Tonight I hosted a lively, free‑wheeling two-hour show from Eagle Pass, Texas. In hour one, trial lawyer-turned-novelist Russell Little joined me to talk life, writing, bourbon, cigars, and ultimately his hurricane-drenched thriller, Murder by Storm. We swapped stories about Houston, West Texas, old fashioned's (Maker’s Mark vs. 1792), dogs, pasta sauce, and how real hurricanes reshape people and crime scenes—then dug into how Russell builds characters from unforgettable real-life personalities, why Harvey was the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery, and the challenge of writing a razor-sharp antagonist named Marilyn. We also touched on his children’s books inspired by African wildlife and his granddaughter.

Hour two, the Blue Cat himself—comedian and Static Radio co-host Bob LeMent—returned for a fast, funny riff on 24 years of unscripted podcasting, the evolution from “internet radio” to today’s all-media landscape, avatars, AR/VR’s bumpy road, and why video podcasts are just media now. We talked traffic, living in flyover country, why most creators still self-censor, what AI really is (a supercharged plagiarism machine), and where digital personas may be headed. Bob gave shoutouts to his wife’s recent wins, plugged Static Radio, and promised to come back for a holiday round two. A big thanks to our producing team and to all of you for joining in—see you Friday at 7 PM CT for more live talk and laughs.

Resources and links: Russell Little: russelllittleauthor.com | Book: Murder by Storm. Bob LeMent: staticradio.com. Watch and listen live weeknights at 7 PM CT; follow @joerooz across platforms; join the email list at jorooz.com for programming updates.

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(00:00:46) Cold open and show kickoff

(00:03:47) Welcome from Eagle Pass and tonight’s lineup

(00:06:21) Housekeeping and listener engagement notes

(00:10:36) Guest intro: Russell Little, trial lawyer turned novelist

(00:12:42) Pop-ins, Seinfeld, and small-town life

(00:15:39) New York roots, Atlanta Braves vs Astros banter

(00:17:34) Pandemic moves and life disruption philosophy

(00:18:14) Dogs, Thanksgiving tales, and mental health candor

(00:21:40) Old Fashioneds perfected and bartender aesthetics

(00:24:18) Bourbon talk: 1792, proofs, Japanese whisky detour

(00:28:03) Spirits, price ceilings, and taste evolution

(00:30:48) Cigars, steak houses, and Southern-Manhattan blend

(00:34:18) Dogs who love bourbon and cozy moments

(00:35:20) Sauce vs gravy: Sicilian cooking and Sunday ritual

(00:37:05) Homemade pasta, flour quality, and imports

(00:39:26) Prosciutto quests and regional grocery gaps

(00:43:21) Pivot to the book and author relatability

(00:43:27) Murder by Storm: sequel setup and hurricane setting

(00:47:04) Harvey’s chaos, human courage, and crime cover

(00:48:10) Writing challenge: inside Marilyn’s mind

(00:49:33) On psychopaths and character accuracy

(00:50:16) Origins, scrapped novel, and series arc

(00:51:51) Next up: Murder by Trial and memorable antiheroes

(00:53:01) Hardest scene work: the dog and the outline drift

(00:54:39) Restarting with the hurricane and creative resets

(00:57:03) Children’s books, African fauna, and stewardship

(00:59:14) Personal heroes: Peter the 70-year-old Everest climber

(01:01:03) Where to find Russell Little and sign-off

(01:06:59) Hour two opens and sponsor read

(01:08:45) Enter Bob Lament, the blue cat of Static Radio

(01:12:43) Alaska tourism tales and seasonal workers

(01:14:21) St. Louis snow snafu and highway gridlock

(01:16:17) Commutes, New York memories, and car time

(01:20:26) Life on the Texas border and local quirks

(01:23:40) Utilities, shutoffs, and infrastructure tangents

(01:26:49) Power-line internet and home upgrades

(01:27:35) What is a podcast now? Media convergence debate

(01:30:35) From internet radio to today’s multimedia

(01:34:10) Censorship, language, and show tone

(01:37:27) Podcasts revive conversation culture

(01:41:36) Streaming, TV, and new terminology needed

(01:42:46) VR vs AR: why augmentation may win

(01:45:46) Avatars, uncanny valley, and future identities

(01:49:48) Why Bob became a cartoon cat

(01:51:37) Animating cohosts and technical hurdles

(01:54:03) Personas, Jetsons, and face filters

(01:56:44) Phones vs Apollo, space jokes, and tech leaps

(01:56:46) AI today: hype, plagiarism debate, and power limits

(02:04:02) Who inspires Bob and closing plugs

(02:09:23) Final wrap-up, upcoming shows, and support options

- Joe "Rooz" Russiello

- Marisa Lee

- Wayne Rankin

- Rosanna Rankin

- Bob LeMent

- Angela Wetuski

- Carolina Jimenez

- Russell Little

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