midnightinchicago
I love to podcast. I suppose there are a few people who fear getting behind the microphone and hamming it up, but I am not one of them. I love being in-studio and reading the script in a nice, relaxing voice alongside of Elyse. I love to interview people also which makes the July 2008 podcast particularly thrilling because this month we interview TWO people.
The actual recording sessions work like this:
Thomas: “In a new publication, Tony Attwood reveals that-“
Lola the Cat: “Meow!”
Elyse: “Lola, get off of that!”
Lola the Cat: “Meow!” (Thump!)
Thomas: “I thought you put the cat out of the studio.”
Elyse: “I thought YOU did.”
Lola the Cat: “Meow!”
Once THAT problem is sorted out, we begin again…
It usually goes at LEAST that well, but this month I thought it went VERY well. We got to do a follow-up interview with 13 year old Lewis Schofield and listen to the words of wisdom he imparted about his Asperger Syndrome, and his new diagnosis, Myasthenia Gravis. Interviewing Lewis is a once a year thing, and if you compare this year’s podcast to last year’s, you can see that he has matured, and become somewhat more philosophical as well.
He also seems to be able to commandeer the microphone and steal the show. I envy this boy. He makes it look easy even though I have been podcasting for over a year now.
Additionally, we got to do an interview with Douglas Giesel, who has multiple sclerosis. He talks about his “invisible disability” and how he is treated by people in society who don’t have what he has. I think his story parallels Lewis’s AS/MG story, so the two interviews dove-tail pretty nicely.
We have yet to interview Lola the Cat, but I must say that we are keen to do so. There are many pressing questions that need to be answered. After all, Lewis seems to believe that Lola the Cat has autism-like behaviours. So perhaps we should ask Lola the Cat the following questions:
1) Have cat scientists discovered yet that anti-rabies and feline distemper shots do not cause autism?
2) Do cat scientists know that, as of yet, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that cat food with rice in it treats feline autism?
3) And finally, the most pressing question of all: IS there such a thing as feline autism? Or are they just acting weird because their owners aren’t cleaning out their litter boxes enough?
Thus far, Lola the Cat can open and shut doors on command, come when summoned (by Elyse, not me – she runs from me like she runs from dogs), but she cannot speak English. As soon as she can make her feelings known to us in an intelligible manner, we will interview her for our listeners.
Until then, you will all have to make do with Lewis Schofield and Douglas Giesel – you will be impressed, I assure you!
Thomas D. Taylor
Co-Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO
