I want to talk today about the fascinating world of technology. Technology is supposed to make things easier. I appreciate that. The problem becomes when technology turns on you. And that's what happened to the Government Relations department last week.
Our department (CW and I) went to Arts Advocacy Day on March 13 which is hosted by Americans for the Arts and MENC is a National CoSponsor. They have all sorts of fantastic events on Capitol Hill including a breakfast where they invite Hollywood stars and Congressional leaders who support the arts. There was also a hearing held after the breakfast on the importance of the arts and funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
As I also do the MENC Legislative Memo, I thought it'd be great to take pictures and put them in the next Memo so both CW and I took our...wait for it...DIGITAL cameras. And this is where technology takes a turn. We have ONE and I mean only ONE picture that came out. Look for it in the March memo. (Shameless plug--sign up now!) What's more, we've realized that both of us were so mesmerized by the great, the fantastic Wynton Marsalis, that neither of us took a picture of him at the breakfast.
So here's what most of the thirty-some-odd pictures look like. On the right is the legendary Jane Powell of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers fame. She's the one at the podium if you can make it out. See how fuzzy and dark it is?
Then there's this picture on the left. That's the Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Committee Norm Dicks (D-WA). Not only is he a great speaker, but he's also a very powerful Congressman that supports the arts. Yet another unusable, blurry photo from the breakfast.After the breakfast we headed over the hearing that Chairman Dicks was having on the arts featuring many of the same folks that were at the breakfast. 
As the hearing was held in a small room, all of the members of Congress and the speakers were seated around a conference table. The room was filled to capacity and they would only let new people in as others left--and I'm talking fire code full, not chairs full. And the picture reflects that. CW and I had to stand in the back huddled with about ten others. I have put in "nametags" to try and help sort through which people we care about. This IS one picture we got of Wynton--well the back of his head. Did I mention how eloquent he is? You can also see the back of actor Chris Klein's head. (He was in Election and the American Pie movies). If only I'd been one of the four photographers shown in this picture--I'd have gotten a better shot.
As the hearing was held in a small room, all of the members of Congress and the speakers were seated around a conference table. The room was filled to capacity and they would only let new people in as others left--and I'm talking fire code full, not chairs full. And the picture reflects that. CW and I had to stand in the back huddled with about ten others. I have put in "nametags" to try and help sort through which people we care about. This IS one picture we got of Wynton--well the back of his head. Did I mention how eloquent he is? You can also see the back of actor Chris Klein's head. (He was in Election and the American Pie movies). If only I'd been one of the four photographers shown in this picture--I'd have gotten a better shot.So while I appreciate technology, I have to say that sometimes I just wish I still had my film camera.
Around the Water Cooler: One thing about me that you'll definitely learn--I'm from Indiana. That means I have basketball in my blood so March Madness is a very important time of year. Since there aren't a huge number of sports fans here, I started my own NCAA March Madness pool. This is the third year running and after last night's close call wins by Memphis and Ohio State, a fellow blogger is tied in FIRST with SKJ and AW. Unfortunately I'm in second, but I'm not out yet! Having won the last two, I'm looking for a three-pete. Will keep you posted...
