend, keep one eye on the crowds. Yes, there will be some New Zealand flags among those in Soweto. But something tells me there will be all manner of different flags supporting our favourite teams (for what it’s worth, personally, I still reckon a silver fern on a black background is the way to go).  

Although the whole flag referendum process was a bit of a fiasco, ten years on, this week we've been served a plain reminder. Another country mistakenly raising not one, but two of our flags outside of their parliament because they can’t distinguish the difference, is surely all the evidence you need. John Key was right. 

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Maggie Dent has been helping parents navigate the tough parts of raising kids for decades. 

Having raised four sons and become a grandparent, she's passionate about giving teen boys the best environment to thrive. 

Her latest book focuses on a subject that's receiving growing attention, 'Digital Freedom' looking at how to strike the right balance with screen use in children's lives. 

Dent joined Jack Tame to chat about the current relationship between children, technology, and screens, and what parents can do to shift the balance.  

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Some excitement in the Milne kitchen this week. 

Kevin and his wife Linda have been dutifully collecting stickers for New World's promotion with Smeg, and this week they were able to pick up their first set of knives. 

He joined Jack Tame to chat about their new acquisitions, and debate whether or not they're really "free". 

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Beatie Boys co-founder Mike D is kicking off his solo career. 

His debut solo studio album, 'Thank You', marks the first full-length release of new music from a Beastie Boys alumnus since 2011.  

It's filled with dubby, hard-hitting psychedelia, analog synthesizer noise, and post-electronic grooves paired with his signature rapping. 

Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts on the album. 

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Winter is nearing its end, which means it's nearly time to start thinking about plans for the summer. 

A few changes are on the horizon for those in the mood to travel, including new routes, new services, and even some new charges.  

Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to chat about the notable airline trends hitting the skies over the summer. 

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The Governor by Lynda La Plante  

Barfield Prison is one of the toughest high-security prisons in England, housing the country’s most dangerous criminals. And when an inmate is found dead in his cell, a riot breaks out, forcing the authorities to investigate a potential murder. 

Despite being Barfield’s youngest ever female Governor, Helen Hewitt is seen as the best woman for the job. But with a prison full of corrupt and suspicious officers, restless inmates and a broken system, Helen has her work cut out – and no allies to help her…. 

Agrippa by Robert Harris  

Julius Caesar is dead, and the lives of two teenaged boys are about to be changed forever. One is Caesar's 17-year-old nephew, Octavius, whom he has made his heir. The other is Octavius's closest friend, Agrippa.  

To claim Octavius's inheritance, they must fight the giant figures of the Roman Empire - and, against all odds, they win. Octavius becomes the Emperor Augustus. For twenty years, they rule the world together.  

Now Agrippa is fifty. Ailing and alone, betrayed by his wife's infidelity, he takes refuge in his house on the Bay of Naples and begins to write his memoirs. Yet to stir up the past can be dangerous.  

From his earliest meetings with Julius Caesar, through the epic conflict with Mark Antony and Cleopatra, the great naval battle of Actium and the endless wars to expand the empire, he describes how one man has dominated his life- the cunning, ruthless, unknowable Octavius. When it comes to power, does friendship exist at all? 

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Technology is constantly progressing, which means were often left with old, outdated, or broken electronics we have no use for. 

So what do you do with them? Since you can't just throw away your old electronics and appliances, Kate Hall has compiled some information on where they should go instead. 

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On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday August 29 2026, Maggie Dent, leading parenting expert from Australia, joins us to talk about her new book 'Digital Freedom'.  

Jack casts his vote for the best apple – the Cosmic Crisp! 

Ridley Scott's 'The Dog Stars' is in cinemas now, so our film critic Francesca Rudkin gave us her review. 

Finance expert Ed McKnight fills us in on the hidden costs of buying a house and how to lower them. 

And Mike D from The Beastie Boys has put out his first solo album at 60 years old. Our muso Chris Shulz is in studio to tell us all about it. 

Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Ruud Kleinpaste discusses house centipedes, sparked by a phone call from an enthusiastic young bug finder.  

It's always exciting when we're smelling the beginning of spring. Some invertebrates are starting to wake up – especially when they have their own secret hiding place inside your home. 

Here’s the picture: 

A lovely phone call, plus a pretty cool picture of a glass container, held by an enthusiastic young lady who kept a great eye on a 4.5 centimetre long Scutigera coleoptrata. 

When you're dealing with one of those wonderful House Centipedes, I can totally imagine that many young Nature Nerds simply can’t take their eyes off these fast-moving creatures. 

They run at 40 centimetres per second! Imagine that speed with a 4.5 cm long body. 

They have a huge, elegant body with 15 pairs of rather long legs that become longer from the front towards the back. 15 pairs of legs means that this centipede is fully grown and equipped with super-fast feet and really long antennae in the front of their head. 

By the way: when a very young centipede lands on the planet, it only has 4 pairs of legs. When it moults to a larger version, it will be walking on 5 pairs of legs. After the next moult 7 pairs, followed by 9 pairs, then 11 pairs, 13 pairs and finally (with the last moult) 15 pairs of legs. 

The centipede is then fully grown, and it remains active with 15 pairs of extremely fast legs. 

In New Zealand we have two species of Centipedes (or maybe even more) that arrived here from the Mediterranean area. Their speed indicates great amazing predator movements during the day, but especially at night. Gardeners may not realise that they're great predators of many plant pests in your garden and inside your house: caterpillars, small beetles, larvae of young insects, flies, small wasps… their job is fabulous! 

I realise more and more that our young New Zealanders are getting better and better when it comes to learning about Invertebrates and how to look after all these creatures… and what their jobs are in nature! No longer too scared of them and ready to feed them too! 

Thank you Raine! You’re doing a great job – we need people like you to look after our environment. 

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House prices may be falling, but that doesn't mean it's a cheap process.  

While everyone is aware of the deposit, mortgage, and insurance costs, there are some hidden costs that you might not know about. 

Ed McKnight joined Jack Tame to run through the details and share what he actually spent when buying a house. 

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In New Zealand, National plans to ban social media for kids under 16

The challenge, as always, is around implementation. What framework is the Government expecting? How accurate should their systems be? Is there any testing? Benchmarks?   

Without something like a digital ID or ID verification, you're stuck with things like facial recognition or account activity signals. So if these social media companies get it wrong, there's no one to call, no one to email. It's not like you can walk into a store and prove who you are. You're at the mercy of the systems, and hoping they're accurate. Otherwise, you get your account blocked... and then what?  

Meta to pay up to $18 billion over Instagram and Facebook's effect on teens  

Facebook's owner just admitted, in dollar terms at least, that it built its apps to be addictive to kids — and it's about to change how they work for every teenager, everywhere. Teen accounts get a default two hour daily cap, no app access from midnight to 6am, and quieter notifications overnight and during school hours. 

Like/reaction counts will be hidden from teens, cosmetic-surgery filters blocked, and there will be stronger age checks to catch under-13s. The settlement landed just over a week after opening arguments kicked off, and before CEO Mark Zukerburg took the stand.   
  

Get ready for AI scams and attacks like never before  

Just this week, a group of the major tech companies including OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Mastercard, Visa, and Amazon called for businesses and governments —basically all of society— to act now. They want governments to coordinate cyber defence at local, national, and international levels.   

In June, the world’s “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance issued a rare joint statement warning that the AI revolution was poised to “fundamentally transform” cybersecurity.  

Voice cloning can now be done, to a realistic level, in around three seconds of training data. The FBI is warning that criminals are using the voices of trusted people —officials and family members— to trick victims into taking actions. The criminals can get the audio from things like an Instagram video post, voicemail greeting, or a TikTok then run it through free tools to make the AI mimic the person. The two biggest attacks: the 'grandparent / family emergency' scam and the 'CEO wire transfer' scam (average loss $250,000+).  

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This is Home 

Tensions rise and secrets are revealed as a whānau stand to lose their beloved homestead (Māori+). 

Conan O’Brien Must Go   

After years of conversations with listeners from across the world on his podcast "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend", Conan O'Brien sets off on an epic journey to connect with some of his dedicated followers in person (HBO Max). 

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The Dog Stars  

When a virus wipes out humanity, survivors face roaming scavengers called Reapers. Hig (Elordi), a pilot, survived the flu that killed everyone he knew, his wife included. He lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, his only neighbour a gun-toting ex-Marine. Hig sometimes heads off in his 1956 Cessna, where he can fish and pretend things are how they used to be.  

When a random transmission somehow beams through his radio, the voice ignites a hope deep inside him that a better life might exist if he flies a bit further. He risks it all. to chase a possible haven in Grand Junction. 

Don’t Say Good Luck  

Sophie Birenbaum is ready for the spotlight as the lead in her high school musical — until she's suddenly facing more drama at home than on the stage. 

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These are little snacks that are served in Nepal. They can be filled with savoury fillings such as minced lamb or chicken, or with sweet fillings. 

Dough wrappers 

Ingredients 

Method 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, oil, salt, and water.   Mix well and turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth in texture, about 8-10 minutes.   Cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Knead well again before making wrappers. 

