The Bridge

It's the one-year anniversary of The Bridge launch, and time for the team to take hiatus, a break from the rigors of radio. John, Heyang, BeiBei, Cimcie & Liu Yan share their thoughts on the past 365 episodes of the show, with some great observations, insights and inspiration, as well as the "Best of the Bloopers." From all of us at The Bridge, we thank you for listening, and supporting us in "bringing the world together, one conversation at a time."

Super Producer Cimcie checks in and the conversation goes right to food (doughnuts specifically) and then BeiBei branches off to Chinese medicine, allergies and John reminisces about how going out for dinner was such a big deal when he was a kid. Another great conversation between friends, thousands of miles apart, all meeting at the middle of The Bridge.

Heyang is back from her nearly three-week assignment to Tibet, and shares the highlights of her journey with John, who mixes in some Michael Jackson, YoYo Ma & Coco, Rolling Stones & Andrew Gold. The Bridge-bringing the world together, one song at a time.

Right out of the gate, John & Liu Yan are engaged in a serious game of connect-the-dots, that includes "The Walk" John took many years ago, to his time working with Oprah Winfrey (that trips a memory Liu Yan has when he used Oprah's name to help him get to the USA). This episode is 55-minute lesson that the power synchronicity can play in our lives, if we pay attention.

An early start for John in Chicago, as Liu Yan's day is ending in China, and the conversation runs the gamut from the remarkable technology that allows them to talk, to the early morning full moon that illuminated John's studio, to a deeper discussion on the purpose of The Bridge, and the importance staying true to your calling, no matter what it is.

The show starts with John talking with BeiBei about the difficulty he had in deleting all the hundreds of files from previous Bridge episodes, not from a technical perspective, but from an emotional standpoint, and the feeling that even though all the shows are saved on a common server, there is something about deleting audio that goes against the grain of radio production. Switching gears, BeiBei shares some of the upcoming changes in China, when it comes to the concept of "Common Prosperity" and nations that are all connected in the world economy.

Dr. Wallace "J" Nichols has been called a “Keeper of the Sea" by GQ Magazine, “a visionary" by Outside Magazine, a "water warrior" by AQUATICS International, a "friend of the sea" by Experience Life Magazine, and "the godfather of water" by Irish Life and Santa Cruz Waves Magazine. He is an innovative, silo-busting, entrepreneurial scientist, movement maker, renown marine biologist, voracious Earth and idea explorer, wild water advocate, bestselling author, sought after lecturer, and a fun-loving dad. He also likes turtles (a lot). Dr. Nichols joins John & BeiBei to share his ideas, concepts and the many ways we can stay connected to the waters of the world, no matter where we live.

Fall has started in Beijing. BeiBei's allergies have kicked into overdrive and she's back at her Chinese herbalist looking for relief.  John shares his allergy experiences, including having to cancel a date when he was 16 years old, which somehow leads to a conversation about the Old Farmer's Almanac. Then it's back to 1969 as John drops the needle on "Sugar, Sugar" from the cartoon group "The Archie's" that BeiBei has never heard of, and the talk continues on to Bugs Bunny and BeiBei shares how her favorite cartoons have shaped the way she sees life.

Super Producer Cimcie is a California girl, and the conversation quickly turns to the heat and wildfires that have always been a part of living in The Golden State and BeiBei shares her thoughts about the winter weather that's forthcoming in Beijing. John's fascinated that weather has become such a big business, with channels dedicated to reporting weather 24/7 from around the world. Shifting gears, BeiBei is interested in how John & Cimcie view their own personal history growing up in America.

With Heyang still on assignment, John digs back into the Music Monday archives, and has produced a "Best of" show with music and more from Heidi Newfield, Seth King, Steve Dorff, Graham Russell from Air Supply, Mark Johnson of Playing For Change, David Stoddard and KT Tunstall. The Bridge-bringing the world together, one song at a time.

Super Producer Cimcie joins John & Liu Yan for a wide ranging, off the wall, upside down and right-side up conversation that runs the gamut from the placebo effect to how each of us eventually turn into our parents to John's time in prison (as a speaker, not inmate) and finally the wave of admirers who have flocked to "Ling" an AI image that has over 130,000 followers on Weibo, to which John attempts to make a parallel to blow-up dolls, and the man who has a dozen different vinyl gals at his beck and call.

A tech setback has the guys connecting after overcoming a few speedbumps, and John shares his thoughts about how amazed his parents and grandparents would be about the technology that allows him to connect with Liu Yan 7,000 miles away in real time. The rest of the show touches on John & Liu Yan's media careers, the worst city in America to drive in and finally they go full Star Trek with a conversation around the late, great Leonard Nimoy.

The mission of The Bridge is to "bring the world together, one conversation at a time" so John & BeiBei discuss some of the ways that East and West can find middle ground. The conversation from Wednesday picks up again, as BeiBei makes some strong statements about the importance of being a vigilant parent and keeping balance the lives of children. John makes the comparison of the push for excellence in education in China to the America obsession with pushing kids into sports with the hope that it might lead to a pro career.

Kristel Bauer is a Corporate Wellness Expert and Founder of Live Greatly with a personal mission of helping individuals thrive personally & professionally. She joins John & BeiBei to talk about some of the lessons she learned from the pandemic, and it turns into a full-blown conversation about becoming conscious about lifestyle choices and changes.

BeiBei is battling against asthma as the weather begins to change, and she's getting ready to see a Chinese herbalist to get things straightened out. The conversation gets serious as BeiBei shares some information about how some of the online educational courses are taking a big hit, after some government intervention, from the perspective of a parent. John assures her that the "race to be the best" is a worldwide phenomenon, and that better grades don't always add up to success.

John kicks off the show with "September" from Earth, Wind & Fire, which somehow ignites a fairly deep conversation about energy, the foods we should be consuming depending on our "inner fire" as BeiBei describes it. John rolls backs the years as he shares about how the ice cream man knows exactly when to show up and Cimcie shares that her favorite summer treat from the icebox is Choco Taco. Finally, pizza is on the menu, and John makes the case for Chicago's deep dish being the best choice around the world.

With Heyang still on assignment, John has brought in back-up from Liu Yan and Cimcie, and the result is possibly the most eclectic mix of music ever broadcast on The Bridge. Cimcie offers up Nine Inch Nails, Sophia Rose aka “Pretty Weird Blonde" and The Cure. Liu Yan brings Enrique Iglesias, Gwen Stefani (feat. Saweetie) and Maria Carey. John rounds out Music Monday with Colin Hay, Van Halen and Boston. The Bridge-bringing the world together, one song at a time.

With the release of "The Suicide Squad" to millions of home viewers, John, Liu Yan & Cimcie discuss the latest movie offering from DC Comics. Cimcie & Liu Yan loved it, John... not so much. A rousing discussion of the challenge that faces studios who are trying to adapt having to reach customers in their living rooms, and the lawsuit brought by Scarlett Johansson against Disney with the release of "Black Widow."

This episode of The Bridge kicks-off with a short wrap and review of the Olympics, and how many lessons are contained in athletics that only the competitors benefit from, and those who sit and watch will never know. There doesn't seem to be a major Covid fallout after the Olympics, which points to great planning, implementation and safety measures taken, which should be an example of how to handle this virus. The conversation shifts gears to the international phenomenon of the retail giant Ikea, and one of their newest offerings, scented candles that have the smell of their world-famous Swedish Meatballs.

With the world always in some level of chaos and conflict, John & BeiBei welcome Conflict Resolution expert Jeremy Pollack to The Bridge. Jeremy holds a Master's degree in Evolutionary Anthropology from California State University, Fullerton under anthropologist John Patton. His thesis research was in the evolution of religious cognition and intergroup conflict. Jeremy also holds a Master's degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding (NCRP) from California State University, Dominguez Hills. BeiBei takes the lead in the conversation, and digs into the many ways that Jeremy has helped major corporations and individuals alike, and how each of us can make great changes in our lives, if we focus on personal responsibility.

What starts out as a casual conversation about weather, somehow morphs into a review of John's years in the United States Coast Guard, as BeiBei has a slew of questions about this often-overlooked branch of the military. John shares some of his memories from his time as part of the aviation end of the USCG, and what it was like in Boot Camp, and the many lessons he learned, that have stayed with him over the years.

