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Last updated: September 11, 2015
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Video about the Dutch Safety Board's investigation into the causes of the crash of flight MH17 on 17 July 2014 in the eastern part of Ukraine and the Board's investigation into flying over conflict zones. The video was based on the Dutch Safety Board's investigation reports, which were published on 13 October 2015.
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I have a bike riding buddy who is a true Artisan. He handcarves unique works of art with wood. He needed a way to get his work on Google and I needed more practice with PC programming. So I would appreciate any comments. He also carves everyday pieces upon request.
Click on the print of Grande Robe du Soir or the picture of Pumpkin Hollow and a page dedicated to it will display. Click on underlined 'Earlier Carvings' and a page with more carvings will display. I will have more dedicated pages later. I am also researching a method of zooming so that carving detail can be shown.
The website is http://www.carvingsbyralph.comeze.com/c ... ralph.html .
I thought you might enjoy seeing what has kept me away from the forum for the past week.
Visit this site that I have created for a friend.
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Campfire S'mores Grill Basket
Smores Kit, Open Fire Cooking Tool
No more mess! Prepare the popular campfire treat with Greenjet S'mores grill basket in a safe and effortless way. Put ingredients like crackers, chocolate, marshmallow and anything you would like to add to your s'mores in this campfire s'mores basket. The locking ring design can prevent food from dropping into the fire while toasting. The campfire s'mores basket is made of durable chrome finished wire, which is designed for use over the fire. Bring our grill basket along on your next outdoor adventures to enjoy the fun and deliciousness of S'mores.
Greenjet smores kit makes it easy to warm the graham crackers and melt the marshmallow as well as chocolate. Designed as open fire cooking tool, its long handle helps people stand in a proper distance from the heat while its grill grate with delicious desserts are roasting over the fire.
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- Effortlessly makes up to three yummy S'mores at a time.
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Bringing shelves home can somewhat save your chaotic life, but moving the heavy shelves may cause another problem. Don't worry! Our cart can help you out.Read More
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Start Programming With The Electron - Original Guide
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Start Programming With The Electron - Original Programming Guide for the Acorn Electron
Original programming manual which shipped with the Acorn Electron.
In good condition with no significant marks or tears.
If you can't find the spares you need in the shop, check our website where many more items are available.
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Ruth and I first visited Ramón Bilbao just as tourists in 2014, when visiting Haro the first time. In 2018, by random allocation, we were back at the bodega on the outskirts of Haro for dinner on the Friday evening of the IMW Symposium, along with 16 other guests (around 20 bodegas were hosting the 450 delegates in separate groups). We noticed immediately that the winery had undergone a reworking, with a revamped reception and enlarged visitor centre.
In 2018, we were hosted by Rodolfo Bastida, Chief Winemaker and for the Zamora Company, the current owners of Ramón Bilbao, along with Rías Baixas and Rueda wineries. He was joined by Alberto Saldón, their Wine Innovation and Communications manager.
We had an interesting structured tasting of barrel samples to understand the work they are doing to explore altitude as a counterbalance for climate change, followed by an excellently cooked dinner by their chef and catering team.
Their food deserves a specific mention for its matching and its cleverness. As pre-dinner canapés with Lalomba Rosato, we had simulations of different parts of the vineyard and vine. Here, what looks like vine canes is, in fact, black olive flavoured sticks of light pastry:
A few weeks later, I was invited to join Rodolfo again in London, as part of a structured tasting for the press at the Tate Modern, showcasing not only their top Riojas, but also the experiments they are doing with maturation vessels at their recently planted Rueda estate, Finca Las Amedias. That was followed by admission to the Tate's new Picasso exhibition:
This profile is a combination of these various visits, including tasting notes from the range of Rioja and Rueda wines encountered then.
As an aside, it was another opportunity to compare how consistently I evaluated these wines, when they overlapped between separate occasions. I'm glad that this was generally high (Gran Reserva 2010 17.5 and 17.5+; Mirto 1999 17 and 17+; Rueda Lias 2016 16.5 and 16.5), albeit with some differences with assessing Mirto 2012 (16 and 17 / 20).
Overall, my key impressions of Ramón Bilbao are:
- Modern style: the Riojas have certainly switched to the 'modern' idiom after 1999, with riper fruit and ABV, more new French oak, and higher tannin extraction – especially with the Mirto wines
- Gran Reserva quality: nevertheless, the Gran Reservas retain a touch of classicism and carry an elegance and particularly a restraint of tannins that I prefer to Mirto – though the 1999 Mirto shows that this can and will integrate both tannins and oak
- Innovation: there is a clear intent to test and learn, from maturation vessels to altitude to vineyard practices, suggesting a likely future path with continuous change
- Tannin extraction: with modernity comes firmer tannins, both from longer maceration and extraction, and from more new oak, particularly French. In some cases, that may be too much, especially as the 'new wave' of Riojas pare-down oak to show the vineyard and elevate an alternative style
- 2010 Rioja vintage quality: more reinforcement that 2010 is a great Rioja vintage, shown by both the Gran Reserva and Mirto having lovely balance of dense flavour, but with fine, ripe tannins and refreshing acidity
- Rueda to watch: the young vine cuvées show promise, especially with an affinity for Hungarian oak. As these age, their complexity and longevity should develop, suggesting a fine future
Ramón Bilbao was founded 1924 in Haro, capital of Rioja Alta. After sale by Ramón Bilbao's widow to another family, the company was acquired In 1999, by Zamora Company, better known for owning Licór 43 (Cuarenta y Trés). This was as part of diversification strategy by Zamora.
Rodolfo joined then as Chief Winemaker. At that time, styles of wine in Rioja were changing, with Vinos de Autor and other trends that defined the 'modern' style. Ramón Bilbao also moved in that direction, from classical Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, to more modern profiles especially with the launch of Mirta in 1999, shown below with its distinctly modern-style packaging design – unchanged since 1999:
At that stage and onwards, Zamora also invested in new vineyards and winery technology. 2016 saw the purchase of Finca Las Amedias to establish their own Rueda estate and winery.
The current Ramón Bilbao brand strategy is to be the leader in the Rioja category in Spain (65% of sales are domestic), with particular strength in the on-trade. They see 3 drivers to achieve this:
- Fruit: important to have this first, with oak only as a guarantee of longevity
- Freshness: keeping acidity, even with a riper 'modern' style
- Rioja Alta: express the district's elegant profile
As much as their style has modernised, which was clear from tasting a range of wines, this brand position is led by their Crianza which represents 70% of their total 4m bottle production and sales. For the domestic market, this spends longer in American oak to meet expectations of a more traditional style. For export, whose principal markets are the US, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands and more recently Mexico, more fruit is desired, so ageing is shorter.
The upgrade of the visitor centre is a contribution to the brand's positioning. Wine tourism has apparently been growing in Spain, especially in the traditional regions of Jerez and Rioja. Ramón Bilbao were receiving 12,000 visitors a year (which makes for an interesting comparison with El Fabulista in Laguardia), so invested to ensure a high-quality experience for consumers. As they are competing for visitors with 15 other bodegas in Haro (and are not in the famous Barrio de la Estación district) they needed to offer the best experience, which includes virtual reality.
They now employ 6 full-time tour guides to ensure tours are typically for 15 people and maximum 25, with a view to building strong consumer connections to the brand and transform them into ambassadors. Most are from Spain, especially Northern Spain and the Basque country, plus Madrid, but 22-23% are from outside Spain.
In the Vineyard
Ramón Bilbao have 4 vineyards in Rioja Alta, with 2 vineyards in Rioja Oriental. These total 180Ha, providing 30% of grape requirements, with 200Ha under long-term (10+ year) leases that are farmed by Ramón Bilbao. As a result of plot fragmentation, acquiring sufficient vineyards to cover all their production needs is very difficult.
Over 2 generations, harvest dates have moved forward by 1 month because of climate change. As a result, avoiding leaf-plucking and re-orientating rows from North-South to East-West are both being done to reduce Sun exposure and moderate ripening rates. But above all, Ramón Bilbao are looking increasingly to higher-altitude, mountain vineyards to seek more freshness at phenolic ripeness, through lower pH. As a side-benefit, this also means lower SO2 needed to yield the same required molecular SO2 to protect the wine.
Growing temperatures are up to 5°C different in Lalomba, Rioja Alta at 720m or Villalba at 650m vs. Alfaro in Rioja Oriental at 260m, yielding better phenolic ripeness at lower sugar content. Moreover, diurnal temperature ranges are up to 15°C, especially in September and October for harvest time. Aspect can be added to this, as mountain ranges to both North and South can give South and North-facing aspects at similar (650m) altitude in 2 of Ramón Bilbao's vineyards.
Further, UV intensity at 750m is +12% vs sea level and +8% vs. 250m altitude, giving thicker, darker-coloured skins. Additionally, the prevailing North Westerly winds that funnel down the Ebro valley from the Bay of Biscay are stronger at higher altitude again ventilating and cooling the grapes, as well as encouraging thicker skins.
Finally, soil composition is rockier, with far less sand and clay that are washed down into valleys. Coupled with necessarily smaller parcel sizes, these will drive different viticultural practices as well as changes in vinification – such as smaller vats for smaller plot vinification and pre-fermentation macerations over post-fermentation to manage tannins.
Higher altitude Tempranillo gives more floral and red fruit character, while Garnacha gives more tannins and colour, with more jelly fruit character.
Other viticultural enhancements include using aerial colour photography and other techniques to facilitate precision agriculture, particularly for grape maturation and harvest timing, but also for vigour management.
In the Winery
Fermentations are now kept separate by parcel and variety, with picking done by village area and fermentations kept separate, village-by-village – typically in tronconic-shaped, temperature controlled vats. Total maceration times are longer, including pre-fermentation maceration. Wines have more body and volume. New processes such as small, French oak vat fermentation and use of delestage for special wines have been added. No filtration or clarification now take place.
