Morning News

Sometimes the morning news is just too good to keep to myself.

In addition to the sad and the bad there is the odd occasion where there are entertaining, thoughtful, downright humorous bits sprinkled throughout.

Today’s edition was rich in snippets of trivia (in no particular order either chronologically nor in importance):

·      Yesterday morning an Ethiopian co-pilot high jacked an airplane headed for Rome, to Geneva where, after having to circle due to said airport’s not being open, he landed, crawled out of the side window with a rope and easily gave himself up, requesting asylum: unfortunately for him, Switzerland doesn’t grant asylum to anyone having committed a crime. Oops

·      Same theme: the plane was accompanied when they entered Italian territory, first by Italian jet fighters, later by French jet fighters: Switzerland’s jet fighters are only operative from 8 a.m. until noon then again from 13:30 until 17:00.   And in a few months we will be voting as to whether or not to acquire new jet fighter planes…

·      ABBA – the much beloved Swedish group wore very colorful (not to say outlandish) costumes: why? Turns out that they could deduct the cost of said costumes, but only if they could not be worn as everyday wear. What we won’t do to get a tax deduction.

·      After the vote against “massive immigration” passed by a narrow margin (50,3% for), others are emulating it: a recent initiative was deposited in the canton of Ticino: 5’500 signatures to put to the vote taking Switzerland back out of Schengen.

·      A street had it’s name change from the “route of the students” to “burnt farms” (rough translations) because 9 barns have burnt in the sector – a mystery that has yet to be solved: perhaps the name change will see them all burn down, then we can change it back to something like “path of agriculture” or “no deposits”.

·      Switzerland has too much salt as winter has not been as cold as usual, solution: send 24 tons of it to Sotchi where it can be used to keep the snow on the ground.

·      And, last, but not least: there is too much arsenic in rice crackers!

Almost looking forward to tomorrow’s news.

Gleaned from my local Sunday paper

Some affecting only Switzerland as well as others that have the potential for affecting the world.

1) Information about an upcoming vote: Nov.24 the Swiss will vote on the Young Socialists initiative: 1:12 (seeking to limit the top pay in any given company to 12 times that of the lowest pay).

2) On page 33 – Economy section – a small article announcing  that the NSA can still collect telephone meta-data:

“October 11, 2013

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Approves Government's Application to Renew Telephony Metadata Program
As indicated by a declassified court order and amended memorandum opinion published by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Sept. 17, 2013, the court authorization requiring the production of certain telephony metadata under the "business records" provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, 50 U.S.C. Section 1861, expires Oct. 11, 2013.

Previously on several occasions, the Director of National Intelligence declassified certain information about this telephony metadata collection program in order to provide the public with a more thorough and balanced understanding of the program. Consistent with his prior declassification decision and in light of the significant and continuing public interest in the telephony metadata collection program, DNI Clapper has decided to declassify and disclose publicly that the government filed an application with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court seeking renewal of the authority to collect telephony metadata in bulk, and that the court renewed that authority.

The administration is undertaking a declassification review of this most recent court order.

Shawn Turner
Director of Public Affairs
Office of the Director of National Intelligence”

3)   Still under “Economy” that, as of August 1^st, 2013 all pharmaceutical companies selling medicines and drugs in the USA have to transmit to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) a list of gifts given to doctors. Called the Sunshine Act, the pharmaceutical industry ‘s largesse towards those who proscribe their medicines will be available in the USA as of the 30^th of September 2014. In Switzerland this won’t take place until 2016

And I haven’t even finished reading the paper – amazing what one can learn with a bit of assiduous reading. OK, time to take that walk.