The John Titor call simulation

[Nemo]

In the old days on the program, Art used to have a real nose for an ON-GOING STORY. Something that the listeners could follow for a while. It would be 'Phoenix Lights' or the dentist with the alien in his freezer - stuff like that. It would be an on-going situation which we would try to resolve. Linda also does this which makes her always interesting. George has no clue about this. He seems to be paid by the number of callers as he rushes from one to the next. Maybe he gets a commission this way.

Anyway, one of the greatest missed opportunities I've ever heard on the show came last night as a guy called in who had received 'transmissions' from John Titor (the uber-mysterious time traveler) on his stethoscope. He seemed sincere. It went something like this. Notice how George COMPLETELY MISUNDERSTANDS THE GUY AT THE END - SOMETHING HE DOES QUIET OFTEN:

GN: "Caller, your on the air."

caller: "Good morning. John Nitor, I'd never heard of the guy till last week. I do paranormal investigations and about a year ago I started playing with a doppler stethoscope they use in the hospitals. I started hearing from a John Nitor on this thing."

GN: "This guy was John titor? t-i-t-o-r? I want to make sure we're talking about the same person.

caller: "Yea right, Titor. I use a piece of equipment to amplify these sounds. And at first I thought I was picking up some radio and I could catch him from time to time. He was talking about civil war in the United States."

GN: "And he has written about that when he was posting on the internet."

caller: Well, I heard about that last week on your show. What I gathered was he was transmitting from the year 2013 which is a few years from now. And he's in Appomattox. Not back then, Appomattox now. Virginia. And he's also transmitting about a civil war that is starting to happen NOW..."

GN: "Do you have him on tape by any chance?"

caller: "Not yet, I haven't figured out how to record off the doppler."

GN: "You're picking him up?"

caller: "Exactly." This doppler will not pick up a radio signal from this era. You can put a radio around it and it will not pick it up. I've been experimenting for a year. What he's talking about I wrote down about 2 or 3 months ago; he's saying that RIGHT NOW in 2004 there are cells, not from Iran or Iraq, but cells in United States, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand who are transmitting radio signals for others to separate from the United States. This does happen, he says, in about 2012.

GN: "And up until last week...."

caller: "I didn't know who he was. I tried calling you but you weren't there. Then I heard the guy's name and I said that's the guy I've been listening to. I can only pick him up once or twice a month...it's very faint and I tried to amplify it to hear what he's talking about and I thought it was some sort of very low frequency...but it's impossible to hear a voice on this equipment....."

GN: Well, that's why you can't record him for us because I would love to be able to play on this program the voice of time traveler John Titor....yes in-deed....."
"We'll be back in a moment."

(note: you see, the guy was not saying that he could not record the voice WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN FRICKING GREAT!!!!!! - no, he was saying that the voice is amazing because he isn't able to hear any OTHER voices from the radio waves on his device. The Titor voice is unique on it. GEORGE, DUE TO LACK OF LISTENING SKILLS OR BASIC INTELLIGENCE HAS ONCE AGAIN LET A GREAT STORY PASS BY.)

[True Wireless]

Nemo I heard this too, and was sorry about the way it ended. This caller should have been held over. I think it had to do with the message itself and Premrat..

Interesting to speculate how this suddenly pops up...a doppler stethoscope...now think EVP a moment...hmmm.

That was a fascinating call and my ears perked up too.

Maybe we need to evolve the research. Good catch Nemo.

[BadBoy]

The guy was probably just picking up last Friday's replay of the John Titor show on that amplifier - they can pick up strong AM radio stations easily.

I think George is pronouncing "Titor" wrong too. He pronounces it like "Tee-tor" but since its short for "Time Traveller" I think it should be pronounced "Tie-tor"

[Nemo]

No, he said he noticed it a few months ago and hears it a couple time a month. He said his device and amp won't pick up any local radio stations and he claims that he did not know 'Coast' had investigated Titor until last week. Of course, it could all be bull, but he seemed sincere. Certainly his 'case' could have been very fun to explore by getting him to tape some of it.

[BadBoy]

Well that show was a replay from a few months ago, so he probably just picked it up back then.

[Gummer]

If GN would have taken time to play out the call perhaps some additional details could have been discovered.

I personally don't understand the need to cycle through so many callers. It almost becomes a *rapid fire* at times! Art's stops and evaluates each callers ability to add value to the show...I don't seem to hear much of that now.

[nightcat]

Man, that bummed me out! As it fist aired I sat upright, thinking "He's GOT to hold this guy over... that's something that needs to be investigated! Wait! No!! DON'T DROP HIM, GEORGE!!! ... damn...". Even the replay bummed me out.

George, if this guy calls back sometime, PLEASE keep him on for a half-hour segment! Like the old, as-it-happened Area 51 calls of bygone days, Titor is worth taking some time out for, as it were.

I think any possibly credible Titor stuff needs to be thoroughly aired and checked out -- since there's still nothing that definitively negates Titor's claims and plenty of it that rings true right now -- four years later! -- it's quite relevant and neccesary. Not to mention entertaining!

[Ferine]

Actually, this guy didn't really sound all that convincing. When he was saying Nitor to begin with and George interjected Titor - it wasn't a "Yeah right" you say he responded with - it was an "Oh I mean *stumbles* I must haved missed that. Yeah, Titor - thats it" Uh - huh. While his story was fascinating - I would have found it more believable had he used the correct name of the person he was supposedly connecting with. It would have been interesting to see if he actually came up with recordings - but just like so many other callers with promises of "evidence" that don't come through - I imagine this would have been a similar situation.

[nightcat]

Actually, this guy didn't really sound all that convincing. When he was saying Nitor to begin with and George interjected Titor - it wasn't a "Yeah right" you say he responded with - it was an "Oh I mean *stumbles* I must haved missed that. Yeah, Titor - thats it" .... It would have been interesting to see if he actually came up with recordings - but just like so many other callers with promises of "evidence" that don't come through - I imagine this would have been a similar situation.

It's pretty likely that it could have been such, but keeping him on still would have been interesting and fun! Even if it was a fantasy or hoax (and of course you've got to entertain the possibilities of that with any caller...) it would have still been a kick to see how well developed his story was and where it went. And part of the fun of being a talk show host would have to be tripping people up when it becomes obvious they're pullin' leg...

[Nemo]

Exactly Nightcat,

It DOESN'T matter if it is true or not. It is entertaining. Does anyone really care if Mel's Hole is B.S? Did it not make for some good radio? I say grind a caller or guest down until it becomes clear that they are for real or a real BS merchant. Remember Madman Markham? Those were the good ole' days of this show where interesting callers were first NOTICED and then FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH. Jeesh.

[Ferine]

I agree - it would have made a good follow up, even if it were bogus