With a chorus of cicadas providing the background from Beijing, BeiBei and John discuss how each of us are the "common denominator" in our lives, and spending time pushing our responsibilities on others is a waste of time and that life flows better when we accept that fact. John switches gears, and brings up the fact that there are more jobs than people to fill them and the conversation goes to work ethic and priorities, and the concept of contributing to the greater good.

After John explains the phenomenon of Bruce Springsteen aka "The Boss" to BeiBei, the conversation turns to the recent Covid outbreak in China, and the ripple effects of protocols not being followed which has led to this new virus challenge. Cimcie and BeiBei have quite the discussion over Covid impact, planning and possible prevention. Finally, there is some conversation over the recent Olympics and what the future might hold for the games in 2024.

Heyang is on assignment, and John has invited Emmy Award winning journalist and broadcasting legend Linda Yu to be a guest "DJ" for this episode of Music Monday. Linda has brought some of her favorite songs, including "Rolling in The Deep" from Adele, "Don't Know Why" from Norah Jones, Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man" and "You Raise Me Up" from Josh Groban. John drops the virtual needle on "Summer Wind" from Frank Sinatra, "Unforgettable" from Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole, "Something to Talk About" from Bonnie Raitt and "Rocky Mountain High" from John Denver. John and Linda take a look "behind the music" and share some of their thoughts about the impact of the songs. The show concludes with Linda's request that "Imagine" from John Lennon, just might be the unofficial theme song for The Bridge.

A trip to the zoo is a fascinating and educational experience for John, and he shares some of the highlights from his most recent visit. Liu Yan shares a bit about the world-famous Beijing Zoo, and the concept of environmental stewardship comes up, and John adds one of the "Earth Matters with Bill Kurtis" clips that speaks to the major challenges we face as a species, disposing of plastics.

John kicks off the show talking about the world-wide phenomenon of saying "I'm Sorry" for just about everything, and uses an example from his time working at Oprah Radio and getting a host to stop apologizing all the time. Liu Yan agrees that we are constantly apologizing, perhaps the meaning is lost when it might be needed most. The conversation goes to how important perspective is, and that history is our greatest teacher.

As natural disasters continue to roll across the headlines, John & BeiBei are in deep discussion about how the worst of times can often bring out the best of human behavior. The concept of grass roots leadership is a deciding factor in times of crisis, and finally the conversation turns to the power of perspective and how much chaos humans cause without even being fully aware of the damage we do.

There is an old saying that goes like this "The grandfathers plant the trees, so the grandchildren can have shade." The power of being prepared before a disaster often takes place long before there is indication of problems. BeiBei shares stories from the recent flooding in China, where precautionary measures taken years ago helped to lessen the impact on the citizen of two small towns. John points out that humans are really good at fixing things after a disaster, but for the most part hindsight is usually the norm, rather than foresight.

In the wake of severe weather and flooding in China, BeiBei shares the story of a clothing business that was struggling but donated quite a sum of money to the recovery effort, prompting a boomerang effect in a very positive direction, pushing the once fairly obscure business into a much more stable economic situation. It's the power of giving, with no thought of return, that often creates abundance on many levels.

It's time for Super Producer Cimcie to make her weekly appearance, and the conversation with John and BeiBei is a walk down memory lane of fads from the 70s, including pet rocks, mood rings, earth shoes and disco. John's agreed to use his 8th grade graduation picture from 1973, as evidence of a time that included bell bottoms, platform shoes, over the top plaid jackets and giant bow ties. Both BeiBei and Cimcie share memories of the 80s growing up, and how something as simple as playing jump rope, can mean so much years later.

Heyang kicks off Music Monday with an Olympic theme, a duet from Liu Huan and Sarah Brightman, "The Power of the Dream" from Céline Dion, Björk performs "Oceania" and "One Moment in Time," from Whitney Houston. John sticks with the sounds of summers past, with "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" from John Denver, "I Want A New Drug" from Huey Lewis & The News, "Keep Pushing" from REO Speedwagon and wraps it up with "Summer Time" from The Jamies. The Bridge, bringing the world together, one song at a time.

John is all about blocking out commercials, and using the mute button to maintain some sort of sanity when it comes to the over commercialization that we are bombarded by on hundreds of channels. Liu Yan adds that the average adult attention span is 50 minutes, and the conversation goes to John being up early to connect from Chicago to Beijing for the show, and how amazing the very early morning is, and the importance of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.

