07-31-2008, 05:15 PM
As I mentioned in the RMB very recently, Bears Armed now has an 'Embassy Exchange Programme' and any other IDU member is guaranteed an embassy in 'Council Groves' (our capital city) if they want one although some of the details would still need to be sorted out.
Here's a copy of the opening post from my thread about this in "International Incidents" section of the Jolt forums, less an initial disclaimer that doesn't apply to you but with more details of the 'EastFort' district -- embassies in which are only available to IDU members (unless any other Ursine nations happen to apply...) -- added.
Quote:
![[Image: bears_armed.jpg]](http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/bears_armed.jpg)
"Hrarroom!"? (= "Greetings!")
The High Council of Clans, which is the national government of Bears Armed, has decided that the next stage in expanding our contacts with the outside world should be to invite other nations to establish embassies here. A number of suitable sites around ?Council Groves?, our capital city, are therefore being made available for this purpose.
We are interested in developing connections with other nations for the purpose of facilitating cultural and educational exchanges, possibly for making agreements about trade, and for promoting international agreements on certain other matters (such as the treatment of intelligent beings in nations dominated by species other than their own) about which we care: Getting involved in other peoples' wars is not on our agenda...
_____________________________________________
Here is some basic information about our nation _
1./ Nation details
Full name: The Confederated Clans of the Free Bears of Bears Armed.
Basic system of government: Constitutional confederation.
Structure of government: The ?High Council of Clans?, which consists of delegates chosen by the governments of the separate Clans and the leaders of certain other bodies, serves as an arbitrator between those bodies and as their collective main interface with the outside world; each Clan, or other body with representation there, has its own government that handles all ?local? matters? These second-tier governments vary in structure, but generally blend democratic and ?traditional? elements.
(Current WA category: either Anarchy or Corporate Bordello, depending on recent issues)
Peoples: Ursines (= anthropomorphic Bears) of various strains = c.96%; Harr?aynau (physically ?Human?, although inclined to be heavily-built & probably rather hairy, but spiritually ?Ursine? instead) = c.1? %, Smith-folk (= Dwarves) = c.1%, Brocken
(= anthropomorphic Badgers) = c.? %, Hwa (= anthropomorphic Giant Pandas) = c.? %, others = c.[? to ?]%.
Main languages: Ursine (the main language for 8 of the 12 Major Clans & many of the Minor Clans, and so used as the main ?official language? nationally); Owester, Norren, Hwan, Ruottsan (mainly used within a single Major Clan each, but all ?official? nationally for certain purposes too), English (which has few native speakers, but is quite widely used between speakers of the different official languages; it is also the main language used by this nation?s diplomats).
Main religions: ?One plus Seven? (= shabear-led reverence of the Great Bear & his Seven Holy Helpers; this is the dominant faith of most ?Ursine?-speaking groups, and as close as the nation comes to having an official? ?state? religion); plus Christianity (mainly ?Roman Catholic?, although with a local ?Pope?; centred in one Major Clan, but with some followers elsewhere), Ursianity (from an Earth without Humans, whose equivalent to ?Christ? walked in Ursine form; originally based in 1 Minor Clan, but also has significant strength in 2 Major Clans & elsewhere as well by now), ?Eightwayism? (essentially = Buddhism; originally based in 1 Major Clan, but has also spread elsewhere as well by now); plus ?Church of the Divine Couple? (= shabear-led reverence of the Great Bear and Mother Earth; centred in one Major Clan, but with some followers elsewhere), ?Church of Greatfather Sun? (basically in 1 Major Clan & 1 Minor Clan), Taoism and Kungfushianism (both, with many of their followers shared, mainly in the same area where Eightwayism originated).
2/. Political details
Head of State: 'Chairbear of the High Council', currently Ammabarr o BerryGlades.
Head of Government: (ditto)
Person in charge of diplomacy: 'Chairbear of Committee for The Strangers', currently Beartha o Berrum.
Current government ideology & main policies: Traditionalist, but fairly tolerant of differences; supports free trade, and is cautiously interested in expanding this country?s contacts with outside nations.
International affiliations: ?Ursian League? (which is my group of nations in this region), International Democratic Union, World Assembly.
Currently involved in any wars? _ No.
