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Switzerland

ASMALLWORLD Weekend in Gstaad, Switzerland 2012 | Pictures
Switzerland

All the Best Shots From This Weekend's Winter Chic Fest in Switzerland

Arizona Muse, Carey Mulligan, Poppy Delevingne, Teresa Missoni, and Waris Ahluwalia were among those who made the trek to Switzerland this past weekend for ASMALLWORLD's third annual Winter Weekend getaway.
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ASMALLWORLD Weekend in Gstaad, Switzerland 2012 | Pictures

Arizona Muse, Carey Mulligan, Poppy Delevingne, Teresa Missoni, and Waris Ahluwalia were among those who made the trek to Switzerland this past weekend for ASMALLWORLD's third annual Winter Weekend getaway. And though it may have been frosty on the slopes outside the Gstaad Palace Hotel where the weekend's festivities took place, there was plenty on the docket to keep guests toasty.

On Friday evening, the crowd kicked off the fun with a champagne cocktail and diamond hunt. The big winner of the evening was Tali Lennox, who, clad in a two-toned leopard-print minidress, ended up winning the grand prize: a glittering pair of Bucherer diamond hoops. The next day it was off to the lifts, where Jessica Joffe and Lily Kwong showed off their best cold-weather getups (no puffy snowsuits here) while Muse frolicked with son Nikko in the snow before joining the rest of the crew for a fondue feast.

And that wasn't all. Saturday evening's black-tie charity gala hosted by Mulligan had everyone from Harley Viera-Newton to Harvey Weinstein in high spirits — especially when singer Alysha Umphress took to the stage for a surprise performance.

Highlights from the weekend, here in the slideshow.

Lily Kwong Janina Joffe and Jessica Joffe Jessica Joffe Waris Ahluwalia and Tali Lennox Margherita Chiarva Ben Grimes Lily Kwong
View 36 Photos
What to Pack for Basel, Switzerland
Travel

What to Pack for . . . Basel, Switzerland

>> Right now, in a gorgeous medieval city on the banks of the Rhine, Art Basel is in full swing.
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What to Pack for Basel, Switzerland

>> Right now, in a gorgeous medieval city on the banks of the Rhine, Art Basel is in full swing. With over 300 international galleries showcasing the best in modern and contemporary art, it's a festival so global and all-encompassing that Vogue has dubbed it "the most beautiful temporary museum of the world." But what to wear to a gathering of the world's most aesthetically discerning patrons? Pieces that could be subtle little works of art themselves, naturally. Architecturally folded skirts, graphic-print dresses, and statement accessories — click through to see our packing list.

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Switzerland Might Decriminalize Incest
Sex

Switzerland Might Decriminalize Incest — Would You Support That?

Incest is all the rage today.
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Incest is all the rage today. A well-respected Ivy League professor was arrested for having a three-year affair with his 24-year-old daughter, and now Switzerland is considering a law that would decriminalize consensual sex between parents and adult children as well as between siblings. A Swiss justice department spokesman explains: "Incest continues to be a taboo in our society, but it's not up to criminal law to stop every morally reprehensible aspect of behavior. Rather, the law should be for punishing behavior that's particularly socially damaging."

Of course many people would argue that incest is socially damaging, and our instinctual "ick" reaction tells us something must be wrong with it. People in favor of keeping it illegal often point to the risks associated with inbreeding. But using that logic, we should forbid sex between anyone with a known increased risk of passing on hereditary diseases. Plus, the genetic risk with incest isn't as high as people think. Putting aside the health concerns, there is an argument that incest is never consensual, especially in the parent-child sexual relationship. Like in the case of a boss-employee relationship, the power dynamic between a parent and child might mean that consent can never really be given.

Considering all this, do you still agree with the Swiss that the government should stay out of the bedroom, even in the case of incest?

Harry Potter Condoms
News

Harry Popper Condom Needs Magic to Get Out of Lawsuit

The Harry Potter franchise is worth $25 billion, so you might think copyright owners Warner Brothers have found a way to plaster the brand on everything.
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The Harry Potter franchise is worth $25 billion, so you might think copyright owners Warner Brothers have found a way to plaster the brand on everything. Yet the franchise has failed to cover one body part that an unaffiliated manufacturer has. I'm talking "Harry Popper" condoms.

Warner Brothers is suing the Swiss condom manufacturer that says the wand-wielding cartoon condom on the wrapper has "nothing to do with Harry Potter." Warner Brothers says the design threatens its boy wizard's image. I'm guessing Daniel Radcliffe's decision to bare all on stage a while back raised a few corporate eyebrows, too.

If the makers of Harry Popper condoms lose the suit, at least they'll have to come up with a new name that doesn't suggest the condoms will . . . pop.

Aseptic Mitten at Exhibition of Invention in Geneva Picture
News

Picture It: Don't Forget Your Mitten . . .

