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User:MrCleveland/Loopy de loop
"No one cares about the French!"
"No one cares about the Canadians"
"No one cares about wolves"
"In Communist Russia...Loopy de Loop doesn't care about you"
"Pepe le Who?"
Birth and Childhood[edit]
Loopy was born in 1940 by Romulus and Remus in Vichy France. He was called Loopy because he was born when his parents were drunk. He was taken away by Hitler so that he could be his dog, but since he found out he was a wolf, he sent him to a place where they put people that they don't give a fuck about...Quebec.
During the times in Quebec, Loopy would try and help-out the preservation of the Canadian National Forests, but was always turned-down since many trees could grow no matter what in Canada.
It wasn't until 1956 when Loopy was visiting a group of Indians where they saw him as a god of peace (that or Loopy was wearing a green toque since green was sacred to that Indian Tribe).
Later, Loopy would save near-dead animals from the Canadian Highway (The only Highway in Canada) and his family would eat them...since they were wolves. If Loopy had an animal friend, it would be dead the next morning and one day, Loopy found Bambi's mother injured somewhere and as Loopy was nursing it to health...his parents ate her.
That was the last that Loopy would see his parents and he vowed never to eat the skin of another animal as long as he lived nor drink the milk of it since he was lactose intolerant.
Claim to...Obscurity[edit]
Loopy's first attempt on the Cartoon Scene was a Disney cartoon called "The Big Bad Wolf's Brother" where Loopy would play the Big Bad Wolf's Brother, but Walt Disney actually hated Canadians...especially French-Canadians even though Loopy did serve Disney vegetarian chili.
After Tom and Jerry left Hanna-Barbera since they were going to the Middle East to make negotiations with Iran, but they later wound-up in Eastern Europe making very bad cartoons, Hanna and Barbera was in desperate need of a new star, so they auditioned many dogs for the new cartoon role, but when Loopy came to the audition, he blew the other dogs away (Literally!). And when Loopy claimed that he was a wolf rather than a dog, they signed him anyway since he was house-broken.
The majority of these shows were about Loopy de Loop saving the world and acting like Jesus (And one cartoon which was never aired had Loopy crucified) but most of his episodes that he starred in were Fairy Tales that were rejected by Disney (Oddly enough, Loopy was rejected by Disney since he went off-script rather than stay on script...and he didn't speak English. Did I mention Disney hated French-Canadians?)
Between 1959 and 1965, Loopy de Loop was with Hanna-Barbera. But since The Flinstones, The Jetsons, and Yogi Bear had more fame than he did, Loopy would be the butt of many jokes at the studio.
Though Loopy would give William Hanna and Joseph Barbera food, massages, and clean their studio and houses, he was the lowest-paid character ever in the Hanna-Barbera Studios.
His last cartoon[edit]
Top Cat played a trick with Loopy by using a rubber check which was pink. But the joke was on Loopy since Hanna and Barbera made Top Cat play the trick on Loopy.
After that, Pepe le Pew informed that if Loopy de Loop would be in another cartoon, he would put him in a gas chamber with him in it. Unfortunately, it never happened.
Hippie Years[edit]
In 1966, Loopy was found in an alley in Boston when he met up with Timothy Leary and he told Loopy that LSD would help you out more than those cartoons ever did.
Loopy de Loop did a lot of sound sessions with Brian Wilson and Dick van Dyke Parks for his album "Pet Sounds" which was dedicated to Loopy and since Brian Wilson was too stoned to find out that he was a wolf. Mike Loathe told Brian that he spent too much time on Loopy and his album "Smile" which would be later called "Frown" since Smile wasn't released until 2004. After he said that, Loopy left.
After that, Loopy moved to England where he played the keyboards on many albums such as Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" and "Moonshine Batman", The Beatles albums, The Rutles albums, and Jimi Hendrix albums. He also founded Pink Floyd and re-formed The Moody Blues. He also befriended Nilsson and Tony Visconti.
In 1968, Loopy went to Indiana with The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, and Frank Sinatra for a great excursion with Yogi. After that, he left with Brian Wilson, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney to make "The White Album". But Loopy left and became a member of The Caballeros after Ken would just hang around with Barbie than with his bandmates.
In 1969 after Woodstock, The LSD started to wear off on Loopy and he found out that his Hippie friends didn't like him because he was a wolf and was caught making love to Little Red Riding Hood and she was 17 so this caused controversy. But the worst came when he was at Altamont where Mick Jagger blamed his Hippie years on Loopy as well as Brian Wilson, but since Loopy was closer, Hell's Angels left him for dead.
Fat Years[edit]
From 1970 to 1973, Loopy de Loop balooned to 300 pounds and eating nothing but watermelons all day. Since he wouldn't eat meat. And luckily Loopy wasn't in Munich either since his 'friends' were dead...but later were resurrected by Tom and flew in an ark leaving behind Loopy because he could've been the ark at the time.
And During that time, Hanna-Barbera did better without him and here's who cared....
Session Musician and Play Performer[edit]
After losing a lot of weight in 1975, Loopy became a keyboardist for many bands such as Roxy Music, Procol Harum, The Carpenters, and Todd Rundgren as well as his work.
Loopy also wrote the music for Orca with Richard Harris singing.
He also was in a few Off-Broadway plays in Quebec where he was Dickinson in the play 1776, Rocky in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and also part of the William Shakespeare Festival in Stratford. (Mostly he played characters that died. And recently, Loopy was seen with Terrance and Phillip in the Shakespeare play "Comedy of Errors" where he gets farted on.)
Loopy also returned in 2008 for a concert with Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Neil Young to celebrate the night where Barack Obama would be president.
Born-Again Christian[edit]
In 1980, Loopy was so discouraged, that he went to Barack Obama's church and met up with Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Wright told Loopy that wolves were surpressed too much that he did have a right to complain.
Loopy did get along with Martin Luther King and was part of the Civil Rights movement in 1963, but when Kanye West told the blacks that a wolf was with them, they got Michael Richards to hang him upside-down with a fucking fork up his ass. (Luckily, they tried to do that with Michael Richards rather than Loopy).