They are also testing small concrete vats, paying attention to the sand and stones being used to make the vats. These are unlined, to allow some oxygen exchange during fermentation. Their research extends to yeasts, isolating strains to understand how to give more personality to the wines, particularly the Rueda and Rías Baixas whites, but also for the Rioja red wines.
In maturation, ageing periods are extended, but using more oxygen through racking, French oak and new oak are both now in greater proportions, with total barrel stock being around 60% American and 40% French oak. Combined with riper, richer fruit, this delivers the 'modern' style.
When we visited in 2014, these were kept in separate cellars, which made a fascinating point in the visit: upstairs, the American oak cellar smelled of vanilla-cream and coconut, while the downstairs French oak cellar was cinnamon and clove dominated; a useful sensory education!
Ramón Bilbao partnered with another company in 2007 to make Rueda, but in 2014 decided they needed to make their own wines with their own winery. Rueda is a 700-800m plateau of 13,000Ha with an extreme continental climate and poor, stony soils.
In the Vineyard
Ramón Bilbao bought 60Ha and spent 2 years researching the soils across the different parcels in Finca Las Amedias, before planting. There were a small number of old vines already planted, but the majority of plantings are virgin. 77 soil pits were dug, and data gathered on water levels, water retention etc.
Soil types were mixtures with and without calcium carbonate; sandy and stony. Sauvignon Blanc was planted in the more sedimentary area to the East of the bodega with more water retention, with Verdejo in the sandier, stonier soils with more drainage to the West. The new vines will be 3 years old in 2018 and start commercial production.
In the Winery
The new winery has been built with capacity to make the wines in concrete, large oak foudres, small barrels (French, American and Hungarian) and stainless steel. Stainless steel is easy for temperature control and hygiene. Concrete adds oxygen which can open aromatics. Foudres also add oxygen, but flavour too. Wines are made by Sara Bañuelos, the dedicated winemaker for the Rueda estate.
Symposium Bodega visit masterclass wines
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Ábalos vineyard Tempranillo 2016 [barrel sample] (17.5 / 20)
100% Tempranillo from 27Ha at 700m on South side of Sierra de Cantabria, with sandy, decomposed sandstone soils, planted in 1930. Fermented in French oak vats. 10 months in new 225L French oak. pH 3.46, <2 g/L RS, 14.2% ABV.
A: Deep black-purple, with a fairly narrow rim
N: Smoky, stony tones. Floral violet and liquorice overtones. Mulberry fruit. Chocolate-cinnamon
P: Precise. Bright, polished chocolate and blue fruit. Floral. Firm, fairly fine tannins. Decent length
Ramón Bilbao Rioja La Pedriza vineyard Tudelilla Garnacha 2016 [barrel sample] (17+ / 20)
100% Garnacha from North-facing 10Ha at 650-700m in a Mediterranean mountain clearing, with stony soils, planted in 1969. Fermented in French oak vats. 8 months in new 225L French oak. pH 3.35, <2 g/L RS, 14.35% ABV.
A: Deep ruby
N: Mocha oak. Stewed raspberries. Spice. Meat. Savoury. Dusty rock. Some balsamic
P: Juicy, fresh, red and black cherry. Moderately firm, furry tannins. Decent length
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Villalba vineyard Tempranillo 2016 [barrel sample] (16.5 / 20)
100% Tempranillo from 13Ha at 650m on South side of Sierra de Cantabria, with sandy, decomposed sandstone soils, planted in 1942. Fermented in French oak vats. 6 months in new 225L French oak. pH 3.44, <2 g/L RS, 14% ABV.
A: Deep purple
N: Mocha, bramble, richer darker fruit. Cinnamon
P: Sweet, black fruit with a sour undertow. Firm, fine tannins. Juicy. Some chocolate at the medium-long finish
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Monte Yerga vineyard Sector A Tempranillo 2016 [barrel sample] (16.5++ / 20)
100% Tempranillo from 5.4Ha at 520m, with conglomerate soils containing 47% sand, 35% limestone and 18% clay, and low organic matter. Sector A planted in 1974 to Garnacha and Tempranillo – first plot on the estate, with lowest aeration. Tempranillo harvested at 4.1t / Ha, then fermented in concrete vats. 7 months in new 225L French oak. pH 3.39, <2 g/L RS, 14.3% ABV.
A: Mid-deep purple
N: Nutty, papery oak. Dusty and rocky. Muted blackberry fruit
P: Rich, sweet blackcurrant – almost pastille fruit. Bright acidity. Fairly firm, slightly drying tannins. Dark fruit
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Monte Yerga vineyard Sector D Tempranillo 225L 2016 [barrel sample] (16.5 / 20)
100% Tempranillo from 19Ha at 540m, with conglomerate soils containing 44% sand, 40% limestone (with high active lime content) and 16% clay, and low organic matter. Sector D planted in 1978 to Tempranillo, with good water retention. Tempranillo harvested at 4t / Ha, then fermented in concrete vats. 11 months in new 225L French oak. pH 3.46, <2 g/L RS, 14.45% ABV.
A: Deep purple
N: Woody oak. Toasty cedar develops. Dense and closed. Crushed rock and cordite
P: Ripe, but pure and bright raspberry and blackberry. Brisk acidity. Chewy, wild, firm tannins
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Monte Yerga vineyard Sector D Tempranillo 112L 2016 [barrel sample] (16 / 20)
Same fruit as Sector D Tempranillo 225L above, but 11 months in new, half-barrique 112L French oak. MLF in barrel. pH 3.46, <2 g/L RS, 14.45% ABV.
A: Deep purple, with a narrow rim
N: Muted, papery, cocoa oak. Coaxed out some dried herb. Vanilla
P: Dense, ripe blackberry fruit. Firm to high, powerfully-chalky tannins – gum puckeringly dry. Fair length. Needs a lot of time!
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Monte Yerga Ladero vineyard Tempranillo 500L 2016 [barrel sample] (16.5+ / 20)
100% Tempranillo from 6Ha on a steep slope at 720m, with conglomerate soils containing 63% sand, 22% limestone and 15% clay, and low organic matter. Planted in 1988 to Tempranillo, with low productivity. Tempranillo harvested at 3.2t / Ha, then fermented in concrete vats. 9 months in new 500L French oak. pH 3.37, <2 g/L RS, 14.4% ABV.
A: Deep purple
N: Some rose floral notes, then nutty, vanilla oak. Cordite. Black cherry fruit
P: Plush, black cherry. Some spice. Toasty oak. Elderberry. Firm, chalky tannins. Long
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Monte Yerga Ladero vineyard Tempranillo 225L 2016 [barrel sample] (17+ / 20)
Same fruit as Ladero Tempranillo 500L above. 9 months in new 225L French oak. pH 3.37, <2 g/L RS, 14.4% ABV.
A: Deep black-purple, with a narrow rim
N: Garrigue herb and black pepper. Smoky. Rocky-stony minerality
P: Spiced. Chewy, firm tannins. Blackberry. Smoky-salty
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Monte Yerga Lalomba vineyard Sector G Garnacha [barrel sample] (15.5+ / 20)
100% Garnacha from 7Ha at 556-600m, with conglomerate soils containing 50% sand, 35% limestone (but very low active lime) and 15% clay, and low organic matter. Planted in 1988 to Tempranillo and Garnacha, with higher water stress. Garnacha harvested at 4.2t / Ha, then fermented in concrete vats. 8 months in new 225L French oak. pH 3.23, <2 g/L RS, 14.6% ABV.
A: Deep purple
N: Some rose floral notes, then nutty, vanilla oak. Cordite. Black cherry fruit
P: Plush, black cherry. Some spice. Toasty oak. Elderberry. Firm, chalky tannins. Long
Aperitif and dinner wines
Ramón Bilbao Lalomba Rioja Rosado 2017 (16 / 20)
Magnum. Served as an aperitif for welcome and visit, before masterclass. 90% Garnacha, 10% Viura. <2 g/L RS. Made to be a traditional style Rioja rosé for gastronomy.
A: Pale onion skin-amber
N: Toasty wild yeast-style nuttiness. Savoury. Some peachy, strawberry fruit
P: Brisk acidity. Rich body. Strawberry, spice and cream. Some salinity and flint. Medium-long length
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Mirto 1999 (17 / 20)
First vintage.
A: Deep black-garnet
N: Balsamic, ripe red and black cherry. Tobacco. Spicy oak, but balanced. Still fairly youthful
P: Still firm, but ripe tannins and balanced acidity. Some velvety fruit. Balsamic. Long
Ramón Bilbao Rueda Verdejo Lías Edición Limitada 2016 (16.5 / 20)
Concrete then Hungarian oak maturation, followed by assemblage in French oak foudres.
A: Pale gold
N: Pungent stone fruit and cream. Spice. Nutty
P: Brisk acidity. Earthy-pungent fruit. Nutty oak. Gooseberry and tropical fruit. Toasty oak. Medium-long
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva 2010 (17.5 / 20)
90% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano. American oak maturation.
A: Deep ruby-garnet
N: Clove vanilla, balsam and spice. Rich red and black fruit. Tobacco. Mellow
P: Fresh, bright, balsamic cherry. Spicy oak. Balance and length
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Mirto 2012 (17 / 20)
100% Tempranillo. Same village as 1999. 70 year old vines. Bunch selection. Medium toast barrels, matched to the lightness or richness of the vintage.
A: Deep black ruby-purple
N: Clove oak. Cinnamon. Some violets. Dark, ripe cherry. Dense. Young
P: Juicy blue and raspberry. Spicy clove. Ripe, moderately firm tannins. Nutty finish with decent length
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva 1982 (17- / 20)
Mainly Tempranillo, with 10-15% Viura, and Garnacha and Graciano. Just 12% ABV.
