Rena Owen has cemented herself in New Zealand’s pantheon of film and television greats.  The award-winning actress has a packed acting career, with roles in everything from Once Were Warriors, to Star Wars, to Whina, to Shortland Street.   She stars in productions that create lasting legacies, conveying stories from the culture and history of New Zealand, and her latest work follows suit.  Taki Rua Theatre – Breaking Barriers tells the story of what became the unofficial Māori theatre company, an ensemble of artists breaking barriers, shattering cultural norms, and pioneering a bicultural partnership.  Owen joined Jack Tame to discuss the significance of the theatre, her acting career, and her upcoming film roles.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi soul musician Louis Baker has released his third EP, Medicine his first work as sole producer.   The EP reflects the bond Baker has with his craft, allowing him to connect with himself and communicate with the world.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on this new release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Sri Lanka has loomed large on my bucket-list for quite some time. Nicknamed the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, I’ve just ventured to the teardrop-shaped island nation for the first time and it smashed my expectations. Over the course of a week, I savoured Sri Lanka’s colourful cities, vibrant cuisine, ravishing landscapes, astonishing World Heritage treasures and glorious wildlife, which were all seamlessly stitched together by On the Go Tours and their Colombo, Caves and Kandy group tour." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney   Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common.  Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties—successful, competent, and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their father’s death, he’s medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women—his enduring first love, Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke.  Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined.  For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude—a period of desire, despair, and possibility; a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.   For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude – a period of desire, despair and possibility – a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.        The Siege by Ben Macintyre   Britain’s best-selling historian writes the first definitive account of the famous televised SAS storming of the Iranian embassy in London in 1980.  On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British citizens. A tense six-day siege ensued as millions gathered around screens across the country to witness the longest news flash in British television history, in which police negotiators and psychiatrists sought a bloodless end to the standoff, while the SAS – hitherto an organisation shrouded in secrecy – laid plans for a daring rescue mission: Operation Nimrod.  Drawing on unpublished source material, exclusive interviews with the SAS, and testimony from witnesses including hostages, negotiators, intelligence officers and the on-site psychiatrist, bestselling historian Ben Macintyre takes readers on a gripping journey from the years and weeks of build-up on both sides, to the minute-by-minute account of the siege and rescue.  Recreating the dramatic conversations between negotiators and hostages, the cutting-edge intelligence work happening behind-the-scenes, and the media frenzy around this moment of international significance, The Siege is the remarkable story of what really happened on those fateful six days, and the first full account of a moment that forever changed the way the nation thought about the SAS – and itself.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stats NZ has released the latest data from the Census, giving fresh insights into the lives of people across the country.  Kevin Milne has been taking a look at the latest numbers and there’s a couple things he found interesting, and some he wasn’t surprised by at all.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although Working from Home might have been new for many of us under Covid, research in the area has been going on for decades. This international research, combined with studies carried out in New Zealand over the past 4 years, notably by Prof Jarrod Harr at Massey Uni, is pretty clear that from a wellbeing and productivity perspective the hybrid model of working is better than working in the office 100% or working from home 100%. Hybrid working gives the best of both worlds – 2 or 3 days in the office and 2 or 3 days at home.  Advantages of hybrid working include:   An increased sense of autonomy for workers – you have some choice over when/where/how you work. Higher levels of autonomy are associated with higher levels of wellbeing. Less stress and better work-life balance. You still get the advantage of social interactions when in the office.  Working from Home 100% of the time isn’t ideal – people report higher rates of low mood and loneliness. Also, higher rates of burnout, possibly due to not having clear stop/start times. Working from the office 100% of the time reduces autonomy and has poorer work-life balance.  The disadvantage of the hybrid model is not everyone’s job allows them to work from home for 2-3 days per week and these people see others as getting a perk they don’t have.