Amen, brother! I was at a session Saturday that ran to the hour, then the panelists stood about yammering and chit-chatting for five or ten minutes, so the next got off to a late start.
It's a sort of sessional solipsism: my session is the only session that exists.
Solutions include polite reminders, clear requests to leave, session chairs undergoing spine-enhancement (or implementation) therapy, and, finally, releasing the hounds -- literally.
On Glaucon's observation, I have to fault the session chair. Only once have I seen a session chair exercise the proper discipline over the session, getting things started on time, calling the paper when it was threatening to go long, moderating the discussion with a firm hand, and getting everyone out when it was over. She got quite a nasty look from one fellow who was nigh-outraged when she cut him off. She had warned him five minutes prior, but he made no effort to bring his paper to a close, perhaps never imagining that anyone would choose to do something other than listen to him keep talking. If I hadn't already been spoken for, I would have proposed to her right then. The lesson, I suppose, is that there's something to be said for fundamentalist Mormonism.
Observations from an old cranky jerk who happens to be a professional philosopher. Occasionally philosophical, most often just vulgar. Sometimes focused on sober points of logic and issues in political theory, but more frequently fixed on nonsense. Bad metal bands, crappy guitarists, stupid lyrics, celebrities, pop "culture," telemarketers, irrationality, and other annoyances. Always misanthropic. Anti-religious. Not particularly amusing, either. Some might say insulting. Strange mail. Kook magnet. Doom. Comments from other cranky jerks, young and old.
4 comments:
This rule applies to classes, too.
Amen, brother! I was at a session Saturday that ran to the hour, then the panelists stood about yammering and chit-chatting for five or ten minutes, so the next got off to a late start.
It's a sort of sessional solipsism: my session is the only session that exists.
Solutions include polite reminders, clear requests to leave, session chairs undergoing spine-enhancement (or implementation) therapy, and, finally, releasing the hounds -- literally.
APA session rule #2:
You cannot begin your response in defense of well-known contemporary philosophers with "I know them, and . . . "
On Glaucon's observation, I have to fault the session chair. Only once have I seen a session chair exercise the proper discipline over the session, getting things started on time, calling the paper when it was threatening to go long, moderating the discussion with a firm hand, and getting everyone out when it was over. She got quite a nasty look from one fellow who was nigh-outraged when she cut him off. She had warned him five minutes prior, but he made no effort to bring his paper to a close, perhaps never imagining that anyone would choose to do something other than listen to him keep talking. If I hadn't already been spoken for, I would have proposed to her right then. The lesson, I suppose, is that there's something to be said for fundamentalist Mormonism.
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