Filling 

Ingredients  

Method 

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and leave to sit for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. 

Putting the Momos together 

Give the dough a final knead. Break off small (about the size of a small plum) portions of the dough and roll it to make a ball shape.   On a floured surface, GENTLY flatten the balls with the heel of your hand so that you have a flat circle of dough.  Hold the edges of the semi-flattened dough with one hand, and with the other hand begin rolling the edges of the dough out, swirling a bit at a time.  Continue until the wrapper attains a 3-inch diameter circular shape.  For packing: hold the wrapper on one palm, put in one tablespoon of filling mixture and with the other hand bring all edges together to the centre, making the pleats.  Pinch and twist the pleats to ensure the absolute closure of the stuffed dumpling. This holds the key to good tasting, juicy dumplings.  Heat up a steamer, oil the steamer rack well. This is critical because it will prevent the dumplings from sticking. Arrange uncooked dumplings in the steamer.  Close the lid and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Take dumplings off the steamer and serve immediately. 

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It’s a bold claim, but I’ve made it often enough and I can’t back out now. 

There is nothing in this world —nothing— worse than a floury apple. It’s not the actual flouriness that is the problem, per se, it is the fact that the flouriness is amplified by the knowledge of what once could have been. If this apple had been eaten at the right time, it would’ve been so good. 

So it more or less goes without saying that if there’s nothing worse than a floury apple, there’s nothing better than the opposite: a sweet, crisp bite of appley perfection. 

Perfection in the fruit aisle is basically an impossible ask at this time of year. If, like me, you love your fruit, you’ll be well aware we are getting very close to the absolute worst few weeks of the fruiting calendar.  

We’re into the bowels of the cold store for almost everything. The citrus is holding on by its fingertips. Same with the kiwifruit and a few of the pears. But this is the biggest chasm in which nothing’s peaking. Yes sure, maybe you can buy a few early season berries, but you’ll be harvesting a kidney and mortgaging off your home to do so. 

Enter the Cosmic Crisp. For someone who professes to like his fruit, I’m embarrassingly late to the game on this front, but in a household riven by illness this winter, the Cosmic Crisp has proven the stand-out option for anyone who fancies something healthy, fresh, and delicious. 

You can tell from the name —Cosmic Crisp— that it’s an American apple. They bred it at Washington State University and in a relatively short time it’s become one of the most popular apples in the US. It’s a crossbreed of a Honeycrisp and an Enterprise. It has a maroon colour with a few greeny-yellowy hues.  

The taste is perfect for my apple sensibility – sweet, but not the absolute sweetest. And tart, but definitely not a Granny Smith. Still, it’s the crisp that does it. I don’t really understand how this is possible, but although of course, the fresher the better, apparently the Cosmic Crisp will last in a cold store for the best part of a year. 

Even now in the depths of winter, it’s pretty good. But if you reckon they're tasty now, take my word for it, to be good at the start of September, a New Zealand-grown apple has to be nothing short of exceptional when freshly picked. 

I still recall my first Cosmic Crisp. I saw them at the local supermarket. They were the most expensive variety available, but I figured I’d treat myself. And you know that feeling when you open your mouth almost as wide as it’ll go, you sink your top and bottom teeth into the flesh, and then your pull the apple back from your lips? There’s a little fraction of a second... a moment of appley truth where you wait to see if the flesh will carve off in a giant, crisp chunk? I swear almost half the apple snapped off in my gob. I could barely fit the flesh in my mouth. Forget your fancy Michelin stars and foie gras foams, that feeling is as close to gastronomic perfection as you’ll ever find. 

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A renowned Kiwi performer, Jackie Clarke has been in the entertainment industry for over 40 years. 

With career highlights such as The Ladykillers, judging New Zealand Idol, Christmas in the Park, or hosting the Lotto, she leaves a trail of nostalgic memories in her wake. 

And she's back with a new show, 'Songs For Nobodies', in which the paths of some of the most legendary female singers intersect with those of everyday women.  

"It's essentially about the most seen women in the world connecting with the most unseen women in the women in the world," Clarke explained to Jack Tame. 

"It's got a beautiful poetry to it, and it's essentially about connection."  

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Something new from the lead singer of the Killers.  

'Thrasher' is the third solo album from Brandon Flowers, a country/western record quite sonically different to the Killers' usual fare. 

The ten track album is filled with personal tales of his youth in Utah. 

Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts on the release. 

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Post-Mortem by Tim Booth  

Death is a certainty, but what happens in the lead-up - and in its aftermath - is anything but predictable. Nobody knows this better than those who work with death every day.  

There's no time for an existential crisis when your 9-to-5 involves responding to fatal plane accidents, transporting organs for urgent surgery, or fending off a dying man's request for Nickelback.  

In this book, bestselling author and paramedic Tim Booth reveals the darkly funny, often absurd, and sometimes horrifying realities of the professionals most people hope never to meet, including: - crime scene cleaners - organ procurement coordinators - gravediggers - combat medics - emergency nurses and so many more.  

Blending laugh-out-loud humour with unflinching moments of poignancy, Post-Mortem tells the stories of the people who face daily life's final chapter - so we don't have to. 

Brain Damage by Frieda McFadden  

How can you survive when you can't remember who wants you dead? 

Dr. Charly McKenna had the perfect life: a thriving dermatology practice, a luxury apartment overlooking Central Park, and a handsome husband who adored her. 

Until the night a bullet tore through her skull… and stole everything. 

Now Charly wakes in a rehabilitation hospital unable to walk, speak, or remember her own name. All she knows is that someone tried to kill her—and they may still be out there. As fragments of memory surface, so do unsettling questions about the people around her, including the attentive man who keeps appearing at her bedside. 

The truth of what happened that night lives somewhere inside her brain. And as Charly pieces together the jagged edges of her past, she begins to realize the most terrifying possibility: the person who wants her dead might be the one she once trusted most. 

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"The island metropolis of Montreal prides itself on being eclectic and cosmopolitan, a city of style and elegance with a cracking culinary scene, impressively bilingual and where arts and culture thrive. All of this is wrapped within the venerable bones of a heritage-proud city where the past and present overlay each other. It shivers through winter but shines in summer, with locals flocking to the patio bars and cafes that festoon Montreal with fabled al fresco exuberance."

Read Mike's full article.

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Between the ages of 12-14, girls are twice as likely to drop out of sport as boys Typically if young people drop out, they don’t return, so they miss out on the many benefits of playing sport as an adult.  

From a developmental perspective this age is really critical for girls who are often going through puberty and associated body changes, which can bring with it an increased self-awareness, and not always in a good way. Another corresponding change is that girls at this age can often start to become more critical of themselves and often compare themselves to others.  

So the last thing they need is more pressure from us on the side-line! Some new research from 2degrees found that’s exactly what girls feel from us, not only in when we shout out from the sideline, but also what we shout out from the sideline.  

55% of girls surveyed feel more pressure when there are supporters present and 99% said that the right type of support would help keep them in sport for longer.  

They said that support when losing is twice as important as support when they’re winning. And there’s a fine line between pressure vs encouragement. 

Comments girls said belong on the encouraging side of the line:  

Comments that cross into pressure:  

The key point is that girls are under enough pressure from themselves without us as supporters adding to this – what they need is our encouragement, and sometimes the line between these things can be hard for us to draw as adults.  

One really practical outcome of this survey is that clubs and schools can order a free SupportHER Line pack from 2degrees – this comes with an actual physical line that you can be put around your field or court to help remind supporters of the line between encouragement and pressure. If you want to see what this looks like, it’s going to be printed on the field tonight for the Black Ferns v Wallaroos match at GoMedia Stadium. 

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A surge of influenza A is hitting New Zealand.  

This year's numbers are the highest in four years, and hospitalisations in Auckland are the highest they've been for a decade. 

Covid health measures have been reinstated in GP clinics with phone-first triaging and respiratory patients being separated from normal patients. 

Dr Bryan Betty joined Jack Tame to discuss the outbreak – what's happening, why it seems so severe, and if it can be treated at home. 

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On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday August 22 2026, renowned New Zealand performer Jackie Clarke joined to chat about her new show 'Songs For Nobodies'. 

Jack's house has been struck by the Influenza A outbreak. 

Our tech expert Paul Stenhouse warns us that Meta's Smart Glasses are on their way to New Zealand shelves. 

A robust debate is had on the merits (and downfalls) of Poutine with our travel correspondent Mike Yardley. 

And there's a fine line between encouragement and pressure when it comes to girls' sports – Clinical Psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland has some tips on how to be a positive support to our teens. 

Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Honestly our winter has been rather strange: crazy winds and cold weeks, some flowering trees and late native trees. It sometimes feels like spring, but don’t be fooled for another four weeks – mistakes can be made!   

Spring, by the way, starts 23rd of September at 12:05pm (at the equinox ;-)).  

Yet slowly —very slowly— the soil starts to warm up a bit and that is a condition that requires us to plant our new crops and ornamentals.  

