The lads from upstairs and I have begun to assemble the horses for the next incarnation of Zap Your PRAM, our quinquennial fall conference about stuff that we find interesting.

This time we’re taking over the Dalvay-by-the-Sea on the Island’s north shore, and the conference is a sort of north-shore nerdy Sandals — albeit with less “romping about” — with accommodations, meals and conference fee all rolled into one.

As with last time, we’re struggling with the tensions between our “exclusive by-invitation-only” impulses and our “hey, come on up and hang out” impulses. Ultimately we’ve decided that Zap is more like a 3-day dinner party than it is like breakfast in bed for 400,000, and so that’s the way we’re playing it.

Best case scenario, we get a hearty brew of interesting minds, and all the people who should be there, for whatever reason, end up there. Worst case scenario, we end up eating foie gras in a chilly mansion for three days wondering what the hell happened. And so it goes without saying that if you read about ZAP and it feels like it’s for you, you should tell us immediately.