Fossil Fish

If there is anything that truly unites us to the past, it must be fossils.  They are a record of how life not only existed thousands and millions of years ago but there is a record of how that life was shaped and formed over those years.  Anyone interested in treasure hunting may have a particular interest in any type of antique or special find, but for some, there is no substituting the hunt for elusive fossil fish.  While you may assume that you need to travel to some far-off and exotic land and become a full-fledged Indiana Jones to find this type of treasure, in reality many have been able to come across these ancient fossils in whatever local area they live, including parts of the central United States, as well as in Germany, China, Italy, and other such areas.

To find fossil fish you of course need to get off the beaten path a bit.  Areas that are developed and suburbanized are probably not going to have many fossils readily found as the construction needed for a city or suburb is going to disturb the ground well below for the foundations of buildings.  Most of these ancient fossils are found in areas that are not quite civilized such as in deep caves and caverns or even the dessert.

Fossil Fish

For instance, the state of Wyoming has yielding some amazing finds recently when it comes to fossil fish.  Stingrays and mioplosus are common finds.  The Green River Formation in southwestern Wyoming seems to contain a treasure trove of these ancient fossils from many different geological times.  The city of Kemmerer welcomes fossil treasure hunters from around the world as they too search for their finds.  There are some three million acres of public lands at which you may do some digging, and of course when you get tired of treasure hunting there is a wealth of other activities available to you as well.  At Fossil Butte National Monument you can do some exploring on your own, or if you’re new to the hobby you can take a tour with a local ranger or guide.  Even children can get in on the action as they find and clean their own fossils and other treasures.

Some of the tools you will need are safety glasses, hammer, chisel and a crow bar.  The quarry area is littered with flat slabs or plates of sedentary rock that was formed on and ancient lake bed.  When the fish or plant life died they fell to the lake floor and were subsequently buried with mud and silt.  Pick up the slabs of rock and split them endwise to release the fossil treasures.

Some of the rarer fossil finds have commanded up to a quarter of a million dollars.  The fossil’s value is determined by its rarity of the specimen, the size, and the quality of the bone definition.  Wyoming is considered the fish fossil capital of the world.

Of course there really is no area of the world where you absolutely cannot find fossils.  Many have literally stumbled across very valuable finds when just out fishing or hiking or rock climbing.  While searching for fossil fish may be a bit difficult for those who are new to the activity, with the right guide and research manual you may find that this is a hobby that is well worth the pursuit.

Happy Treasure Hunting.

Equine brucellosis is caused by Brucellaabortus and most commonly manifests as fistulous withers in horses, which can be a source of exposure to humans. Clinically, brucellosis may also be associated with poll evil, nonspecific lameness due to joint infection or, rarely,

late abortions in mares.  In­fected horses may not show signs of the disease for as long as two (2) years post-ex­posure.

Fistulous withers has been reported sporadically in the United State for over 70 years. The incidence of B.abortus infection in fistulous withers has progressively declined over the years.  In the 1930s, 82% of the horses with fistulous withers had positive titers for B. abortus(titer> 1:50.) In the 1940s, the prevalence rate dropped to 73%.  In recent re­view, the prevalence of sero-positive B.abortus reactors declined to 37.5%.  Much of the decline in equine brucellosis is attributed to the Brucello­sis Eradication program for cattle.  Today, the highest prevalence of equine brucello­sis is in Texas that has Class B status for brucellosis,  the incidence is also higher in some Class A states, such as Florida, Alabama, and Louisi­ana, as compared to the brucel­losis-free states. Indiana is a brucellosis-free state and has not had a reported case of equine brucel­losis in the past two years. However, Brucellaabortus should be a differential diag­nosis for Indiana horses with fistulous withers, especially if they have been transported from Brucellosis positive re­gions.

Although no brucellosis eradication program exists specifically for equine, standards for diagnosis and treating B.abortus associated fistulous withers have been established as means to monitor possible bovine brucellosis and to help protect the public from exposure to this zoonotic path­ogen.  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has mandated that a sample of the infected site be obtained for culture in all cases of fistu­lous withers.  Isolation should be done at a federally accred­ited facility such as the ADDL. Because B. abortus is difficult to isolate, horses with fistu­lous withers should also be serologically tested for evi­dence of antibodies to B. abor­tus.  Whole blood or serum may be submitted.  Titers (plate agglutination) greater than or equal to 1:50 has generally been considered positive.  More recent investigators propose that a plate agglutination tit­er of 1:100 or 1:160 or less to be negative for Brucella infec­tion.  In the state of Indiana, horses with confirmed B. abor­tus infection must be reported to federal authorities.

