2023-08-24
Toblerone is moving it's chocolate production out of Switzerland and losing it's logo as a result.
The Matterhorn, that majestic mountain peak that graced Toblerone's packaging since 1970, holds a special place in the hearts of the Swiss people. In Switzerland, it's not just a mountain; it's an emblem of national pride. But here’s why Toblerone has to let go of it—the Swissness Act of 2017, dictates that products should be intrinsically tied to the Swiss geography to bear the "Swiss-made" label and carry Switzerland-related imagery.
From the Trademark Factory's newsletter, which sadly doesn't have a link.
2023-07-15
This piece from the Financial Times really resonated with me.
It hits on something I've experienced: the difficulty of finding a community in an American city that is affordable enough to live in, safe enough to let children play in, and has access to good education. It's so hard to find. In most parts of the US, if you want to have these things, you're pushed to the suburbs.
It seems to me that urban areas have an amazing lack of urgency around this problem.
While reading, I couldn't help thinking of this picture I took during my first week living in Zürich:
In what US city could you imagine this scene?
A group of grade school girls on their way to school all by themselves, without a parent in sight. One of my favorite things about living in Switzerland was that it was not just possible to live in an urban area, but easy.
2023-06-02
Apparently so, although it used to be bigger.
the Swiss flag currently flies on only 14 ocean vessels, well down from the 50 ships in 2017. In that year, an embarrassing shipping fraud cost the taxpayer CHF215 million ($237 million), forcing a rethink of maritime strategy.
via SwissInfo.ch
2023-05-13
American cheese was invented in Switzerland by two food chemists, Walter Gerber and Fritz Stettler. Apparently it's made from emmental with sodium citrate added to extend the shelf life.
Discovered via the Kroger App (not joking! they have crazy interesting food facts on their loading screen) and confirmed via Thrillist.