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 5 October 2024, award-winning actress Rena Owen joins Jack to discuss the 30-year anniversary of Once Were Warriors, gearing up for the live action Moana, and the role of Māori theatre throughout her career.  Jack shares his love for maps and the remote, extreme, curious places he's drawn to when studying them. He considers the chances of a visit to Diego Garcia following the news that sovereignty of the island will be passed to Mauritius.  Sally Rooney's highly anticipated fourth novel is Booktok’s latest obsession – with influencers vying for advance copies and the book becoming something of a commodity. Book reviewer Catherine Raynes shares her thoughts on Intermezzo's literary merit.  How does Joker: Folie à Deux match up to the critical and commercial juggernaut of the first Joker film? Film reviewer Francesca Rudkin delivers her verdict.  And man-in-the-garden Ruud Kleinpaste joins Jack in studio to chat planting before the dry season sets in - plus, brings a special guest.  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.

It’s already getting dry in Canterbury, and I still need to do a lot of planting in order to save us from starvation. Juuls has planted Christmas spuds. Seed potatoes: “chitted” (meaning the “eyes” have started to run out) and the plants are doing well – shooting up in their large tubs on the deck. Every week or so we carefully add some soil on top of the stuff that’s already there, so that the main stem will produce more and more potatoes.   This is Julie’s “spud race” for the spring challenge at her work.   Potato fertiliser always has a bit more “P” (Phosphate) in it to encourage root growth and tuber growth. Jersey Bennes and such early varieties are probably the best to use before Christmas.   Potato-Tomato Psyllid   I don’t want to play Russian Roulette with this pest: it damages potatoes and tomatoes, so I prefer to keep potatoes well away from my tomato tunnelhouse.  It’s called Biosecurity!  Tomatoes   Should have been sown now in seed-raising mix and transplanted outside when the frost danger is over; in the tunnelhouse I don’t have that problem, so can bang them in as soon as they are 20cm tall with good roots.    I’ve got my favourite line up: Tigerella, Sweet 100, Black Krim, Artisan Blush, etc, plus some new stuff I uplifted from the Kings Seed Catalogue.    Initially feed them with general fertiliser and start using tomato/Rose fertiliser when flowers develop the new fruit – Seaweed Tea (Wet&Forget)  Broad beans are another must in our garden – I was lucky to have them survive the winter and self-seeded in the coldest months of the year   The related French beans need to be sown too – do a row every month or so, so keep the supply coming during summer and into autumn!   If you’ve never tried growing Witlof (endive) try sowing it now.      During spring and summer, you grow the root system sturdy and large. In late autumn harvest the roots and bury them in a tub with sandy soil in a dark spot (under the house). The roots will sprout these white and delicious chicons which taste wonderful and bitter; recipes everywhere! Even the French like them.  I usually keep up with my lettuce (COS!) and spring onions but will need to plonk in the peas and beans ASAP before the summer sun creates havoc.   These crops have a habit to grow in just about any soil condition. As long as they have good light and are not kept too dry.   Liquid fertiliser seems to be the best way to keep ’em happy, and when I chuck Seafood Soup and Seaweed Tea on them they shoot up with vapour trails   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People often fanaticise about sudden wealth – a windfall of money large enough to solve any problem.   But a large sum of money falling into your lap can be complicated and confusing to handle.  Lisa Dudson joined Jack Tame for a chat about the best way to handle sudden wealth so you don’t wind up losing it all.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joan  Joan Hannington, a fiery and uncompromising woman in her 20s, is a devoted mother to her 6-year-old daughter, Kelly, but is trapped in a disastrous marriage with a violent criminal named Gary. When Gary goes on the run, Joan seizes the opportunity to create a new life for herself and her daughter. Adopting new identities and making new acquaintances along the way, Joan becomes a masterful jewel thief. She embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes journey that challenges her every limit, driven by her desire to create a secure home (Neon).     Last Days of the Space Age    In 1979, a power strike threatens to plunge the region into darkness in Western Australia, while the city hosts the Miss Universe pageant and the US space station, Skylab, crashes just beyond the city's suburbs (Disney+).     Brilliant Minds  Dr. Oliver Wolf is an eccentric but incredibly gifted neurologist who suffers from a rare condition that gives him a unique perspective on care, fueling his mission to change the way the world sees his patients. After his unusual methods result in his dismissal, he takes his unconventional approach to a new hospital: Bronx General, where he leads a team of bright young interns in tackling some of the world's most puzzling psychological cases. With their help, he must also challenge his own personal and social limitations by navigating all the expectations, politics and complicated relationships that come with the job (Neon).