Update on Ultimate Snus Site: code-named Uber-Snus!

A lot has been happening in the Snus world recently:

• Camel SNUS announced it is going Nation-wide in the US (Merry Christmas....not)
• Swedish Match has a new President, Rich Flaherty (Congratulations!)
• In addition to General Stark Ekstra, a whole bunch of new Extra High Nicotine Snus's are appearing (and I've even tried some that are not on the market yet!)
• Nordic American is confusing everyone again; first by stating they've moved from pasteurization to a "process like pasteurization", and then by introducing the Nordic Ice Brand before anyone was sure what the Klondike brand was.

Nordic American did improve their website, however. Still doesn't answer my questions, though, and I have not had time to get back with their VP of Marketing, Bill Eder OR Lorillard's SVP and General Counsel, Ron Milstein.

A lot of other things have been happening and I've been lax on my snus and tobacco industry posts (but keeping myself updated).

For a Good Reason, though! As I've told some of you and mentioned in the comments sections, snus as a topic has overwhelmed this humble blog.

Snus is also of such overwhelming importance to not only us, but to the 46MM+ nicotine-addicted American Cigarette smokers.

The FACTS, the REVIEWS, the QUESTIONS, (I'm 700 emails behind!), the NEWS and the upheaval in American Society already appearing as legislation in Congress is SO CRITICAL to snus, smokeless tobacco, and especially cigarette users over the next few years that it has spawned "code-name Uber-Snus".

It's not "a" Snus website; it's the ULTIMATE SNUS EXPERIENCE like none ever seen.

It is a MASSIVE site...actually SITE's it's so big. The functionality is almost done. The graphics are almost done pending some "special things".

The content loading will NEVER be done, but we'll have enough up (MUCH more than The Unloading Zone) to show you where we're going, help new people and cigarette smokers curious about snus find more answers than they can here now, and YOU will be contributing to the content as well!

Here's your first taste: the pictures above. On the bottom, your old friend Mr. Unloadingzone. Sadly, on the new site, a spokesman with a Dog's Head just wouldn't be appropriate.

So he's staying here, The Unloading Zone will get a complete face-lift eventually, and he'll write about everything that interests him like he used to.....EXCEPT SNUS!

The existing snus articles and your comments will be left here but Mr. Unloadingzone will NOT be writing about Snus anymore.

All NEW Snus and related articles and information will ONLY be available on the code-name "Uber-Snus" site.

SO PLEASE WELCOME YOUR "NEW" HOST, Mr.UNZ! Mr. UNZ, is a name you the loyal followers of this blog started using in your comments...among others, some of which I had to delete. Mr. U-Zone came in second, but I may use that here when The Unloading Zone is re-designed.

Mr. UNZ, The Snus Guru, is pictured top (intentionally JUST a little blurry). He is the new Managing Editor, Contributor, Resident Snus Visionary, and a Founding Member of .....code-name "Uber-Snus".

A heads up especially for my long-time friends and readers: Members have the option of choosing from of a host of icons/badges to place on their social networks, emails, blogs....anything that takes HTML proudly telling the world, especially in the polarizing next few years, where YOU stand on snus.

For you, FOR A VERY LIMITED TIME, I had a Special FOUNDING MEMBER badge/icon created. One day, it will just be gone from the Badge Section. I wanted to give the people; my friends; who gave birth to this massive EVERYTHING Snus site the ability to show the world it happened because of YOU.

Membership is FREE by the way. So are the badges. And Members get special access and special permissions that visitors DON'T.

And don't worry, when I used the word "badges" above, this is not just another Ning site. It has nothing to do with Ning (no offense to those of you who use or have Ning sites: I'm a member of one myself!)

I just want you to understand how UNIQUE this site is going to be. I'd like to wait until all the content is loaded, but that would take much too long.

I already have much more than you get here now (on snus), so we're going to beta launch this year: could be in a week; could be late December, but it will be in 2008.

We have SO many things for you that the technical integration has been "challenging" for my developers and myself. And then I think of new things every day.............

Some of you may have found the site already....I know R.J. Reynolds Tobacco has. We were running it live for a while and were indexed. I have taken the site off-line until Mr. UNZ feels it's fit for public viewing.

We will VERY PUBLICLY announce, first here for your benefit, and then globally, when we beta launch.

