I read about a fungus found near the reactor in Chernobyl that seemed to be using the radiation as an energy source, so it seems plausible for a plant to evolve to absorb RF energy.

Honey bees are another good example of this.

Maybe they don’t count the founder as an associate? I read it the same way you did, though.

Next time, see what a local camera shop would charge to rent some equipment so you can do the shoot yourself. It’ll probably be less than $75 to rent the gear for a day. It takes a lot of experience to be a good photographer, so you’re paying for their time and expertise, not their equipment. Modern cameras do a lot of the work for you, so you might be happy doing it yourself. On the other hand, for something like a wedding I would hire a pro if there’s room in the budget.

Or buy one that’s 10 years old and learn to maintain it yourself. Worst case, you decide you don’t want it after a year and sell it. Depreciation from year 10 to year 11 is close to zero.

It was a joke, I think you skipped over the second half of the sentence.

A float valve replacement? “Dave” is more likely to charge 450 than a “master plumber” because 450 is a rip off and an established plumber will have a reputation they want to maintain.