text:
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|2008-09-14, 16:25
|Link #9081
Family Pet
1. B! (not making it big since the votes already over and I wouldn't want to confuse you) Go get Fate to help youuuu~
2. A! Exploring the town gets you exposed to more~~~
3. C! Scream Yuuno, Screeaammm.... Hrm. Ah well. Yay for Fate appearing
4. C! Because Crossdresser Yuuno should be joined up with Crossdresser Chrono and Zafira. Tho... I'm not sure how'd that look... Hmm...
5. A! Because social interaction is good for Yuuno-kun. :3
Yeah, I have no idea who I'm rooting for anymore. =_=
But I really just did it cuz I love the challenges I find in this thread. ^^
Edit: A for SA Hayate/Yuuno! >.<
|2008-09-14, 16:55
|Link #9082
Too much Caffine
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Under your Bed
Age: 35
I know it's a one shot to answer a challenge, but could you continue
Barring that then Yuuno X Chrono
"For Life is experience, and longevity is, in the end, measured by memory, and those with a thousand tales to tell have indeed lived longer then any who embrace the mundane."
|2008-09-14, 17:23
|Link #9083
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
I select C.
|2008-09-14, 18:35
|Link #9084
Family Pet
Rah~! I almost forgot! >.< I said I'd post when I got to the epilogue of Artist!Fate, so here it is!
Spoiler for Artist!Fate the epilogue~:
Omake 4.1- BadCook!Nanoha + SweetGirlfriend!Fate
The two girls giggled as they walked cheek to cheek to the studio. "Precia-san won't mind?"
"She'll be with Father for a while yet." Fate unlocked the door and tugged Nanoha in with her. She kissed her gently before tugging her up the stairs to her room. "Your mother won't mind?"
"She's used to me sleeping over at friends' houses." Nanoha smiled as she looked around. "This is... cute. Your room."
"Really? I think it's beautiful. Know why?" Fate hugged her from behind, swaying their bodies together. "Because you're in it now."
Nanoha laughed and turned to Fate. "Before, you said you'd try my cookies if I made some with my own recipe... right?"
Fate was still smiling as she sat down with Nanoha on the bed. "Yeah... did you make some?"
Nanoha nodded and pulled a bag out of her larger purse/bag. Offering it, she said, "A second birthday gift."
"Awww... Thank you." Fate opened the bag and smiled at the pristine perfection that was the heart and star shaped cookies. Holding one up, she said, "I'll be eating then."
For a few holy moments, it was like a little piece of heaven in her mouth. And then she bit into it.
And all hell broke loose.
Fate ran from the room and opened a water bottle with lightning speed. She downed nearly half the bottle before coughing to get the crumbs back into the right pipe.
"It's no good, huh?" Nanoha leaned on the doorframe of Fate's room, looking utterly dejected. "I guess there's a reason we don't put chili in chocolate chip cookies..."
"Chili? That's what that was?" Fate looked at the half finished cookie in her hand. Walking over to Nanoha, she murmured, "Sorry, it's not that it's not... good... I'm just... umm... bad about handling hot stuff. It just... took me by surprise is all."
As if to prove her point, Fate put the rest of the cookie into her mouth. She then chewed painfully, ignoring the tears stinging her eyes. After swallowing, she said, "See? It's not bad at all. It's rather..."
"You don't have to lie to me. I know it's bad." Nanoha sighed and flopped down on the edge of the bed. "I have no sense of personal taste."
"That's not true at all. Come on, don't be so hard on yourself." Taking a deep breath, Fate ate another cookie, managing to devour it with only a slight wince. By the time the fourth cookie went down, her tongue had numbed and the level of heat radiating from her mouth had stabilized to an endurable state.
Nanoha watched in silence as Fate calmly finished the bag of cookies.
"Ah, you know what? Precia-san will want to try some when she gets home, so I'll save the last few for her." Fate sighed as she set down the cookies on the night table and finished the last of the water in that bottle. After licking her lips, she felt decidedly better and turned to Nanoha. "Thank you for the cookies, Nanoha."
Nanoha broke into tears and cried into Fate's chest, whispering apologies and words of regret. Fate held her, saying nothing one way or the other.
"If you get sick," Nanoha's eyes glistened with conviction as she looked up at Fate and promised, "I'll stay with you and nurse you back to health, I swear."
Fate smiled weakly. "All right. I hope it doesn't come to that, but all right."
Omake 4.2- BirthdayGirl!Nanoha
"Are you peeking? You're peeking aren't you? Mou, I want it to be a surprise!"
Nanoha giggled. "Just tell me what it is already, Fate-chan." A surprised look softened into a sweet smile as Fate removed her hands from Nanoha's eyes and instead kissed her gently. When Fate stepped back, Nanoha saw that they were in Fate's room. "Fate-chan, what...?"
"Happy Birthday, Nanoha."
Nanoha opened her mouth to retort that her birthday was yesterday and it had been celebrated by a nice gathering at her family's bakery, but Fate seemed to have something else planned. "Come to think of it, you said you had a really big surprise for me for my birthday but you didn't give me anything... or did you...?"
Fate laughed. "Yeah, sorry, I'm a little late. It couldn't be helped- my timing was bad. But I want to give it to you now, so pretend it's still your birthday, okay?"
Nanoha giggled, swinging Fate's hand back and forth. "Every day I get to spend with you feels like my birthday."
"You must be very old then."
Before Nanoha could retort, Fate retreated, walking over to her closet. At Fate's offhand request, Nanoha sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. While waiting for Fate to take out whatever surprise she had in store for her, Nanoha looked around the room. A few weeks ago, this room had been an absolute mess, but a little teasing went a long way, and by the time Nanoha had made her third visit to the room, it was as neat and orderly as a hotel room, except cozier.
"All right, here it is. Sorry for the delay."
Nanoha's eyes widened as she looked at the larger rectangular box that was almost as tall as Fate. Standing up, she walked over to the box and muttered, "You didn't get me a life-size android or something, did you?"
Fate snorted with restrained laughter. "As if I could afford something like that with what I make- even if those were for sale. No, it's just the only box I could find that would fit it. Go ahead, open it."
Nanoha looked again at the yellow wrapping paper covered box and the lacy pink ribbon. With a lopsided grin of amused resignation, Nanoha slowly pulled on the ribbon, undoing the bow. She then painstakingly unwrapped it in such a way that the paper would be preserved.
Fate grew antsy just watching her. "Mou, you take forever. Just rip it off all ready. It's not even very expensive wrapping paper."
Nanoha giggled. "But it's the first present Fate-chan has ever given me! I want to save the paper anyway."
Fate sighed and started pacing, her eyes darting towards Nanoha's calm ones every so often, watching her pull off the paper little by little. And then once it was off, painstakingly opening the box itself.
Nanoha stopped when she saw the case within the box. Saw the glimmer underneath the cushioning. "Fate... you didn't... you didn't /really/..."
Suddenly, Nanoha's pace increased dramatically and in ten seconds flat, the case was open on her lap and her breath had hitched as she ran her fingers over the instrument. It was a black guitar with gold trim. "Fate..."
"Do you... do you like it?"
Nanoha looked up at her, her face void of any emotion other than mind-blown surprise. "How...? Why...?" Gathering her wits about her, she formed a coherent question. "How much did you pay for this? It must have cost a fortune."
"Ah... The price isn't important. Nanoha? Do you like it?"
Nanoha nodded slowly. Her hand caressed the instrument again. "Why a guitar?"
It was then that Nanoha noticed that Fate was holding up her yellow pick, Bardiche. "Will you teach me how we can make music together?"
That was when it occurred to Nanoha what Fate had done. Each had a piece of a puzzle, each had something the other needed to make music. To make music that was beyond just the mediocre level.
Nanoha smiled. She took the instrument out of its case carefully, setting the case down on the floor. She then scooted away from the edge of the bed and tuned it by ear. Once she was ready, Nanoha held the guitar out to one side and patted the part of the bed that was showing between her legs. "Come sit here."
Curious, Fate obeyed, watching as Nanoha locked her into place by taking hold of the guitar with both hands. One hand went to Fate's and guided it to the guitar strings.
Fate shivered as Nanoha's breath grazed her ear, whispering instructions. "I'll start by teaching you which strings are which then."
Fate looked over at Nanoha.
Nanoha smiled and kissed her. "Thank you. I'm sure we'll be making music together for a long time to come."
"Y-Yeah... Yes..." Fate smiled broadly, realizing what Nanoha meant. She would have hugged Nanoha if their positions allowed them to do that easily. Since she couldn't, she merely kissed Nanoha's nose. "Let's... Let's make music together."
"Only with you, Fate-chan." Nanoha settled her chin on Fate's shoulder. "Only with you."
Omake 4.3- Auction!Fate
The hall was ahustle and abustle with people from various backgrounds, all looking for new pieces to add to their collection.
"And now... the last piece of the night! We have here a beautiful piece from one of our younger artists, titled simply, "A Woman and Her Dog." The strokes are of top quality, perfect, precise, and yet with an essential flow that permeates the whole piece. The color choices, the contours of expression, none are worthy of complaint. So! Let's start the bidding at 25! Remember, all proceeds go to helping the church by request of the artist. Now do I have a bidder for 25? Ah, yes, the man in the black shirt. I have 25... do I have 30? 30! Yes! 35? 35, come on people, 35 anyone? Ah, the woman in the yellow dress-"
"What are you doing?" Fate hissed at Nanoha, making a grab for her hand. "Put your hand down!"
"But I want it too!" Nanoha grinned as the price went up again, and she bid once more.
"Nanoha... how much are you going to raise the price? What if you don't get outbid, you'll have to-"
"And that's 150, this is great folks, excellent. Do I hear a 155? Going once, going twice, ah, the woman in the yellow dress again. 155! Going once, go-"
Tired of the silent auction, Nanoha's contender for the piece shouted out, "250!"
"Oh, goodness gracious, we have a bid for 250! Can the woman in the yellow dress beat that? No? Then, going once, going twice..."
"Fate!" Nanoha slapped Fate's arm. "What's the point if you buy it?"
Fate protested, "You got me all wound up! Now I want it too..."
Fate's eyes widened. "He still wants it? Just who is this other person?"
"Probably someone who likes investing in young artists with potential."
"...Going twice..."
Fate sighed. "I suppose it wasn't meant to be. They can have it."
"You sure gave up fast."
Fate rolled her eyes. "Oh quiet, you."
