Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

A book review in recognition of it being Movember The book I want to discuss is A Life Less Punishing by Matt Heath. I was asked to read the book in preparation for a podcast with Francesca Rudkin. My initial response was lukewarm – was worried it would be another celebrity self-help publication with lots of fridge-magnet quotes about loving life and being the best person you can. I was very pleasantly surprised about how good it was. Was so good I interviewed Matt on a webinar recently that Umbrella held for Movember. Interesting points about the book: Matt wrote it largely to try and help himself and sort his own life out Decided to read a history of world philosophy and see what he could learn – somewhat of an unconventional approach! He draws a lot on the Stoics and does a great job of explaining their philosophy of life, which is quite different to the staunch, unfeeling image often portrayed of them The book goes through a whole range of common emotions that men experience and discusses why we have th

White fluffy pests – Mealybugs One of the rottenest pests gardeners can get on their plants are Pseudococcuslongispinus, or any of its close relatives. Longispinusis derived from the word meaning “with a long spine or tail” – so we’re talking about the Long-Tailed Mealybug. To identify these insects, you’ll need good eyesight. The way to start your identification is to look for dense, white patches of silkall over your plants, especially over the leaves and on the stems. If you scrape off the fluffy white deposits, you’ll get to the insects hiding underneath that fluff. Big ones and smaller ones all living together out of the rain and out of the sun. 1-4mm in size. They eat a massive range of plants, both edibles and ornamentals. The spines and tails give the game away – there are also droplets of honeydew in amongst the mix. These insects feed by plumbing their mouthparts into the veins of the plants where they extract honeydew, a sweet sap that contains Nitrogen which makes the young bugs grow. Ah! Yes … t

Ludwig - (TVNZ+ from Sunday) David Mitchell stars in this British comedy about a reclusive crossword puzzle setter whose life is upended when his identical twin, a detective, vanishes. Taking on his brother’s identity, he hunts for clues in the disappearance. Rebus -(ThreeNow) A BBC drama based on the Ian Rankin series of books about a Scottish detective who is drawn into a violent conflict that turns personal when his brother crosses the linein order to provide for his family.  Beatles 64 - (Disney+)Produced by Martin Scorcese, this new documentary looks at The Beatles’ 1964 US debut and the Beatlemania fan frenzy that followed, as seen through rare behind-the-scenes footage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 30 November. Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sequel to Disney’s smash-hit animation Moana has sailed into cinemas this week. In the first film, Moana was chosen by her wayfinding ancestors and the mysterious forces of the ocean to restore the natural order of things. The new film sees Moana reuniting with demi-God Maui for a new seafaring adventure. Both stories champion Pacific mythology and Moana 2 is making history as the first indigenous-language film to premiere globally alongside its English counterpart – with a Te Reo Māori version released simultaneously this week. Cast members Temuera Morrison, Awhimai Fraser and David Fane join Jack Tame in studio to talk about the film. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia passes its under-16 social media ban While this law has good intentions, how it will actually work is unclear. Unfortunately, there's not a good way to verify ages (or even people) online which makes this an almost impossible task for the social media companies.  Credit Cards could be one way to verify those aged over 18, but it also means that only those who can get a credit card can use the service. But this age restriction is 16, so there's nothing that exists. Unless the government wants to roll out a 16+ government issued ID. But the government is already ruling out the use of official documents, such as a passport, due to privacy concerns -- so what on earth do they do?   Meta is building a $10 billion undersea cable that spans the globe When your company accounts for 10% of all fixed internet traffic, and 22% of mobile internet traffic, you know the pipes are important! Reporting from TechCrunch says they are planning to build a 40,000+ kilometre cable

Goodrich - (in cinemas) Art dealer Andy Goodrich's life gets upended when his younger wife leaves him and enters a 90-day rehab program while also threatening divorce. Andy takes charge of their 9-year-old twins, thrusting him into the world of modern parenthood for which he is deeply unprepared. With his career falling by the wayside, he soon leans on his pregnant daughter for support, ultimately becomingthe father she never had. Absolution - (on Prime Video from December 3) Starring Liam Neeson, who says this will be his last action film at 72 years of age. An ageing Boston gangster tries to reconnect with his family and fix the mistakes from the past, but his criminal lifestyle soon threatens to destroy everything he holds dear.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A cruise ship is offering to take Americans on a world cruise for the entire time Trump is in power. It visits 140 countries over four years. Trump aside – it wouldn’t be a bad way to round off your time on the planet, would it? Or wouldn’t it? Jack Tame speaks to Kevin Milne about the $40,000 a year expedition and whether Trump’s administration could tide New Zealand over the employee shortage. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next year, the Auckland Philharmonia will perform an incredible one-night-only performance of ‘Gene Kelly: A Life in Music’.   The show is a mesmerising trip down memory lane, with a combination of film clips, stories and live performance highlighting the legendary dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly – who celebrated and popularised dance within mainstream cinema.   Leading the orchestra, is musical conductor extraordinaire Neil Thomson, who has worked with orchestras across the world.   He's currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Director at Orquestra Filarmônica de Goiás (Philharmonic Orchestra of Goiás).  Thomson told Jack Tame he has a personal connection with this show, having done a many of the films live with symphony orchestra around 10-15 years ago.  “I was booked to do Singing in the Rain at the Albert Hall,” he said, explaining that it was the first time the film had been done in that format.  “About a month before the show, I got this email and the title