A: Deep garnet with a brick rim
N: Truffle, black tea and walnut. Fully mature
P: Old leather, toast, spice and cigar box. Long, toasty-spice finish
Tate Modern Masterclass wines
Ramón Bilbao Rueda Verdejo 2017 (15.5 / 20)
From 40Ha owned vineyard, planted 2015 and a contracted, controlled 60Ha, gravelly vineyard at 770m. pH 3.3, <2 g/L RS, 12.5% ABV. Stainless steel fermentation. 3 months on lees.
A: Pale lemon
N: Some boxwood pungency and fresh leaves, but notable guava and cream.
P: Rounded lees body. Dry. Guava. Fennel herb tones. Salty tang. Fair length
Ramón Bilbao Rueda Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (16.5 / 20)
From 20Ha owned vineyard, planted 2015. Sandy-gravel at 770m. 1/3 each stainless steel, foudres and concrete. 6 months on lees. Believes the style is more like Graves. pH 3.25, <2 g/L RS, 13% ABV. 10% of vines in the region are now Sauvignon Blanc, but only 3% labelled as such.
A: Pale lemon
N: Nutty boxwood. Grass and kiwi fruit. Toasty lees tones. Spicy-savoury
P: Crisp, linear, lemon-lime acidity. Some spice and nut. Saline notes with plenty of character. Fair length
Ramón Bilbao Verdejo Foudre 2017 (16 / 20)
5Ha, owned gravel plot, planted in 1999. 2nd use foudres, so still giving oak aromatics. 6 months on lees. pH 3.23, <2 g/L RS, 13% ABV.
A: Pale lemon-gold
N: Vanilla-guava aromatics. Some passionfruit. Some boxwood or dried herb tones emerge
P: Clear, brisk acidity. Guava and kiwi, with grapefruit acidity. Some vanilla cream at the finish. Good length
Ramón Bilbao Verdejo Concrete 2017 (15.5+ / 20)
5Ha, owned gravel plot, planted in 1999. Fermentation and 8 months' ageing in 4,100L tulip-shaped concrete vats. pH 3.23, <2 g/L RS, 13.1% ABV.
A: Pale lemon
N: More closed, nutty-toasty. More flint. Some cucumber skin and fennel herb
P: Savoury, spicy, green apple and lime. Flinty. Linear
Ramón Bilbao Verdejo French Oak 2017 (15.5+ / 20)
5Ha, owned gravel plot, planted in 1999. Fermentation in concrete then 8 months' ageing in new French oak barriques. pH 3.2, <2 g/L RS, 13% ABV.
A: Pale gold
N: Marked vanilla-cinnamon. Clove. Stone fruit and grapefruit. Dusty. Some guava
P: Rich, dense. Spicy oak mid-palate. Very oak dominant. Creamy finish over citrus and stone fruit. Medium-long length
Ramón Bilbao Verdejo Hungarian Oak 2017 (17 / 20)
5Ha, owned gravel plot, planted in 1999. Fermentation in concrete then 8 months' ageing in new Hungarian oak barriques. pH 3.2, <2 g/L RS, 13% ABV. Rodolfo believes that Hungarian oak and concrete vats are likely to be the future for Verdejo production.
A: Pale-medium lemon-gold
N: Toasted almond oak and sandalwood. Boxwood sweat tones. Mirabelle and some guava tones over cooked citrus. Complex and interesting
P: Some tannic grip. Spicy tones to ripe lemon citrus and mirabelle. Complex and inviting. Some clove, pepper spice and sandalwood. Long
Ramón Bilbao Rueda Verdejo Lías Edición Limitada 2017 [cask sample] (16.5 / 20)
Assemblage of Verdejo planted in 1999. Concrete fermentation then 8 months in French and Hungarian oak, on lees. pH 3.22, <2 g/L RS, 13.8% ABV.
A: Pale-medium lemon
N: Restrained, dusty fennel-touched guava. Toasted almond tones, which are well integrated. Plenty of nutty oak. Sandalwood
P: Some saltiness. Boxwood pungency, sandalwood spice. Rich lees. Guava and ripe grapefruit. Warming, spiced finish
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Reserva 1981 (17 / 20)
Excellent vintage for the region. 73% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo, 2% Graciano, 5% Viura (permitted until 1999). Viura co-fermented. Concrete vat fermentation then 20 days skin maceration. 42 months in American oak. pH 3.35, 12% ABV.
A: Medium brick-garnet with a medium brick rim
N: Black tea, truffle, balsamic. Pot pourri tones to dried red cherry. Toasted coconut and cinnamon background tones with a touch of vanilla. Complex and mature, but still with some fruit freshness
P: Brisk, dried red cherry and balsamic. Spiced, toasted vanilla oak. Some tea and truffle tones. Light, fine tannins. Fairly long and creamy-toasty finish
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva 1991 (17.5 / 20)
Very good vintage for the region. Mainly Sierra de Cantabria fruit. 80% Tempranillo, 7% Garnacha, 6% Mazuelo, 4% Graciano, 3% Viura. 39 months in American oak. pH 3.45, 12.5% ABV.
A: Mid garnet, with some brick touches at the rim
N: Some vegetal hints, like dried seaweed. Dried tobacco. Lots of balsamic. Dried liquorice. Some prune and blood notes
P: Bright acidity. Chocolate tones. Some saltiness. Balsamic-laced dried red and black cherry. Spicy mid-palate. Rich. Long, toasted finish
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva 1999 (17.5 / 20)
90% Tempranillo, 7% Mazuelo, 3% Graciano. 36 months in American oak. 5.7 g/L TA, <2 g/L RS, 13% ABV. 80,000 bottles produced.
A: Mid-deep garnet
N: Earthy richness to balsamic, coffee and some toasted coconut. Marked dried and macerated red cherry and blackberry fruit
P: Ripe, rich red cherry and dried blackberry fruit. Chocolate tones to balsamic, cinnamon and vanilla oak. Moderate, fine-grained tannins. Decent freshness and length
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Mirto 1999 (17+ / 20)
Single village, single fermentation vat from Villalba at 650m, planted 1942 and 2005. 13Ha at <2t / Ha to fill 18kL vat. 100% Tempranillo. Fermentation in French oak vats, followed by MLF in 50 new French oak barriques of M and M+ toast, from Seguin Moreau and Radoux, with batonnage. 6.6 g/L TA, 2.2 g/L RS, 13.7% ABV. 14,404 bottles and 620 magnums produced.
A: Deep black-ruby with some garnet through the rim; surprisingly youthful
N: Markedly toasty, spicy clove oak. Cordite. Tobacco and dark chocolate. Coal smoke. Macerated black fruit. Rich. Deep. Modern, for sure
P: Rich and full-bodied. Blue and black fruit. Chewy, dense, firm but fine tannins. Becoming velvety but certainly fully-extracted. Clove and cordite length
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva 2004 (16.5+ / 20)
Excellent vintage throughout Rioja. Vineyards in Briones and Abalos at 450-700m. 55-60 year old vines. 90% Tempranillo, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano. 2 days cold maceration. Short, 8-day fermentation, followed by 9 days' maceration on skins. 36 months in Ohio and Missouri American oak, from Martin and Demptos coopers. 5.5 g/L TA, 2.1 g/L RS, 14% ABV. 115,000 bottles produced.
A: Mid-deep ruby-garnet
N: Slightly jammy raspberry fruit. Caramel and clove. Some toasted coconut. Some tobacco tones
P: Ripe but sour cherry. Chalky, firm tannins. Some balsamic and chocolate. Like chocolate covered cherries. Creamy oak finish
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Mirto 2004 (17+ / 20)
100% Tempranillo from 27Ha vineyard in Abalos at 700m altitude, planted 1930 and 2002. Fermentation in French oak vats. MLF in 124 new French oak, M and M+ toast barriques from Seguin Moreau and Radoux, followed by 24 months' ageing. 5.6 g/L TA, 2 g/L RS, 13.6% ABV. 36,000 bottles and 620 magnums produced.
A: Deep ruby-black
N: Closed. Cordite and spice. Smoky fruit. Cinnamon emerges. Black fruit with some seaweed
P: Sour balsamic tones to black cherry. Spice. Chalky, firm tannins. Rich. Ripe. Cinnamon finish
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva 2010 (17.5+ / 20)
Vineyards in Briones and Abalos at 450-700m. 55-60 year old vines. 90% Tempranillo, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano. 2 days cold maceration. Short, 8-day fermentation, followed by 9 days' maceration on skins. 36 months in Ohio and Missouri American oak, from Martin and Demptos coopers. 5.3 g/L TA, 2 g/L RS, 14% ABV. 115,000 bottles produced. Current release in UK at £22.50 / bottle.
A: Mid-deep ruby
N: Toasted cocoa nibs. Clove. Ripe bramble fruit. Some tobacco hints. Rich, but with some balance between fruit ripeness and oak density
P: Sweet, black cherry fruit. Clove and dark chocolate oak. Spicy mid-palate. Firm, slightly chalky oak tannins. Mouthcoating. Lots of spice through the finish. Good length. Needs time
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Mirto 2010 (17++ / 20)
100% Tempranillo from 27Ha vineyard in Abalos at 700m altitude, planted 1930 and 2002. Fermentation in French oak vats. MLF in 124 new French oak, M and M+ toast barriques from Seguin Moreau and Radoux, followed by 24 months' ageing. 5.8 g/L TA, 2 g/L RS, 13.8% ABV. 36,000 bottles and 620 magnums produced. 2012 is current release, at £39.50 / bottle in UK.
A: Deep ruby
N: Vanilla cream and cordite. Toast. Oak dominant. Raspberry and red cherry. Ripe and dense, but not overripe
P: Raspberry and mixed berries. Juicy acidity. Spiced cordite and cinnamon-clove. Chewy, but not over-extracted, fairly firm, peppery tannins. Needs time, but is showing some grace already. Long
Lunch wines
Ramón Bilbao Rueda Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (16 / 20)
Deliberately served cooler than in the tasting.
