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By Jake Tudge
The recent Diamond Jubilee celebrations have left many of us questioning whether there are still advantages in having a Monarchy.
Many also question what exactly the Monarchies role is in today's society.
HM Queen Elizabeth II acts as the figurehead for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth as well as being an ambassador for our great nation and a monarch we can be proud of.
It is of great significance that our Queen is politically neutral and HRH has immense power to form and dissolve governments; this is significant as HRH has reigning power over the nation.
HM Queen Elizabeth II is the embodiment of the nation and is essential to ensure strong links with countries around the world.
As head of state HRH function is to lead the nation forward and without HRH we would struggle to maintain such established relationships. Surely without our Queen our position of being a world leader would diminish?
As well as representing the nation, HRH is Head of the Armed Forces, which means HRH is the only person who can declare war (with advice from Government first), and she is also Head of the Church of England, which means HRH appoints archbishops and bishops on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The recent Diamond Jubilee celebrations give a powerful reminder to all in our nation and the Commonwealth, that HM Queen Elizabeth II is as strong as ever and that the Monarchy will continue to move forward.
For a Monarch to have reigned for sixty years is a colossal achievement; HRH has seen many Prime Ministers and Presidents through their positions and will continue to advise the state on how to proceed.
People will continue to come to this country to see our Monarchy in action and the economic benefits of the Monarchy are vast; from robust foreign relationships, to increased tourism, HRH will continue to sustain benefits for our nation.
It is really of my personal belief, and many others, that the Monarchy is essential for the smooth running of the nation and a credit to the people they represent.
HM Queen Elizabeth II has volunteered the majority of her life to this nation and we should all be truly thankful.
The Monarchy itself appears to be moving in the correct direction; with the celebrations last year of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, we've seen youthful energy enter the Monarchy, which will no doubt bring new ideas.
So, don't just feel patriotic and proud during Royal celebrations; wave your Union Flag anytime with real pride!
Let us know your views. Do you agree? Or is it time to move to a Republic?


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Kühmeier, Shagimuratova; Pirgu, Esposito, Groissböck; Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro alla Scala, Böer. Production: Kentridge. Opus Arte OA BD7099 D (Blu-ray) or OA 1066 D (DVD), 160 mins. (opera), 12 mins. (bonus), subtitled
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subset: commoncrawl


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Popular photo sharing and editing app EyeEm has today relaunched into version 3.0 on iOS and Android with a live discovery tool in what is arguably, the first of its kind.
The new, keystone feature is a personalised feed of other users' photos based on location and trending topics worldwide. It also presents content you might like, by remembering what types of photos are personally viewed most.
"Anytime you contribute a pic or navigate through – the app learns a bit more about you. The more you use it, the better it gets in recommending content and engaging users. That's when it gets more fun and interesting," co-founder and CEO Florian Meissner explains – when you travel, whether it's in your city or in another country, the app changes with you.
"If there's an amazing ice creamery where people take lots of pictures on EyeEm, then we'd recommend it to you if you're in that location," Meissner says.
"There's this contextual layer which are your interests, so what sports you're into, what conferences you're attending. If you're a foodie you could discover the cool, new restaurant around the corner if people have taken pictures there."
The new EyeEm comes on the back of the company's one-year anniversary celebration. "The discovery tool was our vision from the get go. Many photo apps have rushed into creating crazy, new filters since the rise of Instagram, but the photo editing space was never our goal," Meissner says.
"We're realising our vision of what is possible through smartphone photography, to offer people alternative, relevant images of the world around them, sorted and tailored to their interests and lifestyle," he adds. "It's something genuinely unique in this space, and we're now looking forward to more content from our global community."
EyeEm, which has gradually expanded to a team of 15, has attracted a big following throughout Asia, Russia, Turkey, Germany, and the UK. "Our biggest users are, surprisingly, in Mexico City and Bangkok. Jakarta is also picking up a lot," Meissner says.
With a strong, conservative grassroots campaign, Berlin-based EyeEm is expected to hit the one million user milestone within the next few months. And it's all thanks to good old organic growth with no major funds injected into marketing and advertising campaigns. "We've invested heavily in our community and building relationships. So we're seeing a very highly engaged community with these strong social connections," Meissner says.
This story originally appeared on VentureVillage, VentureBeat's Berlin-based syndication partner.
This story originally appeared on VentureVillage. Copyright 2012


text: A Hard Line on Software By PETER GUMBEL Sunday, Mar. 21, 2004 Subscriber content preview. Log-In Share Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn StumbleUpon Reddit Digg Mixx Del.i.cious Google+ ADRIAN WYLD/AP-CPCOMPETITION: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer flew to Brussels to make a deal Some of Monti's... To continue reading: Log-In Want the full story? Subscribe Now Get TIME the way you want it One Week Digital Pass — $4.99 Monthly Pay-As-You-Go DIGITAL ACCESS — $2.99 One Year ALL ACCESS — Just $30! Best Deal!Print Magazine + Digital Edition + Subscriber-only Content on TIME.com Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriberIf you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!


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Professional & Adult Continuing Education Academy
This Diploma course in Engineering (Power Engineering) will comply with the revised CET Diploma Framework. The revised CET Diploma Framework specifies that each CET diploma course consists of five 180-hour modular certificates (MC). Each MC is designed to be completed in one academic semester and is made up of 150 contact hours and 30 flexible learning hours. The flexible learning hours are non-timetabled curriculum hours set aside for self-paced learning activities like eLearning or project assignments.
Students are expected to have access to computer and internet during your study at SP eg. e-learning, writing report, etc.
Course Objectives
The Diploma in Engineering (Power Engineering) course is to train specialists to work competently in the area of electrical installation, power transmission and distribution, as well as power system operation and protection.
This Diploma does not lead to any professional accreditation/licensing for the vocations in the industries outlined.
Suitable for
People who intend to work in industries that include building, facility maintenance, transportation, port, manufacturing, oil and energy, marine and offshore, etc. that require specialists in electrical/power engineering to carry out electrical work such as installation, maintenance, operation, inspection and testing as well as design and submission of plans and drawings of certain electrical installations. The course enables successful participants to meet the academic requirement for the application of Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW Technician).
Holders of Diploma in Engineering (Power Engineering) conferred by Singapore Polytechnic will be eligible to apply for a license as an Electrical Technician after acquiring no less than 2 year' practical experience relevant to the electrical work to be performed by a licensed electrical technician.
SkillsFuture Study Awards
For Singaporeans with at least two years of work experience in the Power sector (Electricity and Gas) or related sectors and have not be a previous recipient of any SkillsFuture Study Awards, or is not a current recipient of any scholarship/full bursary/full company sponsorship, you might wish to also apply for the SkillsFuture Study Awards for Power Sector.
The separate application for the SkillsFuture Study Awards must be submitted to EMA prior to the commencement of the course.
Please click here for more details about SkillsFuture Study Awards for Power Sector, which is offered and managed by Energy Market Authority (EMA).
BCA-Industry Built Environment Sponsorship programme
For Singaporeans or Singapore PRs with at least 3 years of working experience may want to click here to find out more on the BCA-Industry Built Environment Sponsorship Programme.
Minimum Entry Requirements
Applicants must not suffer from serious colour appreciation deficiency.
Applicants with any of the following qualifications are invited to apply for the Part-Time diploma:
a) The following GCE 'O' Level grades and with at least 3 years of relevant working experience:
English Language Grade 1 – 7
Mathematics (Elementary or Additional) Grade 1 – 6
Science Grade 1 – 6
One of the following subjects
b) Nitec with GPA ≥ 3.5 in an engineering or information technology discipline and with at least 2 years of relevant working experience
c) Higher Nitec in an engineering or information technology discipline with at least 1 year of relevant working experience.
d) Nitec in Technology in an engineering or information technology discipline with GPA ≥ 3.5 with at least 2 years of relevant working experience and successful completion of bridging programme conducted by ITE.
e) Higher Nitec in an engineering or information technology discipline with at least 1 year of relevant working experience and successful completion of bridging programme conducted by ITE
f) Relevant WSQ Diploma qualification or equivalent with at least 3 years of relevant working experience and WPLN at Level ≥ 6 for English and Mathematics.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Applicants who do not meet the entry requirements may be considered for admission to the course based on evidence of at least 5 years of relevant working experience or supporting evidence of competency readiness. Suitable applicants who are shortlisted will have to go through an interview and/or entrance test. The Polytechnic reserves the right to shortlist and admit applicants.
Course Outline
The course is a 2.5 years part-time programme. It consists of 5 Modular Certificates (MC) conducted over 5 semesters, 1 MC per semester. The first MC to start with is MC1. The classes are conducted in the evening. Each MC will consist of a few modules and the details are as follows:
MC 1 - Certificate in Electrical and Digital Circuit Fundamentals
Module 1 - Electrical Principles
Module 2 - Digital Principles
MC 2 - Certificate in Electronics
Module 1 - Analog Electronics
Module 2 - Digital Electronics
MC 3 - Certificate in Electrical Circuits and Systems
Module 1 - Circuit Theory and Analysis
Module 2 - Photovoltaic System Design
MC 4 - Certificate in Power Distribution
Module 1 - Electrical Installation Design
Module 2 - Power Transmission and Distribution
MC 5 - Certificate in Power Systems
Module 1 - Power System Analysis
Module 2 - Power Electronics and Drives
The synopsis of the modules can be found here.
Award / Certification / Accreditation
Upon completion of five Certificates within a five-year validity period, the participant will be conferred a Diploma qualification from Singapore Polytechnic.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which universities can I apply to after I complete my CET Diploma?
You can apply to part-time undergraduate programmes which are relevant to your diploma course at NUS and UniSIM.
Please click here for more information on NUS, Bachelor of Technology (Btech)
2. Will I need to take any bridging programme?
The revised part-time diploma is intended to be more accessible to the workforce, and is made shorter in duration compared to the full-time diploma because broad-based interdisciplinary modules, final year projects and internships, as well as academic modules such as Mathematics and Sciences, are omitted. As such, most part-time undergraduate programmes would require you to go through a bridging programme to prepare you adequately before admission.
3. If I need to take the bridging programme, how much will it cost and how long will it take?
While the bridging programmes are currently being worked out by the polytechnics and universities, the duration will depend on the type and nature of the part-time degree course that you apply for, and are expected to be between six months to a year. The fees will not be more expensive than undergraduate modules of comparable duration.
Fee Payable
The fees shown (inclusive of 7% GST) are indicative as they are based on prevailing funding policies and subject to review. Module Certificate fee is payable on a semester basis.
Other Fees Payable:
*Not subjected to GST
- The fees shown (inclusive of 7% GST) are indicative as they are based on prevailing funding policies and subject to review.
- Module Certificate Fee is payable on a semester basis.
- Part-Time Diploma course participants who submit the withdrawal notification 2 weeks before course commencement, an administrative fee of $50 (before GST) and Student Union related fees would be levied.
Terms and Conditions
Back to top
Date of Course Commencement:
16 Apr 2018
Academic Calendar
Registration Period:
1 Dec 2017 - 31 Jan 2018
* Registration may be closed once seats are filled up
Register of Interest for Apr 2018
Class Schedule:
2-3 evenings a week
6.30pm to 10.30pm
900 hours (2.5yr)
MC to start with:
Funding Incentives and Fees Matters
Application Procedures
Email: email@example.com
For course specific details, please contact the course manager:
Name: Dr Jiang Fan
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
"This qualification opens up an opportunity for me to obtain a Licensed Electrical Worker license in the future, which will be helpful in my career advancement."
- Fun Chun Tia