First off, Cimcie does a short report on the Olympics, including the fact that break dancing will be an Olympic sport in the near future. Then switching gears, one of the hottest movies out is "Pig" starring Nicolas Cage, which prompts a lengthy conversation about the many movies that Cage has starred in, with Cimcie and Liu Yan handling a bulk of the movie talk, but John chimes in with a couple of quotes from "Con Air." Finally, it's all about the favorite movies from each of the Bridge team members, and John gets to drop the needle on "Sweet Home Chicago" from one of his favorites, The Blues Brothers.

Record breaking heat along with massive flooding in China and Europe, has BeiBei sharing her thoughts about the mounting challenges of climate change, from a very personal perspective.  John interjects with an "Earth Matters with Bill Kurtis" clip, that uses the movie JAWS as a metaphor for global warming and they both discuss the role humans play in the unfolding future of Planet Earth.

He's got 40 years as a healer, therapist and is trained in numerous modalities designed to free the body of pain and maintain a healthy structural alignment. Ron Lemire is also proficient in the art of hands-on therapy as well as homeopathy, herbal medicine and nutrition. But that's just the tip of the iceberg for Ron, who also traveled the world with the late singer/songwriter John Denver as his personal cook, therapist and bodyguard. John and BeiBei welcome Ron back for another episode of healing strategies, memories of Denver, and the ways we can find balance in our very chaotic lives.

While working out to keep his gym time a priority, John ruptured a tendon in his elbow, effectively putting him on the injured reserve list-and sidelined from most physical activity for three weeks. The conversation goes to the mind/body/spiritual aspect of life and healing, BeiBei adds the importance of "Chi" in Chinese medicine. A shift in gears brings a serious discussion about some of the major environmental challenges that are taking place in the world today, including unprecedented floods in Germany and record-breaking heat in the Western USA.

She's the Super Producer of The Bridge, and Tuesday is always made a little bit better when Cimcie checks in from Los Angeles. BeiBei is having some difficulty because of an allergic reaction and her speech is a bit challenge, but true to form, she overcomes to bring the latest news from a pig in China, that lives with its master, that now eats from the table using a spoon. John introduces BeiBei to Porky The Pig, and since it's less than six months to Christmas, the timing is right to play "Blue Christmas" from Seymour Swine and The Squealers. The conversation turns to other animal stories and the connections humans have (for better or for worse) with cats, dogs, squirrels and other assorted beasts.

It's another episode of Music Monday and Heyang kicks it off with a rocking tune from The Killers, then Cobra, Maniac Street Preachers along with The Chainsmokers & Daya. John drops the needle in a very different direction with B.W. Stephenson, Perry Como, Kermit The Frog and The Tarney Spencer Band.

John is just back from a trip north, where he checked in on his elderly aunt and uncle, who have endured great loss in their lives, which kicks off a conversation with Liu Yan about the important decisions in life. After a music break with Bonnie Raitt, Liu Yan introduces the concept of "Snow Clone" and then John airs one of the "Earth Matters with Bill Kurtis" vignettes about the difference one person can make when it comes to the environment, as a nod to the breaking news that Indonesia is preserving rainforest at the highest rate in 30 years.

As the Olympics have kicked off in Tokyo, John & Liu Yan discuss the impact of the games in the past, and how very different it will be without fans and supporters in attendance. John switches gears and gets feedback from Liu Yan about the "billionaire space race" that is taking place, and how people think those with great wealth, should (or should not) spend their money. After a music break from Carly Simon, John shares the numbers from a new Gallup Poll that find nearly 60% of Americans surveyed feel highly optimistic, and consider themselves "thriving" as the pandemic begins to wane.

Following up on the previous conversation about mushrooms, John has dug up more info on the fungi. As it turns out a study of mice given a serious number of mushrooms helped them to alleviate depression. If that's not enough, another study in Singapore shows great promise in offsetting memory MCI (mild cognitive impairment) when 600 Chinese seniors ate copious amounts of various mushrooms and finally, John shares the story of the guy who has created coffins from mycelium (the fibrous part of mushrooms) that can biodegrade within two months. The coffin allows for burials that don't involve wood, steel, and toxic chemicals. Eco-friendly burials are becoming more popular, with two out of three Americans preferring a green burial. As it turns out BeiBei isn't a fan.