A: Pale lemon
N: Slight reductive swimming pool note that becomes sweaty. Cucumber skin, lees vegetal tones. Nutty with some citrus
P: Brisk acidity. Cheesy touch. Lees creaminess. Kiwi and grapefruit. Fair length
Ramón Bilbao Rueda Verdejo Lías Edición Limitada 2016 (16.5 / 20)
Current release.
A: Pale-medium lemon
N: Nutty-creamy oak notes. Some herbal character. Guava tones and grapefruit. Nutty
P: Medium-full body. Creamy. Sweet guava and melon with a citrus undertow. Toasty, creamy vanilla. Some oak clove tones. Medium-long finish
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Viñedos de Altura 2015 (16.5+ / 20)
First commercial wine made with grapes all from vineyards over 600m in altitude. 50% Tempranillo and 50% Garnacha. French oak vat fermentation followed by 14 months in new French oak.
A: Deep ruby
N: Dense bramble berry. Some jammy tones. Lifted cinnamon-vanilla. Toasty oak. Coffee-cacao
P: Ripe, bright black and red cherry. Coffee and cacao spice. Slightly wild, rustic, fairly-firm tannins. Spicy. Slightly warming alcohol (>14% ABV?). Vanilla cream finish. Good length
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Edición Limitada 2015 (16.5 / 20)
A: Deep ruby with a narrow rim
N: Deep clove-cordite spiced oak. Plum. Black cherry. Ripe. Modern style
P: Rich. Full-bodied. Black cherry. Spice and cordite. Chalky, moderately-firm tannins. Moderately long. Some tobacco and balsamic development. Warming finish
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Mirto 2012 (16 / 20)
100% Tempranillo. French oak vat fermentation. 2 years in new French oak barriques without racking. 2012 is current release, at £39.50 / bottle in UK.
A: Deep black-ruby
N: Cedar and cinnamon. Dark chocolate and clove. Ripe and focused black cherry
P: Juicy acidity. Spice. Vanilla. Black cherry. Medium-firm, peppery tannins. Clove finish. Fairly long. Not quite got the density
Tasted at the Bodega, 2014
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Crianza 2011 (?? / 20)
A: Mid-deep ruby, with purple rim glints
N: Smoky-vegetal. Spicy oak hints over redcurrant and raspberry fruit
P: Bright acidity. Crisp red fruit. Slightly under-ripe savouriness. Hint of herbal or liquorice notes over gravelly mineral
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Reserva 2008 (?? / 20)
90% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano.
A: Medium ruby with a slight garnet tinge
N: Riper fruit than the Crianza. More blackberry and black cherry character. More overt mocha and vanilla touches. Still a bit lean
P: Sweet, ripe, red cherry fruit. Crisp acidity. Ripe, subtle, chalky tannins. Crisp but rich. Minerality and spicy oak
Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva 2006 (?? / 20)
90% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo, 5% Graciano.
A: Deep ruby
N: Mocha and hints of wax. Chilli and wood spice. Espresso. Hints of black fruit beneath
P: Supple, ripe, cranberry and black cherry. Smoky oak spice. Quite bright acidity. Spicy, peppery, medium tannins. Quite long. Youthful, but a little under-ripe?


text:
Antitrust: Commission initiates formal investigations against Microsoft in two cases of suspected abuse of dominant market position
The European Commission has decided to initiate two formal antitrust investigations against Microsoft Corp concerning two separate categories of alleged infringements of EC Treaty rules on abuse of a dominant market position (Article 82). The first case where proceedings have been opened is in the field of interoperability in relation to a complaint by the European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS). The second area where proceedings have been opened is in the field of tying of separate software products following inter alia a complaint by Opera.
As regards interoperability, in its Microsoft judgment of 17 September 2007, the Court of First Instance confirmed the principles that must be respected by dominant companies as regards interoperability disclosures. In the complaint by ECIS, Microsoft is alleged to have illegally refused to disclose interoperability information across a broad range of products, including information related to its Office suite, a number of its server products, and also in relation to the so called .NET Framework. The Commission's examination will therefore focus on all these areas, including the question whether Microsoft's new file format Office Open XML, as implemented in Office, is sufficiently interoperable with competitors' products.
As for the tying of separate software products, in its Microsoft judgment of 17 September 2007, the Court of First Instance confirmed the principles that must be respected by dominant companies. In a complaint by Opera, a competing browser vendor, Microsoft is alleged to have engaged in illegal tying of its Internet Explorer product to its dominant Windows operating system. The complaint alleges that there is ongoing competitive harm from Microsoft's practices, in particular in view of new proprietary technologies that Microsoft has allegedly introduced in its browser that would reduce compatibility with open internet standards, and therefore hinder competition. In addition, allegations of tying of other separate software products by Microsoft, including desktop search and Windows Live have been brought to the Commission's attention. The Commission's investigation will therefore focus on allegations that a range of products have been unlawfully tied to sales of Microsoft's dominant operating system.
Monday, January 14, 2008
EU - MS antitrust
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text:
The original Mega Man cartoon show featured characters from the games, as well as other characters used for the show's plotline. In this series, Proto Man is a minion of Dr. Wily.
Note: Characters who did not appear in any of the Mega Man video games are located in the article Other characters (Cartoon series). Most key Robot Masters would appear in only one to five episodes. Cut Man, Guts Man and Proto Man are the only non-key Robot Masters who appeared in all twenty-seven episodes.
Mega Man
"The super hero of the 21st Century."
The main hero, Mega Man was created as Rock along with his twin sister robot Roll after Proto Man was stolen by Dr. Wily in a jealous rage.
After Rock saved himself and his sister from Dr. Wily's clutches, Dr. Light decided that the threat from Wily was too grave to underestimate and rebuilt Rock into a robot warrior and renamed him Mega Man. With his mixture of conscience, compassion and self-determination along with his unique weapon copy system, Mega Man has a clear edge over other robots.
Ever since this war with Wily began, he has been at odds with his brother Proto Man. As much as he dislikes his older brother, he wishes that he was really on the good side.
He is voiced by Ian James Corlett, who ironically voiced Dr. Wily in Captain N: The Game Master.
The most obvious difference (as with all of the characters on this show) is the fact that Mega Man does not look like a child. He appears to be around 5'6-5'10" tall and he looks to be a teenager, or perhaps early college age. His attitude seems to be a mixture of the clean-cut boy scout and a wise-cracker.
The other major difference is the fact that his armor has a muscular look. His armor also doesn't change color when he uses the weapon of a defeated enemy. Apparently, this characteristic was dropped in favor of the animated effect of Mega Man absorbing the ability into what Joe Ruby refers to as his "power arm", because it was believed the color change effect would have been too visually confusing during animation. [1]
Roll was created around the same time as her twin brother Rock. Her main purpose is a housekeeping robot. Her left forearm serves as a multi-purpose utility, including such appliances as a vacuum cleaner, a toaster and a blender.
When her brother Rock was converted into Mega Man, she wanted to get in on the action. Although Mega Man was reluctant, he let his sister join him in his battles with Wily.
Roll is voiced by Robyn Ross for every episode except "Cold Steel", where she is voiced by Kathleen Barr.
Roll had the most drastic physical change of all the characters (except for possibly Air Man or X). Unlike the games (where she looked like a little girl), Roll resembled an attractive young woman in great shape. Her blonde hair was more styled up front and her ponytail was very long. Also, instead of wearing a red dress, she wore a red and beige two-piece jumpsuit, with metallic boots that went up near her knees.
The other obvious difference is that she fights alongside her brother in battle. This Roll was a more strong-headed girl than the early video game version of the character.Keiji Inafune's concept design of Lilly bore some resemblance to this version of Roll.
Dr. Thomas Light
The world's most famous living scientist and the creator of Mega Man. Dr. Light is a brilliant man and has a strong sense of right and wrong. He once worked side by side with Dr. Wily and they created a prototype robot together. Shortly after the prototype's outburst, Wily stole the prototype and faulty blueprints for other robots from Light. Dr. Light however was able to build two new robots (Rock and Roll) who would serve as his assistants. In a sense, they are like his children. Light has made many inventions and contributions to science and robotics, like Brain Bot, a college campus for robots to learn like humans do and even an anti-curse machine.
Despite all his technical achievements, Dr. Light is rather incompetent at face-to-face conversation, making tactless and insensitive comments on the failure of his first robot's guidance system, which was designed by Dr. Wily. He also has a penchant for stating the overly obvious, as evident by the internent meme "Mystery of the bathroom door" (from episode 2).
Dr. Light is voiced by Jim Byrnes.
"Rega rega, right back, aroo!"
Rush's main purpose is transportation for Mega Man. His many forms include the famous Jet Board, the underwater marine vehicle, a hang-glider, a skate board and (of course) the springboard or "Rush Coil" (which was never used on the show). Rush's energy can be replenished by eating specially made "Battery Biscuits", which he enjoys very much (so much, he often tries to nab the whole box for himself). While Rush is certainly man's (and robot's) best friend, he does have a tendency to lick other people's faces... and he burps too.
Rush is voiced by the same actor as Mega Man, Ian James Corlett.
There is virtually no difference between the T.V. Rush and the game's Rush, however in the cartoon, Rush, much like Mega Man, has a removable "helmet." Also, this Rush sounds a lot like Scooby-Doo and Astro from The Jetsons. A running gag in the T.V. series is that Rush is prone to committing Scooby-Doo-like acts of boneheadedness around the end of every episode, which includes having his own "bumbling" theme song.
Dr. Albert Wily
"And I'll... TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!"