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Jim Connolly ASKED THE GUIDE
The sticker on my 2009 turbo-diesel Nissan Navara King Cab auto quoted 9.2 L/100 km and I thought 11 or 12 would be acceptable, but the best I have achieved in the 35,000 km I?ve done in it is 16.8 L/100 km with the average being 18 L/100 km. The Nissan dealer has checked it and says all is in spec. They claim that the dealer-fitted bullbar is part of the problem. I am 60 years old and drive like most old farts, but this one takes the lemon award hands down.
Clearly the consumption is much higher than you would reasonably expect, and while the bulbar might cause a small increase in the consumption it's not likely to have that dramatic affect. Take the vehicle back to the dealer and ask them to check the consumption themselves to confirm what you claim it to be, then ask them to find the cause of the high consumption. If necessary call Nissan in as well, and if all else fails go to tell them you want your money back as they have not provided you with a car that does what they claimed it would do.


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Days after backpedaling on a bill that would have gutted the state Public Records Act, key legislators are pushing a constitutional amendment that might weaken open-government laws.
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg insists he learned from recent public and press outrage. In a complete reversal, he now says he wants to strengthen rights of access to government documents and meetings.
That's laudable. But his proposed amendment has serious flaws that could undermine its stated purpose. Yet, once again, the Senate leader is trying to ram through legislation without adequate public vetting.
The proposed state constitutional amendment, SCA 3, introduced by Steinberg and Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, had been in print only four days when it cleared a Senate committee on Tuesday. It's now headed for the Senate floor.
Steinberg should show he's serious about transparency by slowing the process to ensure rational review and discussion. There's potential for positive change, but only if done thoughtfully.
This saga began because the California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local governments for costs of implementing laws imposed since 1975. That includes parts of the Public Records Act.
Rather than pay those costs, the Legislature passed a budget bill earlier this month that included provisions making compliance with the act optional. As a result, local governments could have indefinitely delayed document releases, offered no written explanation for denying access and refused to provide electronic data.
These sorts of records have helped reveal, for example, excessive public salaries, pension spiking, a county supervisor's use of government funds to feed his gambling habit, and school district cover-ups of sexual abuse by teachers.
Legislators backed down after the outcry. The records act remains intact, but so does the state reimbursement obligation. On Friday, Steinberg told us that he never intended to gut the act, only to force local government to pay "for what it should be doing."
We agree local governments should foot the bill for records act compliance, and with Steinberg's quest to amend the state Constitution so the state isn't on the hook. But his proposal goes further.
If approved by the Legislature and voters, it would elevate to the state Constitution requirements for local government compliance with the Public Records Act and the Brown Act open-meeting law.
Unfortunately, the two laws are riddled with exemptions allowing for secrecy. It's unclear whether those loopholes would also be enshrined in the Constitution, giving them greater legal weight.
The amendment would also allow the Legislature and governor to alter the laws at any time. Thus lawmakers could effectively change the Constitution without voter approval.
Steinberg could have simply proposed removing the constitutional requirement that the state reimburse local governments for compliance with sunshine laws. But if he also wants to place the two laws in the Constitution, that should be done much more carefully.


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text:
Though he'd already had lots of parenting experience with his 8-year-old daughter Talula Fyfe, actor Patrick Dempsey still had a lot to learn about being dad once his twin boys, Darby Galen and Sullivan Patrick, joined the family.
"Boys are completely different than girls for obvious reasons," he explained during a recent visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live. "Physically they're so much more active!"
The 44-year-old Grey's Anatomy stud says he's got to keep a much closer eye on his now 3-year-old boys:
You cannot turn your back [because] there's always an injury, there's always something going on.
Recently Patrick and wife Jillian Fink were given a firsthand experience of just how rowdy twin boys can be after they decided to stage a dance party on the dining room table: "They were dancing and doing sort of … a mosh pit, jumping on each other. One of the boys broke his arm."
The Grey's star also joked that playing a TV neurosurgeon comes in handy at home: "I get a lot of equipment from Grey's, so I have my own OR which is really nice," he laughed. "I do a lot of brain surgery on them — experimentation."


text:
SOUTH SALT LAKE — A diverse crowd of several hundred people quietly stood, lining the first curve of the former Granite High School's track. Others sat cross-legged or knelt on the grass, intently watching 11 people who stood on a temporary stage.
In the distance, a soccer match raged — between a team wearing red-and-black jerseys and another in teal and white. But like the distant wars many of these refugees fled, few were paying attention.
The 11 were having their "birthday as American citizens," Jeanne Kent, a field officer with the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service, told the audience. The swearing-in ceremony Saturday was the first-ever for the World Refugee Day celebration that is put on annually by the Utah Refugee Coalition and other organizations.
Kent slowly intoned the Oath of Allegiance to the United States line by line, as refugees from Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and three other countries repeated the lines back to her.
Afterward, Azeb Kebede flashed a broad smile. "Oh, I'm excited," she said. "It's an open door to me." She seemed relieved that a long journey had finally ended.
When she fled her native Ethiopia because of war 21 years ago — three of her siblings were killed — "I don't know anything about the U.S.," Kebede said. "I hear many things is good."
She fled to nearby Djibouti, where she lived in a refugee camp for 11 years. Ten years ago, she finally got approved to come to the United States. But during the five-year citizenship application process, she had to forgo the right to visit her remaining family members who are still in Ethiopia.
Now, as a citizen, she can use her "open door" to come and go freely, she said.
A 39-year-old with warmly colored, bronze skin, Kebede works as a housekeeper at the University of Utah hospital and has hopes to further her education in the health care field.
She also looks forward to her chance to vote. President Barack Obama's election in 2008 was an inspiration to her and others from Africa, Kebede said. Obama's father, Barack Obama, Sr., was born in Kenya, which borders Ethiopia to the south.
Besides citizenship, the daylong celebration featured a soccer tournament, music, dance and food from a variety of countries — Burundi, Bosnia, Iran, Bhutan, Russia and elsewhere.
From a booth, Congolese native Emmanuel Lebo and his wife, Cathy Tshilombo, served shish kebabs drizzled in peanut sauce, as well dishes of fried bananas, chicken and rice.
They also offered bottles of Mama Mia Hot Sauce, or pili-pili sauce, for $5 each. As one customer emptied a spoonful onto his combo platter, she warned, "Oh, no, no, no, no — that's too much!" Then, she barely dipped a plastic fork into the sauce and had him taste it.
"If you are a tough man, then you can handle it," Tshilombo joked.Comment on this story
The couple runs Mama Africa, an African food and catering business. Even though Lebo emigrated in 1983 and is a permanent resident, he does not wish to apply for citizenship, he said.
With elections in November, they are hopeful that the Congo will finally return to peace and that they can return home to make their contribution — easier to do if still Congolese citizens.
The celebration is part of the observance of June as Utah Refugee Month, which continues with other activities such as a Spyhop youth film screening Wednesday, a Rwandese cultural event Saturday and a Bhutanese cultural event June 28.


