Frank Prosnitz/A Bridge to the Future
25 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingWe explore a variety of topics. In this podcast, we learn about a Grammy nomnated rocker,what brought him to his music,and what has motivated his latest project.
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Episodes
Empowering a workforce through the discovery of natural strengths
January 22, 2024 21:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBImagine turning the federal government workforce of some four million employees into a highly efficient and productive organization, motivated around each employee’s individual strengths. That’s the mission that former Rhode Island Leadership Rhode Island Executive Director Mike Ritz, now Gallup’s Executive Director/Federal Government has undertaken. He’s still at the beginning of this 10-year project, a year and a half in. Mike shares with us early assessments of the federal workforce, the ...
Conversation with Brookings' Darrell M. West -- "A very tough year" ahead
December 30, 2023 14:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBA conversation with Brookings' Darrell West, and a forecast for 2024 -- “A very tough year in the history of this country.” We touch on a divided nation, Congressional inaction, the Biden "impeachment," and much more. Darrell M. West is a senior fellow at the Center for Technology Innovation and Douglas Dillon Chair in Government Studies at the Brooking Institution. He is the author of numerous books, including Power and Politics: Trump and the Assault on American Democracy (Brookings Pres...
Foghat lead singer Scott Holt
December 25, 2023 18:00 - 30 minutes - 19.4 MBSince it was founded in 1971 in London, Foghat, a classic rock band, has achieved eight gold albums, one platinum and one double platinum album, and continues to perform today, with its latest album, Sonic Mojo, named among the top 20 albums of 2023. Through more than half century, the band has gone through various configurations, with only drummer Roger Earl remaining from the original group. Still, the Foghat remains true to its original roots, a classic rock band with considerable blues a...
Rising antisemitism ... yet, a message of hope
November 17, 2023 16:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MBAntisemitism is on the rise at levels not seen in decades. On college campuses Jewish students are feeling unsafe, many in the Jewish community are on edge -- real or perceived. And it doesn't matter whether you are a religious or secular Jew, whether you see your Judaism as spiritual, cultural, or social, or only relate because you were born that way. Adam Greenman, president and executive director of the Jewish Alliance in Rhode Island, reflects on the rise in antisemitism, the Israeli/H...
'Confessions of a cruise ship comedian'
November 01, 2023 02:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBFrom the glitter of the Vegas strip, to small comedy clubs, and expansive auditoriums on cruise ships, Dave Goodman has spent a career making people laugh. In this conversation he talks about how he abandoned his pursuit of a law career to become a successful standup comic, a regular in Las Vegas, where he logged more than 3,000 performances ... and then on cruise ships for years, traveling around the world. In 2015, he wrote the book -- "Confessions of a Cruise Ship Comedian." From Robi...
Reflections:Former RI Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea
February 03, 2023 22:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBNellie Gorbea spent eight years as Rhode Island’s Secretary of State, earning a stellar reputation for her work in cybersecurity, staunch advocacy for voting rights, dedication to improving civics education, and working with businesses throughout the state. She joins me as we discuss a variety of issues, from her time as Secretary of State, her new role at the Pell Center at Salve Regina University, attacks on voting rights, and how her native Puerto Rico is recovering from a series of devas...
Cars ... Cars ... Cars - A changing industry
January 23, 2023 00:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBArchie Calise has been in the car business for years -- in finance, sales, and management. He's also an antique car collector. We touch on all aspects of the industrry. How it's changing, the future of electric cars, buying styles, whether to lease or buy, and more.
Reflections – Former URI President Robert L. Carothers
January 15, 2023 13:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBRobert L. Carothers came to the University of Rhode Island, in the worst of times, and when he left 18 years later, URI and the state of Rhode Island were much better for his having been there. We catch up with Bob Carothers, as he now contemplates a second retirement, this one from College Unbound, which has and is transforming the lives of individuals, many of whom would otherwise likely face a lifetime of despair. Bob Carothers – educator, university president, poet, and lawyer.
Economic Forecast 2023
January 05, 2023 16:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBUniversity of Rhode Island Economist Len Lardaro, author of a montly Rhode Island economic index, believes there is a 60 percent chance of what he calls a "vanilla" recession in 2023 asnd 70 percent in 2024. In this interview he touches on immigration and its impact on employment, the economic importance of affordable housing, and lack of in-house due diligence in state government.
Evolution of Journalism
December 22, 2022 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBTerry Schwadron has been watching the evolution of journalism since he was first hired as a reporter at the Providence Journal in 1971. He's lived the changes as a senior editor and eventually deputy managing editor of the Los Angeles Times, and then as a senior editor for some 17 years at the New York Times., where he directed News Technology for 1,200 reporters, editors, photographers, and web producers.. "Retired," he writes frequently for various publications about current events.
A Blues Perspective
May 15, 2022 15:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MBLegendary Blues Artist James Montgomery and the Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman, the voice of the Saturday Night Live band for three decades, joins me in a look at the state of the blues, their own careers, and the importance of music as a voice during cataclysmic events.
Democracy on Trial
May 07, 2022 00:00 - 24 minutes - 16.3 MBWe caught up with Darrell West, a vice president and director of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and asked him if Democracy is on trial. We touch on the courts, the January 6 Commission, campaign finance among a number of issues. West, who has authored more than 20 books holds the Douglas Dillon Chair in Governmental Studies and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of TechTank at Brookings. Before coming to Brookings, he was the John Hazen White Professor of Political Science and Public Pol...
