Storm Weather Service Notifications

The Deutsche Wetterdienst (DWD) offers a free subscription service for its readers. Since its launch four years ago, 50.000 have already subscribed.

As a subscriber you can get notified in the case of:

* Thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, snow drifts, black ice, or extreme heat

* Fog and frost warnings for the Baltic Sea and North Sea

* When subscribing you have the opportunity to list each need for information in three categories, e.g. you can check for e-mail notification for either light, medium or heavy snow fall. For example, getting notified for a light or medium snow fall may benefit house owners or Hausmeisters to know when to get up early to clear the sidewalk. Or you may also subscribe to only hail warnings, to know ahead when to move your car under cover.

Interested? Then visit dwd.de/newsletter for more information (German).

Mt. Aso on Kyushu

Back in 2008, we tried to get to the top of Mt. Aso, an active volcano on the southern island of Kyushu (Japan).  Due to heavy sulfur fumes, the top of the mountain was not accessible to the public.

Just this month, we were fortunate to visit Mt. Aso on a sunny morning.

On our way up, we stopped at this roadside stand selling blocks of sulfur.

Blocks of sulfur for sale on Mt. Aso

Notice the shade of green in the bubbling hot water.

Mt. Aso in Japan

This is one of my favorite pictures showing volcanic rock formations and a man-made rail.

Volcanic formations around Mt. Aso

Last, but not least. I have again become a fan of Japan’s unusual fusion food, strange concoctions, and unlikely flavorings, such as this one…. black sesame ice cream.

Black Sesame Ice Cream at Mt. Aso

Out of the unusual ice cream flavors I had sampled during this trip (Black Sesame, Wasabi and Corn), I liked the wasabi flavored one the best (more about that on my post about the Taio Gold Mine near Hita).

ICE Emergency Address Book for Mobile Phones

The German ADAC published the following useful reminder in its December 2009 issue:

This program has spread across Europe and Australia and is also becoming popular in North America.

In case of emergency (ICE) is a program that enables emergency personnel, such as paramedics, firefighters, and police officers, to identify victims and notify their next of kin and/or to obtain important medical information.

How? ICE encourages people to enter emergency contacts in their mobile phone address book under the name ICE. Alternately, a person can list multiple emergency contacts as ICE1, ICE2, etc.

In the event of a trauma, it is critical to obtain medical information quickly which can increase the victim’s chances of survival. With ICE in your phone, that time can be significantly reduced. Emergency responders can quickly find out whom to contact to confirm the identity of a casualty. Additionally, the ICE contact may be able to provide vital medical information such as blood group and allergies, and give consent for emergency treatment.

Please set up an ICE in your mobile and remind your friends and loved ones to do the same.

Thanks to British paramedic Bob Brotchie, who came up with this idea in 2005.

Thanks to ADAC for publishing this important message.

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