A rather quick way to get new crops going is by purchasing plants you’d love to have in the veggie garden and eat as soon as they are ready: broad beans, strawberries, spring onions, cauliflowers, lettuces, carrots, spinach, etc. 

Start that now, but cover them when you expect a nasty frost.  

Soils are still quite moist and that is a positive reason to plant anything that lives long: shrubs, trees, fruit-bearing vines, and flowering perennial beauties. The reason is the planted trees/shrub etc will not need to “sulk” for a long time – they’ll 'wake up' from their winter slumber relatively quickly to start the growth.   

And there’s little need to water these new plants. The same arguments will go for your food crops.  

A few things to start organising:   

For those of you that like “new potatoes” for Christmas, start sorting your plants so you can begin chitting and plant your spuds as seed potatoes. Jersey Bennes and such early varieties are probably the best to use before Christmas.  

That’s all I do this year, so I don’t play Russian roulette with solanum pests such as Psyllids later in the season (AND I WANT TO PROTECT MY MAIN TUNNELHOUSE CROP: TOMATOES!). 

And that brings me to organising my Tomato varieties: get the Kings Seeds Catalogue!  

Mixed cherry tomatoes and Artisan Blush 

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"Pervert glasses": Meta's smart glasses are getting banned from workplaces, bars. Do we really need them in society?  

Meta's AI glasses look like ordinary sunglasses but can record video, and people are finding ways to disable the little recording light that's supposed to warn others. They're being called "pervert glasses" online. But if you thought being able to record was bad, Meta has plans to use facial recognition to give people "Name Badges".  

There are a group of US senators who are not happy, and have written to Meta. They don't like that it could be used for harassment, stalking, and targeted intimidation; but also that people could have their biometrics scanned just by walking down the street.  

In the UK, the UK Cinema Association is trying to find the balance between helpful and harmful. It likes the idea of having people be able to have captions generated for them on the fly – that's helpful! But being able to record the content and put it online, that's harmful! No cinemas in the UK have banned them yet, but it's under discussion.  

One of the reasons people support the ban in workplaces is that those on the front lines —waiters, servers, cashiers— can't just walk away from being filmed. Restaurateurs don't like the idea of their guests' privacy being infringed either.  

A recent leak has shown that Apple is working on Airpods with cameras in them, but they don't appear —at this stage— to be about recording, but more about helping make sense of the world and give additional context. 

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Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret 

An investigative documentary exploring long-standing and newly detailed allegations of sexual misconduct, grooming, and criminal sexual conduct against Oscar-winning actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto (Neon). 

Lanterns 

Based on the DC comic "Green Lantern," drama series "Lanterns" follows new recruit John Stewart and "Lantern" legend Hal Jordan. These two intergalactic cops are drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland (HBO Max). 

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An accidental folk hero, George Wilder caught the country's attention after escaping prison three times in the 1960s.  

But what happened to him? Is he still alive? Kevin Milne is full of questions. 

He joined Jack Tame to chat about the time he managed to track him down and his recent efforts to figure out if he's still alive. 

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Tony 

A 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen, setting off a summer that will shape the course of his life. 

Marc By Sofia  

An intimate, unconventional portrait of Marc Jacobs, crafted by Sofia Coppola to capture the genius and singular universe of the iconic American fashion designer. 

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Why is it that when we’re sick, soup seems like the best answer? Try a steaming bowl of this classic. It’s nourishing (packed full of legumes), hearty, and easy to digest.   

Makes 8-10 serves   

Ingredients 

Method 

In a large pot, bring 3 litres of water, the ham hock, and split peas to a boil. Cover and cook for one hour. Skim off any foam that develops.   Add in onions, celery, and carrots and bring to the boil again. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for another 60-90 minutes or until the meat from the ham hock can easily be teased from the bone. This will depend on the size of the hock.    Remove the ham hock from the soup, peel away skin and discard. Strip the meat from the bone and shred into large pieces.    Use a wand blender to blend the soup smooth or leave it chunky if you prefer. Add more water to get a not-to-thick not-to-thin consistency.   Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Add the ham meat back into the soup.    Serve soup with plenty of buttery toast.   

Make it your own

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“I’m afraid it’ll be quite a wait,” said the receptionist in the afterhours surgery.  

It was Thursday early-afternoon. Hardly rush-hour by the standards of 24-hour medical centres, but there was barely a spare seat in the waiting room: a collage of sickly, grey faces. As we pulled into the carpark, an ambulance pulled out.   

“And because you’ve tested positive,” said the receptionist. 

“You’ll have to wait in your vehicle.”  

All good. We figured as much. Depending on how you counted it, my poor wife was on day nine or ten of influenza A. The sinus infection compounding her misery is apparently a fairly common occurrence given how influenza depletes your immunity, but when you’re a week and half deep already, what’s a few more hours?   

It’s not too clear how we got it in our house. it was clear when the nine-year-old first went down that he was out for the count. You know how we use the term ‘flu’ as a bit of a catch all? It was pretty bloody obvious this was the real thing.   

You can tell a kid is really sick when they go quiet. It’s so hard to see it in someone you love. And honestly, a bit unsettling. The poor boy had no appetite. No thirst. No interest in taking anything that may soothe his brutal cough. He lay in bed one morning without so much as a book to keep him entertained. He didn’t want anything except for rest. When I came back and checked on him after half an hour or so, he was still awake, still clammy, but he’d barely moved.   

I don’t know how I’ve avoided it. I’ve had a couple of brutal colds this winter including the one that took my voice on this show, three weeks ago. But though my wife and I had the same jab on the same day, she was wiped out by influenza A and somehow —touch wood— I’ve skated through so far. Watching her over this last week and a half has been a good reminder of why influenza can be so dangerous. We’re young and relatively fit and healthy. You can why so many people end up in hospital.  

And so many of them are. It’s hard to keep up with the records being shattered as a result of this winter flu. Hato Hone St John has broken its daily record for 111 callouts several times. Their weekly callout records have been broken. Hospital ED presentations are higher than during Covid.   

After she was triaged, my wife eventually saw the doctor. The doc was in full PPE, mask and gown, the Covid special. And for those few minutes we spent inside the clinic this week, we had a perfect little insight into the typical working environment that doctors and nurses and cleaners and receptionists and frontline medical staff around the country are exposed to every single day at the moment.   

A baby screaming. People in the waiting room coughing up who-knows-what, exhausted, frustrated, impatient. A never-ending stream of patients needing triaging... the sick and the really sick.   

I’ll be honest, I was in the building for all of ten minutes and I couldn’t wait to get out, but the doctor was so good humoured. So kind and efficient. So practical and pragmatic. In the absolute depths of the winter crush, she was bouncing from one patient to the next, knowing there’s no foreseeable moment when the backlog will be cleared. It could be like this for days or weeks, still. Knowing that all the time she and everyone else trying to help are inevitably risking their own health and being exposed to all sorts of horrid things.  

It might sound trite, but to all of those health workers on the frontlines of this epic winter flu surge... We see you. We really, really appreciate you. 

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The ever-expanding Manuka Phuel Synthony Festival is officially returning in March next year. 

The first performers have been announced, and on performing alongside the likes of Paul Okenfold and Ladyhawke is New Zealand’s own L.A.B. 

They’ve gone from strength to strength since their conception a decade ago and show no signs of slowing down – continuing to punch out hit after hit. 

Frontman Joel Shadbolt told Jack Tame they’d been approached to play at Synthony before, and they finally agreeed. 

“It’s one of those gigs that, yeah, like you said, it’s just massive, y’know, and the production and the crowd and every year it just seems to get bigger and bigger,” he said. 

“It’s one of the biggest stages that we would have played on.” 

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After a century on air, ZB has become a staple for hundreds of thousands of Kiwis. 

Whether they listened to the early days of 1ZB, or tuned in after its transition to the news powerhouse that is Newstalk ZB, most people have at least one memory associated with the station. 

Kevin Milne is no different, and joined Jack Tame to share a few of his. 

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Auckland's redeveloped Western Springs Bowl is hosting its first concert since its $2.5 million transformation.    

UK popstar Olivia Dean's appearing in the former Western Springs Stadium on October 17th – the show moved from Spark Arena due to high ticket demand. 

Chris Schulz has heard word that it could be the biggest show by the end of the summer – bigger than Guns N’ Roses, Robbie Williams, The Foo Fighters, and System of a Down. 

He joined Jack Tame to chat about Dean’s rising star and the inside look at Western Springs he got before it officially opens to the public. 

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The Girl With The Seven Lives by Vikras Swarup  

Devi is a fighter. Growing up in the slums of Delhi, she has learnt that survival comes at a cost—and naturally, that means she’s made a few enemies along the way.

Now she’s being held captive, her life up for sale in an online auction, where the highest bidder will determine her fate.

With her existence hanging in the balance, Devi proceeds to give her captor ‘a confession to beat all confessions’ – as over the course of a single night, Devi unveils the secrets of her seven extraordinary lives.

Devi is the ultimate survivor – a girl from the gutters who dares to rewrite her own destiny. But, like Sheherazade in the Arabian Nights, will she survive the longest night of her life? 