"Sold! To the man in the black shirt for 310! Thank you very much, sir. Please go to the front desk to conduct the exchange. And that's a wrap folks! I hope you'll enjoy the other items we have at this auction, not just the art- although we have some wonderful selections this year..."
"Come on." Fate tugged Nanoha's arm as her eyes followed the man. "I want to meet this person that would bid for an item up from 25 to 310."
Nanoha giggled. "You're not going to say I helped? Well, you were the one that bid 300..."
Fate didn't respond as she waited for the man to pick up the covered portrait after writing a check for it. As he turned to walk away, he stopped face-to-face with Fate. Nervously, she bowed and introduced herself, "Ah, good evening. I was the artist for the piece you bought and I was just wondering who was the one who thought my work was worth so much?"
"A mere 310 is nothing for me. I'm always happy to help out the church. But you've got a good hand at art and I recognized it as such. Nothing more." He held out his hand. "The name's Graham. Yours, young lady?"
"Ah... Fate Testerossa, sir."
"Testerossa is it... well, Miss Testerossa, I'll be keeping an eye on you. Do you have your own studio?"
"Ah, no," Fate flushed but continued hurriedly, fishing through her purse for a business card, "But I work as an apprentice at one. Ah, the address is here."
"Ah... Precia-san is it... Yes, I can see her influence in your work, now that I think about it." Graham looked over at Nanoha. "And this was the model for your piece?"
Fate nodded as Nanoha bowed. "Ah... yes, sir, she is."
"Mm... Commendable. You two must be very close. I can see the chemistry between model and artist in the final works. Miss Testerossa, will you promise an old man something?"
"Ah... yes, sir?"
"Can I trust that you will always keep the feelings you had when you made this piece and never betray those feelings?"
Fate smiled with resolute confidence. "Without fail."
"Good answer." Graham chuckled. "Perhaps I shall visit you in the near future, Miss Testerossa. Well then, have a good evening."
"Ah, you as well, sir."
As Graham walked off, Fate watched him go for a good few minutes before her legs failed her. Nanoha worriedly held her, asking if she was all right, asking what was wrong...
Fate merely answered, "I talked to Graham. The Graham. He bought my work. He's interested in my future works. This is it, Nanoha." Fate turned appraising eyes on Nanoha. "And it was all because of you. Thank you, Nanoha. Thank you so much for walking into my life."
Nanoha smiled back with equal warmth.
"Well, I suppose you should thank Yuuno too then, for jumping down your shirt. I may have never stopped to get to know you otherwise."
They looked at each other in silence, before they both burst out laughing.
These were the good times.
|2008-09-14, 19:25
|Link #9085
I'm umami.
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Somewhere in NYC.
C'mon, Yuuno, don't get distracted! XD
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|2008-09-14, 19:27
|Link #9086
Undercover Mole
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: ~Floating on the edge
Making music huh? Sounds like a sweet guitar though. Yuuno's finally appreciated in the end. He is the one who brought them together.
|2008-09-14, 21:41
|Link #9087
I'm Back
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Land of Lincoln
Thank for help with signature Evil Rick.
|2008-09-14, 22:32
|Link #9088
Cute things, sharp teeth.
Join Date: Jul 2008
@TSS: For you, my crackster...
Note: standard disclaimer applies - I take absolutely NO responsibility for any changes to your mental or physical health upon viewing the image below.
Spoiler for Hayate's Royal Guard:
I had to break about 5 times before I managed that one. There are some proportional mishaps, but I just can't look at it long enough to fix it anymore
Last edited by yuiseppe; 2008-09-15 at 03:09. Reason: Spelling bee.
|2008-09-14, 23:00
|Link #9089
[. . .]
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Imaginary World no. 856
Vice Milly seems to be having fun! And... It's incredible how they can have such a feminine body and still retain their original face features, and not end up looking like freaks. (meaning: looking like women seems to suit them ... in a very weird... way).... although Zafira... too much crack.
Hayate's expression is priceless.
|2008-09-14, 23:29
|Link #9090
Black Dragon
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: In the Netherrealm, thinking who to betray next...
Maligno's Express
Spoiler for Chapter 12:
Gary launched the unconcius soldier out of the train, the guy only managed to scream when his head hited the rock ground
"No ticket" Gary said befor grabing his chains
Gary and Vita were runing out of time, the train was moving really fast and it was matter of time before the missile get shooted
"Okay, nwe plan" Vita said "We stopt the missile, Catch Maligno, Get rid of Rage and save your girl in... 30 minutes"
"Sounds easy" Gary said "Let's move space Girl!"
Garvy an Vita climb to the roof of the wagons and started to run straight without been sure exactly were to go, in the thirs wagon they were ambushed by several heanchmens armed with machine guns, Vita blocked the shoots with a shield whil Gary jumped behiond the enemy lines and slashed them with his chains and some kicks, Vita get rid of the temaining soldiers with Graff Eissen, the soldiers had come out of some doors that were on the roof, Vita got inside of one of the doors followed by Love
They were now in some living quartes, rooms with beds and tables placed in order to make the place confortable for the passengers, More soldiers appeared out of the rooms, but Gary and Vita took care of them without troubles
Now, runing this time inside the wagons, after some minutes, the party reached some kind of store room for the packages, although, this wagon was empty only a room in the middle of it from were Vita could hear a soldiers speaking through some kind of comunicator
"Atention, this is the Artic station, waiting to recive orders"
"Artc station, this is the Eye of the storm, the missile will get shuted in 35.78 minutes, iunform the rest of the stations"
"Copy Eye of the storm, Artic station out"
"Well... looks like we finally did it!" The soldier inside the room said "At last, 8 years with failed attempts to conquer the world, all of them, spoiled at the last minute by that damn Gary Love!"
Gary and Vita looked at each other, like giving a signal that both understood, the parners jumpo inside the room and took out the soldiers that were in in less than a minute
"Hey Space girl!" Gary said "I can contact my people with this radio, you go ahead and try to find that missile, I'll catch you later"
"Okay, just... be carefull Gary" Vita said while runing oput pf the room
"Atention! Radio Bravo, this is Hot Horse, do you copy?"
"This guy is a waste" Vita though while moving to the next wagon
Central City
"What I'm doing? I don't even know this guys!" Vivio was thinking all of thsi while the buss in wich she was was moving, she felt guilty, for leaving the hospital without speaking to her mothers, but the guy of the last night had keeped his word, all the injuries on Vivio's body had gone! It was almost like a miracle, just one night latter, the doctors had said to Nanoha that Vivio would never be able to walk again and now she was on her foots
"The BlaCK Dragon Clan" Vivio said to herself
[Those guys don't give me good spine]
"Falling soul! Keep quite, we must not call the atention!"
[I'm not the one who is speaking alone]
"I'm not speaking alone, I'm speaking with you!"
[But you said that...]
"Okay, okay, yeah! I understeand, ugh... how much time is left to arrive the main plaza?"
[3 minutes with 43.5 seconds, although we could be alredy there if you had decided to go fling]
"As I told you, I don't want to call the atention, I don't know if I can trust in this 'Black Dragon Clan'"
[Although you don't admit it, by doing what that guy told you, you are trusting in them more than in your mother]
"You don't... need to say it that way" Although Vivio didn't wanted to admit it, Falling Soul was right
Vivio took again the card that that guy had gave to her, only a crocodile drawed on it, nothing more
"What does this mean?" Vivio said
[Perhaps he likes crocodiles... or Reptiles... or ugly animals]
"Or dangerous ones" Vivio though
[Vi, we arrive]
Vivio with Falling Soul in hands, get down of the buss, and walked in direction to the fountain, acording to what that guy said, a woman will be looking for Vivio very soon
Maligno's Express
Vita had almost gone trhough the entire train, dealed with several soldiers without trouble, although there wasn't still any sign of Rage, Maligno, The missile or Gary's gorlfriend, before moving to the next wagon, Vita heared two womans (soldiers) speaking
"We must ger prepared, Gary Love should be here in anyminute"
"I know, but he's so georgeous!"
"Yes... I know, we will capture him and then he will be at our mercy"
"Hmmm.... what a lovely idea"
"You got to be kidding!" Vita though
Braking the door Vita got inside the next wagon, swinging Graff Eissen, she took care of the soldiers
"This is just to easy" She said, the mage was in direction to the next door, but siddenly, an explosion at the side of the wagon launched her to the floor, she raised her head and through the big hole that was now at the wagon, she saw a chopter,m fling at the side of the train, in the chopter, she spoted Rage holding a Rocket launcher
"Oh, Sh..!" Rage shooted another rocket against Vita, she blocked it with her shield, but the exposion launched her against the wall, whe she raiused her head, Rage was reloading the rocket launcher, when Vita got up, Rage was ready to shoot again, Vita was still shocked by the 2 previus expotions, her head was spining, she wouldn't be able to block the shoot this time
Some gunshoots were heared in the roof of the wagon in direwction to the chopter, Rage was forced to hide himself from the shoots, the chopter wasd taking heavy fire and was forced to fly away
From the Roof, Gary jumped inside the wagon holding a big minigum
"Ha, I saved you this time"
"Yeah... and the big toy?"
"Found it on the weapons store, let's go Space Girl, I couldn't contact my people, there are too much interference, is up to us to stop the missile!"
Gary helped Vita to stand up, the red haired maghe and Love moved to the next wagon, inside it there were some stairs going up, the party gone upstairs to a big chamber, at the end of a chamber, there was a shuuted door, but when Gary and Vita were going in direction to it, the door behind them got shooted, the first door whop was shuted, got open revealing a big crystal, and at the other side of the crystal, there was he
"Maligno!" Gary screamed pointing at the terrorist
"Well, isn't it the bad-ass agent Gary Love and the little dwarf magef from the TSAB? He, he"
"Were is my girl?!" Gary demanded
"Oh... yeah, I figurated that you would be searching for your dear Cassanda, but don't worry, we will be runing-INTO-her, very soon, he, he"
"WHAT?!" Gary understood the message
"Maligno, stop this train and the missile now!" Vita say
"You are in no position to bager, this train will continue it's curse and the missile will get shuted, so, the world will get into World War 3, with all the nations runing in chaos, I will take the control, and neither you or your friends can stop me!"
"Hey Maligno" Gary say "Did someone ever told you... you... you are a screw looser?"
"YES! But in 2 minutes I'll still be in one pice, unlike yourself!"
