Big Blend Radio

Big Blend Radio Network
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Viva Variety! Hosted by Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith, the mother-daughter travel team and publishers of Big Blend Magazines, Big Blend Radio educates, entertains and inspires! Topics include: Music, Books & The Arts; Travel & Recreation; Food & Drink; National Parks & Public Lands; History & Culture; Nature & Environment; Home & Garden; Family & Education; Business & Career; and much more!

  1. 35m ago

    100 Men Hall: Music, History & Community in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

    Step inside the 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, a 1922 Chitlin' Circuit landmark and Mississippi Blues Trail stop just across from the historic train depot. On location for Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, travel journalist Terri Guthrie sits down inside the hall with Rachel Dangermond, the writer and award-winning journalist who purchased it in 2018 and now leads the nonprofit that keeps it alive. It's the perfect episode to celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month!  Rachel traces the hall's roots to a self-reliant benevolent association formed in the Black community during Jim Crow, and shares the skits, the manless weddings, and the legendary musicians who played here, including James Brown, Ray Charles, Etta James, Guitar Slim, and BB King. She also explains how a Mardi Gras crew began in the hall as the Merrymakers, why the Chitlin' Circuit story is more nuanced than most people know, and how the hall's mission has grown to celebrate every community through A Soulful Christmas, Día de los Muertos, and the Matzo Ball. You'll also hear about the hall's four annual fundraisers: Rock 'N' Roux in January, Swamp(gr)Ass Get Down in April, Booker Fest over Labor Day weekend, and Cigars Under the Stars benefiting Gulf Coast veterans. Rachel talks about the endowment protecting the hall's future and why visitors from as far as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand keep coming back. Along the way, Terri shares the route of Amtrak's Mardi Gras Train, which runs twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile. RESOURCE LINKS: - Plan Your Visit: 100 Men Hall: https://100menhall.com/  - Listen to the previous episode about Amtrak's Mardi Gras Trainwith Knox Ross, Chairman of the Southern Rail Commission: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/mardi-gras-train-gulf-coast-amtrak  TRAVEL WITH TERRI: Travel with Terri: https://www.travelwithterri.com/  Travel with Terri Podcast: https://www.travelwithterri.com/podcast  Travel with Terri Magazine: https://www.travelwithterri.com/magazine

  2. 15h ago

    Ambassador Dr. Nabhit Kapur: Water Is Life, Life Is Dignity

    Clean water and sanitation touch nearly every part of life: health, education, safety, economic opportunity and human dignity.  On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Table & Compass" Podcast, Lisa D. Smith is joined by co-hosts Joelle Machia and Ryan Slough of Wanderers Compass for a conversation with His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Nabhit Kapur, Permanent Observer to the United Nations for the Pan-African Intergovernmental Agency on Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA). Dr. Kapur began as a psychologist and mental health advocate, founding the Peaceful Mind Foundation and World Leaders for Mental Health. He explains how that work in Africa led him to the UN and to water and sanitation. He shares why women and girls are central to the solutions, including through his WaterHer initiative, and what happens to a community when clean water is a long walk away. He also describes a visit to a small town in Ghana where children walk five kilometres each way for a bucket of water. The conversation covers how a small UN observer mission works, from taking ideas to member states to getting them to the grassroots, and how WSA's science-based approach shapes its projects. He describes the sanitation and water clubs in Nigerian schools and a youth sanitation and water Model UN planned for next year. Joelle and Ryan add what they've seen traveling, including Sint Maarten's dependence on rainwater and desalination and the questions they ask hotels about protecting local water. The episode ends with what gives Dr. Kapur hope. Recorded just ahead of UN General Assembly 81 in September 2026. Whether you live in a city, a village or a hotel lobby, you can ask what is happening with water in your own community. RESOURCE LINKS: - Dr. Nabhit Kapur on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnabhitkapur  - Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA): https://wsa-un-ny.org/index.php  - UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, Clean Water and Sanitation: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6  - New episodes of Big Blend Radio's "Table & Compass" Podcast air every first Monday, here: https://table-and-compass.podbean.com/   - Learn more about Joelle Machia & Ryan Slough, Founders & Publishers of Wanderers Compass: https://www.wandererscompass.com/   - Explore Big Blend Radio and Big Blend Magazines: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/

