As of last night, nine new members of Europes Schengen zone expanded the freedom to travel without hassle at the borders hundreds of miles toward the East and to a total population of over 400 million Europeans. This makes it possible to travel freely up to the border of the countries that were formerly the Soviet Union, thus erasing many vestiges of the Cold War. The Schengen Agreement of 1985 abolishes all border restrictions and controls between member states and provides for a common visa for travellers from outside its borders.

After two years of preparation, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will join the oldest EU states — Britain and the Republic of Ireland excluded — plus Iceland and Norway in the extended zone pushing the area’s outmost borders hundreds of kilometers eastwards.

The expansion is expected to continue with Cyprus and Switzerland planning to sign on soon. London and Dublin prefer to remain outside and keep their own visa regimes, rather than the “one visa for all” policy that applies to the Schengen countries.

Deutsche Welle – 12/20/2007

Skysails is a German company that is working on commercializing a simple, brilliant way for large ships to use wind power for propulsion. Large kites tethered high above the ship can generate up to 50 percent of the propulsion energy needed for freighters and large yachts. The company estimates that their product can save 10-35 percent of a ship’s annual fuel. If widely adopted, this technology could save millions of tons of fossil CO2 from being released into the atmosphere.

I used to sail a lot as a teenager and I really love the sensation of harnessing this awesome force to make your boat fly across the water. I was also into stunt kites, especially while I lived on Norderney in the North Sea. My dream is to go to Kitty Hawk and learn to kite-surf. So when I read about Skysails I thought that this was just brilliant! Check out the video on their website (see below). This is really amazing – the kite deploys at the push of a button, and operates completely automatically. And depending on wind conditions the cost of the system can amortize in a couple of years.

The way modern technology brings together two ancient technologies – sailing and kites – is quite fascinating. It’s not a new idea, I don’t think. Seems to me I had read before that kites had been used for propelling boats as far back as sails. Now I wonder if they can make kites big enough that even a container ship could turn off the engine altogether?!

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German President Köhler honored the team that defended the Women’s Football Worldcup Championship earlier this year in China. All the players received the highest sports-honor from the German government. In addition, the coach Silvia Neid received the Federal Cross of Merit in recognition of outstanding leadership in raising the profile of Women’s Football in Germany and making the German team a powerhouse internationally.

A few weeks ago the FIFA announced that the Women’s Football Worldcup in 2011 will take place in Germany.

I did it! Yesterday, I finally bought a new bike, after I decided to retire my old bike. I got a really good deal on a Gary Fisher Cobia at our local bike store. So I got up at 7 Am today, and took it out on a spin, 10 miles up Guess Road to Little River trail, 7 miles on the trail, romping through the woods, and 10 miles back on the road. Very nice! Those 29-ers are all they are cracked up to be. Comfy on the road, albeit more resistance from the fat tires. On the trail this bike really does just roll easily over “stuff” and it has nice traction. On the downhill the front sustension makes a huge difference, and the disk brakes grip very nicely. Not surprisingly, riding this bike for the first time, I had to fiddle around a bit with the seat etc .. But the biggest adjustment is the maneuvering on the twisty-turns on the trail. You really have to yank this sucker around quite a bit! My old 26-er is definitely more agile in tight turns. But that’s just something to get used to. Overall, I really like the Cobia, and I’m looking forward to many hours of fun with this bike.

Meet Joey – he’s a 18-hands Clydesdale and a member of the Express Clydesdales Team.

When the team visited Durham last weekend, we were lucky enough to know where they were staying. so we got a special, personal encounter with these amazing hoses. (see below)

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Looks like I’ll be retiring my trusted Simonelli bike sooner rather than later. Last week I was preparing the bike for a ride to work, when I noticed that the frame is damaged. Those fat off-road tires I like, wore a hole in the frame! The side of the tire was rubbing slightly against the frame and I fiddled with it for the longest time to get it to stop, but eventiually I gave up. I figured that the rubber would eventually wear off. Instead the steel frame wore off!

That and the saddle stem that’s fused to the frame and the worn out gears and chain now had me come to the conclusion that the time has come to retire the old bike a start shopping for a new one. The frame is now 17 years old and I rebuilt the bike in 2000. We have been through hell and high water together. Snow storms in France, sand storms in Morocco, a rough encounter with semi and another one with a chicken. The two of us have been around the block a bit – I rode this bike in Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo, as well as in North Carolina and Florida A girlfriend left me because of this bike.

So retitiring this bike is not easy. But there are some very cool new bikes out there. right now I have my eyes on a Gary Fisher 29er (the Rig) for roughly a thousand bucks. Seems like great bike. Although I don’t thik I’ll ever have as great a time on a bike as I did with my old Simonelli.

