Al Roker — “Ruthless Tide” & the Power of Water
Al revisited one of America’s deadliest disasters, the 1889 Johnstown Flood, and explained why he wrote Ruthless Tide. Beyond the 2,200 lives lost, it reshaped liability law, environmental protections, and put the Red Cross on the map. He tied that lesson to today’s rollbacks in regulations and the risks of climate change: water is life-giving, but also unstoppable destruction. Al also shared a fun memory about appearing on Sesame Street and plugged his SiriusXM show Off the Rails.
John Mariotti — “The Chinese Conspiracy” (New Edition)
Former Rubbermaid and Huffy executive John Mariotti described his techno-thriller rooted in real cyber threats. Worm viruses, Y2K backdoors, botnets, and now AI all set the stage for a chilling question: what happens when nothing works? The novel explores how cyberattacks could cripple communities while weaving in a human redemption story. John’s warning: the next “war” won’t be bullets and bombs but code, infrastructure hacks, and AI-powered exploits. Cybersecurity isn’t optional—it’s survival.
Susan Lintonsmith — Under the Couch Book 9: “Castle”
Susan highlighted Castle, the ninth book in her 12-book fantasy series. In it, young Justin faces ridicule in a kingdom where all knowledge comes from books—mirroring her real son’s struggles with dyslexia. The story captures his challenges with reading, the stigma of being called “stupid,” and the resilience and creativity that dyslexia often brings. The book delivers two big lessons: dyslexia isn’t a measure of intelligence, and words (especially from siblings) can wound deeply. A heartfelt reminder to celebrate strengths and meet kids where they learn best.
Dr. Mohamed (RTILA) — Grok vs. ChatGPT & Building with LLMs
Dr. Mohamed compared Grok and ChatGPT from a coder’s perspective. Grok has been snappy and logical for problem-solving, while ChatGPT swings between brilliance and sluggishness—prompt engineering matters more than ever. For app creation, he flagged options:
Cursor / GitHub Copilot → good if you’ll host and manage code yourself.
Replit / Lovable → ideal for chat-to-app builds with hosting built in.
He also noted the rise of open-source and on-device LLMs (if you’ve got a powerful GPU) and teased RTILA’s coming release: automation building fully integrated with AI.
Shawn Welsh (Parade Deck) — Military Influencer Conference Preview
Shawn previewed the Military Influencer Conference (MIC) coming to Atlanta, Sept 21–24. Expect live Parade Deck stage interviews all three days, breakout sessions, a hiring fair, and a gala. High-level voices, including VA leadership, will be present. His message: in-person connections beat DMs every time—these three days can fill months of podcast content and business collaborations. For Shawn, the “influencer” label isn’t about vanity; it’s about educating, connecting, and strengthening the veteran community.