___________________________________________
We recognise the principle of diplomatic immunity, as defined by the former NSUN?s Resolution =127, with the following modifications:
Full immunity applies only to accredited diplomats and their dependents, and to security staff, and it is hoped that their nations will revoke this protection if presented with evidence of serious wrongdoing on their part. Other staff and dependents enjoy partial immunity, which means that: they can only be arrested and prosecuted for major offences; their heads-of-mission must be notified as soon as possible after any arrests are made, and will have a right to arrange legal representation for them; and it should generally be possible to arrange for any sentences to be served in their homelands, and for the payment of? ?beregelt? in lieu of capital punishment.
The extraterritoriality of embassies is recognised, as long as the general rules established in this document are being followed, and also extends to those vehicles that are used for official diplomatic purposes: Vehicles that are being used for personal purposes by members of missions enjoy partial immunity, being only subject to stopping and searching in the case of major offences.
Diplomatic immunity may mean that the people concerned cannot be sued locally for unpaid debts, including summary penalties for traffic offences, but the mission as a whole is expected to pay these (on presentation of proof that the sums are due) and is of course then free to use whatever means its own national laws allow for reclaiming those costs from the original debtors.? ? ?
(Espionage, sedition and sabotage are not considered acceptable behaviour for members of diplomatic missions.)
These rights may be reduced in the case of missions from any nations that will not grant comparable rights to our own diplomatic missions.
Embassies may be used to host 'trade fairs' advertising your nation's products and businesses, but may not be used as wholesale or retail business outlets.
Embassy missions may include up to 16 accredited diplomats, 32 security personnel, and 48 other staff sent from your own nation: If you need more security personnel or other support than that then we might be willing to let them in, but would prefer it if you hired locally. We place no official restriction on the number of dependants whom these people may bring along, but it is our custom (which we urge you to follow) for security personnel to leave their dependents back at home and as our educational system isn?t really set-up for coping with foreign pupils we would suggest that any school-age children should also not be brought.
You may have up to four accredited ?diplomatic? vehicles, and any vehicles for use by security personnel during their duties will also enjoy this protection. Armed vehicles are NOT allowed, armoured ones are allowed but ? unless you bring your own enemies with you ? shouldn?t be needed as the area around ?Council Groves? is considered neutral territory in any inter-clan disputes. Depending on the location chosen & assigned, you may also be allowed full diplomatic protection for one or two transport vehicles. We place no official limits on the number of vehicles that the mission?s staff may have for their personal use, but advise that the traffic situation in most of Council Groves? central areas would make using either public transport or locally-hired taxis a better idea there. (These rules do not extend to aircraft of any kind, whose presence must be specially negotiated?)?
The laws of our nation are fairly easy-going with respect to personal weaponry, and accept that people of importance may be accompanied by armed guards under most circumstances. Your missions may bring in any melee weapons and ?pre-gunpowder? missile weapons that they want, and the only restriction on ?individual? firearms is that lack they cannot have ?fully automatic? capabilities, but heavy weapons and explosives are not allowed: If you want to bring in ?future-tech? devices, or magical ones, then these will need special clearance.??
Our laws are also fairly easy-going with regards to the possession of drugs for personal and/or sacramental use, and your mission can bring whatever it likes (and that your own laws allow) along those lines into the country for use by its own personnel and their dependents. You are not allowed to bring them in under diplomatic cover for distribution to our own people: Serving them at official events within your embassy?s presence will probably be considered acceptable, but we would like to know what you?re proposing to bring in before giving approval.
We would also like the basic details of any 'future-tech' devices, 'occult' devices or personnel with "non-mundane" abilities that you wish to bring in.
The easiest way for foreigners to reach Council Groves is by airflight into the nation of Mikitivity, which is our closest neighbour, and then onwards either by air or by rail. Our own airports aren?t capable of handling most types of large or fast jets, and their ability to fix problems in the most ?modern? designs is also limited. Driving in by road from Mikitivity would also be possible, but some of the routes within our own territories are rather rough.??
Embassy sites are currently available within four different sections of Council Groves, although one of these is restricted to other IDU members or [potentially] other 'Ursine' nations _
1/. EastFort: An area forming part of the city-centre's eastern edge, where a large section of the old defences has recently been redeveloped for peaceful uses. Total = 16 sites, 6 of which are already assigned, each comprising a tower (with 4 storeys above ground, & 2 levels of basements) set in about 1 'harram' (c. 1 1/4 acres) of private gardens with a small gatehouse; access to 12 harram of shared gardens, and to space in a shared garage building. Advantages = very close to city centre, BA government buildings, and main shopping area. Disadvantages = small size of grounds, lack of room to house many vehicles, some distance from the areas where any staff not housed within the embassy itself would probably live.