But during the 80's, Loopy worked in Homeless Shelters, Mental Hospitals, and even for Televangelists. However, Loopy became broke and still got criticized, but he still reads The Bible to this day and goes to a Lutheran Church so that he can sit in the back.
Return to TV[edit]
In 1993, when Cartoon Network was launched, many cartoons were discovered that were tend to be lost. One of the many were Loopy de Loop cartoons. At the time, Loopy would live with the The Warners. While they escaped and wreaked havoc, Loopy would clean-up after them. But when Steven Spielberg would make the show "Animaniacs", he would leave Loopy behind since he thought he was too damn boring.
But the reruns of Loopy de Loop cartoons would be seen on Boomerang until the 2007 when it cahnged formats.
U.N. Incident[edit]
Since Loopy wanted to help others after many failed fiascoes, he joined the United Nations and became the Secretary General for the United Nations in 2001, but it was on 9/11 when he took the job and some people there blamed Loopy for that day.
Trouble came even more so when the War of Iraq was planned and Loopy joined forces with the other nations that didn't want to go to war. This backfired after George W. Bush saw Loopy make peace agreements on Iraq, Iran, and North Korea by talking to the Three Little Pigs accusing him to be the next Jimmy Carter.
Where is he now?[edit]
After being out of the limelight, Ted Turner released his old cartoons which were never seen in 30 years since they interfered with The Warners Films which made more sense than Loopy's.
Loopy was also seen at the Turner Mall in Atlanta until it closed in 2006 where he served Vegetarian Foods, but Yogi Bear drove him out of business after his all-you-can-eat buffets.
Loopy was with Chicken Boo in a nearby region of Monaco where he is an Ambassador for Canada over there since George W. Bush wanted to rid the United States from wolves and keep America wolf-free (Even though Wolf Blitzer is still in America). That and Dick Cheney shot Loopy in the tail thinking it was a Coyote after saving a quail from any harm in Wyoming.
Pepe le Pew still waits for a new Loopy de Loop cartoon, but since Loopy isn't in America now or at least the 48 states, he'll have to wait until Cleveland wins a Championship.
Just recently, Loopy was found in Alaska as Sarah Palin's rug which she got for Christmas and while Palin shoots other creatures, Loopy cleans-up Palin's house in return.
- Quebec has named a Roller Coaster after Loopy de Loop though at Six Flags '67 (Formerly the Expo '67), since he's recognized a lot in that area. It's the safest, and calmest roller coaster on the planet.
- Loopy de Loop placed a bet in 1967 when he was on the set of "Casino Royale", the first and last movie that he was ever in until "Jews Framed Roger Rabbit", that if Columbia Pictures sees a profit in the film, Hanna-Barbera can stay with Columbia. Despite its success...only Loopy stayed with Columbia while Hanna-Barbera found work with Taft.
- Speaking of Movies...Loopy almost had a role in "Donald Duck: Full Frontal", but was turned down not by Disney...but by John Hughes since he really didn't have a role for him in the movie!
- Robert Taft, who actually gave Hanna-Barbera the offer...hated Loopy because he was French-Canadian! That's why you never saw his shows until 1992!
- Loopy de Loop had his second attempt in Hollywood in a couple of Woody Woodpecker cartoons, but since he didn't speak English his voice was dubbed.
- Loopy was the Quebec Nordquines mascot during the NHL years, when they had the worst NHL record ever! (Which was in 1990).
- Lil' Bon-Bon is actually Loopy's son...not nephew. His mom is Red Riding Hood.
- Loopy de Loop gets loopy after drinking Communion wine, and yes he was a devout Catholic!
- Speaking of Catholicism, Loopy was the Pope...for only a day! (This was in 1979 just before John Paul I and John Paul II), but since Loopy couldn't handle Communion wine, he got excommunicated from Catholicisim, which explains why he's a Lutheran (A.K.A. Catholic Lite).
- On July 14th, Loopy joins with Prince Antoine of Monaco for some wine and singing (which sounds more like howling).
- Loopy de Loop has a crush on Minerva Mink, but Slappy Squirrel likes Loopy too because she reminds him of a Lumberjack who's real okay.
- Loopy was also arrested in 2005 for helping out an old lady cross the street in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, but all charges were dropped when the case wasn't even real!
- Loopy de Loop was to be adopted by The Goode Family, but they saw Che and adopted him instead since he looked more needy.
- Loopy de Loop now resides in Haiti and won't leave until all the Haitians get food and water. How's that for being a Good Samaritan?
See Also[edit]
UnNews:Report: Wolves Make Great Pets
|Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies
|Primary: Bugs Bunny • Daffy Duck • Porky Pig • Elmer Fudd • Sylvester • Tweety Bird • Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner • Foghorn Leghorn • Pepé Le Pew • Yosemite Sam • Speedy Gonzalez • Marvin the Martian • Tasmanian Devil • The Barnyard Dawg • Henery Hawk
|Secondary: Bosko • Clyde Rabbit • Buddy • Goopy Geer • Foxy • Piggy • Beans • Michigan J. Frog • Petunia Pig • Rocky and Mugsy • Granny • Hector the Bulldog • Goofy Gophers • Cecil Turtle • Sylvester, Jr. • Gossamer • Spike the Bulldog and Chester the Terrier Hippety Hopper • Marc Antony and Pussyfoot • Witch Hazel • The Three Bears • Hubie and Bertie • Claude Cat • Sniffles • Ralph Phillips • Beaky Buzzard • Willoughby • Charlie Dog • Pete Puma • Crusher • Count Blood Count • Private Snafu • Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf • Slowpoke Rodriguez • K-9 • Merlin the Magic Mouse and Second Banana • Blacque Jacque Shellacque • Nasty Canasta • Cool Cat • Penelope Pussycat • Egghead Jr.
|Comics and TV Shows: Honey Bunny • Wendell T. Wolf • Digeri Dingo • Daniel and Timothy Platypus • Lola Bunny • Melissa Duck • I.Q. Hi • Star Johnson • Queen Tyr'ahnee
|Television Animation
|Tiny Toon Adventures : Babs and Buster Bunny • Plucky Duck • Hamton J. Pig • Montana Max • Elmyra Duff • Dizzy Devil • Furrball • Calamity Coyote • Little Beeper • Gogo Dodo • Sweetie Pie • Shirley the Loon • Fifi La Fume • Li'l Sneezer • Concord Condor • Byron Basset • Fowlmouth • Arnold the Pitbull • Barky Marky • Mary Melody
|Animaniacs : Yakko, Wakko, and Dot • Ralph the Guard • Thaddeus Plotz • Dr. Otto Scratchansniff • Hello Nurse • Ms. Flamiel • Pinky and the Brain • Snowball the Hamster • Slappy Squirrel • Skippy Squirrel • Walter Wolf • Buttons and Mindy • The Goodfeathers • Rita and Runt • Flavio and Marita • Minerva Mink • Chicken Boo • Katie Ka-Boom • Mr. Skullhead
|Hanna-Barbera : • Ruff and Reddy • Huckleberry Hound • Yogi Bear • Loopy de Loop • The Flintstones • The Jetsons • Top Cat • Wally Gator • Lippy the Lion • Touche Turtle • Space Ghost • Scooby Doo
|Other Cartoons : Freakazoid! • Road Rovers • Histeria! (Characters)