[update 12/2: added the pic of the bike on Fes]

A huge storm is brewing in the North Sea. The Dutch and the Brits are closing their imposing coastal barriers to keep the water away from their cities. The largest seaport in Europe, Rotterdam, is closed for a day, and oil rigs have been evacuated. The coastal residents in Britain, Holland, Germany, Denmark, and Norway are bracing for gale force winds and a 12-foot storm surge – similar conditions in 1953 killed more than 2000 people.

The storms in the North Sea are still truly frightening. These storms used to be the time when the coastal residents had to pay the price for harvesting the bounty of the Sea. Countless ships were lost to the ferocious winds and frigid breakers. I read somewhere that more ships are unaccounted for in the North Sea than in the infamous Bermuda Triangle.

In the late 80s, I lived for two years on Norderney, a German coastal island in the North Sea, and I experienced several Winter storms. One was especially ferocious, and I remember watching huge breakers crashing over the 20-foot concrete dikes that surround the main town on the island. Some of the streets were flooded, and I remember that the water cut an inlet across the eastern part of the island, where it is about a mile wide (1-2 KM). The docks in the harbor were under water, and we were completely cut off from the main land for several days. Unlike hurricanes, these storms can last for days and days, and can reach sustained wind speeds of 50-60 mph/80-100 KpH.

I really hope that these barriers work. For most, this is the first real test. And I hope no lives will be lost in the storm. Good luck to the sailors on the ships that have to ride out this storm!

Green Flight Int’l last month completed what they claim was the first-ever jet flight using pure biodiesel:

RENO, NV. (October 5)… Aviation history was made earlier this week in the high desert at the Reno-Stead Airport when an L-29 military aircraft piloted by Carol Sugars and Douglas Rodante succeeded in completing the world’s first jet flight powered solely by 100% biodiesel fuel. The Czechoslovakian-made aircraft is rated to fly on a variety of fuels including heating oil, making it the preferred platform for testing biodiesel in jet engines.

Renewable jet fuel is also the focus of a collaboration announced by Boeing, Rolls Royce and Air New Zealand. I guess they’re beginning to smell the humus – with the fuel cost being a major component of airline operations cost, tapping into renewables is becoming a serious business proposition. And a marketing bonus.

The demonstration flight is planned for the second half of 2008 using an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 equipped with Rolls-Royce engines. Boeing is in discussions with fuel-source providers around the globe to identify potential biofuels that are available in suitable quantities for laboratory and jet-engine performance testing and in compliance with stringent aviation requirements.

Boeing, Air New Zealand and Rolls-Royce Announce Biofuel Flight Demo, The Green Car Congress, 28 September 2007

My understanding is that one of the challenges of using biodiesel as jet fuel is cold-flow at high altitudes. The fuel tanks are not heated, and so the fuel, when exposed to the low temperatures at high altitudes has to have decent cold-flow properties. That’s why kerosene is used in aviation and not cheaper diesel. Biodiesel has generally poor cold-flow properties – depending on the feedstock, it can gel as high as 40 Deg. F/ 5° C. Other than cold flow, Biodiesel, petro-diesel and kerosene/jet fuel are pretty much interchangeable. In addition to the better emissions and renewable qualities of biodiesel, there is also a safety dimension to using biodiesel. The higher flashpoint should reduce the risk of fire for emergency landings and crashes.

In Togo, there was some hope that the this month’s legislative election was going to be bring about some change in the political landscape of that troubled country. In retrospect, I am not sure why. Maybe because Faure’s regime is slightly less brutally oppressive than his father’s? Maybe the increased presence of international observers? The sad fact is that the ruling RPT controls all aspects of government, including the electoral commission, and they are not at all inclined to loosen their grip on power. So another election was rigged to make it look like the Togolese people want the RPT in charge.

The quandary of the opposition in Togo is that they cannot win playing by the rules, because the RPT makes the rules and owns the process. They cannot win by force, because the army is mostly loyal to the Gnassingbe clan, which is supported by the French government. And finally, how can the opposition even begin to break that stranglehold on the country, when it is as fractured as it is, and when most of it’s leadership lives abroad? The reality is that as long as France has no interest in change in Togo, and the rest of the world does not much care, they stand very little chance to effect significant change politically.

In the current situation, the opposition should change it’s approach and adopt a long-term strategy of unifying the democratic forces in Togo, and of building a grassroots organization across the country. It looks like they have enough freedom now to operate openly without too much danger. So if they manage to foster a new generation of leaders, and if they nurture the spirit of participatory democracy across the country, they might effect a cultural change, and change in what people expect from their leaders. Right now, I think expectations are quite low. People expect they leaders to rob them. So they just want leaders in place from their clan or region, so at least they won’t suffer. Togo needs leadership that transcends tribalism and greed. If the Togolese opposition can unify, organize and show such leadership, it might be able to push out the forces that currently hold back their country.

