Vive La Liberté

Mike prepares for his surrender to the Montreal police in the midst allegations of harassment and death threats waged by his former employer.

Good afternoon, Mike George here, coming to you with some improved audio quality today because I’m trying out these headphones to make things sound a bit more intimate. It is a gorgeous spring day in Montreal; the snow is finally melting, the birds are out singing, and the trees are coming alive.

I was tempted to have a cigarette, but I’m sticking to my vape instead—even though it still has some respiratory risks, it’s a lot better than the alternative. To all you kids out there: if you can find a way to have a good conversation at a club without a cigarette, you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble in the long run.

Things have been interesting lately, and I wanted to let you all know that I am turning myself into the Montreal Police Department (SPVM) tomorrow afternoon at 15:00. I’m not entirely sure what to expect; I might just answer some questions, or I might end up in jail for a few days. I’ve been through this before in Iowa for marijuana possession, but I feel more confident this time because I don't believe I'm guilty of anything bad.

The authorities are accusing me of harassment and making death threats against former colleagues at a company that fired me about 28 days ago. I want to be clear: I am innocent. I loved the people I worked with; it was the management I had a problem with. I think the company put these charges together to thwart me because I was planning to sue them for wrongful termination.

I’m using this experience as an educational lesson for everyone watching. Navigating the legal systems of Canada and the U.S. can be a total minefield, and I want to show you my perspective on the dos and don’ts. One big lesson: be careful what you put on the internet. One piece of "evidence" they have against me is an Office clip I posted. It was a cute scene with fake guns where people point fingers at each other, but because it was posted the week of the Christchurch shooting, it was completely miscontextualized. On the internet, things get lost to speculation and "deep fakes" very easily.

I’m working hard to stay cool, calm, and collected because I tend to get worked up when confronting the police. I’ll probably smoke a "morning bowl" tomorrow before I go in, since it might be my last chance for a while. I’m even planning to wear something nice to jail—maybe a suit or lots of layers to confuse the processing officer.

Plus, the cops in downtown Montreal are famously hot, especially the ones near Concordia, so I expect to be treated with professionalism and courtesy. I’m even practicing my French so I can negotiate or maybe make the officers laugh; you have to make them enjoy their job a little bit so they’ll let you go home faster.

While I’m dealing with this, I’m also rebranding myself after my unemployment. Please check out my website pop-ee.com. It’s not just a "sales gimmick," though you can buy products there; it’s a place where I curate my music projects and blog.

I’m even collaborating with friends on new music! Ashley, I saw your comment about the violin, and I would love to have you submit some strings for the orchestral pieces I’m working on. I’ve got about 20 tracks inspired by old Zelda-style RPG games like "The Adventures of Harry and Caesar". If I end up in jail, I’m going to spend my time with a notebook brainstorming new "musical diddies".

I might do one last Facebook Live tomorrow at 14:00 right before I walk into the station. I want to thank everyone for the support regarding my mental health; we have to take care of each other. I don’t think I have bad karma; in fact, I feel like good karma is coming my way despite this mess.

I’m going to take one last look at the sun and the church across the street while I'm still free. I’ll see you all on the other side of this shebacle — or at least tomorrow at 14:00. Be safe, y'all!