Things that go bump in the night
An opportunity presented itself recently for me to go on a major US Radio Network and promote my new book Follow the Money; How China Bought the World. I was hesitant at first because the show was late night (10 pm — 12 midnight), with a possible several hundred thousand listeners. Also, the show usually discussed UFOs, the paranormal and other late night topics and my book is a very serious in-depth investigation of how China got so rich and about the negative repercussions that have happened here in North America. But hey: Publicity is publicity!
I finally received a phone call from the producer a day in advance to confirm, along with two other documents via email. One was a Zoom link for the interview and the other was an “emergency back-up” phone number “just in case.” I spoke with the producer and explained that cellphone service was spotty in my condo (as we ascertained during our chat) so best to go with Zoom. I had tested Zoom already and the audio quality was good. I got a headset with a microphone which allowed me to turn away from the computer screen and access all the notes I had made for the interview, which I numbered and laid on the bed in order of the 15 questions I had been requested to send.
I was told the show’s technician would contact me, likely by phone, the day of the interview to check connections. I carried my phone in my breast pocket all day. No phone call or email. I set up shop in front of the computer at 9.30, expecting a last minute email or phone call. At 9.50 I turned on the Zoom call and tried to link to the radio station in Los Angeles. No reply or hook-up. Help! At 10 pm the show started, without me. I phoned the emergency number at 10.01 but no reply. I started to panic.
A minute later I received a phone call from an angry technician. Why Zoom, he said? Keep your phone on! Keep the headset on too! So I sat and waited, holding the phone in front of my face, listening. Finally at 10.17 the host introduced me and we started the interview. I could hear him on my headset, but the phone was half a second behind the headset, so I heard two voices, each slightly different. This went on for 2 hours, like a free bout of schizophrenia.
From time to time his voice would fade away and all I could hear was me talking to myself. There were long breaks in the interview for commercials with dead silence. I thought we had been cutoff. Several times while I was talking there was a form of feedback in my ear when I could hear only myself, but I kept talking anyway with a few stumbles. All in all, I held the phone up to my face for 2 hours. I kept the headset on too, for double affect. Two for the price of one.
The host did not follow the 15 Questions script. All my well-researched information and planned responses on the bed went out the window. We ad-libbed for an hour, and at 11 pm we switched to listener phone calls, which thankfully were polite and not too whacky. Some did bring up references to American politics, but I replied I was a Canadian and didn’t want to comment on US issues. At 12 midnight we said goodbyes and the phone went dead. I checked the Zoom meeting screen on the computer but it was impossible to ascertain if Zoom (i.e. my “headset”) had ever been turned on. Still no idea.
After the show I had a long cold shower because I had been sweating bullets for 2 hours, wondering what was going on. Racked by nightmares, I found it impossible to go to sleep. It’s funny when “things go bump in the night” like this — depending on your sense of humour, I suppose. I just listened to the interview (URL below) and it actually turned out fine, so no one knew I was listening to 2 voices the whole time. This is information I will keep to myself, for medical reasons, so kindly don’t tell anyone that Michael hears voices in his head.
Coast to Coast Radio interview