Buttons, Screens

The ship contractors got busy during dry dock. All the carpet is new, the walls are more subdued, chairs reupholstered, new color palettes in the buffet. The crew areas, meals, shows...those are all exactly the same. But the packaging looks nice I suppose. Kind of like putting a Cracker Jack ring in a Tiffanys box.

At the gym the tough floor has been replaced for that squishy kind. New machines. I run on a sparkling treadmill with a touchscreen instead of a control panel. I hit a jog, then sprint. At two miles I want to slow down. I press the appropriate portion of the touch screen--the little minus sign. My finger is too hot or maybe too sweaty. I don't know, but the screen will not respond to me. I keep sprinting. I punch at the flashing images in front of me. Nothing works. I pull the emergency stop cord. No cool down. Just a dramatic end to my workout.

Buttons always beat touch screens.

So. No matter what people hypothesize and no matter how cultural budgets shrink, live theatre will always stay relevant.