Maligno pushed a button at the side of the crystal, the wall in the chamber in wich Vita and Gary were, started to move in direction to each other, they were gonna cruch Vita and Gary
"Goodbye Mr. Love!" Maligno said before walking away of the crystal who get shuted again
"Hey! We can work this out" Gary said "C-Can't we talk about it?"
Vita and Gary had something like 15 seconds before the walls crush them
Main Plaza
Vivio was almos falling asleep, there wasn't still any sign of this "woman"
[I think that someone tricked you]
"Oh, shut up!"
[I knew you were dumb, but I never expected that you will be that dumb, trusting in a misterius guy]
"I said...!"
Before Vivio could finish the phrase, she spoted a motorcicle who was going in direction to her, aparently it was out of control
"Hey! You stop, STOP!" Vivio Screamed to the driver of the motorcicle wich head was covered with a black helmet, it wasn't gonna stop, Vivio needed to do something
With all her strengh, Vivio jumped top the motorcicle and grabed the driver, taking her out of the motorcicle who smashed the fountain
"Uf... uf... are... are you Okay?" Vivio asked to the driver
"Yes... yes I'm Okay Vivio" A fremale voice answered inside the helmet
"That's good to... Hey! How do you know my name?"
"Well... I'm looking for you, I guess I should know your name"
"You... you are the one I'm suposed to meet here?"
"The woman removed her helmet, revealing a long yellow hair and a very beautifull face, it was a young girl, like 15 years old
"My name is Karil Lightstar, Nice to meet you Vi!"
Note: Yep! Falling Soul is from TSS
Last edited by Evil Rick; 2008-09-15 at 00:38.
|2008-09-14, 23:52
|Link #9091
[. . .]
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Imaginary World no. 856
|2008-09-15, 00:21
|Link #9092
Even if it just for a bit
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Cold Storage
Age: 27
|2008-09-15, 00:48
|Link #9093
Undercover Mole
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: ~Floating on the edge
|2008-09-15, 03:45
|Link #9094
The Interstellar Medium
Join Date: May 2008
Location: [SWE]
Age: 29
Spoiler for Text:
They were supposed to check every transfer going into the base before it got loaded off, but that wasn't possible with the few people Mary had under her. This day was even worse than usual. They had twenty trucks coming in with supplies and they were only three people with an already tight time schedule. Mary waved another truck forward and went up to the driver's seat. A man in his forties looked at her with a look that suggested that he knew they were hard-pressed.
"What you've got back there?" Mary asked.
"Some food, kitchen equipment and other boring stuff," the man said. "Look, it isn't anything worth checking and I have a tight schedule myself. Just let me load it off and I'll be out of here."
Mary thought about it for a moment before giving in.
"Alright, but get out of here as quickly as you can before anyone asks."
"Yes, ma'am."
He pressed the pedal and entered the complex. He positioned the truck at the loading bay and opened the cargo door. The people on the loading dock started carrying out the large containers, while the man settled down in his seat. He took a deep breath and tried to relax.
He had nearly fallen asleep when someone hit his door and told him it was done. He put a gear in and left the complex as quickly as he could. When he entered the highway he let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
=== === ===
Light Nova and Dark Nova walked outside the building and took off. Friedrich had to pull a big weight as Caro and Erio plus Anna had to ride on his back. Nanoha carried Teana while she flew ahead of them and Subaru rode on her wing road. They were not far behind Dark Nova as they passed the city limits and entered the surrounding area. The sun was obstructed by grey clouds and the air was moist, but it didn't rain.
Nanoha was glad for that as they approached the specified location. The base was a square in shape and pretty small compared to the military outpost that had been attacked some days earlier. As they got closer, they noticed that soldiers were lined up in the yard, sitting on their knees. Two reapers stood guard at the entrance to the base and two others guarded the hostages.
She told Dark Nova to take care of the guards at the entrance while Light Nova concentrated on freeing the hostages. The two teams split up and approached their enemies on different approach vectors.
When they were above the hostages, Freidrich went in first. He flew over them and shot fire at the reapers while those on his back dropped off. Erio activated Strada immediately and did a fast attack on one of them. The reaper stumbled backwards, not really prepared for what hit him. Directly after it was time for Anna. She had jumped off a few seconds later and was now behind the reaper.
Caro was already on the ground and gave Anna a power boost. Her spell made Queen glow even more than before. It was now crackling the air around it with magic.
"Heroic Strike!" Anna yelled out and swung Queen into the back of the reaper.
The device called Queen had beforehand been covered with a special substance, thanks to Rapier's input. With it, Queen was now sharper and strengthened, perfect for cleaving metal.
Anna hit the part of the reaper where its legs were attached to its upper body and her device went through clean. The reaper hadn't understood what was happening and fell to the ground with its legs and arms still flailing around.
The power boost from Caro and the melee spell for Queen had not been tested before and this was the first time they had tried it. The result was self-explanatory.
With one reaper down, there was one left guarding the hostages, which Nanoha, Subaru and Teana had kept occupied, and the other two that Dark Nova was still fighting. Anna, Erio and Caro regrouped and moved in to help the others.
=== === ===
"Hey, David! Give me a hand over here," Daniel said and pointed at a big container.
"What, you can't lift it yourself?"
David grabbed a hold of one of the sides and Daniel the other. It took an effort for the two to lift it, despite having it floating with a special device.
"Damn, that's the heaviest I've ever carried!" David said.
"Yeah, pretty heavy to be food. Let's just carry it to the storage, it isn't far. This is the last one too."
They carried the container to the food storage where the others were and let it fall to the ground, banging against the floor. They looked at it for a moment before returning to the cargo dock. They closed the storage door behind them and the room fell into darkness.
The room was quiet, except for a buzzing sound that had started after they left. The containers in the room began to dismantle themselves into smaller parts, revealing metal inside. A few of the metal pieces began to glow and float in the air. They raced against each other and collided, attaching themselves. After a while, something humanoid stood in the dark room, quiet and still. Then the other pieces began to glow and fly around while two glowing orbs appeared in the metallic face.
=== === ===
Vita brought Graf Eisen down on the last reaper and smashed its head to small metal pieces. The mission was completed and all the hostages had been freed. She met up with the others just outside the base for a debriefing.
"I know I haven't fought any of these…things yet," Vita said and looked at the others", but I think it was too easy."
The others agreed on what she had said.
"They looked very relaxed, like they were expecting us," Erio said. "They didn't react fast either."
"It was almost like they didn't care what happened to them or the hostages…" Subaru said and trailed off.
Nanoha looked around at the base and surveyed the mess. Reaper parts were everywhere and small fires was being extinguished by other mages. She remembered that the reapers could sense technology on long distances and that they should have been prepared when the Nova teams arrived, since they all carried devices.
"I have a very bad feeling about this," she said.
"Don't say that," Teana muttered. "When they say that in a movie, the situation always gets worse."
Nanoha was about to tell her to focus when a com link, sound only, opened in front of her.
"This is Mary Len working at the TSAB loading bay. I think we are under attack."
Mary Len. Nanoha remembered she had met her once on a staff meeting. "Under attack?"
"Yes, I just got back to the storage room and the doors had been broken, crushed outwards. If I didn't know better I would say something came with the shipments and infiltrated from the inside. It looks like they moved further into the building. It also seems like they cut off our communications inside the building, because I can't reach anyone."
"We are on our way," Nanoha said. "Try and get out of harm's way, this might be worse than it looks."
The voice on the com link breathed out deeply. She was obviously scared.
"I'll do what I can to alert the others," she said and flicked off.
The Nova teams looked at each other, nodded and took off once again.
=== === ===
Shamal had stayed behind at the base when the others left. Even though she was part of Dark Nova, she had to look over Fate and check her all the time to see if anything changed. She was writing a medical report when she heard a loud noise and screaming outside. She dropped what she was doing and went to check.
When she opened the door to the corridor, she stood a mere meter from a reaper. Shamal reacted quickly and jumped back into the room and deployed a barrier. She didn't notice at first, but it was obvious now that the reaper had not noticed her. She sneaked forward again and noticed it held a guard by his throat in its hand. The guard tried to get out of its grip but slowly lost the battle as he fell into unconsciousness. The reaper let the guard go and he slumped down on the floor. Now the reaper noticed Shamal in the doorway and it turned around to face her. Shamal ran back into the room and deployed the barrier again. The room's door swung by its hinges and blocked the view outside.
She didn't move a muscle until the door opened again and no less than six reapers walked into the room, their glowing eyes focused on her. Shamal froze with her mouth half-open and didn't know what to do as one of the reapers grabbed her throat and suspended her in the air. The grip was hard, but not so hard that she couldn't breathe. He flung his arm around so she had a look over Fate. The remaining reapers stood around the bed and one of them took out a small, white box. It bounced into the floor and started to increase its size. Shamal watched with amazement as the little box evolved into something resembling a coffin, with a small window at the top.
The reapers opened the lid and, with great carefulness, put Fate into it. They had the knowledge to disconnect all cables and surgical equipment before lifting her. Shamal still tried to get out of the reaper's grip to no avail. The reapers closed the lid of the coffin and it started to float. She fell to the floor as the reaper holding her released its grip and walked out with the others, the coffin floating between them. She coughed, trying to get her throat working as usual again. She stood up on shaky legs and headed for the control panel she had been working on. An alarm button was pressed and a siren started its rotation through the base as Shamal fell to the floor unconscious.
=== === ===
"There! I see them!" Nanoha yelled out and pointed as they approached the base.
The reapers had gotten a fair distance from the base but they were under heavy fire. The base was under full alert and all the remaining mages was attacking them from a distance. The reapers were in a small circle, protecting something in the middle. Judging from the way they walked, Nanoha estimated that they were heading for a forest close by.
"I understand it now," Nanoha said. "The hostage situation was only a diversion for this. That's why they were so easy to handle."
"How dare they?! Infiltrating our own base, they wil-" Vita said and was interrupted by an energy bolt hitting her straight in the chest. She gave out a yelp and lost altitude. Signum flew after her and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. She looked around to see what or who was firing on them and saw numerous reapers standing at the opening to the forest. They were returning fire at the mages in the base, covering their allies, and also firing on the Nova teams.
Nanoha ordered Dark Nova to spread out and try to take out the reapers by the forest, while Light Nova would try and take those walking towards it. By now, two of the reapers walking towards the forest had fallen under the relentless assault from the ranged mages. Spheres of magic filled the air around them. She also noticed that the reapers in the middle didn't return fire at all, only trying to protect themselves and whatever it was they had in the middle.