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1 dimensional motion
Eli manning is lying on the ground and tosses a ball vertically into the air. The balls initial velocity is 35m/s. What is the max height of the ball? How much time passes before the ball hits the ground?
Tutor Answer
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text:
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You can try these similar gifts instead.
Baby Tag Blanket
Snugly Baby
A super soft blue and white material features colorful side tags to entertain baby. Includes a blanket hanger and is wrapped with a yellow ribbon for easy gift giving. Full blanket size is 30" x 36".


text:
Short message service sentinel surveillance of influenza-like illness in Madagascar, 2008–2012
Soatiana Rajatonirina a, Jean-Michel Heraud b, Laurence Randrianasolo a, Arnaud Orelle b, Norosoa Harline Razanajatovo b, Yolande Nirina Raoelina c, Lisette Ravolomanana c, Fanjasoa Rakotomanana a, Robinson Ramanjato c, Armand Eugène Randrianarivo-Solofoniaina c & Vincent Richard d
a. Unité d'Epidémiologie, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
b. National Influenza Center, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
c. Ministère de la Santé Publique, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
d. Unité d'Épidémiologie, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, 36 avenue Pasteur, BP 220, Dakar, Sénégal.
Correspondence to Vincent Richard (e-mail: email@example.com).
(Submitted: 18 October 2011 – Revised version received: 12 March 2012 – Accepted: 13 March 2012.)
Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2012;90:385-389. doi: 10.2471/BLT.11.097816
Four years after the revised International Health Regulations (IHR) went into effect and amidst fears that influenza pandemics and other disease outbreaks could seriously threaten the health of entire populations in developing countries, it became necessary to bolster surveillance capacity, particularly in low-resource settings.1 This was especially important in such settings because they generally lack the health-care infrastructure, laboratory diagnostic capability and number of physicians needed to effectively control emerging epidemic-prone diseases.
The circulation of the highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in humans and animals in Asia, Europe and Africa since 2006 has raised fears of the possible emergence of a highly pathogenic pandemic influenza strain.2 This has prompted many developing countries to establish surveillance systems for the early detection of the emergence and/or circulation of potential pandemic influenza strains.
Madagascar's disease surveillance systems have traditionally relied on the passive collection and reporting of data aggregated weekly or monthly. Such systems cannot detect incipient disease clusters for prompt investigation and response. In addition, diagnostic capacity outside the capital city is limited and delays in identifying the causal agents of disease outbreaks have often resulted in an inability to launch an appropriate public health response. Madagascar needed a surveillance system that could quickly identify aberrant patterns of disease activity rather than depend exclusively on case confirmation.
In March 2007 Madagascar's Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Institut Pasteur of Madagascar (IPM), launched a sentinel surveillance system designed to detect incipient disease outbreaks through daily collection of syndromic case data in sentinel health centres,3 backed by biological surveillance (e.g. collection and testing of biological specimens) at selected sentinel sites.
Management team
The first step in creating the sentinel network was to identify appropriate stakeholders. A steering committee was established with epidemiologists, virologists and managers from the Ministry of Health's epidemiological surveillance service (Direction de la Veille sanitaire et de la Surveillance épidémiologique, DVSSE) and emerging and neglected disease control units (Direction des Urgences et de la Lutte contre les Maladies Négligées, DULMN). Next, regional health department and district managers were brought into the discussions surrounding the selection of potential sentinel centres.
Sentinel centres
The sentinel network in Madagascar, which is a large island, began with 6 sentinel sites in 2007 and had expanded to 34 by 2011. Expansion was intended to improve geographic coverage and representativeness and to make it possible to monitor epidemiologic trends in different climate zones.
Sentinel sites are primary health-care centres that are selected on the basis of several criteria, including the presence of at least two general practitioners, the availability of a mobile phone network, and the degree of commitment to actively participate in surveillance activity. Participation is entirely voluntary. Sentinel general practitioners (SGPs) serving on a gratuitous, voluntary basis are the backbone of the system, which currently covers about 8% of the Malagasy population.
Data source
To assess the functioning of the surveillance system, we collected data from sentinel general practitioners from 1 January 2008 to 31 January 2012. All patients seen at the sentinel centres were systematically screened by each practitioner, who reported the number of cases that met the case definitions (described later) and the total number of patient visits on each reporting day.
Data transmission
Sentinel general practitioners were expected to transmit encrypted data via cellular telephone (encrypted short message service, SMS) at least once a day, from Monday to Friday, despite occasional clinic closures resulting from routine weekday and weekend schedules. Active data collection was also carried out: if data from a sentinel centre were not received by 10:00 on a particular day, IPM staff would contact the sentinel centre to obtain the missing data.
The monthly cost of data transmission per centre was less than 2 United States dollars (US$).
Case definitions
Standard WHO case definitions were used for comparability. Fever (an axillary temperature ≥ 37.5 °C) was the first syndromic symptom targeted. Three febrile illnesses were selected for surveillance: malaria (only confirmed cases), influenza-like illness (ILI) and arbovirus infection. Cases were defined as follows: malaria, fever plus a positive result on the rapid diagnostic test; ILI, fever with a cough and sore throat; arbovirus infection, fever without respiratory symptoms plus at least two of the following: headache, arthralgia, myalgia-like backache, skin rash, retro-orbital pain, haemorrhage. Diarrhoea syndrome was defined as three or more abnormally loose stools during the previous 48 hours. A malaria rapid diagnostic test was performed on every febrile patient with the kit provided by the national malaria programme.
Daily analysis
Data were available for analysis shortly after each patient's initial visit. The data obtained daily from the SMS were entered into a specifically designed MS Access® database as soon as they arrived at the IPM. Thus, the turnaround time between data collection and receipt of the data, even from remote areas, never exceeded 24 hours. The data received through the SMS system included sentinel site code, date of data collection, number of outpatient consultations, number of malaria cases , ILI, dengue-like illness and diarrhoea, and number of consultations by age group.
Data were checked for variation from day to day. Analyses of temporal distribution were conducted at each sentinel centre for each syndrome category of interest. Hence, various health service-based indicators were monitored daily. They included the percentage of cases with fever, confirmed malaria, ILI and suspected arbovirus infection, as well as the percentage of diarrhoea cases with and without fever.
Surveillance data were analysed and presented using easy-to-interpret tables and graphs that illustrated the number of cases of each syndrome under surveillance. In addition, a daily and weekly baseline (i.e. average number of cases in the previous years) was calculated for each syndrome and plotted against current observations to identify aberrant patterns. Increases were reported immediately by telephone to the Ministry of Health to monitor events and response and decide whether to initiate an outbreak investigation. The first step in any outbreak investigation was to confirm the signals before responding to an epidemic.
SGPs reported information on each patient visit and listed every new febrile patient's chief complaint or symptoms on a special paper form sent weekly to the IPM. The staff of the IPM was therefore able to validate all information previously sent via mobile phone.
An external report summarizing weekly and monthly trends in centre activity were distributed to state and regional health staff and was shared with participating SGPs.
The data collected daily over the study period from the 34 sentinel centres corresponded to 862 585 patient visits. Overall, 86.7% of the data were transmitted within 24 hours.
A total of 95 401 cases (11.1%) presented with fever. The special form was completed for 80 691 of these patients (84.6%). The male to female ratio among patients with a fever syndrome was 0.89:1. Age was available for 79 651 patients (98.7%). The mean age was 12.8 years (95% confidence interval, CI: 12.7–12.9).
ILI accounted for 20 933 (21.9%) of all cases of febrile illness.
The results obtained by the sentinel surveillance network in Madagascar are in accordance with the aim pursued by the country's Ministry of Health. Sentinel surveillance systems offer advantages over passive surveillance, which is limited by incomplete reporting.4,5 They provide a way to overcome the coverage limitations inherent in the passive surveillance of disease. However, efficient and accurate sentinel surveillance systems need to rely on strong communication systems.
A "real-time" sentinel surveillance system may be essential for the detection of infectious disease outbreaks and the launching of a prompt public health response (Box 1). The advantage of using syndromic data for outbreak detection lies in the speed with which a response can be launched.6,7 Mobile phone technology, which is cheap and universally available, has been recognized as a useful tool in health care.8 However, published studies on mobile phone use in health-care settings have been conducted almost exclusively in countries where a shortage of resources and the need to provide care in remote locations are the main reasons for using mobile phones.9 The cost of transmitting data on a daily basis in Madagascar's sentinel surveillance network is minimal; it costs less than US$ 2 per month per sentinel centre, and each centre's mobile phone equipment costs a mere US$ 10. However, the costs of maintaining the system need to be more accurately estimated, both in terms of monetary expense and the person–hours involved in responding to system alerts. Although the Ministry of Health endorses sentinel general practitioners' voluntary participation, some practitioners are asking for incentives. Motivation has been maintained not through monetary payment but through the provision of medical equipment and training opportunities, including an annual epidemiology workshop and an annual meeting of staff in all sentinel sites. We have noted high staff turnover and, to address the problem, health district officers are being trained to train and supervise new staff.
Box 1. Summary of main lessons learnt
- Daily syndromic surveillance using SMS can effectively enhance traditional public health surveillance systems already in place.
- Combined biological surveillance and syndromic surveillance using SMS makes it possible to rapidly detect the circulation of the influenza virus in areas under surveillance.
- By detecting unusual patterns of disease activity, sentinel surveillance using SMS can quicken the response to disease outbreaks.
In conclusion, the sentinel surveillance network would not be effective without the active participation of the SGPs. Other African countries would benefit from a similar programme, both in terms of improved disease surveillance and better public health decision-making.
We thank all the staff from the Malagasy National Influenza Centre for influenza testing. We would like to express our gratitude to all the staff from the DULMN and the DVSSE (Ministry of Health). We are deeply indebted to all practitioners and nurses involved every day in sentinel surveillance in Madagascar. To end, we would also like to thank Stefano Tempia and Adam Cohen from CDC South Africa for helpful comments and discussions during the process of writing
This work was supported by WHO (APW/Ref. OD/AP-08-02451), the French Ministry of Health, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Cooperative Agreement Number: U51/IP000327-01), the US Department of Health and Human Services (Grant Number 6 IDSEP060001-01-01) via the International Network of Pasteur Institutes, and the President's Malaria Initiative programme (USAIDS). We particularly thank Kathleen Victoir and Marc Jouan from the International Network of Pasteur Institutes.
Competing interests:
None declared.
- Raviglione MC, Gupta R, Dye CM, Espinal MA. The burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis and mechanisms for its control. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2001; 953: 88-97 doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb11364.x pmid: 11795426.
- Uyeki TM. Global epidemiology of human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses. Respirology 2008S2-9 doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2008.01246.x pmid: 18366524.
- Randrianasolo L, Raoelina Y, Ratsitorahina M, Ravolomanana L, Andriamandimby S, Heraud JM, et al., et al. Sentinel surveillance system for early outbreak detection in Madagascar. BMC Public Health 2010; 10: 31- doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-31 pmid: 20092624.
- Arita I, Nakane M, Kojima K, Yoshihara N, Nakano T, El-Gohary A. Role of a sentinel surveillance system in the context of global surveillance of infectious diseases. Lancet Infect Dis 2004; 4: 171-7 doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(04)00942-9 pmid: 14998504.
- Gauci C, Melillo Fenech T, Gilles H, O'Brien S, Mamo J, Stabile I, et al., et al. Sentinel surveillance: an option for surveillance of infectious intestinal disease. Euro Surveill 2007; 12: E13-4 pmid: 17991385.
- Wu TS, Shih FYF, Yen MY, Wu JSJ, Lu SW, Chang KCM, et al., et al. Establishing a nationwide emergency department-based syndromic surveillance system for better public health responses in Taiwan. BMC Public Health 2008; 8: 18- doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-8-18 pmid: 18201388.
- Miller B, Kassenborg H, Dunsmuir W, Griffith J, Hadidi M, Nordin JD, et al., et al. Syndromic surveillance for influenza-like illness in ambulatory care network. Emerg Infect Dis 2004; 10: 1806-11 pmid: 15504267.
- Kaplan WA. Can the ubiquitous power of mobile phones be used to improve health outcomes in developing countries? Global Health 2006; 2: 9- doi: 10.1186/1744-8603-2-9 pmid: 16719925.
- Yang C, Yang J, Luo X, Gong P. Use of mobile phones in an emergency reporting system for infectious disease surveillance after the Sichuan earthquake in China. Bull World Health Organ 2009; 87: 619-23 doi: 10.2471/BLT.08.060905 pmid: 19705013.