Time Travel For Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty  

On a bustling road in Sydney, Australia, lies a nondescript storefront known simply as the Time Travel Agency. Inside, you’ll be welcomed by the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, a selection of baked goods…and the question, Where in time do you wish to go?

The guidelines are simple: you can go whenever you wish into the past, and there’s no fear of altering the present. Have tea with Jane Austen, scream at a Beatles concert, witness the Olympics in ancient Greece. Perhaps a more personal trip? Visit your long-lost grandmother, recapture the heady days of your youth, return to the idyllic time when your teen was a babbling baby—or watch yourself make the one decision that changed everything.

Is it a hoax? And if it’s real, what’s the catch?

When single mother Anna is offered a job at the agency, she glimpses the possibility of happiness. Meanwhile, Teddy’s a customer hoping to untangle his recently imploded marriage. And Jade, who has a deeply buried secret, despises the agency for offering false hope. 

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"From the Dickensian atmosphere of glowing lamps and peeling church bells to quaint stone gabled houses, cobblestoned lanes, and horse-drawn caleche, Old Québec City or Vieux-Québec, is unstoppably picturesque. Charles Dickens wasn’t wrong with his summation of the Old City’s appeal: “Splendid views which burst upon the eye at every turn.” It is like a grand, evocative set of gorgeousness, a built landscape spanning 400 years, bestowed with World Heritage protection in 1985. It is the only North American walled city beyond Mexico, underpinning its proud sense of historical continuity. A city that clings to her French-speaking heritage and Gallic traditions. Home to the largest Francophone population outside of France, Québec City is where the dream of New France was born and died."

Read Mike's full article article. 

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Kiwis are being saddled with hefty power bills as prices continue to rise. 

So what can you do to try reduce the cost you're paying this winter? Kate Hall has a few tips: 

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On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday August 15, 2026, Joel Shadbolt, lead singer of Kiwi band L.A.B., was in studio to talk about joining the Manuka Phuel Synthony Festival 2027 lineup. 

Jack pondered nature versus nurture after his 1 year old’s latest obsession... 

Chef Nici Wickes ladles up a steaming Curry Noodle Bowl to warm us up and ward off winter nasties. 

We talk about the marvellous magnificence of Magnolias with our resident gardener, Ruud Kleinpaste. 

And Catherine Raynes has her latest book recommendations to curl up by the fire with, including one from the author of Slumdog Millionaire, Vikras Swarup.

Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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It was one of those moments that got me going back in time. A week and a bit ago (just before that ultra cold time in Christchurch) I stumbled across the very first brilliant magnolia flowers that reminded me of Maggie’s Garden Show, all those decades ago.  

This dark coloured and early flowering Magnolia tree whispered “Black Tulip” to me – one of Mark Jury’s earlier hybrids, created at Tikorangi, (Mount Taranaki). Felix Jury was a breeder for a long time and together with his son, Mark, they literally created a huge number of Magnolias.  

We both love Magnolias and Julie decided to do some research on these trees and shrubs in Canterbury… Of course, she ended up remembering the Lincoln University’s Arboretum from all those years ago. And that Arboretum used to have a rather good collection of magnolias.  

Some “Early Rose” from the 1990s (Jury Family, of course). 

The Arboretum has been lacking some maintenance, but the good news is that there were quite a few garden staff working at the weeding and restoration of all those sizeable Magnolia trees, as well as other wonderful specimens. Certainly, now is the time to find some Magnolias where you can.  

Botanic Gardens often give you the variety name so you can hunt for the pretty evergreen and deciduous Magnolia providers. Magnolia Grove, The Plant Company, Southern Woods Nursery, Little Big Tree Company, Wairere Nursery  

It’s always useful to visit The Tikorangi Garden, run by Mark and Abbie Jury. 

And if you are keen to try to breed New Varieties, that would be brilliant but pretty tricky – it involves hand-pollinating selected parent flowers to create custom hybrid crosses: harvesting the seeds in autumn and growing them out.  

Good Luck! But it’s worth the effort… 

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The Wine: Te Whare Rā (TWR) Rosé 2025, Marlborough RRP $32.00  

Te Whare Rā means ‘The House in the Sun’, and it’s made by winemakers Anna and Jason Flowerday.  

One of the oldest in Marlborough, originally planted in 1979 and today Certified Bio-gro, the vineyard is managed with a combination of organic and biodynamic practices, and all the fruit is hand-picked and hand-sorted. Small ferment batches mean a lot more attention to detail, palate weight, flavours and mouthfeel.  

This is such a delicious wine – fresh and taut, a youthful expression with aromas and flavours of peaches and pink grapefruit, cherry flesh, and cold rover stones. A dry wine with a fine tannin presence, plenty of acidity and persistent light red fruit and cherry flavours. The wine to pull for Spring and Summer 2026.  

The season:  

Warm and sunny conditions in late November and December set Marlborough vineyards up for a bumper crop. While a cool, cloudy January caused some concern, February and March delivered a settled summer, as well as an extended harvest window. Fairly low rainfall with overall yields running high. The weather delivered excellent fruit balance and flavour development across the region.  

The food:  

An aperitif style this wine is well suited to pre-meal snacks – salty crackers with cheese and tomato, lots of pepper and some salt; you could also have sweetcorn fritters with topped with sour cream and a little chilli-jam. A Minestrone or chilled soup is also a great match.

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Google's announced its latest gadgets at its "Made by Google" event  

The Pixel 11 – it has the same phone wide camera bar, but it's 40% thinner. It's got more powerful wireless charging, it's 25% faster, and boasts 30+ hours of battery. It now comes with a built in 'teleprompter' view when recording a selfie – just one of the new 'creator features'. Gemini can make phone calls for you too.  

But it's the Pixel Tag that caught my attention – finally, the Android version of the AirTag is here. It's more of a pill shape than Apple's circle. It has many of the same features —directions to the tag, a speaker to help you find it, leave behind alerts— but has a great feature that lets you use your Pixel Tag to make your phone ring when you've lost that! They'll launch in November.  

And let's file this one in the AI for good category...  

Google has effectively built Google Translate for American Sign Language. A Deaf person can sign at their phone instead of typing to do a Google search, write a text/email, or ask Gemini a question. And in a face-to-face conversation, they can sign their reply, and it appears as text for the other person to read. The video never leaves your phone for additional privacy, instead the hand, finger and arm tracking coordinates are what are sent.  

And one man in Australia found out what happens when you give an AI agent a goal... it works to complete it 

Though whatever means necessary! The agent managed to find holes in the gym booking system to book him into classes weeks out, and also managed to kick someone off a waitlist so he could get on. 

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Reacher  

A chance encounter with a distraught stranger on the Philadelphia subway draws Jack Reacher into a deadly mystery. Season 4 of the show based on Lee Child’s novels(Prime Video). 

Ricky Gervais' Alley Cats  

Outrageous misadventures run wild as feral cats cause chaos on the streets in this no-holds-barred animated comedy from Ricky Gervais(Netflix). 

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The End of Oak Street  

After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings. 

The Last House 

A family of four are suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out, and must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat that is keeping them trapped. 

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Noodle soups are served throughout Southeast Asia and I just love them!    

Serves 2-4   

Ingredients 

Method 

Boil the egg noodles in salted water until tender, then drain and set aside.    Heat oil in large pot or wok and fry curry paste and curry powder until fragrant – about 1 minute.   Add stock, sesame oil, lemongrass, and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.   Add the protein and simmer until cooked through. Taste and add salt if required. Add the juice of a lime or half a lemon.    Divide the noodles evenly into bowls. Use a slotted spoon to share out the protein, then pour over hot broth over and garnish. Happy slurping!   

Easy homemade curry paste:   

Blend it all together to a paste and store in a jar until needed. 

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There’s construction a couple of streets down from our place. The hi-vis crew are digging up a road. And though usually it’d be little more than a brief, passing inconvenience, at our place this week it’s been cause for a lot more excitement.   

My 18-month-old son is slowly building his vocabulary. He can’t yet say “Mum” or “mumma,” but the moment we turned the corner and spied the orange road cones a few hundred metres away, he was straining on his push chair seat belt.   

“DIG-GAH! DIG-GAH!”  

There was no chance it was a fluke. Apparently, kids find the ‘D’ sound relatively easy to make and ‘D’ words are often some of the first they can articulate. My boy started with ‘dog’ and ‘Dadda,’ and for the first few ‘diggahs’ I wasn’t totally sure if he knew what he was actually saying.   

There was a moment of clarity one morning as I was walking across Western Springs when he blurted it out —“DIG-GAH”— and I gently corrected him.   

“No! That’s a duck. You’re a silly duffer,” I said.  

Then as my eyes shifted focus, right in the far distance, hundreds of metres away in a gap between a few tree branches, I saw the familiar yellow arm of a mid-sized Komatsu excavator, waiting to dig up the Western Springs turf.   

“Oh,” I said.  

“Sorry. DIG-GAH.”  

It’s become increasingly obvious he’s absolutely fixated on heavy vehicles.   