In fist time in India Sharma et al. (1979) reported. Brucellosis is not only a major zoonotic problem but is also linked with bioterrorism and belongs to category B (Anonymous, 2000). The severity of this disease, lack of vaccines suitable for use in man and frequent failure of clinical laboratories to correctly identify isolates led to the investigation of Brucella as an agent for bioterrorism.

Aerosol or food contamination could be the sources of dispersion. This microorganism has the advantage of being debilitating without being fatal. The infective dose for these organisms is very low, if acquired via the inhalation route. It has been estimated that 10-100 organisms are sufficient to constitute an infectious aerosol dose for humans.Brucellosis is essentially a disease of the sexually mature animals, the predilection site being the reproductive tract, especially the gravid uterus. Allantoic factors including, erythritol, possibly steroid hormones and other substances stimulate the growth of most of the Brucellae .The tropism of Brucella to the male or female reproductive tract was thought to be by erythritol, which stimulates the growth of the organism, but Brucella has also been found in the reproductive tract of animals with no detectable levels of erythritol .Erythritol, a sugar alcohol synthesized in the ungulate placenta and stimulates the growth of virulent strains of Br. abortus, has been credited with the preferential localization of this bacterium within the placenta of ruminants.

If you want to be a successful actor, or want your children in the business, this is a team member you must know and understand.

There are agents, and then there are AGENTS!

You can’t lump together high powered agents such as Creative Artists Agency (CAA), William Morris Agency (WMA), International Creative Management (ICM), Don Buchwald and Associates, and The Gersh Agency with the struggling one person outfits that are out there.

Most deals at the higher levels are negotiated by agents.

One key difference between agents and almost all other players, except for lawyers, is that they are regulated by state law.

Big Agencies vs. Small Agencies

The big three – CAA, William Morris, and ICM. These companies have at least 50 agents each working for them. There are a few mid-level agencies that are respected (mostly made up of big agency veterans). They are the focal point of power brokering in Hollywood and New York. The same is true for the rest of the world for that matter.

High powered agents represent their clients in all aspects of Motion Picture and Television, including commercials, print, and live appearances. This is what is known as ‘Across the board representation’. Fees for this service are regulated by the Unions. An agent receives no more than 10% of each talent deal.

Smaller agencies will specialize in their areas. In the beginning of their careers, many actors will have different agents for different fields. They will have a Theatrical Agent (Motion Pictures and Television), a Commercial Agent (Commercials only), Voice-Over Agent, Live Appearance Agent (singers, comedians, etc.).

What do Agents do?

An agent does not work for the actor. An agent works for the casting director and the production company.

What!?

An agent provides actors to the casting director when the need arises. An agent’s first loyalty is to his customer (the casting director or production company). That’s who keeps him/her in business.

An agent will look an actor in the eye and say, “I’ll work very hard for you!” What he/she really means is that they think you might be successful in auditions and that the agency would like to include you as another product available to their customer.

An agent will try and negotiate the best possible price for you because that price directly influences their commission. They will also look for the small details that an actor doesn’t think about, such as billing and screen credit, trailer, transportation, etc.

Producers and casting directors are also more confident in hiring an actor with agency representation than someone without.

Just like you are more comfortable buying jewelry from a reputable jewelry store and not off of someone on the street. Again, common sense tells you that an actor with representation is more professional.

Having an agent will enhance your credibility as a professional.

The top agents in the top agencies are some of the MAJOR players in the business. Their calls get answered. Their demands get met. They are just as important in the process as ANY person in Hollywood. Their power is based on the desirability of their clients.

In addition to doing deals on an individual basis, agents ‘package’ their clients so that a studio is forced to take a number of their clients for a particular project.

For example, if a studio wants a particular actor for a television series, they will also have to take a producer and team of writers handled by the same agent.

Why are agents such an important part of the business?

Fundamentally, most creative talent are not necessarily business people. The studio is much more comfortable doing business with an agent because they want business done efficiently and with as little ego damage as possible to the creative talent.