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subset: commoncrawl


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Vladimir Putin is a bad guy, but is he a bad enough guy to have his main opposition murdered? It seems like a stretch considering that even the chief opposition isn't really anything to worry about – Putin still polls ridiculously well among his countrymen and he has a vise grip on all of the key areas of infrastructure (including the Military).
However, as the man says… 'there is no such thing as coincidence.' The fact that the most important man in the Russian opposition would be murdered on the streets of Moscow just blocks away from the Kremlin – seems very, very… 'hinky'.
Things are getting even odder now because Russia is pretending that all of this is business as usual and no big deal… a whole big "nothing to see here…"
Trending: A Message for Obama – "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil."
Within hours of politician Boris Nemtsov's assassination on Friday, Russian media blamed every imaginable villain to distract from the government's own suspected role in the death — from Islamic extremists to Ukrainian fascists to the Central Intelligence Agency.
Nemtsov was shot point-blank from a car, just yards away from Moscow's Kremlin, while strolling on an unseasonably warm winter evening. He had been a member of the Duma, Russia's parliament, and a deputy prime minister in the 1990s before becoming an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin's presidency. He had openly alleged that he was under close government surveillance, and earlier in February told a Russian paper that "I'm afraid Putin will kill me."
The Twitter account of state-run English-language television network RT quickly suggested a range of motives in rapid succession. And its website quoted Putin, who alleged that the incident showed "signs of a contract murder" — that is, a mafia-style killing.
The federal Investigative Committee charged with prosecuting the incident also publicly speculated about reasons for the attack, including that anti-Putin forces seeking to "provoke political destabilization in Russia" used Nemtsov as "a kind of a sacral sacrifice for those who do not hesitate to do anything to reach their political goals."
In a similar vein, Putin-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov alleged that "Western intelligence agencies" were behind Nemtsov's death. He made the suggestion on his famously unfettered and emoji-rich Instagram account, which also recently featured family members' sporting accomplishments and pandas tumbling down a slide.
Nemtsov had also attracted attention among Russian politicians in recent weeks for expressing solidarity with the slain satirists at French magazine Charlie Hebdo. On these grounds, Russian government outlets (including the Investigative Committee) also tried to link his death to Muslim extremists.
And to round out the conspiracies, some have tried to blame Nemtsov's death on Ukraine, in some areas of which Russia continues to maintain pro-secession troops. Nemtsov had been critical of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, calling him a "pathological liar." State-run television network Zvezda has alleged that several particular Ukrainian nationalists, Dmitro Yarosh or Dmitro Korchinsky, could be responsible for his death.
He was also in the company of a 23-year-old Ukrainian model in the hours before his murder. The model, Anna Duritskaya, has said that Russian authorities have since banned her from traveling to Ukraine.
Nemtsov had been scheduled to lead a massive rally against the Ukraine war on Sunday. With news of his death, the original protest was canceled. In its place, thousands of Russians marched silently through Moscow carrying placards of Nemtsov's face.
The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by EagleRising.com


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If your team blogs, even when it has no customers, or worse, is derided by the community, you're on your way off of the bozo explosion. Something interesting happens when you have a conversation with people about what they want. It focuses meetings and gets things going.
The sentence in italics is what got my attention. I think this is a key part of what we're trying to do. It's not just the blogging we are doing with students (although that is part of it), but it's having the conversation with them about what they want (and need). While I've never bought into the philosophy that schools could be "fixed" by running them more like a business, that doesn't mean that we can't learn a lot from the world of business. And one of the things I think we need to learn - in a hurry - is to pay attention to the customer. While we have a variety of "customers," ultimately the student is our customer - and we need to pay more attention to them.


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Cameroon's air force has bombed Boko Haram positions in the far north of the country for the first time after the jihadists seized a military camp, the government announced.
President Paul Biya personally ordered Sunday's air strike, which forced the Boko Haram insurgents from neighbouring Nigeria to flee the camp at Assighasia, Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary said in a statement late Sunday.
"Fighter planes went into action for the first time since the start of the conflict" onCameroon's side of the border, after several months of deadly raids on troops and civilians by Boko Haram, Bakary added.
The extremists of Boko Haram, which roughly means "Western education is forbidden", have become a deadly force to be reckoned with since 2009 in northern Nigeria and have made raids into neighbouring Cameroon.
Boko Haram tactics include massacres of civilians on both sides of the frontier, the razing of villages, large-scale kidnappings and, most recently, direct assaults on Cameroonian troops.
A Boko Haram squad assaulted the Assighasia camp on Sunday morning and the "Cameroonian defence forces had to withdraw after trying to defend the position", the government statement said.
The air strike marked "a new escalation in the Cameroonian response … to multiple enemy attacks by the Boko Haram terrorist group", it said.
Written For http://www.globalruns.com


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Several weeks back I was contacted by Robyn, a contributing editor of Professional Photographer Magazine, to see if I'd be interested in being a part of the October 2012 issue's "Product Roundup: Client Goodies-- we asked some pros about what they love to give" article.
It's a beautifully done magazine and I was thrilled to be a small part of it!
Below are some of the images from that article.
In other shop news, new designs for Christmas 2012 will be photographed and listed this week in the shop, barring any major disasters!
While all of the current Christmas designs will remain available in the shop, I'm really excited about the new additions and hope you all find some that fit your needs this holiday season.
The deadline for ordering for Christmas delivery will be November 30th! Orders will go out as quickly as possible in the order they are received. Because it always gets so hectic by the end of November, I'm urging you to please get your orders in as quickly as you can!
Unfortunately, every year come the first of December, I have to turn down holiday orders that I'd love to take.
The plain ugly fact is though that time simply runs out and by then my family is pulling their hair out, eager for me to rejoin the world again and spend some of the Christmas season with them.
Anyway, I sincerely loathe saying no to my customers and feel like such a scrooge having to do it.
I hate being the scrooge.
I much prefer making you all super duper happy...
spreading my Christmas joy....one photo keepsake at a time.
{November 30....November 30...November 30.}


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All Politics is Local Ma
Jon Fetherston and Terry Hendrix met several years ago when Jon was running for Selectman in Ashland. Jon was elected by a large margin and joined the Ashland Republican Town Committee where their friendship continued to grow. Terry worked tirelessly to help Jon win his State Representative campaign in 2012. Unfortunately, Jon did not win this one. They have continued to assist other candidates win their races. Some won (Charlie Baker) and some did not (Scott Brown). Terry joined the Ashland Cable TV show, All Politics is Local, which Jon founded several years ago.
The radio show is their latest joint effort and they will work hard to make it successful.


