TWO YEAR TAFF-LIFE ... #2 Eastbound TAFF logo

SUZLE'S TAFF 2005 NEWSLETTER

The second issue of Two Year TAFF-Life comes to you from Suzanne Tompkins, the 2005 TAFF delegate and now North American administrator, at PO Box 25075, Seattle, WA, 98165, USA, suzlet at aol dot com

Today is July 23 and I am about six weeks late, so prepare for some old, but good news, in some instances.

The fine TAFF Logo was created by Anne Stokes at the request of 2004 TAFF winner James Bacon. This is the East-bound logo which looks MUCH better in its original color version. Thank you, Anne!


"BUG" WINS TAFF 2006

As many of you must know by now, Bridget Bradshaw won the 2006 Europe to NA TAFF race and is, as I write this, in the US with her visit well underway.

Bridget won on the first round by a clear majority of the first-place preference votes cast (53.7%) and was therefore declared the winner automatically with no need for further vote reallocation. There were 99 votes cast on the NA side. And as luck would have it, James Bacon's own TAFF newsletter (ghost-written by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer) has just arrived via email literally moments ago, and in it Claire and Mark write: "We understand the 292 votes cast this time to be the second highest total in a westbound TAFF race (the highest was 1971 -- the race won by Mario Bosnyak), and also that this race had the highest number of European votes cast in any TAFF race ever." (*)

I will also gladly crib their voting results table, rather than making the exact same one myself.

Candidates Europe votes North America votes Rest of world votes Total
'Bug' -- Bridget Bradshaw 86 59 1 146
'½r' -- Arthur Cruttenden 46 8 0 54
'Sparks' -- Mike Rennie 53 17 1 71
Hold Over Funds 0 1 0 1
No Preference 6 13 1 20
Total 191 98 3 292

Also reported in James's Necronomigone by Claire and Mark, "The TAFF result was announced at a mini-con held on 27 May at the Horseshoe Inn in London. It had 112 attendees; these included ten of this year's Hugo nominees (including guest speakers Paul Cornell, Paul McAuley and Kim Newman), four former TAFF winners, two former GUFF winners, and the winner of SMOFF (a one-off fund-raiser contested during this year's Eastercon)." They also reported that more than £400 for TAFF was raised at the one-day con.

Claire, James and I spoke on the phone to confirm the vote count just prior to the announcement and it was great fun! If I can find a good location, perhaps I can crib something else from them in December when we announce the 2007 TAFF delegate here in Seattle.

This is a fine turnout and we thank everyone who voted in the race this year. Here are all the voters:

