Podcasts about Jack Tame

Full interview: Brother Guy Consolmagno is an astronomer, meteorite expert, and heads up the Vatican Observatory. While visiting New Zealand, the Jesuit spoke to Q+A about why science and religion aren't always in conflict. Jack Tame also asks him where he stands on the Fermi Paradox — is there intelligent life beyond Earth and, if so, why haven't we found it yet?

With Education Minister Erica Stanford, PM's Chief Science Advisor John Roche, and Vatican astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno.

Winter can feel drab and we often end up reflecting that feeling in what we wear. Layers on layers can leave you feeling like there's not a lot of room to play. So, how can you keep things feeling fun while staying warm... and sustainable? Creative connoisseur Evie Kemp joined Jack Tame for a chat about livening up your winter wear while still keeping things sustainable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guy Sebastian is an Australasian icon with a career that's nothing short of extraordinary. From winning the first season of Australian Idol back in 2003, to carving out a place on the charts, to mentoring new talent as a coach on The Voice Australia – he's been in the spotlight for over two decades. And now he's embarking on a new chapter with the release of his tenth album ‘One Hundred Times Around The Sun'. The album has taken Sebastian nearly five years to make, a much longer period than the typical six months to two years most artists these days create them in. He told Jack Tame that in the early stages of his career, he felt pressure to create quickly. “Don't take longer than a year,” Sebastian explained. “Or you'll disappear into obscurity.” “Then there's like, the pressure of doing the right thing by the fans, y'know, you don't wanna make them wait too long.” It's a mentality that used to govern much of Sebastian's process, but one that he's managed to grow beyond. “I just got to this point where like, I don't want to release anything until I'm stoked with it,” he told Tame. “I wanna love every song. I don't want a filler on there, I want every song to be great.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I first moved to New York, I spent my first year living in a railroad apartment above an Ecuadorian fruit shop on Second Avenue. It was a character-building experience. I went weeks without heating or hot water in winter, and my windows had almost no effect whatsoever in keeping out the ceaseless sound of trucks thundering past my bedroom enroute to restock the city. When I arrived they'd just start construction on the Second Ave subway, a few blocks from my home. The project was hitting a few speedbumps. Bedrock turned out to be deeper than anticipated, a worker nearly died after being stuck in waste-deep slop on site, and what was supposed to be a controlled explosion sent rocks flying all over a busy Manhattan intersection. Curiously, the Second Ave subway route was first proposed in the 1920s, which Wikipedia tells was about the same time that planners first mused over the possibility of the Morningside Deviation, a train tunnel in central Auckland. Stage One of the Second Avenue subway was a 3.2km tunnel. The Central Rail Link is 3.5km. Second Ave ended up costing more than $7 Billion. The Central Rail Link blew out however many times but at last check was $5.5 Billion. The weird thing about a big underground tunnel development is that most of us never fully appreciate the scale of the work. It's obvious I suppose, but even if you live and work in the city, while you get used to a few cones and traffic delays up above the ground, you have no real perspective about the extraordinary activities happening somewhere beneath your feet. Auckland Transport has this week released its updated transit map with the CRL stations. Apparently they've done 1600 test runs so far. They've run trains more than 5000km – Kaitaia to Bluff two-and-a-half times. They've been driving trains at 70kmph directly underneath Auckland's CBD and at no point have I felt so much of a rumble or a shudder. I reckon the vast majority of us up top have been absolutely none-the-wiser. The kid in me who briefly considered becoming an engineer (and even volunteered to spend a school holiday touring the Lyttelton Tunnel) can't help but think that's pretty cool. After riding along on a VIP tour yesterday with all the politicians and movers-and-shakers, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown was in vintage form. How was it? He was asked. “It was a ride in a train.” He said. “We don't want excitement.” Well, maybe not. But guilty as charged. Maybe it's the engineering. Maybe it's the people-watching. Maybe it's the broader sense of momentum and life, but whether it's a tube, an underground, or a subway, I love a bit of subterranean mass-transit. You know you're a nerd when you're less excited about the opening of New Zealand's first IKEA than the transport connection you'll take to get there. After years of construction, the Second Ave subway opened two weeks before I moved back home. One of the last things I did on my last few days in New York was ride a loop. Not because I had somewhere to be but because I wanted to see what all that fuss and money and effort had created, out of sight, underneath my feet. I can't wait to do the same thing here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Conor English from Silvereye communications joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The latest report into our grocery sector found the duopoly continues to be highly lucrative, and Kiwis are paying the 5th highest prices in the OECD. Are we sick of all the talk about this? Can we expect the Government to do something? The Government is set to scrap the fuel tax and replace it with road user charges for everyone. Will this change really make it fairer for all drivers? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interviews with Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop, Crimson Education co-founder Jamie Beaton, Infrastructure Commission CEO Geoff Cooper, and digital infrastructure activist Julian Oliver.

