Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

The CIA Book Club by Charlie English   For almost five decades after the Second World War, Europe was divided by the longest and most heavily guarded border on earth. The Iron Curtain, a near-impenetrable barrier of wire and wall, tank traps, minefields, watchtowers and men with dogs, stretched for 4,300 miles from the Arctic to the Black Sea. No physical combat would take place along this frontier: the risk of nuclear annihilation was too high for that. Instead, the conflict would be fought in the psychological sphere. It was a battle for hearts, minds and intellects.  No one understood this more clearly than George Minden, the head of a covert intelligence operation known as the ‘CIA books programme’, which aimed to win the Cold War with literature.  From its Manhattan headquarters, Minden’s global CIA ‘book club’ would infiltrate millions of banned titles into the Eastern Bloc, written by a vast and eclectic list of authors, including Hannah Arendt and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, George Orwell a

Kiwis are known for many things – our friendly attitudes, our easy going natures, and Kevin Milne thinks our generosity should be added to that list.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Stitching Central Otago to the wonders of South Westland, the Haast Pass Highway is what epic roadies are all about. The Haast region is the centrepiece of Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage area. As the last mountain pass to be constructed over the Southern Alps and only fully chip-sealed in 1995, this 140km-long panoramic alpine pass still exudes a “final frontier” sense of escapism as it threads its way through South Westland’s primeval forests. The route had long been used by Māori warriors and greenstone (pounamu) gatherers, as they traversed the Main Divide." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another member is joining the Hall household and true to her nature, Kate Hall has been looking at how to keep having a baby a little more sustainable.  She joined Jack Tame to talk about the reality of baby marketing versus what’s actually needed, what they plan to do for nappies, and give a few tips for navigating offers of hand-me-downs.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

78 people are to be quarantined after coming in contact with measles.   Health New Zealand's said it's reached out to 286 close contacts since the first case was confirmed earlier this month.   90% of people unvaccinated that come in contact with measles will be infected.   Dr Bryan Betty said it's one of the most contagious diseases known to man.   He says Covid has a reproduction number of 2-3 and influenza is 1.3, so measles sitting at 12 to 18 is completely off the scale.  Betty says people should limit their movements.   He says if people think they have measles, they should ring their medical centre for advice as they risk spreading the disease if they turn up to their medical centre.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 16 May 2025, as many Naked Samoans as will fit in the studio crowd in to chat with Jack about getting the gang back together and on stage again for the New Zealand International Comedy Festival.  Jack reflects on how far Auckland FC have come.  Kate Hall is expanding her family and Jack asks the big sustainability question on everybody's mind – what will she do about nappies?  Dr Bryan Betty expresses concern around the recent measles outbreak.  And tech expert Paul Stenhouse dishes the details on the "official air taxi provider" for the LA 2028 Olympic Games.  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.

The Vespula group of invasive wasps are still active, but starting to show signs of slowly shutting up shop for the winter. Vespula germanica (German wasp) and Vespula vulgaris (common wasp) are the two species with no sense of humour in New Zealand.   At this time of the year the action is all about the queens: the old queens (as well as the males and old workers) are facing the end of their lives, and the brand-new queens are preparing for hibernation.   For new queens that means mating in May – after that she can find a nice spot to hibernate till mid-September. I usually find them in stored firewood, nice dark nooks and crannies.    This is also the time when most active wasp nests die – early winter. Most, but not all!   Some nests (around 5-10%) survive the winter and grow bigger and bigger during the following year – a couple of meters in size with a million cells. Now, that is a decent method of production of babies and adults.   A nest that survives the winter has the ad

How do you get around LA's terrible traffic? From the sky.   It'll only be worse for the Olympics, so Archer will be the "official air taxi provider" for the LA28 Games. These look like a small plane, rather than a helicopter, and have a fixed wing with propellers on it that tilt. That means it can take off and land vertically like a helicopter and then transition into forward flight like a plane.   These are all electric piloted air taxis, designed to carry up to four passengers and their luggage. The goal is to have these up and running by 2026, then expand the "LA Network" to include the key Olympic sites and transport hubs for the 2028 games. VIPs, athletes, and spectators will be able to take the flights, and they'll provide support for security teams too.   They say they will be able to replace one-to-two-hour drives with 10–20 minute electric flights that are 100x quieter than a helicopter.     TikTok wants kids to sleep   It's so easy to get stuck in a TikTok hole – where

Secrets We Keep   When her neighbour's au pair goes missing, Cecilie is compelled to personally investigate but as she uncovers the truth, her perfect world falls apart (Netflix).    Duster Set in the Southwest in the 1970s, a getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate sees his life go from dangerous to wildly, stupidly, dangerous when a tenacious FBI agent comes to town (Neon).    Homebound 3.0   A second season of the charming New Zealand rom com about two 30 somethings who pretend to fall in love to stop their families from interfering in their lives (ThreeNow) .    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feed 4 for under $20! One pot, one pan! (Makes 20)    Prep time: 15 mins    Cook time: 15 mins    Ingredients:  500 G Basa Fish (Frozen Fish Fillets Basa)    4 tbsp red curry paste ( Exotic Food Asian Red Curry Paste)    1 egg ¼ cup corn flour    8 green beans (chopped into ½ cm pieces) (Supermarket own green beans)    1.5 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce    1.5 tbsp lime or lemon juice    ½ cup chopped coriander stems (save the leaves)    2 cups grated Cucumber (leave it in the bowl so the juices come out)    4 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce Hot Cooking Oil    *Cooked rice for 4 people       Method:    Make sure the fish is well defrosted. Leaving it overnight in the fridge is best. It needs to be soft enough to work with.    In a bowl, combine the fish, curry paste, fish or soy sauce, coriander stems, lemon or lime juice and the egg. If you have a food