Emily Flick HnK Max Omega
Arnold C Akien Agnes Andrews Graham Andrews Sarah Andrews Gillian Armstrong-Bridges
Keith Armstrong-Bridges Erik Arthur David Axler Amanda Baker Elizabeth Batty
Allen Baum Zara Baxter Covert Beach Tom Becker Chris Bell
Douglas Bell Alan Bellingham Tracy Benton Meike John D Berry
Rajnish Bhasrar Sheryl Birkhead Zoe Bevan Marianne Blackham Kent Bloom
Bill Bodden Anne Bodell Sandra Bond Robbie Bourget Bridget Bradshaw
Simon Bradshaw David Bratman Elaine Brennan Claire Brialey Abi Brown
Tanya Brown Roger Burton West Elinor Busby Randy Byers Steven Cain
Jack Calvert Alistair Cameron Paul Campbell David Carlile Ewan Chrystal
Dave Clements Becky Clubb Rich Coad Catriona Coast Mike Cobley
David 'Eddie' Cochrane Eli Cohen Noel Collyer David Cook Chris Cooper
Stephen Cooper Cheryl Costello Cardinal Cox John Coxon Catherine Crockett
Helen Cross Tony Cullen Pat Curzon Charlene Taylor D'Alessio John Dallman
Julia Daly Malcolm Davies Steve Davies Hal Davis Jim de Liscard
Linda Deneroff Sharon Dennett Frank Denton Vincent Docherty Paul Dormer
Fran Dowd Tara Dowling-Hussey Carolyn Doyle Michelle Drayton-Harrold Ralph C Drayton-Harrold
Lilian Edwards Sue Edwards Arthur Cruttenden Richard Eney Andi Evans
Julia Evans Gary Farber Tom Feller Tommy Ferguson Don Fitch
Susan Francis Alison Freebairn Nigel Furlong Michael Gallagher Janice Gelb
Nick Gibbins Alexis A Gilliland Don Glover the Younger Steve Glover Hank Graham
Richard 'Reg' Gray Steve Green Gay Haldeman Judith Hanna David A Hardy
John Harold Colin Harris Lisa J Hart-Collins Eve Harvey John Harvey
Susie Haynes Julian Headlong Zandy Hemsley Mark Herrup David Hicks
Graham Hill Colin Hinz Arthur Hlavaty Judy Hodgkin Marilyn Holt
Paul Hood Andy Hooper Jim Hudson Reuben Hustler Ben Indick
L Blunt Jackson Barbara Johnson-Haddad Al Johnston Lee Justice Mary Kay Kare
Jerry Kaufman Tony Keen Paul Kincaid Grant Kruger Lisa Lagergren
Christina Lake Dave Lally Dave Langford Alice Lawson Erhard Leder
Hope Leibowitz Fred Lerner Robert Lichtman Guy Lillian Rose Marie Lillian
Frank Lunney Peter Mabey Karl MacNaughton Timothy Maguire Sue Mason
Ian Maughan (Square Bear) Kari Maund Rich McAllister Neil McChrystin Ross McCleary
Michael E McConnell Simon McGrory Luke McGuff Michael McInerney Alex McLintock
Darren McMahon Pat McMurray Mark Meenan Geneva Melzack Farah Mendlesohn
Brian Milton (Munchkin) June Moffatt Len Moffatt Murray Moore John Moore
Cheryl Morgan Chris Morgan Pauline Morgan Tony Morton Caroline Mullan
Donald Munro James J Murray Robert J Newman Joseph Nicholas Patrick Nielsen Hayden
Teresa Nielsen Hayden Philip Nye Hal O'Brien Ulrika O'Brien Carrie O'Callaghan
Michael O'Connor Roderick O'Hanlon Dave O'Neill Mark Olson Priscilla Olson
Spike Parsons Harry Payne Rog Peyton Catherine Pickersgill Mark Plummer
Andy Porter Silas Potts Judith Proctor Liam Proven Colette Reap
Peter Redfarn Katharine Rennie Mike Rennie Moira Rennie Neil Rest
Julie Rigby Dave Rike Roger Robinson Doreen Rogers Tony Rogers
Carrie Root Howard Rosenblum June Rosenblum Vicki Rosenzweig Dave Rowe
Nigel Rowe Marcus Rowland Yvonne Rowse Ruth Sachter Meurig Sage
Mhairi Sage Peggy Rae Sapienza Kate Schaefer Karen Schaffer Jeff Schalles
Ben Schilling David W Schroth Alison Scott Mike Scott Joyce Scrivner
Randall L Shepherd Gavin Shorrock Ina Shorrock Nesa Sivagnanam Ken Slater
Randy Smith P H Sneddon Robert Sneddon Kate Solomon Ian Sorensen
Maureen Kincaid Speller Douglas Spencer Kevin Standlee Tim Stannard Janine Stinson
Billy Stirling Ian Stockdale Erwin S Strauss Alan Sullivan Geri Sullivan
Chris Suslowicz Cameron Taylor Clara Taylor Jean Thompson Amy Thomson
Dave Tompkins Suzanne Tompkins Chris Tregenza Alex Tudno-Jones Evan Tudno-Jones
Mel Tudno-Jones R-Laurraine Tutihasi Peter Tyers Lennart Uhlin David Ulicsak
Tobes Valois Simoné Van Zyl Pat Virzi Rene Walling Gerry Webb
George Wells Pam Wells Peter Weston Richard Wheatley Donya White
Ted White Art Widner Peter Wilkinson Tom Womack Kenneth Wood
Alan Woodford Alastair Woodward Martin Morse Wooster Ben Yalow Pete Young
Kate Yule Lucy Zinkiewicz.