With winter well and truly set in, some are dreaming of clearer skies across the sea. Kevin Milne has a trip to London coming up, him and his wife deciding to pop over and visit two of their sons on their home turf. Although this is a trip to see family, there are a few interesting details that Kevin shared with Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man of many talents, Cliff Curtis is a Hollywood star hailing all the way from Rotorua. He's known for his metamorphosis, carving out credits in a mixture of major franchises and more personal productions, and his latest project feels like a blend of both. Curtis is starring in Jason Momoa's ‘Chief of War', which tells a tale of the turn of the 18th century, when the four kingdoms of Hawai'i were at war. He told Jack Tame he's very proud and humbled to be a part of this production. “As a storyteller in the screen industry for the last three decades at least, we've managed to tell a variation of stories from our small corner of the world,” Curtis said. “But you know, this series, when led by the likes of Jason Momoa and his co-creator Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett, they can bring scale to the narrative.” “It's a big deal for us.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you better off than you were two years ago? Are you bathing in the soothing waters of the long-promised economic recovery? Is your future more secure? Is your food more affordable? Your insurance? Your rates? Is your road smoother? Are your children better educated? Is your water less polluted? Or do you think some of our most senior leaders' time and attention is better used fussing over measures like the order of words on our passports and the transfer of payWave fees from a surcharge to the main bill? The latest folly, announced by our Foreign Minister on a week in which Gaza was stricken by starvation, and the US thanked us for opening an FBI office here by increasing proposed trade tariffs, seeks to enshrine the name ‘New Zealand' in law. Ah yes, what a pressing issue. Tell you what, between that and the passport reordering, those tens or hundreds of thousands of kids who've fled to Australia are gonna be clambering over one another to get back home. Here's my view on the name of our country: call it what you want. You want to call it Aotearoa? Fine. You want to call it New Zealand? Fine. You want to combine the two? Go for it. You do you. The thing about language is it's fluid. It changes over time. There's a reason we don't all speak in Shakespearean prose. And it has nothing to do with compulsion. To those who say an increasing use of Aotearoa is some sort of affront to our collective values, I'd have thought freedom of expression is a value more worthy of protection. And for what it's worth, if New Zealand First was trying to enshrine the name ‘Aotearoa' in law, I'd have the same response. One of the justifications given for this member's bill is that using Aotearoa threatens NZ Inc., our international brand. Is there any evidence that our exporters are being compelled en-masse to send their products overseas with the name Aotearoa, instead of New Zealand? Who, pray tell, is risking that international brand value by forcing this change on the packaging of our top products? I'd suggest it's a pretty unsophisticated exporter who would voluntarily confuse their international customers. Or, you know, maybe this just isn't really a big deal. I've a real distaste for performative politics that either drum up angst about a problem that doesn't exist or do something symbolic at the expense of real action. I never cared for the trend of councils and governments declaring Climate Emergencies and patting themselves on the back, while simultaneously doing nothing new in a policy sense. There is a very simple way to see through this specific bill. Consider the timing. If the name of New Zealand is seriously so threatened, why didn't New Zealand First introduce this bill 12 months ago? Why not six years ago? Why not negotiate it into the coalition agreement when they formed a government? My instinct with this kind of move is always the same. Don't ask ‘What does this achieve?' or ‘Why is this an issue? Instead, ask ‘what are they try to distract us from?' The ‘meh' jobs report? The lame economic growth figures? The gang numbers ticking over 10,000 for the first time ever, this week? Or could it possibly be the fact that a few hours before the New Zealand (name of state) member's bill was announced, Australia and the UK achieved comparatively lower trade tariffs with the United States, while our government's top officials were apparently surprised to learn that our tariff had been increased? Actually, maybe we should call ourselves Aotearoa. Who knows? It might have confused Donald Trump just long enough to keep us at 10%. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full interview: Infrastructure Commission Te Waihanga chief executive Geoff Cooper joins Jack Tame to talk about the country's infrastructure pipeline, and why the spending New Zealand puts toward infrastructure doesn't necessarily result in the most effective outcomes — especially when it comes to renewing existing infrastructure.

The debut album from Australian musical group Folk Bitch Trio, ‘Now Would Be a Good Time' is filled with beautiful harmonies and dark wit. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album and the way the trio puts their own spin on the genre. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The UK is threatening Israel with recognising the state of Palestine if it doesn't agree to a ceasefire deal in Gaza. Is this a terrible bargaining chip - or you do what you've got to do? Australia wants to ban under-16s from using YouTube off the back of their social media ban for teenagers. Do we think this is a good idea? Netball NZ has just signed a new broadcasting deal with TVNZ - will this help netball turn its viewership around? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of Kiwis making withdrawals from their KiwiSaver due to hardship is on the rise. In the year to June, more than 50,000 were made, compared to 18,000 five years ago. Early withdrawals can have compounding effects on someone's financial future – so what other options are there? Lisa Dudson joined Jack Tame to delve into the topic and offer up some other ideas. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taking care of babies can be complicated. With so many new tasks and new things you have to teach to a child, it can be tough sometimes to try something a little bit different. Since she gave birth, Kate Hall has been using Elimination Communication, otherwise known as infant potty training, and she joined Jack Tame to give an update on how that's working. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fifth studio album from British singer-songwriter Billie Marten, ‘Dog Eared' is an album filled with nostalgia. The title comes from the practice of dog earring books, Marten having a fondness for marking up the books she reads – underlining passages, scribbling ideas in margins, and folding corners. It tells the story of who she was as she wrote and recorded the album, each song touching on a different childhood memory. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tour de France is reaching its final legs, with drama, gruelling climbs, and triumphant podiums all playing out across the world. Craig Geater is up close and personal with the professional cycling world, a bike mechanic with over 20 years of experience working with the Tour de France. He's worked with some of the sport's greatest riders and most successful team, and his currently the head mechanic for Australian outfit Team Jayco AlUla. Geater joined Jack Tame to break down what it's like working on something as grand as the Tour de France, his time as Lance Armstrong's personal mechanic, and the unique nature of the competition. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interviews with Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, educator Welby Ings, think tank researcher Max Rashbrooke, and NZ First MP Jamie Arbuckle.

