Big Blend Radio

October is Blindness Awareness Month and Emotional Wellness Month, and this conversation fits both. Director and filmmaker Gina LeVay Goldstein joins Big Blend Radio to talk about "Blind AF," the award-winning documentary following blind Paralympian, Army veteran and world-record holder Shawn Cheshire on a 60-day, 3,600-mile solo bike ride across America. Shawn lost her sight to a brain injury in 2009 while working as a paramedic, and the film goes far beyond the miles. Gina explains how she met Shawn in 2015, how the story grew from an endurance ride into a film about trauma, healing and reclaiming your authentic self, and why trauma “tells no time.” She also talks about the filmmaking, the team behind it, and the moment on the road when a stranger reminded Shawn that blindness isn’t a disability, it’s a difference. Among others, Gina thanks executive producer Jeff Zimbalist, editor Michael Culyba, and cinematographers Cristobal de Alba and Benjamin Soto of Zenith Adventure Media. "Blind AF" premiered at the Bentonville Film Festival, won Best of Fest at the 2025 Sedona International Film Festival, and is now streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Tubi and Documentary+. LINKS & RESOURCES: Watch the film: https://www.blindafdoc.com  Meet the team: https://blindafdoc.com/the-team  Shawn Cheshire: https://www.shawncheshire.org  Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com 

The Congo Basin absorbs more carbon than any other tropical forest on Earth, yet it receives just 11 percent of international tropical forest funding. Professor Lee White, Special Envoy to the Science Panel for the Congo Basin, joins Lisa D. Smith on Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast just after New York Climate Week, where he launched a new brief on funding tropical forests. Hear why the Congo Basin and the Amazon are the two chambers of the Earth’s green heart, how trees keep cities cooler and kids healthier, why science funding matters, and how modern farming can protect the forest. Also what happens when ecosystems fall out of balance, and what each of us can do. LINKS & RESOURCES: - Science Panel for the Congo Basin: https://www.spcongobasin.org - Scaling Tropical Forest Finance brief (SDSN):  https://www.unsdsn.org/resources/scaling-tropical-forest-finance-perspectives-from-the-amazon-basin-the-congo-basin-and-borneo/}  ABOUT OUR GUEST Professor Lee White CBE is Special Envoy to the Science Panel for the Congo Basin and an Honorary Professor at the University of Stirling. A joint British-Gabonese national, he has spent four decades working in tropical Africa. His roles include senior positions with the Wildlife Conservation Society, ten years directing Gabon’s National Parks Agency, and more than four years as Gabon’s minister of forests, environment and climate. Visit us for more episodes in the Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com 

A demand letter lands on your desk, and your stomach drops. Now what? On this episode of Big Blend Radio’s "California Employment Law" Podcast, San Diego employment attorney Ward Heinrichs walks through a sample demand letter and what employers (and employees) should know. Ward breaks down the two very different kinds of demand letters: the records request, and the traditional demand letter that lays out claims and asks for money. He explains why a demand letter isn’t always an emergency, why settling early can be a smart business decision, and how often “you don’t have a case” actually works.  He also covers why meal and rest period claims get thrown in so often, what a strong employer defense looks like, who can be personally on the hook, and whether a demand letter has to come by certified mail. You’ll also hear what happens if a company can’t pay and why both sides are better off with an attorney. There are also a few poker metaphors, because it really is a bit like a card game. LINKS & RESOURCES - Read the episode highlights and download Ward’s sample demand letter: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/demand-letters-what-employers-need-to-know  - Ward Heinrichs’ Employment Law Office: https://bestemploymentattorneysandiego.com  - California Employment Law Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/california-employment-law  - California Employment Law Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/california-employment-law-magazine  This episode is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. New episodes of California Employment Law air every 4th Wednesday on Big Blend Radio. This episode also airs on Big Blend Radio's "Success Express" Business & Career podcast channel.

Pittsburgh has long carried a reputation as a gritty steel-mill town with not much to see or do. Travel writer Debbie Stone grew up in Chicago hearing exactly that, but she kept hearing whispers that the city had changed, so she went to see for herself. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures" Podcast, Debbie shares the museums, art and views that changed her mind. Debbie takes us through the Heinz History Center, where six floors cover everything from Pittsburgh's inventions to the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood puppets, the story behind Heinz's 57 varieties and an eleven-foot ketchup bottle. Then it's the seven-story Andy Warhol Museum and his famous silver wig, the Mattress Factory's site-specific installations, and the colorful public art of Randyland. Debbie also explains why Pittsburgh is the city of bridges, shares tips for getting around, and visits the Fort Pitt Museum and Point State Park. She rides the historic Duquesne Incline up Mount Washington, cruises the three rivers with Gateway Clipper, and stays at the Drury Plaza Hotel, a historic Federal Reserve Bank building. RESOURCE LINKS: - Read Debbie's article and see her photos: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/pittsburgh-buzz-worthy-museums-attractions  - Plan your Pittsburgh visit: https://www.visitpittsburgh.com  - More from Debbie Stone: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/debbie-stone-travel-writer  - Global Adventures Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/global-adventures-debbie-stone  - Global Adventures Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/global-adventures-travel-magazine  New episodes of Big Blend Radio's Global Adventures Podcast with Debbie Stone air every 4th Tuesday at 7pm ET. 

In honor of Global Diversity Month, explorer and author James Michael Dorsey takes us to Papua New Guinea, the most linguistically diverse country on earth, with more than 800 indigenous languages and thousands of dialects.  On this episode of Big Blend Radio’s "Before They Vanish" Podcast, James talks with producer Lisa D. Smith about attending the Sing Sing festival, where as many as 150,000 people from dozens of tribes gather in feathers, face paint and towering headdresses, and about the Asaro people, the famous Mudmen. Many people picture the Mudmen as brutal savages in huge clay masks, but James calls them one of the most peaceful tribes in Papua, and shares the story behind the masks: a river, gray mud, and attackers who thought they were seeing spirits. Today the Mudmen are moving from ancient warriors to modern entrepreneurs, with a television commercial, perfume ads, music albums and a website for booking performances.  James also covers Papua New Guinea’s headhunting history, the Papuan litter bearers who helped Australian troops in World War II, travel tips for Port Moresby and Goroka, village life with roast pig and cassowaries, and why traditional peoples are never “backward.” The episode ends with a preview of his upcoming trip to Mongolia. MORE: 🌍 James Michael Dorsey’s website: https://jamesmichaeldorseyauthor.com/  🎙️ More episodes of Before They Vanish: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/before-they-vanish  New episodes of Before They Vanish air every 4th Monday on Big Blend Radio.