Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

Iron deficiencies are an important but often hidden issue – the most common mineral deficiency in the world. Not having enough iron in the body can lead to a range of health problems.      Why is iron so important in the body?   It’s important for making red blood cells in our blood, which carries oxygen around the body.   If we don’t have enough iron, we don’t produce enough red blood cells – we call this anaemia.  It’s also important for the immune system and growth and development in children.       How does it affect us if we don’t have enough iron on board?   There are all sorts of symptoms that develop, the most common of which is feeling tired or fatigued.   Headaches, feeling short of breath, and interesting things like hair loss or brittle nails, racing heart, or ‘feeling the cold’.  You may just look ‘pale’.      What causes it to happen?   There are three big groups of causes:   Blood loss over time.   C

Understaffed 911 call centres are turning to AI to help   911 callers come with some of the most urgent and serious issues, most of the time. But people also, stupidly, call 911 for noise complaints, lost wallets, and more. People see 911 as the way to reach the police.    This means the operators are run off their feet dealing with all sorts of nonsense. Now there's a startup training its AI agents on 911 calls to help triage and get humans on the more important calls. It's being used in around a dozen call centres today.    But can you imagine hearing, "I'm sorry, but I didn't quite understand you... can you say it again... police? Fire? Ambulance?" How do you feel about this one?     Tech is helping make fake leather smell like real leather   The company, Uncaged, says they can create a durable, animal and climate-friendly material that feels and even smells like leather. Hyundai has partnered with the company to test it for its cars and trucks and joins Jaguar Land

Atomic   Two civilians get caught up in a cartel's uranium smuggling across North Africa. Facing a nuclear threat, they must decide whether to save themselves or stop the bomb delivery while evading agencies and traffickers (TVNZ+).    King & Conqueror    In the mid-11th century, noblemen Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy are exploited as pawns in royal plots on both side of the Channel. The coronation of King Edward in England leads to the pair's first encounter. Harold warns his father, Earl Godwin, of a rival's treachery - but he is ignored (Neon).    Hostage   When the British prime minister's husband is kidnapped and the French president starts receiving threats, both leaders must face an impossible choice (Netflix).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Courier smiled as he deposited the two catalogues on our door-step – he knows we’re Nature Nerds, and so do the lovely folk at Kings Seeds.    We both settled in front of the fireplace, going through the Nurture/Nourish reading. I was checking all the tomato varieties and other food delicacies, while Juuls browsed all the pretty stuff in Kings Seeds line-up.   Always interesting to see how two people focus on the plant species that is close to their Heart, Art, and Stomach! I kept my Tomato wishes in the same group it's always been: Bloody Butcher and Tigerella, while sniffing around the Cherry Tomatoes in all their magnificent colours.   Last March I managed to harvest the seeds of Tomato Gardeners delight, so those are also ready to be sown, along with Black Krim and Tessaloniki and some more tomato seeds living in my shed. Now it is a matter of sorting out where they’ll go in the tunnel house.  Watermelon Sugar Baby is something I haven't grown for far too long – it's a yummy d

Caught Stealing   When his punk-rock neighbour asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, New York City bartender Hank Thompson suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters who all want a piece of him.     The Thursday Murder Club   Four retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is surely the quickest dinner at under 15 minutes from start to finish and you can serve it hold or cold!   Serves 2   Ingredients   160g dried soba noodles   2-3 cups good quality vegetable stock   150-200g fresh NZ salmon, 3cm cubed   2-4 stalks broccolini, halved lengthwise   ½ cup snow peas, halved lengthwise   1 teaspoon sesame oil   Black or white sesame seeds to serve   Wedges of lime or lemon to serve   Salt to season   ¼-1/2 teaspoon minced chilli to serve (optional)     Method  In a medium pot, bring well-salted water to the boil. Add soba noodles and once they’ve collapsed into the liquid and it’s come to the boil again, time it for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse well under cold water.   In the same pot you cooked the noodles in, bring the stock to a rapid simmer. Add in the cooked noodles and the remaining ingredients, except the sesame seeds. Simmer for one minute, or a little longer of you prefer your salmon