text:
A garage fire at a house in La Mesa injured a homeowner as he tried to put out the flames, fire officials said Wednesday.
Firefighters were called to the home on Gregory Street near Henderson Drive at 10:36 p.m., said Heartland Fire and Rescue spokesman Sonny Saghera.
The 31-year-old man said he was working on a motor with some chemicals, but he was too close to a water heater and the chemicals flashed and started the blaze, Saghera said.
He tried to put out the flames and suffered second-degree burns to 5 percent to 10 percent of his chest and first-degree burns to his arms. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, said Saghera.
A neighbor of the man, who is an off-duty firefighter, brought the man a fire extinguisher to fight the flames. The firefighter was not injured.
The fire was knocked down in about 10 minutes, officials said.
Damage to the garage and its contents was estimated at $30,000.
Saghera said he believed the homeowner was still in the hospital, but he did not know his condition.


text:
IBM aims to lead SiGe field despite competition
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IBM expects to maintain its lead in the silicon germanium (SiGe) market, despite emerging competition from companies such as Conexant Sestems, Micrel and Communicant Semiconductor.
IBM currently has 80% of a market worth $320m in 2001. The company cites analyst IC Insights predicting that SiGe revenues will grow to $2.7bn by 2006.
Bernard Meyerson, vice-president of IBM Microelectronics' communications R&D centre at Fishkill, New York, says the company is still well ahead of the competition in this technology: "There are many things we have brought to market that others are now scrambling to reproduce. When we cite record performance, we cite performance in a circuit where the speed is unequivocal. Others are using theoretical numbers."
IBM and Sierra Monolithics have constructed a semiconductor circuit using a SiGe chip operating at 110GHz, a performance Meyerson says is a record for any commercial grade semiconductor material.
IBM makes SiGe chips at its Burlington foundry in Vermont. The production process is similar to CMOS with a couple of extra steps. Meyerson says this means it is easy to adapt a proportion of production to SiGe depending on demand.
"Production capacity is in place; the number of unique tools needed is trivial," he said.
Despite IBM's confidence, the SiGe market could get crowded. Malcolm Penn, chairman and CEO of Future Horizons, says the market is very small compared with the $400bn market for silicon.


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« UK companies in $2.5M project to develop marine magnetically geared propulsion motor; potential 10% efficiency gain | Main | Study finds household and outdoor air pollution contributes to more than 5.5 million premature deaths worldwide per year »
Audi showcases Q7 e-tron PHEV, piloted driving at Berlinale
12 February 2016
Audi is deploying some 300 vehicles at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), roughly 100 of which are equipped with hybrid drivetrains. The stars of this year's Berlinale will ride to the Berlinale Palast in the new Audi Q7 e-tron quattro. (Earlier post.)
Audi marked another technical milestone at the Berlinale with a driverless VIP shuttle: a piloted Audi A8 L W12. The technology platform used distinctive buildings for orientation and compared the information against a precise map. Combined with the data from the computation of its own motion, the piloted Audi A8 chauffeured the passengers safely to the red carpet.
We are developing and testing our technologies for piloted driving under all conditions. We have already proven that we can have piloted cars drive safely on a race track and on the expressway. At the Berlinale, we have now mastered a complex urban traffic situation with maximum ease.—Dr. Ing. Stefan Knirsch, Audi Board Member for Technical Development
The aim was to make the grand entrance to the red carpet similar to the way an experienced chauffeur would drive—a very gentle and smooth approach and braking as well as a stop right at the curb.
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Chino Hills Tom checks out games all over the I.E., Wednesday he was at the Chino Hills-Damien basketball and soccer games, check it out.
In Boys soccer at Damien Wednesday, at Damien high school, Chino Hills stayed atop the Sierra league by beating the Spartans 2-0. Ricky Urrutia scored off a corner kick from Cesar Pompa Guerrero to give the huskies a 1-0 half-time lead , and it was Pompa-Guerrero, that finished a Kris Korich cross for the 2-0 final. The win gives Chino Hills 6-1, 11-6-4, a half game lead on Glendora 5-1-1, who played Diamond Bar 5-3 , while Damien fell to 0-5-1, 5-8-6. (To continue reading, click thread)
In the Sierra league game of the night at Damien High School, The Chino Hills Huskies Boys Basketball team took on the second place Spartans and came away with a hard fought 63-41 victory.
Led by Sophomore Chris Reyes, the Spartans played tough defense and behind his 11 first half points (he finished with 18), trailed the #1 Ranked (CIFSS 1-A div) Huskies by only 4 points at halftime, holding the High scoring Chino Hills offense to only 1 field goal in the 2nd quarter.
In the third quarter, the Huskies started to find their rhythm and held a 38-31 third quarter lead, but in the 4 th quarter the shooters for Chino Hills started to come alive and behind Derek Brown's 8 points, (he finished with 15) the Huskies went on a 20-5 run, and never looked back.
The win extends Chino Hills' wining streak to 15 games and they improved to 6-0 and 22-2, while Damien fell to 4-3, and 16-7. Both teams will be in action this Friday night, Chino Hills will host Glendora and Damien travels to Chino.


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Acquired Engineering360
Latest news of interest to engineers. Sourced from GlobalSpec's Engineering News
From EE Times:
Mechanical energy from many sources can be tapped by means of energy harvesting to power electronic devices and particularly to send wireless control messages to activate systems remotely. Frank Schmidt, CTO of EnOcean GmbH introduces the ECO 200 energy harvest unit and provides considerations for its use and application examples..
Read the whole article
"Talent does what it can; genius does what it must." -- Edward George Bulwer-Lytton


text: Hi folks, Bought one set of "heated grips" from A&S Motorcycle Parts for my R100 GS but without switch as switch is out of stick. Where can I buy an on/off switch for my heated grips? I prefer to have it with Low/High/Off positions. Any info is highly appreciated. Cheers


text:
"Mr. W" German Ad For Wind Energy
An Awesomely Existential Ad
Leave it to the Germans to turn a humble PSA into an existential art film. You'll be somewhat confused as the plot unfolds, but the payoff is utterly brilliant. Poor Mr. W — no one likes him because he's always doing annoying things like mussing their hair and turning umbrellas inside out. But then, he finds his purpose in life.


text: Here it is, the Thursday before The Little River Whale Festival, and the weather could not be more cooperative! Glorious blue sky, almost full moon, daffodils everywhere!!! It is almost balmy. There are still rooms available, stay 2 nights, getting the third night free. Come enjoy the festival, take part in the food, wine, activities, and still have time to play on the Mendocino Coast!


