Americana

Encore: The American Front Porch

February 13, 2023 Tim Entertainment, Episodes, History, Life & Style, Society 00:46:54 Comments Off on Encore: The American Front Porch

Author and journalist Michael Dolan joins Tim to tell the story of the American front porch. He’s the editor of American History magazine and the author of a book entitled, “The American Porch: An informal history of an informal place.” In this episode, he talks about how the front porch shaped life in America for well over 200 years. You could say that when it comes to our homes, the front porch was the original social media. This encore episode was originally released May 24, 2021.

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Seven Voices: Your Favorite Holiday Memories

December 19, 2022 Tim Entertainment, Episodes, Food, History, Life & Style, Society 00:34:16 Comments Off on Seven Voices: Your Favorite Holiday Memories

This week is Hanukkah and Christmas. We’re in the peak of the American holiday season, which started at Thanksgiving. So, it is with this in mind that I thought I’d take to the streets of Pittsburgh once again and talk to people about their holiday memories. That’s what this special holiday edition of the Shaping Opinion podcast is about.

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The Story Behind the American Front Porch

May 24, 2021 Tim Branding, Episodes, History, Life & Style, People, Politics, Society 00:47:40 Comments Off on The Story Behind the American Front Porch

Author and journalist Michael Dolan joins Tim to tell the story of the American front porch. He’s the editor of American History magazine and the author of a book entitled, “The American Porch: An informal history of an informal place.” In this episode, he talks about how the front porch shaped life in America for well over 200 years. You could say that when it comes to our homes, the front porch was the original social media.

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Encore Presentation: The Story Behind the Family Road Trip

March 3, 2021 Tim Entertainment, Episodes, History, Life & Style, Society 00:36:39 Comments Off on Encore Presentation: The Story Behind the Family Road Trip

This Encore Presentation features advertising veteran and author Richard Ratay (from Episode 21). He joined us in 2018 to talk about how America’s new roadways brought the country and families closer together. The conversation ranges from homespun stories of family on the road, to how pop culture was influenced by America’s growing super highway infrastructure, as they talk about Rich’s book, “Don’t Make Me Pull Over: An informal history of the family road trip.” We release Encore Presentations to revisit special moments for listeners who may have limited access to our earlier episodes on their podcast channels.

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In Search of Kindness

July 8, 2019 Tim Entertainment, Episodes, History, Life & Style, Media, People 00:43:06 Comments Off on In Search of Kindness

Mary Latham is on a mission to collect stories of kindness from all 50 states in the country for a once-in-a-lifetime journey. She joins Tim to talk about what and who inspired her mission and tells many stories she’s learned 41 states into her trip.

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America’s First Family of Fireworks

July 1, 2019 Tim Branding, Business, Entertainment, Episodes, History, Life & Style, Marketing, People, Public Relations 00:32:42 Comments Off on America’s First Family of Fireworks

Dr. George Zambelli, Jr., Chairman of Zambelli Fireworks, joins Tim to talk about fireworks, America’s 4th of July tradition, his family’s role as the “First Family of Fireworks,” and the American dream. Since 1893, Zambelli Fireworks has dazzled millions, including every president since JFK. There is a good chance that if you watch fireworks this July 4th, you’ll be enjoying that “Zambelli magic.”

 

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O’Brien Communications’ Shaping Opinion Podcast is an award-winning podcast about people, events and things that have shaped the way we think. It sits at the corner of culture, history and communication.

We publish new episodes on Mondays. Each episode features a conversation between Tim O’Brien and a guest.

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Tim O’Brien is a Pittsburgh-based communications veteran with experience in complex matters that have ranged from marketing and C-suite issues, to crisis and issues management. He’s the producer and host of Shaping Opinion, where he talks to guests on a wide range of topics at the intersection of communications, history and culture. He’s available to provide media interview coaching,  consulting and speaking, and of course, he is always interested in your thoughts for the podcast. Just get in touch.