Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

Kevin Milne is celebrating the 23rd birthday of an icon of the entertainment industry but it's not quite who you think! He told Jack Tame the Big Mouth Billy Bass is set to tragically spend its birthday on Thursday once again high and dry and out of battery in some dark places in garages."I urge all our listeners who have a Big Mouth Billy Bass in their shed or loft release him like you would any unwanted fish."The Big Mouth Billy Bass made an estimated US $100 million in nine months.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let’s get one thing straight: It would be fantastic if New Zealanders didn’t smoke.Our Smokefree 2025 aspirations, although perhaps a smidgen optimistic, are excellent. The steps we’ve taken over the last few decades, from advertising restrictions to plain packaging laws, excise tax hikes to the recent ban on smoking in cars, have made a massive difference to the number of New Zealanders who smoke cigarettes. I look back to the childhood evenings I spent in rugby clubrooms, heavy with a fog of cigarette smoke, and it feels like a different life.But I do have some reservations about the phased-in ban on cigarette sales. Restricting drug access can have unintended consequences. Would we have seen the surge in dairies being robbed in violent robberies if we hadn’t massively increased excise taxes? Of course not. And more broadly, does banning drug use ever work? In my experience, human-beings will always find a way to get an illicit fix. If you ban anything, you automatically create illegal demand. And the black

Estelle Clifford has been listening to US indie singer-songwriter Julien Baker and her new album, Little Oblivions. She told Jack Tame this album can be confronting at times. "What I loved about this album is it's so well produced and in-control-sounding and it's about a whole lot of stuff when you're not in control...It's quite clever."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book expert Catherine Raynes has been enjoying Jodi Picoult's new novel Wish You Were Here and acting legend Stanley Tucci's memoir Taste: My Life Through Food. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Common problems and questions1) Compost bin or worm farm is full of little white worms and moreI often see a compost bin as a miniature version of a perfect ecosystem.Anybody who’s job it is to break down organic matter will live there – first the “shredders” of waste material: millipedes, slugs/snails, slaters, roaches, beetle larvae, some maggots – even mice and rats.Their waste (excrement) is broken down by the next group of “composters”: fungi, amphipods (litter hoppers)Next lot is the extremely numerous springtails and tiny fruitfly larvaeThen come the mites (minute), bacteria and other small “finishers”. sometimes fungal, some worms.Even worm farms should have all these in them at some stage and that’s how Nature runs the show2) Leafcurl on stonefruit/peaches/plumsFungal disease that started last autumn when infection began; The new buds that were formed in autumn and during early winter got the fungal spores on them and it manifested itself as leafcurl in spring and early summer.Prevent next years’ inf

Steven Dromgool share his tips for remembering missing loved ones at Christmas with Jack Tame.Covid restrictions can hit people hard at Christmas but there are ways to make space for the loss and still celebrate. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley gives us the lowdown on the Catlins - from Curio Bay to Nugget Point.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance expert Hannah McQueen talks about how to make 2022 a more fruitful one financially. While we can’t control Covid, she tells Jack Tame, there are other things within our control that people can focus on amid high inflation and rising interest rates."Depending on your problem, there's a particular strategy that's appropriate."She said there are easy fixes.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How would you feel if your phone's camera was always watching? Qualcomm's latest processor will have this capability - which means it could be coming to Android devices as early as next year.Here's how they're pitching it.. it makes it easier to unlock your phone because it will unlock the moment you look at it. You can then quickly look over at your phone to see notifications instead of needing to pick it up. They're pitching it as making your phone more secure, because as soon as you're not looking at it, it will lock. If it can see you and someone else, then private information or notifications could be hidden.They say the images are not recorded or saved, the camera is just scanning for faces. When it's in this scanning mode, none of the other phone's functions are connected. Only when a face is detected is when those other systems are activated and the face is authenticated.Jack Dorsey, one of the founders of Twitter had a big weekHe stood down from his CEO position, handing it over to the CTO. He's pres