text:
CARSON (AP) — Juninho scored for the second time in two games, helping the Los Angeles Galaxy forge a 1-1 tie in their rain-soaked home opener against the New England Revolution on Sunday.
Juninho's goal in the 39th minute knotted the score after the Galaxy (1-0-1) had a pair of first-half goals called back.
Sharlie Joseph scored the lone goal less than three minutes in for the Revolution (0-0-1), who were playing their season opener.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
My wife and I have just returned from 15 days in Switzerland, and even though there was more rain than we have experienced on previous European trips, we had an amazing time. I am not going to go into the same amount of detail many of the posters here do but I hope my comments will be helpful.
A couple of general comments. Many people have asked whether or not a Swiss Pass is worth it. We purchased a Swiss Saver Pass (two passengers traveling together) and used it a lot, although there were three day trips we didn't take because of the rain. When we got back, I compared the cost of the lowest priced first class ticket for all the trips we took that were covered by the Swiss Pass (trains & boats) but did not add in the value of the museum tickets and trams that were also covered by the pass. Based on this analysis, we saved approximately $300 by buying the pass (+ what we saved on museum tickets and tram fares); if we had not had the rain and taken the trips that we decided to cancel, we would have saved about $550+.
We also used the Fly/Rail Baggage and Fast Baggage programs and they were just as advertised. The Fly/Rail Baggage program allowed us to check our baggage at our US airport and have it delivered directly to the train station in Luzern. This eliminated the need for us to pick up our bags in baggage claim at the Zurich Airport and schlep them to Luzern. We then had the bags sent from Luzern to Wengen and then from Wengen to Zurich using fast baggage coupons bought on the Rail Europe site. The bags had to be dropped off at the train station by 9:00 AM and delivery was guaranteed after 6:00 PM the same day, although in both cases I picked the bags up at about 5:00 PM. We loved the convenience of not having to carry our bags from train to train.
We had planned to spend 5 days in each of Luzern, Wengen and Zurich but ended up cutting our stay in Wengen to two days and extending our stay in Zurich to eight days.
We loved Luzern. The weather wasn't great during most of our stay, but we still managed to see the sights and had some great meals. It was here that I discovered my new favorite chocolate. Laderach has a milk chocolate filled with Calvados - the combination of two of my favorite foods! We also reconnected with a Swiss friend who was an exchange student in high school with me over 40 years ago. I had last seen him many years ago when I stayed with his family on my last trip to Switzerland. He looked just like I remembered him - ok maybe with the exception of the grey hair. He and his wife escorted us on a trip to Rigi Kulm by boat. The weather was beautiful on the trip to and from Rigi Kulm, but, unfortunately, was cloudy on the mountain top. It was still a great trip with an excellent meal at the Rigi Kulm hotel and the best company imaginable. Our favorite restaurants during our stay in Luzern were Opus, Rathaus Brauerei, the restaurant at the Rigi Kulm Hotel and the Pfistern (fabulous fondue). We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel which was an excellent choice. We had a full breakfast included and ate at the Thai restaurant there which was very good. The service was exceptional and the bed very comfortable.
Next, we traveled to Wengen, which is a small, car free village in a perfect setting. We stayed at the Alpenrose Hotel whcih has been in the same family for six generations. The service here was warm, friendly and very efficient. Our room had a beautiful view of the mountais. We chose to have dinner included with the room for just an additional 25sf each, which was an exceptional value. The dinners consisted of an appetizer, full salad bar, main course, cheese course and dessert. Our room was large with dual sinks in the bathroom and a great shower. The bed was very firm, which I liked, and covered with the customary duvet. Unfortunately, my wife had just come down with a bad sore throat and was miserable. Adding to her misery was the bed, which was too hard for her, a pillow that was too soft and a duvet that was too hot. She got no sleep the two nights we were there, so we made the decision to leave early and headed to the Marriott in Zurich three days early. The staff at the Alpenrose was very understanding and could have charged us the full amount for the three nights we cancelled there. However, they were very fair with us which I greatly appreciate. I would highly recommend the Alpenrose with the caveat that the bed might not be to everyone's liking.
The first day were in Wengen, the weather was good, which gave us the opportunity to walk through town and take some beautiful pictures. We also took the cable car to Mannlichen. It was clear enough to see for many miles and down into the valley. Unfortunately, the long, cold winter meant the Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg trail was closed so we did not get to enjoy the hike that so many people have raved about. The next day was a perfect day in every way. The weather was clear - not a cloud in the sky - so we took the opportunity to go to the Jungfraujoch. What a trip. BTW, the Swiss Pass saved us 25% on the cost of the ticket to the top of the Jungfrau. The trip was worth every penny! What a gorgeous view in all directions. We had champagne from the little bar on the upper level to celebrate! On the way back we ate in a restaurant next to the train station in Kleine Scheidegg (sorry can't remember the name) and then headed to Grindelwald. I was a little disappointed in Grindelwald for reasons I can't really define. It had a beautiful view if the Eiger but otherwise wasn't what I had expected.
To be continued.
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Just back from 15 days in Switzerland
My wife and I have just returned from 15 days in Switzerland, and even though there was more rain than we have experienced on previous European trips, we had an amazing time. I am not going to go into the same amount of detail many of the posters here do but I hope my comments will be helpful.
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Enjoyed your trip report -- we are going over 8/31 for ten nights: two Lucerne, three Interlaken, two Zermatt, two Montreux and last night in Geneva. We plan to check our carry-on bags -- one smallish duffel and one 21" -- and wonder what size you opted to ship directly to Lucerne. We do not expect our luggage to be cumbersome (as it was last year w/ 3 wks in Spain w/ 45# of luggage that I think stretched my arm pulling!) Considered this shipping and considering we want to get out of the airport and to Lucerne as quickly as possibly, we may opt for this. We too pondered staying up in Wengen but in the end picked Interlaken to offer more options in poor weather. Yes, this Spring has been a cool and wet one for most of Europe. We too have an 8-day Swiss Pass and will pay fare first day to Lucerne to utilize through rest of our trip. We are planning on the Jungfrau, Murren & Wengen, and possibly Gimmelwald but will be content to get to two of these. Will print and add your recommendations before our departure.
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Thanks for this report. DH and I are traveling to Switzerland for a week this summer as part of a longer trip. We'll be staying in Luzern and Montreux. I'll be eagerly awaiting the rest of your report!
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aliced, did you already buy your Swiss Pass? I am debating whether to buy it now so that we'll be all set when we arrive from Paris by train in Geneva. Currently, I only have tickets to Geneva, but we'll be staying in Lucerne that night. This is our first trip to Switzerland, so I'm unfamiliar with the specifics on buying and using the Swiss Pass.
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aliced, we both had checked bags weighing 40# + and I also carry a back pack with two cameras and a tripod, so I was thrilled to find a way to ship the checked luggage. Being used to American airlines and trains, we carried on a small bag with just enough clothing, etc. for a day in case our luggage didn't make it to Luzern, but silly us, we forgot we were dealing with the Swiss. Everything was on time.
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Great report! Sorry that illness struck in Wengen, as it really is a fabulous place. Thanks for sharing.
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No, we will purchase our Swiss Pass in Zurich; Swiss Tourism in NYC advised there is no benefit to do so now; we will purchase the 8-day 2d class then, but we have reserved seats for the leg on the Golden Pass Lucerne-Interlaken for 8ch pp; we were advised these must be reserved ahead and in fact, waited a bit too long to do so-- only 8 seats were available on 9:30 am train! Can be reserved/paid online via www.goldenpass.ch. Thank you "bumper"-- we will never travel Europe again outside of carryon, we have modified our wardrobes to thinnest of the thin + packable down jackets + rainproof fold-into-pocket shells + gortex hikers for plane. I am a longstanding overpacker but have learned... Frequent hotel changes mean not looking to bottom of suitcases......
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Great start to trip report - makes me want to go right now!
Champagne at the Jungfraujoch and some warn about altitude sickness (not high enough to bother most I think) - and too bad Wengen was a washout and your wife didn't feel well - go back sometime under better conditions. Am eager to hear what you did witg 8 days in Zurich, a town panned by many but one I also found fascinating as I assume you did.
As for cybertraveler's query: This is our first trip to Switzerland, so I'm unfamiliar with the specifics on buying and using the Swiss Pass."
Pretty easy using just hop on any train (except Glacier Express and a handful of tourist scenic trains for which you need seat reservations - other wise hop on any boat, train, postal bus, city trams or buses - just about anything that moves in Switzerland except cows! When conductor comes around just flash the pass - but there are Saverpasses, Flexiasses, etc for a good fix on all of those I always suggest these fine sites www.swisstravelsystem.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html and www.ricksteves.com. You'll find answers to your question there. But the efficacy of a pass is of course traveling around a bit like bumper did and aliced plans to - for her the pass is a no-brainer IMO.
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aliced, did you have to pay for the Golden Pass reservation when you booked your seats? I have looked at the website, but can't see how to get the Swiss Pass rate without buying the pass first.
PS: I apologize for highjacking this thread, and I'll start a new thread soon with more specific questions.
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Before I jump into a discussion about our stay in Zurich, just a couple of comments on the Swiss Pass. We bought ours before we left so we could hit the ground running in the Zurich Airport. The train station at the airport is one or two levels down from the arrivals area, so after we cleared customs (which was very quick) we were on the train in just a few minutes. Many of our trips involved train changes with only 4-5 minutes between trains. Having the SwissPass made that as easy as just hustling one or two (at most four) tracks over and jumping on the train. One big help was having the sbb.ch app on our cell phones. www.sbb.ch is the website for the Swiss train system. It was invaluable in planning the trip and even more valuable in providing the information for connecting trains. Before we arrived at the connecting station we would pull up the sbb app to see what track our train would be on. Then once in the station we would look on the board in the large stations or the printed schedules posted in the smaller ones to confirm the platform. The only reservation we had ahead of time was on the GoldenPass Panorama train from Luzern to Interlaken Ost, so if we missed a train it just meant waiting for the next one. I am the train lover in the family. My wife has always thought train travel was boring, with the exception of the TGV trains in France. But on this trip she took full responsibility for checking the schedules, getting us to the right platform and pointing out the sights along the way. She is dying to get back to Switzerland and do more traing hopping! We only missed two connections, one because the sbb information wasn't correct and we didn't double check in the station to make sure it was accurate and the other on the connection to Triberg, Germany where passengers getting on the train blocked our path off and the doors shut before we could get off. More on that later.
A couple more general observations. I would highly recommend getting to the most popular sites in the Bernese Alps as early as possible. I'll try not to sound too chauvanistic in these remarks, but I may not succeed, so if I offend anyone it is unintentional. When we met with my Swiss friend, he mentioned the Swiss Minister of Tourism (if that is the correct title) had inititiated a program several years ago to heavily market Switzerland as a tourist destination in India, China and Japan. He should get a huge bonus because it has been completely successful. There were many tour groups of Japanese, Chinese and Indian tourists at Mount Titlis, the Jungfraujoch and the Rheinfalls. We certainly have some rude American tourists, but they don't come in large groups of pushing, shoving and stampeding tourists that we experienced from the countries targeted by the Minister of Tourism. They in no way diminished our enjoyment of these sites, but they were a force to be reckoned with! At Titlis the Rotair cablecar evidently has a weight limit, that if exceeded, automatically shuts down the car. We had to wait 10 minutes or so after repeated requests, then pleas, then demands for ten people who had crowded in at the last minute (after the operator had said no more people!)to get off and allow the cable car to move. We would have gotten off, except we were one of the first ones on and were slammed up against the back of the car and couldn't move.
Ok. On to Zurich. Pal, there have been many posters here that have panned Zurich and recommended no more than an overnight here. My wife enjoyed Zurich more than the other two cities we stayed in. I preferred Luzern but really enjoyed Zurich , as well. We got into Zurich late in the day we traveled from Wengen, so we had seven full days there.
The first day in Zurich, I was on a mission. Eight years ago we took the TGV train from Paris to Geneva to buy my wife a watch for our anniversary. I think I got a tie. She found an Omega watch that she still loves and I decided that some day we would return to Switzerland and I would would get an Omega watch. It's not that I don't love my two watches from my two alma maters, Lehigh University and the University of Missouri, but I wanted one that was a little more special. So we headed out for a stroll down Bahnhofstrasse and ended up at Sprungli for lunch, which I would highly recommend, and then at the Omega store for my big purchase. I had done some research, so I knew the watches that were in my price range (not a lot of them) so I was able to cut to the chase quickly. After a little show and tell and a modest amount of negotiating, I had my watch. Seated at the next table in the showroom were an Indian couple with their late teens/early twenties daughter. The parents had obviously brought her there to buy her a watch. She could not have been more bored. I overheard the saleswoman say, this watch is $38,000 dollars. The daughter just shrugged her shoulders as in, "Whatever". Then the father asked the saleswoman for a price on the wall clock that was a replica of one of their watches. The saleswoman said it was not for sale and the father asked to see the manager. We left before any deal was consummated. My wife and I decided the present for the daughter was in exchange for an agreement to marry the man they had selected for her. After my purchase, we continued our walk down the Bahnhofstrasse with me feeling a little conspicuous at first carrying the Omega bag, but I quickly realized my bag fit in very well with the bags other strollers were carrying. That night we had dinner at Le Dezelay, a restaurant two of our best friends had recommended. It turned out to be my favorite restaurant of the trip. My wife had a veal dish and I had their specialty, veal "Zurich style", which is veal in a special cream sauce. It was fabulous. We always had a Swiss wine to go with our meals in Switzerland and actually found them to be quite good. My meal was served with a side I had many times on this trip - rosti. Rosti can best be described as the best hash browns you've ever had.
The next day was rainy so we spent the morning visiting Zurich's Alstadt (Old Town) which we really found to be quite charming. The afternoon and evening we spent in Baden at the casino. I made a little money playing blackjack and my wife broke even playing the slots, so it was a fun trip.
