Issue #70, November 22nd, 1996

Wagga Wagga Dreaming
by Andy Hooper

At the last Vanguard, in the midst of savoring the guilty pleasure of watching people's jaws drop as they read our lead story, I became aware that our friend Janice Murray was not joining in the gleeful gasps and bitter recriminations of her fellow reindeer. When I asked her what was wrong, she explained that if no one stepped forward to oppose her in the current Down-Under Fan Fund race, it would be cancelled, the funds held over, and she would spend the next Australian national convention here in Seattle waiting for the Mariners to start playing again.

Before I had a chance to really think about what I was doing, I said "Okay. I'll stand for DUFF!"

And, as it turns out, I am. I lined up five nominators, got my $25 bond together, and right now I'm pondering my 100-word platform. I'm nowhere near as familiar with Australian fans and fandom as Janice is, and I'm planning to vote for her myself, but if I won, I'd make the trip and serve as the fund administrator, as promised. Australia appeals to me as a fascinating and faraway place, where I would have to learn an only-slightly alien language to communicate with the population, and which I am extremely unlikely to reach on my own efforts any time in the foreseeable future. Plus, I want to help continue the tradition of Seattle fans making the trip, walking in the big shoes of John D. Berry and Jerry Kaufman (It might be observed that Janice would do this at least as well as me, and really deserves our support, since she lost by only a single vote the last time she ran, and has hosted and entertained numerous Australian fans visiting Seattle throughout the decade . . . .).

And finally, one might consider this my way of pointing out that, in the wake of all the TAFF difficulties, DUFF needs money too, and indeed, always does, as the expense of travel to Australia remains brutally high. So, I hope you will support my candidacy, and vote -- although you might not want to go to the extreme length of actually voting for me.

Issue #70, November 22nd, 1996

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