Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

Babygirl  A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.     You’re Cordially Invited  A woman planning her sister's ideal wedding and the father of a bride-to-be discover their destination weddings at a remote resort are double-booked. When both parties decide to share the small venue, chaos ensues and disaster awaits.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump’s wasting no time, we can be sure of that. Whether it’s his executive orders, Greenland, or his extraordinary Cabinet appointments, the President’s strategy in office is obviously to move quickly, to flood the zone. For his opponents, there is just so much to be outraged about they simply can’t keep up.     Of the many crazy things to observe, RFK Jnr’s confirmation hearing this week has been a standout for me. Obviously, the guy is wacky and unconventional but having someone with his history of campaigning against vaccines in such an important public health role is extraordinary, even by Trumpian standards. Potentially dangerous, for sure.    But I don’t want to talk about vaccines, I want to talk about food. Because despite his unconventional persona, despite how much I disagree with things he’s said about vaccines and actions he’s taken in the past, not everything about RFK’s health philosophy should be discounted. Not everything’s loopy. When it comes to his attitude towards ultr

25 years ago, David Gray was renowned for how famous he wasn’t.   He had a cult of fans and listeners hooked on his sincerity and plainspokenness – but he hadn’t quite broken into the mainstream.    And then came his career-making album White Ladder, recorded in his home and going on to become one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century so far.   His lasting success has led him to the release of his 13th album Dear Life.   The album is heavily influenced by themes of mortality, which Gray says have been present in his writing and works since the death of his father.  “I was up close and watched him die, and that changes your perspective on things,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame.  “Just like watching one of your children being born – it's a privilege to be there.”   “Obviously when you see the sort of parentheses that hold our fragile little lives, you reassess everything.”  Gray also cites the western obsession with agelessness and anti-aging as an influen

Released early January 2025, ‘The Human Fear’ is Franz Ferdinand’s sixth studio album, focusing on the concept of “searching for the thrill of being human via fears" as described by frontman Alex Kapranos.   The album touches on fears such as social isolation, the fear of leaving an institution, and fear of staying or leaving a relationship.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nemesis by Greg Hurwitz   Evan Smoak is a lone wolf operator. It goes with the territory for a former off-the-books government assassin. He certainly can't afford to go up against one of the few people he likes and trusts in this world. But Tommy Stojack, a gifted armorer and gunsmith whom Evan relies on, has crossed a line. And when Evan confronts him, instead of clearing up a deadly disagreement, he comes under attack. Now it's war. Tommy's got problems of his own though. He promised a dying comrade that he'd be there for the man's son and now the boy's in a world of trouble. The very last thing Tommy needs is Evan showing up with vengeance on his mind. The scary thing? Evan isn't even the most dangerous threat to arrive on the scene . . .    The Crash by Frieda McFadden   The nightmare she's running from is nothing compared to where she's headed. Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning

Over the summer break Mike Yardley took advantage of the gorgeous weather to take a trip to the South Island’s Tasman Bay.  He joined Jack Tame for a chat about his family holiday in the south, visiting sun-drenched spots like Kaiteriteri, Motueka, Mapua, and hitting the pedals on the Great Taste Trail.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the school year kicking in soon, the time has come to complete the costly task of back-to-school shopping. Kate ‘Ethically Kate’ Hall has a few tips on picking sustainable options that could save you some money.    Start at Home    Use unfinished exercise books by removing used pages and calling it new.  Deep clean old lunch boxes, sharpen short pencils, and repair cracked rulers.  Embrace resourcefulness - clever parenting and saves money!      Treasure Hunt for Supplies    Before you visit a store, turn finding existing school supplies into a fun game with the kids. Ask school leaver families if they have leftover supplies, or share your extras with others.     Shop Second-Hand    Explore second-hand stores for pens, pencils, books, and folders. Unique and vintage stationery can often be found here. Shop at places like All Heart Store who have high-quality second-hand stationery and office supplies