Acting legend Melanie Lynskey is a true Kiwi success story. She rose to fame as Pauline in Peter Jackson’s 1994 film Heavenly Creatures and has since starred in the likes of Two and a Half Men, Togetherness and Mrs. America.  The 44-year-old now has a starring role in new thriller series Yellowjackets which has rave reviews so far. Jack Tame catches up with the actor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol: Based on the 2009 Dan Brown novel of the same name, The Lost Symbol is the story of a young Robert Langdon (Ashley Zukerman) being tasked by the CIA to solve a number of puzzles when his mentor (Eddie Izzard) is taken (Neon, from Monday 6 December)Heels: A new American drama about two brothers and rivals - one a villain, or "heel," in the ring; the other a hero, or "face," war over their late father's wrestling promotion, vying for national attention in small-town Georgia (TVNZ OnDemand).Moone Boy: Created and written by Chris O’Dowd, Moone Boy follows Martin Moone, a quirky young boy who lives in a small Irish town, has an imaginary friend named Sean. With Sean's help, Martin navigates life as the youngest member of a chaotic family (TVNZ OnDemand).LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Using frozen bananas as a base for ice cream creates a beautiful creamy texture!Add to it 2-3 cups of other frozen fruit (store-bought is fine) and about a third of a cup of liquid, either coconut cream, pouring cream or maple or sugar syrup. It’s great to use a high-powered blender for a smooth, gelato texture but a food processor will do the trick too, just stop and scrape down the sides frequently. Serve it immediately or freeze it solid then thaw for 15-25 minutes before scooping. Get as creative as you like with adding flavours!Berry vanilla ripple2 large bananas, chopped and frozen1 teaspoon vanilla paste400g frozen berries2-3 dates, soaked in warm water1/3 cup cream or coconut creamDark chocolate to serve1. Blend one frozen banana with vanilla until smooth – this will be your ripple. Set aside.2. Blend remaining banana with frozen fruit and dates and with the motor running drizzle in the cream or coconut cream and blend until smooth. Spoon into a lined loaf tin. Top with banana vanilla mix and with a s

Francesca Rudkin's been watching Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog and a documentary called Burning, about the Australian bushfires.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Out of all the political speeches that have been made this week, Kevin Milne speaks to Jack Tame about an interview Jack did with Jim Bolger which impressed him the most."In my mind, the interview was remarkable."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

107 days.Maybe it’s Stockholm Syndrome. Maybe I’ve found a few more freedoms but lost my mind. I dunno. I never thought I would say this, but there actually a few things I’m going to miss about lockdown life.I only considered it last weekend, on what it transpired was my last lockdown picnic. Saturday was a glorious, warm summer night in Auckland. A whisper of a cool evening breeze. It was the sort of temperature where it’s so perfect you don’t think about the temperature. It doesn’t cross your mind.The park was chocka’. Everywhere, families and groups of mates had laid out their picnic mats to lounge and laugh and graze and sip wine in the fading light. The grass was soft. Kids were playing. Birds were squabbling in the twilight. It was bliss.‘Why don’t we always do this?’ asked my mate.I reckon. Picnics were one of the few great pleasures of lockdown. I know it wasn’t just me. Every evening I passed the park, it was close to standing room only. It actually reminded me of the Great Lawn in New York’s Central

Catherine Raynes has been reading Mercy by David Baldacci and the marvelous Miriam Margolyes' memoir, This Much I Know is True. She joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley gives Jack Tame the lowdown on the magic of Fiordland. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago, Taranaki-born woman Jane Wynyard swapped her high-profile PR career in London for the arid plains and tropical climate of Kenya. She went from high heels, designer dresses and celebrity parties to jandals, shorts and a camera.  Jane now works as a communications consultant for various conservation groups, while roaming all over Africa to film and photograph wildlife. She speaks to Jack Tame about her wild adventure. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing tomatoes  It’s great to have a go at these fruit – there are many varieties too and everybody has their favourite ones. But there are some problems that can occur, whether you’re raising them in an open garden bed or in a glasshouse/tunnel houseTomato – (potato) psyllids are a nuisance interloper in NZ. They got here a few decades ago and will attack Solanaceous plants (potatoes, tomatoes, nightshades, poroporo, you name it).I used to get heaps of them when growing tomatoes in Auckland but in Christchurch they seem to be prevalent only in autumn (takes longer to develop plague proportions).What to look for?First sign is “ill-thrift” on tomatoes; you just pick there’s something wrong. If you then look closely at the leaves you’ll find small “nymphs” – especially on newer leaves and on the underside.You’ll also find lots of tiny white crystals of excrement of these sap-suckers – it tastes like sugar (and it is!). Call it solid, crystalline honeydew if you like. When the sap-sucking bugs develop they tur

Estelle Clifford has been listening to Ladyhawke's new album, Time Flies - her fourth album and the first in five years.  She told Jack Tame this is all the stuff we'd expect from Ladyhawke - except this is more personal.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.