That plug is European. You can take it to a lamp store and have it re-wired for American electricity.
As for the glass ball, my first thought is there should be some small screws in the metal plate that unscrew and release the ball, but I don't see any in your picture. Maybe the ball simply unscrews? Or maybe there is a spring inside holding the ball. The light in my laundry room looks similar, it has a spring clamp, and you simply pull the globe out of the fixture to change the bulb.
Last edited by Peckish; 12-31-2011 at 10:10 AM.