(EDIT: I can see that we'll need to install a multi-level carpark under the communal gardens. Until that's been done, some nations may find parking all of the vehicles that their missions & staff want a bit difficult...)
2/. Neutral Park: A neighbourhood just north of the city-centre, in which many of the Clans previously maintained their own ?embassies?. Most of those missions have now moved into newer premises, nearer to the High Council?s Hall, leaving their old sites vacant. There are currently nine sites of 4 'harram' each available, and twenty-three sites of half that size, all with a two-storey or three-storey residence (3 storeys here = about the same total floor-area as 4 storeys in the 'EastFort' sites) ready built. Advantages = still fairly close to the city centre, quieter than the Old Grain-Wharves, containing premises that were actually built for the right purpose, with gatehouses and garages already present in some cases, and all with gardens. Disadvantages = some distance from the areas where your people would probably want to shop, and where any staff not housed within the embassy itself would live.
The best sites here will only be given to nations with which we already have, or expect to develop, strong ties.
3/. The Old Grain-Wharves: This is a set of former warehouses, recently rendered surplus to commercial requirements by the building of better facilities elsewhere, that would be capable of adaptation for this purpose. Eight buildings, each about 200? square, which would probably have three levels (one of them double-height) when rebuilt. Advantages = close to the city-centre, accessible by water as well as by land. Disadvantages = the existing structures were built sturdily, but not with high security in mind; they have narrow yards at front & back, originally for loading & unloading vehicles, but no gardens or external garages; any basements added would probably be damp.
Any nation taking a site in this location would also be offered a larger compound on the city?s outskirts, for residential & recreational purposes.
4/. Borrgan?s Farm: This is a former livestock-raising farm, a couple of miles outside Council Groves proper but still with both road & canal links to further in. It consists of thirty-two enclosed fields, each of them about 8 harram in extent and roughly square, with 2 gates each (on opposite sides) set in high hedges that mainly consist of species that produce nuts or edible fruit. Utilities have just been laid-on. Advantages? = space, privacy, freedom to build whatever you want within the general limits (no more than four storeys above ground, or two below, without special clearance; buildings & paving cannot cover more than half of the ground). Disadvantages = distance from the city-centre & shops, need to have premises built before you could move in.
The ?compound? offered to any nation that chose a site at the Old Grain-Wharves will be a half of one of these enclosures.
Any national government that is interested in sending an embassy to us should apply using the following form:
Quote:
1./ Nation details
Full name:
Basic system of government:
Structure of government:
(Current WA category: )
Peoples:
Main languages:
Main religions:
2/. Political details
Head of State:
Head of Government:
Person in charge of diplomacy:
Current government ideology & main policies:
International affiliations: (You needn't mention other embassies...)
Currently involved in any wars? _
Main reason for wanting embassy:
Embassy in your capital possible for us? _
Reciprocity of diplomatic immunity? _
3/. Planned embassy details
Name of ambassador-to-be:
Ambassador?s family details:
Number of other diplomats:
Number of security staff being sent:
Number of support staff being sent:
Number of dependants to be present:
Will any staff be hired locally? _
Preferred site:
Diplomatic vehicles, basic types & numbers:
Personal vehicles, types & numbers (approx.):
Nature of weapons to be present:
Non-medical drugs to be present: (include alcohol, caffeine, &/or tobacco, if rlevant...)
Any other relevant information:
Any special requests:
[/quote]
Any nation that is also located in the International Democratic Union or that has already allowed us to set up an embassy in their own capital city can automatically have an embassy, although the precise details of this will still need to be sorted out.
Embassies granted so far
Eastfort: Old Ceorana, Philosophical Pandas, Roumberre (shared with 'The Holy See [Nova Assissi]' ...); Antrium, Baranxtu, Jagera, Malabra, Mikitivity.
Old Grain-Wharves: ----------
Neutral Park: Salzland.
Borrgan's Farm: ----------
(Details not yet arranged): Rathanan.
Requests under consideration
Marstia,
Belschaft,
Porinn.