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How to Make It
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sift together flour, cocoa, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Place 6 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (do not underbeat). Beat in vanilla. Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, folding flour mixture into egg white mixture. Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets in batter by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert cake onto plate.
Split cake horizontally into 3 even layers using a serrated knife. Working with 1 cake layer at a time, cut with a 3-inch round cutter into 4 rounds. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 cake layers; discard remaining cake, or reserve for another use.
Coat 6 (8-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray. Line each ramekin with plastic wrap, allowing the plastic wrap to extend over edges. Spoon 1/4 cup yogurt into bottom of each ramekin, spreading evenly; top each with 1 cake round. Spread 1/4 cup yogurt over each cake layer, spreading evenly; top each with 1 cake round. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze 4 hours or up to overnight.
To prepare meringue, combine 6 egg whites and remaining ingredients in top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water 2 minutes or until candy thermometer registers 150°, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Beat egg mixture with a mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form; beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.
Invert ramekins, cake sides down, onto a baking sheet. Discard plastic wrap. Divide meringue evenly among servings, and spread evenly over each dome (the domes should be completely covered with meringue). Holding a kitchen torch about 3 inches from domes, heat the meringue, moving the torch back and forth until lightly browned. Transfer to individual plates, and serve immediately.


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Entrepreneur's gut value: $25 million-$35 million
Len Green's value: $30 million
Mary O'Connor's value: $14 million
Inside your local ATM, your printer, your PDA, and your cell phone is a tiny computer that makes the device do what it's designed to do. The technical term for that little computer is an "embedded system."
In 1997, Anees Ahmed and two partners founded Mistral, a company that provides hardware and software for these systems, in Bangalore, India. At launch, the trio had $12,000, a staff of 16--and a vision to become an international powerhouse. Ahmed has remained intensely focused ever since. In 2001, the company landed $2.75 million in first-round financing. It now employs 260, has three offices in India and three offices in the United States, and a global base of customers including Texas Instruments. In 2005, Mistral hit $8.4 million in sales and was profitable. By 2008, Ahmed and his partners are aiming for revenue of as much as $24 million. Ahmed wants to pursue another round of financing--to expand the business and perhaps make an acquisition. In preparation, he's undergone a couple of professional appraisals, which have come in between $20 million and $25 million. But he'd like a higher number to present to investors. "If we can get the right person," he says, "I know we can get between $25 million and $35 million."
Len Green's assessment
Green started by scrutinizing the company's numbers and getting a sense of Mistral's niche in the marketplace. Two things jumped out at him: Mistral was growing faster than the average company in this sector, and the company was investing more in R&D than rivals of a similar size. He scheduled an interview with Ahmed. Much of the talk concerned how far Mistral had come and how much opportunity there was in the future. In this regard, Green saw little cause for concern. What's more, Mistral is on the right side of the outsourcing equation.
Green was impressed by Ahmed's drive, commitment, and tech smarts. But savvy entrepreneurs, ironically, also raise some red flags. What if that founder no longer is able to handle day-to-day operations--or, as Green likes to put it, "What happens if you get shot by a jealous lover?" Most entrepreneurs don't have a good answer, and Green often drops the value as a result--sometimes as much as 30%. In Mistral's case, Green felt that the management team was solid enough to perform even with Ahmed out of the picture.
As for competitive threats, Green didn't see many. The worst that could happen was that a larger company with deeper pockets might take notice of Mistral's success and compete for clients by cutting prices or advertising more heavily.
The next step was to boil these impressions down to a number. Because Green believes that a company is worth what someone is willing to pay for it, he established a baseline of $14 million--the amount the company was valued at in 2001, when it landed its first investors. Sales at that time were obviously lower than they are today. Taking the assumption that a company's value would increase in direct proportion with revenue, Green calculated that the top of the range for Mistral's value would be about $60 million.
Green now had to decide where Mistral fell in the $14 million to $60 million range. He started by estimating the premium he'd be willing to pay for Mistral's advantages: a faster-than-average growth rate, a strong management team, the heavy R&D investments that might pay off down the line. This brought him to around $50 million. Then he reduced the sum by 20%--something he generally does when assessing small companies that run the risk of having a large competitor swoop into the market; the discount also took into account the risk of Ahmed leaving the company and the risk of the company trying to expand too fast. The bottom line: "I believe this company justifies a value of $30 million today."
Mary O'Connor's assessment
Preparing for her interviews with Ahmed, O'Connor found herself curious about his motivation. Did he found Mistral because he loved the idea of running his own company? Or was he determined to make it as profitable as possible? Venture capital investors, of course, care a lot more about the latter than the former. As a result, entrepreneurs with a solid exit strategy tend to get higher valuations.
O'Connor pored over Mistral's old business plans and mission statements. Ahmed did not disappoint. "The vision was always to get to the next profitable stage as quickly as possible," she says, "and then identify where they would go for the next round of funding." It sounds like basic business strategy, but O'Connor says such methodical planning is rare. "So many entrepreneurs think that somehow the funding will just be there and luck will prevail because they have a good idea," she says.
After delving into background research on the industry, she began her calculations. Given the company's track record, she proceeded with the assumption that an investor would be satisfied with a 35% return after a holding period of three years. Based on Mistral's projections, if a venture capitalist sold its stake in the company in 2008, it would walk away with $34.5 million. To get that number, the VC would have to invest $14 million today--which is the value she assigns to Mistral.
She admits it's conservative. The company has other potential assets, but O'Connor had a hard time pinning a value on them. Most important, Mistral is developing software that it eventually plans to license. "This may become 30% of their business and can provide substantial funding for growth," she says. "But given the information available, it can't be adequately valued. Financial statements just don't help us with this kind of intellectual property."
Anees Ahmed's response:
Not surprisingly, Ahmed prefers Green's assessment. "Len has done a valuation with an entrepreneur's insight," Ahmed says. "He has not just checked financial numbers, but also the technology and expertise that we have, along with the customers and future prospects." But at the same time, Ahmed voices the typical entrepreneurial complaint: The number should have been higher. "With future growth and more focus on intellectual-property development, this valuation can increase substantially," he says.
O'Connor's assessment, on the other hand, "only gives part of the value," he says. If you add such factors as Mistral's intellectual property and the loyalty of its customers, "the numbers will add up. How much is in the eye of the beholder."
Indeed, Ahmed was struck by the extent to which a company's value can depend on who is doing the assessing. As he searches for both new financing and potential partners, he plans to look for entities that will be more likely to give him credit for the intellectual property he's created and place a strategic value on his company's technical capabilities and engineering team.