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple has been blocked from suing Uber for a car crash because they used Uber Eats   When you use Uber Eats you agree to a new set of Terms which state that you must use private arbitration to settle matters, rather than going to court. So, when the NJ couple got into a bad crash while in an Uber ride, a court says the Uber Eats clauses applied. They say they never recalled seeing that box, and also say their daughter used the Uber Eats account to order a pizza. The court said the mother had given her daughter the authority to sign the agreement when she handed over her phone.    Disney has done the same thing recently – initially arguing that a wrongful-death lawsuit because of an allergy at a theme park restaurant should be thrown out of court because of a Disney+ agreement the person had.   What does that mean when you sign up for a fast food app? Or use a business' website to perform services?  It’s a good reminder that the fine print is important. CNN, the US's largest news website, started rolling out its paywall   CNN's CEO was instrumental in rolling out the New York Times paywall - which is one of the most successful in the industry. Just like the NYT, only the most heavy users will initially be prompted to pay $3.99 a month for access. Those who just browse a few articles won't see any changes yet. One of CNN's Anchors said in an interview there were 300 people at each convention - so covering those large scale events isn't cheap! They need to develop new digital revenue streams that can offset declines in legacy TV.  CNN reached 117 million unique visitors in August across its website and apps. Its TV audiences' median age is 67 years old. The Times has roughly 10 million digital subscribers.        LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joker: Folie à Deux Struggling with his dual identity, failed comedian Arthur Fleck meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn, while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital.    Will and Harper   When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship in an intimate portrait of friendship and transition.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’re going to love this avocado whip. Double the recipe so you can enjoy it as a dip for corn chips and/or crudités, on toast, or dolloped in tacos. Use whatever herbs you have on hand. We love using rocket and/or coriander.  Margo Flanagan of Two Raw Sisters offers up a recipe for Eggplant and Avocado Whip from their new cookbook ‘More Salad’ - now available in stores.  Ingredients   2 eggplants, cut into bite-sized   chunks   3 tablespoons cooking oil   1 teaspoon sea salt   Avocado Whip   1 avocado   1 cup chopped fresh herbs   1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil   2 tablespoons hulled tahini   2 garlic cloves, crushed   juice of 1 lemon   1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt   100 g (3 1⁄2 oz) feta, crumbled   1⁄4 cup chopped fresh herbs   2 tablespoons dukkah   1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil     Method  Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).  Toss the eggplant chunks on a baking tray with the cooking oil and salt. Roast for 25–30 minutes.  While the eggplant is cooking, make the avocado whip.  Process all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. (Alternatively you can use a stick blender.)  To assemble the salad, spoon all the avocado whip onto a flat, round plate. Use the back of a spoon to distribute it evenly around the plate. Arrange the eggplant chunks on top. Sprinkle over the feta, then the herbs and dukkah. Drizzle the olive oil over just before serving.   Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.   Extracted from More Salad by the Two Raw Sisters. Photography © Food: Margo Flanagan and Lifestyle: Susannah Blatchford. RRP$49.99. Out 10 September 2024. Published by Allen & Unwin NZ. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know my idea of fun?    You’re expecting me to say sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, wild parties, cocaine-fuelled late-night debauchery! Guilty as charged... that sounds like a bit of me.    But no, my idea of fun is a map.    I’ve got a huge, detailed one on my wall. Winkle triple projection, Pacific-centred, of course. I can wile away hours, whole afternoons, intercontinental flights, just staring at a map.  And when you stare at a detailed map, you’re drawn to curiosities. To extremes. And naturally of course you’re drawn into imagining or fantasising what those places might be like in-person, rather than simple a coordinate on your wall.    There are three remote, extreme, curious places on Earth I’ve always fantasised about seeing. One is La Rinconada, the highest permanently populated town in the World. It’s in the Peruvian Andes, a grim, freezing mining town with a violent crime problem and where a slab of the residents may or may not have mercury poisoning. It’s higher than Everest Base Camp. And if YouTube is anything to go by, it is about as far from a few nights at Denarau as it’s possible to be.    The next are the Kerguelen Islands, aka the Desolation Islands, a vast 7000km2 archipelago in the sub-Antarctic. It’s home to amazing wildlife and a few dozen French scientists. And it’s huge! The main island is 150km long and 120km wide. Have you ever heard of it? It’s one of the most remote places on Earth.   