The city government and DOT are still working out the logistics to figure out if, how and when a bike-share program can be implemented.

Paris has one. Montreal has one. Germany has one – That is, a bike-share system. And if New York City wants to be the modern, evolving cosmopolitan city that brings tourists flocking and keeps residents enamored, it better keep up with the competition.

Although the city ran a summer trial with the cooperation of three different bike-share companies in the summer of 2009, no tangible results have emerged as of yet.
But that doesn’t mean that bicycle enthusiasts and entrepreneurs can’t dream up the perfect solution to the city’s lack of initiative (can’t think of the right word to use here)

“We’re trying to do something a little more mobile a little more affordable and a lot more fun,” said Ryan Rzepecki, founder and CEO of The Social Bicycle System, a New York based public bike share system that uses advances in technology as a means to make bike-sharing hassle free.

The system uses the combination of GPS and Smartphone to enable users to find the bike closest to them, open and close the attached lock with their Smartphone and drop it off in any location when they’re done. The company’s patented lock box allows for attachment to any bicycle and any bike rack, avoiding the need for special and costly infrastructure.

“Nothing like what I am proposing exists,” said Rzepecki, who looked at flaws in European bike-sharing models as inspiration for his company.

“When Paris launched their bike-sharing system in 2007, the whole world started looking at that,” said the bike enthusiast. “Twenty thousand bikes on the street is a big achievement, but that model isn’t terribly flexible or affordable and doesn’t take advantage of advances in global technology.”

This December, the company plans to conduct beta tests throughout neighborhoods in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. The test will allow people to sign up for an account with SoBi and use the bikes throughout the day, which the company foresees more as an event to attract attention and user feedback than a continuous plan.

The company is hoping for a commercial launch sometime in May or June of 2011, although New York will not be the first market SoBi chooses to launch in.

“I think New York is ready for it just based on the level of interest and response I’ve gotten from the project,” says Rzepecki. But that cannot happen without the approval and participation of the Department of Transportation, something Rzepecki, a former DOT employee, says can take a while.

Although the DOT has been adamant about making NYC a bike-friendly city, incorporating 200 miles of bike lanes in the past three years and committing to doubling bicycle commuting between 2007 and 2015, they are approaching the implementation of bike-sharing programs with extreme caution.

“The only element lacking at this point is political will,” said Kim Martineau, a communications manager at Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy organization that Martineau said “has been advocating for a bike share program in NYC since Paris rolled out ‘Velib’ in the summer of 2007.”

Dean Montgomery, the assistant press secretary for the DOT said the agency is still exploring the possibility of a bike share program for New York City but would not elaborate on what will have to be done before such a program is implemented.

Whenever that day might come, Rzepecki and his team at SoBi will be ready. Rzepecki has high hopes for the beta test and the company’s potential: “The beta test is really going to open up a lot of eyes in terms of what we can do, and after that there will be a lot of calls about the program.”

Parked-car seperated bike lanes along 1st and 2nd Avenue, modeled after European bike lanes, add an extra layer of protection for cyclists.

The streets of Toronto were packed with protestors as the G20 summit held there over the weekend provided the media attention for protestors of all kinds to speak their mind. And by all kinds, I mean all kinds.

There were people calling for the legalization of marijuana, increased rights for everyone from natives to women to minorities, outrage over the BP oil spill, and an end to the wars throughout the world.

Some of the more colorful protest signs seen in downtown Toronto were:

“Women: put down your razors, Hike up your skirts.”

“What about us,” next to a picture of Michael Jackson.

“Capitalism isn’t working and Democracy is an illusion.”

“Canada spent a billion dollars on the G20 summit and all I got was this lousy t shirt”

The spirit of the protests got me thinking about the nature of protestors and the idea that passionate protests and unrelenting activism has not really been seen since the end of the 60’s. Are today’s hippies more of a lifestyle idea than an actual group of take-action enthusiasts?

In order to understand the hippie, we must first explain what one is. According to UrbanDictionary.com, “A Hippie is a person who was raised under the ideological system that came out of the tumultuous 1960′s in North America and Western Europe. They are either of the flower-child/baby boomer generation or that generations’ subsequent offspring. They possess a core belief set revolving around the values of peace and love as being essential in an increasingly globalized society.”

Today’s hippies are a little different than the ones who were running rampant during the 60’s.