Those words (or a variant of them) were uttered by this man in every episode. Mentally unstable, Dr. Wily fled Dr. Light's lab one night and stole their first prototype, along with the blueprints for other robots like him and began to build his robot army with them. It is revealed that Wily suffers from envy, which may have caused him to turn against Dr. Light after the latter's insensitive but casual comments on the faulty prototype they had built together. While Dr. Light was busy creating Rock and Roll, Wily was using the blueprints to enhance the prototype or build another one (the exact origins of Proto Man are unknown) and transforming him into a warrior bot. He later stole Guts Man, Cut Man, Ice Man, Rock, and Roll using Proto Man.
Although Rock and Roll escaped from Skull Fortress when he kidnapped and tried to reprogram them, it didn't stop Wily from beginning his quest for world domination. Until he is brought to justice, the battle for everlasting peace will continue.
Dr. Wily is voiced by Scott McNeil.
There are no major changes between this Dr. Wily and his video game counterpart except for three very obvious differences... This Dr. Wily is taller, has a German accent and is visibly crazy (when he tried to capture the moon).
Proto Man
Dr. Light's and Dr. Wily's first free-thinking robot hadn't been online for longer than a few seconds before he began to go berserk and injured himself. Wily then stole the plans and either modified the prototype to create Proto Man or built him based on the blueprints - his exact origin is unclear.
The insanely jealous Dr. Wily made Proto Man a deadly robot warrior. Proto Man frequently finds himself in battle against his little brother Mega Man, and always loses. Although he has insisted to Wily that he is the only robot that should destroy Mega Man, Proto Man frequently tries to coax his brother over to his side. When, he pretended to turn his back on Dr. Wily ("Bro Bots"), he found out that Mega Man had always wanted to have a real brother-to-brother relationship with him. This fact took Proto Man by surprise. Although they became engaged in a heated battle later after Mega Man found out Proto Man was lying, neither of them could destroy the other. It is important to note that the Proto Man in the series has no affiliation with the one in the games.
Proto Man is also much more competent with machinery than his fellow Robot Masters, shown to be able to pilot numerous vehicles and operate just as many machines. Proto Man can also copy other robot's weapons like Mega Man, although he seems to not like to make use of this ability, using it in only one episode.
He is voiced by the same actor that voiced his master, Scott McNeil.
Like his little brother Mega Man, Proto Man is taller than his video game counterpart and has a muscular look to his armor, as well as having red "underwear" rather than the red "belt" around his waist. Also, there are two glaring omissions from Proto Man: his shield and his tendency to whistle. Also, Proto Man carries himself off on the show as a jerk with a cocky, punkish attitude. In the game Proto Man is a lone hero who helps Mega Man, while in the show he is a villain obsessed with destroying him. In fact, he acts like Bass. His power core alo seems to be stable as a villain, while in the game it was unstable.( Note: Protoman did work for Willy at first in the games, this may be referring to that time.)
Guts Man
Although the Guts Man from the game series is both intelligent and strong, Guts Man represents the stereotypical muscle man in the cartoon series, lacking in wit and thinking ability. He is also referred to as "Gutsy" by Mega Man in the later episodes of the series. Guts Man has several jokes revolving around him, most notably Rush repeatedly biting his leg before being kicked away. Guts Man and Cut Man have a more whimsical than dangerous air to them in the second season and are the subject of several comedic scenes.
While Guts Man is a very strong and deadly opponent, he usually finds himself on the losing side thanks to his stupidity. He is also shown often breaking through walls in order to get somewhere rather than using/opening doors. This habit was used in episode 17 to trick him into falling into a pit.
He appears in every episode along with Cut Man and also had his own action figure.
Guts Man is voiced by Gary Chalk, who voiced King Hippo in Captain N: The Game Master. Like Guts Man, King Hippo is the "big and strong but slow-witted" character of that show.
This Guts Man has a very square blue jaw, where the video game Guts Man had a more round beige jaw. He also has a ring around each eye. Other than that, there's not much difference.
Cut Man
Originally intended for logging operations, Cut Man is now used as an agent of evil by Dr. Wily.
Although his Rolling Cutters are deadly, Cut Man also isn't too bright and usually loses battles to Mega Man and even Roll. His speaks with a Peter Lorre-esque nasal accent and makes cutting and scissors-related one-liner puns ("Cutting you down to size is going to be shear delight!" ) while laughing at his own jokes.
Cut Man appears in every episode along with Guts Man and also had his own action figure.
Cut Man is voiced by Terry Klassen.
This Cut Man's ears are orange (they were metallic in the games) and his cutters are often fired (not thrown) from his head or an arm blaster. He also had a puppet-like mouth in the cartoon, while in illustrations he had a normal mouth (though his game sprite sort of looks like it has a puppet mouth). Like Mega Man and Proto Man, his armor appears to be a bit more muscular.
Guest Robot Masters
Along with Cut Man and Guts Man, at least one guest robot master has appeared in every episode except episode 21.
With the exception of Flash Man and Bubble Man from Mega Man 2, Skull Man from Mega Man 4 and Charge Man from Mega Man 5, every robot master from the first five games has made an appearance. Interestingly, none of the robot masters from Mega Man 6 made any appearances, cameo or otherwise, despite the show first being aired almost a year after the game's release.
Air Man
Air Man's appearance was drastically altered from his video game counterpart. This Air Man's armor was a powder blue instead of the darker shade of blue in Mega Man 2. He is also much taller on the show, and in one scene, he appeared to be taller than even Guts Man. He still fires tornadoes at his enemies, but his weapon is referred to as his 'Tornado Fan'. Though at the end of the episode, he used his fan to expel streams of liquid nitrogen. However, his most notorious change was that he now had a head with a human-like face. In the game, Air Man was basically a torso with red eyes and a big fan in the middle with arms and legs, but no mouth.
Unlike in the original game, the heroes have trouble beating Air Man, even with help. Air Man appears in the seventh episode titled "Ice Age".
Bomb Man
Bomb Man is more detailed compared to his game version. This is similar to Cut Man and Snake Man in the cartoons. Bomb Man's mouth is even more beak-like in the cartoon. There is also a running gag of Bomb Man often being destroyed by someone shooting or reflecting bombs.
Bomb Man appears in the episodes "The Beginning", "Terror of the Seven Seas", "Mega Dreams" and the last episode, "Crime of the Century."
Like other characters, Bomb Man also had his own action figure.
Bright Man
Unlike many other characters, there doesn't appear to be many physical differences between the video game Bright Man and his T.V. counterpart, except his yellow face, the bigger solar panel on his chest and some minor color changes.
His Flash Stopper doesn't make his foes freeze in place, but rather causes temporary blindness. It also has the effect of causing humans to fall unconscious. Humorously, Mega Man negates Bright Man's attack a few times with a simple pair of sunglasses and uses a mirror to stun him with his own Flash Stopper in his first appearance. In addition, he does not have an arm cannon and proves quite incompetent in combat, failing to even fire a shot when he was driving a Skull Tank and had stunned Mega Man with his Flash Stopper. He seems to have very low resistance to damage compared to his comrades, easily stunned and disoriented by a single shot from the Mega Buster. When hit, he comically makes incoherent babbling sounds and spins around before hitting a wall or losing his balance.
Bright Man appeared in the episodes "Electric Nightmare", "Robo Spider", "Curse of the Lion Men" and "Bro Bots".
Bright Man also had his own action figure.
Crash Man
Crash Man appears in the fourth episode of the cartoon. He only appears for a brief scene attacking the city, before escaping after firing his weaponry at a nearby building in an attempt to destroy it. In the show, he calls his Crash Bombs "Time Bombs", although he changes his arms from drill-like weapons before firing them, so it is possible the drill-like tips were part of the Crash Bombs, and that the Time Bombs were a new weapon added for the show.
There are no major appearance differences between this version and his game counterpart, other than the back of his helmet lacking a more pointed shape. Crash Man also spoke with a vaguely Italian-American accent, sounding almost like a New York gangster. Despite his very brief appearance, he plays an important role in the progression of the episode.
Crystal Man
Crystal Man appears in episode twelve, "The Mega Man in the Moon." His body is teal to match his official artwork, rather than the green color from the games, and his mask is white. Furthermore, his Crystal Eye is fired from his arm like a blaster instead of from his chest, and it explodes like a bomb rather than breaking into three smaller rebounding crystals. His lines usually contain some reference to his weapon ("Perhaps I did not make myself...crystal clear."). One of Wily's more competent minions, Crystal Man is also one of the few able to challenge Mega Man single-handed and keeps fighting after his weapon is stolen. He also achieved what could be considered the most devastating blow against Mega Man by shooting him with Wily's augmented laser cannon.
Crystal Man seems to have a lot of authority over the other Robot Masters; he orders Cut Man and Guts Man in Wily's absence, and is complimented by Guts Man while they're seizing the space station. Guts Man and Cut Man even invite him to a game of cards every now and then.
Dive Man
Dive Man appears in the episode titled "20,000 Leaks Under the Sea" and looks different from his video game version. He has propellers in his feet, but no longer has a keel-shaped chest, nor does he fire Dive Missiles from it, instead firing them from a cannon on his left arm. Instead, his armor appears smaller, lighter in color and has yellow indentations on it. He also has a somewhat screechy voice that sounds different from what one would expect Dive Man to sound like.
Drill Man
Drill Man is one of the few Robot Masters that appears to be just like his video game version with no alterations, with the exception of his elbows and forearms, which have become much larger and more pointed. In addition, his weapon is changed from a drill-shaped bomb to an actual drill that can be launched but does not explode.
Drill Man appears in the episodes "The Big Shake", "Showdown at Red Gulch", and "Master of Disaster."
Drill Man also had his own action figure.
Dust Man
Similar to the cartoon versions of Air Man and Napalm Man, Dust Man now has a head rather than eyes on a torso. His power is also the vacuum on his back rather than the Dust Crusher that is fired in the game, but he is also shown actually using his arm cannon in one scene. He doesn't speak much. But his voice sounds raspy, hoarse, wheezy, similar to a chain smoker's.