In the end it was only a matter of time. It took a day or two of virality for the CEO caught cheating in the now truly infamous Coldplay kiss cam to publicly announce his departure from the company. I'm frankly surprised it took much longer for the woman caught canoodling in his arms to do the same thing. She was, after all, the Chief People Officer for the same company. On top of what I can only imagine is a personal calamity, the incident strikes me as a fairly grave professional conflict of interest. Indeed, the company that employed them both has announced that she is now gone, too. I'm not gonna pretend to be all high and mighty. Like however many hundreds of millions or billions of people around the World, I found myself titillated by the video. It's so dumb. So clumsy. Perfect fodder for a viral sensation. But in the last few days, as the stories have continued, I've also found myself thinking a bit more about what the whole thing says about us more generally. As consumers and sharers of information on the internet, loling, liking, and sharing, there is no way for us to collectively manage a degree of proportionality in a viral screw-up. They did the deed and they can suffer the consequences, you might argue. Sure, but at the same time, these people didn't commit a crime. They have been dishonest, absolutely. Unprofessional? For sure. But while I don't want to be too much of a downer, I can only imagine that right now, it feels like the price they've each paid is the complete and absolute destruction of their entire lives. And even if you do think that in this instance they deserve the consequences whatever they might be, what's to say you'll feel the same way the next time someone goes viral? There is no controlling the wildfire. And once it's shared and shared and shared again, the scale of a viral humiliation compounds faster than at any point in human history. And how about their families? Would you want to find out your husband or partner or parent was cheating? Most of us might say yes, painful as it might be, that truth in that situation is for the best. But what if it meant a fifth of the world's population found out at the same time? What if it meant every student at your kids' school knew what had happened and would bring it up for the next twenty years. Again, I'm not being miserable and saying it wasn't funny. It was funny! My point is that once a moment like this hits the internet, there is absolutely no controlling it. And there's a little sliver of this whole saga that has felt a bit Black Mirror. A few years ago, I read that amazing book, ‘So You've Been Publicly Shamed', by Jon Ronson. It had some extraordinary examples of people who'd gone viral for saying or doing really dumb, offensive things. But it also articulated something primal, something a bit ugly, a hunger in as a species to hunt as a pack, and the collective glee we take in casting someone aside and making an example of them in public. No policy, no force on Earth can stop a viral moment. It just has to burn out. There is no firebreak, no finger in the dyke. That video will have been viewed by eyeballs in every country and on every continent. But while that video said a lot about human nature, arguably its spread around the world has said just as much. Are you not entertained? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Kiwiblog's David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Can we confirm Nicola Willis' meeting with Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell was entirely pointless? Some advocates have blamed the Government's policies for the increase in homelessness. What do we make of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Written over the course of twenty years, from 1993 to 2019, 'Strange Visions 1' details the apocalypse in a sci-fi infused, post-modern satirical manner. It's the work of underground artist, producer and engineer Quaint, part one of a project called 'Polar Extremes'. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who else could pull off the animal transformation of one of the world's biggest rockstars but Wētā FX? Wētā is well known for its visual effects mastery, and so when Robbie Williams said “make me an ape!”, it's only natural that they were the ones for the job. The man responsible for Williams' simian visage in Better Man was Visual Effects Supervisor Luke Millar, who was nominated for an Oscar for his work. A visual effects supervisor is responsible for coordinating all the different elements that comprise the visual effects of a production – most of which is invisible in many movies. He told Jack Tame it's about balance – everyone always wants more for less, and so being creative and efficient is the name of the game. When it comes to Better Man, Millar got involved after working on the pre-visualisation work for the musical sequences before shooting began. “After seeing a couple of those sequences, I read the script, and that was me,” he said. “I was all in at that point to, to want to take on the challenge.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While we all have difficulty remembering and placing faces sometimes, some people are unable to do it altogether. Prosopagnosia, otherwise known as face-blindness, is a psychological condition that renders people unable to recognise faces – sometimes including their own. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to delve into this rare condition. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new weightloss medication is now available in New Zealand – accessible on a private, nonsubsidised script. Dr Bryan Betty joined Jack Tame to discuss Wegovy – what it is, how you use it, the side effects, and why people are seeking medical treatment for their weight. What is Wegovy? A once-weekly injection for weight loss known as a ‘GP-1 agonist'. It mimics a hormone in the gut that reduces our desire to eat and controls sugar in the blood. Developed originally for diabetes but found to help with weight loss, especially at higher doses. The same drug at lower does is known as Ozempic, which is used for diabetes. Is obesity a problem in New Zealand? Why medication? Shouldn't we just eat better and move more? We do have problem in New Zealand with obesity – it's a major heath issue. Over a third population is classified as obese, and it costs the economy $2 billion a year in healthcare costs. A good diet and exercise are critically important for weight loss. However once above BMI 30, it can be very hard to lose weight despite a person's lifestyle, so medication can be a useful adjunct for some people in weight loss. How do we use it and are there side-effects? Once-weekly injection. You adjust the dose every month until you reach the maximum dose. Side effects can include nausea, bloating, loose bowel motions, burping. More serious ones can occur but are very rare: pancreas inflammation, bowel obstruction. Most people have few issues. Is there a cost and how long do you take it for? It is not funded by Pharmac and costs about $500 a month or $6000 a year. Many studies now show that when you stop, the weight can go back on. There is a shift to thinking these medications may need to be used long-term, much like a blood pressure or diabetes medication. It is safe for long term use. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Q+A asks Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka if the Government's social housing policies have contributed to increasing homelessness. Q+A also speaks to China expert and journalist Andy Browne on US President Donald Trump's trade policies. Labour MP Jan Tinetti talks about her members' bill aimed at helping new parents.