For starters, there was no Whole Foods forty years ago. And instead of driving Volkswagen vans, today’s hippie can be seen peddling away to the closest non-profit organization or outdoor meeting. There are a number of habitats that the modern hippie naturally flocks to. The overpriced organic grocery store, the “fair-trade” coffee shop and anything that boasts the word “recycled,” are all modern day breeding grounds for peaceniks.

I was recently at a vegan restaurant in Toronto called the “Urban Herbivore,” and, as I was paying for my slightly overpriced sandwich and cookie, a female hippie donning a flowery dress and Birkenstock sandals walked in, ready to give the cashier a piece of her mind.

“Excuse me,” she said, “but this truck parked outside has been unloading cargo for the past twenty minutes and he refuses to turn off the engine, even though I’ve asked him repeatedly to do so.”

The dumbfounded cashier stood there, not exactly knowing what to say.

“The driver is running the engine, releasing fossil fuels and wasting gas,” she pleaded, “can you tell him to turn it off?”

(Hippies love to throw in key words and phrases such as fossil fuels, waste, Tibetan monks and stop genocide).

The cashier tried to reason with the woman, telling her the truck needed to be kept on in order to refrigerate the cargo. With a defeated look the woman started walking away, but then, with a sudden burst of confidence, returned to speak to the cashier.

“It’s not even that hot out,” she told him, “The cargo does not need to be refrigerated…he doesn’t need to waste all this fossil fuel.”

I walked out of the restaurant before an end result was reached, however the brief encounter I witnessed gave me a valuable lesson into the modern hippie’s lifestyle. Today’s hippies might not burn their bras, they might not fast in protest of genocide and they might not riot until their demands are met. People think the activism of the 60’s has been replaced with a passivism and a defeatist kind of compliance. However, the ideas of the 60’s are alive today. They might not be in your face, but look and ye shall find.

Being a zionist in America is a tough job. When an American criticizes his country, it is out of love and a desire to make it better. A person who criticizes the war in Afghanistan or Obama’s healthcare policy is no less patriotic than someone who supports it.

Yet, when it comes to the affairs of the State of Israel, if an American criticizes something the Israeli government or military does, that person is viewed as less Zionistic than someone who does not speak out.

One difference between Americans and Israelis is that Israelis have the full power to criticize their government and military, and often do.

Concerning the recent Israeli raid on a Turkish flotilla headed to Gaza, Ari Shavit, a columnist at Haaretz, Israel’s most respected newspaper, wrote that the government and military were in the wrong when they raided the ship. He compared their actions to those of Britain who, in 1947, raided the Jewish refugee ship Exodus, which led to internation outcry and loss of legitimacy and control over the mandate.

Although those aboard the flotilla were not refugees, Shavit writes that Israel’s actions cast these people as victims, with the Israeli Navy being the villans.

Israel in the situation was stuck behind a rock and a hard place. They began the blockade on Gaza when Hamas, an Islamic militant group set on Israel’s destruction, attained power in 2007. This blockade is necessary, as seen from the continuous rocket launches by Hamas into neighboring Israeli cities. Much in the same way that economical sanctions work, Israel hopes that with enough pressure, Hamas will give up and turn control of Gaza over to the less extreme group, the Palestinian Authority.

If Israel had not stopped the flotillas headed for Gaza, it would have sent the message that the blockade is weakening and would have invited more attempts at sending supplies, which might include artillery and bomb-making tools.

Yet as Israel raided the six ships, carrying aid and Pro-Palestinian activists, it knew the international outrage would be huge.

Golda Meir once said, “If the Arabs put down their guns there would be no more fighting. If the Israelis put down theirs there would be no more Israel.”

There is a unvarying feeling in Israel and for Zionist Jews in America that Israel is alone in a constant, never ending battle. Never before has this been so apparent than now. Yet Israel cannot exist without the approval and backing of the outside world, and this raid and Bibi Netanyahu’s actions in the past year have been a clear contrast to the submissive Israel the world wants to see.

So what is a Zionist to do?

Know the facts, start speaking out, start spreading awareness and start criticizing. No country is perfect, and unless there is a public willing to criticize a government’s actions and keep them in check, nothing will ever be solved.

Concerning the bomb scare that took place just last week in Times Square, one question that is on everyone’s mind is, what is being done about our safety?