Dust Man appears in episode five, "The Incredible Shrinking Mega Man."
Elec Man
Like Mega Man and Proto Man, Elec Man's armor has a muscular look. Elec Man is usually paired with Bomb Man in the episodes, but Elec Man does not talk nearly as much as Bomb Man. Elec Man appears very weak since he has been beaten by Roll's appliance arm on more than one occasion, and usually goes down with a single hit in battle. However, he almost always incapacitates Mega Man once before going down. His Thunder Beam acts as more of a straightforward lightning attack, and seems to be every bit as powerful as it is in the game. Amusingly, his gravelly voice sounds vaguely like Moe from the Simpsons.
Elec Man appears in the episodes "The Beginning", "Terror of the Seven Seas", "Mega Dreams", and "Bro Bots."
Elec Man, like many others, also had his own action figure.
Fire Man
Fire Man was the only Robot Master from the first Mega Man video game that only appeared in one episode. Fire Man appeared in "The Beginning" and had no lines in the entire episode. He was easily defeated by Roll's vacuum arm. Fire Man is more detailed in the cartoons and has flames painted on his blasters.
Gemini Man
This Gemini Man has a nose, and never uses his ability to create holographic doubles of himself on the show. His Gemini Laser's ability to reflect is not shown either, although it could possibly have been referenced when Mega Man deflected a laser by using a crash cymbal as a shield.
Gravity Man
A noticeable feature of the cartoon version of Gravity Man is the capital letter "G" on the bottoms of both feet. On the American cover of Mega Man 5, Gravity Man is shown with spikes on the bottoms of his feet; however, spikes are not visible in any Japanese illustrations. In the cartoon, his "gravity beam" power appears to make things fall down, while his Gravity Hold power in the game reverses gravity.
Gravity Man appears in the episode titled "Master of Disaster."
Gyro Man
Appearing in episode eight, "Cold Steel", Gyro Man uses the giant blade on his back to attack Mega Man instead of his smaller Gyro Attack from the game. He isn't shown using it to fly, but Mega Man does when he copies his weapon. Gyro Man also acts as the bassist for the band 'Cold Steel'. He also speaks in two different voices. While he's in his 'Cold Steel' outfit, he sounds like a burnt-out rock star. But out of costume, he sounds vaguely like Ring Man.
Hard Man
Like Gemini Man before him, Hard Man has gained a nose but not much else. In the cartoon, Hard Man never uses his Hard Knuckle, though Mega Man utilizes it himself. Also, Hard Man lives up to his name and has a very strong body, able to withstand Mega Man's buster shots without a scratch. His only weak spot is his face. Much like how Cut Man makes puns about cutting things, Hard Man makes puns about the word hard (e.g."I'm giving you a hard time" and "I'm hard to beat") and is a serious braggart. He's the only robot master Mega Man outright kills off for good, by shooting him in the face and blowing him to scrap.
Heat Man
Heat Man does not use the Atomic Fire, but he can spit fire like in the arcade games. He also doesn't use his game ability of charging forward in a fireball. Besides this and the addition of a nose, not much has changed. He only appeared in Bro Bots and only spoke one line without moving his mouth.
Ice Man
There were a few changes with Ice Man on the show. First, the Ice Slasher weapon didn't produce spike projectiles or triangular shards like in the video games, instead utilizing a conventional "Freeze Ray" weapon. Appearance-wise, his thick Eskimo coat was a dark navy blue and instead of having a standard mouth, he had a small strip for a mouth that glowed blue when he spoke. His arms and legs are aqua instead of white like in the game. He also appeared as though he was wearing glasses, and spoke with an Italian-American accent, sounding almost like a 1920s gangster.
Ice Man appeared in the first episode, "The Beginning", and again in episode seven, "Ice Age."
Magnet Man
If examined closely, it would seem that Magnet Man has white hair (or at least eyebrows), something he supposedly does not have in-game. In battle, Magnet Man uses his magnetic powers through his hands instead of his head magnet and doesn't use his Magnet Missiles. Magnet Man appeared in Episode 4: Mega-Pinocchio.
Metal Man
Metal Man appears in the episode nine, "Future Shock." Like his early game illustrations, Metal Man has red eyes in the cartoon. He typically attacks by throwing the saw blade adorning his head. He can also turn his hands into saw blades, and in one scene, nearly decapitates Mega Man with them. Though near the end of the episode, Metal Man gets an upgrade and has spur-like blades come out of his heel that he uses to skate around with.
Napalm Man
Like Air Man, Napalm Man was given a head in the cartoons. Napalm Man never appeared in any episode but was shown for a fraction of a second in the opening for every cartoon episode and commercial as seen here.
Needle Man
Other than his slight color scheme change and the gill-like openings in his armor, Needle Man is one of the few Robot Masters to remain physically unchanged in the cartoon. His Needle Cannon still functions in the same manner, but he doesn't attack with the needles on his head.
Pharaoh Man
Pharaoh Man's colors have changed from the game's gold and tan colors to green, red and white. While his headress and legs are their original colors, his arms and shoulders are completely white, his center chest armor plate is green, and he wears a crimson and green cape. Interestingly, in the commercial for the show, he is a carbon copy of his in-game counterpart. His Pharaoh Shot is replaced by a fiery laser beam-type weapon with large amounts of recoil and a variable power setting, vaguely similar to the one seen on the American box art for Mega Man 4. Along with Crystal Man, Pharaoh Man is the only other Robot Master in the series who still keeps on fighting after having his power taken by Mega Man. As Mega Man brags about stealing his power, an unimpressed Pharaoh Man simply sucker punches him and tries to smash him with part of a fountain. This has become the subject of a popular internet meme. He only speaks two lines near the end of the episode.
Pharaoh Man appears in the second episode, "Electric Nightmare."
Quick Man
Quick Man resembles his video game version, but he uses two types of boomerangs: the one from his head and laser boomerangs from his wrist blaster. Quick Man also talks fast in the cartoons and has a slightly larger face and a leaner body. He appears in the episodes, "Robo Spider" and "The Day the Moon Fell." Quick Man was the only Robot Master from Mega Man 2 that appeared in more than one episode. He also possesses an attitude like Bass in the cartoon.
Ring Man
Ring Man has smaller, less anime styled eyes and speaks like a surfer. He also has a pole-like apparatus on his left arm that he uses to touch the ring on top of his head to make Ring Boomerangs appear, though he has a normal hand in his second appearance, suggesting he was incomplete in his first appearance.
Ring Man appears in two episodes, "Mega-Pinocchio" and "Bad Day at Peril Park." Ring Man has a hoverboard in the beginning of "Mega-Pinocchio" and an air fighter in "Bad Day at Peril Park."
Shadow Man
Shadow Man only appeared in the episode "The Day The Moon Fell".
Differences: Shadow Man is another one of the few robots that didn't have any design changes at all. However, he does throw the blade mounted on his head like Quick Man or Metal Man. Like Dive Man before him, Shadow Man had a hoarse voice people didn't expect him to have.
Snake Man
The helmet on this Snake Man has different snake eyes than the video game version, as well as a ring of bolts before the first segment. His eyes are yellow with red slitted pupils, and his mouth is like Cut Man's.
His Search Snakes did not scurry along the ground like in the games. They were fired as projectiles that could chew through many surfaces and objects.
Snake Man appeared in more episodes than any other Robot Master besides Cut Man and Guts Man. He makes appearances in the episodes: "Bot Transfer", "Campus Commandos", "Showdown at Red Gulch", "Brain Bots" and "Mega X."
Snake Man also had his own action figure.
Spark Man
Spark Man appears briefly in "Mega-Pinocchio" and again as the drummer in "Cold Steel." As the drummer, his spark needles are changed to drumsticks instead. He uses Spark Shock by touching his needles to a surface instead of firing the electricity as a projectile. Mega Man obtains both his power and Gyro Man's power at the same time, which could never happen in the video games. Unlike the game, he has a mouthplate over his face. Like all members of the Cold Steel band, he has two different voices. The first time he fights Mega Man, he sounds like a burned-out rocker. The second time, he has a more plain-sounding voice.
Star Man
Star Man doesn't use his Star Crash as a barrier. Instead, he fires star-shaped blasts that curve towards their target. Beyond that, there are no significant changes.
Star Man appeared in episode twenty-two, "Curse of the Lion Men".
Stone Man
In the cartoons, Stone Man had a blue tube on each shoulder and his hand could become a blaster, which is how he uses his Power Stone. He doesn't demonstrate his ability to reassemble himself from a pile of rubble like in the games. He appeared in the episode "The Big Shake", and he has no lines, aside from the occasional scream.
Toad Man
Not much changed in Toad Man except that he now has a mouth with lips (along with a prehensile tongue), webbed feet, and his belly doesn't shake when he uses his Rain Flush. In fact, the way Toad Man uses the Rain Flush in the cartoon is similar to how Mega Man uses it: firing a pod into the air which then bursts in mid-air, causing rain to fall.
Toad Man appears in the episode, "Robosaur Park."
Top Man
The cartoon version of Top Man is somewhat tall, whereas in the games he was short and appeared to be a childish kid. He's also a smooth talker, able to swoon Roll long enough to copy her ID card. In battle, his Top Spin is similar to the original, except he can dodge shots, and he doesn't fire tops out of his head. He is also red instead of orange. His T.V. counterpart is considered stronger than his NES self, as he knocked Mega Man to the ground and killed him (had it not been for Dr. Light who restarted him, Wily would have won) by throwing him in the air with an anti-gravity device in episode fourteen, "Campus Commandos".