A conversation with Zombies' lead singer Colin Blunstone
April 09, 2022 20:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBThe way Colin Blunstone tells it, he just happened to be sitting in the right seat in class when a classmate leaned over and asked him if he had a guitar … and it wasn’t long before Blunstone, Rob Argent and their friends were performing as a teenage band called the Mustangs. Realizing that the name belonged to another group, Blunstone says they settled on the Zombies, and as they say, the rest is history. Blunstone, now approaching 77 reflects on a career that’s spanned nearly six decades, ...
A conversation with Trinity Repertory Company's Curt Columbus
February 26, 2022 12:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBThe word theatre comes from the Greeks. It means the seeing place. It is the place people come to see the truth about life and the social situation. - Stella Adler Viewed as perhaps Rhode Island's premier arts’ organization, Trinity Repertory Company is among the only surviving repertory companies in the nation. Curt Columbus is Trinity's longtime artistic director and shares his perspective why Trinity has survived as a repertory company when other have not, the state of the arts, and the...
Until the music stops
February 09, 2022 17:00 - 36 minutes - 23.9 MBKeri Anne O'Donnell just loved to dance. "She was the one," says her dance instructor, "who got the moves right." At 15 she had a passion for the performing arts - dance, singing or acting.. But on a summer's morning, on her way to the beach with her sister Elyse and some friends, the tire blew on the car in which they were riding. A tragic accident, in which all were seriously injured. Keri did not survive. But, according to her dad, comedian Frank O'Donnell, Keri lives on through the scho...
Legendary singer/songwriter Tom Rush
January 09, 2022 16:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBFrom classrooms at Harvard to corner coffee shops, where his career as a singer/songwriter began, Tom Rush has not only been heralded for his legendary career, but also as an inspiration for so many other artists. We talk about his career, his bout with Covid, and how he's still helping to develop careers among young talented artists.
Conversation with longtime Yardbird Drummer Jim McCarty
January 09, 2022 15:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBNow living in the south of France, McCarty is the original and long-time drummer of the Yardbirds. He talks about his musical journey, and the two books he has written: "Nobody Told Me," about his musical career, from a holiday camp in England to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame; and "She Walks in Beauty," described on McCarty's website as his "lifelong quest to unravel the mysteries of the world that exists beyond the world in which we live."
Preserving the separation of church and state
November 21, 2019 02:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBThe victim of anti-Semitism as schoolboy, Ambassador John Loeb has become a leading activist for religious freedom, for separation of church and state, and fighting anti-Semitism. Ambassador Loeb built the Loeb Visitor Center at Touro Synaogue, founded the Institute for Religious Freedom at George Washington University, financier, art collector, philanthropist. Served in the military, as an Ambassador to Amsterdam, and a delegate to the United Nations.
All Nations Conference
November 08, 2019 02:00 - 40 minutes - 27.7 MBRev. Paul Hoffman, lead pastor of EFC Church in Newport and Pastor Steve Robinson of Crosspoint Church in Newport recently returned from the All Nations Conference in Jerusalem. They share their impressions.
Populare vote versus the electoral college
November 02, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBDarrell West, a vice president at Brookings who in the past has supported the electoral college now believes it's time to eliminate the electoral college, and leave elections to the popular vote. Darrell also touches on threats to our Democracy, the reshaping of our courts, the growing deficit, low voter turnout, and young voters.
2019 Rogue Island Comedy Festival
October 08, 2019 19:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MBDoug Key is founder of the Rogue Island Comedy Festival, held in Newport, RI. In its fifth year, the festival is held over four days (Oct. 10-14) at four different venues, featuring 70 comics.
Quonset Development Corporation - driving Rhode Island's economy
October 07, 2019 01:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MBRhode Island's Quonset Development Corporation is by far the most ambitious and successful industrial/office park in Rhode Island, employing nearly 17,000 workers at companies like Electric Boat, Toray, Ocean State Job Lot and 203 other businesses. It houses companies employing more than 3,000 and start-ups in incubator type buildings. Steven King has been the corporation's managing director for 12 years, and before that was its chief operating officer. He's seen the park's growth, and share...
Conversation with Developer Colin Kane
October 05, 2019 23:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MBColin Kane is a founding partner of the highly successful Peregrine Group, real estate advisors and project managers. The company has offices in Newport and Rumford, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. Our conversation ranges from the impact of climate change, liquor licenses, a proposed moratorium for construction in what is being called Newport's innovation district, and the possibility that Kane will run for governor in Rhode Island.
Opening Act
August 31, 2019 12:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBFor more than 30 years Paul Wayne has been the opening act for many top stars, including Jay Leno, Patti LaBelle, Richie Havens, and so many more. He shares his story, songs, and anecdotes about his experiences over what has been a very successful career.
Rising from Poverty in Liberia
August 31, 2019 12:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBAl Kamara was born in a tiny impoverished village in Liberia -- no utilities, no running water, no schools, no hospitals. One of 21 children, his mother arranged for his "adoption" by a businessman at the age of 10. He entered a world where he would learn to read and write, travel with "foster parents" to Canada and Romania. He would eventually earn a master's degree, become a successful businessman and write The Drive to Aim High: Seven Powerful Mindsets Proven to Guarantee Your Success. Al...