Thanks a lot for your patience.

I had planned on holding off any new Snus Reviews until we move over; especially the one on all those cans of new Extra Strong brands. But every time I open the refrigerator, that one can of General Ekstra Sterk keeps calling to me.........and some of you taunt me in your comments on how Great it is!

It will be the next can I open and I'll review it here on The Unloading Zone if we haven't turned on Uber-Snus yet.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO IS HELP ME by using the Uber-Snus site when I make the announcement here and tell me what YOU think: Good or BAD. I made it for you so your input is critical.

• Is there anything missing you would like?
• Is there something there you have no use for?
• If you come across any bugs or difficulties with functionality, PLEASE let us know so we can fix them.
• Can you figure out where everything is and how to use it?
• Do we need to make instructions or FAQ's we don't have now or clearer for you? The site is easy to use but I'm giving you a Lot of options and a Lot of power. You may just want to go there to read Mr. UNZ's columns and not use any/all of the other. That's fine too...I don't want to scare you.
• BUT I DO want to make the Uber-Snus site (again, not it's real name so don't Google it, but I did buy the domain) as USER-FRIENDLY and as easy for you, guests, and manufacturers to visit and use.
  

So PLEASE don't be shy once we're live. We have a Contact Us section: use it, PLEASE.

In the meantime, I'll be working on Uber-Snus, doing some posting here, trying to get caught up on my email (I apologize for any late responses to anyone), paying the mortgage, and getting a little sleep.

Thanks again for everything. Especially for visiting, and especially for the new friends I've made all because of that one little article I wrote over a year ago about MY first snus experience and how after 30+ years of smoking cigarettes, it changed my life forever.

And thank you Sweden, for allowing me my nicotine-addiction while regulating hundreds of great tasting snus's so that they REALLY ARE reduced harm: the least harmful (lawyers again) way to enjoy nicotine AND tobacco AND great taste at a great price.

That ties into the SECOND REASON for "Uber-Snus":

• To fight the current legislation in Congress to BAN the importation by individuals of ALL tobacco products (except cigars, you hypocritical Cuban Cigar smoking bastards).
• To force a VERY overburdened FDA to regulate snus like they do in Sweden and not just worry about banning cigarettes. Because lets be blunt:

Taste aside, What you DON'T Know about the differences between SWEDISH Snus and AMERICAN Snus CAN KILL YOU!

And 46 million+ American nicotine-addicted cigarette smokers don't. The Big Tobacco Companies lied to us when they said Light cigarettes were "safer" than Regular Cigarettes: Read the News: In real life with real cigarette smokers, there is NO DIFFERENCE! Big Tobacco LIED.

I switched to Camel Lights for NO Reason: I thought they were less harmful to me. They were NOT. I knew the dangers of cigarettes, and it was my personal choice to smoke as it was still legal and my nicotine-addiction. But they Lied about "Light Cigarettes". I was trying to reduce the harm I was doing my lungs and they LIED. I was not an informed smoker; I was played for a fool, just like everyone else who switched to light cigarettes.

Now they're telling LIES about American snus: trying futilly to LINK their carcinogenic, under-nicotined, over-priced, God knows what's in it but DON'T EVER swallow the pouch,.........product to Reduced Harm SWEDISH SNUS!

And just like myself and the vast majority Americans today, we never even heard of "snus" until Camel and Marlboro came along 3 years ago or so. If there wasn't a Swedish Match dealer 5 minutes from my house, I would probably STILL be using Camel SNUS!!! And be much the poorer health wise and financially for it.

The Uber-Snus Site will at LEAST help new snusers, the snus curious, and when the cigarette ban comes (and it is) panic-stricken nicotine-addicted cigarette smokers to be INFORMED consumers.....despite the questionable marketing practices of Big American Tobacco.

We even include information on DOCTORS who are using Swedish Snus instead of ineffective nicotine patches or pills for SMOKING CESSATION! If in the end, they decide to use Marlboro snus, Skoal snus or whatever American snus is out there, at least they will be informed users.

Personal Choice, Factual Information and Freedom to choose: That's what at stake. And a whole lot more you'll read about when Uber-Snus goes Live......VERY Soon.

Very Sincerely Yours,

Mr. Unloadingzone

and very soon,

Mr. UNZ
The Snus Guru

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