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|2009-10-09, 14:24
|Link #2022
Normally, I try to read previous posts in a thread so I don't cover the same ground, but there's 100+ posts here, so... and I might be stirring up a hornet's nest... and feel free to tell me if this particular viewpoint has been done. I also come into this with a scientific mindset, ie, I don't rule something out until it has been proven; but I also form models to work with a situation.
First off, I'm going to bring Cardcaptor Sakura into this, as a point of contrast. For those who aren't familiar with it, the themes running through that series had to do with Romantic Love; besides guy/girl, there was guy/guy and girl/girl (also teacher/really young female student). In a point I'll hit later, I noticed they didn't hit any groupings larger than two, ie, guy/girl/girl or girl/guy/guy.
I feel that the themes running through Nanoha, however, have to do primarily with Family love, and secondly with friendship love. We have:
Nanoha's standard loving family (and her friendship with Arisa & Suzuka)
Suzuka's sister, and her maids being sisters
Fate and Precia's mother/daughter issues
Lindy/Crono's relationship aboard the Asura/Athra
Hayate, who had no family and then gained one in the Wolkenritter
Graham and his two familiar's that call him father (while there is the obvious perverted angle, I'd like to think he really wanted daughters); Crono also seems to regard him as somewhat of a father figure
Genya and his two daughters, Suburu/Ginga
Teana's link with her brother
Vivio and her two mommies
The cyborgs, some of whom eventually become part of the Nakajima family
And so on. Whereas CCS explores the various incarnations of romantic love, Nanoha seeks to tell us about different ways a family can form and exist as. And to a lesser extent, how friendship bonds can form and evolve. In that light, I think the downplaying of romantic love is very much intentional, at least in how most people view it. I think it helps explain 7arcs ambiguity. They don't want to alienate the shipping fanbase, but instead continue to focus on their main themes.
In my own experience, I've known close friends. People who do everything together, and yet aren't romantically linked. I have a friend who is a poly; someone who can love more than one person. She currently has two boyfriends (who know about each other and are fine with that). I'm really good friends with her, but neither she, nor I, have any romantic feelings for each other. I've seen strong sisterly and brotherly bonds. I'm a straight male, but I have no problems hugging a close male friend without any sexual undertones.
So perhaps I don't read into any subtext as much as others might, and do see stuff like Nanoha and Fate being simply best friends, perhaps even much in the way of sisterly bonds. People can be really close without being romantically involved. They can even raise a child together. I've slept in the same beds with other guys, because at the time, it was a decent arrangement.
Having said that, I have no problems with people who want to see them more romantically. As long as it's understood that, canon-wise, the theme being told is something different. I don't want to see some relationship models being flat-out rejected, when there isn't word either way.
In order for me to see something as more than close friendship, there has to be some very definite signs:
1. They get married
2. One or both has thoughts indicating they like a person more than a friend
3. One or both says it out loud
4. A third party notices how two people are acting, and confronts one or both of them (leading either to extreme denials, or confessions)
Blushes alone don't do it for me, unless within the context of the above.
So while I know people talk about relationships more in the romantic sense, I guess I'd like to approach this more from the family angle that I feel the Nanoha series takes as it's major theme. I suppose I'll also slowly read through this thread to see if it such things are covered. Has anyone else here had such family or close friend relationships?
As a closing point, I'd actually like to see a show break from the norm of "pairings" and go into 3 or 4 person loves. Would bring the whole Harem idea into a new meaning. Even though I didn't quite like the Kanoken series, I had to admit it's final lines were an extreme breath of fresh air.
For those that don't about that one, it's a short ecchi series about a big-breasted girl that really loves this wimpy guy (who protests about it). She gets competition from this other girl who also pushes herself on him. At the end, although the guy eventually admits that he loves Big-breasted girl, and they starting to get it on... the other girl pops up and still tries to get it on with him at the same time. The lines basically go like this:
Main Girl: What are you doing here? He already said he loves me; I'm going to be his wife. What do you think you are?
Second girl: His mistress.
Main girl: *sighs and claps her hand* Very well, I accept.
(Guy sweats, getting very worried)
So if anything, I'd probably be a Fate/Nanoha/Yuuno trio person. :P But I can see other potential setups with other characters.
|2009-10-09, 14:48
|Link #2023
Goat Herder
Join Date: Jun 2008
Age: 31
"So if anything, I'd probably be a Fate/Nanoha/Yuuno trio person. :P But I can see other potential setups with other characters."
Go check out Nanya01 and RadiantBeam's Relationships series of fics then, you won't be disappointed.
|2009-10-09, 20:46
|Link #2028
I'm Back
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Land of Lincoln
|2009-10-09, 20:49
|Link #2029
Test Drive
MGLN is based off the ero-game Triangle Hearts. In canon, Miyuki is actually Nanoha's cousin. Her mother left her with her brother (Shiro) when Miyuki was still young and went to pursue revenge for the murder of her family. Miyuki was adopted by the Takamachis and stayed with them for the rest of her days.