[/quote]
I'll copy any applications that you decide to post here rather than in the thread on Jolt, with the Bears' replies to them, into the Jolt thread.
Here's a copy of the opening post from my thread about this in "International Incidents" section of the Jolt forums, less an initial disclaimer that doesn't apply to you but with more details of the 'EastFort' district -- embassies in which are only available to IDU members (unless any other Ursine nations happen to apply...) -- added.
Quote:
"Hrarroom!"? (= "Greetings!")
The High Council of Clans, which is the national government of Bears Armed, has decided that the next stage in expanding our contacts with the outside world should be to invite other nations to establish embassies here. A number of suitable sites around ?Council Groves?, our capital city, are therefore being made available for this purpose.
We are interested in developing connections with other nations for the purpose of facilitating cultural and educational exchanges, possibly for making agreements about trade, and for promoting international agreements on certain other matters (such as the treatment of intelligent beings in nations dominated by species other than their own) about which we care: Getting involved in other peoples' wars is not on our agenda...
_____________________________________________
Here is some basic information about our nation _
1./ Nation details
Full name: The Confederated Clans of the Free Bears of Bears Armed.
Basic system of government: Constitutional confederation.
Structure of government: The ?High Council of Clans?, which consists of delegates chosen by the governments of the separate Clans and the leaders of certain other bodies, serves as an arbitrator between those bodies and as their collective main interface with the outside world; each Clan, or other body with representation there, has its own government that handles all ?local? matters? These second-tier governments vary in structure, but generally blend democratic and ?traditional? elements.
(Current WA category: either Anarchy or Corporate Bordello, depending on recent issues)
Peoples: Ursines (= anthropomorphic Bears) of various strains = c.96%; Harr?aynau (physically ?Human?, although inclined to be heavily-built & probably rather hairy, but spiritually ?Ursine? instead) = c.1? %, Smith-folk (= Dwarves) = c.1%, Brocken
(= anthropomorphic Badgers) = c.? %, Hwa (= anthropomorphic Giant Pandas) = c.? %, others = c.[? to ?]%.
Main languages: Ursine (the main language for 8 of the 12 Major Clans & many of the Minor Clans, and so used as the main ?official language? nationally); Owester, Norren, Hwan, Ruottsan (mainly used within a single Major Clan each, but all ?official? nationally for certain purposes too), English (which has few native speakers, but is quite widely used between speakers of the different official languages; it is also the main language used by this nation?s diplomats).
Main religions: ?One plus Seven? (= shabear-led reverence of the Great Bear & his Seven Holy Helpers; this is the dominant faith of most ?Ursine?-speaking groups, and as close as the nation comes to having an official? ?state? religion); plus Christianity (mainly ?Roman Catholic?, although with a local ?Pope?; centred in one Major Clan, but with some followers elsewhere), Ursianity (from an Earth without Humans, whose equivalent to ?Christ? walked in Ursine form; originally based in 1 Minor Clan, but also has significant strength in 2 Major Clans & elsewhere as well by now), ?Eightwayism? (essentially = Buddhism; originally based in 1 Major Clan, but has also spread elsewhere as well by now); plus ?Church of the Divine Couple? (= shabear-led reverence of the Great Bear and Mother Earth; centred in one Major Clan, but with some followers elsewhere), ?Church of Greatfather Sun? (basically in 1 Major Clan & 1 Minor Clan), Taoism and Kungfushianism (both, with many of their followers shared, mainly in the same area where Eightwayism originated).
2/. Political details
Head of State: 'Chairbear of the High Council', currently Ammabarr o BerryGlades.
Head of Government: (ditto)
Person in charge of diplomacy: 'Chairbear of Committee for The Strangers', currently Beartha o Berrum.
Current government ideology & main policies: Traditionalist, but fairly tolerant of differences; supports free trade, and is cautiously interested in expanding this country?s contacts with outside nations.
International affiliations: ?Ursian League? (which is my group of nations in this region), International Democratic Union, World Assembly.
Currently involved in any wars? _ No.