The following day was rainy again so we spent it at two museums - the Kunsthaus, which is the museum of fine arts and the Landesmuseum, which is the Swiss History Museum. We enjoyed both museums very much. In between the museum visits, we had lunch at Sternen Grill which started a number of years ago as a sausage stand and grew so popular that they took over a building and built a restaurant a couple? of years ago. I had ther signature sausage with their special spicy mustard and my wife had a different sausage. Both came with wonderful rosti and were washed down with excellent Swiss beer!
The next morning we were off to Appenzell and Rapperswil. We loved Appenzell. Appenzell is a quaint little town steeped in tradition down to the costumes many of the natives wear. It has an excellent history museum and a most interesting church. The museum has several floors showcasing the art, clothing and furnishings of the Appenzeller region. The church had a very unusual interior. It could best be described as having an altar surrounded by a forest of plants and trees. From Appenzel, we travelled to Rapperswil, primarily to take the paddleboat back to Zurich. We hadn't really allowed enough time to enjoy Rapperswil, which was too bad, because it was a beautiful day and Rapperswil was a charming town. However, we loved the boat trip back to Zurich and would definitely do that again.
For some time, my wife has wanted an authentic cuckoo clock, so the next day we took the train, with several changes, to Triberg Germany, deep in the heart of the Black Forest. On the first leg of the trip I asked the conductor if the Swiss Pass would cover the cost of the trip to Friberg. He said it would only pay for the Swiss portion of the trip and the balance from Schauffhausen to Triberg would require an additional ticket, which he sold us. It was a pretty ride and the trip went well until we got to Triberg. We were a little slow getting up and going to the exit door and by the time we got there other passengers were getting on the train and blocked our exit. This was a quick stop and the doors shut before we got off, so we had to ride to the next stop. Unfortunately,the train back was an hour later so we had to wait. Also, since this was Germany, the official currency was the euro and no one would accept Swiss francs. Luckily, the ticket agent who sold us our ticket back to Triberg was willing to take Swiss francs in payment and gave us the change in euros which were just enough to buy a couple of German pastries washed down by a coffee and a tea. The next surprise came when we got to Triberg. There was a bus waiting at the train station but we didn't realize we should take it to get to the city center. We thought the town would be close to the train station. We were wrong. It was a long, steep climb to the center of Triberg. However, once there we found a wonderful clock store called (in German) the store of 1,000 clocks. We found the perfect clock, had it shipped, and stopped for lunch and very enjoyable German restaurant. I remember I had Jager schnitzel and my wife had chicken. We then took the train back to Schauffhausen to visit the Rheinfalls. We took a cab to the falls and arranged with the driver to return in an hour to pick us up. I am glad we did that because it would have been a fairly long walk to the falls - downhill going, but a pretty steep climb coming back. The falls were as awesome as advertised, so I am glad we stopped.
We took another day to spend shopping in Zurich. Zurich has several very nice department stores, including Manor, Jelmoli and Globus. My wife spent a lot of time shopping but little time buying. We also wanted to bring back some souvenirs for the students I mentor, our catsitter and my wife's office staff so we went to Schweizer Heimatwerk and Teddy's Souvenir Shop where we found some wondrful gifts. Later, we also visited two of Zurich's large churches, the Fraumunster and the Grossmunster. The two tall towers of the Grossmunster can be seen almost anywhere in the city. This was the church of the Protestant Reformer, Ulrich Zwingli. The Fraumunster is distinguished by stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall. Both churches were beautiful and well worth a visit. Because it was a beautiful day, we had lunch in the courtyard beside the Limmatt at the cafe of the Storchen Hotel. It was such a beautiful day that it required a glass of champagne to celebrate. That evening we went to the Jules Verne Panorama Bar, which is on the top floor of its building above the Brasserie Lipp. It has one of the best views in Zurich.
On our last day we took the train to Uetliberg, which is a nice trip mainly through a forest. The train tracks at the end of the line were being repaired, so it was a pretty steep climb to the summit. However, the reward for the climb was a panoramic view of the whole Zurich area. It was a beautiful day and a very fitting end to our trip.
A couple of final thoughts. Switzerland is a very expensive country. Based on my reading, I had budgeted $100 for lunch and $200 for dinner for my wife and me. That was a pretty accurate estimate for an appetizer,a main course, dessert and one glass of wine for each of us at a good - but not fancy - restaurant. Once or twice we went over for lunch and generally came pretty close to the estimate for dinner. Another way to estimate the cost of meals is to double the cost of a meal at a similar restaurant in a city like Chicago or Miami. We had very good, lower priced meals (although high compared to what we are used to) at the self-service restaurants at the Manor and Jelmoli Department stores.
English is widely spoken in Switzerland. We never needed to fall back on our high school French or try to use our guidebook German, although our "Gruezi" and "Danke" were appreciated. We found the Swiss people to be very friendly, eager to help and fond of Americans. We thought the food was exceptionally good, especially the veal, rosti, fondue and raclette.
I don't know what Heaven is like or even if I'll get there. But if I do, I hope it will be like a walk through a beautiful Swiss mountain meadow next to a stream rushing from the Alps to the rivers far below, entertained by a chorus of chattering birds and a symphony of cowbells and accompanied by the smiles of the wonderful Swiss people.
It was a great trip and we can't wait to return.
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aliced, did you have to pay for the Golden Pass reservation when you booked your seats? I have looked at the website, but can't see how to get the Swiss Pass rate without buying the pass first.>
folks have reported they did it without having any ticket or pass from the site but I never tried. You may trying calling Byron at www.budgeteuropetravel.com and ask him - I have bought passes from him for years and he will answer IME any question even if not buying anything - he is a RailEurope agent who could also book the GP I believe. What segment of GP are you trying to book - most segments do not require booking or can be booked easily upon arrival. Ballyhooed VIP seats must be booked months in advance.
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Great report. I especially like (and agree with) your last paragraph about heaven. Well done!
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bumper, thanks for sharing so many great details, especially about the Swiss Pass. Pal, I called and spoke with Byron today: what a fantastic suggestion! I now have reservations on the Golden Pass train, and ordered the Swiss Passes, which will arrive by Wednesday. BTW, the price at budgeteuropetravel.com was the same as that on myswitzerland.com, but since it is in USD, there is no foreign transaction fee.
I agree with msteacher: that last paragraph about heaven was wonderful! Thanks again for the great trip report!
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I agree with OP that Lucerne is preferred over Zurich. We always stay at least 3-4 days or more in Zurich, and might manage the same amount in Lucerne, if I'm lucky. Lucerne, for me, is more easily managed for shopping. After so many times in that city, I know where I must go to find what I'm searching for! But when in Zurich, I love love love Jelmoli! I've bought very few items in Globus, and I don't find it as appealing as Jelmoli. DH also likes Jelmoli. We like their deli/market area in the basement. We both enjoyed sampling a half-dozen or so tastes of various balsamico types and finally picked one that we both thought tasted wonderful.
We have never done any of the museums in Zurich (always too busy doing business-related things) but enjoyed the Transport Museum in Lucerne very much.
That boat ride from Rapperswil (which I also thought was a nice town). We've only had one boat ride on the Zurichsee, and one on the Lucerne Lake. Hoping for nice weather in both locations in mid-September, and maybe, just maybe, we can work in at least one boat trip!
Thanks for your report. Switzerland is my favorite country in Europe. So glad I'm fortunate enough to get to go there at least twice a year! (knock on wood)
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PalenQ, yes, we paid for the 'reservation' not the Swiss Pass upon reserving our seats Lucerne-Interlaken which was 8 ch pp. It seems on this day, the train is at 9:30 am and 3 pm, definitely want the morning train.
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From my calculations and including all the great sight seeings that you have reported...I have found the half pass makes more sense..
1..because its just 120 CHF
2..the 50% off at jungrau trip alone pays for 80% of the half-fare card...
to the OP..a note about lot of indians travelling..
I am an Indian myself...and while I have to agree lot of us prefer to go on group tours and huge groups of that...(I am not huge fan of that) ..the credit for it does not go to the swiss tourism minister...For years we have not been able to travel foreign a lot...mostly due to low salaries...and bad exchange rates..but now in the last 10-15 yrs Indian tourists are everywhere.....with Rising salaries...young population...burgeoning middle-class ...they are going to the normal places and beyond...
but I have to accept..we Indians have a bit of romanticism with Switzerland...due to the fact that we have so many bollywood movies that are filmed there...right since the 80s and 90s.....and thats why on my first trip to Europe this Sep..I am going to Switzerland too..for 8 days..your Trip Report certainly helps!!
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I am REPEAT visitor to Switzerland.
Repeat visitor to Bernese Oberland.
I ALWAYS come out ahead using the HALF-FARE CARD.
But some here will not listen and take advice from people who went to Switzerland in 1985 and think they know everything.
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We will be in Switzerland in September.
Thanks for your trip report.
We too will be travelling from Lucerne to Wengen. I would love to send our bags on without having to cart them ourselves. Do you have any more information on this process? Do we need to book this ahead?
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I don't wonder that you saved money when you were there for such an extended time. Maybe more if using a different one? One size may not fit all.
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Do you have any more information on this process? Do we need to book this ahead?>
Sraight forward - give your bags to the baggage window at any Swiss station and pick them up at your destination station - just show up with bags - I think they are not guaranteed to be there until X number of hours but the same day - about 15 CHFrancs per bag I believe. www.sbb.ch - official site of Swiss Federal Railways tells it all.
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Hi aussie 10,
If you check your bags before 09.00, you can pick them up after 18.00 the same day; the cost is 22 chf per bag.
However, some connections do not work with Fast Baggage, and some stations close their baggage service at 18.00, so you wouldn't be able to pick up your bags.
On the site PalenQ has given you, go to Stations and Services and look for Baggage under the Services.
Have fun as you plan!
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S 25 a bag is a princely sum it seems but I guess in Switzerland that is only a few cups of coffee - try to consolidate heavy stuff into one larger bag and port the rest yourself.
You can also send bags directly to your plane check-in at the airport I believe.
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Hi all,
I was looking for some help. I and my wife are in Switzerland for 4 nights and 3 days. We are reaching Zurich on 25th June and planning to visit mt titlis on 26th June. We are then planning to go to Zermatt from Zurich on 27th June and on our way we would like to go to Jungfrau.3 day flexi pass will suit us but I haven't bought it online and im planning to buy it from Zurich airport.
I need your help:
1) Will it be possible to buy swiss pass from Zurich at the online price.
2) Will it be easy to get tickets to mt titlis and Jungfrau from local train stations?
3) Do I need to book seats? I don't think I can book seats without the pass?
4)I understand that my travel from Zurich to Lucerne and Zermatt will be covered by the swiss pass. I just need to buy tickets to mountains. Am I right?
Your help will be much appreciated.
Best wishes,
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Neil/mrcruiser -- welcome to Fodors.
It's best to start you own thread to make sure everyone sees it.
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1) Will it be possible to buy swiss pass from Zurich at the online price.> Yes online at Swiss franc prices but check for prices in your local currency - if in U S for past several years passes have often been cheaper bought here through U S agents like RailEurope (part owned by Swiss Railways) than for the same exact pass in Europe - not always but at times significantly cheaper.
2) Yes no reservations possible always seem to have room
3) except on trains like Glacier Express no reason to book and few Swiss do
$} Right
Search these sites for answers to your questions - www.swisstravelsystem.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.htm; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com - all sites have lots of great info on trains you are taking.
And yes better start your own thread as you will get many more relevant comments to your particular needs.
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aussie 10 - as Pal mentioned, in Luzern, just drop your bags off at baggage (look for the signs to sbb) by 9:00 the morning you are traveling and they are guaranteed in Wengen after 6:00 PM the same day, although I checked at 4:30 and mine were already there. It makes the trip - especially the jumping off one train and on to another - so much easier. Have a great trip.
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Glad you WENT to Zurich and hope you enjoyed the city and staying in the Marriott as much as I have on several occasions in the past.
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thanks for the insight. My party also had a close encounter with a large ethnic-Indian/German-speaking group at Mt. Titlis - a few lines were long but never had the overcrowding problem the OP mentioned. There are few sights in life more surreal than seeing an Indian group of all ages enjoying a snowball fight in May clad in traditional saris and Nehru shirts, only with Nike sneakers and down-filled winter jackets. I hope you can see the humor in such a picture.
All: We enjoyed a Railpass called "The FlexiPass" - it allows unlimited rail travel on certain days and 1/2 price on others. This was great, as we could then compare prices on specific days and designate which days we watned which plan. This may be a good option for many travelers.
Regardless of the plan, the first order of business is to go straight to the Airport rail station for activation. The folks there are extremely helpful
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PalenQ, we were told by Swiss Tourism in NYC that Swiss Pass is same price there as here; i.e., online as well. The two of us 8-day 2d class w/b about $780. We plan to purchase them in Zurich upon arrival. When do you go?
Bumper, how were the temperature fluctuations and what pieces worked best? Can you recommend any restaurants for "reasonable" dinners (@ $50 pp) in Lucerne & Interlaken?
Thanks much for your most interesting report
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Jane Cartier holds an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology and Counseling Education from Boston College and a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Communication Arts and Sciences from Bridgewater State College.
After a 22 year career as a high school/middle school guidance counselor and drama coach in East Bridgewater Public Schools, St. Gregory HS in Dorchester, and St. Mary HS in Brookline, Jane altered her career path and became the Children's Librarian in the West Bridgewater Public Library. She then came to Stonehill College MacPhaidin Library to work in the Cataloging Department, now part of the Technical Services Department. Jane also works in the Library Archives.
During the past few years, Jane has revived her theater 'career' and has trod the boards with Nemasket River Productions in Middleboro, Theatre One Productions in Middleboro, the Milton Players in Canton, Plymouth Community Theatre, and One Strong Voice Productions. She also enjoys maintaining the Facebook pages for Stonehill College's MacPhaidin Library, NRP, The Beatlemania Years with Mark S. Cartier, and Mark S. Cartier's actor page and website. She maintains the Library's Pinterest page as well, and is a member of the Library's Web and Social Media committee.