It feels like we read ‘The Little Yellow Digger’ 10 or 12 times a day. We’re constantly refreshing the rest of our digger-related literature at the local library, and his digger matchbox toy comes everywhere.   

What is it? What’s the attraction? My theory —the Jack Tame theory of paediatric neurology which isn’t necessarily informed by actual science— is that we human beings more or less wired the same as were 50,000 years ago. And 50,000 years ago, roaming a savanna, you would never have encountered something as big and colourful and powerful as a DIGGAH.    

It’s funny, isn’t it? The old nature-nurture. It’s not like every little boy loves diggers and every little girl loves dolls and playing shop, and that there isn’t a whole heap of crossover. But even if you don’t put your thumb on the scale as a parent, your kids are gonna like what they’re gonna like. And in my limited experience, the boys have very much deferred to the boy cliches.   

My wife actually thought that among his cars and blocks and Duplo, our son should have a baby doll among his toys to play with as well. I reckon he’s picked it up about 3 times in the last year, and each of those has been to throw it across the room. So far at least, he doesn’t want to play with his baby. He wants ‘DIG-GAH.’   

At 1.42am this morning my son stirred in his bed. He cried and I went in and gently comforted him, kissing him on his cheek and rubbing his back. And he curled up and relaxed into sleep, he gently mouthed a word under his sweet breath.   

“Dig-gah.” 

Four hours later, as if picking up where he’d left off, he started babbling in his cot and fussing to get up for breakfast. As I groaned and rubbed my eyes and dragged myself from slumber, the noise from his bedroom quieted for a moment. Maybe, I thought, maybe he’s dozed off for another half an hour’s sleep.  

Then I heard it. Clear as a day. Ringing down the corridor and across the neighbourhood. 

“DIGGGGG-GAH!” 

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Bryan Adams is a rock music legend. 

With 16 albums under his belt, he’s estimated to have sold between 75 million and 100 million records and singles during his 45 year career. 

His most recent album, ‘Roll with the Punches’, harkens back to his earlier releases, with the rock sound that’s made him so popular over the years. 

And off the back of an extensive string of international dates, Adams is bringing his ‘Roll with the Punches Tour’ to New Zealand next March. 

Adams has seen major success, but his drive to create has never waned. 

“I’m not one of those people that sort of, rests on my laurels and is just sort of quite happy to go back and do the same thing over and over,” he told Jack Tame. 

“I enjoy the creativity and I really like, you know, putting songs together.” 

“I’ve still got the melodies in my head, so I gotta get them out.”  

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Emerging Kiwi musician Isla Noon has remixed and revamped her first album. 

‘Out of Body’ was released in 2025, and explored themes of identity and detachment through a combination of synth heavy electronic pop and delicate vocals. 

‘Out of Body (REDUX)’ was made in collaboration with producer Justyn Pilbrow, taking seven tracks from the original album and pushing the electronic sound harder. 

Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts on the EP. 

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"Jetting into Vanuatu across the sapphire sea and the crisp palette of lagoon blues, all the hues of your tropical holiday dreams stretch out to greet you. After taking in the delights of Port Vila, head out of town for some rewarding encounters. For a sweet burst of soft adventure, jaunt to the Mele Cascades, about 15 minutes north of town. It is a wonderland of waterfalls. A twenty minute walk through lush and fragrant native bush leads you to the most sublime 35 metre high waterfall and gin-clear rock pools."

"I highly recommend experiencing the unspoilt bliss of Lelepa Island, which looms on the west side of Efate’s Havannah Harbour. Day tours are slickly operated by Lelepa islanders, packaging a kaleidoscope of authentic experiences and insights into one magical day."

Read Mike's full article.

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One Of Us Is Guilty by Steve Cavanagh  

Patrick Vanderpool, son of a billionaire media mogul, is destined for power. But the affair he's having could ruin everything.  

Vanessa Vanderpool, married to one of America's most influential men, has her own ambitions. But the affair he's having could ruin everything. 

When the other woman is found brutally murdered, there are only two suspects...  

One of them is guilty. But which one?  

Conman turned defence lawyer Eddie Flynn must risk his life to find out... 

The Nowhere Boy by Anne Cleary  

A child disappears in broad daylight—and no one sees a thing. 

Three-year-old Oliver, known as Apple Man, vanishes from a remote car park while his young father, Scott, carries fishing gear down to the beach. When he returns, the car is empty. His son has vanished without a trace. 

Apple Man's mother, Fae, gets the call that shatters her life. Enraged with her ex, Scott and drowning in her own guilt, she is pulled back into Scott's orbit as police launch a desperate search across a wild coastline and dense pine forest. With every hour that passes, the case tightens around them—and the question no parent can bear to answer grows louder: what if he's never coming back? 

Far from the search, a grieving woman convinces herself she's been given a second chance. Tessa has lost three babies and the future she believed was hers. When she encounters a small, abandoned boy, she sees not a crime, but a miracle she cannot surrender. As the hunt intensifies, her fragile fantasy of motherhood begins to unravel. 

As the pressure continues to mount, everyone involved is forced to confront the same terrifying question: when love becomes possession, how far is too far? 

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On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday August 08 2026, we were joined by rock legend Bryan Adams ahead of his New Zealand tour of Roll With The Punches. 

Jack dissected what he believes to be one of Christopher Luxon's worst weeks as Prime Minister. 

Francesca Rudkin reviewed the new film that depicts the life of our endeared rugby superstar Jonah Lomu. 

Is AI literally changing the way we think? Clinical psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland joined us to look at the research. 

And Chris Schulz gives the emerging Kiwi talent of Isla Noon a good listening to – we hear his review. 

Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Many people will be familiar with two modes of thinking – fast and slow. Fast thinking is intuitive, whereas slow thinking is deliberate reasoning  

Researchers are proposing a third mode, one that they’ve called “cognitive surrender” – the tendency to accept AI-generated answers without critically evaluating them, which is effectively farming-out decision making to AI.  

They gave participants a variety of different problem-solving tasks and allowed some of them to access AI, while others could only rely on their own fast and slow modes of thinking.  

They found that:  

It’s interesting to read this alongside other research which has shown that more experienced workers use AI better than newer workers, as those with more experience had a better understanding of their jobs and could spot when AI was making mistakes or offering unhelpful suggestions. 

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We were going for a lovely walk through the town of Lincoln and came across the Lincoln Envirotown Community Gardens. Locally maintained by enthusiasts, growing all sorts of edibles – nicely done!  

But that wasn’t really what surprised us most: Julie discovered a series of flowering Hamamelis with a lovely range of coloured flowers.  

No doubt these shrubs had been planted quite some time ago (many decades), but they were flowering in the middle of winter… and smelling pretty darn good too!    

There are quite a few Hamamelis species (more than I expected); the most common species come from the USA, Japan, and China, but within the gardening industry it’s becoming quite obvious that many growers are working with hybrids in all sorts of colours, shapes, and sizes. There must be dozens of varieties.   

A great old name for these plants is ‘Witch Hazel’. ‘Witch’, derived from the Old English word wice or wych, meaning ‘pliant’, ‘bendable’, or ‘to bend’. It’s not just flexible branches, but also the shape of the leaves – many leaves keep hanging around the developing flowers.  

Hamamelis virginiana is often used as a skin toner, getting rid of pain and swellings, as well as itching and allergic troubles. No doubt something from the old days…  

Many Hamamelis cultivars can be pruned nicely: it keeps the flowering ends on the top.  

Some of the cultivars are literally grafted on the parent rootstock; in itself not a problem, but rootstock is often much faster growing than the cultivars and often you end up with two colours on one tree.  

The best way to avoid that is by checking, finding, and pruning the rootstock where it comes up from the “grafting point” point almost right at the bottom. You can pick it easily – a larger and thicker stem that just looks like rootstock, exactly where it was grafted.  

Plant them in moisture-retentive soil with lots of organic matter; neutral to marginal acidic soil.   

They hate drying out in summer – hence the organic material! And keep them in an area where the hot summer sun is avoided. 

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Markets fluctuate, which can make investment a tricky business. 

Property may seem like a guaranteed investment, but according to Ed McKnight, the number one mistake people make is assuming past returns guarantee future performance. 

He joined Jack Tame to dig into the details to try keep listeners from making this mistake. 

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In the tech world now, nothing is new – just new players joining markets 

Meta has launched their own AI coding agent called “Muse Code”, which they say is designed for large, sprawling code bases. It doesn’t have a subscription offering though, so it’s pay per use. It’s also around the same price as the other frontier models, unless you decide to opt into let your code be used for training which will make it 1/10th of the price. It’s arguably about as good as OpenAIs Codex, but lags behind Anthropic’s Claude.   

A new addition to the note taking market too  

Wispr AI —one of the best dictation AI tools around— is about to get into the meeting notetaker market. It hadn’t been announced yet, but changes to its legal docs suggest the move. The tool will apparently use your system audio to listen into the meeting, similar to Granola, then create the notes for you. They’ll be searchable via AI too of course.  