___________________________________________
We recognise the principle of diplomatic immunity, as defined by the former NSUN?s Resolution =127, with the following modifications:
Full immunity applies only to accredited diplomats and their dependents, and to security staff, and it is hoped that their nations will revoke this protection if presented with evidence of serious wrongdoing on their part. Other staff and dependents enjoy partial immunity, which means that: they can only be arrested and prosecuted for major offences; their heads-of-mission must be notified as soon as possible after any arrests are made, and will have a right to arrange legal representation for them; and it should generally be possible to arrange for any sentences to be served in their homelands, and for the payment of? ?beregelt? in lieu of capital punishment.
The extraterritoriality of embassies is recognised, as long as the general rules established in this document are being followed, and also extends to those vehicles that are used for official diplomatic purposes: Vehicles that are being used for personal purposes by members of missions enjoy partial immunity, being only subject to stopping and searching in the case of major offences.
Diplomatic immunity may mean that the people concerned cannot be sued locally for unpaid debts, including summary penalties for traffic offences, but the mission as a whole is expected to pay these (on presentation of proof that the sums are due) and is of course then free to use whatever means its own national laws allow for reclaiming those costs from the original debtors.? ? ?
(Espionage, sedition and sabotage are not considered acceptable behaviour for members of diplomatic missions.)
These rights may be reduced in the case of missions from any nations that will not grant comparable rights to our own diplomatic missions.
Embassies may be used to host 'trade fairs' advertising your nation's products and businesses, but may not be used as wholesale or retail business outlets.
Embassy missions may include up to 16 accredited diplomats, 32 security personnel, and 48 other staff sent from your own nation: If you need more security personnel or other support than that then we might be willing to let them in, but would prefer it if you hired locally. We place no official restriction on the number of dependants whom these people may bring along, but it is our custom (which we urge you to follow) for security personnel to leave their dependents back at home and as our educational system isn?t really set-up for coping with foreign pupils we would suggest that any school-age children should also not be brought.
You may have up to four accredited ?diplomatic? vehicles, and any vehicles for use by security personnel during their duties will also enjoy this protection. Armed vehicles are NOT allowed, armoured ones are allowed but ? unless you bring your own enemies with you ? shouldn?t be needed as the area around ?Council Groves? is considered neutral territory in any inter-clan disputes. Depending on the location chosen & assigned, you may also be allowed full diplomatic protection for one or two transport vehicles. We place no official limits on the number of vehicles that the mission?s staff may have for their personal use, but advise that the traffic situation in most of Council Groves? central areas would make using either public transport or locally-hired taxis a better idea there. (These rules do not extend to aircraft of any kind, whose presence must be specially negotiated?)?
The laws of our nation are fairly easy-going with respect to personal weaponry, and accept that people of importance may be accompanied by armed guards under most circumstances. Your missions may bring in any melee weapons and ?pre-gunpowder? missile weapons that they want, and the only restriction on ?individual? firearms is that lack they cannot have ?fully automatic? capabilities, but heavy weapons and explosives are not allowed: If you want to bring in ?future-tech? devices, or magical ones, then these will need special clearance.??
Our laws are also fairly easy-going with regards to the possession of drugs for personal and/or sacramental use, and your mission can bring whatever it likes (and that your own laws allow) along those lines into the country for use by its own personnel and their dependents. You are not allowed to bring them in under diplomatic cover for distribution to our own people: Serving them at official events within your embassy?s presence will probably be considered acceptable, but we would like to know what you?re proposing to bring in before giving approval.
We would also like the basic details of any 'future-tech' devices, 'occult' devices or personnel with "non-mundane" abilities that you wish to bring in.
The easiest way for foreigners to reach Council Groves is by airflight into the nation of Mikitivity, which is our closest neighbour, and then onwards either by air or by rail. Our own airports aren?t capable of handling most types of large or fast jets, and their ability to fix problems in the most ?modern? designs is also limited. Driving in by road from Mikitivity would also be possible, but some of the routes within our own territories are rather rough.??
Embassy sites are currently available within four different sections of Council Groves, although one of these is restricted to other IDU members or [potentially] other 'Ursine' nations _
1/. EastFort: An area forming part of the city-centre's eastern edge, where a large section of the old defences has recently been redeveloped for peaceful uses. Total = 16 sites, 6 of which are already assigned, each comprising a tower (with 4 storeys above ground, & 2 levels of basements) set in about 1 'harram' (c. 1 1/4 acres) of private gardens with a small gatehouse; access to 12 harram of shared gardens, and to space in a shared garage building. Advantages = very close to city centre, BA government buildings, and main shopping area. Disadvantages = small size of grounds, lack of room to house many vehicles, some distance from the areas where any staff not housed within the embassy itself would probably live.