  3. 19h ago

    Author Dr. Neil J. Farber – Treating a Broken System

    It's Health Literacy Month, and today is publication day for the book, "Treating a Broken System: A Physician's Cure for the Healthcare Crisis." Retired physician and Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine Dr. Neil J. Farber joins Lisa D. Smith on Big Blend Radio to talk about why he wrote the book and what he believes it will take to fix the way patients, physicians, and healthcare administrators work together. After decades of teaching communication to physicians, Dr. Farber became a patient himself and saw the healthcare crisis from the other side. In this conversation he explains why you keep getting asked the same questions at every visit, how electronic records, patient portals, and AI note-taking are changing the workload for doctors, and why he calls the pressure on physicians "assembly line medicine." You'll also hear practical tips you can use right away: bring a list of your concerns, bring someone with you or ask to have them join by phone or Zoom, record the visit, and look for a physician who practices shared decision making. Dr. Farber also describes a Mayo Clinic approach in which administrators listen to physicians and give them the authority to fix their own workload, and a Valley fever story that shows why curiosity about the whole person helps both doctors and patients. Dr. Farber says the book is for patients, physicians, and administrators, and Lisa adds caregivers and families to that list. He is donating his book profits to charity. Get the book & learn more: https://neiljfarber.com/  More from Big Blend Radio: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/

  4. 1d ago

    American Jukebox with Johnny Schaefer: Global and Diverse Voices

    In celebration of Global Diversity Awareness Month, Big Blend Radio's "American Jukebox" Podcast series takes a seven-song journey from Cuba to Brazil, Spain to Detroit, showing how global traditions have shaped American music, and how American artists have inspired the world right back. Singer-songwriter Johnny Schaefer and Lisa D. Smith talk through Rufus Wainwright & John Legend, Rodríguez, Gilberto Gil, Buena Vista Social Club, Rosalía, Rusted Root, and Michael Franti & Spearhead, plus a look ahead to November's Songs for Positive Change. Timely note: Rosalía returns to Saturday Night Live as the musical guest on Saturday, October 10!  NOTE: This is the spoken-word version of the episode. Hear the full version with all seven songs on our episode page: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/american-jukebox-global-diverse-voices  LINKS: 🎵Spotify Playlist:  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1rSdFzHK3MUUWOLFHArCvw?si=90d04d9a9b3c44ee  🎵 Johnny Schaefer: https://hearjohnny.com/  🎙️ Explore all American Jukebox episodes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/american-jukebox

  5. 2d ago

    Katharine Cato – Wine, Wellness & Wandering in Ashland, Oregon

    Think Ashland, Oregon is only about Shakespeare? Think again! On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Sip, Savor & Travel" Podcast, producerLisa D. Smith and travel writer Linda Kissam, the Food, Wine & Shopping Diva, sit down with Katharine Cato, Director of Travel Ashland, to explore everything Ashland offers beyond the famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Katharine shares how a town of about 21,000 residents welcomes more than 300,000 visitors a year, and why Ashland's spot right off I-5, where the Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges meet, makes it both an easy stop and a true destination. Linda brings her food, wine and shopping expertise to the conversation, and Lisa asks about the best seasons to visit. In this episode: - Where to start your morning, from a marshmallow in your latte at Case Coffee to afternoon tea at Lovejoy's Tea Room - Independent shops, 100+ restaurants, and the Oregon Chocolate Festival - Rogue Valley wines, with 70+ varietals, plus Rogue Creamery cheese and Oregon Wine Month in May - Lithia Park's 93 acres, including the newly renovated Japanese garden - Skiing, summer fun and a drive-in movie night on Mount Ashland, Klamath River rafting, and Crater Lake just two hours away - Wellness, spas and the healing Lithia water - The Playwrights Walk, 365 days of theater, and the Festival of Light Read Linda's article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/ashland-oregon-you-havent-discovered-yet  LEARN MORE: - Plan your visit:  https://www.travelashland.com  - Linda Kissam: https://foodwinetravelchix.com/  - Sip, Savor & Travel Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/sip-savor-travel-podcast  - Sip, Savor & Travel Digital Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/sip-savor-travel-magazine

  6. 3d ago

    Comedian Ben Miller – Volcano: A Science Comedy Special

    What happens when a comedian walks into a volcano? In this return visit on Big Blend Radio's "Toast to the Arts & Parks" Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF), Lisa D. Smith catches up with stand-up comedian Ben Miller, the scientist-turned-comedian who became the first stand-up comedian ever selected as an NPAF artist in residence, at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in February 2023. That month on the Big Island, spent learning from volcanologists, entomologists, archeologists, and local Hawaiians, became "Volcano," a science comedy hour that has toured 70+ cities internationally and is now available to watch on YouTube. It was filmed at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the first stand-up comedy special ever taped at a science museum, and it carries what may be the longest bibliography in comedy history: 281 sources. In this conversation, Ben talks about taking "Volcano" from the Edinburgh Fringe to Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and New Zealand. He describes writing an hour of jokes in a single month, performing in national parks and even a cave, and why he cites his sources on stage. He also explains how he writes jokes that are funny without being cruel, including how he approached Mount St. Helens, and shares what's next: a new hour of science jokes and a tour for next year. Along the way, the conversation wanders through ʻōhelo berry pies, a 3 a.m. croissant disaster, silkworms and monarch way stations, lava crickets and invasive earthworms, Pompeii's ancient bread, and the persistent myth that a volcano gave us Frankenstein. It's also a reminder of why arts in parks matter: more storytelling means more preservation, conservation, and interpretation. MORE: - Watch Ben Miller's Volcano comedy special: https://youtu.be/RfpFj34QQ3U?si=RvCtnd43tLufDdo6  - Ben Miller Comedy: https://www.BenMillerComedy.com  - Ben's first Big Blend interview from his residency:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78wzGPHZ_m0  - National Parks Arts Foundation: https://www.NationalParksArtsFoundation.org