I played the trombone in high school. I know what you're thinking: squeaky-voiced Jack running through a few scales on his big brass slide? Hello Ladies... But honestly the fact that my instrument was seen as a bit quirky was kind of an attraction for me at the time. What the trombone wasn't —at least back then— was very cool. To my mind it was good for jazz band and good for a blast in orchestra, but I wasn't creative enough to find or even search for a different sound with my trombone. Brass had its place and that was that. But the year after I left high school, Based on a True Story hit record stores. I'd never heard of Fat Freddy's Drop, but I was played a song by a friend and I bought the album the day it was released. I know it was 2005, because I can literally remember buying the CD from a Sounds record shop. I can remember walking down Madras Street in Christchurch with it burning a hole in my bag, so excited to play it. Let me tell you, I've never thrashed an album so much in my life. The way it starts off so sparse, those simple plunking piano keys, and then builds and builds and builds. The sound was so exciting. So different. So cool. Man, I thought. If I'd known this kind of music existed, this blend of dub and reggae and jazz and soul, with its brass component, too! As much as I have enjoyed Glenn Miller arrangements, I might have branched out a bit further with my high school music mates and the old ‘Bone. I'm no celebrated music afficionado but it occurs to me that Fat Freddy's Drop are a prime example of musos' musos. They're a band which loosely formed from a crew who just like jamming. They're a band that loves to play live, that still just loves to improvise. And, at least from the outside, they seem utterly unconcerned with the trappings of rock'n'roll stardom, with glossy magazine covers, fame and riches. Forget your 3-minute, four-chord tricks to sell into the top 40 radio stations, if you've been to a Fat Freddy's concert, you'll know it can be hard sometimes to know when a song begins and ends. I also think there's a real, distinct New Zealand flavour to their music. There's something Pacific, something relaxed, unshaven, and unconcerned. The sound of the Kiwi summer road trip. For the year I lived in the States, I'd always crank it up any time I had an American in my apartment as if it were a statement of identity. It probably says a lot about the band's aspirations, motivations, and priorities that despite their incredible international success, the individual members of Fat Freddy's Drop aren't all household names in this country. I know next to nothing of their private lives. And of all the members, I reckon I'd only have been able to name two, off the top of my head, if you'd asked me earlier this week: Dallas (friend of the show), the singer, and Mu. Chris Faiumu founded Fat Freddy's Drop. He produced their music, and as DJ, his beats, blends, and samples were the foundation of so much of their art. I feel my experience with his work will be similar to that of so many others in New Zealand and around the world. I feel really saddened by news of his death, and so grateful, so grateful, for the music he made that seriously has enriched my life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Australia seems to have turned the corner on teenage vaping, with rates among young people dropping. Do we need to follow suit and crack down on vaping? Members of Local Government NZ have voted in favour of strong opposition to a rates cap. What do we make of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maren Morris is a country music superstar. She's a Grammy Award Winner and a five time winner at the Country Music Awards, breaking records and writing songs for iconic artists like Kelly Clarkson and Tim McGraw. And now she's entering a new era in her life and career with her latest album ‘Dreamsicle'. She'll be heading to New Zealand next year to ride the country music wave that's sweeping the country, performing shows in Auckland and Christchurch. Morris joined Jack Tame to discuss this next phase in her career, the meaning behind Dreamsicle, and next year's tour. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Globally, around 460 million metric tons of plastic is produced every year, and it's estimated that 20 million metric tons of plastic litter ends up in the environment. To try and mitigate some of the damage, Plastic Free July was launched in 2011. It's a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation, which aims to work towards a world free of plastic waste. Founder and Executive Director of Plastic Free July, Rebecca Prince-Ruiz joined Jack Tame to discuss the initiative and challenge people to get involved. Find more details here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The release coming as a surprise to his fans, Swag is the seventh studio album of Justin Bieber – his first release in four years. With a range of guest appearances, the album returns to Bieber's favoured R&B sounds after his backslide into generic pop with 2021's Justice. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the new album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last month we set a new household record. Blame the baby, the extra washing, the old house, the cold weather, the dehumidifier, and whatever else. But despite booking in hours of free electricity across the month, between the gas heating and electricity, our family energy bill for June 2025 was the highest it's ever been: $540. I know we're very comfortable relative to so many families, but even so, that has gotta change. But while of course there are things we as a family can improve upon, I'm very aware that there are only so many gains to be won from policing light switches and shower times. I'm seriously wondering about solar. I read an amazing set of stats in the New Yorker magazine this week about the scale and development of solar energy around the world. This is all big picture stuff... mainly the huge industrial solar farms, rather than household solar, but a couple of these numbers absolutely blew me away. First of all, solar power is now growing faster than any power source in history. Globally, a gigawatt's worth of solar panels is being installed every fifteen hours on average, which means if you set a stopwatch running right now, new solar panels equal to the entire electricity generation capacity of New Zealand will be installed and running by midnight on Thursday night. Next week? The same. And the week after that. And the week after that. Another fact. It took 68 years from the invention of solar panels for the world to install the first terawatt of solar generation. That was 2022. It took just two years to install the second terawatt of generation. And it's gonna take a year to 18 months to install the