Kenn Thomas: My co-author of that book, Jim Keith, died under mysterious circumstances. His main publisher, Ron Bonds, recently died under mysterious circumstances. I sometimes do a toast when I go out: "You're drinking with number three!", as Jim Morrison said after the deaths of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, but I don't live in fear or anything like that. I'm motivated by the same things that motivated Keith, Bonds and Casolaro, a sense of adventure and a love of freedom. Those things should be important enough to everyone to take a few risks.

Disinformation: Can you explain a little more about what happened [with Keith and Bonds]?

Kenn Thomas: Jim Keith died in September 1999. He injured his knee at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock, Nevada. When he went in for treatment, a blood clot developed that killed him. Many regard the circumstances of his death with suspicion, since he had just written a column (posted to a Web site called Nitro News) about the possibility that Princess Diana was pregnant when she died, and planned to write another naming the physician who examined her. Mohammad Al Fayed just did a new conference reiterating this possibility, and even long-time conspiracy "skeptics" like Gerald Posner are beginning to see its possible validity.

Recently Jim Keith's long-time publisher, Ron Bonds of IllumiNet Press, died suddenly after eating tainted food at a Mexican restaurant in Georgia. I am doing a new edition of the book The Octopus, which will include a chapter dealing with the deaths of Jim Keith and Ron Bonds, both of whom were close friends of mine. Another new chapter, about Diana's connection to The Octopus, appears as the main article in the latest issue of Steamshovel Press.

Disinformation: Do you hesitate to pursue certain things, or do you feel that you have to pick your battles? What kind of effects and responses come from your work?

Kenn Thomas: Time dictates what battles I pick, not level of danger. I would like to look more into the death of Missouri governor Mel Carnahan early in the last election. I don't pursue, not because it would raise the ire of powerful politicos nationally and close to home here in Missouri (like John Danforth and and current AG John Ashcroft) but because I am bound by contract to finish this new edition of The Octopus and by subscribers to continue to put out Steamshovel Press. I would hope that one of the effects I have is to encourage other people to do this kind of research, and submit it to me for publication! Otherwise, I do have fans around the world and receive a lot of mail thanking me for opening up peoples' minds.

Disinformation: Do you think that conspiracy-themed shows and games in mainstream entertainment have helped to legitimize UFO and conspiracy research, or do you think they've contributed to the marginalization of your work?

Kenn Thomas: Haha! Again, we're dealing with a totally corrupted media that no one really respects. The election last fall put the Conspiracy more in everyone's face than these movies and games. If that's the page, I'm happy to be in the margin! The latest is The Conspiracy Zone, coming up on the new TNN network. It's host is Saturday Night Live's Kevin Nealon, a comedian, of course, although less sarcastic than many they could have hired for the show.

Disinformation: You'd be surprised how many otherwise educated and discerning people trust mainstream media and are hostile to claims of its corruption.

Kenn Thomas: Well, if you're saying that TV does well its job of brainwashing people, I would have to agree. But what educated person would defend obnoxious jerks like Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh? Their audience primarily consists of dumb-ass white guys with little discernment. The news anchors are all multi-millionaires who don't even understand how out of step they are with average people. Fox network is so vehemently right-wing it has to try to reassure the audience that the news coverage is "fair and balanced".

Disinformation: Do you think that working so intensely with UFO and conspiracy theory has lead you to become more skeptical or more open-minded?