Nanoha made a big turn in the air and flew down towards the small group, going ahead of the rest of the team. She brought Raising Heart to bear and made a melee strike against one of the reapers. It held up a hand, palm opened, and stopped Nanoha's attack. She flew backwards into the air again, releasing herself from the stalemate. That's when she noticed what they had between them. A white coffin and inside it was a blonde girl, sleeping away everything around her.
Fate! Why do they have Fate? Nanoha thought and froze for a moment. She noticed that the ranged assault from the mages began to tear through the remaining reapers and a few bolts hit the coffin. It moved slightly but continued to move forward.
They don't know that Fate is inside it. I have to make them stop, but then the reapers will get away. What should I do?
She looked around and tried to figure something out. The rest of Light Nova had soon arrived but they were tired and couldn't stand against two reapers together, four being impossible.
Dark Nova was pounding the ranged reapers pretty hard but they somehow still stood and fought. It looked like the reapers had called in reinforcements, because the forest was filled with metallic humanoids.
Nanoha made her decision and opened a com link.
"This is Captain Nanoha Takamachi. Hold your fire and await further orders," she said and regretted she had given the order. "This is now a hostage situation, so please watch your fire."
One of the mages at the base broke through the com chatter and confronted Nanoha.
"Hostage situation? What are you talking abou-"
Nanoha interrupted him. "Investigator Fate T.Harlaown is being transported in the middle of the reapers. If you continue to fire you may harm the transport."
The mage looked confused, but nodded. "Understood ma'am."
Now that that was done she brought her attention back to the reapers. Dark Nova had been pushed back from the forest line and had to retreat from the power of the ranged attack. Light Nova had engaged the reapers on the ground but couldn't do anything. The two teams were simply too tired from the previous battle and would have to rest.
Nanoha had to make a decision she felt she would regret later. It was heavy on her heart, but she opened the com link anyway.
"Dark Nova and Light Nova," Nanoha said slowly and tried to keep her throat clear. "Retreat and regroup, there is nothing we can do."
The others looked appalled by the order but deep inside, they knew she was right. They began to fall back two and two until they got out of range. The battle had ended and the sound and sparkling of magic left the air. The reapers protecting the coffin reached the forest and converged with the rest of their allies. They disappeared into the forest and only left one reaper behind. It had the same shape and color as the others but instead of a scythe, it had a flag. On it, the marking of a half-moon, lying on its back on something that looked like a pedestal, covered the flag. The reaper looked at Nanoha intently and she felt that it tried to tell her something. The moment ended and the last reaper left the field, leaving five heavily damaged reapers behind it, free for the taking. Nanoha wiped a few tears off her cheeks and flew back to the base.
=== === ===
//A.I 'Reaper' Log #6021797//
Subject retrieved
Subject Conversion Process…..89%
Optimal Conversion Program initiated
Transferring backup files…..Transfer complete
Mission process…..56%
//Exit log//
Spoiler for Author's note:
Some of you might have noticed that a reaper's claw/hand is multifunctional. Here is the tech info:
Reaper Version 8 Claw Multifunctional Tool
The V8 Claw is made of a special material created with the help of advanced technology and a process only known to the reapers. The weapon or tool is also coated with a metallic alloy, strengthening it even further and provides a grip on anything.
Reapers use the claw to anything, including offense, defense, research and manufacturing.
As a melee weapon, it packs a punch thanks to its rigid structure and servo engines inside the arm. It also serves as a shield, mimicking the movement mages do when they summon a barrier. Although reapers don't use magic, they do the movement anyway and use the claw itself as a sturdy shield. They are also able to grip the foe or thing that they stop and hurl it in another direction. It is imperative that the enemy attacking, and get blocked like this, withdraw immediately or they might suffer injuries due to the reaper getting a grip of their device or limbs and throwing them afterwards.
|2008-09-15, 05:40
|Link #9095
ArisaxSuzuka Fan! ^^
awww. That's so sweeet.
|2008-09-15, 06:23
|Link #9096
Master of the Shiny Crack
|View Public Profile
|Find More Posts by TheShinySword
|2008-09-15, 06:23
|Link #9097
Inactive Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
And Karil's here!
|2008-09-15, 07:55
|Link #9098
Lightning Devil
is she going to team up with Vivio?
i can't wait for update.
|2008-09-15, 08:31
|Link #9099
umbrella moe~♥
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: huh wha-?
|2008-09-15, 09:31
|Link #9100
Cute things, sharp teeth.
Join Date: Jul 2008
And now, since my hand's been taking steroids behind my back, this finished up quicker than I'd anticipated.
So, once again: To all the Syn writers/artists, and Keroko.
Spoiler for Virage, baring her soul:
A small moan escaped her throat as Vivio leaned her back against Syn, exhausted.
"Syn, that was unreal," sighed the blonde, breathing deeply.
"Mm," came the response, as Syn smiled a tired but satisfied smile, and tilted her head up towards the ceiling, resting it on Vivio's shoulder.
They were both still breathing a little heavily, their pulses yet to calm down. A small rustling noise caught their attention, and out of the corners of their eyes, they watched a tanned, well-built man reach down to pick up his shirt off the floor.
Technically, he was a familiar. But at that moment, neither of the two girls could think of him as anything other than a man, and an exceptionally talented one at that. Zafira gave them a rare smile when he noticed their fascinated gazes trailing his movements.
"Thank you, Zafira-san," Syn grinned at him, cheeks flushing.
Zafira chuckled, and the gentle rumble caused shivers to run down the girls' spines.
"On the contrary, Syn, I should thank you. Until you showed up, I didn't think Vivio was interested at all."
"That's not exactly true! I'd always been curious ever since I watched Aunty Hayate's videos..." Vivio tried to launch a protest, but her voice trailed away. "But you know, it's a bit ... awkward for me to ask."
Zafira raised an eyebrow, but did not comment. Verbosity was not his game.
"But you were incredible, Zaffy. We had no idea..."
Being called 'Zaffy' after the session was indeed slightly awkward, Zafira admitted inwardly.
"Yeah, I never knew jazz could be this much fun!" Syn sat back up and playfully flicked a string on the Gibson that Hayate sent her for her birthday. They didn't make these babies on Mid-Childa.
"Perhaps," Zafira paused thoughtfully, "next time we can see if the others want to join us."
"Ooh! If Vita can make it, then we can ditch this synthetic AI drum," chimed Vivio enthusiastically.
"And we could use a saxophone too. Who plays a sax?" Blue and red eyes sparkled.
"And trumpet?"
"... what doesn't Signum play?"
"The cowbell. Shamal won't let Signum touch a cowbell for some reason."
Zafira slung the bass guitar case over his broad shoulders and smiled again at the two girls. A record number of smiles in one day perhaps, if anyone was keeping track. "Don't forget to lock up when you leave."
After the tall man left the studio, a quiet interlude fell between the two novices, each dwelling dreamily on the past 2 hours.
"Very sexy," Syn concluded.
"I know," Vivio agreed, "His baritone voice... that fingerwork on the bass..."
"Wait, stop. We're not-"
"I know, I'm disturbed too."
Spoiler for Here it is :D:
Edit: Ooo...first post....
Page Claim for ALL THAT JAZZ
|authorshipping, befriending, fanfiction, interactive fanfiction, nanoha
|Thread Tools


text:
Not enough was done to prevent Victoria's $100 million coalmine fire and residents should have been told earlier to get out of the town blanketed by toxic smoke and ash for 45 days, an inquiry says.
A report found the Hazelwood mine fire was foreseeable and could have been mitigated, if not prevented, if operator GDF Suez had taken better precautions.
"We know that GDF Suez didn't take as many precautions as they might have done to mitigate and reduce risk," board of inquiry member John Catford said on Tuesday.
"Whether those measures could have absolutely have avoided the fire taking hold in the mine is uncertain but certainly it could have mitigated the risks and perhaps it could have been brought under control faster."
The report said health authorities had enough information about the poor air quality to warn residents to relocate a week after the February 9 fire started, when the peak reading for a particular coal fire pollutant reached 28 times the advisory level.
"That first weekend was probably the weekend you could argue was a trigger for more active management and advice to consider relocating," Professor Catford said.
Vulnerable residents were not told to consider leaving until February 28 which the inquiry board said was too late.
The report said the basis for limiting advice to groups living south of Commercial Road was poorly explained and was perceived by the community as arbitrary and divisive.
"Empathy was also often lacking, particularly from some government spokespeople," it added.
The State Control Centre's request for advice and support from the Environment Protection Authority came too late and the agency was ill-equipped to respond rapidly, the report said.
Latrobe Valley Support Network president Simon Ellis said the recognition the health response was too slow was a vindication of residents' fears but the health department still wasn't moving quickly enough.
"They're still being slow on the preparing of the long-term health study, they're still being slow on testing the kids," Mr Ellis said.
The report said mine operator GDF Suez failed to take reasonable measures to eliminate or reduce the health and safety risks associated with a fire in the worked-out area of the mine.
It also failed to carry out a risk assessment that may have avoided or reduced the severity of the blaze.
GDF Suez said it has already undertaken a number of measures including removing vegetation and improving back-up power supply.
"We have identified a number of future actions from this incident and we are committed to working with all stakeholders to minimise the risk of a repeat of the unprecedented fire in the mine early this year," spokesman Jim Kouts said.
Voices of the Valley president Wendy Farmer said the government should have done a better job regulating the mine and the report didn't go far enough to address community concerns.
"The government has clearly failed in its duty of care to the community through a lack of oversight and regulation of the mine," Ms Farmer said.
"We need to know precisely what is being done to ensure that this disaster can never happen again."
Deputy Premier Peter Ryan said the report noted the government's emergency management changes generally functioned well during the fire.
"However, the government acknowledges that elements of the response could have been implemented more effectively," he said.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Premier Wen Jiabao's family members have threatened possible legal action over a media report which claimed they amassed vast riches as his power grew in the Chinese political system, according to Hong Kong media.
Two lawyers representing Mr Wen's family said the New York Times story about the family's $2.7bn fortune was "untrue". It is extremely rare in China for top political leaders to criticise foreign media reports directly in public and to raise the possibility of legal action.
"The so-called 'hidden riches' of Wen Jiabao's family members in The New York Times' report does not exist," the lawyers wrote in a statement that was published on Sunday in the South China Morning Post and Sing Tao Daily, two of Hong Kong's top newspapers, and also broadcast on Hong Kong television.