Our holiday on the West Coast of the South Island (Punakaiki) was just what we needed – weather in Christchurch was cold and wet, but on the West Coast sunny and warm.   I re-discovered a tree I have missed since leaving Auckland 14 years ago: Rhopalostylis sapida is its name. Gardeners know it as the Nikau Palm.  There are two species in the New Zealand Territories: R sapida is the common Nikau in North Island and South Island, occurring mostly on the coast from Okarito in the West and Banks Peninsula in the East.  It also occurs on Chatham Island and Pitt Island and the variety that grow there is a lot more elegant, especially in the younger form: the fronds (leaves) have a more drooping attitude, a bit like the traditional palms in the tropics. I reckon we should have a taxonomic discussion about its identity (a different species?).   The Nikau on the offshore Islands of the Hauraki Gulf show a similar elegance (Little Barrier, Great Barrier etc etc). I must say: I prefer those droopin

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 25th January 2025, legendary singer songwriter David Gray tells Jack how mortality and relationships inspired his new album ‘Dear Life’.  Jack spent his summer holidays tramping in the backcountry, he reflects on the solitude and lack of connectivity in the bush and whether that will last as technology improves.  Cameron Diaz has released her first movie in a decade, Francessca Rudkin reviews her comeback film.  Open AI can now complete tasks for you - only catch is a pretty hefty price tag. Tech commentator Paul Stenhouse has all the details.  And Ethically Kate, Kate Hall has some sustainable back to school tips.  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.

BOB’S BEST BUYS   Wine: Balvonie Prosecco, Marlborough $34.59   Why I chose it:  It is the only Kiwi Prosecco I know of  Prosecco may be the world’s most popular sparkling wine  100% Glera   A popular style, everyone loves Prosecco   A perfect summer wine   Have a Prosecco tasting and compare it with Australian and Italian Prosecco   What does it taste like?     An attractive, creamy sparkling wine with an appealing mellow freshness and restrained mousse. An initial marmite-like yeastiness faded quickly leaving a clean, mouth-cleansing sensation in its place. It could easily be mistaken for an Italian Prosecco.   Why it’s a bargain:   It’s not cheap but it is good and certainly worth the price.   Where can you buy it?   On the Balvonie website.    Food Match:   It's versatile, good with most seafood.   Will it Keep?   Drink up.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OpenAI's latest tool can complete tasks for you.  The biggest thing is that the operator can take actions for you using its 'computer vision'. Basically, it takes screenshots of the webpage, then can click with its virtual mouse and keyboard to complete things, like book a flight, or a restaurant. It's a big step forward because traditionally to do these things you needed to use APIs - structured data messages with explicit details. Now you can write a sentence and the AI will just do it. No preparation needed.    Excited? Well, it's available now, but only for those with the $200-a-month ChatGPT Pro service.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Severance  Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives; when a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs. Season 2 has just been released (Apple TV+). The Night Agent  While monitoring an emergency line, an FBI agent answers a call that plunges him into a deadly conspiracy involving a mole at the White House. The second season released earlier this week (Netflix).   Karen Pirie  After the promotion to Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit, Karen Pirie reopens the cold case of a murdered barmaid. Her investigation unearths flaws in the original 1995 inquiry (Neon).      LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An MC is responsible for ensuring an evening runs smoothly, keeping everything in line and keeping the guests entertained amid the various speakers and events.  However, there’s one line commonly said by the MC that Kevin Milne wishes they’d do away with.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in Action  Fifteen years after vanishing from the CIA to start a family, elite spies Matt and Emily jump back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown (Netflix).    We Live in Time  Almut and Tobias are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. Through snapshots of their life together —falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family— a difficult truth is revealed that rocks its foundation.   As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken, in filmmaker John Crowley's decade-spanning, deeply moving romance (in cinemas).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's talk about the wickedly good plums that are all about at the moment. People with plum trees will be harvesting them by the bucket load and creating all manner of deliciousness.    This tart is just divine and works with pretty much any variety of plum. It’s not too sweet so I find that people who claim not to have a sweet tooth love it!   Serves 6-8     Ingredients Base & topping   1 ½ cups plain flour   100g ground almonds   2 heaped tbsps. raw sugar   1 tsp baking powder   75g butter, chilled   1 medium egg      Filling  400g ricotta   2 tbsps. sugar   75mls sweet dessert wine   Zest of a lemon   6-8 plums     Method  Heat oven to 180 C. Grease a 26cm ceramic pie dish.   In a food processor blitz flour, almonds, raw sugar and baking powder to mix. Add butter and process until you have fine crumbs. Add egg and pulse until coarse crumbs form, that will hold together when pinched. Press