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Release Date: 2011 |
too hot to read maybe later but i'm on a one way trip to 46º so
dude if we hit 46.2 it'll break the record from 1939 m/
thank you global warming :D
gon read this now
Album Rating: 3.5this was the hidden unorthodox dm gem behind flourishing
yep good ass review would pos on my alts if i had any
Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Offi think you put too much emphasis on gorguts in this review. they obvs play a big part, but i feel there are other, equally as large elements at work in this album
Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Offthis was the hidden unorthodox dm gem behind flourishing
And you led me onto this!
Album Rating: 3.0it's good ! scarred fingertips riffs kinda hard
Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off>>>>>>>> colored sands
Album Rating: 3.5really thinking of bumping my rating for this
Album Rating: 3.5distilled in fire twangs hard
Album Rating: 3.5new albums gonna rule
Album Rating: 4.0This is the shit.
o yah
Digging: Options - Driftwood Metaphor
Album Rating: 3.5Forgot all about this tbh haha.
Digging: Gamma Ray - Land of the Free
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


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I finally found the time (and silicone) to give Red Skull a try. I hadn't any life cast available, so I had to make a short necked version (it won't really matter when I'm wearing a SS uniform with it). The sculpt took me 2 days, I had to rush it a little bit, but I think it doesn't look too bad for the time I had. The only thing that annoys me are all the bubbles of this particular casting, but I don't have enough silicone to make a new one right now.
I will be wearing the full costume this sunday for a special event in my island, I'll post pics as soon as I have them.
Yes, that's a Loki horn besides the mask


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The NYPD wants the public's help in capturing the suspect wanted in connection with five robberies on Staten Island.
Police say the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Alexander Molina, of Staten Island, targeted delis, grocery stores and a liquor store. All the robberies occurred over Easter weekend.
In each case, Molina allegedly took an undetermined amount of money from the stores' cash registers.
The first robbery happened Saturday morning at a grocery store on Osgood Avenue, when Molina allegedly walked behind the counter acting like he had a gun in his pocket. He demanded money and fled with an undetermined amount of cash.
Cops say Molina struck again Saturday evening at a deli on Stuyvesant Place, where he walked up to the counter, showed a gun and demanded money before fleeing on foot. Just three hours after the deli robbery, Molina allegedly used the same scheme to rob another grocery store, this time on Clove Road.
Molina allegedly robbed two more stores on Easter Sunday, targeting a deli on Rhine Avenue just before 5 a.m. and then a liquor store on Vanderbilt Avenue at about 8 p.m.
No one was injured in any of the robberies.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.