In the statement, the lawyers said of the New York Times that they would "reserve the right to hold it legally responsible".
When Bloomberg published an account earlier this year about the assets held by the family of Xi Jinping, the man expected to be the country's next president, its website was blocked in China. But Mr Xi's family never published a statement challenging the article.
The claims in the New York Times were seen as very damaging for Mr Wen because he has tried to cultivate a reputation of being "the people's premier" who wants to stamp out corruption and bring greater transparency in government.
Coming just two weeks before China launches a once-in-a-decade leadership transition, analysts say the allegations that Mr Wen's family has reaped huge financial rewards from his time in office could limit his ability to wield influence over the country's politics – which is common after leaders retire in China – after he steps aside.
In the statement, the lawyers said Mr Wen had never played any role in the business activities of his family members or allowed their business concerns to affect "his formulation and execution of policies".
The New York Times story detailed how several members of Mr Wen's family, including his mother, wife and son, had grown wealthier over the past 20 years, particularly since he reached the apex of political power in Beijing 10 years ago.
The story did not include any claim that Mr Wen himself had accumulated assets, benefited personally from his family's riches or helped them obtain their wealth.
The New York Times defended the article, saying it was "standing by our story". The New York Times website in China remains blocked two days after the article was published. The Bloomberg website is still inaccessible four months after its article about the Xi family.
The lawyers whose names were on the Wen family statement were Bai Tao of Jun He Law Offices and Wang Weidong of Grandall Law Firm. Neither responded to requests for comment by email and phone calls to both went unanswered.


text:
Next Episode of Wimbledon is
Live coverage is shown of the Grand Slam Wimbledon Championships. The show is hosted by Sue Barker and features live action and features interviews with those making the headlines.
Looks like something went completely wrong!
But don't worry - it can happen to the best of us,
- and it just happened to you.
Please try again later or contact us.


text:
Zombies Ate My News Judgment: NYT Critic on 'Plausible Premise' of Lefty Horror Flick
A familiar trope about horror movies is that the characters can only survive them by abstaining from drinking, drugs, and sex, leading some movie critics to half-facetiously moan about the genre's secret social conservatism. But what about horror movies with a thuddingly obvious left-wing message of environmental alarmism inserted into the script, as part of the studio's ideological vision?
In a Sunday Arts & Leisure article on the new movie "The Crazies," a remake of a low-budget George Romero zombie movie from the '70s, movie critic John Anderson equated left-wing environmentalist fearmongering with serving the "public good."
Turns out "The Crazies" is not just another zombie movie, but a consciousness-raising piece "about the issues of weapons security and the purity of water," as the headline indicated: "Homicidally Unhinged, But for a Cause." The text box: "'The Crazies' aims to scare moviegoers and elevates their social consciousness, too."
Anderson embraced the idea of slipping in left-wing messages into movies without fans noticing:
It may come as a shock, but the fanboys reveling in the eviscerations, explosions and Car Wash of Death scene contained in the director Breck Eisner's new take on "The Crazies" will also be contributing to socially progressive cinema. Perhaps even to the public good. With any luck, they won't notice.
A reimagining of the horrormeister George A. Romero's 1973 low-budget thriller "The Crazies" is about a spill of biological weaponry into a small town's water supply and the military response to what ensues: an epidemic of homicidal mania that turns a bucolic Iowa community into a virally induced abattoir.
Anderson actually found that a "plausible premise."
Like many of the better suspense thrillers, from "Psycho" to "Jaws" to "The Silence of the Lambs," the original "Crazies" was based on a plausible premise as well as one with an ecological subtext. Enter Participant Media.
Best known for its Oscar-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" (based on former Vice President Al Gore's anti-global-warming crusade), Participant has a mandate to produce profitable cinema with a social-action impulse. "The Crazies," as crazy as it might seem, fits right in.
Both the issues of weapons security and the purity of water fit the Participant mission set by its founder, Jeffrey Skoll, eBay's first president, who took money he made there and established a politically focused film company.
Studio president Ricky Strauss left no doubt that this movie about a lethal virus would come with a huge spoonful of leftist medicine.
And while the anti-biological-warfare message may not be everything, it certainly figures into Participant's calculations. Following the company's mandate, a social-action campaign will follow the release, involving more than 50 environmental groups and advocating for the passage of a federal chemical-security act.
"Everything with Participant has to be socially relevant," Mr. Strauss said, "right down to its DNA." Occasionally, however, "you want to hide the medicine in the popcorn."


text:
Holland, Michigan
Holland is best known for its Dutch heritage, evident in many of its attractions and events. Visitors can walk back through time in the Dutch Galleries of the Holland Museum, the renovated splendor of the Cappon House and a recreation of 1890s Netherlands at Nelis' Dutch Village . Other Holland exclusives include the only Delftware factory in the U.S., an authentic wooden shoe factory, and Windmill Island , home to our nation's only working Dutch windmill. In early May, the world-reknown Tulip Time Festival fills the city with festive parades, over 1,500 authentically-costumed Dutch dancers and nearly six million tulips. The festivities continue with Dutch Winterfest's Parade of Lights; visits from Sinterklaas, the Dutch St. Nicholas; and a traditional European open-air Christmas market. Holland is one of Michigan's premiere Beachtowns, with both Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa providing plenty of fun for swimmers, boaters, skiers, sunbathers and sandcastle builders. The city also boasts an award-winning downtown, with more than 120 specialty shops, galleries and restaurants, including a penthouse bistro atop one of the first hotels in the U.S. to achieve LEED Gold Certification for its green design. A unique snowmelt system under the sidewalks makes Downtown Holland a year-round haven for visitors.
Holland, Michigan Map


text:
After hearing several rumors about this device over the past week or so, we now finally have an official confirmation. LG unveiled their Optimus G Pro, that will be coming to Japan in April. It looks to be an impressive follow-up to the Optimus G. Here's a spec round-up:
- 5-inch 1080p display
- 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro
- 2GB of RAM
- 32GB of storage
- 13MP rear camera
- 3,000mAh battery
As you can see the specs are just as stout as previous intel indicated. Sadly, there is no word on when/if this phone will hit any other markets in the world. Of course, if something changes we will share it.
Source: TalkAndroid


text:
Ever stare enviously at the intensity of Jennifer Aniston's bright blue eyes? Her makeup artist recently told PEOPLE that she actually brushes blue mascara on the tips of Jen's lashes to make her blue eyes pop. We've all got our little tricks to bring out our best features, and we want to know yours! Tell us: What's your favorite makeup trick? What do you do to make your eyes look bigger, your lips fuller, your cheekbones sharper?
Want your answer to appear in print? To have your comment considered for the next issue of PEOPLE's StyleWatch, please INCLUDE your first name and last initial, your age and your hometown/state.


text:
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Western New England shutout Maine Maritime, 59-0, in a New England Football Conference game Saturday. The Golden Bears set a school record with 740 total yards to pick up their first win, and improved to 1-0 NEFC, 1-2 overall. The Mariners fell to 0-1, 0-3.
The Bears went ahead 7-0 late in the first quarter on a Kevin Cook one-yard scoring plunge. Terrence N'Dabian broke off a 50-yard sprint early in the second quarter to put WNE ahead 14-0 with 14:38 left before the break. Andrew Walz found John Krafick on a 35-yard scoring strike and Cook hit paydirt twice, on runs of 1 and 28, to give the Bears a 35-0 halftime lead.
The Mariners entered Bears' territory three times in the second quarter but came away empty handed. Bradley Reed's 26-yard pass to Ryan O'Neal set MMA up at the WNE 38 early in the second quarter. The drive ended four plays later when Brandon Ormsby intercepted a pass.
O'Neal's 33-yard sprint with eight minutes left before the break gave the Mariners the ball at the Bears 36. WNE's defense was up to task again and forced a turnover on downs.
O'Neal, again, put MMA in WNE territory with a 29-yard run to the Bears 42. The Mariners reached the 31 before turning the ball over on downs.
WNE opened the second half with a four-play scoring drive, capped by Michael Ozzella's 22-yard sprint.
Dustin Forbes returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards to the Bears 28. WNE's defense stood tall and forced a turnover on downs four plays later.
Tucker Schmitz made it 49-0 with an 18-yard run, Kevin Patterson converted a 21-yard field goal and N'Dabian found the endzone on a 68-yard run - all in the third quarter - to give WNE a 59-0 lead.
N'Dabian finished with 152 yards on six carries, Cook added 122 yards on 16 carries and Alejandro Colo rushed for 88 yards for the Bears. Krafick went 4 of 6 for 71 yards.
Billy Wetherbee rushed for a team-high 68 yards and O'Neal finished with 61 yards on eight carries. Reed was 2 of 5 for 30 yards passing, while O'Neal hauled in three passes for 33 yards.
Four MMA defenders reached double digits in tackles led by Thomas Kinton's 18 stops. Andy Martelhad 12 tackles and a forced fumble, Christopher Ford was credited for 11 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble and Jonathan Ware had 10 tackles.
The Mariners return to the field Saturday, 1:30 p.m., at Coast Guard.


text:
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Apparently there ARE residuals on my work, and they cover more than just me.
(Here comes math. I prepare to be corrected.)
So... apparently, when I write a half hour script, and am paid $7500... management kicks in about $1750 per script into health care. Which means that as an IATSE covered union type, you get full health care for $3500 per year.
Good health care probably costs 5 times that.
What makes up the difference? You guessed it: Residuals that go to the union, not me.
So, going back to the root of all this - the "Greater Good" comment:
How do feel about the fact that freelancers, and people who work on daily call, and short-term employees that work on my productions get covered because of these residuals? Better than I would knowing that money was simply not being collected.
It doesn't mean I'm thrilled with all aspects of TAG, but it does give me some small peace of mind to know that monies being raised on my work, work which COULD NOT have existed without others working on (or fixing, depending on who's leading the discussion), does something for them as well.
Other writers reading this? Kevin? Steve H? Obligatory Angry anonymous guy? Am I right in my numbers?
And if so, why the hell didn't somebody say so 48 comments ago? :)
26 comments:
- Matt Wayne said...
As long as we're asking questions, what happens if health care gets reformed? Will 839's inadequate pension alone be enough to keep me in a union?
The 2008 wage survey named the minimum unit rate for a half-hour, $6569.58 and not a single person reported making that. I understand that the going rate is bound to be less than the negotiated minimum, but you'd think the wage survey would show somebody had cleared the bar bar once.