Whether it’s the government, international organisations, higher education, or the media, one of the defining dynamics of the social media age is the deteriorating trust in public institutions.  It’s extraordinary, really. At a time when humans are on the whole wealthier, healthier, and more dominant than at any other time in our species’ history, we’re more distrustful of the institutions that are supposed to serve us.  Saturday Mornings is usually a monetary policy-free zone, and I promise to mostly keep it that way for now. But it was pretty remarkable at the close of play last night to see an announcement from the Finance Minister about the Chair of the Reserve Bank. Neil Quigley had resigned, effective immediately, following further revelations about his handling of former Governor Adrian Orr’s departure. Nicola Willis confirmed to Newstalk ZB that if Quigley hadn’t offered his resignation, she’d have asked for it.  I don’t expect everyone to follow all of the Reserve Bank dramas. But the

A true New Zealand music legend, Don McGlashan has written some of our most-loved tunes.  From ‘Anchor Me’ in his time with the Mutton Birds, through to his incredible work as a solo artist and his compositions for film and television.  In 2023 McGlashan went on a very special tour around New Zealand, and off the back he’s released his first solo live album – ‘Take It To The Bridge’.  Although he’s been part of the making of a dozen or more studio albums, McGlashan confessed to Jack Tame that he was never really interested in live albums.  “It sort of surprised me, that in the middle of this tour,”  “I suddenly felt this would be great, this is really special – I should be, we should be recording everything.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The Sunshine Coast’s sparkling reputation as a powerhouse of premium local produce continues to raise the bar. Brimming with over 900 food and drink producers, grazing from this constantly replenished larder of goodness helps underpin the region’s bragging rights as holiday heaven. I’m just back from a fresh dip with the Sunshine Coast, after indulgently noshing and sipping my way around her beachfront and hinterland hotspots." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third album from Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey, ‘A Matter of Time’ represents a shift towards vulnerability and emotional expressiveness.  Her two earlier albums were heavily influenced by the ‘Great American Songbook’, filled with her now iconic blend of jazz, classical, and pop influences.  ‘A Matter of Time’ is a look inwards, Laufey’s interest in seeing how she could draw out the “most flawed parts of [herself] and look at them directly in the mirror”.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wolf Hour by Jo Nesbo    This killer has a story.  When a small-time crook is shot down in the streets of Minneapolis, all signs point to a lone wolf, a sniper who has vanished into thin air.  To tell it, he needs to get caught.  When the shooter strikes again, it’s maverick detective Bob Oz they call in to crack the case. They don’t think this victim will be the last.  And this wolf wants the world to know...  As the body count rises, Oz suspects something even more sinister is at play. And the closer he gets to the truth, the more disturbed he becomes. Because this serial killer reminds him of someone dangerous: himself.  He’s only just getting started.     The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards   Summer 1999. Will joins five other idealistic graduates working for an eccentric psychology professor. They’re going to launch a website to change online dating forever.  No-one expects it to end in tragedy.  Twenty-five years later, Will gets an invitat

Growing your own vegetables is one way to stay sustainable in the kitchen, but it’s not the only way to keep your food habits sustainable.   It’s not just about the garden, there are simple kitchen swaps that reduce waste and packaging, and Kate Hall joined Jack Tame to run through a few of them, including:  DIY basics: making your own yoghurt, bread, or soda water (less packaging, fewer additives).   Preserving and fermenting (e.g. sauerkraut, kombucha) is cheap, healthy, and reduces food waste.   Planning meals to avoid throwing out food. Focus on the “use what you have” mindset.   Buying in bulk and refilling pantry staples.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Haydn Jones is a little late to the trend, but this week he started baking sourdough.  Falling in between the craft beer and veggie garden stages, nothing says you’ve hit middle-aged quite like a sourdough starter.  This was exemplified for Haydn by the visit he and his friend made to Briscoes on their hunt for a good baking dish.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 23rd  August 2025, music legend Don McGlashan joins Jack to discuss his first ever solo live album, ‘Take It To The Bridge’, recorded during his very special 2023 NZ tour.  Jack reflects on the official confirmation of famine in Gaza. Good things come in twos and Francesca Rudkin contrasts two brand new comedy films – NZ film Workmates and the Liam Neeson action flick The Naked Gun.  Plus, Nici Wickes shares two soup recipes to keep you warm from the inside out.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before we lose our Winter Scenes, it might be an idea to get up at sunset and look around your garden (or a nearby forest, if you like). Spiders are in many places, despite the cold, icy conditions. The best time to see their “websites” is on dew-laden mornings – the owners are nearby and await the rising of that wintry sun.  Spider silk glands have liquid proteins called spidroins. They're actually kind of gooey and are pressed out gently to form silk. It’s strong, yet light and flexible – a fabulous building material that serves many purposes. Those webs have sticky and non-sticky strands of silk, so the spider can walk on them without getting stuck themselves.  Websites can be incredibly fascinating in the way the spider builds them – this sheetweb is extremely strong and contains silken supports above and below the sheetweb’s “trampoline”. If a moth or beetle flies over the web and accidentally hits the guy-ropes, the poor insect loses its balance and ends up on the silken trampoline.   In