third. By next year, the International Energy Agency says solar energy will generate more electricity than all the world's nuclear power plants combined. By 2029, more than hydro dams. By 2031 more than gas and by 2032, more than coal. Globally, we are generating a third more energy through wind and solar than this time last year. The Chinese are miles ahead of anyone else on this, but even gas-guzzling America is changing fast. Why? Are we doing it because it's the right thing? The moral thing? The climate-conscious thing? No. The huge surge in solar is being driven by economics. Put simply, solar power is way, way, way cheaper than other forms of electricity generation. Between batteries and solar panels, the technology is only getting better and only getting cheaper. Ten years from now, as reported in that article, the International Energy Agency says solar power will become the world's main source of all energy... not just electricity, but all energy. I'm not naïve about solar's limitations. Few of us need reminding —especially given the last couple of weeks— that there are times when the sun doesn't shine. And right now, in the depths of winter, when our family's energy bill is the highest, is the time of year when solar panels on our rooftop would likely be generating the least electricity. But if I take a step back and think about solar in the context of the whole year, it makes increasing economic sense to me. In summer I reckon I could wipe off a massive chunk from our energy bill. And whatever savings I make then can contribute to offsetting the bills in the middle of winter. All I knew when I looked at my energy bill this week is the status quo isn't gonna be sustainable for our family. Rather than debating if we'll go to solar, the only question for us now, is when. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new twist on a classic tale. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is an iconic tale of star-crossed lovers, and in just a few weeks, it will be brought to life once more by Auckland Theatre Company. Although if you're expecting a classic performance, you're in for a shock – instead you'll witness a fast-passed thriller set in 1960's Milan, complete with Kiwi accents. The titular characters are played by Theo David and Phoebe McKellar and the two joined Jack Tame to delve into the development of the show and what it's like to bring this new variation to life. Performances are running from the 15th of July through to the 9th of August at ASB Waterfront Theatre – tickets are available here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley travels a lot. He's the resident traveller on Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, always trying something or some place new. As a result, he's tried out many of the apps available for travellers, and has a few he would call his favourites. Read his full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Her first album released as an independent artist, Period is Kesha's sixth studio album. With her taste for experimental pop on full display, the album is a return to Kesha's wilder, hedonistic, “hot mess” era, filled with brash and unfiltered music. The popstar says her goal was for it to create a safe space for people to feel fully embodied and liberated, unfiltered, and fearless. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the cold and wet winter months, people often spend a lot less time in the great outdoors. This can be a bit of a problem, as recent research reveals that spending time outside can have quite a few psychological benefits. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to delve into the findings. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investing isn't always easy, and while you may think you can afford to buy a new house or investment property, can you really? Ed McKnight recommends that before you take on those payments, try living with the decreased income before taking on that debt. He joined Jack Tame to delve deeper into the ‘Can I Invest' Test. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's be honest, so far as All Blacks tests go, this is a bit of a funny one. If you were just weighing the odds on paper, I suppose there's good reason why you might favour Les Bleus. I hadn't realised it until this week, but we're coming off a three-game losing streak against the French, and you'll remember last year's first All Blacks test in Dunedin was a nail-biting one-point victory. The All Blacks didn't scream cohesion. Add to that the fact I still don't think we have an emphatic answer for who should start at ten, and Tupou Vai'i, surely one of the World's best locks, is playing blindside flanker! And yet the French are playing eight debutants and have left a slab of their elite stars back home. If it were any other test nation, I think New Zealand Rugby would have the right to kick up a bit of a fuss about the whole situation. But given the French and their history of spirited unpredictability on the rugby football pitch, it probably makes sense to secure a dominant victory before moaning about the standard of the opposition. You can just imagine it, can't you? No sooner would we lodge a formal complaint than a French rugby team with a prop at first five or a winger throwing the line outs would intercept an errant pass in the 84th minute or accidentally charge down the match-ending clearance kick with their replacement fullback's face in a freak moment of sporting brilliance to pip the All Blacks for yet another famous victory. An All Blacks test is an All Blacks test and the first of the season always gets me fizzing, but truthfully I realised I'd crossed a curious little Rubicon of sorts this week when I noted in myself an even greater sense of excitement about a completely different Gallic endeavour which happens to coincide with tonight's game. The Tour de France kicks off tonight. And I dunno what it is, but over the last few years it has become appointment viewing for me on the international sporting calendar. I think the romance and agony of it all is just so alluring. The way that riders slowly decay over the three weeks and more than 3000km. The way teams have to work to secure individual victories. The spectators lining the road, running with the leaders, often getting far, far closer than would ever be allowed in any other sport. The psychology of it! It's madness. Imagine cycling for hundreds of kilometres in intense heat or over a mountain range, only to get back to your bus and know you have to do it again the next day. And the next day. And the day after that. I honestly thought after the Lance Armstrong saga that I was done with the Tour de France. But whether it's the Netflix treatment or the incredible, generation-defining rivalry of the World's two best riders, I'm very much back in the saddle. So there's my pick. I reckon the All Blacks are well-placed to blast the French in Dunedin. But if you haven't watched it in a while, and you want guaranteed sporting drama... hang around a few more hours tonight for stage one of Le Tour. You will not be disappointed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lorde has described her fourth album as her rebirth. ‘Virgin' is her attempt to make a document that reflected her femininity, which she described as “raw, primal, innocent, elegant, openhearted, spiritual, masc”. It deals with themes of gender identity, body image, and mental health, a more introspective album than its predecessor ‘Solar Power'. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on the album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Muchamore is behind some of the best novels available to young readers. His CHERUB series is credited with shaking up young adult literature, with realistic language, unconventionally sophisticated themes, and portrayals of heroes that challenge tradition. His latest series tackles concepts like corruption, protection rackets, and late-stage capitalist failure, with a twist on the tale of Robin Hood. The ninth book in the series, Robin Hood: Fury, Fire and Frost, was released earlier this month. Muchamore told Jack Tame he's always been fascinated by the tale of Robin Hood – this very old story that has been passed on and reimagined over and over again. “It's this kind of legend that's been around for so long, and everyone gets to interpret it in their own way.” His version of the story is a more modern take, set in a contemporary world with a 12/13-year-old Robin Hood that's very similar to most modern children. That similarity can be something of a challenge though, as Muchamore explains that over his twenty years of writing for children, it's becoming a bit harder to stay in touch with kids. “You really do have to be humble and talk to kids, and listen to what they say.” “Kids are quite ruthless,” Muchamore explained. “They're always quite ruthless if you get something wrong or you use a phrase that isn't hip anymore or something like that.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

$82 million. As we go to air this morning, that's a rough estimate for the amount of cash going up in smoke as Jeff Bezos marries his bride at a star-studded Venetian affair. Eighty-two million. And I thought my wedding was an expensive affair! Everything's relative, of course. $82 million represents just a fraction of the total wealth of the world's third-richest man. To try and appreciate the true magnitude of his $300 billion estimated wealth, I put his finances into a scale that I can better understand. If every Jeff Bezos dollar was one second —so that one minute was $60, and one hour was $3600— depleting Jeff Bezos' wealth would take more than 11,000 years. You're gonna think I have a particular thing for Jeff Bezos. I honestly don't. I was one of those bagging his fiancée's space flight a few weeks ago, but I swear it's nothing personal. I would just be so embarrassed to be spending that much money to get married in a place where it would appear a reasonable number of locals don't want me. I've spent enough time in media to know it's hard to properly gauge these things from the outside. Protestors say Bezos has bought half the city and that his bash is an obscene example of money trumping every other concern. But the local mayor says that anyone blocking up the canals in protest or hanging out with banners and signs represents a tiny minority of Venetians, and actually the vast majority of Venetians are happy to welcome Bezos, his big bucks, and his blockbuster mates. Consumption in these European hotspots is clearly becoming a greater sore point. The backlash to the Bezos wedding recalls the protestors in Barcelona who've been going around and squirting visitors with water guns to protest the impact of overtourism on housing and infrastructure in the city. Whether it's Italy, Spain, or Portugal, qualities that made coastal European cities so romantic and alluring in the first place are swiftly destroying them in the Airbnb, cheap flights, and mass-tourism age. Would you still go? I can confess to having visited both Venice and Barcelona during backpacking trips fifteen odd years ago, but I'm not sure I'd return anytime soon. Increasingly as I travel, I'm a little repulsed by the crowds at the absolute hottest spots. And I'm aware that like a driver complaining about a traffic jam, I'm part of the problem. The Mayor of Venice who has so staunchly defended the Jeff Bezos wedding says he's embarrassed by the protests. The wedding is a great source of much-needed revenue for the city, he said. Italy's tourism Ministry put out a report suggesting it could provide the city a tourism boost of more than $1 billion dollars. It's a great way to put Venice on the map. I dunno. I'm not sure Venice needs to be put on the map! Maybe I'm wired differently but watching the scenes in Venice has, if anything, made me less likely to go back. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new season of Below Deck has set sail on our screens. The reality show has been running for over a decade, chronicling the high pressure, high stakes world of super yachts. Captain Kerry is the man at the helm of this season's superyacht, sailing the St David in Below Deck Adventure. Though many reality TV shows are hammed up for entertainment, Kerry told Jack Tame that on Below Deck, it's all “fair dinkum”. He says that everything is real, it's just a much more intense environment than a regular yacht season. “A season would be three or four months, we're doing it in six weeks,” Kerry revealed. “Where a lot of the stress comes into the job is turning the boat over – so when the guests leave, turning it over, getting it ready for the next trip, that's so much pressure.” When Kerry runs a yacht off TV, he says he'll give it three or four days between charters, and each charter is about a week, but on the show, they're doing nearly three charters a week. “Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, for six weeks.