As I turned on my phone for the first time in three days, it lit up with text messages from my wife.  A photo. A tiny baby. Trussed up in a cotton wrap like a fresh, fleshy burrito with a little woolen hat for good measure.  “Congratulations,” she said.  “You’re a dad.”  I knew she was joking. I’m not denying there was an element of risk in going tramping through the backcountry of the Kahurangi National Park with a wife who was 32-weeks pregnant. I just knew that if she had had the baby while I was dragging myself up a distant ridgetop, her first words to me when I emerged from the bush would not have been ‘Congratulations!’  Solitude in the bush —the uncontactableness— is a big part of the attraction for me. I love the physical challenge of tramping. I love the birds, the piwakawaka flitting about when you're under the canopy, and the kea squawking over the valleys. I love how humbling it is, how insignificant you feel, when you stand on top of a mountain ridge and are confronted wi

Classic female country artists like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, and Faith Hill, along with modern-day musicians like Kasey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, and Shania Twain are pioneers of the genre.  Despite their influence and hand in elevating country music to the heights it’s reached in the modern era, only 10% of country music airplay and awards are granted to women.  This is one of the astonishing facts in Tami Neilson’s latest show ‘The F Word’, which combines music with the research of musicology professor Dr Jada Watson.  The two first met on Twitter, both very vocal about challenging inequality in the country music industry.  “I followed her because she wrote, you know, these incredible articles," Neilson told Francesca Rudkin.  “What I loved about her work was that for an artist, she was kind of giving us the tools to feel validated I guess, you know, vindicated.”  Neilson says she wanted to tell the story of women in country music through song, backing it wit

David Gray has released his first studio album since 2021.  ‘Dear Life’ is his thirteenth album, filled with intricate layers of instrumentation, vocals, and harmonies.  In Gray’s words, it’s an album of emotional crisis and resolution, morality and faith, reality and illusion, love and heartbreak, magic, science, loss and acceptance.  Estelle Clifford joined Francesca Rudkin to give her thoughts on the release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell   He murdered her at the folly on their wedding day, left her body for the crows. They say she haunts the woods now, a girl in a white dress.  Everyone in the small town of Thorncombe knows the tales of the haunted woods where the birds don’t sing and a girl in a white dress roams, luring people to their deaths. But when a girl is found dead the morning after Halloween, her body carefully arranged at the bottom of an old stone folly, the community is thrown into turmoil.  Local police detective Ben Chase is assigned to the murder investigation, but when the victim is identified as a student from his teenage daughter’s school, tensions rise. Was she the victim of a party prank gone wrong, or does the girl’s death represent something more ritualistic and sinister? As the investigation unfolds and the noose tightens around Chase’s own family, the only thing anyone can be sure of is that no one is safe until this violent killer is caught.     The Wedd

"Bracketed by the biscuit-brown Wither Hills and the lofty prongs of the Richmond Ranges, Blenheim’s vast blanket of the Wairau Plain bursts with possibilities. When it comes to winery finery, few venues can hold a candle to the elemental elegance of Wither Hills Cellar Door & Restaurant. Exuding a mix of contemporary design and relaxed sophistication, coupled with soul-rinsing views from their four-storey tower; the Wither Hills Winery is pitch-perfect for a wine tasting and bite to eat." "Steve and I then headed over to Vines Village, which is homebase for Explore Marlborough’s wine tours. They offer a great range of options, included guided or self-guided tours. Kitted out with a trusty e-bike, over the next few hours, we tootled our way around the vineyards, mostly on off-road trails, including the fabulous stopbank of the Wairau River, which serves up elevated views of the vast bucolic canvas." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.