Last night I went to a lecture by a guy who had some pretty pointed views about modern Jewish historiography. The hall was packed and their were a lot of tensions in the audience. After going to a number of lectures this year--What else should I be doing, actual work?--I've categorized several types of persons that go to these events:

1) People who want to listen with an open mind. I'd like to think I'm one of those, especially since I had no idea who this guy was before the lecture.

2) People who agree with a guy so much they'd marry him if they could. They laugh at the guy's jokes a little to hard, usually followed by applause. These people come to see their murky beliefs solidified by a person that concurs with them but can also write a book about it.

3) People who disagree with a guy enough that they'd beat him in a back alley somewhere, and are sick enough that they'd listen to him rant just to make themselves angrier. These people are a rare breed; there might be a handful in the audience, but they leave early. They mutter stuff when they leave. Since last night's lecture was about the Middle East, the muttering was in foreign languages. They must be really bored.

4) People who disagree with a guy enough that they want him dead. These people are like #3 but they show up more often, armed with fliers, placards, poorly functioning medullas, pre-written lists of errors in scholarship, demanding voices and no manners. During Q&As they are often found confusing the word "lecture" with "debate" and the word "question" with "rambling statement of contradictory personal beliefs". Last night these people required a police presence and threats of physical removal. Though noticable, these people are generally rare. Bill O'Reilly is one of these people: his species only exists in wildlife refuges but he's still the World-Famous Great Bucking Donkey.

5) Hippies and retired people. Soon we can call them "retired hippies." They go to anything. These people are also known as "distinguished faculty".

In order of population, it usually goes #2, #5, #4, #1, #3.