The Salt Path   A couple lose their home and later discover that the husband has been diagnosed with a terminal illness as they embark on a year-long coastal trek.    Final Destination Bloodlines  Plagued by a violent and recurring nightmare, a college student heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle of death and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

210 days ago, I was blinking into the sun at Go Media Stadium as Auckland FC strode out onto the pitch for their first-ever A-League game.  The club was owned by a billionaire and the team’s style of play wasn’t immediately alluring – the very first goal in the club’s professional history came courtesy of an opposition player. I knew about two of the players and had to keep cross-checking the action on the pitch with my gameday programme.  Upon reflection, there were plenty of reasons why Auckland FC might not have taken off with fans quite as they have. And yet here we are, seven months on, in the semi-finals of the A-League. The crunchy end of the season for the team that has consistently drawn the biggest crowds in the competition. I can confirm I’ve crossed a sporting threshold this season. As much as I love the Crusaders, Auckland FC in my sporting priority each and every week.  I’ve talked before about how the club really nailed the matchday experience. And let’s not kid ourselves and ima

Mike Yardley’s on an adventure in London, experiencing luxury hotels and five star dining experiences.  He joined Jack Tame to delve into some of his top destination dining picks.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's catholic leader says Pope Francis' legacy will live on under the church's new leader.  69-year-old Robert Prevost was elected the new pontiff after the fourth ballot of the conclave yesterday, taking the name Leo XIV.  He is the first Pope from the United States and the first from the Augustinian order of the church.  New Zealand Archbishop John Dew voted in the conclave, and says in the ten days of meetings leading up to the vote, they discussed what's needed in the church and the world today.  He says everyone was saying while they can't have a copy of Pope Francis, his initiatives should continue.  He told Jack Tame the new pope has been a natural fit.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne recently received an email, passed on by Jack Tame, about advice he gave on the show 18 years ago. He said that parents should buy an exercise book, tie a pencil to it and write in even the little highlights of their kids growing up. The listener did just that, giving his son a book filled with special moments and memories on his 21st birthday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a decade of making music, Chaos in the CBD has finally released their debut album.  ‘A Deeper Life’ is a labour of love from brothers Louis and Ben Helliker-Hale, a house album that pays tribute to their lives growing up in Aotearoa.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The internet is filled with a wide array of things – more than any one person could experience in their entire life.  However, as the internet has developed, spaces dedicated to children have been eroded – gone are the days of Club Penguin and flash games, replaced with adult and advertiser friendly spaces.  What this has resulted in is the exposure of generations of children and young people to harmful —sometimes outright illegal— content.   The Classification Office recently released a report delving into what young people are exposed to online, speaking with ten different groups, ranging in age from 12-25.  Dougal Sutherland unpacks the results, and the impact the exposure has had on young people.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams   From trips on private jets and encounters with world leaders to shocking accounts of misogyny and double standards behind the scenes, this searing memoir exposes both the personal and the political fallout when unfettered power and a rotten company culture take hold. In a gripping and often absurd narrative where a few people carelessly hold the world in their hands, this eye-opening memoir reveals what really goes on among the global elite.  Sarah Wynn-Williams tells the wrenching but fun story of Facebook, mapping its rise from stumbling encounters with juntas to Mark Zuckerberg’s reaction when he learned of Facebook’s role in Trump’s election. She experiences the challenges and humiliations of working motherhood within a pressure cooker of a workplace, all while Sheryl Sandberg urges her and others to “lean in.”  Careless People is a deeply personal account of why and how things have gone so horribly wrong in the past decade—told in a s

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 10 May 2025, fresh from the conclave, New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew joins Jack to discuss his part in the process of selecting Pope Leo XIV.  Jack considers the rare instances when the world's eyes all rest on the same place.  Mother's Day is sorted with Nici Wickes' delicious No-fuss Sticky Buns.  Bill Gates will go broke to make the earth better – tech expert Paul Stenhouse discusses the reality of Gates' campaign.  And, Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas joins Jack from London at the Decanter World Wine Awards.  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.

Wine: Neudorf Tiritiri Pinot Gris RRP – $27.00  From the Moutere Hills in Nelson.  The Wine: A semi-aromatic variety, this PG delivers scents of Asian pears and red apple. There’s a natural white spice, almost pepper-like and a distinctive mineral quality. Satin smooth texture on the palate, juicy fleshy, ripe and delicious. Medium(ish) weighted and lengthy on the finish.   The Food: Whilst great on its own, this wine pairs well with starter courses like sashimi or Waldorf salad, and some lighter main courses like Flounder with fresh lemon or fettuccine with tomato, basil and prawns.   The season: 2024 was an excellent year for most growers in NZ, and especially Nelson.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.