Seifried Zweigelt 2024, Nelson. RRP $20.00   A distinctive, ripe, and exuberant red berry fruit bouquet with suggestions of plums, then violets, blackberry, and boysenberry followed by lees and a delicate positive reduction. A nicely dry wine on the palate with flavours of boysenberry and tart plums, violet and spice. Taut and still developing with best drinking from 2026 through 2030+.    The Food:   Zweigelt is a cross from St. Laurent & Blaufränkisch developed in 1923 by Dr Friedrich "Fritz" Zweigelt. It has the softness and elegance from the St Laurant and robustness and backbone of acidity and tannins from the Blaufrankish. This means the wine will work rather well with foods that a little vigour, but not too much.   My suggestion is therefore a venison sausage with an onion jam and side of lyonnaise potatoes. Higher quality venison sausage has both and earthy quality and meaty quality without being gamy, there’s always a little fat layer in the sausage as well. So the Zweige

Google's big product announcement was... unique?   It was more like a talk show crossed with the shopping channel. US Late Night host Jimmy Fallon hosted it, and it had celebrity cameos from athletes like Stephen Curry, podcaster Alex Cooper, and the Jonas Brothers even made an appearance. Reddit users dubbed it as “unwatchable". They launched new phones, enhanced their folding phones, but of course AI was everywhere:   Gemini Live will gain a new audio model that will detect your tone — like whether you’re excited or concerned   The Pixel phone camera will have a photo coach built in to help with composition.  They're trying to make these AI suggestions more contextual and push relevant things to you rather than you needing to seek them out, e.g. you're at the airport, here's your boarding pass. Or you're in a car, here's the directions to your next appointment, etc.    A software developer has been sent to prison sabotaging his former employer   This wasn't a hack of sys

Alien: Earth    When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, Wendy and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat (Disney+).    Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser   Former contestants and producers reveal the intense, damaging reality behind the success of ‘The Biggest Loser’ (Netflix).    Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time   Hurricane Katrina was an unprecedented tragedy that demonstrated America's lack of concern for Black people. Through images, witness accounts, and interviews, hear the real story (Disney +).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Naked Gun   Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr becomes a police officer like his legendary father and must save the police department from shutting down by solving a case.     Workmates  An accident threatens to shut down the small, underfunded theatre that Lucy and Tom have built together. Lucy realises she'd do anything to save the theatre and keep her friend, who she might be in love with.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I like to try and kick things off on Saturday mornings with a bit of cheer, but I tell you what, it’s hard to look beyond yet another bleak milestone in the appalling war in Gaza. Overnight, the UN-backed food security body has confirmed famine in Gaza City. It has officially reached that threshold, the first time famine has ever been declared in the Middle East.  As the UN Secretary General declared, this is a man-made catastrophe. There are many, many third party countries that want to get more aid into Gaza. A shortage of food is not a problem, access is.  Two years ago, immediately after the October 7th attacks, I said a few things on this show. I want to share with you again a few words from that day.  “Israel has the right to exist in peace. Palestine should have the freedom of statehood. Both of those things can be true. The deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians is an appalling, utterly inexcusable act of violence. The systematic flattening of Gaza, no water, no power, no food, is an