No studio executive wants to tell an actor that he/she is only worth X amount of dollars and that there is no way that they will get above the title billing. They leave those tasks to the better equipped agent.

A good agent knows what the market will bear and can generally get his/her client most of what the studio will give.

Do Agents get their clients work?

Only the most powerful agents can make suggestions to the studios. A good agent will submit a client and have the clout to get them a meeting or audition.

Most agents have to go the typical way of submitting to casting directors and hoping for a call back.

Most people get their own work. This is true especially in the beginning of their careers.

Remember the agent gets 10% of your paycheck. Count on them to only do 10% of the work. You are responsible for the other 90%.

Almost everyone needs an agent to play the game. It still stands that studios will not deal directly with the talent. They want the buffer.

In Los Angeles and New York (and a few more places) agents are exclusive. Meaning you can only have one agent represent you in each field. You may have one agent for theatrical (film and television), one agent for commercials, and one agent for personal appearances. Or, if offered, you may choose to have the same agent represent you across the board.

In Florida, and many other right to work states, you may be listed with as many agents as you want as long as they will have you.

There is a problem with listing with all of the agents in a right to work state. You may get called by all of them for the same audition. You must then decide which one you will list as your representative. This is a no-win situation. It will make some of them mad and they will not submit you the next time.

Just like in Hollywood and New York, you must learn to choose an agent. Getting them to effectively represent you is a fine art that must be learned.

Getting your first Agent.

If you are new to LA, or anywhere for that matter, you might find yourself having what is called a “Golden Period” where everyone will want to get a look at you. You are the new kid in town. You can use this to your advantage.

This is especially true if you are young. Not necessarily your age, but how young you look.

Some of you will have agents and managers competing with each other to sign you. Don’t be fooled. This novelty wears off fast.

Make it your plan to work hard at establishing your career. Think long term.

The best way to find your agent is by word of mouth. This is where your networking skills come into play. Everyone you meet is a resource. Always ask, “Do you know any good agents?” Keep a list.

One of the keys to ANY business is the quantity and quality of contacts that you make.

Effective networking means remembering people’s names. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. People are impressed and flattered when their name is remembered.

Courting an Agent

Don’t try the endless silly schemes some actors invent to get an agents attention. Handing out toilet seat covers with your picture embossed on it, scratch and sniff headshots, jigsaw puzzles that make up your resume, are only good for encouraging agents to treat you like you are treating yourself, like a joke.

What you must do to attract an agent is what people in all businesses do, send out calling cards. In this case, your calling card is your headshot and resume.

Make calls.

Set up appointments.

Get friends to make referrals.

Follow up.

Become involved in clubs and organizations relating to your field.

Continue to develop your skills to become more and more qualified.

Always keep in mind that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. Be prepared or opportunity will pass you by.

If any agent tries to charge you a fee of any kind to sign with them, RUN, don’t walk away. Many scam artists are out there. This is a sure fire way of spotting a croo
k. A legitimate agent will only charge you their deserved commission when and after they have gotten you work.

Getting Agents to work for you

Here is where the real work begins. Many actors think that once they sign with an agent, they can sit back and wait for the phone to ring.

Since agents make their money from commissions, they will concentrate on clients who are already working.

Makes sense doesn’t it? Go with what works and you can count on your income. An agent who has clients who consistently land jobs from auditions is going to concentrate on those clients. New people are going to have to prove themselves to get the agents attention.

Sure they may have signed you because they believe you will get work, but you are going to have to prove yourself to them.

Things an Agent will want to know

Are you continuing to develop your craft?

Are you doing plays or student films?

Are you enrolled in acting classes?

Are you keeping up on what’s being produced?

Are you reading the Trade Papers?

Are you preparing fully for auditions?

Are you systematically expanding your network?

The truth of the matter is that most of the work you get will be due to your own efforts. This impresses an agent!

Make sure you communicate your efforts to your agent. Birthday cards and Christmas cards are warm and fuzzy, but you will fire up the agent’s enthusiasm when he/she receives the flyer about the play you are in, or a note about the casting director you met.

If you take charge of your career, communicate your efforts to your agent, and enlist your agent in a team effort, you stand a good chance of getting him/her to take an active roll on your behalf.