Of course, I don't know if the same applies to MGLN, but it's something I'm expanding on in one of my fanfics. The angst, I tell you. 8D
|2009-12-11, 10:22
|Link #2032
Join Date: Dec 2008
There was released a new Drama CD, joined with a future release of The MOVIE 1st.
You can find some summary and a download links here. It's pretty old, actually, but I can't find any mention of it in this thread.
It seems to give canon credibility to notion that Yuunoha is 100% lost cause.
|2009-12-11, 10:35
|Link #2033
umbrella moe~♥
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: huh wha-?
Movie is AU, so you can't exactly justify that for series proper. I'm sorry. Not that I'm saying that it matters. If you WANT Yuunoha NOT to happen, you can take this as series canon(even though movie is considered AU). Simply saying "YUUNOHA NOT GONNA HAPPEN YO"... Well, let's not start yet another ship war, shall we?
|2009-12-11, 10:51
|Link #2034
Join Date: Jan 2007
|2009-12-11, 13:29
|Link #2036
Join Date: Dec 2008
So, I'll explain. This Drama CD was included with pre-ordered tickets for The MOVIE 1st. It features a lot of Vivio spending time with her mamas, one of the tracks on the vol.1 named "Takamachi family gathering". Said family include Vivio, Nanoha and Fate.
Vol.2 is about Fate and her adopted children, Nanoha shows up a bit too. And then, on the 4th track, Yuuno and Chrono talk about Nanoha and who Yuuno is to her. It's said that he is her close friend and (once) magic teacher and that she respects him very much.
To me it's quite openly states that Nanoha and Yuuno don't share any romantic relationship right now, and most probably never did in the past. Yes, we know from previous canon instalments that Yuuno had romantic feelings for Nanoha. But they were never answered.
Now the question is "why?". Some answers would be:
1. Nanoha has someone else we haven't seen yet. - Not likely.
2. Nanoha has someone we know. Fate would be most likely candidate. (you know, big bed, a child)
3. Nanoha is incapable of romantic feelings for anyone, her closeness with Fate meaning that they are on a "sisters' level".
Take your pick.
|2009-12-11, 13:47
|Link #2037
Test Drive
|2009-12-11, 17:31
|Link #2039
Join Date: Dec 2008
|2009-12-11, 18:04
|Link #2040
Real Robot
Join Date: Jan 2008
Age: 30
...oh wait. I'm not on 4chan... like I just had a flashback.
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Ditch The Jargon: How To Write Strong Mission Statements Like These Successful Southeast Asian Start-upsBY Tanya Mariano - 18 Apr 2017
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
The phrase "mission statement" may conjure thoughts of bland, empty corporate-speak, but it's a vital part of any organization. And, when crafted well, does wonders for your business. Not only does it tell the world why your company is valuable, it can also serve as your team's North Star, keeping you focused on goals and aspirations.
"It is your 'why' -- it's why you exist," writes Larry Kim, founder and CTO of online marketing firm WordStream, in this Inc. article. "Your strategy. Your core. Your vision. Your identity. Your culture. And it can steer you toward success."
And it's important to get it right, as a poorly written one can tarnish your image significantly.
When crafting your mission statement, keep these three things in mind.
1. Keep it short and simple
Aim to communicate clearly what your brand stands for. As such, avoid jargon and overly flowery prose, and go straight to the point.
Singaporean edtech start-up Cialfo does this well: "We are on a mission to make college application management simple, efficient & accessible!"
A mission statement that's four paragraphs long won't have strong recall, and most people wouldn't even bother reading the whole thing. Two to three sentences should be enough. In fact, even a few words can already pack a punch. For instance, Airbnb's "Belong Anywhere" or Manila-based tech firm Xurpas' "Building the mobile future" already says a lot in under four words.
2. Say why, not what
Go beyond just enumerating what your company does. Saying why you're doing what you're doing creates more impact.
For example, Singapore's Garena, whose business spans digital content, e-commerce, and payments, tells us why they want to "connect the dots" -- "We believe the world will be a better place when more people, information, goods and services are connected. It is therefore our mission at Garena to reach and connect an ever growing number of 'dots' in the world."
3. Focus on results, not process
Highlight how you can improve your customers' lives. If possible, frame it in very concrete, personal terms.
A good example of this is ride-hailing service Grab's mission statement, "Forward Together," which is followed by a description of how exactly they plan to add value to their users' daily life: "The goals we've set for ourselves aren't easy to achieve. But we believe one day soon, every single person in Southeast Asia will be able to travel safely, comfortably, and easily to work, to college, and to tea with a few friends."


text:
If you've been starved for decades and someone puts a feast in front of you, you eat it, right? But what if it was just enough to feed you for a little while, and the price of eating it was that you'd never get another morsel after that? Or what if the food was rotten? Still a good deal? Or do you hold out a bit longer to make sure you get enough food for the rest of your life and that of your children and grandchildren?
