• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

UnCon 2008 - The Official Suggestions Thread

What about Graham Hancock? Has he got a new book that needs promoting?

I'd go to his talk.

:)
 
A speaker who was very good at the 'Not the Uncon,' in Edinburgh, last year, was Caroline Watt, of the Koestler Institute of Parapsychology, at Edinburgh University. She sketched out some very interesting studies that they are working on, which seem like a real meeting point between Forteanism and science.

She would be a very good, serious and worthwhile, speaker for the UnCon. As Gordon and Min would probably confirm.

http://www.psy.ed.ac.uk/people/cwatt2/

:yeay:
 
Pietro_Mercurios said:
A speaker who was very good at the 'Not the Uncon,' in Edinburgh, last year, was Caroline Watt, of the Koestler Institute of Parapsychology, at Edinburgh University. She sketched out some very interesting studies that they are working on, which seem like a real meeting point between Forteanism and science.

She would be a very good, serious and worthwhile, speaker for the UnCon. As Gordon and Min would probably confirm.

http://www.psy.ed.ac.uk/people/cwatt2/

:yeay:
all of the speakers there were very good, not once did i want to be elsewhere.
well maybe when i knocked my drink over :lol:
the shorts as well as the main talks were excellent.
 
When will we know that the date is officially November 1st/2nd?

Cheers

Paul
 
I can't think of anything scarier than Derren Brown, might even be too scared to come if he's there :eek!!!!:
 
I very much doubt if they can afford Derren Brown, I'm sure we're safe.
 
Yay I <3 Uncon! I will so be there whatever the date and location.

As for suggestions, I have a not too helpful one as I cannot remember their name, maybe someone who went to the last Uncon can.... plus they weren’t technically speakers but, I really enjoyed the group of actors from the last Uncon.

They were the guys who were running round in character for most of the day generally being a bit odd, and they did a play involving jelly beans, didn't understand most it but throughly enjoyed it!

Oh and Ken Campbell, he was good too..
 
Hello, this my first post!

Here are my suggestions / wish list for UnCon 2008 -

Robert Nigel Trubshaw - Mystery Black Dogs
Jeremy Harte or Janet Bord - Fairy Traditions
Peter Underwood or Tony Cornell - Ghosts & Hauntings
Grant Morrison or Alan Moore - Magick
Robin Ramsay or Jon Ronson - Conspiracy Theories
Paul Devereux - Earthlights
Julian Cope or Aubrey Burl - Megaliths / Stone Circles
Michio Kaku - New Science
Jan Harold Brunvand - Urban Legends
Michael Persinger - Parapsychology
Bart D. Ehrman - Religion
Merrily Harpur - Mystery Black Cats
 
A week or two after Halloween would be good,(hotels may be a bit cheaper for those of us that have to travel up from the "sticks").
Definately Gail, the CFZ Crew would be good too,Niel Arnold.

And guest musical appearances by Kate Bush, Alice Cooper and The Stranglers......................................(well a guy can dream can't he ?)........... 8)
 
I don't know what he's like as a speaker but I've enjoyed Peter Lamont's books. The First Psychic seems quite appropriate for the Uncon. Maybe he could work a double act with Derren Brown?

I'm a bit out of touch with the Uncon; the last time I attended was about 8 or 9 years ago; please don't flame me if Peter Lamont has been a speaker in the past. :oops:
 
Speakers suggestion - Moonwalker

How about Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut and moonwalker, who returned to Earth to set up a psychic investigation institute? Ed is booked for appearances to Aug 2008 (in Hungary - see link), so could conceivably be available for Uncon in November...

http://www.edmitchellapollo14.com/news_ ... rances.htm
 
Moonwalker?

How about Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut and moonwalker, who returned to Earth to set up a psychic investigation institute? Ed is booked for appearances to Aug 2008 (in Hungary - see link), so could conceivably be available for Uncon in November...

http://www.edmitchellapollo14.com/news_ ... rances.htm
 
How about this bloke?

He's a historian and does programmes on ancient British holy sites, springs etc. Very knowledgeable and friendly.
 
Oh rats.

Here you go:

historian.jpg


I met him yesterday and he was very nice indeed. I've seen his programmes on telly.

He indulgently posed for fan-snaps with us. :lol:

Can't remember his name or that of his series though, so I'm hoping someone here will recognise him.
 
Two UnCon 2008 Suggestions Threads, duly merged.