Wave Man
Not much has changed in Wave Man appearance-wise in his transition to the cartoon. This Wave Man is a little more detailed and is a lighter shade of blue. In the show his Water Wave weapon functions a bit differently, instead of sending a wave of water at Mega Man like in the games, it instead channels a powerful current. He also doesn't fire his harpoon like in the games, but rather uses it as a jabbing weapon. He has no speaking lines, or even any grunts and groans.
Wood Man
Unlike the games, where Wood Man was more or less a big log with arms, legs and a face, Wood Man now had black and gray armor and only sections of his body resembled a log (namely his head).
Also his weapon, the Leaf Shield, was very different. Unlike the games, where four green "leaves" rotate around Wood Man, cartoon Wood Man carried an actual full-sized, leaf-shaped shield, which he can also throw like a blade. He seems to be very proficient with it, as he was able to dispatch two stonebots with it while being grappled.
Wood Man appears in the episode eleven, "The Strange Island of Dr. Wily."
Dark Man
Just one of the four Dark Men from Mega Man 5 appears in the cartoon, Dark Man 2. Dark Man appers to be the most powerful robot in Wily's army as he can manipulate electromagnetic energy in different ways. He can generate electromagnetic nets from his hands to catch his prey (including Megaman twice)or carry items. Though he also fires electromagnetic shots from a blaster in "The Day the Moon Fell."
Dark Man only appears in two episodes, "Brain Bots" and "The Day the Moon Fell."
Another major appearance change here. Unlike the games, where Eddie was red and was usually referred to as "Flip-Top", Eddie's color scheme was changed to green on the show and was never referred as "Flip-Top".
Doc looks exactly like a Met from the game, with the notable exception of not being armed - his only equipment is a flexible grabber arm. He only appears in the first episode, "The Beginning." He talks by making funny sounds, yet Dr. Light seems to understand him. The Met goes out into the field with Roll and helps Dr. Light in the lab. The Met performs a role similar to Eddie, in that he is able to produce many items from his hardhat, even an entire stretcher for Mega Man, suggesting Light may have built him as a prototype to Eddie.
The Bubble Bats from Mega Man 4, Battontons, appears in episode 16 and episode 26. They serve not only their game purpose of combat by firing projectiles, but also act as spy devices to record audio and video information for Wily.
Mega Man X
In the distant future, Dr. Light himself had long since passed away, but one of his inventions was unburied in the ruins of his lab, encased in a capsule not meant to be opened until decades after it was sealed. Dr. Cain discovered that it was safe to open it and found Dr. Light's last creation - a robot named X - inside.
In X's future, the deadly Maverick Virus is causing many robots (now much more advanced and called Reploids) to cause widespread destruction and death. At the forefront of this group of evil robots is Sigma. Along with Zero, Mega Man X fights to rid the world of Mavericks and hopefully let peace rule once again. Appearing in the episode twenty-six, "Mega X", X is by far the most powerful character to appear in the show, being able to send Vile and Spark Mandrill running scared when Mega Man couldn't even hurt them.
The single most notorious character change in the history of the show. X looked like a fully grown adult in his late thirties (or even early forties), was leaner and taller than Mega Man and bore no resemblance to his predecessor. X also showed absolutely no regard for property or anything else during battle, meaning that if he had to destroy an entire building (or a city block) to destroy a Maverick, so be it. This X used initially tactics that made him look like a maniac, making many fans angry. However, later in the show, he is shown to be more careful of destruction, using Snake Man's weapon instead of his own blaster to destroy Wily's plasma cannon. And even peace loving as he asks if the fighting would ever end.
Dr. Cain
Dr. Cain is mentioned during X's briefing of his mission.
Dr. Cain appears much younger than his appearance in the games, making him look similar to Dr. Cossack.
In episode twenty-six, Vile travels back in time with Spark Mandrill to get plans from Dr. Wily. The cartoon Vile works for Sigma (as shown by the symbol on his helmet), unlike the Vile in the PSP Mega Man X remake, Maverick Hunter X, who works towards his own ends. This Vile's head is less helmet-like and has a single red glowing eye, as seen in his MK-2 Mega Man X3 artwork. He is far more powerful than any of the robots from the present, Mega Man included.
Unlike his video game incarnation, Vile manually aims his cannon when he attacks in the cartoon. Also the aforementioned fact that he has a single glowing red eye and has a less helmet-like head. In keeping with his different allegiance in the cartoon, he has the Greek letter Sigma on his helmet.
Spark Mandrill
Spark Mandrill is mostly depicted as Vile's flunky, although the two seemed equal in strength. He only speaks three lines in the whole episode with a Russian accent.
Rather than unleashing globe-shaped Electric Sparks, he attacks by emitting currents of electricity from his hand or by punching the ground. Apparently, they're quite powerful since he used them to destroy Mega Man's Land Blazer in their first encounter.
In the cartoon, Sigma's name is spelled "Cigma." He's modeled after his appearance in the first Mega Man X game. He is mentioned to have sent Vile and Spark Mandrill back in time to get the Lightanium. He only has one line, "Well done, Vile". X referred to him as a being of complete evil.
- In the third episode of Mega Man: Upon a Star, when Mega Man gets the typhoon fan, he does an animation similar to the cartoons whenever Mega Man gets a weapon.
- Despite Proto Man's role as a villain, it should be noted that the show was broadcast even before Bass' debut in Mega Man 7. In addition, Proto Man's character had yet to have been explored and he had even been presented as an 'enemy' twice, the second time being in Mega Man 5 though it was merely Dark Man in disguise.
- Most of the characters look different than how they look for the game and game artwork. The only major characters that resemble their in-game counterparts are Rush and Doc. Eddie is green instead of red. Several Robot Masters also remained virtually unchanged. Interestingly, in the commercials for the cartoon series, all the Robot Masters were essentially copies of their artwork.
- Although Mega Man 6 was released in 1993 and the show first aired a year later, none of the game's Robot Masters appeared (this includes the show's commercials and intro).


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Working Class Movement in India in the Wake of Globalization
By- Jose George (Prof), Manoj Kumar (Asstt. Prof.) and Dharmendra Ojha (Activist) eds.
After the collapse of the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the East European communist bloc, capitalism abandoned its 'liberal' programmes worldwide, and this brought about three-fourths of the world's population at the mercy of the blind and ruthless forces of the market.
In India too, the wave of liberalization under a new economic policy, which had been agreed upon and promoted by both the big political parties, i.e. Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, put untold pressures, uncertainties and hardships on the toiling masses. Welfare schemes and subsidies to goods and services provided by the state were slowly withdrawn and the representative class of finance capital took a reactionary posture in political and social life. In India, the crisis at grassroots' levels has led to a historical unity among trade unions affiliated with different political parties, and there is hope that they may join hands in the struggle for better living conditions.
Against this backdrop, this book, which is an outcome of a national seminar, tries to understand and analyse the conditions of the working class people in India. Various dimensions of working class people's life and politics have been deliberated here. Also, an attempt has been made to present a working class perspective on various economic and social issues of contemporary Indian society.
Jose George: Prof. & former Head of the Department of Civics & Politics, University of Mumbai.
Manoj Kumar is an Asst. Prof. with Department of Political Science & International Relations, Wollega University, Nekemte, Oromia State, Ethiopia.
Dharmendra Ojha has been a Scientist with the ONGC. He has been active on social and cultural fronts and is a regular contributor to various literary and cultural periodicals and news magazines.
ISBN 978-81-7304-963-7 2012 477p. Rs.1295/Pounds 60
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Phones: 23284848, 23289100
Fax: 23265162
E-mail: email@example.com
To order your copy at www.manoharbooks.com


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Collection: Orange Jade Crystals
Jade is a very healing stone. It does not absorb negative energy but emits healing vibrations.
Orange Jade is an energetic and stimulating crystal which brings joy and helps us to see the good in people. A protector against danger for children, Jade can help to undo physical harm. A prosperity stone, Orange Jade improves health and assists with past life recall and ancient wisdom.
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When it comes to big construction projects (be it a new bridge or Amazon's new headquarters), transportation issues are one of the major ways budgets skyrocket, frustrations mount, and deadlines sail by. The problem begins with legions of subcontractors, who hire their own subcontractors ad infinitum, leading to chaos and cluttered work sites. Everyone has their markup, and transparency, accountability, and communication quickly fall by the wayside. It doesn't have to be this way. Contracting with a logistics partner to handle transportation for specialized material and equipment is one of the best ways for project managers to avoid hidden costs and unnecessary headaches.
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Alternatively, by partnering with a logistics firm to handle your transport needs, you have a single point of contact, who you know is a specialist with trusted and qualified carriers, labor, equipment leasing and operators. With both experience and transparency on your side, you can be sure you're working with a team committed to your project, who can't hide behind multiple layers of bureaucracy or padded quotes.
A new wave of governmental infrastructure projects is on the horizon, and they're certain to be the kind of ambitious undertakings that demand huge amounts of specialized equipment, and reward contractors who can offer affordability and transparency. Red Arrow Logistics has the expertise to deliver the most cumbersome loads to the most remote locations, specializing in:
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All contractors know that when it comes to big construction projects, some headaches are unavoidable, but transportation doesn't have to be one. By partnering with a specialized project logistics firm, you can make sure you have the equipment you need, when you need it, at a lower cost.
As a woman-owned company, Red Arrow also allows contractors to take advantage of the Disadvantaged Enterprise Program (DBE). Contracting directly with Red Arrow means contractors can include freight in their DBE set-aside.


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Learn More: Temporary VisaMore information coming soon!
Our customer have great stories about us
Frequently Asked Questions
South Africa is located at the southern tip of the African continent. It is a vast country with 11 official languages and an incredibly diverse population. It is known for its excellent wine and being one of the world's largest producers of gold. However, if you want to visit South Africa, you must express extreme caution. The US State Department, along with most other western countries, advise you to be very careful during your trip there. The crime rate is pretty high, and often involves foreigners. Below, we will provide some valuable information that will help you get around and have a lovely and safe time during your trip.