Kevin Milne has an old sign hanging up in his garage.   He picked it up from a garage sale as a curiosity, but it came from an Auckland Pub in the 1980’s.  The sign states that any known gang member or person wearing gang patches or emblems will not be permitted in the hotel.   Kevin’s always found it a bit funny, and he’s wondering why people would feel safer not knowing if there’s a gang member next to them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Released on November 15th, Shawn is the fifth studio album from Shawn Mendes, and it features him at his most intimate and honest.  The album details everything that’s happened in the two years since his abrupt cancellation of his Wonder world tour, and the public spectacle the unravelling of his relationship with Camila Cabello became.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough   Born to an American myth and raised in the wilds of Graceland, Lisa Marie Presley tells her whole story for the first time in this raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir faithfully completed by her daughter, Riley Keough.  In 2022, Lisa Marie Presley asked her daughter to help finally finish her long-gestating memoir.  A month later, Lisa Marie was dead, and the world would never know her story in her own words, never know the passionate, joyful, caring, and complicated woman that Riley loved and grieved.  Riley got the tapes that her mother had recorded for the book, laid in her bed, and listened as Lisa Marie told story after story about smashing golf carts together in the yards of Graceland, about the unconditional love she felt from her father, about being upstairs, just the two of them. About getting dragged screaming out of the bathroom as she ran towards his body on the floor. About living in Los Ang

Mike Yardley admits he’s a child at heart, and believes that nothing can reawaken your inner child like the escapist innocence, magic, and sparkle of Disney.  On his visit to LA recently, he decided to stop by the Disneyland Resort and swing through the parks.  He joined Jack Tame to discuss the dos and don’ts for those eyeing up a Disney holiday.  Read Mike’s full article here.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christmas is coming, bringing with it an overabundance of waste.  If you’re interested in making your Christmas celebrations a little more sustainable, Kate Hall has a few tips and tricks, including a list of over a hundred sustainable present ideas.  She joined Jack Tame for a chat about gifts they’ve given and received in the past, as well as explained the “no gift” Christmases her family has done – focusing instead on quality time or acts of service.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 23 November 2024, conductor extraordinaire Neil Thomson joins Jack to discuss the world of orchestra, the legacy of dancer and director Gene Kelly and a spectacular one-night-only performance with the Auckland Philharmonia.  Jack shares some very exciting news!  Wicked has landed in cinemas after gaining major pop culture momentum this year - does it deliver?  Plus, chef Nici Wickes shares a recipe dear to her heart.  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.

A moth or so ago I was walking around the Halswell Quarry, looking for native bees. We have about 28 species of these bees in New Zealand, and the unfortunate thing is that we know very little about these creatures.  A new book by Rachel Weston described how these tiny bees make holes in the ground where their larvae (babies) are raised. The air space around those tunnels is quite busy, with bees coming and going constantly; some air traffic control could well be a useful asset to these tiny habitats!    I didn’t just find a heap of native bees but also a few holes of significant size: conically shaped holes with a diameter of at least 30 millimetres, situated in a dry bit of soil, protected from regular rain fall.   It reminded me of the holes I used to have under the eaves of our old open car port.   In the pit of these holes live a very clever Neuropteran insects, known as Antlions. The cool thing is that this extraordinary species is the only “antlion” endemic to New Zealand – it

BOB’S BEST BUYS  Wine: Tohu 2024 Rose, Nelson $18.99    Why I chose it:  It tastes as good as it looks. Its pink, white and gold label captures the essence of Christmas. It’s a crowd-pleaser – who could possibly not like this wine?  2024 was a great Nelson vintage.    What does it taste like?  Pale straw-coloured rose with restrained guava, pomegranate, wildflowers and raspberry flavours. Pristine wine with appealing purity and a seamless texture. A hint of sweetness is balanced by gentle, fruity acidity to give a pleasantly dry finish.    Why it’s a bargain An exceptional wine at a great price.    Where can you buy it?       The Good Wine Co, Auckland $15.99 First Glass Wines and Spirits, Auckland $16.99 Blackmarket.co.nz, Auckland $16.99        Food match?   Perfect with the snapper that I plan to catch in the New Year.    Will it keep?    Drink up!    LISTEN ABOVE See o

WhatsApp's transcribing your (annoying) voice notes  Got a friend who loves a voice note but you don't want to listen to their ramblings? WhatsApp's new AI feature will transcribe the note for you to read. Hurray!  The feature is rolling out globally to Android and iOS users “in the coming weeks”, according to the company.  This is a fun addition because it's faster to talk, but it's quicker to read. Now you get the best of both worlds.    Bitcoin is approaching $100,000  Donald Trump's presidential win and his love for crypto has buoyed the digital currency to reach record highs. It broke $98,000 for the first time on Thursday.  Bitcoin has gained more than 130% so far this year, and 40% just since the presidential election.  A fun aside: in 2010, a programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz made history by purchasing two pizzas for 10,000 bitcoins - a world first real Bitcoin transaction. They were worth just fractions of a cent each. Today those 10,000 bitcoins would be valued

Dune: Prophecy   10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, the Harkonnen Sisters combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit. From the writer-producer of Haunting of Bly Manor, Diane Ademu-John (Neon).      Say Nothing    Jean McConville, a single mother of ten, is abducted from her home in 1972 and never seen alive again. Through the eyes of various Irish Republican Army (IRA) members, explore the extremes some people will go to in the name of their beliefs, the way a deeply divided society can suddenly tip over into armed conflict, the long shadow of radical violence for both victims and perpetrators, and the emotional and psychological costs of a code of silence (Disney+).      Endurance    Nat Geo documentary telling the story of a legendary feat of leadership and perseverance. Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton kept alive his crew of 27 men for over a year despite the loss o

Wicked   Misunderstood because of her green skin, a young woman named Elphaba forges an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda, a student with an unflinching desire for popularity. Following an encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their relationship soon reaches a crossroad as their lives begin to take very different paths.   Part 1 of the story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. A feature film based on the Broadway musical.     Canary Black   Avery Graves, a CIA operative, is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to survive.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.