Other note taking services join as a pseudo person, which makes it more obvious you’re being recorded. Basically, these days, if you’re using an online conference tool, you need to assume you’re being recorded. 

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The Shards 

In 1980s Los Angeles, aspiring writer Bret and his elite prep school circle navigate identity, desire and obsession as a magnetic new student arrives amid a serial killer’s reign of terror(Disney+). 

Ted Lasso  

Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team - despite having no experience. But what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with optimism, underdog determination…and biscuits.  

In season 4, Ted returns to Richmond, taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women’s football team. Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would (Apple TV+). 

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Today’s a critical juncture in the run up to November’s election.   

National will set its party list, meaning those MPs who either aren’t standing in an electorate or are unlikely to win an electorate seat will be keenly waiting to see the numbers next to their names. 

If the current polling trends don’t improve, National’s in line to lose something in the vicinity of ten or eleven MPs from its caucus.   

Perhaps even more concerning to the party than the total number of MPs who’d be lost, is the experience under threat. MMP maths always makes this a bit of a tricky equation, but even if the party loses several of the electorate seats it currently holds, very few MPs are likely to get in on the list.  

Perversely, the party might find itself quietly hoping to lose more electorates in order to protect some of its most senior ministers. In an absolute worst-case scenario, any or even all of Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop, Gerry Brownlee, and Paul Goldsmith could be gone.   

A result like this would be devastating for National, even if the party is returned to government. Just consider for a moment the influence ACT and NZ First have been able to exert in the coalition this term, and now imagine a significantly smaller National caucus without some of its most senior and experienced Cabinet ministers.   

The list rankings are surely a bit of a penny-drop moment for members of the caucus. Unlike many of my media colleagues, I haven’t thrown myself into frenzied speculation over Christopher Luxon’s future at every opportunity, but as many have already noted, this was among his worst weeks as Prime Minister.   

Some will say his patronising comments to the Rotorua business audience and his off-the-cuff musings in this studio over the future of MMP were simply communication gaffs from a Prime Minister who by his own admissions, isn’t always as strong a communicator as some of his predecessors.  

The problem with that of course, is that communication is such a big part of the job. Not just speaking to media, but speaking to voters, and being aware of how your communication is received.   

The thing I found most interesting about the Rotorua comments was that the PM apparently lacked the EQ to see that his bland, empty corporatese-riddled answer wasn’t landing. Not only that, but his office doubled down. They released the transcript. And only when that garnered even more of a backlash did they pull back and apologise.   

The same thing could be said of his MMP referendum. It’s hard not to be left with the impression that at times he lacks an instinct for understanding how his comments will land. And in an election campaign where those skills are going to be continuously tested, it constitutes a not insignificant liability.  

As National confirms its list rankings, the question isn’t simply if Christopher Luxon can lead the party to an election result that allows them to form a government, it’s what that government looks like. And whether the party risks being so diminished in coalition that it's a win in name only. 

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Savage House 

In 18th-century England, Savage House follows Sir Chauncey Savage, a gloriously unscrupulous social climber propped up by debt and bravado. When invited to host the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Chauncey and his razor-sharp wife, Lady Savage, launch a bid to impress. As preparations spiral into duels, decadence and bloodshed, their performance careens out of control--a darkly comic satire of class, spectacle, and the art of appearing important. 

Lomu  

A theatrical documentary about the legendary Jonah Lomu. An intimate and heartfelt character study tracing his Tongan upbringing, meteoric rise to fame, and the complicated personal and health battles he faced at the pinnacle of world rugby.   

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An email from a reader giving me feedback on the cost of making my pistachio and white chocolate cookies, got me thinking of economic baking ideas.  

This recipe for peanut brownies is just the ticket – easy to make, rich with protein from the egg and nuts, they’re a filling little lunch box filler or perfect to have with a cuppa tea. 

Makes 20 

Ingredients  

Method 

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, then beat in the egg.  Sift in the dry ingredients, then stir through the nuts.  Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place onto baking paper lined tray and press slightly to flatten.  Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes while they firm up, then transfer to a cooling rack. 

Make them your own

Other nuts can be used – cashews, walnuts, or my favourite, tamari almonds. 

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Sport as a whole will always claim people's attention, but the popularity of the games contained within that broad category ebbs and flows.  

And one sport in particular, seems to be in the midst of a comeback – chess. 

Kevin Milne learned about the game’s increasing popularity recently, and is quite delighted. 

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A new album from The Strokes. 

‘Reality Awaits’ is the band’s seventh studio album, following on from their 2020 Grammy Award-winning album ‘The New Abnormal’. 

'Reality Awaits’ is filled with apocalyptic imagery, corporate imperialism, and political commentary, paired with the heavy use of pitch correction and auto-tune. 

Chris Schulz joined Roman Travers to share his thoughts on the album. 

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"Sculpted with lagoons and islets and flanked by thickly forested emerald hillsides, cascading down to the water, Port Vila’s alluring good looks is what screensavers were made for. The locals’ smiles are as wide as a coat-hanger and that gentle, authentic Melanesian warmth will constantly keep delighting you in Port Vila. There is a timeless innocence to their cheerful, inquisitive and friendly patter."

Read Mike's full article here.

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Hayley Sproull wears many hats.  

Along with being one of the hosts of ZM’s Breakfast show, she’s a television host, a podcaster, an actor, writer, and a comedian. 

She’s also newly single, and her recent dating escapades have led to the creation of her newest comedy show – ‘Sproull On The Prowl’. 

“Every year I make a comedy show, and every year it gets harder to think about what the theme is going to be,” she told Jack Tame.  

“I don’t have a lot of hardship, you know, I haven’t really overcome a lot in my life – so it gets harder.” 

In the past Sproull has done shows about things like her body, being in a long-term relationship, and what it’s like being child-free by choice and living that life in your thirties. 

“Then I was like, I don’t know what’s next, and then I went through a massive break up.” 

“While it is very sad to go through a life-changing breakup, there in the back of your mind, you’re like, “there’s your content.”” 

It’s been a fair bit of time since Sproull last dealt with the dating market —15 years to be exact— and things have changed quite a bit. 

“Lots has changed,” she told Tame. 

“Physically for sure things have changed ... but I think, like, I’m so much more confident, right?  

“And you are very aware of what you will and won't accept from people now. I don't have a lot of, and I'm not looking, I'm not out there looking for a husband or anything.” 

“I'm just looking for decent people to have a good time with.” 

And that’s not even mentioning the dating apps, which Sproull now has extensive experience with – Tinder, Feeld, and even Raya, the dating app for the rich and famous. 

“I mentioned one of them in my show, a super famous singer-songwriter with a number one hit song that’s dated lots of celebrities popped up and I swiped on him because I thought it'd be funny,” she explained.  

“I screenshotted it because I wanted to tell everyone who I saw and the app kicks you off immediately.” 

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Ransom by Daniel Silva  

Alice Winter, one of Britain’s most dazzling socialites, seemingly has the perfect life—a lavish home in posh Knightsbridge, a grand estate in Devon, millions of followers on social media who eagerly await her next post. But when she disappears without a trace while on holiday with three old friends from Cambridge, her desperate husband, the real estate baron Edward Knight, turns to none other than Gabriel Allon to find her. 

He soon discovers that Alice Winter is not the woman she appears to be, that she has a reckless side, that she has secrets. But Edward Knight has a secret too, a secret so dangerous that Gabriel will have no choice but to return to the life he thought he had left behind. An old enemy lurks there, waiting for him to make one misstep, waiting for the perfect moment to exact vengeance. 

The Social Circle by Sophie Wan  

When Maggie Tang arrives as a transfer student at UC Berkeley in 2005, she has no idea how her life is about to change. In the hallway of her dingy apartment building, she meets Adam, Charles, Hari, and Priya, the friends with whom she’ll create Circle, the world’s first major social media platform. But navigating her creative ambitions alongside love and friendship isn’t so simple, and when they inevitably collide, Maggie exits Circle in dramatic fashion. 

A decade later, Maggie is struggling with a new venture when she receives an invitation to celebrate Circle’s tenth anniversary on a private European island, everyone back together again. While she’s still bitter about how things ended, her company desperately needs the publicity, and deep down, Maggie can’t resist the handwritten plea at the bottom—Come, please. 

Between boat rides and beach days, bit by bit the reunion begins to feel like old times. But the journalist writing a retrospective on Circle is eager for a scoop, which means they can’t tiptoe around the past forever. And when a new truth is revealed about their fallout all those years ago, Maggie will have to decide whether to run again or fight for this second chance with the people she once loved most. 

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One of the main concerns Kiwis have when planning out their retirements is the cost of getting old – especially when it comes to healthcare.  

Ed McKnight runs through a couple of the key things you need to take into consideration when it comes to health after retiring. 

Public is free, but you pay the price of waiting 

People wildly underestimate what private costs 

Insurance fixes that, but the premium quadruples by 65 

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On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday August 1st, 2026, Roman Travers is in to host the show while Jack recovers from a cold. 

Kevin Milne shares his about chess’ rising popularity and thinks everyone should get amongst it... 

