this is a photo of the first time I got on the mic after a 4-year hiatus. it was in a big, big building, complete with armed guards and walls that kept both things said in, in. and things said out, out. sitting across from me is a guy named Ken. he had somehow found out I had radio experience and came to me with an idea – teaching English and Chinese via something called a ‘podcast’. so we met and we wrote and we recorded and then we produced this idea. the rest, as you know, went well. ChinesePod became a worldwide phenomenon. thru that whole time – even before, in the conceptual stages, Ken mentored me. he also looked out for me. he gave me money sometimes when I didn’t have any. and to this day, he never let me pay for a drink. [and let me tell ya, when you're spending hours-upon-hours in a small homemade studio, there's a lot of drinking.] he took care of me. and he took care of others. he was the creative pulse behind what was once a promising product. he would sit and listen to my ideas and push me to try them. he came to everything I put on. he came for Scott’s 4-hour funk session. he even funked on-stage for us once. he’s a goodfella. and he is someone I consider a friend. I say all of this as recently, as things do in Shanghai – a company he started with another made the press for closing up overnight, with everyone involved fleeing the country. money is owed both to students and teachers. rumors of ‘thugs’ visiting the schools are flying around and no one’s really sure what to believe. I don’t know what happened, but have spoken to a few who do. their story is out there if you’re really interested. but I’m writing this to say that Ken ain’t the type of person who would be behind this. the others, Steve and Brian? you betcha – I know from experience. but not Ken. is he caught up in it all? sure. but again, he ain’t that type. I don’t know what’s going to happen, nor do I really care. but with all the shit flying around, here’s one guy who owes his career in Shanghai – one that led to many more opportunities – to Ken Carroll. which means I knew him pretty well. and he ain’t the type of guy who does this.