And my final isle of intrigue is Diego Garcia. My Dad first told me about it as a kid. Imagine a point in the middle of the Indian Ocean, below India and about halfway between Tanzania and Bali.    For decades, Diego Garcia has been home to one of the most mysterious and secretive military bases on the planet. Its strategic location, its military runway, its fleet of long-range bombers and its ability to reload submarines with weapons make it hugely important to the U.S and the U.K.   But that only came about by a brutal history.    Although Diego Garcia had no indigenous population, enslaved people were brought there to work on coconut plantations, and over several centuries developed their own language and culture. In the 1960s, the Brits decided to kick them out. In order to develop the military base, they forcibly evicted all of the local population to Mauritius and the Seychelles.    For decades since, Mauritius has fought for the island and its surrounding archipelago. Chaggosians, as people from the Chaggos Islands are known, have fought to return to their home.    But I’ve always assumed I would never be able to go. The island is rumoured to be a CIA black site. According to a recent BBC report, only three journalists have ever visited. One pretended to have a boat problem and was only there for an hour and half. Another stopped to refuel in a Presidential plane. The most recent visitor had to agree to incredible restrictions on her reporting, was barred from numerous areas and accompanied by minders at all times.   But yesterday came news from Diego Garcia. After years of terse negotiations and an ongoing legal dispute regarding a group of Tamil asylum seekers being detained on the island, the U.K and Mauritius announced sovereignty of Diego Garcia and the other Chaggos Islands will be passed to Mauritius.    Will it mean the Chagossians can return? Probably not. Under the deal, the long-range bombers, submarines, and the base will remain for at least the next century.    Its official status might have changed, but for those of us who trace the atoll across the World on our office wall, Diego Gacia will be no more accessible, and no less mysterious. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival has all the ingredients for a good time – food, dancing, arts, and an incredible line-up of local and international artists. English/Kiwi rock band The Veils were announced this week in the first line-up of acts to headline next year’s WOMAD festival. The enigmatic indie band have a reputation for their intense live performances, and they’ll be teaming up with a few classical musicians for their performance at the festival. Frontman Finn Andrews told Jack Tame that it’ll be a “pretty raucous affair”. He said that working with classical musicians gives them the option to lean into the extremes.  “It kinda just intensifies that even more. I think it's gonna be really full on and really quiet and intimate as well.”  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Their first album release in six years, ‘The Forest is the Path’ is Snow Patrol’s eighth studio album, coming after 2018’s ‘Wilderness’.  While promoting the album on X, vocalist Gary Lightbody described the work as a “new beginning”.   “We honour the past, deeply. But while we honour the past we also want to cherish the present and look to the future. So this is the beginning of something, and we are so excited to share it with you all.”  Music Reviewer Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman   Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.  Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job . . .  Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?  Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty   Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed.  Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all.  How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.”  Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable.  A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.  If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working from Home has been a topic of debate this week with the Government’s new directive on the subject.  Kevin Milne is a bit split on the issue, but there is one thing he’s clear on: surely propping up other businesses isn’t a valid reason to force people back into the office?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Singapore is so much more than just a steamy stopover between flights. It’s a sparkling melting pot of Southeast Asian culture, brimming with an ever-expanding arsenal of headline experiences. But alongside ticking off the likes of Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands, the Lion City’s biggest roar is reserved for the sizzling street food scene spilling forth in the hawker centre. Singapore’s harmonious multiculturalism and all its culinary influences positively sing on the plate. Come nightfall, Lau Pa Sat in downtown Singapore transforms into Satay Street, where a riot of meat on skewers and peanut sauce hold court." Read Mike's full article here.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sustainable living doesn’t just benefit the world around you, but it can also have benefits for mental health.   Kate ‘Ethically Kate’ Hall joined Jack Tame to run through a few of the benefits that come with living more sustainably.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.