It's that time of year. Sarah Craig and Marta Sanchez-Philippe recently opened the flood gates at the Meeting Place and registrations started pouring in. 

FotoFest has more applicants than spaces so it's necessary to have a lottery.   This is not something we like to do as lottery has a kind of cheap, unfeeling, un-artistic Casino sound to it – reminiscent of one of those places that should have been washed away by Katrina. Nonetheless, this process makes the choice of reviewers as fair as possible.  As you can see from the photo above, to make sure that there is no hanky panky; I received a grant from Continental Airlines for a pair of Continental Business First Class blinders and ear plugs, so that Marta can pick and Sarah can poke – the number assigned to each applicant for the Meeting Place.

FotoFest flew a lot of Meeting Place reviewers on Continental to FotoFest 2008 and we have learned to appreciate their high quality eye shades and ear plugs.  If any of you registrants get Fred Baldwin instead of Ann Tucker please write to the Chairman of Continental not to the Chairman of FotoFest.

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