If you've been starved for decades and someone puts a feast in front of you, you eat it, right? But what if it was just enough to feed you for a little while, and the price of eating it was that you'd never get another morsel after that? Or what if the food was rotten? Still a good deal? Or do you hold out a bit longer to make sure you get enough food for the rest of your life and that of your children and grandchildren?
In many ways, that's the decision facing New Bedford right now as the city and area residents evaluate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Final Settlement with AVX Corporation for funds to clean up toxic PCBs in New Bedford Harbor. Many elected officials praised the deal when announced as a veritable feast of corporate funding in a time of tight government budgets. They ask us to eat today, ignoring both the quality of the meal offered and what happens when the funding feast runs out.
It's a false choice for our community and one that we must reject.
The EPA's New Bedford Harbor PCB cleanup plan is unacceptable and getting worse because of cost-saving amendments pursued by the Agency. In some parts of the Harbor, EPA is planning to leave behind 50 times more toxic pollution than that considered safe for people and fish. When compared against PCB contaminated sites across the country, it becomes clear that New Bedford Harbor is getting one of the worst Superfund cleanups of its kind in America.
And what toxic PCBs the EPA isn't planning to leave in the mud it intends to manage through a mix of offsite disposal, construction of shoreside bulkheads, or burial in Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) cells. The agency has already begun designing the first set of CAD cells just north of Route 6 and has been evaluating another behind Riverside Park. These CAD cells are not sealed containers as their technical-sounding name suggests. They are simply holes dug in the harbor bottom with PCBs dumped in them and sand spread on top. CAD cells are cost-saving measures and far inferior to the primarily offsite disposal employed by EPA today. Their use in New Bedford Harbor will increase human exposure to PCBs during construction and leave a toxic legacy in our community forever.
This is the "cleanup strategy" that EPA sought to fund when it sat down with AVX. This is what we get for the $366 million negotiated — up to 50 times the pollution left in other communities, no safe fish to eat, and harbor banks and bottom laced with buried dumps of PCBs.
The EPA approach also has another fatal flaw: Its estimation of how much of the harbor bottom needs to be dredged to rid it of PCBs is based on the industrial riverfront of the mid-1980s. That was a very different New Bedford Harbor north of Coggeshall Street: a waterway without shoreside parks and public open spaces, without rowing clubs, and without the riverwalk trails and saltmarsh boardwalks presently in design. And its shores did not host newly-renovated residential lofts and retirement facilities in those former riverfront mills. But that is the waterfront vision our community is actively creating today. The presence of all of these people living on and enjoying their Harbor dramatically changes the cost and type of cleanup EPA must do in the upper harbor as residential areas must be cleaned up ten to twenty times better than industrial sites. EPA has admitted that the scale of this change is not reflected in the $366 million deal they agreed to with AVX.
Nearly all of the officials quoted at the October announcement of the AVX settlement expressed their pleasure that the harbor will "finally be cleaned" and "people will fish again." Since that time, as the details of EPA's backroom deal with AVX have come out, more and more people are waking up to the fact that neither of these things will result from the settlement.
In the end, the most harmful element of the AVX settlement is the agreement's lack of a "reopener" clause. There's nothing wrong with the EPA making a deal with AVX to pay another $366 million to move our cleanup forward. The problem is that in exchange, AVX convinced EPA to let them off the hook forever. So when public demand forces EPA to improve its cleanup plan to take into account the new public uses of our harbor and to give New Bedford the level of cleanup granted other communities across America, there will be nowhere to go for more funding.
As of today, nearly 2,000 people have signed on to join the Buzzards Bay Coalition in our opposition to the lack of a reopener clause in EPA's proposed settlement with AVX. Comments on the settlement will be accepted by the US Department of Justice until Dec. 17. Get involved. This won't be the last battle in the fight to clean up New Bedford Harbor, but it will define all those that follow.


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Moderators: Jenise, Robin Garr, David M. Bueker
Here From the Very Start
Wed Mar 29, 2006 1:01 pm
Riesling Guru
Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:52 pm
Senior Flamethrower
Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:23 pm
TomHill wrote:Very nicely done article by Eric in today's NYTimes:
which brings some well-deserved publicity to the area. Wish we could find some of those wines out west.
Interesting that the most controversial wine was a extended skin-contact Riesling. No surprise there. I understand they're experimenting some w/ that technique in Germany, but have not tried any yet.
Wine guru
Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:34 pm
Senior Flamethrower
Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:23 pm
Jon Leifer wrote:Thomas: back in the day when I spent more time than we do recently travelling the east side of Seneca Lake, I wd buy Bloomer Creek wines from a stand/store near the Stone Kat Kafe..Are they still there? If no, where is the winery located?
Wine guru
Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:34 pm
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