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Fast-rising Zimdancehall chanter Bazooker left Gweru fans asking for more after he delivered a top-drawer performance at the official opening of Steak 'n' Chips food outlet on Saturday afternoon.
The 23-year-old musician had fans eating out of the palm of his hand when he performed his hits songs Umdala Wethu, Kumba Kwedu, Mababy Akawanda, Handiridi and Ndogona.
Both the young and old who attended the event were sent into a frenzy with Bazooker's chanting skills, proving that he is arguably one of the best chanters to emerge from Zimbabwe.
One fan Tafara Zhou, who is also an up-and-coming Zimdancehall musician said: "I'm so happy that I got to see my role model performing.
"I learnt a lot from attending the show especially Bazooker's ability to keep his fans dancing throughout his performance."
Steak 'n' Chips director Mr Tawedzerwa Mudzvoka thanked the people of Gweru for coming out in their numbers.
"Nothing gives me great joy like putting a smile on someone's face.
"The fact that they enjoyed the performance that was delivered by Bazooker and other artists who graced the function makes me happy," Mr Mudzvoka said.
Other artistes who performed at the opening are Legion, Xiddo and Hwinza.
— Chronicle


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International Alliance of Grandparents for the Climate (IAGC)
L'Alliance International des Grand-Parents pour le Climat
Eight countries have come together to fight to protect grandchildren from the ravages of global warming. The representatives of these countries have adopted the following as the statement of their mission.
The International Alliance of Grandparents for the Climate (IAGC) speaks and acts in defense of the world's children and grandchildren and their inborn right to a sustainable future. We appeal to Elders of all nations to take action on climate change and climate justice.
L'Alliance Internationale des Grands-Parents pour le Climat (AIGC), s'engage par la parole et par les actes, pour et avec les enfants et petits-enfants de la Terre et leur droit fondamental à un avenir viable. Nous lançons un appel pour que notre génération, dans toutes les nations, se mobilise pour le climat et la justice climatique.
We recognize that under the leadership of the COP21 host country there has been progress towards climate justice. But much more needs to be done.
We demand that the leaders of the nations at COP 21 adopt 1.5 degrees C as the maximum increase in global warming. We acknowledge that keeping to this limit presents a great challenge that can only be met by redoubling the level of collective ambition.
Yet the rewards of such efforts will benefit children – and grandchildren yet unborn. And a significant reduction of risk to the most vulnerable countries, such as island states.
Some of the countries represented in the our Alliance support this limit. We expect that in the next short interval they will be able to convince others of the justice of our demand.
International Alliance of Grandparents for the Climate (IAGC).


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You cut three 2 inch wide tags and punch with the Tag Topper. Using Gorgeous Grunge (130517) randomly stamp the dots then cut matching flowers from the BoHo Punch and place on the tag! What a neat gift idea. The design across the bottom of the bag if from Boutique Borders (133661) retiring as well! Boutique Borders is a great Scrapbook stamp too.
Be sure and get your BoHo Punch before it retires (119858)
Until next time! Happy Stampin' & Scrappin'


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Durham 6, Toledo 5 (11). A Chris Nowak 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th got the Bulls within 1 and then Jon Weber doubled home Brandon Chaves with 2 outs to tie the game and send it to extra frames. Then in the 11th, Justin Ruggiano singled home the game-winner with 2 outs. Ruggiano finished 3-6 to get his average up to .260…John Jaso was 2-5…Matt DeSalvo made his second start for the Bulls, allowing 4 runs in 7 innings. He did get touched for 2 home runs.
Jacksonville, Montgomery (ppd. wet grounds). Game will be resumed today with Jacksonville leading 5-1 in bottom of 4th.
Charlotte 9, Tampa 4. Jesse Darcy allowed 4 runs (2 earned) in 5 innings…Matt Fields homered for the second straight night and was 2-5. He now has 11 home runs on the year…Emeel Salem was 2-3, his 5th multi-hit game in the last 8.
Bowling Green 5, Lexington 3. Strong start for Shane Dyer who allowed 1 run in 5 innings to pick up his first win of the year…Tim Beckham was 0-4 and did not commit an error…Jake Jefferies was the DH and went 0-4 while Mike McCormick went 1-3 with a walk.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
- Jeremy Hellickson is now heading back to Charlotte to continue his rehab in extended spring training. [Biscuit Crumbs]
- Mitch Talbot joins Jeremy Hellickson on the DL with Chris Richard coming off. [Watching Durham Bulls Baseball]
- Chris Mason is on his way back to Montgomery after filling in for Mitch Talbot for 1 start at Durham and Nevin Ashley has been promoted to Montgomery. [Biscuit Crumbs]


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Business Card Design
• 2 preliminary concepts of your business card
• Up to 3 design revisions edits to the preliminary design of your choice.
• Transfer design file package
Business Card Layout/content change
• We will create a print-ready file your layout based on your idea.
• Up to 3 design revisions edits.
After the order is confirmed, a questionnaire will be sent to gather additional information about the project.
Once the questionnaire has returned, the first set of proofs should be sent out within 2 business days.
The additional lead time after the first set of design concepts is sent depends on needed revisions and communication time.


