Quicksilver: Yep, that's me, the guy behind the camera.....the recent vote/ratification allows the Director of Photography to operate the camera...no longer, as of 8/1/06, will a camera operator be required.....MD, thanks for the vote of confidence, although I'm afraid my allegiance to the motion picture industry may be waning....I think I'll take an extended breath, clear my head and make a career decision later this summer...

CmyX5go and Wagner....thanks...from your lips to my ears...

mdk5623 let us know which way you go, I have a couple friend in CA who are Architects, Publishers and Internet design peeps....may be able to give you some contacts...depending on your direction.

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An unwavering defender of those I see worth protecting.

"promote the general welfare, not provide the general welfare"

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

mdk, I have decided over the years that just about every setback in my life was actually a good thing. Sometimes we need a push or a kick to get us going in a new, scary direction. If you choose to take advantage of this change, it might open all sorts of doors for you. Good luck.

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Sorry to hear about this, mdk. This kind of thing has happened to me more than once in my professional life. But you'll be surprised to see just how well things can work out if you keep your wits about you. Think of this not as a setback but an opportunity!

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....Thanks, Wagner, very generous....but I'm really hanging on pins and needles for X54.4BLUE to chime in....when I get in a pickle, I think to myself...'...now what would X54.4blue do in my situation...' ....and yes, I say let's make it 'Hammer Blue Day'.....(oh, wait, that's everyday!!)...Sorry, Blue, you make such a fine target....

The Unions have lost focus on what they are supposed to do for their members. They should provide training, support, benefits, and generally make the working environment better, but it is now all about power and money for the Union officials. Fortunately we live in a free market society where the person who can do the job best gets paid the most to do it. Once the people with the money see the quality of work dropping off, they will seek out the quality. Hang in there and I bet you will be glad that the Union is no longer in control of your life.

Dennis

Some unions have and some of them have not. I'm retired from a union that as you say provides training, support, benefits, and generally makes the working environment better. This is one union that has set the standard for other unions throughout the country. I could have worked in the trade non union but the workmanship, benifits and general environment stunk. People would always call us to fix the garbage work others did. Unions certinally are not perfect but I couldn't see myself at Walmart. In the final analysis the free market and unions both have their place and benifit the worker.
I hate hearing about mdk5623 problems and the loss of his livelyhood and i especially find it disturbing that the union didn't do a better job of represanting the members. I'm hoping for a measure of success for him in the very near future.

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"What you hear in a great jazz band is the sound of democracy. “The jazz band works best when participation is shaped by intelligent communication.”
Harmony happens whenever different parts get to form a whole by means of congruity, concord, symetry, consistency, conformity, correspondence, agreement, accord, unity, consonance…….

sorry to hear about what happened Mark. like blueX5 said, hopefully the unions will see the light and see that they need camera operators if they want quality work.

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