Lego my Logo

My rant for the day has to with logo and brand recognition. My question for the day is, "why is EVERYTHING so complicated?" I came up with what I thought was a really great logo idea, but it didn't look on paper how it looked in my head, but it was pretty cool. Then I kept hearing how wrong it was. And finally it stuck. It is wrong, or at least, it isn't right. So the real question of the day is, "What is right?" I've looked at logos off and on all day. They are all basically simple, and if they aren't exactly representational, they are eye-catching. Look at the Blogspot logo. Bright, simple, and nothing to do with a blog. But really, what icon would? The point is that ours is neither bright nor simple. It's this beautiful picture that has something a little off, and is really busy, and doesn't copy easily, and is really big.

I googled "logo" just now and came up with about eight million web sites of companies that design logos. So, maybe it isn't that everything is complicated, it's just that everything is expensive. I sent out logo ideas to the board members today. If I could get my computer working, I'd post some here, but [sigh] it isn't working at the moment, and the firewall at work will not allow me to download the software necessary to post them. Argh. (On a completely unrelated note, I once had an email address that went as follows: phhttt@. I think I need that again, just fits my mood at the moment. So don't be surprised if you get email from phhttt @somewhere.com soon!)

Back on topic: and I quote (granted, from a logo design company that is trying to generate business, http://www.logodesignworks.com/logo_design.htm btw, I edited their typos! Very unprofessional and if we had money to spend on this, I certainly wouldn't take our business to a company that produces typos on their website!)
"When meeting a prospective client, your business card would speaks a lot about the type of company you are associated with and the quality of your service. A cheap looking card with a poorly done logo would instantly create a feeling distrust in the client."
"The first and foremost feature you should look for in a logo design is whether it represents your company's image. This could mean several things. Does it show your vision for the company? Is your message visible in the logo? Would any one looking at your logo be able to recall it again and associate it with the service your provide or the product you sell? Is it clear, simple and effective?"
"An iconic treatment of a logo involves a simple and sometimes clever representation of an item associated with a product or service the company promotes. Incorporating a stylish and simple gavel in a auction company logo is a good example. Iconic logos do not have too much detail and border on being abstract. The designer's expertise determines how clever the icon is. A clever icon would always demand respect from the audience. [duh]"

So, our logo is definitely memorable, but it isn't clear, nor simple, and if people have to keep asking us if we're in Yosemite, it probably isn't effective.

What do you think? http://www.woodwardshakespeare.org has our current logo front and center (or is it top and left?).