Big Blend Radio

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/

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/

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

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 LightRead 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

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

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

Mexican-American author Leslie Adame joins Big Blend Radio for Global Diversity Awareness Month to talk about her middle-grade fantasy series following Chloe Vega, a twelve-year-old from East LA whose biggest fear is that her undocumented parents will be taken away — until she discovers her family belongs to a secret magical society, and that she has powers of her own.The first book, "Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic," is out now. The second, "Chloe Vega and the Missing Unseen," arrives October 6, 2026 from HarperCollins Children's.In this conversation, Leslie talks about building a magic academy that blends cultures from across the Americas, the family moment of holding her first physical book, a reader story about a niece whose father is in detainment, the boundaries of writing about real immigration issues for kids, and her upcoming book tour.Leslie's website: https://leslieadame.comInstagram & Substack: @leslieadameTikTok: @lesliepadame

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast, host/producer Lisa D. Smith talks with clean energy executive Jared Schoch, founder and chairman of TurningPoint Energy and author of "Solar Coaster: The Untold Story of the Solar Industry, One Man's Journey Leading with Soul" (Regalo Press, November 10, 2026). Jared has spent more than two decades in the industry and has managed more than 3 gigawatts of projects representing over $5 billion in solar and energy efficiency investments.The conversation starts with what a gigawatt means in terms of homes, then looks at why solar took so long to take hold in the U.S. From there it moves to how AI data centers are straining the grid, why Jared says solar and wind can be built faster than gas or nuclear, and how battery storage is changing what solar can do. They also cover small solar plants near cities, agrivoltaics, what happens to old batteries, why crypto and data center companies are asking for solar, and what the dot-com crash can teach us about a possible AI bubble.Along the way, Jared explains why he says the industry has to adapt to survive and why it takes purpose as well as profit. He also shares that he isn't making money from the book. He says every dollar he earns earn goes to charity, supporting environmental causes, poverty relief, education, and spiritual growth. Jared will be back on Big Blend Radio in November to go deeper on the book.Visit & Pre-order: https://SolarCoasterProject.com