By the way, this is unique to writers. Nobody else is getting screwed so systematically. I hear it's all about leverage. So why do sheet timers have so much more leverage than I do?
And why do I bargain collectively with a union that does nothing to ensure I make my negotiated rate?
- June 25, 2008 at 12:51 AM
Matt, quick question: during the time you've been getting paid below the TAG minimums, how many times have you brought this fact up to Steve Hulett so he could file a greivence? I know in all the meetings I've been in which you were present, you've never mentioned a word about being paid below the minimums. If that's been happening to you, let's do something about it. My experience is that those kind of grievances are slam dunks.
About the wage survey, realize three things: First, notice that Jeff published the exact number of responses in all the writer categories. Why? Because the number of responses was so low that the wage numbers are close to useless. I believe he went ahead and published them (with the notation of the tiny 'n') so writers wouldn't get the impression TAG was slighting them. Sadly, we have no control over how many people choose to actually respond. The point here is that, for writers, the survey isn't worth much due to the lack of response by writers themselves.
Second, respondents are free to put in any number they want. The survey has no way to verify the actual pay. Some people round the numbers off, some people put down their net and not their gross.
Third, the survey was for 2007. The TAG minimum Jeff published was the rate after it bumped up on 7/29/2007. Prior to that it was $6378.23. Those responding with $6500 could have been responding for work done in the first 7 months of the year.
Also, that TAG minimum for half-hour episodes in the survey is for BOTH synopsis/outline AND screenplay. There's no seperate category in the survey, so it's possible some of those writers were getting $6500 while working off someone else's outline, and were being paid the $6500 for just the screenplay ('07 minimums for screenplay alone were $4965.27 and $5114.23).
Anyway, the key point in all this is that any writer working under a TAG contract who is not getting paid the CBA minimums needs to call Steve Hulett right away and rectify the situation.
- June 25, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Oh, yeah, I forgot one other thing about the wage survey. It's sent out to all our members, but people are asked to respond about ANY animation wages they've received. I know that in other categories, non-union work, which is usually below the TAG minimums, is often reported (example, 3D animator making $992/week).
- June 25, 2008 at 10:20 AM
- Steve Hulett said...
... what happens if health care gets reformed? Will 839's inadequate pension alone be enough to keep me in a union?
Good question. If health care is reformed (and this came up in '94, when it looked like HillaryCare might become the Law of the Land), the residual money -- $371 million last year -- would likely be re-directed from health coverage to the IAP. Which would mean that annual IAP contributions for active participants would go up in a major way.
The 2008 wage survey named the minimum unit rate for a half-hour, $6569.58 and not a single person reported making that.
On half-hours, the survey reports network episodes (4 responses) ranging from $6,000 to $6,500, cable (10 responses) coming in from $2,591 to $6500, prime time (1 response) at $6500, syndicated (4 responses) at $3500 to $6500.
First off. All these things are anonymous. We don't know who's reporting, or whether the shows are WGA, TAG, or non-union. (The WGA often says that "all Prime Time Shows are WGA" so extrapolating from that, the prime time show in the survey could be WGA, yes?)
Second off. The $6569.68 Matt uses above would include synopsis and outline. The survey doesn't show if synopses and outlines are parts of the deals listed in the survey, or not. Most likely they are, but we don't know with total certainty because the survey forms don't say.
Lastly: If the $6500 rate, or the lower rates, are below contract minimums, I'm delighted to file grievances to get the full amounts.
All anybody has to do is call, and I will file the grievance the same day.
I understand that the going rate is bound to be less than the negotiated minimum ...
Actually, it should be more or the same as the contract minimum ... unless, of course, it's work done for a non-signator studio, then it could be any amount at all.
...but you'd think the wage survey would show somebody had cleared the bar bar once.
As stated above, some might have ... but we can't be sure what the forms are telling us re snynopses and outlines. (And the sample size for scripts is so small -- far smaller than most other survey responses -- that it's dicey to draw any conclusions about what writers are making across the industry.)
By the way, this is unique to writers. Nobody else is getting screwed so systematically ...
Untrue. Many people get short-changed, in all sorts of way, for all sorts of reasons. I'm in a position to know. And TAG pushes back all the freaking time.
I hear it's all about leverage. So why do sheet timers have so much more leverage than I do?
Sheet timers don't. Writers have made more advances under the TAG c.b.a. over the last three contract cycles by a wide margin. I can give you particulars if you want them.
And why do I bargain collectively with a union that does nothing to ensure I make my negotiated rate?
The way that TAG polices the contract is by the biz rep (me) going out into the workplace and talking to people working under it. I do this daily.
The other way is by members calling us and reporting contract violations. Everybody has been mailed a contract book, so if they think they're being shorted, they can check the c.b.a. and give us a call.
People call about possible contract violations on a daily basis. I come across problems out in the studios all the time.
- June 25, 2008 at 10:40 AM
- Matt Wayne said...
So it's my fault and it's writers' fault, and we've got a better deal than we know. Cool.
Kevin - 21% of the writers responded. Most of us who ever took a statistics class know that isn't a useless response. And I never said I was one of the writers who got shorted. However --
Steve H.: - I probably should have mentioned this before, but Adelaide Prods. owes me $69.58 for Spider-Man #110, which I delivered on 8/23/07 and was only paid $6500 for. My agent didn't bill the whole $6569.58 for the original invoice but did follow up on 9/9 with an invoice and an explanation.
So, you're filing a grievance tomorrow, huh? Or am I doing something wrong again?
I really hope to see this money out of Adelaide. The fact that they've ignored my attempts to be paid the agreed amount (because my agents didn't know the minimums had gone up, not because the money isn't due) and will likely ignore this grievance you file does speak to the reason Sit Down/Shut Up writers ran like hell from IATSE, though.
- June 25, 2008 at 6:58 PM
- Kevin said...
So it's my fault and it's writers' fault,
This is as far as I got. If this is what you took away from everything I wrote, then I'm not wasting any more of my time. See you cats later.
- June 25, 2008 at 9:46 PM
- Matt Wayne said...
My fault.
- June 25, 2008 at 10:21 PM
- Steve Hulett said...
I probably should have mentioned this before, but Adelaide Prods. owes me $69.58 for Spider-Man #110, which I delivered on 8/23/07 and was only paid $6500 for. My agent didn't bill the whole $6569.58 for the original invoice but did follow up on 9/9 with an invoice and an explanation.
So, you're filing a grievance tomorrow, huh? Or am I doing something wrong again?
I'm happy to file the grievance tomorrow. I'll call you when I get into the office, then start a Step One with Adelaide.
Why do you think you're doing anything wrong? It's merely a matter of telling me that you've been underpaid, and I'll get right on it.
No problem at all.
- June 25, 2008 at 10:57 PM
- Matt Wayne said...
Thanks, Steve. Honestly, I only thought to do it because Kevin got all thin-skinned about the wage survey. But $70 is $70.
- June 26, 2008 at 2:17 AM
Guys, guys...
I'll be the first to admit our union is neither strong nor terribly aggressive, but the one thing they seem to be able to do on a fairly consistent basis is ENFORCE THEIR OWN CONTRACT.
Steve H. is neither claravoyant nor omnicient, but once informed he can usually address any grievance or oversight. Case in point, I once had a studio claim they didn't owe me any vacation and holiday pay because they paid script fees x percent above the minimum -- even though I had informed them several months earlier (through my agent) that they were, in fact paying me BELOW the minimum. In both cases, the studio grumbled, backpedaled, but after some back and forth from our own Mr. Hulett, ultimately paid up, simply because they had to adhere to the terms of a union contract that THEY THEMSELVES HAD AGREED TO IN THE FIRST PLACE.
The fact is, TAG 839, while not the ideal place for writers, HAS managed to make improvements, particularly in the area of hours needed for health benefits and raising our script fee mimimums to, for the first time ever, ABOVE THE "GOING RATE". While this only currently amounts to, as Matt put it, about a $70 bump, its significance should not be underestimated.
For the longest time, the studios have used the standard mantra "But we pay you writers so far above the union mimimum" as the excuse for no end of abuses. Well, guess what, that mantra don't wash no more. And, correct me if I'm wrong Steve H. and/or Kevin, but those minimums SHOULD continue to rise.
And here's a few more questions for the TAG experts: In general, do the minimums for other positions continually rise with each contract negotiation? Also, does the "going rate" for the average position hover somewhere around the minimum or is it significantly above? I'm talking average here, I'm sure it varies from position to position.
This information, and Steve M.'s desire to get a clearer understanding of the IATSE "residual" formula are the keys to negotiating for further gains. Maybe not WGA-level gains, but concrete gains nonetheless.
No studio is going to grant us WGA MBA level gains overnight. But we can certainly continue creep more improvements into subsequent contract negotiations.
I've been in this business since 1991, so it took at least that long (and probably a lot longer) for the union minimums to surpass the "going rate" Granted that is probably more a reflection of the stagnation of the "going rate" than tenacity of the union, but still... It may take just as long if not longer to approach some parity with WGA minimums, pension and the Holy Grail of "in pocket" residuals. But I think it's a goal worth striving for as we continue to "chip away" through smaller more achievable gains with each successive contract negotiation.
Just my $.02.
- June 26, 2008 at 1:46 PM
- Kevin said...
And, correct me if I'm wrong Steve H. and/or Kevin, but those minimums SHOULD continue to rise.
You are correct. As of 8/3/2008, the new minimum for Synopsis/Outline/Script will move to $6766.67.
And here's a few more questions for the TAG experts: In general, do the minimums for other positions continually rise with each contract negotiation?
Yes. In the last few contract cycles, the year to year bump-ups in the minimums have been around a 3% increase per year. Because the "going rate" for scripts was so far above the union minimums, we were able to use that fact to get larger percentage bump-ups to the writer's unit rates during the 2003-2006 contract cycle (and maybe the 2000-2003 cycle, too, but I'm less sure of that one). That's a key reason we're finally at the point where the script minimums are now pushing the going rate higher. If you compare script and non-writer salary minimums from a dozen years ago to now, you'll see that the script minimums have risen at a significantly higher rate than the non-writer salary minimums. Yeah, they're still well below WGA minimums, but as you point out (and thank you for that), it's genuine improvement.
Also, does the "going rate" for the average position hover somewhere around the minimum or is it significantly above?
