Gadling

Amsterdam is phenomenal. They always seem ahead of the curve in a very unassuming way.

(And I'm not just saying that because my middle name is van Ogtrop.)

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I think I stayed in the same hostel in Beijing as you, did the "Common room" have a door reminiscent of the doorways in battleships or submarines?

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I have been in Amsterdam several times and have to agree with Caroline Bean......
They are a progressive unassuming friendly nation of very helpful people who are forward looking. They do not wait for the problem to overtake them. They go for it to solve a problem.

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It would be wise for people in Florida and other coastal areas to not build underground, because of the high water table, but to use birms on the East and South sides to prevent hurricane damage.

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With the seas believed to be rising, how will that work with an underground city? I am thinking there could be a good chance they might be flooded out or die right there. I hope they are making plans for that possibility.

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does anyone know how they drain the canals? is the water stored and then put back, or is the water wasted? where would they store the water? i'm curious how they would do that.

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If Barack Obama isn't elected i am moving to Amsterdam. This country will be scary if clinton or McCain gets elected ewwwwwwwww

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Kelly.......the process is called "dewatering". They move the water to a holding tank and/or temporary storage pond/facility. They can then put the same water back into the canal when construction is complete.

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This is no different than Toronto or Montreal, they each have underground sections of their cities that you can basically cover all necessities without going outside for weeks at a time.

I think it's great for area's that have horrible cold and dangerous weather, If only the NYC area thought ahead of the curve instead of their heads up their own you know what...we would all be better off.

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Amsterdam might be the progressive forward thinking nation you're speaking of because they have one of the most fundamental far reaching problems of our society figured out, SEX! I'm betting they have the mental freedom & uncut intellect to live life more freely in a less frustrated way than we do in america because its more readily available there in a far less judgmental fashion. I think it's "true" diversity when you have a group of people who aren't distracted with (sex) the normal functions of life & can get on with true matters at hand like building underground cities albeit rather weird or not. America's just not sophisticated enough to accept that free style of living, we basically trash everything with our far reaching opinions left or right. My hat's off to that kind of controlled freedom...

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makes about as much sense as the proverbial one legged man in an ass kicking contest, but thats europe. Lmao

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Seems strange that a country that has reclaimed large amounts of land from the sea is contemplating going underground- they must have a high water table. This sounds like a disaster in the making. Look what happened in New Orleans when a levy broke!

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Jennifer, another question?? Sounds silly, but courious, are there fish, frogs, etc in the canal water? Do they survive the move??

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can u make gasoleane out of pot?

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Kelly, You have to be kidding! Right?

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kelly, You're joking, right?

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* Cities having underground living - So What ? ! ? ! ? There are Many Thousands of Americans Who have Underground " Homes " or Dwellings , AND A Hell of A Lot More Extravagant Than You Could Ever / Even Think OF . These Folks Have had Solar-Panel Heating for comfort , A Very Elaborate System of Back-Up Battery System Installed , AND EVEN " Indoor POOLS " , and THIS is Nothing " N E W " . gheeeeeeeeez . I Know , I have an Exclusive Abode , Cool in the Summer , AND Cozy in the Cooler-Months, oh Yeah Winter ....... Wake Up Happy - UnderGround , and Fresh-Brewed Cinnamon laced Coffee aroma calling for a Great Day . ! ! ! !

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why put the same nasty water back in the canal? I have personally relieved myself in one of their on the sidewalk porta john's where the urine flowed right into the canal. The "john" is only for urine but i willing to guess there is more than urine being dumped in those canals.

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Look, you put up a damm. Then the water gets pumped out. In the winter it snows. In the spring the water melts and runs down stream in to the canal. If it's a sea water canal you let the water back in from the ocean. Look up the Panama Canal, or in Washington state, there is a canal with locks. In Venice it would be a major undertaking to pump the canals dry. They might have to do this at some point in order to protect the eroding walls on the buildings. This isn't major science, just major dollars, euros ect.

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As old Yoda used to say - A rat's ass who gives?

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