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|download brochure (500 kb)
Start from THB 1,500-2,000 per night
Koh Chang is considered as one of the most beautiful Islands in the Gulf of Thailand. As the word "Chang" in Thai language mean Elephant, it refers to the Silhouette of the island. Koh Chang is the second largest island in Thailand. Diverse environment and exotic locations make this island a sweet spot for the tourists from all around the world. Koh Chang is famous for the Thailand National Park located on the Island. Celebrations and festivals over the year keep tourists busy.
There is variety of tourists' attractions and activities, which attracts visitors from all around the world. It's well known Marine national park, white sand beaches, adventure sports parks, natural spa and meditation resorts attract all kind of tourists. Accommodation and traveling facilities provided by government and local authorities is excellent. Hotels, Lodges, villas and resorts in Koh Chang are available easily during most of the season, but if you are planning a long stay, then it is advisable to get the accommodation booked before reaching the exotic island of koh chang.
Koh Chang offers a variety of cuisines at different prices. Take your pick from a selection of the
finest restaurants by reading the reviews.
Koh chang offers lively and appealing nightlife throughout the year. You may wish to start the night with a glass of wine beside the sea.
Mu Ko Chang National Park is a collection of over 40 islands, large and small.
If you are looking for a cool and calm place to relax in, Koh Mak is the best option for you.
Koh Kood Island comes with excellent mountains and waterfalls that you will find very interesting.
Koh Chang is providing an important and wide array of resorts and hotel to select from that cater to all the budgets. Shoppers will be in an authentic harbor with the broad quantity of vendor stalls and quaint stores...
Koh Chang has grown to be one of the best tourist attractions. It is one of the best places where you and your family can go and have a holiday experience of a lifetime. It is in an incredible location with perfect...
When visiting Thailand, Koh Chang is one of the best islands that you should never miss. It is the second largest island in Thailand and quite unique from the other 52 islands in Trat. Moreover, it is a remarkable...
Klong Son Beach is good for:
peace and quiet
sandy beach
Short description:
Klong Son beach (or Had Klong Son) is located on the north of Koh Chang. Nice bay at the very top of the island. Pure white sand stretch of beach, shaded with coconut trees. Klong Son gets very low numbers of visitors with the bulk of the backpackers and tourists alike speeding south enroute to Koh Chang's finer and more popular stretches of sand.
White Sand Beach is good for:
night live
sandy beach
variety of restaurants
Short description:
Koh Chang's most famous stretch of sand, at over 2km long there's certainly room for everyone! Lined with bungalows, food stalls and shops this is one of the best beaches in all of Thailand.
Klong Phrao Beach is good for:
tranquil surroundings
gorgeous rocky landscape
all sorts of activities
quiet and peaceful
Short description:
Situated on the somewhat less glamorous, northern side of the Koh Chang Island, Klong Prao isn't all that much of tourist destination, especially for those who are in need of a true holiday experience of the exotic kind.
Lonely Beach is good for:
great sunset
cheap and peaceful retreat
all sorts of beach activities
perfect for family
Short description:
Also known as Kai Bae Beach, this is the spot to catch a great sunset! A few small shops and food stalls are along the beach, a good spot to chill out away from the crowds at White Sands Beach.
Bangbao Bay is good for:
seafood restaurants
Short description:
A well-sheltered bay with a small and quiet beach. It is a fishing community where residents still live in houses built on stilts and are connected by wooden bridges. There are a growing number of tourist shops, scuba dive outlets and seafood restaurants offering a good selection of seafood.
Salak Khok Bay is good for:
pretty, unspoiled area
traditional Thai community
quiet and peaceful
Short description:
There aren't so much attraction in Salak Kok, but tourists can Kayak among the mangroves. Salak Kok Bay still has a fishing community that doesn't change so much in many years, a great place to see the real traditional Thai community.
Koh Chang Tourism is sending out an electronic newsletter with the latest news, events and offers from Koh Chang. We would be happy to inform you as well! Insert your email:


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Samsung reveals one of its prestigious project named Iconx, a bud type wireless headphones which mostly focuses on the fitness. The beautiful, excellent wireless earphones prove that there is definite room for improvement. The pair of earphones is independent having no wire connection between them.
They come with built-in sensors which track and monitor the heart rate, speed & distance covered. The left and right buds together packed in a case in which charging would be done. It is very easy to Control and uses the IconX.
Users can just tap and swipe on the touch navigation pad present on them. Actions like Single tap on the bud to play/pause, double tap to skip the current track, thrice to skip a track backwards. Manual configuring of the buds can be done by using the settings with the Android Gear application.
Samsung Unveils The Second Edition of Gear Fit, A Fierce Competitor For Fitbit
The IconX also has voice confirmations for each action and can be managed by an app on the phone. The headphones support all the Android devices running on Android 4.4 version and with minimum 1.5GB of RAM. They are not compatible with iOS devices.
Gear IconX is powered by a 47mAh battery which is capable of tracking an activity for 1.5 hours. The ear bud carrying case is equipped with another 315mAh battery which can be used for charging the buds, and it would be sufficient for the whole day.
The tiny device fulfils the functionality of both the Bluetooth wireless headset and fitness tracker. It also features a unique option called the ambient mode which can be activated by long-pressing the outer surface of the earbud.
Samsung to Launch Samsung Pay Mini Availability on third party Android and IOS devices
The ambient mode enables the built-in microphones to hear sounds in our surroundings with an excellent clarity even you are listening to music. This particular method is exclusively designed for sporting activities like riding, trekking, rowing or walking around a city.
This exciting product of Samsung would be launched somewhere between July to September. It will be available in three different colours which are black, white, and blue for a price of $199.


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I'm not gonna lie…the name Skinny Shirt sure caught my attention. My friend Julie actually invented this brilliant, sleek top because her button-down shirts were too bulky under sweaters. The SS gives you the look of a collared shirt, yet the body is actually a sleeveless, stretchy shaper. WHY didn't I think of this style-saver?
• Small: 4-6
• Medium: 6-8
• Large: 10-12


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By Inarah
"I have great admiration for the Norse mythology, and I find the style behind this culture fascinating. So, I decided that my third Kickstarter project should be related to this style that I admire so much. On this opportunity, I will present some characters to you that I hold very dear. These Norse Goddesses are among my most recent personal creation, and I hope you like them as much as I do."
By Pingo
So in addition to the standard carafe of Tropicana orange juice with the oh-so-handy cylindrical lid with gothic arches all around that we all know about, Tropicana makes a sort of pitcher of orange juice with a pop-top lid:
A lid that can do ... THIS:
By joshuaslater
This rulebook looks like it would scratch the sci fi campaign itch for some fellow forumites.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/346620204/zone-raiders-a-miniatures-campaign-skirmish-game?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=zone raiders
By Vega
Can't seem to find these guys. It says they're from Bones 3.
By Pingo
Hasslefree has some fun sci fi characters, including quite a few space dwarves. This is HG405, Pilot Hayden. I'm not entirely sure, but I think she might be a tribute to Starbuck on the "Battlestar Galactica" remake. She has a cigar and a complex gun. It's the first time I've painted a gun where I'm reasonably happy at how the shiny look turned out.
Who's Online 4 Members, 0 Anonymous, 35 Guests (See full list)