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone says the best time to travel with a baby is before it can walk. Makes sense, when you think about it. Most toddlers, once they've learnt to trot around the place, live for nothing more. All they want to do is walk. In fact, if you think about it, you really don't want to get close to even blurring the line between rolling and crawling and waddling away. The moment your child is old enough and independently spirited enough to drag themselves around, you're done for. There is no reasoning with an exhausted one-year-old on a packed 777. You can't calmly explain that actually the pilot has just put on the fasten seatbelt sign. You can't even vegetate them with a screen. As the old advice goes, if you're going to travel with a young one, you're best to do it when they're really young. Hold them tight and they'll mistake turbulence for rocking. Chuck them on the boob or the bottle if their ears are popping. And hey, you'll be at your destination in no time! Or not. As someone who usually prides themselves on embracing new experiences, even I'll concede that as our departure date approached, I felt an unmistakably growing sense of anxiety about our journey: 24 hours to Toronto with a four-month-old little boy and his eight-year-old brother. It all seemed so easy when we booked the tickets! The stress really kicked in the moment the taxi arrived to take us to the airport. Having purchased a special travel carseat secondhand, it was a rude shock to discover that it didn't really fit our cab like it fitted the cars in the instructional YouTube videos. Cue ten minutes of wrestling and cursing and a t-shirt neckline already drenched in sweat. Timing an 8pm flight with a baby means being at the airport at 6pm, which means getting a cab at 5.15pm. Our boy is fine in a carseat so long as he's moving. But when it's the beginning of a long weekend and everyone is leaving Auckland at once, nobody's moving. You're lucky to get more than a couple of car lengths without coming to a standstill again. By the time we arrived the airport he'd already screamed his lungs out and my blood pressure was sitting somewhere between concerning and see-a-medical professional immediately. Just 23 hours to go. I've travelled enough and been sat next or near enough babies to know a lot of the theory around flying with little ones, but the thing you only fully appreciate once you're in charge is how precarious any moment of peace always seems. They might be fast asleep in their mother's arms as the plane taxis to the runway, but he's never more than a little jolt away from potentially stirring and screaming. It's like you're cradling a pink, chubby little grenade who's missing a pin. He might go off and it might be catastrophic. He might scream and scream until all the babies on the flight slowly tip off each other, like a cadre of car alarms at 30 thousand feet. Or he might just sleep. The potential for either option is never more than a few seconds away. Of course, some things are just destined to go wrong. The moment you put your baby in the bassinet and he goes to sleep, there will be turbulence and you'll be forced to take him out, bright and alert as a little meerkat. The moment you successfully navigate the Row 48 bathrooms and their slippery changing table and make it back triumphant to your seat, you will recognise a familiar straining expression on your baby's face. The moment you're sure that your son couldn't possibly have any more burps and you just happen to lower that spill cloth for a couple of seconds, he will make sure to exploit that sartorial weakness so before long, his dried milk can mix in with that dried sweat from the taxi, earlier on. The moment you land, you will discover there's been a mix up with the luggage and the carseat that'll take a long time to fix and jeopardise your connection. It will be Lord of the Flies in the customs queue, you will miss your connecting flight and the replacement will somehow fail to have to transferred the infant's booking... so what, you ask, do you suggest we just leave him in Vancouver? Most of this isn't any one person's fault, but rather the inevitable hiccups when navigating the crazy logistics of internal travel. In fairness, Māni did about as well as anyone could expect of a four-month-old, but travelling long haul with a baby has certainly tested my enthusiasm for the whole new experiences thing. Sure, he might have spewed in the middle of the aisle while half the plane was watching him. He might have gone through a dozen nappies, three rompers, a cardigan and no fewer than five bibs, but next time I'll remember that I'm the one who needs to pack extra clothes in his carry on. After it all, there we were, more than 24 hours since we left home, pulling into a quiet street in a little town on Lake Ontario. It was almost 3.30am, local time, the dead of night. Māni's grandparents were waiting to meet their grandson for the first time. Māni's great-grandparents were waiting to meet him for the first time. Bleary eyed and teary eyed, we hugged and cried in the warm summer air. Sons, daughters, aunties, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Four generations, together. And it was all worth it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Their 27th album and their most theatrical yet, Phantom Island is the latest release from Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It's a partner to their prior album, Flight b741, and was recorded during the same sessions, continuing on with the same themes, but with a more orchestral sound. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on the album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queen of the stage, Alison Quigan is a mainstay in New Zealand's performing arts scene. You may know her best as Yvonne Jeffries, Shortland Street's maternally-minded receptionist, or from one of her many theatre productions, as Quigan has spent her career creating stories that portray the real lives of Kiwis on stage. She's back to her theatrical ways, directing a brand-new production by Sir Roger Hall, ‘End of Summer Time'. It's the story of retired cow cocky Dickie Hart and his wife Glenda's move to Auckland, a decision Dickie thinks is the beginning of the end. Quigan told Jack Tame that Hall's a great observationist, and it's his understanding of his audience that allows them to connect with his works. “He's been telling the story of this particular generation for 50 years, and he is very loyal to them and they are very loyal to him.” She started directing his plays in the late 80's when she took over Centre Point Theatre in Palmerston North, but as a solo show, this one is a little bit more complex than normal. “You're actually trying to create all the other characters with the actor, and obviously with the writer, and so it's a case of making sure that he's, he can get from A to B to C to D, to all of that, so he can get through to the end of the play,” Quigan explained. “So there's the practical part of understanding how a solo show works, but also reassuring and just loving what this other person can bring to the play.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I still remember the exact seat where I was sitting. It was 20 years ago, and I was primed for one of the key exams in my tertiary education. I'd passed Teeline shorthand at 40 words a minute. 