A model sticks her hand into a glove designed to keep the hand aseptic during the 38th International Exhibition of Invention in Geneva.
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A model sticks her hand into a glove designed to keep the hand aseptic during the 38th International Exhibition of Invention in Geneva. I have no idea what they're touching there, but I would probably start using it as a bag, rendering it useless.

Ceylor Condom Ad With Cop Patting Down Driver
Love and Sex

Condom Ads: Not Everything Can Make It in America

If Don Draper was alive, ever, and less homophobic, he would make this ad.
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If Don Draper was alive, ever, and less homophobic, he would make this ad. Condom ads seem to be evolving, becoming less overt and more imaginative, like the sperm cartoon ad we saw last week. But this Ceylor condom ad, from an agency in Switzerland, really takes it to a new level.

I'd explain what's happening here — Copyranter calls it "rear-end interrogation" — but it would sound vulgar. That's what so great about it! Any passerby would keep right on walking, while the target audience — young gay men who like to live on the edge (i.e. drive fast?) — would most definitely pick up what's being put down.

Unfortunately, this ad would never make it in America, except maybe (big maybe) in the gayest neighborhoods. And that's a shame. I'd rather look at a cryptically explicit ad than a completely obvious one any day.

Switzerland Rolls Out Tiny Condoms
Sex

Switzerland Rolls Out Tiny Condoms

Switzerland thinks it found a solution to (pre)teens having unprotected sex: tiny condoms.
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Switzerland thinks it found a solution to (pre)teens having unprotected sex: tiny condoms. Statistics suggest that 12 to 14-year-olds in the country do not use sufficient protection. Perhaps that has more to do with the fact that they're children, but hey — let's get them some condoms that fit better anyway. Why not.

But even if the condom fits, a man might not wear it. Condom marketers say it's tough to sell small condoms, and that leads to men buying ill-fitting condoms, which leads to unsafe sex.

I have an idea. Sell condoms only in sizes L, XL, and XXL, instead of S, M, L. After all, if they can have size deflation at women's clothing stores (ever go into a certain store and realize you're like two sizes smaller than normal) then why not have size inflation to help the male ego?

Swiss Voters Outlaw Nudity in Nature
News

Swiss Voters Outlaw Nudity in Nature

After an invasion of German nudists, voters in the Swiss Alps have banned hiking in the buff.
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After an invasion of German nudists, voters in the Swiss Alps have banned hiking in the buff.

The tiny canton (state) of Appenzell Inner Rhodes held a show-of-hands vote on the "disgraceful" practice at their open-air assembly. The majority decided to impose a fine of about $176 on people found hiking around their mountains sans pantaloons. Considering this conservative canon only gave women the vote in 1990, it's not surprising that naked hikers make them blush.

Would you vote to ban nude hikers, or should they have the right to go au natural in nature?

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Parking in Pink: Girly Color Marks Women-Only Parking Spots
News

Parking in Pink: Girly Color Marks Women-Only Parking Spots

I came across a story yesterday about pink parking spaces in South Korea.
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I came across a story yesterday about pink parking spaces in South Korea. One city has decided to paint extra large spots a pretty pink so unskilled (women) drivers can park with ease. Apparently driving while female is a handicap.

In shock (and with a few giggles) I did a quick Google search. I discovered that South Korea is not alone.

I found an airport in Germany that also reserves some "very special rows" for women. And Swiss parking enforcers also adorn extra large spaces with pink outlines and flowers, hoping it will deter male drivers.

Before I could get too mad, I realized there was some method to Switzerland's apparent madness — the women-only spots are located next to a parking lot's exit, and under video surveillance.

So while South Korea insults "unskilled" women drivers, Switzerland promises to keep us safe. Either way, who wants to park in a bright pink spot? Well, maybe. It is sort of pretty.

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We Could Call It Email? US Post Office May Deliver Mail Digitally
News

We Could Call It Email? US Post Office May Deliver Mail Digitally

Last month the US Post Office asked Congress for an extra day off.
by CitizenSugar

Last month the US Post Office asked Congress for an extra day off. Turns out, with a $2.8 billion deficit in 2008, it can no longer afford to deliver mail six days a week. And with an $8 billion shortage predicted for '09, it's going to need more money than May's 2¢-stamp-price hike will bring.

Now tech startups have another idea: Get online. For real this time. Not like the e-stamp attempts that were so unpopular in the '90s. Security has always been the quandary keeping mail on the streets, but Earth Class Mail (ECM), a mail-scanning and delivery service, is ready to change that.

Its idea is that mail would go to a trusted inbox that's owned by the postal service. Once received, users could store mail on the postal carrier's servers (I hear your screams), forward it to a personal inbox, or shred it (in whatever e-way that means).

Switzerland's postal service has bought it; it's licensing ECM's technology to launch a mail service in Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, Italy, and Liechtenstein. Ultimately, Earth Class Mail would like to form an international network and deliver mail worldwide.

Is this pay-for-security idea godsent, or should it get lost in the mail?

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