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$71.39 $77.88 You Save 8% ($6.49)
Please note: There's been a few occurrences of the seals on the Lum Taylor's BBQ Sauce bottles breaking during shipping and the BBQ sauce seeping out from under the plastic wrap around the lid. We believe this is due to the beer in the recipe expanding during the shipping process. If the seal is broken when it arrives your bottle will need refrigeration. Use at your own risk. Order accordingly. No refunds will be given.
Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 28g (about 1 ounce)
Servings per Container: About 18
Calories from Fat: 0
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Trans Fat: 0g
Sodium: 15mg
Total Carbohydrate: 27g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 27g
Protein: 0g
Vitamin A: 0%
Vitamin C: 0%
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 4%
Ingredients: ketchup, brown sugar, beer, chili sauce, onion, green pepper, natural smoked hickory flavoring, vinegar, natural fruit juices, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce(vinegar, molasses, high fructose corn syrup, anchovies, water, onions, salt, garlic, tamarind, cloves, natural flavorings, chili pepper extract), hot sauce, vegetable oil, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes.
This product contains fish.
No Preservatives. Shake well. Refrigerate After Opening.
Get 12 of the 18 ounce bottles
Type: Condiments & Sauces


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You Choose Savings Your Way
Oncor provides incentives to business owners who install approved energy efficiency measures, such as lighting and refrigeration equipment. Lime Energy (program implementer) first verifies savings by conducting an expert energy assessment. From there, all projects are approved by Oncor, including low-cost or no-cost options. Oncor's programs typically run from January through November on an annual basis.
Your business must be located in Oncor's service area. However, the following customers aren't eligible: Dallas, Tarrant, Rockwall, Denton and Collin County service areas who use 200kW or below.
To participate, schedule an energy assessment to qualify for future project incentives. Lime Energy will conduct the assessment and Oncor will approve the projects for incentives. You'll receive a proposal outlining your opportunities. You select the projects you'd like to have completed.
To get started, request your FREE, no-obligation energy assessment. Please complete the form on the right, or call 844.662.6789 and a member of the MainStreet Efficiency Program will contact you to schedule your appointment.
SEM (Search Engine)
Online Banner Ad
Energy Advisor
Word of Mouth


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Meet the team
Executive Committee Trustee Board Regional Officers Project Officers
In addition to regional officers, the SPA also recruits a number of other officers to work on specific projects.
Opportunities Officer – Abbie Cheeseman
Abbie created the Opportunities Officer role in 2018 to increase the amount of support that the Association can provide to individual journalists.
She was previously the London Officer for SPA whilst she was editor of Orbital Magazine at Royal Holloway. She also works alongside Jem, as a Director of Journo Resources.
Abbie is currently studying for her MA in Newspaper Journalism at City, University of London. She is hoping to move into a career in foreign affairs, with a particular interest in the Middle East.
You can find Abbie on Twitter.
Online Editor – Lucy Skoulding
Lucy is a journalist at financial publication, Accountancy Age and also freelances for Metro, Save the Student, Medium and others.
She has just completed training with the Press Association for her NCTJ qualification and she published her first book in June 2018.
Lucy has experience in print, online, and broadcast journalism and is involved in organisations like Women in Journalism, the Second Source, and Kettle Mag.


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Member countries of the European Union (EU) must adhere to strict EU regulations regarding airport facilities and security. The EU is lending financial support to those countries whose airports have not yet met those standards when joining the EU, and in turn those airports have benefited by a strong increase in passenger numbers and airlines.
Those countries who signed the Schengen Agreement ('Schengen Members') have agreed that their citizens can travel free between those countries without the need of a passport. There are also agreements in place regarding tax-free purchases at the Airport by its members. For this reason, Airport security & customs has to divide 'Schengen' and 'Non-Schengen' (foreign) travelers at the Airport. In some older airports, this process is more cumbersome, while newer airport already have this division in place. Foreign' travelers need a visa to enter a Schengen-area country.
The EEA (European Economic Area) combines the EU (European Union) and EFTA (European Trade Association) member countries.. Its purpose is the participation in the European Market trade and movement, without having to be a member of the EU countries. In part, Scandinavian countries apply to citizens from all EEA countries.
Those countries who signed the Schengen Agreement ('Schengen Members') have agreed that their citizens can travel free between those countries without the need of a passport. There are also agreements in place regarding tax-free purchases at the Airport by its members. For this reason, Airport security & customs has to divide 'Schengen' and 'Non-Schengen' (foreign) travelers at the Airport. In some older airports, this process is more cumbersome, while newer airport already have this division in place. Foreign' travelers need a visa to enter a Schengen-area country.
The EEA (European Economic Area) combines the EU (European Union) and EFTA (European Trade Association) member countries.. Its purpose is the participation in the European Market trade and movement, without having to be a member of the EU countries. In part, Scandinavian countries apply to citizens from all EEA countries.
EU - European Union
- Note that a 2010 EU regulation requires departing passengers to show their boarding card before passing through the security checkpoint. You can either print this card at the check-in counter, from a check-in machine, or from the internet; it is also available on your mobile phone, credit/debit card, or airline card.
- Members of EU: Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom.
- Candidate members of EU: Croatia, Iceland, Macedonia (formerly Yugo Rep.) and Turkey.
- Non-EU members: Albania, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine and Vatican City.
EU Rules for liquids & gels and duty-free purchases
- (a) You must present your liquids and gels separately from your hand baggage at the security checkpoint. The packages must fit comfortably in the transparent plastic bag and the bag must be sealed. Small metal items (loose change, mobile telephone, keys), coats, jackets and large electrical equipment, such as laptops, must be presented separately at hand baggage screening.
- (b) Duty-free and Tax-Free items purchased at the airport are permitted in your hand baggage. Liquids and gels will be packed in a specially sealed bag - when necessary - by the shop or on board. Remember that you must be able to prove that the liquids were purchased on the day you are flying. When you transfer, the seal on the bag containing your liquid Duty Free Tax Free purchases can only be broken en route to your final destination. If you made liquid Duty Free & Tax Free purchases in a non-EU country or on board a non-EU airline, they will be confiscated as soon as you transfer at an EU airport.
- EU Rules for tax-free shopping & VAT: Travelers residing in an EU country can purchase tax-free items after passing through the security line at the Airport and on board of European airlines. Fluids and gels will be sealed at place of purchase. This seal has a maximum validity of one day. When you are transferring at an airport it is not allowed to break the seal until you have reached your destination. All travelers residing in a non-EU country can obtain tax-free merchandise outside of EU airports. Traveler pays the VAT (tax) imposed on the purchase in the shop, and gets a refund of the VAT at the Airport prior to boarding. General restrictions are that traveler stays no more than 6 months when visiting the EU, and that purchases are made no longer than three months prior to export; only goods meant for personal use are eligible for the refund. Travelers must save the purchase receipts and visit Customs before leaving the EU to get a export validation stamp. Receipts can then be sent back to the retailers for a refund request. Also note that each EU country imposes a different VAT percentage which can be reclaimed, and has different minimum purchase amount restrictions.
- EU Rules for duty-free shopping If your destination is outside the EU, duty-free purchases can only be made before getting through the passport check. Duty-free shops are retail outlets not applying local or national taxes and duties. These outlets were abolished for travel within the EU, but are retained for travelers whose final destination is outside the EU. They also sell to intra-EU travelers but with appropriate taxes. (Some special member territories (i.e., Aland, Livgno & Canary Islands) are within the EU but outside the EU tax union, and thus still continue duty-free sales for all travelers.
Under the Schengen agreement, transiting from one country to another within the Schengen area is done without border controls. In fact, the Schengen visa makes it possible to visit all the countries in the Schengen area and to cross internal borders without further formalities.
- But be careful - the European Union and the Schengen area are two different zones!
- Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union, was just made a member of the Schengen countries, but could lose membership if it refuses to vote to deny Romanians and Bulgarians free access to the country.
- Schengen Members: Austria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden, Switzerland.Schengen members traveling within Schengen countries do not have to show a passport.
- Non-Schengen countries: Ireland, UK, Romania, Bulgaria, Cypress.
- Visa Requirements for foreign citizens: Under the Schengen regulations, citizens of most other countries need a valid visa to visit or transit any country in the Schengen area. (This includes all Caribbean Islands, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia in South America; all of Africa and most of Asia). Nationals of certain other countries must have travel insurance, but do not need a short-stay visa--Brazil or Argentina, for example. Those requirements might change. To be certain, the best sources of information will be your embassy, consulate or travel agent. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after your return.
- The following Countries have visa-free access to the Schengen states for 90 days within a 6-month period: Argetina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, Korea,Malaysia, New Zealand; Paraguay, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.
- Obtaining a Visa for the Schengen Area: Your visa will be supplied by the country through which you enter the Schengen area. In addition to your visa application, you need to present a number of documents to the embassy or consulate of the country you are visiting in the Schengen area:
- 1. Your Schengen visa application form (Use the standard Schengen visa application form and submit to the Consulate the required number of copies.
- 2. Your passport must be valid for three months after expiration date of the visa you are applying for.
- 3. You must submit documents stating not only the purpose of your trip but the conditions in which you are travelling as well. Those questions will be set out in the visa application form. Don't forget to provide the proofs with the application form (proof of transportation, reservations, invitation, or accommodation).
- 4. To obtain a visa, you will need travel insurance of at least 30,000 EUR to cover the costs of repatriation and emergency medical expenses. The AXA Schengen insurance policy, for instance, meets the requirements for obtaining a Schengen visa. The insurance certificate must be presented at the time of delivery of the visa.
EEA Members
Countries that belong to the EEA area: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Frce, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. Countries that are EEA member countries but NOT part of the European Union are: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein.