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The Beauty Academy of Kabul, a documentary by Liz Mermin (Office Tigers), seems on the surface like a rather frivolous subject. This isn't a movie about an already established school in Afghanistan being run by Afghani nationals, but an American aid effort with the aim of setting up just such an institution. My first reaction was to think that this was some misguided idea hatched in the image-conscious West to export some of our worst values to a country that has a lot more to worry about than their hair.
My attitude quickly changed. At the start of the film, Mermin presents a brisk montage giving a quick history of the strife in Afghanistan. As I watched it, I started to see some of the sense in this mission. Here is a country where, under the Taliban regime, women could not have jobs, had to keep their face and hair covered while in public, and could be punished for even cutting their hair. Education was also completely forbidden, with all schools for girls being shut down, so the chance to learn anything is important. As a means of liberation, this was a small one, but one that could matter on an individual level.
The interest was certainly there. The "Beauty Without Borders" crew is a small group of rotating people, with only the director--a British woman named Patricia--remaining constant. At all times, she keeps at least two teachers, pairing an American woman with an Afghani ex-patriot who had been living in the States. When these women opened up their school in 2003, they were inundated with far more students than they could accept. Many of the candidates were already running secret salons out of their homes and had been doing so even while the Taliban was in power. The demand to be a part of the program continued through the end of that first three-month course. When the Academy invites women to come to the school for free cuts and perms so the graduating students can practice, they have to practically barricade the door. As one of the teachers, Sheila, explains near the end of the film, it's about changing each woman who has taken their course, and then sending her out to provide a service to other women, and eventually those customers will start to heal and feel better about themselves, too. Regardless of who we are, if we're being honest, we tend to feel happier about ourselves when we think we look good. So, why not the same for Afghani women?
From a production standpoint, The Beauty Academy of Kabul is a no-frills affair. Most of the footage is shot from a vantage point just on the edge of the action, only moving in close for the background interviews. The narrative cuts between the teachers and a handful of the students, exploring their home lives and workspace. All of the women have stories to tell, and the sense of empowerment that Sheila describes is obvious the farther they progress in the program. They've all struggled and continue to struggle, but they keep a positive outlook. There is no option but perseverance. In one scene, Patricia visits the home of a young student named Palwasha and they end up on the topic of marriage--a subject that comes up quite often in The Beauty Academy of Kabul; one of the primary functions of a beautician in Kabul is to prepare brides for their weddings, and your marital status defines you as a woman. Palwasha says she would never elope with a man strictly for love because her parents need to approve of any union, and that currently, she has a secret boyfriend. They have shared a hidden love for nine years, trading secret messages but not even engaging in so much as a kiss. They have to wait for his two older brothers to get married and then maybe, just maybe, he can ask for Palwasha's hand. Now, that's true patience!
The Beauty Academy of Kabul ends with the graduation of the first class, and outside of the personal achievement, the documentary doesn't leave us with much of an idea of what the results of the program will be once practically applied. There is actually some sense of futility, that none of it really matters. Sheila's point about the personal healing going from hairdresser to client as a revolution that will go from person to person, head to head, comes only after one of their students says that women will never have power or complete freedom in Afghanistan because the men will never let them. That answer stuns Patricia and Sheila, and their silence makes the young mother they are speaking to uncomfortable. Watching it, you'll likely feel it, as well. It's hard to understand anyone's acceptance of such conditions, and doubt is inevitable.
That kind of clash of cultural attitudes is pretty important in the movie. The teachers can only look at life in Kabul from an outsider's perspective, and as members of the audience, we are even further removed. The actions of the individual teachers could be a real hot button issue in regards to The Beauty Academy of Kabul. The returning Afghani immigrants are naturally emotional about seeing their home country again, and at least one of the white teachers, Terri, makes a real effort to understand where her students are coming from and the conditions they've had to deal with. The remaining two women are a little more strange. It struck me as odd to see Sheila try to teach the ladies to meditate, for instance, and Debbie, a stylist from Indiana, embodies a lot of the "Ugly American" stereotype that we all hope won't show up in otherwise noble endeavors. Debbie's lecture to the class insisting they should all start wearing make-up or they will somehow let the rest of the country down, or her deliberately obnoxious drive through town, is irksome. They seem to reinforce that a lot of America's efforts in the Middle East are more about what America wants and not about what the people in the region want. I don't doubt that all the women were sincere in their efforts, and it is easy for me to sit back, watch a DVD, and judge, but now that their efforts have been fashioned into a film, it's a story being presented the world and must be talked about as such.
Even with that caveat, The Beauty Academy of Kabul is a winning tale about one unique attempt to do some good in the rebuilding of a country. In the end, it's probably better that Liz Mermin doesn't try to push some kind of agenda or hokey message. Instead, it's just a story about what a few hair stylists did and how it went, take what inspiration from it that you will. I personally walked away agreeing that by changing one person to start, you can set off the chain reaction for changing many. While The Beauty Academy of Kabul is maybe a little too slight and could have been meatier politically, that could have also detracted from the women who were making the most of the opportunity for a better life. Once all the political dust settles, that's what's going to count, anyway.
Much more extensive is the near hour of deleted scenes. Most of the footage is from the one-on-one interviews, and after watching the added bits, I feel I have a greater insight into why each of the teachers was personally motivated to go to Kabul. I particularly feel bad for how I reacted to Debbie, who reveals herself to be the most sincere and have the highest of good intentions. It just goes to show what editing can do. Two other interviews are with people who didn't make it into the final cut: Anna Wintour from Vogue and a cousin of one of the returning Afghans. Finally, there are a couple of more elaborate sequences with people from the Academy.
Also on the disc are several text-based bonuses: a biography of Mermin, information about various resources to help in Afghanistan, and information about Docurama, who released the DVD. There are also trailers for other Docurama DVDs.


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Have you ever been to jail?
I have not. My impression is that it is not a fun place to be.
You've probably caught wind of the firestorm that started brewing this week. Suddenly, it's become apparent that under the President's healthcare overhaul, every healthcare facility will have to provide contraceptive and abortion-inducing medications. This of course, is seen as directly affecting Catholics, who have traditionally taught against artificial contraception.
I don't think Christians have ever been in a position to go to jail for their beliefs in America, at least not in our lifetimes. But a lot of Catholic bishops are saying they will go to jail rather than comply.
There have been a few people beating the drums for a long time, alerting us to the impending government interference on our religious liberty. We usually call them "right wing nuts" or "Glenn Beck." And I have to say, I haven't believed them. But this sure looks eerie.
My question to all of you Catholics, Evangelicals, Democrats, Republicans, whatever you are: we've talked a pretty big game as long as we've had the freedom to do so. Are you ready to put your money where your mouth is?
Not Just a Catholic Issue
Just as abortion is not just a women's rights issue, this is not just a Catholic rights issue. There are plenty of Protestants who are standing with the Catholics, including Rick Warren, who stood in front of the country and gave the prayer at Obama's inauguration. That's some guts.
Every once in a while, some story comes up about a local government messing with some church and we flippantly call that "persecution" because we don't know what we are talking about. But this issue is by far the largest, most blatant setup for Christians to be persecuted we have ever seen in this country. It's Catholics being set up against "women's rights," and only backwards thinking mysoginist pigs are against women's rights.
Don't be fooled. This is not a Catholic issue. So don't go to church this Sunday and sing your praise music and think you're off the hook.
Standing Up For Justice
I want to ask a question to you Christians. When Obamacare was being debated, there were thousands of Christians blogging and writing about how this had to happen for the sake of "justice." Our country is full of disadvantaged, disenfranchised people who can't afford health care and can't advocate for themselves, and our Christian conscience demands that we provide them with this "basic human right."
I wonder how many of you Christians who are constantly bragging about how much you care about social justice will shout half as loudly about this injustice. Will you speak as forcefully in defense of justice for the unborn as you for those lacking medical care? Will we circle around the Catholic hospitals with the same enthusiasm that we circle around Best Buy to get the new iPhone?
Not everyone will. A prominent female Methodist tweeted that this is a great day for women's healthcare. I'll just bite my tongue.
Throw Away the Key
To be honest with you, we should be ashamed of ourselves. If this law sticks, and all the consequences come with it, and Christians start going to jail and healthcare facilities are taken over or shut down, we will be the architects of our own persecution. We allowed this to happen. We let ourselves be duped by "compassion," (mixed with a heavy dose of selfishness) and we were so eager to make this happen, we didn't even demand to know what we were getting into.
Most protests that don't cost the participants anything don't accomplish anything. That's why the "Occupy" hippies haven't accomplished squat. I guarantee, solving this injustice will require that we do something uncomfortable. Some Christians will go to jail over this.
Will you be one of them? Do you think that's what it will come to? Or is this all a great thing for women's health care?


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