This varies significantly, based on supply and demand. A few years ago, most animators were at least a little above the minimums. Currently, a lot of people are at or only slightly above the minimums. During the boom in the 90's, many people were making WAY above the minimums.
Currently a lot of studios sign staff to deals with 5-10 hours of prepaid overtime, so the weekly paycheck looks a lot higher than the union minimums, but the salary is really at or near the minimum on an hourly basis.
- June 26, 2008 at 3:39 PM
Hey Kevin, thanks for the info. One other question for you and/or Steve: The "residual" payment that goes into our pension and health, is that negotiated by TAG or by IATSE? In other words, if we, say, wanted to try to improve our pension to aproach parity with the WGA, who would do the actual negotiating?
- June 26, 2008 at 11:49 PM
- Kevin said...
The IA negotiates how much the studios contribute to our pensions. Our benefits are part of the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan (MPIPHP), and TAG is but one of several dozen locals that are participants in the MPIPHP. As noted elsewhere, one thing that the IA leadership has pushed hard for in recent years is dramatic improvements in our pensions. The Defined Benefit Plan payout has improved by (as I recall) 83% over the last decade or so, and the Individual Account Plan is about 800% improved (it used to be worth about $600/year for someone working full time; as of August of this year, it will be worth about $5200/yr). I don't know if those two pensions will continue to improve at the rate they have been, but I know that's been a priority for the IA.
- June 27, 2008 at 12:33 AM
- Matt Wayne said...
Glad to have you back Kevin. I've been thinking about what you wrote about the wage survey...
Why is the 20% response from writers worse than the 19% response from TDs, or realistically, the 21% response from producers and animators?
You said that the survey isn't worth much to writers due to their own lack of response. How does that NOT imply it's their own fault?
And if, as you say, Jeff noted the exact number of responses in each category, why can't I find the number of responses for staff positions?
- June 28, 2008 at 1:02 PM
- Kevin Koch said...
It's not the percentage, it's the 'n' in each category. There were 4 half-hour categories. In one of those categories there was a single response. In two others there were only 4 responses. Given the actual number of scripts and writers and shows in question, I think this clearly wasn't anywhere close to 20% of the potential responses.
Also, given that not a single response in any of the four half-hour categories was at the minimum unit rate that applied for the second half of 2007, I have to question what little data was supplied.
Regarding the wage survey, let me ask you: whose fault is it if there are insufficient responses? I know that Jeff and I have done everything we can in advertising the survey, making it easy to complete, and hammering home the benefits of doing so. In many categories of scripts, the response was abysmal. This is also true of several other job classifications in the wage survey. The response rate to the survey is often piss poor, for reasons that remain obscure to me, and it keeps the survey from being nearly as beneficial as it could be. And the fault for that, in my opinion, lies with the very people for whom it would be most useful. If it's going to be construed that it's an insult to point this out, then so be it. And if you have suggestions for making the survey more useful to writers, by all means let Jeff know.
Finally, I don't really follow your last question.
- June 29, 2008 at 1:29 AM
- Matt Wayne said...
I agree that any flaws in the data's the fault of the membership that provides it. Not particularly the writers, though, as you said it was and continue to imply. You stormed off when I noted you were blaming the writers. Then came back and implied it was our own fault.
Here's a simple fact: No writers reported making the minimums on unit rates. If that isn't significant with a 20% response, more than half the categories had insignificant responses. But only writers had an insignificant response that didn't clear the bar.
I'm sure there are reasons for this, though I'm starting to suspect you don't know them. Am I misremembering, or does the questionnaire ask to supply the most recent unit rates the respondent has earned? If so, and if the respondent's work is evenly split between union and non-union work, there's only a 50% chance that their response will accurately reflect the union minimum.
Maybe rearranging the questions so there aren't separate cable, network, prime time and syndicated categories will clean up the result. Where does a prime time cable show fit in there, or an overseas toy show? Respondents shouldn't have to interpret the data as they supply it. Especially if it's sparse, although again, the writers' 20% response rate doesn't seem that much sparser than animators' 21%.
My last question above, the one you didn't understand, was about the number of writer responses for the weekly rates as opposed to the unit rates. You misspoke when you said the exact number of responses in all writer categories were supplied. Only for the unit rates.
How many staff writers and story editors, earning weekly rates, responded? Is there a way to find out?
- June 29, 2008 at 10:08 AM
- Kevin Koch said...
Matt, if you think in my last reply I said it was only the writers, or even primarily the writers, who were the dropping the ball on the survey, then I have to give up on your willingness to read my comments without slant and bias. In my last paragraph, virtually everything I wrote was about the general pool of TAG salary survey responders and non-responders. I even specifically stated that it didn't apply only to writers. But whatever.
As for my "storming off," you misunderstand why I did that. I initially responded to your original comment, in which you stated as if it were fact that writers (including you, since you used the first person singular) were systematically getting less than union minimums, and that the union knew about it and choose to do nothing.
You wrote, "Nobody else is getting screwed so systematically." This is written as a statement of fact, which it is not. You wrote, "And why do I bargain collectively with a union that does nothing to ensure I make my negotiated rate?" This clearly indicates that you have first hand experience with both this alleged systematic screwing, and with the union's alleged no-response.
If instead you had written, "Looking at the sketchy data from the wage survey, it appears writers are getting paid a tiny bit below the current minimum, and that this is happening to writers on a more consistent basis than other job classifications. Is that true, and if it is, why is it happening? Further, if it is happening, how can writers be expected to support TAG?"
See the difference? One is making inflammatory statements that aren't supported by any facts. The other is an open minded part of a useful dialog.
Instead of slamming you the way you slammed TAG, in my second comment I systematically pointed out how and why your statements were incorrect or misguided. I went out of my way to be clear, unemotional, and informative.
So when you came back with "So it's my fault and it's writers' fault, and we've got a better deal than we know", I assumed you were referring to your alleged statement that writers were being systematically screwed and that the union didn't seem to care. I didn't consider that you were implicitly backing off your original statements, and that you were now just talking about the lack of response to the wage survey.
So just to be clear, since pretty much anything I say is liable to be spun, let me repeat the points I've tried to make in this thread:
The wage survey is a flawed but fairly useful data set.
Since it is based on self-report, some of the given data may be inaccurate.
The survey is only useful to the extent it captures a significant sampling of each job category. Any group can, by their own choice to be non-responders, keep the wage survey from being nearly as useful as it could be.
Overall, writers are one such group, but are not the only such group. Since this entire discussion is about the data for half hour scripts, I only focused on the inadequacy of the data for half hour scripts.
My lack of specific comments about the inadequacy of the data regarding other job classifications should not logically be taken as evidence that I believe all the rest of the data is adequate. It is not. Common sense, and a personal knowledge of what peers are being paid, should guide how much weight one puts into the survey numbers.
With respect to the terms and conditions of the TAG CBA, the TAG office and officers (which includes three active writers) have no evidence that writers are being systematically screwed or systematically underpaid.
The moment the TAG office is informed of TAG members being underpaid, grievances are initiated. This assumes the affected member is willing to file a grievance. For this reason and the reasons stated above, the wage survey cannot be the basis for a grievance.
Underpayment of wages is hardly unheard of in other job classifications, and the success rate of those grievances is very high. But, as I stated above, Steve Hulett has not (until you yourself brought forward a single example) received calls from writers over the last year that they've been underpaid per the CBA, at least to my knowledge.
The TAG office will do everything in it's power to make sure the terms and conditions of the TAG CBA are followed for all members, including writers. The TAG business rep, however, cannot pursue grievances for which he has no information. Said information must come for the affected member. If this is taken as evidence that I think it is the individual member's "fault" when they accept underpayment and decline to initiate a grievance, then so be it. You can be certain that I don't believe it's the business agent's fault when he doesn't pursue grievances that he doesn't know about.
You're correct that Jeff only supplied specific numbers for unit rates (you'll note he did the same for sheet timers and for board artists, as is explained at the top of the wage survey).
You're also correct that I don't know why people put what they put on the wage survey. We send the survey out with instructions that we think are clear and simple, but we have no way of confirming the reasoning for what people actually write down.
You're likely correct that the instructions for writers could be clarified or simplified in some way. You're welcome to work with Jeff Massie on that for the next survey.
As for the exact number of story editors and staff writers who responded, a call to Jeff would probably get you an exact answer.
- June 29, 2008 at 1:50 PM
- Matt Wayne said...
"The point here is that, for writers, the survey isn't worth much due to the lack of response by writers themselves."
That was you, mere inches ago by my count.
Spin it as narrowly answering a narrow question if you like, but your answer was to blame the writers.
Thanks for referring me to Jeff. I still don't get how NOBODY reporting the minimum with a 20% rate of response could happen unless most writers never see the minimum, but that's okay, neither do you. If you don't know how many responses there were, why do you insist on interpreting numbers you don't understand?
And if you really find my tone objectionable, please lighten the hell up.
- June 29, 2008 at 5:41 PM
If I may offer a few alternate suggestions as to why no writer who answered the survey reported making the current minimum or above:
1. The writers who responded were not writing on TAG covered shows.
2. The writers who responded were not aware of the bump in minimums, due to the fact that 839 minimums have historically been pitifully below the "going rate" -- and the studios were in no hurry to disabuse them of that notion.
3. The writers who responded decided to round down, despite the fact that anyone with a fourth grade math level could tell you that $6569.58 would round UP to $6600.00 to the nearest hundred or $7000.00 to the nearest thousand.
4. The survey was for the year 2007, in which the minimum didn't go above the going rate of $6500 until July 29, and the writers who responded did not write any union covered scripts after that date.
This would be a good time to point out that, as of 8/3/2008, the minimum for half-hour script plus outline goes up again to $6766.67, and don't anyone think for a second that the studios won't conveniently forget/ignore/hope no one notices that fact. It's up to us writers to stay on top of this, because, assuming the next contract negotiation is successful, THE UNION SCRIPT MINIMUMS WILL GO UP EVERY SINGLE YEAR FROM NOW ON. I think it's important for writers to educate themselves, their agents, and the union and non-studios they work for that, henceforth and forevermore, $6500 IS BELOW THE MINIMUM.
Yes, there IS systematic screwing going on, and it's coming from the studios. But we can prevent some of that screwing by reading our contract and knowing our minimums.
- June 30, 2008 at 11:00 AM
- Matt Wayne said...
No argument here, but I will point out again that every other category had responses above the minimum, even if the response rate was as low or even lower.
