The Gritty Hour

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After a long career in law enforcement and security, retired Police Chief Brian Brady has become a crime fiction book author of note.  Growing up in his native San Francisco, and drawing on his experiences in his careers, Brian has developed a loyal following as an author.

He dropped by to discuss his latest book, The Crew. He also discussed the challenges of self-publishing, his love of writing, and his need to expand the depth of his characters and stories.

To learn more about his interesting journey, and discover his body of work, please visit http://www.goldengatetales.com

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Pianist, composer, and arranger Larry Ham stopped into our in-house setting to discuss his career, his compositions, and his upcoming schedule.

Larry is a "go-to" guy in his genre, appearing, touring, and recording with many top Jazz artists in his career.

From his early days as the pianist in The Lionel Hampton Orchestra to his latest appearance on the new Ali Ryerson album, Larry continues to thrive in the Jazz scene.

Tickets to his upcoming performances with Ali Ryerson can be found at the links below: http://www.aliryerson.com

Nov 11 - La Zingara, Bethel, CT: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ali-ryerson-quartet-featuring-lou-pappas-tom-melito-larry-ham-tickets-1990435077899?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Nov 13 - "A Place for Jazz" Schenectady, NY: https://events.com/r/en_US/tickets/ali-ryerson-quartet-schenectady-november-1047787

Nov 14 St. Andrews Church, Kent, CT: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-ali-ryerson-quartet-tickets-2003273313407?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

To learn more about Larry and his work, please visit http://www.larryham.com

Songs composed and performed by Larry Ham on this podcast are:

Carousel, The Ring, and Brazilian Coffee

Recorded and edited by Elijah Rivera

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PolicyViz founder and leading Economist Jon Schwabish joined us to discuss the challenges facing the Social Security Trust Fund now and in the coming years.

Jon served in the Congressional Budget Office for nearly a decade where he became focused on the effort to reform Social Security over various administrations.

In his time at CBO, and later the Urban Institute, Jon honed his talent for developing clarity in data representations and communicating data for consumers. 

As the force behind PolicyViz , Jon assists governments, non-profits, and research think-tanks in the techniques to effectively present data in an easily understandable way.  He also teaches these techniques to students at Georgetown University, and to listeners on his PolicyViz podcast.

Currently a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, Jon has partnered with Alice Feng, an expert on equity and accessibilty in data visualizations, to write Thoughtful Data: A Guide To Empathy And Equity In Data Communication, available this coming December, 2026.

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Grammy Award winner Darlene Koldenhoven stopped by to talk about her new book Put Your Dress Down And Sing, a memoir of her family and career.

She tells her story about her strict Dutch Calvinist upbringing, to her big break in the music industry. She has famously performed as the tambourine-playing Nun in Sister Act, and sang on many albums and soundtracks from artists such as Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart, and many others. One of her most favorite and memorable experiences was performing with Yanni: Live At The Acropolis.

Her appearance here gives us a glimpse of her entertaining new book.  Check out Put Your Dress Down And Sing HERE.

To learn more about Darlene and her career, visit DarleneKoldenhoven.com

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As an insider in the world of Big Tech, including Google, Visa, and Uber, Heather Henderson knows the techniques technology companies use to grab and hold your attention. Her experience with the common addiction of scrolling through her phone made her ask the simple question - Did I choose this, or was it chosen for me?

The search for the answer to that question is the timely new book Reclaim: How to Stop Scrolling Through Your Life and Start Living It.

In it, Heather explores how technology influences human behavior and society, and offers readers a way to develop a healthier relationship with it, and to use it to their advantage.

To learn more about this great book, which is due out September 22, 2026, please visit Amazon.com
and http://www.iamheatherh.com 

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Award-winning author Linda Drattell stopped by to discuss the upcoming release of The Peccadilloes Of Filamena Phipps from Stairwell Press, scheduled for release on October 15, 2026..

Linda has authored the well-received children's book Who Wants To Be Friends With A Dragon as well as equally well-received poetry books such as Remember This Day

Her books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit LindaDrattell.com to learn more about this amazing author.

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The founder of Bator Training & Consulting, Ken Bator stopped by to discuss his common sense approach to helping businesses achieve their goals using what he's learned in his 20-plus years, and how his knowledge manifested itself in his book entitled The Formula For Success = B+C+S.

Ken also serves on the board of The Wounded Blue  a truly great nationwide organization which assists police officers who were wounded in the line of duty.

He also hosts a podcast called Public Safety Talk Radio on the National Police Podcast Network

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@GrittyHour.com
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Felice Manzi dropped by to give his opinions on various subjects, including the state of education, politics, and the economy.

A frequent guest, Mr. Mannzi always provides interesting and thought - provoking insights on current events.

Interesting conversations with interesting people.
#podcast #conversation #politics

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Ed Lawrence, retired teacher from Philadelphia, stopped by to discuss the amazing site PrayersUniteTheWorld.org which he serves as a co-founder.

Mr. Lawrence describes the Providence involved in it's concept, inception, and tremendous growth around the world.

The genius is the simplicity of the concept: submitting a prayer and having various religious communities around the world pray on behalf of the submitter.

Predominantly Catholic in it's origin, PrayersUniteTheWorld.org is open to all faiths, religions, and nationalities.

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Matthew Melvin, author of Bullied Behind Bars: A Gay Christian Trump Supporter Goes To Prison, stopped by to discuss his book. 

Mr. Melvin discusses his experiences, including his poor choices which ended him in prison. He describes his relationship with God and his near-death experience that ultimately put him on the right path in his life.

To learn more about his book, please visit Bullied Behind Bars

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