  7. 3d ago

    It's Time to Visit The Peanut Patch in Yuma, Arizona

    It's October, and that means The Peanut Patch is open! Donna George, owner of The Peanut Patch in Yuma, Arizona, joins producer Lisa D. Smith on Big Blend Radio's "The Peanut Patch" Podcast, to celebrate the start of the season, with fresh peanut brittle and fudge back on the counter for Yuma locals, winter visitors, and road trippers passing through. Donna shares what it takes to get the store restocked, from making peanut brittle every day to a fudge table that can hold about forty-five flavors at once. They talk pepitas and pumpkin seeds, about twenty Peanut Patch salsas for Taco Day, apple butter and preserves, sugar-free candy, and the pickled vegetables and local products on the shelves. You'll also get a look behind the storefront. Peanuts are roasted on site and ground into fresh peanut butter, and the kitchen makes brittle, clusters, and fudge, alongside Medjool dates grown in Yuma. Donna's grandson Matthew is busy freeze drying goodies too. Along the way, Lisa makes the case for real candy at Halloween, Donna and Lisa swap ideas for candy corn and peanuts, and Donna shares her twenty-nine years of owning The Peanut Patch. Her store anniversary party is Saturday, November 21, and Medjool date shakes will likely start that day. 🛒 Shop year-round: https://thepeanutpatch.com/  🎙️ The Peanut Patch Podcast (new episodes every 1st Friday): https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/the-peanut-patch-podcast  🍽️ Recipes from The Peanut Patch Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/recipes-from-the-peanut-patch

  8. 4d ago

    California's Sequoia Country: Bears, Scarecrows & Fall Festivals

    It's October in California's Sequoia Country, and there's a lot going on. On this month's "California Sequoia Country" episode with the Sequoia Tourism Council, Big Blend Radio host Lisa D. Smith is joined by Holly Streit of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Suzanne Bianco of Visit Visalia to kick off fall. The episode starts with an anniversary: on October 1st, 1890, General Grant National Park was established to protect the General Grant Tree, the second largest tree in the world and the nation's only dedicated living shrine to service members. Holly explains how that four-acre park became part of Kings Canyon, what's closing for the season at Cedar Grove and Mineral King, and how the park's December wreath ceremony at the nation's Christmas tree works. It's also bear season, so Holly shares what to do if you see one, including keeping 50 yards back and storing food and scented items properly, and why fallen sequoias and dead trees matter to the forest. Plus, October 27th is a fee-free day for Teddy Roosevelt's birthday. Then Suzanne walks through October in Visalia and Tulare County: the Tulare Crush Party on October 9th, the Exeter Fall Festival on October 10th and the downtown Scarecrow Contest, Visalia Pride, Books & Brews and the Taste The Arts street festival on the weekend of October 17th, and the Sequoia Symphony playing Pirates of the Caribbean at the Fox Theater. You'll also hear about Cosmic Creeps at the Planetarium on October 23rd, the city's Halloween house map, mini pumpkindishes at the Vintage Press, a few ghost stories, and a visit to the Tulare County Museum for Global Diversity Awareness Month. Plan your visit and get more information: - Discover the Sequoias: https://www.discoverthesequoias.com  - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks: https://www.nps.gov/seki  - Visit Visalia: https://www.visitvisalia.com  - New Sequoia Tourism Council episodes air every first Thursday: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/california-s-sequoia-country-podcast

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About

Viva Variety! Hosted by Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith, the mother-daughter travel team and publishers of Big Blend Magazines, Big Blend Radio educates, entertains and inspires! Topics include: Music, Books & The Arts; Travel & Recreation; Food & Drink; National Parks & Public Lands; History & Culture; Nature & Environment; Home & Garden; Family & Education; Business & Career; and much more!

Information

  • Creator
    Big Blend Radio Network
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    111
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Big Blend Radio and Magazines
  • Show Website
    Big Blend Radio