50 words, 60 words, 70 words. To progress on my journalism course and ultimately earn a degree I had one final challenge: I had to pass a Teeline shorthand exam at 80 words a minute. We learnt Teeline from a wonderful tutor, a woman named Julie with exacting standards, a wicked sense of humour, and a way with words. She'd peer over your shoulder when you were tracing out different characters. “That's a squitty-looking outline,” she'd say with a wry smile. The moment I realised I'd passed 80 words a minute, I walked up to the front of the class and kissed her on the cheek. It took five months of work with daily lessons. I drilled myself with cassette tapes at home. But in a stuffy room on Madras Street, finally, I'd done it. But here's the crazy thing. That was the very last time I seriously used Teeline shorthand. That's no reflection on Julie. She was an amazing tutor, and shorthand skills had been fundamental for journalists for however-many decades. But back in 2005, what no one had apparently stopped to consider was whether those skills would be necessary in a world on the cusp on smart phones. What's the point in trying to keep up with shorthand when your phone can record a verbatim interview and even transcribe it in real time? Since our son was born, I've found myself thinking a lot about my shorthand experience in the context of AI. And I kept returning to a fundamental question: what skills and knowledge should we actually be teaching our kids? In the UK, surveys have suggested that 90% of university students are using AI to help with assessments. I'm frankly surprised it's not more. But educators around the world are trying to grapple with how to get around the likes of Chat GPT, Claude, and DeepSeek in assessing students' learning. So far at least, technology which purports to scan students' submissions for signs of AI is having mixed results at best. Many assessors are advocating for a complete return to in-person exams with hand-written essays. And yet in stewing over this, I couldn't help but wonder if in some ways that misses the point. It's like long division in the age of the calculator. Sure, it's a nice-to-know. But be honest. Do you actually use it? How many of us actually need manual long division skills in the modern age? What's the point in rote-learning historical dates when they are but a Google away? What's the point in learning where to place a semicolon when you can always spell and grammar check your work? When it comes to AI, instead of trying to work around it, I wondered, are we not better just to fully embrace it and try to teach our kids how to maximise the utility of the technology? Ultimately, two points have given me reason to pause. First of all, it occurs to me that we're not very good at foreseeing what skills will and won't be relevant in the workplace of the future. It was only a few years ago that everyone was urging young people to drop everything and learn how to code. Now, coding jobs are among the first ones being gobbled up generative AI. And it's easy in reflecting in my Teeline shorthand example to miss the even greater lesson. It's true, Teeline skills haven't been necessary or helpful in my almost-twenty years of journalism. But what has been helpful is the discipline that experience taught me. What has been helpful is the organisation skills, the accountability, the professionalism. In learning Teeline, I learnt shorthand. But more importantly, I learnt how to learn. Whether it's through long division, historical essays or anything else... surely that is the skill should aspire to educate in our kids. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Groundswell is calling on the Government to pull New Zealand out of the Paris Agreement. Do we see ourselves leaving - or will the agreement fall apart on its own? Biotechnology company 23andMe is being taken to court by multiple US states over plans to auction off customers' personal genetic information without their consent. Have we ever done one of these tests? What would happen if this data got sold? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At some point in their life, most women will experience menopause. It generally impacts women between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age New Zealand women will begin to experience menopause being 52. At menopause, the ovaries stop releasing eggs and menstrual periods stop. In most cases, if someone hasn't had a period for 12 months in a row, they are considered post-menopausal. Significant symptoms are experienced by approximately 70% of those experiencing menopause – common ones including anxiety, low mood/depression, hot flushes, brain fog, nausea, and fatigue. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to discuss menopause, why awareness should be raised around it, and how to support someone dealing with it in the workplace. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britpop legends Pulp are back after 24 years. They released their 8th album, More, which was recorded over the span of three weeks, starting in November of 2024. In the Bandcamp description for the album, Jarvis Cocker writes: “We hope you enjoy the music. It was written & performed by four human beings from the North of England, aided & abetted by five other human beings from various locations in the British Isles. No A.I. was involved during the process. This album is dedicated to Steve Mackey. This is the best that we can do. Thanks for listening.” Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on the album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A significant milestone happened in Kevin Milnes life recently – or shall we say a Milnestone. Wednesday marked 50 years since he and his wife Linda went on their first date, and he joined Jack Tame for a chat about marriage, relationships, and anniversaries. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nadia Lim is a chef with a finger in every pie. She's a MasterChef New Zealand champion, cookbook author, TV personality, dietitian, entrepreneur, and an inspiration for many in the kitchen. Her recipes and passion have shaped the way many approach food, the release of her cookbook Easy Weeknight Meals inspiring plenty of people to take up utensils. To mark the 10th anniversary of that very cookbook, a special edition is being released, complete with 16 bonus My Food Bag recipes. Easy Weeknight Meals 10th Anniversary Edition, published by Allen & Unwin NZ, RRP $39.99. She told Jack Tame that ten years has gone by fast – time moving faster the older you get. “I'm 40 this year and I started this journey out when I was like, 25, and gosh, the time's just flown by,” Lim said. “I've never been a great person at kind of, looking back in the past, but when anniversaries like this come around, it's a good time to kind of look back and stop, pause, and reflect.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.