First of all, we will talk about entry requirements. South Africa's visa policy contains a list of countries and territories whose citizens are exempt from requiring a visa to visit the country. There are 80 visa-exempt nationalities, and if you find yourself among them, you can enter and stay in South Africa without a visa for a period that varies from 30 to 90 days, depending on your nationality. All you need is a passport that will be valid for at least another month from your date of departure from South Africa. It must also have at least one blank page available for stamping.
In case you are not among the 80 visa-exempt nationalities, you must go to the nearest South African diplomatic mission and apply for a standard visa. Keep in mind that when you are required to have a visa, your passport must have at least two blank pages available for stamping. The good news is that South Africa has decided to introduce the electronic visa system by the end of 2019. We do not have more information about it at the moment, but as soon as the South Africa eVisa goes live, iVisa will be able to help you with the online application process.
The best time to visit South Africa is in the spring or fall. That is when the temperatures are more bearable. In the summer, most of South Africa is dominated by the rainy season, except for the Western Cape, and it can get pretty hot.
As mentioned in the introduction, there are 11 official languages in South Africa, but you do not have to learn any of them. That is because most South Africans speak English as a second language, so you should get around just fine.
Most people who take a trip to South Africa go there because they are interested in its natural history. The national parks are a treasure, and you will be amazed at how many species of animals you can see in one place. There are natural reserves, as well as farms and private collections. For one thing, you should not go to South Africa and skip visiting the Kruger National Park. There are numerous species of animals, dangerous or otherwise, but you will have a fantastic experience there.
If you are interested, you can go whale watching in Hermanus, Walker Bay. The experience is breath-taking. However, make sure you manage your expectations. Not all who go to Walker Bay actually get to see whales. They have their own schedule, after all. You may get lucky, or you may not. Nature's choice.
In Eastern Cape, you can go to the Addo Elephant National Park. Very few things even begin to compare with these giants walking a few hundred feet from you. The Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary may also interest you. It was built by Four Paws, an animal organization, back in 2007.
If you are looking for some exciting things to do while in South Africa, you can try diving. Thanks to its location, the country has a very long coastline. It is known for its large marine life, such as sharks and whales, but there are smaller fish as well. Plus, there are many wrecks you can explore. You will need a guide, of course, but a tour is not that expensive, and you will have a great time.
River rafting is also available in South Africa. Most people who are interested in rafting go to the Orange River, which is located at the border with Namibia. There are many tour operators that provide 6-day trips in blow-up boats. Not only that you will get some adrenaline, but you will be able to sleep under the stars at night.
A lot of people who go to South Africa decide to do some volunteer work as well. You can work for a few days with the Rainbow Nation, which is currently working on the preservation of the Big 5. You can also do construction work or social work if you have the necessary skills. The choice is yours.
We should talk a little bit about safety. As mentioned above, South Africa is not the safest destination you can travel to. The crime rate is pretty high, often involving tourists. You should not go alone, especially as a woman. Avoid walking down the streets at night alone. You should not wear any expensive jewelry, and all your electronic devices should be kept in your bag whenever you are not using it. You should always use common sense to keep yourself safe.
You should also mind the beggars in the street. You may see many children and mothers with babies asking for money. Refrain from offering cash because that will only keep them on the streets. Also, bear in mind that many con-artists and thieves pose as beggars.
As far as health is concerned, Malaria is endemic, but only in the north-east part of the country. HIV is widespread throughout the country, so you should take extra precautions. We advise you to avoid public hospitals when possible, but the private hospitals are world-class.
The food in South Africa is known to be delicious, and it is very cheap as well. You can eat like a king for a small price. We recommend that you try the local cuisine because it is very tasty, but you will also find some European influences. While the municipal water is safe to drink, we still recommend that you purchase bottled water.
People in South Africa are nice and polite towards tourists. As long as you show respect, you will not be bothered. Again, use your common sense and behave like you would in any western civilization, and you should be alright.
- South Africa Visa fees
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An e-Visa is an official document permitting entry into and travel within a certain country. The e-Visa is an alternative to visas issued at the ports of entry or visiting an embassy/consulate to obtain traditional paper visas. e-Visas are linked electronically to the traveler's passport.
Our service starts with information. You can use our up-to-date visa requirements tool to search if you need a travel visa. It's as simple as telling us where you are from and where you are going. Based on this information we will tell you how much the visa costs, the number of entries, the start date and give you an action step such as applying directly on our site!
The best place to find this information is our visa requirement tool. Each country has different entry rules and visa fees. If you are in a rush you can also apply online and the form will give you this information as well.
It depends on the country issuing the visa. For many countries such as Australia ETA and Turkey e-Visa, the process can be done in 15 minutes through our rush service. For other countries such as the India tourist Visa, the process usually takes 24 hours. The exact time can be found on each application form. What we guarantee is that your application with iVisa will be the fastest way to apply anywhere.
The documents must be printed on a sheet of blank A4 white paper. Double-side or reduced printing will not be accepted.
We help you get your travel visa in the simplest and fastest way possible. Through easy-to-use online application forms and world-class 24/7 customer service, we make the whole visa process quick and simple! We also use best practices when it comes to protecting your data and credit card.
iVisa offers two types of Visa: Electronic visas (e-Visas) and traditional paper visas, based on your destination. In addition, we also offer the following services/documents that are required by certain countries: ETA (electronic travel authorization), Tourist Cards, Visa on Arrival pre-registration/approval form, Tourist Invitation Letters, and Embassy Registration service.
- Select the country to which you are requesting the visa
- Select the type of visa and read the instructions carefully.
- Select Apply Now
- Fill in the application form
- Pay using a Visa Card, Mastercard or other debit card.
- Await approval via email, then download and print the e-Visa from your account.
- Present your printed e-Visa to the immigration officer at the port of entry.
Please note most countries offer the ability to process a travel visa without a service fee. The main reason we process thousands of travel visas per month is we save you time and frustration. Our service includes an easy to use website and application form. It is much easier to process your application with us especially for mobile users and large groups. We send all of our clients the visa days before travel. This is especially helpful for those passengers who purchase the visa months in advance. We also have a 24-hour customer service with professionals that are based in the United States and speak English. We accept multi-currencies and our website can be translated into over 20 languages. We believe our fee is worth your time and sanity but please note all governments do have their own "free" service.
If you have already applied on our site, please log in to your account and look for your order/application. An account is generated for you automatically after payment is received. Click the link in your confirmation email to set up a password or visit the log in page to set up the password and enter the account. Please note in most cases your visa will be delivered to you via email and can be found in your account after logging in.
This is a rare scenario. However, if your application gets rejected, we will issue you a full refund for the government fee and the processing fee under our 100% approval guarantee. This refund will be given via credit to be used for a future order. If you need further assistance, do not hesitate to contact us. Our customer service specialists will be more than glad to help you.
If we have not processed your visa, we can make changes without a problem. We do check your information for mistakes as well. If you have already processed your visa, If we have submitted your application to the appropriate government agencies, some will allow to make changes, while others do not. Please contact us immediately (preferably through chat) if you notice an error on your application.
Some countries may require proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. You can see more info here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list It's the passenger´s own responsibility to verify these regulations before traveling to the chosen country.
In order to download your invoice, please log in to your account and download it directly from there.
You may reprint the e-Visa in your email account. Alternatively, you may retrieve and reprint the e-Visa by using your iVisa account.
Yes. The iVisa system does not retain your credit card information after the transaction is processed.
All visas grant travelers the permission to travel to a country's port of entry. Whether you are granted entry or not will be at the discretion of the Immigration Officer at the entry point.
We know that our applicants can come across unexpected changes in their travel plans that may prevent them from traveling and therefore getting their visa. This is why we understand you may want to request a cancellation of your visa application and a credit for the amount paid. However, we will only approve the refund/credit if it follows our Refund policy guideline:
- If your application has not been reviewed by our team, nor submitted to the government for approval, then you will receive a credit for the full amount of the iVisa processing fee and government fee(visa cost).
- If your application has been reviewed by our team but has not yet been submitted to the government for approval, you will receive a credit for the full amount of the government fee (visa cost).
- If your application has been submitted to the government for approval or a visa is already issued, unfortunately, no credit is available.
Our policy also applies to these circumstances:
- If we make a mistake on your application, a 100% refund of the iVisa processing fee will be issued and we will process your visa again at no cost.
- If you purchase rush or super rush processing additional fee and we do not deliver the travel document within the agreed timeframe, you will receive a credit for the iVisa rush or super rush processing fee.
- If you miss your trip because iVisa does not deliver the travel document within the agreed timeframe, you will receive a full cash refund for the government fee and iVisa processing fee.
- The exception to the clause above is if the government is the cause of the delay or your arrival date was sooner than our super rush processing time. In such case, you will receive a credit for the iVisa processing fee.
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When the visa has to be shipped to you, the processing times do not include this shipping time. It is from when we receive your application to obtaining the approval. Most visas (e-Visas) are sent via email upon approval so shipping times will not apply.
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Unfortunately, we are not able to, since the government agencies do not inform us of the reason(s) behind the decisions.
If your visa is not approved, we advise that you contact the nearest embassy/consulate for more information on what your options are.
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Costco's private label brand, Kirkland, is considered a major factor in the warehouse club's success:
"The 24-year-old brand is a valuable asset for Costco that draws club members into its warehouses and spurs them to renew their $60 and $120 annual subscriptions.
'Kirkland is a brand in its own right," said Karen Short, retail analyst at Barclays. "It is one of the reasons people go to Costco. That's not necessarily something you can say about many private labels.'"
P.S. Retail trends continue to evolve and private label is proving to be a major selling point for some retailers. If you are interested in exploring these opportunities, you owe it to yourself to talk to an expert. Contact our office today to book a consultation with one of our specialists.