Well that can't be good

This is the 'leak' of contaminated water into the ocean from the Fukushima nuclear plant.  By 'leak' what they mean is apparently 'fire hose.'  Current estimates are that seven TONS of contaminated water is leaking from the plant every HOUR.

Bike pic

Still experimenting with the new folding bike ... don't really want to lug it up 4 flights of stairs every night, it does weigh 26 pounds and it is a narrow winding staircase (remembering my building is about 200 years older than the oldest building in Port Townsend).

But locking the frame and rear wheel to the railing outside my front door while I quick-release the seat (with pump built into the post) and store it in the umbrella stand just inside our building's front door ... that could work.

Handlebars lowered to railing height, seat post pulled, chained to railing through frame

Survivor

Three weeks after being washed out to sea by the tsunami in Japan, this dog was spotted on top of floating debris by the Japanese Coast Guard.  At first they tried a rescue by helicopter, but the noise of the helicopter frightened the dog and it hid from them.  When a boat reached the raft of ruined housing material, the dog was rescued.  So far they have no idea about who the owners were, or their fate.

UPDATE:  Two year old "Ban" was recognized by her owner, a Japanese woman who saw coverage of the dog's rescue on TV.  Ban jumped up and gave her owner a big wag when she turned up at the animal shelter.  Check out the video, there is no mistaking a dog's recognition of its owner!

Good news, Bad news for Obama

Sure ... bad news that Obama has to deal with Afghans (and most certainly some foreign agents fomenting violence) running around murdering U.N. personnel because that loony pastor in Florida burned a Koran and they heard about it.  And ... seeing yourself burned in effigy must never really be a good thing.

On the other hand, I think Obama can show this picture to the people still under the delusional belief that he's secretly a Muslim and say "Ya think?"

Nieuwe Spiegelstraat ... bike highway

Sun and boats are out on Saturday

New bike in the rack

New Wheels

In the Netherlands, you can take your bike on the train, but not during rush hour and only if you pay an extra ticket price.  But if you have a folding bicycle, you can take it on any time and for free.  When I commute on the train down to our office in The Hague, it's about a 45-minute train ride and then a tram ride, walk, or bike ride to the office ... 10 minute bike ride, and we have secure underground bike parking at the office.

I don't have a car ... I live in the middle of Amsterdam and it's insanely expensive to park here, and I don't need a car for the job ... but it's Amsterdam, so I have to have a bike.  Got a cheap one when I first came here, now it looks like I'll be here for at least another year, so ....

Got a folding bicycle today at a shop down near our office in The Hague.  Very helpful staff, found just what I was looking for after a little online research, a Dahon 7-speed internal hub folder ... weighs about 25 lbs., folds up to a little bigger than the wheels, little magnets hold it together folded, easy to transport.  I'm hoping to take a lot of day-trips on the train this spring to see other cities in Holland that I haven't been to since moving here.

Here it is chained to the railing outside my building's front door (the black door on the right).