November in Dallas
Its November again, and reason for anyone interested in the JFK assassination to be at the Lancer conference there later this month. I traveled to Dallas for November In Dallas for something over 20 years and learned much from being “on the ground” in the Plaza plus meeting authors and others at the conferences. There just is no substitute for that in person contact if you are serious about the subject and want the experience to become a student of the subject rather than just a reader or viewer of online content.
Watching the authors and better known researchers interact with each other in the hallways, in the plaza, after presentations and even in the hotel bar is an education in itself. There really is nothing like it to develop your own critical faculties. And getting a tour of the Plaza area from someone really familiar with it is pure gold in terms of what can be learned on site in terms of positions, angles – even who can see what from where. Pick your favorite witnessed, go to where they were located and review their descriptions, could they really see what they described and if so how quickly would you have focused in on that. Check their descriptions of what they heard and determine for your self what that suggests in the way of the shots.
The Plaza has not changed dramatically since that day but it may in the near future, don’t miss a chance to be there in person. The same goes for the conferences, even though they are retaining some of the longer term researchers via virtual appearances that may cease before all that long so check them out personally in terms of their work while you still have the chance.
And as for the conference, take full advantage of the in person opportunity if you can, in person dialogs offer a total experience you are not going to get on YouTube or in a Forum. You will quickly find out who is truly opened minded about the subject – and who is on a mission of some sort. How even the best known names respond to questions in person rather than in front of a group can be an excellent test.
I will be on with Chuck Ochelli this coming week discussing my decades of attending, moderation and presenting at conferences and relating few memorable experiences with speakers that likely will never be repeated (a few of which were painful and embarrassing and won’t be missed).
David Boylan and I will both be participating at the Lancer Conference this year, he in person and myself remotely due to age and health. He’s young and vigorous though and recalls the names we talk about more quickly than I do anyway. Our joint presentation will be “Oswald Gaming the FBI”, that should stir things up a bit for some.
But whatever you do, if you can attend the conference in person, its an opportunity not to be missed and you can register at the link below:
