Insufferable bores at the Nation Honey Show

[domino]

I very much enjoy the National Honey Show.

It’s well run, a wonderful venue, I mooch around the trade show and buy stuff I shouldn’t.

Attending three days lets me have a pub lunch and chat about bees.

The talks this year were particularly interesting. Heather Mattila was excellent, but the star of the show was Tom Seeley.

The only thing that spoilt it for me were the minority of narcissistic arses who rather than ask a question use the opportunity of having a microphone in their hand to bore the rest of with their dull opinions.

One or two went beyond being bores and wandered into the realms of being outright insulting to the speakers.

I do wish these people would just STFU

 

[beeno]

It would have been nice if people had stuck to asking questions about the topic under discussion! Yes, I agree that Heather Mattila and Tom Seeley were excellent speakers and so dedicated and patient in imparting their knowledge to us. Many thanks.

 

[thorn]

As far back as my schooldays I came to realise that those who “ask questions” are actually wanting to show how much they know, or think they know.

 

[lakelander]

the Chair should have stepped in an curtailed the rambles

 

[domino]

the Chair should have stepped in an curtailed the rambles

They don't really have chairs at the Q&As. To be fair Roger Patterson did shut a few people up, but they really need some explicit moderation.

 

[For want of a better word]

They don't really have chairs at the Q&As. To be fair Roger Patterson did shut a few people up, but they really need some explicit moderation.

Bit like this forum isn't it!!

Nos da

 

[Michael Palmer]

So, other than all that, how was the show? Good presentations? Young Dallas still a steward?

 

[Vortex]

Yes, really good both Tom Seeley and Heather Matilla were outstanding..

 

[domino]

So, other than all that, how was the show? Good presentations? Young Dallas still a steward?

It was fabulous. This year we had some great speakers. I enjoyed Heather Mattila's talk about how Asian bees spread chicken poop on the hive entrance to deter hornets. She also spoke about the quality of a queen being measured by a number of matings.

 

[Into the lions den]

As far back as my schooldays I came to realise that those who “ask questions” are actually wanting to show how much they know, or think they know.

Lol....yep. There are those who see themselves as the 'big dogs' in a group to whom a question is merely an opening gambit...........their real intention is to tell you what THEY do....and often what the speaker is doing wrong (in their not so humble opinion).

I try to take questions from as wide a selection of those in the room as possible.

Occasionally the session has gone on for hours, then into the pub next door, and ending up out in the street after midnight. 'Worst' was at Freuchie in Fife, I eventually got away at 1.30 in the morning...but enjoyed it, was a great quality of conversation. No 'dominants' hogging the floor.

 

[user 6228]

Lol....yep. There are those who see themselves as the 'big dogs' in a group to whom a question is merely an opening gambit...........their real intention is to tell you what THEY do....and often what the speaker is doing wrong (in their not so humble opinion).

I try to take questions from as wide a selection of those in the room as possible.

Occasionally the session has gone on for hours, then into the pub next door, and ending up out in the street after midnight. 'Worst' was at Freuchie in Fife, I eventually got away at 1.30 in the morning...but enjoyed it, was a great quality of conversation. No 'dominants' hogging the floor.

Only ever had 2 hours of interrogation so I admire your stamina. The problem questions for me are those apparently simple but the answer involves large amounts of complexity to be condensed into an answer that takes a minute or less reply yet is understandable, informative and correct e.g. "Should I go to solid floors to reduce heat loss"

 

[B+.]

The problem questions for me are those apparently simple but the answer involves large amounts of complexity to be condensed into an answer that takes a minute or less reply yet is understandable, informative and correct e.g. "Should I go to solid floors to reduce heat loss"

There is a tendency for people to want simple, easy to digest answers to questions, but, the answer often requires years of study to appreciate. We seem to live in a "sound bite" world!

 

[Beefriendly]

“If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”
Albert Einstein.

 

[B+.]

“If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”
Albert Einstein.

Perhaps that should be: "If you can't explain it to a six year old Albert Einstein...."?
Some topics do require a foundation that a 6 year old (or, dare I say, some adults) simply doesn't have.

 

[madasafish]

“If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”
Albert Einstein.

Did he explain how suns and other massive bodies bend light waves and how they would be detected? Well yes he did, - and his theory was proved correct nearly 50 years after he wrote it iirc,,, but I doubt anyone could explain it to a six year old in terms they could understand and recall..

(I write as a pretty poor physicist who realised his limitations and took up accountancy as easier...

 

[user 6228]

“If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”
Albert Einstein.

I do know it would take more than a minute to explain all of it to anyone. I can get it down to a six year old sound bite if I dodge most of the question.

e.g. "its easier to have a solid floor lose less heat than a mesh floor"

while this answer is true it leaves out big chunks like
is the difference significant, desireable and most of all "why and how".

When you have load of stuff on the subject buzzing around your head the problems of answering such a question are "where do I start " and "where do I stop"
Its good to have someone there who can stop you disappearing down the rabbit hole completely on a question which goes into a fascinating area of the stuff you have up there in your head.

 

[fatshark]

Ask me in the bar afterwards ...

 

[Swarm]

As far back as my schooldays I came to realise that those who “ask questions” are actually wanting to show how much they know, or think they know.

That is true of some 'speakers' too and sometimes we get to see how limited their knowledge actually is. Our association have had some real beauties turn up.

 

[Into the lions den]

Its not just at talks.....gee Stoneleigh can be a nightmare. You have 3 metres of frontage and some guy gets to the front, spreads himself, and proceeds to block off everyone else for ages while he goes on and on and on about what he does and how he had tried these new style hives in 1962 (or whatever) when he made them himself and that they don't work but can he get a discount to take 2 of them.....and do we clip the queens wings because he doesn't...........and what bees do we use and how do there wing patterns morph out like.........meanwhile we are passing orders out over their shoulders and taking payments under their outstretched arms..............gimme strength.

The telling off I can get when I says I don't give a rat's ass about wing venation patterns.....

Sometimes with these types you can feel as if you are in a real life Python sketch..

 

[For want of a better word]

..............gimme strength.

The telling off I can get when I says I don't give a rat's ass about wing venation patterns.....

Sometimes with these types you can feel as if you are in a real life Python sketch..

....... because they are absolutely meaningless in hybrid bees!

Possibly my age but I find I easily drop off to the land of nod recently at lectures on beekeeping..... and mostly on how I manage to be doing it in totally the wrong way!

Yeghes da