- June 30, 2008 at 4:43 PM
Well, anecdotally, I believe both Disney and WB pay somewhat above minimum for scripts, Cartoon Network pays bare minimum (although they still short changed me by a few bucks, something I'm working out with our line producer, so no need to call in a grievance just yet), Nickelodeon WAS somewhat over minimum after I pointed out that they were paying below (I don't know where they are currently).
I guess I'm still a little fuzzy on your original point. You seem to imply that the survey reflects some shortcoming on the part of TAG (at least that's what I'm getting, correct me if I'm wrong). But all TAG has the power to do is negotiate the minimums (which, as I've pointed out repeatedly, they've done a pretty good job of FINALLY raising to above the "going rate" after years of the minimum being little more than a joke). Anything above and beyond that minimum is up to the writers and their agents to negotiate, not TAG.
So, back to Kevin's initial response to which you took such offence. The fault, while not entirely the writers' (the studios play a pretty big role here), is at least PARTIALLY the writers', 1) for not knowing their union minimum rates, and/or 2) for not asking for rates above that minimum. And, hey, sometimes we know and we ask for above and the answer is still no. Then, of course, it's totally the studios' fault.
So I would encourage every writer reading this to inform your agents of the current union minimum script rate (which now goes up every year around the end of July/beginning of August) and to keep pushing for that rate and above every time, union or non, even when the pre-emptive response is "well, this is what they're paying, take it or leave it". The more you demand it (or at least politely ask for it), the greater your odds of actually getting it. And if you're working union, there is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for receiving less than the minimum rate.
- July 1, 2008 at 10:36 AM
- Jeff Massie said...
Steve H. asked me to comment on the 20% response showing for writers on the January 2008 wage survey.
The 20% represents the number of staff writers who responded, as a percentage of the total number of salaried staff writers then on our books (9 out of 45). The 20% does not include anyone listed solely as a unit-rate freelance writer. For what it's worth, we sent out surveys to 144 writers who we had listed as freelance and got 19 responses listing unit-rate writing work, but many of those 19 may have come from writers we had listed as staff writers or board artists.
Our records of who's working, and in what categories, rely on the so-called "status slips" that employers are required to file with the Guild.
Most freelance writers who respond to the wage survey give multiple responses in various unit-rate categories (i.e. they may quote a rate for a half-hour cable script, and another for a bible, etc.) Given that we have no way of knowing how many freelance writing jobs are done under our CBA, there's no way to compute a response percentage. Thus, numerical counts rather than percentages.
- July 1, 2008 at 10:36 AM
- Kevin Koch said...
Thanks, Jeff, for clarifying the numbers. Looking at the exact numbers, I note the response rate for freelance writers was less than 19 out of 144 (since some of those 19 unit rates responses came from people who were staff writers). So less than 13% of the freelance writers actually returned the survey. That is the lowest response rate of any job category in the survey, and is less than half the overall response rate for the entire survey. Make of that what you will, I'm just highlighting the numbers.
And thanks, Marty, for seeing the big picture, and for giving some real numbers that belie the survey results.
I do want to correct one thing in Marty's response. You seem to imply that I was suggesting it was writer's "fault" that they don't get paid more. What I was trying to communicate was that writers as a group are responsible for the abysmal return rate on the salary survey. Just as it's the TD's "fault" ("fault" was a word I never used, because it's pejorative, so I put it in quotes here) that the response rate in that category is 19%, making that data less than robust. And I was also pointing out that any writer who HAD been paid below the union minimum had an easy grievance, and that they should notify the TAG office. That's not assigning blame, merely pointing out a remedy available to any TAG member.
As a final note, I really encourage every writer to reread Marty's last paragraph. All this hoo-ha about the validity of the survey results isn't going to get anyone any more money (unless it reminds them that they have a valid grievance if they've been underpaid), but the call for writers as a group to try to leverage the new TAG minimums for more money is something everyone should take to heart.
- July 1, 2008 at 9:00 PM
Hey Kevin, sorry I didn't clarify, but I was addressing Matt's interpretation your remarks RE: the survey, writer's "fault", etc., not trying to put words in your mouth.
- July 2, 2008 at 9:06 AM
- Kevin said...
That's cool, Marty, I just wanted my thoughts and feelings to be as clear as possible.
- July 2, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Just as a note concerning royalties - considering how much you guys seem to be concerned about your raises in this discussion. The residuals that "go to the Union," get returned as a lump sum when you retire. If you pull out that fat spiral book they send once a year you will note that this sum is based on the number hours of contributed. Right now if you put in a full 30 years it is somewhere around $30,000 or so. On top of that, that pension you will get when you retire is an annuity. Something very rare now-a-days, and I for one appreciate the idea of getting a fixed sum until I die. Personally I can't say my 401K or IRA will be able to do the same.
- June 18, 2009 at 4:10 PM


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First hit/review! Pro Staff Six.One 90 BLX :)
IMG_4178 by Say Chi Sin Lo, on Flickr
IMG_4179 by Say Chi Sin Lo, on Flickr
IMG_4180 by Say Chi Sin Lo, on Flickr
IMG_4181 by Say Chi Sin Lo, on Flickr
I was at the Fremont Tennis Center for my tournament and my opponent didn't show up. So I was just chilling and the shop owner/employee saw that I had a BLX90, so he asked if I was interested in hitting with the the new PS-BLX90, still in shrink wrap and everything. OF COURSE I said yes!
As a demo, this racquet was strung with Wilson NXT 16 (fancy for a demo!), and I'd assume strung within the mid-range of the recommended range.
The PS-BLX90's finish is glossier than the BLX90. The red part on the upper loop is noticeably glossier than the rest of the racquet (white parts). The racquet doesn't look as crazy and busy as the BLX90.
How it plays:
Let me just say this, if this was a blind test between the BLX90 and the PS-BLX90, it would be really difficult to differentiate the two. Because they both hit like a gummy bear. If anything is worth mentioning, it's that the PS-BLX90 plays a bit crisper than the BLX90. It reminds me of the K90's crispness but without the jarring/metal pipe sensation. I will also say the BLX90 provide a better ball-pocketing sensation than the PS-BLX90. Yes I have gut on my BLX90, but when I demo-ed the BLX90 with its $3 synthetic gut, it was pocketing the ball better than this freshly strung PS-BLX90.
A side note:
I don't know if it was the strings, or the PS-BLX90 itself, but the sound at impact was f-ing loud!
I know, a short review, but there's not much difference between the two frames. You're welcome to ask me with specific questions about the way it hits. But to sum up, just like the BLX90, it hits like a gummy bear, but it's a bit crisper.
Last edited by Say Chi Sin Lo : 11-05-2011 at 07:31 PM.
If you have played with the BLX90/K90, then you won't be surprised, nor will it take your breath away. Honestly, I only hit maybe 10serves and then the drizzle turned into rain. So, I can't really comment on the serves. But from the 10 serves or so I hit, I didn't notice a difference.
This may be a better volleying frame than the BLX90, because it's crisper. It's every bit as maneuverable as the BLX90/K90. K90 was like a metal-pipe. BLX90 is like a pillow. PS-BLX90 is the middle, again, it's a lot closer to the BLX90.
Last edited by Say Chi Sin Lo : 11-05-2011 at 08:12 PM.
If I buy it, I'll only change it for the cosmetics. Because I do like the cleaner design.
Also, I still like the way my BLX90 plays. The ball-pocketing/gummy bear sensation on impact is unlike anything else. (some may beg to differ and say the the N90 was a better pocketing frame)
Besides, I JUST switched over to the BLX90 from the PC600. From this playtest, the frame was indeed impressive, but it didn't wow me. Like I said, if you spray the two frames with the same color and turn it into a blind test. I really don't think I can notice the minute difference. So, probably not.
Also, haha I think "Amplifeel" is BS.
Views: 1136
Replies to This Discussion
Was the Grip oval or round? the N-code had a more oval & k-factor is more round. the BLX is oval-ish( which I like ), is the New Prostaff BLX PS90 tour Round or oval???? thanks
Looks oval (rectangular to me) because bevels 3 and 7 looks wide from the pics. The testers I've seen haven't mentioned anything yet.
I do my play test on the 17th I will update here.
New Racquets are Great! PS the Steam & Juice Racquets are great as well...IM not allowed to talk about it.
I'll take your word for it. They must be "great"! lol
well think about Great this way... as a coach...I have good playing and feeling options for my students. thats great in my opinion. also hitting with them I could play with them with little adjustments.
I always had to switch racquets for the younger kids I taught. I would use an oversize Agassi Radical Trysis for them. An all in one thing IS great!
Ive got that racquet!!!!! in Elite condition!!!!! right when they changed the name to radical
What about pace and spin...they improve it?....rigth now im hitting with the 90 BLX, and im thinking to go with the 95 next month because of this.....What about vibration compared with previous version.....do you think is a good idea to put some rpm blast 48 lbs on this frame?
Only way to know is to actually put the string in a demo racquet. Some frames do not mate well with certain strings. Good luck!
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What the...fuh!
Do you love eating ethnic foods or are willing to try? Join us. Few people realize what a melting pot Nashville is becoming. And fewer, realize what an abundance of ethnic restaurants there are - Vietnamese, Korean, Persian, Ethiopian, Thai, Indian, Honduran, Turkish, Cuban, Japanese/sushi, and the list goes on. Nashville is home to the largest population of Kurds in the US with great bakeries. Let's visit some old favorites and discover some new ones together!
Nashville also offers many cultural events during the summer & fall, ethnic cooking classes and regional wine tastings. Let's expand our horizons beyond food. Namasté!
About the Meetup Group name: Pho is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup dish (served with cilantro and/or Thai basil, mung bean, lime, jalapenos, hoisin & sriracha). The word "pho" is properly pronounced as if asking a question. It is not pronounced with a long "o," but instead rhymes with the "u" in the word "but". So the final pronunciation is "fuh".
Rose, Organizer email: firstname.lastname@example.com
NOTE TO ALL NEW MEMBERS: Please, don't be discouraged by full events, join the "wait list". It often turns over about 60-75%, people sign up early and drop out. This is a popular and higher commitment dining group, so please show up if you sign up.
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November 15, 2017, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM @ Lauderdale Lakes City Hall
The Development Review Committee consists of individuals from various areas of expertise related to developmental projects and activities. Proposed projects are brought before the Development Review Committee for review to ensure that such projects and activities are consistent with the City's rules and regulations.