The dinner table is set with a winter warmer recipe from Chef Nici Wickes – a cost-effective Lamb Ragu. 

Our resident music man Chris Schulz gives the new album from The Strokes a spin. 

And we also have Jack’s previously recorded interview with Hayley Sproull, who's currently touring her new comedy show, ‘Sproull On The Prowl’. 

Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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We all see toadstools and mushrooms and fungi in autumn and winter (and beyond). It was just six weeks ago that we trumpeted the amazing contestants for the “Fungus of the Year”.  

But gardeners, nature nerds, and kids often find these wonderfully weirdly shaped miniature soccer balls lying on the forest floor – white with light-brown slimy structures. 

Basket fungi are large spherical structures that carry the spores of the fungus: it’s that brown smudgy stuff on the white, rubbery polygons.  

Those spores smell quite putrid (try them!) and attract all kinds of flies that lap up the moisture – it’s probably full of proteins and nutrients!  

Spores stick to their feet, and as they land in the forest on some organic debris, the fungal spores are distributed – repeating the cycle.  

When you see a very juvenile version (they look like creamy-white eggs, sticking half out of the ground) just grab one and cut it open!  

It’s remarkable how the basket fungus is totally compressed, ready to hatch inside that “egg”. 

Main points of the story… What can we learn from this fungus?  

Want to know how to economize on transport cost by reducing the size of packages? Have a look at the basket fungus! 

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Anaphylaxis – what is it? Is it something you’re born with, or can you develop it later in life? And why should we treat it seriously? 

What is anaphylaxis?  

Can it be dangerous?  

How do you know if you're susceptible to an allergic anaphylactic episode?  

If it does occur, how do you treat it?  

What is an EpiPen?  

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LinkedIn admits it has an 'AI slop' problem  

LinkedIn has become infamous for cringey content, but with the rise of AI, the posts are getting out of control. And LinkedIn knows it's a problem.  

It's so bad that LinkedIn now has a button to report a post for seeming like AI slop. Yes, that is the real label. They say people come to LinkedIn to connect with real people, who share their real perspectives, ideas, and expertise. That does not mean they want to see something they could ask AI themselves! In an amusing case of irony, LinkedIn has pulled down its own "Enhance your post with AI" feature.  

Prepare for your tech gadgets to get more expensive  

There is a global shortage of computer memory and storage with the boom of AI and data centre builds, and it's now so bad that Apple is warning its investors. In its call this week they said they're seeing continued demand for their latest generation of devices but also challenges securing memory, saying there is "less flexibility".  

Apple now has $11 billion dollars in inventory, almost double from September last year, suggesting they're stockpiling the components needed for their most popular devices. It's likely your tech gadgets will become more expensive as the cost of these critical components continue to be in hot demand. 

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Ms. X  

A suburban mum and her high school friend plot to frighten her unfaithful husband straight, but their scheme spirals into murder, trapping her between law enforcement, drug lords, and ruthless PTA mums (Three, Three Now).  

Born To Bowl  

From executive producer Ben Stiller comes a humorous and heartfelt docuseries following five professional bowlers as they chase glory, respect, and much-needed prize money. It reveals a quirky sport shaped by personality as much as skill(Neon). 

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day  

It's a brand new day for Peter Parker. Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him -- and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him -- sparks a change in Peter he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves - a powerful villain no one can even see. 

The world may have forgotten Peter Parker, but he hasn’t forgotten them. 

The Devil's Mouth  

Five friends explore The Devil's Mouth cave system in Thailand for one last adventure before life in the real world begins. But they soon discover that something is hunting them under the water… fast, silent, and deadly. In the suffocating darkness, trust erodes, panic spreads and every wrong turn becomes a fight for survival. 

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Let’s get one thing straight – I love New Zealand lamb! However, I’m not made of money, so I need to find clever ways to use the cheaper cuts or to stretch it further. Lamb shoulder chops are a great choice – easy on the pocket and full of flavour. 

Serves 2-3 

Ingredients  

Method 

Heat the oil, then brown the lamb chops in a large pot. Remove from the heat.  Sauté the onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes in the same pot, then pour in the wine and simmer for one minute.   Return the lamb chops and add in the remaining ingredients (barring those labelled ‘to serve'). Cover and simmer for one hour.   Remove the lid and simmer for further 20-30 minutes or until the meat falls easily away from bone and the sauce thickens a bit.  Use two forks to shred the meat away from bones. If there is an excessive amount of fat from the meat, spoon this off the surface of the sauce mix. Add meat back into sauce and heat.  Spoon ragu over mashed potato or polenta or toss it through pasta to serve.  Add zest, parsley and cheese and eat! 

Nici’s notes 

Make a double batch of the ragu and freeze it for a future meal. 

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I haven’t spent that much time watching the Commonwealth Games taking place in Glasgow, but what I have seen has been incredible. They all come to an end on Monday morning our time, having begun back on July 23rd.  

There’s been a great deal of ongoing discussion about the viability of the Commonwealth Games, and whether or not they’re finically viable, with the bigger Olympic Games to compete with.  

All in all, I have to say that my thinking on that has changed over the past few weeks. Once again, we’ve been treated with a fabulous exhibition of our finest athletes. I’ve loved catching some of the events and seeing competitors that I’ve never heard of – let alone seen competing until these games.  

In terms of the Comm Games future, we’re constantly faced with questions that confront us in terms of what is and what isn’t affordable, but ultimately, it’s fantastic to have something as joyful as an international completion to focus on – or to distract us from the often-overwhelming aspects of everyday life.  

I did use the word international, which I know isn’t strictly true with the Comm Games, but its right up there on the world stage with many great sporting nations. And it only feels like tall poppy syndrome to follow any comment about the Comm Games with “but it’s not an international event”.  

We’ve had the Football World Cup to get stuck into, the Tour De France as well – and the Commonwealth Games.   

If I had the time to watch them all, I would. It’s also been great that good chunks of those competitions have been free to view, much like the days of old when I grew up watching all of the sport New Zealand competed in – for free. Albeit on a clapped-out early rendition of colour TV.  

Do you remember the excitement of knowing that Dick Quax, John Walker, or Allison Roe were running in any of the Games? I don’t think that collective excitement and enthusiasm has disappeared, I just think that life has become a whole lot busier for most of us.   

I don’t know of anyone who’s been able to glue themselves to all of the Comm Games, but I think we’re all still celebrating some of the big wins for Kiwis when we get the chance to talk about it all with friends on the phone, or mates over a coffee.  

Zoe Hobbs and her amazing 100 metre gold medal was a real highlight for me. Zoe made history, producing the run of a lifetime to claim a stunning gold medal in the women’s 100m final.  

The 28-year-old sprinter led from start to finish, crossing the line in a national record time of 10.93 seconds. The performance also established a new Oceania record and cemented Hobbs’ place among the greatest athletes New Zealand has produced. That’s just one amazing highlight in the mix of fabulous New Zealand wins for me.  

My youngest daughter once ran at national level, and I loved watching her incredible determination to be the best runner she could be. I share that same sense of joy when I see our determined athletes smashing records and personal bests at these Commonwealth Games.  

David Liti the weightlifter was another. Liti set a Games record by lifting 223kg to become a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist.   

So yes, although I haven’t been able to see a whole bunch of events from theses Commonwealth Games, I really hope that they have a long future.   

In a climate where money is being pulled from so many aspects of life deemed to be unaffordable or frivolous, I sincerely hope that successive governments see the value in supporting our athletes to be the best that they can be.   

Whether or not they do is entirely out of your —or my— control, but all we can do is cheer loudly and keep celebrating our victorious competitors in the hope that they will a Commonwealth Games to aim for in 2030. 

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Charli XCX’s seventh studio album,Music, Fashion, Film, released on July 24, 2026. The album cover, shot by Aidan Zamiri, features three cultural icons: John Cale, Marc Jacobs, and Martin Scorsese. 

Release & Tracklist 

The highly anticipated follow-up to Brat is already being teased as a significant shift in style, leaning into an eclectic, crossover sound rather than pure electro-pop.  

The album includes previously released singles such as "Rock Music" and "SS26". The full tracklist includes: 

Rock Music 

SS26 

Card Declined 

Camera 

2007 

I'm Afraid 

Yeah 

Wink Wink 

Persona 

Magic Metal Montana 

No One Lasts Forever (featuring David Cronenberg) 

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The Weekend by T.M Logan

When a group of friends rent a converted farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales, they have little idea that this one weekend may change the course of their lives forever. While out on a walk, a storm descends & the friends take shelter in the mouth of an old lead mine.

A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz

The Word is Murder, the first book in the Hawthorne series, is being made into a major feature film. The actors have been cast, the script written, and filming has already started in Hastings. 

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Touted as one of the most beautiful places in the world, there really is something special about Banff. Combining the striking stature of the Rockies with the snug, quaint charms of small-town Canada, it’s the sheer splendour of accessible and abundant wilderness that casts you under its spell. Just as visitors to Sedona routinely talk about “the healing energy” that seeps from its stones, Banff also brags about its revitalising powers. It’s widely considered as a sacred place, ever since indigenous people were drawn to the region thousands of years ago, taking to the healing waters of the natural hot springs and gathering various plants for medicinal purposes.   

