Category: Commentary

Spontaneous Panels

If you have attended college, a film festival, or a conference then you have probably sat in on a panel where selected individuals with arbitrary specific knowledge or accomplishments sit on a raised platform and speak to an audience. Sometimes, at the end, the audience, which is seated in less comfortable chairs and banned from eating or drinking is allowed to ask questions.

The audience is, from my personal observations, usually, and almost expected to be, awed by what the panel members have to say. However, more often than not the audience has had more probing and creative questions and insights than the panel members.

This prompts two thoughts for me. First, what does it take to become a panel member? I ask this not just because I want a more comfortable seat, free food, and more attention, but because they seem to be passionate about what they do. They know people that are passionate. They interact, joke, and take risks.

Second, how can we capture the energy, minus the typical hierarchy, of panels in every day life?

My answer to this is “spontaneous panels.” Panels that start on a park bench with one panelist, and are allowed to morph. Ideally, passers by will join and add their two cents.The success of this idea, or the institution of this idea to be more specific, rests on the willingness of my peers to participate.

Going Postal

The term “going postal” originated in Edmond, Oklahoma on August 20, 1986 when a disgruntled postman named Patrick killed 14 fellow employees and wounded six more. Other significant post office shooting incidents have occurred in Michigan and California, and a total of 35 people have been killed in 11 incidents since 1983.

The first mention of the term, “going postal,” occurred in the St. Petersburg Times.

From what I hear, Edmond is a quaint town with a few good bars and decent Mexican food. Just be sure to stick to email for correspondence purposes.

Conversation: Renew Yourself

So, I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Portsmouth – the one I usually sit at – and this man and woman are sitting next to me talking over cups of coffee. She has a travel cup, probably because they’re on a first date and she thought, I can bolt if I don’t like the guy. He’s got a mug, so he isn’t going anywhere fast. What’s worse is that his hair is longer than hers.

“You’re always renewing yourself,” he says.

“Artists always look at what’s new within your self. They have an enormous curiosity,” she says.

“That’s the true mortality of life right there.”

“It’s like living in a South Park community.”

[The guy just forgot the name of Seinfeld.]

Sigh… they’re still going, but I need to read.