(EDIT: I can see that we'll need to install a multi-level carpark under the communal gardens. Until that's been done, some nations may find parking all of the vehicles that their missions & staff want a bit difficult...)
2/. Neutral Park: A neighbourhood just north of the city-centre, in which many of the Clans previously maintained their own ?embassies?. Most of those missions have now moved into newer premises, nearer to the High Council?s Hall, leaving their old sites vacant. There are currently nine sites of 4 'harram' each available, and twenty-three sites of half that size, all with a two-storey or three-storey residence (3 storeys here = about the same total floor-area as 4 storeys in the 'EastFort' sites) ready built. Advantages = still fairly close to the city centre, quieter than the Old Grain-Wharves, containing premises that were actually built for the right purpose, with gatehouses and garages already present in some cases, and all with gardens. Disadvantages = some distance from the areas where your people would probably want to shop, and where any staff not housed within the embassy itself would live.
The best sites here will only be given to nations with which we already have, or expect to develop, strong ties.
3/. The Old Grain-Wharves: This is a set of former warehouses, recently rendered surplus to commercial requirements by the building of better facilities elsewhere, that would be capable of adaptation for this purpose. Eight buildings, each about 200? square, which would probably have three levels (one of them double-height) when rebuilt. Advantages = close to the city-centre, accessible by water as well as by land. Disadvantages = the existing structures were built sturdily, but not with high security in mind; they have narrow yards at front & back, originally for loading & unloading vehicles, but no gardens or external garages; any basements added would probably be damp.
Any nation taking a site in this location would also be offered a larger compound on the city?s outskirts, for residential & recreational purposes.
4/. Borrgan?s Farm: This is a former livestock-raising farm, a couple of miles outside Council Groves proper but still with both road & canal links to further in. It consists of thirty-two enclosed fields, each of them about 8 harram in extent and roughly square, with 2 gates each (on opposite sides) set in high hedges that mainly consist of species that produce nuts or edible fruit. Utilities have just been laid-on. Advantages? = space, privacy, freedom to build whatever you want within the general limits (no more than four storeys above ground, or two below, without special clearance; buildings & paving cannot cover more than half of the ground). Disadvantages = distance from the city-centre & shops, need to have premises built before you could move in.
The ?compound? offered to any nation that chose a site at the Old Grain-Wharves will be a half of one of these enclosures.
Any national government that is interested in sending an embassy to us should apply using the following form:
Quote:
1./ Nation details
Full name:
Basic system of government:
Structure of government:
(Current WA category: )
Peoples:
Main languages:
Main religions:
2/. Political details
Head of State:
Head of Government:
Person in charge of diplomacy:
Current government ideology & main policies:
International affiliations: (You needn't mention other embassies...)
Currently involved in any wars? _
Main reason for wanting embassy:
Embassy in your capital possible for us? _
Reciprocity of diplomatic immunity? _
3/. Planned embassy details
Name of ambassador-to-be:
Ambassador?s family details:
Number of other diplomats:
Number of security staff being sent:
Number of support staff being sent:
Number of dependants to be present:
Will any staff be hired locally? _
Preferred site:
Diplomatic vehicles, basic types & numbers:
Personal vehicles, types & numbers (approx.):
Nature of weapons to be present:
Non-medical drugs to be present: (include alcohol, caffeine, &/or tobacco, if rlevant...)
Any other relevant information:
Any special requests:
[/quote]
Any nation that is also located in the International Democratic Union or that has already allowed us to set up an embassy in their own capital city can automatically have an embassy, although the precise details of this will still need to be sorted out.
Embassies granted so far
Eastfort: Old Ceorana, Philosophical Pandas, Roumberre (shared with 'The Holy See [Nova Assissi]' ...); Antrium, Baranxtu, Jagera, Malabra, Mikitivity.
Old Grain-Wharves: ----------
Neutral Park: Salzland.
Borrgan's Farm: ----------
(Details not yet arranged): Rathanan.
Requests under consideration
Marstia,
Belschaft,
Porinn.
[/quote]
I'll copy any applications that you decide to post here rather than in the thread on Jolt, with the Bears' replies to them, into the Jolt thread.