2007 RACE OPENS

Nominations are now open for the 2007 North America-to-Europe TAFF race. The winner will attend CONVOY, the 2007 Eastercon, being held on April 6-9, 2007, in Liverpool, England where the TAFF delegate will be their Fan Guest of Honor. For convention details, see http://convoy.org.uk/.

To become a candidate for this race you must provide:

All nominations, platforms, pledges, and $20 bonds must reach me at the address(es) below by midnight, September 9, 2006. So long as at least two prospective candidates have satisfied these requirements by that date, distribution of ballots, in both electronic and paper form, will begin immediately thereafter.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. If you plan to run, please alert me as soon as possible.

At this writing, I have one candidate so far who has met all of the above criteria.


THE CURRENT STATE OF THE TAFF NA FUND

As of today, there is $6,737.31 in the TAFF bank account. Since my first newsletter, we have had a number of donations, auction proceeds, a few sales, and misc. income, as well as a few expenses, such ballots and flyers for the 2006 Race and production and mailing of Two Year TAFF Life #1.

DONATIONS, VOTES, SALES, AUCTIONS, MISC.

Voters sent me $770.00 along with their ballots this year. I am amazed by the generosity of many of you who contributed far more than the $3.00 fee.

Sales at the 2005 Nasfic and a few misc. mail orders brought in $229.50.

This year's Corflu in Toronto did a spectacular job of fund raising at its auction, where this very small con's attendees bought $339.01 in items to benefit TAFF.

TAFF and I also owe a big thank you and lots of egoboo to John Hertz whose donation of proceeds from his fanwriting to TAFF and DUFF has, to date, has put $272 into the TAFF account from sales of his Dancing and Joking and other publications. This is the single highest contribution to TAFF by an individual and John, I am very grateful.

Other thanks and recognition need to be given to The League of Fan Funds in the UK who sent $90.00 from the Interaction Auction and SF3 in Madison, WI who donated $50.

We are gearing up for the fan fun auction at LACon and hoping for a far larger turnout than at the past few US Worldcons I have attended. If you are coming to Worldcon this year, plan on attending and bidding on our fabulous auction items. And speaking of those fab items, please bring some!… We will be accepting them in the Fan Lounge and the Auction will be taking place in a room next door.

EXPENSES

Included printing and mailing Two Year TAFF Life #1 with the ballot and John Hertz's zine flyer and printing costs for the ballot and flyer for distribution at many cons and fan gatherings -- $364.00.

PREPARE TO VISIT HARRISON COUNTRY

Randy Byers writes:

After many long years of grueling work and constant jeers, hectoring, and other harassment from the peanut gallery, 1968 TAFF winner Steve Stiles has completed his TAFF trip report, HARRISON COUNTRY. Chapters of the report were published along the way in QUIP, FOCAL POINT, and BSFAN, with the final chapter -- a perfect pastiche of the Goon Show -- just published in CHUNGA.

The TAFF elves are busy in their secret workshop assembling all these pieces into a comely package that will be made available to the general fannish public for a reasonable donation to TAFF. (The reasonable amount has yet to be determined. Please stay tuned.) Steve will be doing a cover and interior artwork as well. The complete report will also be sent to SCIFI and FANAC in pursuit of the bounties they offer for fan fund trip reports.

Meanwhile, we hope this provides hope and motivation to the myriad other TAFF winners, including Your Humble, If Rather Slow, Reporter, who have not yet finished their own reports. It's never too late -- and death will not release you!

AND STILL AVAILABLE -- DANCING AND JOKING

John Hertz's collection of his fanwriting for a donation of $5 or more to either TAFF or DUFF.

To order and contribute to TAFF, send me $5.00 or more and let me know that it's for John's 'zine. You'll remember to include your mailing address, now won't you? [DUFF orders go to Joe Siclari, of course.]

COME TO WORLDCON! BID AT THE AUCTION! STAND FOR TAFF 2007!


(*) For this TAFF newsletter and all things TAFF, see Dave Langford's unofficial TAFF web site - taff.org.uk.