-----------------------------------------------------

original_fLeebLe said:
Pietro_Mercurios said:
A speaker who was very good at the 'Not the Uncon,' in Edinburgh, last year, was Caroline Watt, of the Koestler Institute of Parapsychology, at Edinburgh University. She sketched out some very interesting studies that they are working on, which seem like a real meeting point between Forteanism and science.

She would be a very good, serious and worthwhile, speaker for the UnCon. As Gordon and Min would probably confirm.

http://www.psy.ed.ac.uk/people/cwatt2/

:yeay:
all of the speakers there were very good, not once did i want to be elsewhere.
well maybe when i knocked my drink over :lol:
the shorts as well as the main talks were excellent.
Very true. I just thought that the parapsychology work, which Caroline Watt talked about, seemed to particularly stand out and I'd like to know a bit more. :)
 
I'm very pleased that UnCon is returning this year and can't wait for November to roll around!

In terms of content, I personally don't think there is any point (as someone else has said) of including any grail/Templar/Jesus speakers/theorists/authors, etc. This has all been done to death and really feels very old hat now. I also agree that UnCon shouldn't host anything overtly skeptical - this is all about forteanism, not personal beliefs or agendas. Whether the topics covered are strange, bizzare, true, false, hoaxes, genuine phenomena, etc etc, present the data, debate the evidence for and against, and let the auidence please itself. Charles Fort would approve!

Some topics which might be interesting to cover include conspiracy theories (and I don't mean the tinfoil-hat-wearing variety, I mean conspiracies where proper arguments can be made for and against), a good ghost talk (maybe Alan Murdie and the Ghost Club could be involved?), and something on the VERY strange, such as those South American duendo videos, fairy folklore, etc, things which are so extremely bizzare as to appear complete fantasy, but which have had apparently serious and genuine reports and witnesses.

The CFZ should definately be involved as well.

As far as lighter or entertainment items should go, the HP Lovecraft society have a new film in production, so perhaps they could be involved and give us some previews? I'd quite like to perhaps see Kim Newman or other authors talk about the return of the Victorian occult detective to genre fiction, or something similar.

Just some thoughts anyway. Should be a terrific event!
 
Also, can we not have an Uncon themed around one or two specific niches of Forteana? It alienates (no pun intended) a lot of us not interested in those areas.
 
I agree with Graylien's choice of ufology speakers - maybe Paul Kimball could be persuaded to produce a filmed talk.

Totally out of the question but I'd love to hear a talk by Mac Tonnies on his crypto-terrestrial hypothesis, or a talk by Greg Bishop on the influence of UFOs on different music genres.

On a more realistic note, Jan Bondeson, Gail-Nina Anderson, Paul Devereux on earth lights/plasma.

I don't know whether Nick Redfern's in the UK at that time of year, but if he is, a talk on tulpas/the paranormal in cryptid sightings.

Also see my request for DVDs in the appropriate thread. :)
 
The very nice TV historian we pestered is Mark Olly and I'd love to see him at Uncon. He is big on the lesser known aspects of the history of the north west of England and I bet he has lots of weird stories to tell.

His TV programme is Lost Treasures.
 
Some fantastic speakers of the past I'd like to see again are...

Peter Lamont, Richard Wiseman, Ken Campbell, Jon Ronson (although he isn't officially a speaker from a previous uncon!), the CFZ, Jan Bondeson (delivery of Herr Flick! Love it!) And how about the Editors (of FT, not the band) on editing the magazine etc...

Hallowe'en weekend is fine for me! :devil:
Ian.
 
ianeames said:
Jon Ronson (although he isn't officially a speaker from a previous uncon!),

2002 he spoke on Secret Rulers of the World

Gordon
 
I'm beginning to really look forward to this. I've been searching for cheap accommodation on the internet, this evening.

Any chance of sussing out some budget accommodation, to point UnConventioneers in the right direction?
 
original_fLeebLe said:
the generator is where past visitors of uncon have stayed. ...
So I've heard.

I was thinking of a slightly wider net, perhaps even with ensuite.
 
What is your average Fortean? I suspect the mean wouldn't be of much use, since there's a rather wide demographic involved. You probably want the modal Fortean, instead.
 
T'Generator rocks. Rocks. 8)

Might've been something to do with the snoring.
 
Avoid the Generator, if the late night partying doesn't keep you awake the snoring will.

Not that the snoring kept me awake, mind ...
 
Back
Top