What doe you mean by “Shanghai Exile?” It was time for you to leave Shanghai, it had gotten stale for you, and your time there was over. You could’ve going back there and faced the music, but since you didn’t, it was time for you to move on. You don’t really know why the Police came for you.

ChinesePod had passed you by. All of the suits there, have gotten rich and they seek new ways to obtain revenue. They took away your original intro-jingle and replaced all of their subsequent lessons without it. They still use your voice for some of the lessons, at the end. I hope that you get royalities for your voice.

You need to get over your time in Shanghai and move on. It’s all water under the bridge. Get on with your life in the States and move on.

Aric, you make a good point about the similarities between the videos and the names. John and Frank have proposed an alternative explanation for what happened, which I wont reproduce here.

However, I will point out that if John and Chinesepod did deliberately steal Frank’s idea, then they are idiots. To think that you could get away with stealing your friend’s idea in today’s gossipy internet age is almost unthinkable. How could you possibly produce a weekly show without without getting lambasted by Frank, the CP community of users, and the blogosphere?

Now, I’m a CP user but have never worked with any of the people there so can’t vouch for their intelligence. But you have, so I will ask you - are John and CP management complete idiots?

I’m not sure how you can hold your position without believing they are morons.

“synonym = homonym” was a correction. I’m surprised neither of you could have deduced that from the context.

Happy New Year. My amusement with you all will soon pass.

Then, to quote Alex again: “Well, despite being called nasty names (and having done no such thing in return), and at the same time being told I’m the one engaging in pointless angry banter, I stand by my statement”

Now quoting Alex with the same quote, but this time with reference to this second quote which refers to him: “…it’s kind of whiny in my opinion…”

Now to quote another line of Alex: “And why am I being tarred for reading Shanghaiist? I don’t know much about you, but call me a “Shanghaiist commenter” as your opening argument does not win much respect.”

And yes, you guessed it: “…it’s kind of whiny in my opinion…”

You clearly only read what you want to read here Alex - so I hope this reads well for you - seeing as they are all YOUR own words!

you’re bringing up other things for the sake of bringing them up.

fuck off to another blog.

*please*

And why am I being tarred for reading Shanghaiist? I don’t know much about you, but call me a “Shanghaiist commenter” as your opening argument does not win much respect. You obviously read it or you would have no basis to judge it. I found out about your blog post there - so what? I have tons of blogs in my reader and I’d be willing to be you have Shanghaiist in yours. I have nothing to do with your jealous rivalry with Shanghaiist or ChinesePod. You’re playing the victim here because you got a high traffic site linking to you and you don’t like what people think or perhaps are embarrassed by your post but don’t want to back down.

Starting to agree with the commenter who said “Your blog is the same toxic blend of self-pity and delusions of grandeur.”

Anyway, I don’t really care. I’m just a Shanghaiist commenter.

As for why both shows sucked, read about the history of Sesame Street.

ChinesePod was always going to make its way into video eventually. At the time I made the pitch, I knew what I was doing in that arena and they didn’t. I offered to come on board to help. They passed. The show I proposed was merely an example of what could be done. I didn’t and don’t lay any claim to it.

Do I wish that they’d given me a head’s-up or a tip of the hat? You bet. But that has everything to do with our long-standing relationship and absolutely nothing to do with legalities or ownership.