It's been unseasonably rainy in Beijing and BeiBei has an unintentional mini-science experiment growing on her back porch-as a broom is becoming a terrarium of sorts. Comparing weather notes, John shares that mushrooms are sprouting in his yard from the soggy soil. BeiBei says that she and her daughter did a mushroom growing project at home, and that brings them to some of the severe weather experiences they've had. BeiBei asks about music around storms, so John uses the opportunity to drop the needle on "Ridin' the Storm Out" by REO Speedwagon-a song BeiBei's never heard before. Finally, BeiBei is concerned that her memory is slipping, as she couldn't remember the password to her phone, and after being locked out on several attempts, had to visit her daughter in kindergarten to get it open.

Millions of people around the world, have been tuning in to TED Talks for well over a decade and BeiBei has taken notes on one in particular from David Brooks of the New York Times titled "The Lies Our Culture Tells Us About What Matters." The discussion is of the highest order, as BeiBei shares some of the main points from Mr. Brooks, and John weighs in on from his perspective as one who's given two TED Talks, and the impact they can make.

Mindfulness and meditation are the themes that run through the show, when Super Producer Cimcie checks in from LA. From apps, to mountain escapes to guided meditation, how do we find peace among the chaos of the world? BeiBei talks about how she keeps her mind calm at the end of the day, and John keeps things moving along some of his own insights to keeping his "bubble in the middle" on the level of life.

They're the most popular episodes on The Bridge: the weekly songfest that drops the needle on the universal language, music. Heyang starts the show with a powerful song by Tan Weiwe that focuses on domestic violence called "Xiao Juan" from 2020. In a major switching of gears, John loads up "Running Down A Dream" from the late, great Tom Petty. From there you'll hear music and more from Linkin Park, Blue Swede, J-Lo, Pink and Chicago.

John & Liu Yan start the show discussing the impact that The Bridge has had on each of them, as the program has amassed over 300 episodes. John shares some thoughts on the experiences he's had around Chinese medicine when his daughter was young. The rest of the show includes music from Peter Gabriel, stories from The Good News Network and some literary commentary about writing books and the responsibility of sharing information in the 21st century.

John's just back from a few days off, and shares his thoughts about "bugging out" to the Northwoods, and how it's the best way for him to recharge his batteries. Liu Yan uses tennis to settle himself when he needs a break, and Cimcie also uses nature to reconnect, and then shares the news that her sister Ashlee, just finished up post-production work on the CBS show "Celebrity Renovation" and the conversation goes to the many talents that are needed behind the scenes to create the media we watch. Finally, the talk is about reality shows, the good, the bad and the ugly.

The human brain is the most powerful computer we have at our disposal, but most of us don't use but a small portion of the potential this incredible organ contains. BeiBei has been watching a TEDx talk from Dr. Daniel Amen, who has much to say about how the brain works, and things that we can do to enhance its efficiency. John shares some of his thoughts regarding his concerns about damage done to the brain from sports, and he relates it to the many years he played football, and how he's taken steps to hopefully diminish the effects of the game  on his long-term mental health.

BeiBei is all about finding ways to create a fulfilling life, and shares her thoughts about the nature vs. nurture concept, that the formative years contribute greatly to our long-term wellbeing. John has the long view as a parent, and adds his thoughts about how his children made their way through life, to which BeiBei shares about some of her experiences with her daughter and other children she knows, and how challenging it is to be an effective parent. Finally, it gets even more personal as John shares his thoughts about life transformation, and the ups and downs of growth he's experienced.

With cicadas providing the background sound effects from BeiBei's back yard, the discussion is about the ups and downs of creating a garden, and how John has stewardship over his little plot of land. Shifting gears, there's commentary on the impact of books on kids, as BeiBei shares her thoughts as a mom. Finally, the deeper subject of how difficult it is for humans to discern reality-from produced reality.

Super Producer Cimcie shows up with a message for BeiBei-that they are officially "Elder Millennials." The conversation covers the gamut of generational labels, which puts John in the "Baby Boomer" bracket, and how we all have been put into boxes and files only adding to the distance between people. Finally, Cimcie shares about a pair of shoes she's bought, made totally from recycled plastic, taking the show in an environmentally themed direction.