What's going on in the remote world? Well here's a story from my world, about 15 minutes ago:
A large gig I had gets cancelled one week out. I get a call from the person who made that call (high school music director). He complains that my (agreed upon months ago) rate was too high. I tell him that the job cost that much because XYZ.
His response: "Well I've done some recording in my time and your time estimate is just too much. It isn't hard or time-consuming to record and make a CD." He further implies that anyone can do it and tells me they've hired a parent of one of his students to do it at 1/3rd my price (bring in the handheld recorder?).
Life needs an "undo" button so I could tell him what I really wanted to say right then, and then take it back and say what I did, which was calmly explain my point of view. Didn't matter - job is gone and I don't think I'll be getting called back by anyone in the entire district, considering his tone of voice and outrage at my (again, agreed upon months ago) rates.
Also, I did the job last year and everyone positively loved the recording. I also did it for basically the same rate.
There is not a smiley for how I feel right now.
<-- this is a start.