It was First Nations guides who introduced Europeans to the area in the 1800s, and by the 1880s the natural hot springs on Sulphur Mountain were a wildly popular Victorian tourist attraction. It was the railway that opened Banff’s treasures to the world.  Mercifully, the Canadian government had the vision and wisdom to safeguard nature’s riches by creating Canada’s first national park in 1885, Banff National Park. 

They run a very tight ship in this town. To live in Banff, you must be an eligible resident. This generally means your primary daily employment must be located within the Banff National Park boundaries. The permanent population is only 9000. There are no vacation homes. Buying property for holiday use or weekend getaways is strictly prohibited. Even if you own property, you must actively work in the park or rent it to someone who does. Similarly, residential property cannot be used for short-term rentals (like Airbnb) unless the property is owner-occupied and licensed specifically as a Bed and Breakfast. Perhaps some over-crowded but underpopulated New Zealand tourist towns should consider this model, like Tekapo. The main artery of Banff Ave is a swanky tourist mecca, lined with lodge-like hotels, many built in Rocky Mountain style, with the accent on lodgepole pines, limestone, and steeply pitched roofs. I love how all the side streets are named after local animals. I even saw roaming elk prancing down Elk Street.  

The best time to visit Banff depends on whether you snow-dappled vistas, wildflowers or larch season. I suggest the spring months are best, with show-mopped peaks and thinner crowds. Wildflower season runs from July to August, but it’s chocka with visitors taking advantage of the warm weather for high-alpine hiking. “Larch madness” is a short, specific window from mid-September to early October, when the larch tree needles turn a brilliant gold. The beautiful natural display draws dense crowds to popular trails like Larch Valley. 

After alighting from two ravishing days aboard the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver, it fast became apparent that my short time in this mountain oasis would not be enough to do full justice to its surrounding wonders. But here’s a round-up on some tried-and-true must dos.

For the view of views, do not leave town before you have taken a ride to the rooftop of Sulphur Mountain, on the Banff Gondola. The eight-minute ride to the summit of 7,486-foot mountain delivers a horizon-wide alpine panorama. Six distinct mountain ranges unfurl their grandeur before you, along with the Bow River Valley and the town of Banff itself. Beyond the top station, the boardwalk trail climbs even higher, leading you to Sanson Peak. Alongside savouring the snow-flecked scenery in the heart of the Rockies, I was also intrigued by the remnants of the Cosmic Ray Station, perched on top of Sulphur Mountain. This throwback to the 1950s became Canada’s most important cosmic ray observatory, contributing to our understanding of how the sun effects the earth’s environment. 

Needless to say, even in summer the mountaintop temps can be chilly. If you need a warm-up, just below the gondola base station, Banff Upper Hot Springs will put some pep in your step. Discovered by Canada's First Nations people, they’ve been regarded as sacred waters for centuries, rich in minerals like sulfate, calcium, bicarbonate, magnesium and sodium. Give yourself a therapeutic soak in the toasty waters, that average 39C, gazing at the sprawling heft of Mount Rundle. 

Savour some solitude on an easy, in-town hike, just off the downtown thoroughfare of Banff Ave. The Bow River Trail follows the north shore, while the Bow Falls Trail hugs the south side. The south shore is particularly scenic if you head east to the Bow Falls Viewpoint. It's also a dreamy spot for a photo of the waterfall and the “Castle in the Rockies”, the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. 

Waterfall hikes top the list of things to do in Banff any time of year. Johnston Canyon is a cracker, close to town and easy. The walkway is attached directly to the canyon walls. It takes you right to the thunderously noisy Lower Falls and then up to the taller Upper Falls. In winter, the canyon completely transforms as the waterfalls freeze into massive blue ice pillars. You’ll need ice cleats to strike out on the ice walk.  

Good eats? In the heart of Banff town, in Bear St, Bison is the go-to for "Rocky Mountain comfort food," with an emphasis on slow cooking. As the name suggests, it's a great place to try bison dishes—bison tartar and slow-cooked braised bison short rib are signature dishes—but there's also Wild British Columbia halibut, wood-fired duck, and Alberta beef striploin.

Sunday brunch buffet is a celebrated pastime at the Fairmont Banff Springs, the iconic “Castle in the Rockies.” The setting is postcard perfect - exactly why the Banff Springs Hotel was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway company in 1888 to woo the world to the rugged Rockies. Make a brunch booking at The Vermillion Room to nosh on signature dishes like smoked Wild Pacific salmon and slow-roasted Alberta beef. Be sure to add a side of maple brownies.
Banff has a soft-spot for fondue, a hangover from the hordes of Swiss guides who were recruited over a century ago to spirit visitors through the Rockies. If you’re up for fondue with a difference, head to the Grizzly House. Nearly 60 years old, it’s a dining experience that’s hands-on, unconventional, and uniquely Banff. Hot rock meat is served raw and cooked at your table. Alongside prime cuts of Alberta beef and fresh seafood, you’ll find wild game and exotic meats including ostrich, elk, bison, frogs legs, alligator and rattlesnake. Like the classic Swiss cheese and chocolate fondues, they’re all designed for sharing.  

Across the Banff area, a sequence of jewel-like lakes are the stars of the show, tinted a dazzling turquoise hue due to the presence of glacial flour (ground up rock particles). The dazzling Moraine Lake, Abraham Lake, Lake Minnewanka and Lake Louise are the best in show. Hike the Lake Agnes Tea House trail through gorgeous old-growth forest which does indeed bring you to a quaint old tea house on top of a mountain, just north of Lake Louise. Built as a refuge for hikers, it started serving tea in 1905, and still does today. Their hearty homemade soups, will hit the spot, too! 

Just off the Trans-Canada Highway close to the town of Banff, soak up the tranquil Vermilion Lakes, a network of marshlands and lakes. The lakes have wonderful views of jagged Mount Rundle, the town's signature peak.  It’s an awesome spot for picnicking, paddling, relaxing, and reflection photography. Grab a rental bike from town and pedal your way around this soothing slice of solitude. 

I didn’t have time to explore the Icefields Parkway on this trip, but I will be back to do it. Many fellow travellers in Banff were raving about this 230km-long drive, connecting Banff National Park with Jasper National Park. Powerfully rugged mountain scenery, glaciers galore, and a gob full of wildlife including moose, wolves, bighorn sheep and grizzly bears: the Icefields Parkway comes highly recommended. A hotel guest remarked to me that it felt like the road had been carved inside the earth, with massive mountains clinging to the Continental Divide. 

If you’re up for some cultural dabbling, check out the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Founded by the late Peter and Catharine Whyte, two Banff artists, the museum exhibits artworks and artifacts relating to the cultural heritage of the Rockies. Many of the earliest photos of Banff National Park can be found here, and the gallery of prized landscape paintings are sublime.  

Where to stay? One of the newest offerings in Banff is the Otter Hotel, delivering a winning blend of comfort and nature. This four-star mountain luxury hideaway is in the uptown district, on Banff Avenue. It’s conveniently close to the bustle of downtown – just a ten minute walk away, but you’re also blissfully removed from the tourist throb, tucked away in a calming forest setting. That’s what Otter Hotel really excels in providing, a calmer escape, wrapped in nature’s splendour. It’s nailed the sweet spot, basking in the charm of Banff at a relaxed pace. You’ll definitely want to dine on-site at one of Banff’s newest upscale culinary destinations, Good Folk. Refined Canadian flavours and an intimate ambiance are to the fore, with exquisitely prepared dishes like bison burgers, Alberta wild boar chop, King Cole duck breast and Icelandic Arctic char. Their creative cocktails are a masterclass in wizardly mixology. 

The hotel’s thoughtfully designed rooms feature contemporary comforts, elevated finishes, and inviting spaces to relax after an intrepid day out exploring. Surrounded by towering lodgepole pines and framed by sweeping Rocky Mountain views, nothing beats unwinding in the rooftop hot pools or lounging around the outdoor fire pits, drinking in the dreamy views of Cascade Mountain right in front of you. It’s an elevated oasis of hospitality. All hotel guests also receive a complimentary ROAM transit pass, which is like a hop-on, hop-off bus, zipping you around all of Banff’s top sites, with a high frequency schedule. otterhotel.com 

After soaking up the best of Banff, Calgary Airport is just a 90 minute ride away and Banff Airporter is the trusted ground transportation provider, with a comprehensive shuttle schedule. Highly-rated for their convenience, comfort and reliability, Banff Airporter operates a year-round, stress-free shuttle service to and from Calgary Airport and the mountains. For over 28 years, this locally owned and operated company has provided a dependable link, between the heart of the Rockies and the airport. Just sit back, relax and gorge on the scenery, as you pass by the serrated peaks spanning south of Banff, like the gorgeous Three Sisters, before the mountains give way to the rolling prairies surrounding Calgary. banffairporter.com  

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s resident traveller and can be heard each week on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame. 

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