October was quite a ride. My Benz was in the shop for most of the month, which was inconvenient, but at least all the repairs so far were under the seller’s warranty (new alternator, fuel pump, fuel injector, new turbo) and he also gave me a loaner to drive while he was working on the Benz. The kids were having a bit of a rough time in school (social stuff and adjusting to the new school). So we had a few meetings with teachers. so far it looks like things are back on track. Laura and I also spent a day at Duke Hospital – this also looks good now and should be taken care of. The fun part in October was our Haunted Housewarming Party last Saturday. It was a lot of work getting the house (and us) ready for a big party, but it was worth it and the party was a lot of fun. Thanks to all who came!

What a game! The German Women’s Football Team beat Brasil and defended the World Championship in a tough and fast game. Special Kudos to Nadine Angerer our fantastic goalie with a head like a brick and nerves of steel! She did not concede a single goal in the Worldcup!! Let me repeat this: SHE DID NOT CONCEDE A SINGLE GOAL!!

Wednesday morning I rode my bike to work for the first time. It was a nice morning for a bike ride, and it took me about 40 Minutes to get to work – no big deal. However, riding in traffic is really not very enjoyable and many drivers passed me with just a few inches between their right rear-view mirrors and me. I have got to try the Greenway, which might take longer, but it might be more enjoyable. Also, I really need to leave the laptop at work. Riding with a backpack is als a bit of a drag. I think I’ll try it again next week.

Women’s Football WorldCup, that is … The German women beat Norway 3:0 and will play against the winner of tomorrow’s game Brazil-USA on Sunday. Sadly, I was not able to see the game, as it started at 8:00 in the Morning here, and I have to be at work, and I have no cable TV at home. But it sounds like it was a great game with a very strong German team. I certainly will get up early on Sunday and watch the final at a friend’s place. Oh boy – I am sooo hoping for a Germany-USA final!!

When we moved closer Durham in June, I started seriously considering the idea of riding my bike to work. Several guys I work with already do that. It’s a great way to stay in shape and reduce your environmental footprint. So, now that the weather is cooler (less than 90F/32°C) I really ran out of excuses not to try it. Heck, one of my coworkers ran to work the other day, and he lives just down the road, maybe a mile or two closer. So, yesterday I put road tires on my bike and cleaned it a bit, so that I could take it into town.

This morning, I got up at 8:00 and did a test run. At least Sunday morning there would be less traffic. It took me 30 Minutes to get to the office, where I took a 30-Min break, and then I turned around and biked back. The ride back is uphill, and so it took me 45 Minutes to get back home. I think I can do this maybe twice a week. The most direct way to go is not a particularly nice ride, mostly along a busy, four-lane road. At least there are decent sidewalks for a good part of the ride, which makes it much safer. Probably I’ll try to take the North/South Greenway part of the American Tobacco Trail, although that’s not so direct, but it might be a more pleasant ride.

With three stokes of his wooden mallet, the Mayor of Munich tapped a 224-Liter beer barrel today – the first of many beer barrels to be drained at this year’s Oktoberfest in Munich. He poured the first Mass for the Ministerpräsident (governor) of Bavaria.

Organizers expect to sell 6 Million Mass (Liters) at €7.90, as well as half a million grilled chicken and the meat of 90 oxen.

My new ride – a black 1991 Mercedes Benz 300D. She’s at 244,000 miles, and going strong. Well, right now she’s actually short a turbo, but that’ll get fixed next week. Even without the turbo she’s a mighty nice ride, especially now that she’s no longer on that stinky diesel, and running on homemade juice.

The Moon from inside the eye of Hurricane Felix, shot by Randy Bynon during a hurricane hunter mission. Amazing photo – click on the thumbnail to see the large version on the Wunderground site.

We brought this plumeria back from Hawai’i in 2004 and planted the stem in a pot. For a while nothing happened. Then it started growing leaves. This spring Laura transferred the plant to a larger pot and it started growing more leaves.

When we moved, we gave the plumeria a nice, sunny spot on the deck. The plant loved the hot weather this summer and grew like crazy. Last week we noticed the flower buds, and tonight was the night! The plumeria’s first flower opened. Pretty amazing – it took only 10 hours, and in the last few hours you could almost watch it unfurl its delicate petals.

Click on the picture to see the gallery.

More on plumerias here …

Today, Governor Mike Easley signed bill S1272 into law. That bill exempts homebrew biodiesel from the NC road tax. The 30-cents-a-gallon cost reduction is certainly welcome. But, as Lyle recently commented, the bigger picture is really huge, because it allows the homebrewers and SVO-ers to get out of the “closet” as the State DOR does not care anymore that they don’t (usually) pay taxes on their fuel. So I need to get another bumper sticker:

THIS CAR IS POWERED BY HOMEBREW

Praise the lard!

YES!