Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2001 12:56:08 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Marcia E. Balestri" Subject: Bird Photos Comments: To: Delaware List Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Hi Birders and others Just recently a well known bird photographer posted this message to Bird-Pix group, I think it is well worth taking note. Marcia Balestri Since photography is such an important part of these lists and, therefore, to =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 their members, I thought I'd better draw this to your attention, especially =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 those who live in, visit, or do business (such as buying film or getting it =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 processed) in the U.S. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 A hot discussion on several of the pro photography lists I susbcribe to =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 concerns steps being taken by the U.S. Postal Service to deal with the anthrax =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 problem and other potential cases of bio-terrorism. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 They are now installing "sanitizing" machines that will irradiate mail with =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 enough power to kill anthrax spores and other pathogens. The amount of ionizing =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 radiation required to do this will *completely fog* unprocessed film. If you =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 were concerned about airport x-ray machines before, then you should be =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 extremely concerned about these. One pass will ruin your film. It's that =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 powerful. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Film sent through the mail, either when purchased new by mail order or when =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 sent to labs by photographers, is all at great risk. Some of the machines have =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 already been installed and put into use and many more will be added all the =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 time. People on the other lists have been trying to get definitive answers from =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 the post office, film manufacturers, labs, and the makers of the irradiating =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 machines regarding how to protect film, how to arrange for it to by inspected =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 and bypass the machines, etc and there are no clear answers for any of it from =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 anyone at all. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 They're also trying to find out what courier companies such as UPS, FedEx, etc =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 plan to do and they can't even get straight answers about whether they x-ray =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 anything now or not, let alone whether they plan to as a result of September 11 =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 and the anthrax problem, so switching to couriers may not be the automatic =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 choice. No one seems to know if the courier companies will start irradiating =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 everything, too. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 To pick just one of them, calls to various FedEx offices, marketing reps, etc =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 to ask for the "Do Not X-ray" labels that some people had obtained in the past =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 resulted in replies ranging from "we've never had those" to "how many do you =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 want". However, as one photography list subscriber who once worked for a =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 courier pointed out, such labels are frequently ignored due to the volume of =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 packages that each employee handles, so they're no guarantee that a package =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 plastered with "Do Not X-ray" labels won't get nuked. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 If you have mail ordered film in the past few weeks, be sure to shoot a test =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 roll and get it processed before using the rest of it on anything important. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Better to find out ahead of a base visit or air show that all your film is =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 ruined than after you shoot it all. --=20 Marcia E. Balestri Frederick, MD=20 ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================