photo: cbc.ca

photo: cbc.ca

One of the refrains of skepticism is that reality is often more amazing than fiction. This is most assuredly true of the stories reported by investigative journalist, filmmaker and author Jon Ronson, who has delved time and again into the worlds of conspiracy theorists and extremists.

This week on Skepticality Swoopy talks with Jon Ronson about his experiences bonding with skeptics at the recent Amazing Meeting London, his bizarre cruise (and rare interview) with psychic Sylvia Browne, and his 2004 auto-biographical book The Men Who Stare at Goats which will be released this November as a feature film starring Ewan McGregor and George Clooney.

Show Notes
Date -October 13, 2009 read by Derek.

Charlotte Pop Fest was a benefit for the Richard Dawkins Foundation.James Deem is a singer/songwriter/podcaster and organizer of Charlotte Pop Fest.
Richard Dawkins will speak at Queens University of Charlotte on Wednesday, Oct. 14th.
Prior to the Dawkins talk there will be a Skeptic's in the Pub Charlotte.
On the first day of Charlotte PopFest WBTV ran a story about us "Evolutionists".
The United States trails the rest of the world population in belief of Evolution.
There was some controversy at a Northern Georgia High School recently.
Georgia's Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine said some scary things.

Today's guest knows all about scary. Like Lizards ruling the world.
David Icke is one of the extremists profiled by Jon Ronson in THEM.
Icke was also profiled in one of Jon's documentary films.
The Men Who Stare at Goats is about to released as a feature film.
The book version of Goats begins with a meeting between Jon and Uri Gellar.
Jon Ronson was recently a part of TAM London.
TAM Vegas is not all orgies. Even Rebecca Watson would agree.
Jon was recently on the Colbert Report.
Another of Jon's films is Stanley Kubrick's Boxes.
You can read the Guardian story about Kubrick here.
Jon took a cruise with Sylvia Browne in 2007 and interviewed her.
You can find the tool used by the First Earth Battalion - The Predator, here.
Dr. Courtney Brown is a professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta.
He also claimed to have a photo of a companion UFO traveling with the Halle Bopp comet.
The Heaven's Gate Cult decided the photo was a sign and committed mass suicide.
Dr. Brown still advertises his courses in teaching remote viewing.
Men did stare at goats, the only one that fell was collateral damage.
Jon recently wrote for the longest running comic, Beano.
Experiment IV by Kate Bush- released in 1986 talks about sounds that kill.
There are reports of music by Matchbox 20 possibly being used to torture.

Jon Ronson's books include THEM, and The Men Who Stare at Goats.
You can read Jon Ronson's Guardian columns Here.
Everything Jon Ronson is at his personal website.