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Thank you to everyone in the community for the wonderful feedback on my blog post on what we are doing here at ActiveRain to improve the stability of our techology and Greg's Nino's great interview with me as CEO of ActiveRain. You have all made me feel incredibly welcome. Your words of encouragement via comments, blog posts, FaceBook, Twitter, email and, yes, voicemail and phone have been overwhelming and heart warming. Thank you.
A number of people (Missy, Jon, Jim, Ron, and Alexandra to name a few) have been asking, "OK, we understand what you are doing for ActiveRain right now. But where are you going? What is your vision?" or "We understand that technology stability is job #1, 2, and 3, but what are jobs 4 and 5?" These are great and natural questions.
At this point, I would just answer saying that technology is my focus BUT jobs 4 and 5 are to listen and learn.
It would be foolish for me to walk into ActiveRain (or any other company) and proclaim that I have any or all the answers, and that I have a bold and different vision for the future. I have also learned that the community, our customers, and our team here at ActiveRain know A LOT more than I do and more than I will about the core of ActiveRain.
SO, the near future is really ALL about listening closely and learning as much as I can.
What I am doing to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible? Here's a sample of what I am up to:
- I speak to 2-3 members of the community every day about what does ActiveRain mean to our customers, what does ActiveRain do well, and what we can do better. I am trying to talk to a good sampling of customers ranging from our long-time members to new RainMakers to customers thinking about cancelling. I am making great friends along the way.
- I am on our customer service phone queues. Today I spoke with Cheryl Kitsch in Katy, Texas. Cheryl had copied some pictures from the Houston MLS (HAR) into her blog. She had then deleted some table HTML from the blog post which then caused apparent chaos on the rest of her blog. We went back and forth looking for a fix (I am no HTML guru). We ended up deleting the post with the pictures and her blog when back to normal.
- I am on our sales queues. I will randomly pick up the phone to either speak to members calling in to upgrade to a RainMaker subscription and I will call out to new members to speak to them about RainMaker. Like Sharon Harkness and her technology coordinator Melinda Branch from Champaign, IL.
- We are launching our first customer survey. In the five year history of ActiveRain, tomorrow Tuesday May 17 represents our first customer survey. Click here to take the survey. It will be emailed out to all members who have registered for ActiveRain. We will keep everyone posted on what we learn.
- I am meeting as many customers as I can. I will be at RainCamp in Dallas and plan to attend others in the future as well. I like to watch our customers use our products. I will be doing some other things in the community which I am keeping under my hat for now.
- I launched a Collage Competition for the month of May on ActiveRain. Some have questioned the Collage Competition as silly, but here's my thinking. There are many things in life and business that can be counted and analyzed. But what ActiveRain means to our community and members is FAR better visualized. My goal is to really understand what the "promise" of ActiveRain is to our community. Below are some examples that have already been posted and submitted (randomly picked). They are amazing and really help me get my hands around the true meaning of ActiveRain and WHY we are different from WordPress and the rest of personality-less blogging platforms. If there is one thing I have learned, ActiveRain has A LOT of personality. I am extremely proud of all of the collages that have been submitted. Please keep them coming. Two more weeks!
- I am using ActiveRain A LOT - the great, the good, the bad, the ugly. I am reading ActiveRain as much as I can. I am blogging as much as I can (and saving often). I am attending all of Steven Graham's seminars on ActiveRain. I am uploading pictures and having many of the challenges others have.
At some point in the future, I will be able to talk openly and coherently about the future direction of ActiveRain. But not today. The company and community are amazing. Just like the technology, I need to build a strong foundation here on ActiveRain for myself before I can credibily think about the future.
As always, I would love to hear from you via email, phone (206 470 2908), telegraph, Twitter, Skype, pony express, mail... what other ways can we be in touch?