Step on to a plane heading towards, or coming from, Israel and you will not be asked to remove your shoes before going through security. You will not be patted down before stepping on the plane. And if anyone on your flight is on the No Fly List, the airline will certainly know about it.

Board any other plane and the opposite will most likely hold true. That is because, ethical or not, Israel racially profiles every passenger getting on one of their planes, and some believe the US should be taking notes.

It’s ironic to consider the vast amount of hours, money and manpower spent on preventing another terrorist attack, when all it takes is one man, and a truck full of explosives, to sneak under the authorities’ radar and wreak havoc.

That man, Pakistani-born Faisal Shahzad, who attempted to set off a crude car bomb in Times Square, was almost allowed out of the country even though he was on a no fly list and had links to Taliban training camps in Pakistan.

Although it might be kept quiet, racial profiling, to some extent, is already implemented by anti-terrorism officials. However, the fact that despite being on the no fly list, Shahzad was able to get on a Dubai-bound plane, should set off alarm bells in the minds of every American. Shahzad would have been safely back in the Middle East if that Dubai-bound plane had not turned around after leaving the gate to return to JFK Airport, where Shahzad was eventually arrested.

Some now believe the best way to prevent an attack, whether by air or on the ground, is to implement racial profiling policies in our country’s airports.

Whereas American airline companies single out passengers for security checks on a random basis, Israel’s security team, for example, profiles every passenger getting on their planes, and decides who to pick out for questioning based on religion, ethnicity and birthplace. Shahzad was on the No-Fly list, but still managed to board the Dubai-bound plane before officials realized what happened and made the plane return to the airport. That kind of thing would literally not fly in Israel.

In an article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Ariel Merari, head of the Center for Political Violence at Tel Aviv University and an Israeli terrorism expert who has written about aviation security, said ethnic profiling is both effective and unavoidable. “It’s foolishness not to use profiles when you know that most terrorists come from certain ethnic groups and certain age groups,” said Merari. “A bomber on a plane is likely to be Muslim and young, not an elderly Holocaust survivor. We’re talking about preventing a lot of casualties, and that justifies inconveniencing a certain ethnic group.”

Florida GOP candidate Dan Fanelli is the most recent politician to get behind this way of thinking. He recently released a campaign ad in which he shows his support for racial profiling, saying, “It’s time to stop this political correctness and the invasion of our privacy.” He even jokes that, if “a good looking, ripped guy without much hair was flying airplanes into the twin towers,” he wouldn’t mind being picked out of line based on profiling.

Understandably, there are many who believe that to racially profile is not only unethical and offensive but a violation of the right of every American. Daily Show host Jon Stewart slammed into Fanelli, pointing out the fact that not all terrorists fit a basic mold, and that if you begin to profile, things can lead to very unclear territory. Studies have also been inconclusive and differ on the effectiveness of racial profiling as a tool to combat terrorism.

Wall Street Journal opinion writer, Tunku Varadarajan, discussed the issue of racial profiling shortly after the London bombings in 2005. He wrote that if a profiling system is implemented it should be clear that it will only be used to question certain people, and not to place unwarranted punishment.

“I, too, see the absurdity of subjecting Chinese grandmothers to the same level of scrutiny as people from the Indian subcontinent at the airport check-in counter,” said Varadrajan. 
As an Arab-looking man from India, Varadrajan emphasized,  ”Do I like being profiled? Of course not. But my displeasure is yet another manifestation of the extraordinary power of terrorism. I am not being profiled because of racism but rather because Islamist fanatics have declared war on my society.”

Racial profiling must be further debated and studied before seriously being considered for implementation. Yet in a country that allowed water boarding as a tool for maintaining national security, is racial profiling such a far stretch?

The incoming news about the Times Sqyare Bomb Plot has spread like wildfire. The habitual newspaper reader now knows where the suspect, Faisal Shahzad, was born, grew up, trained – the New York Times even obtained a recording of Shahzad’s citizenship ceremony. The need for incessant information about the unfolding events surrounding the bomb square have left one thing out – what happens next?

By pure luck, New York City was spared from what could have been a disaster of monumental proportions. An SUV filled with explosives, that could have killed hundreds of people, for some reason did not go off. Had the plot succeeded, the city could have seen a return to the aftermath of September 11th, a time that almost crippled the city as tourism dropped radically and a simple activity like attending a NY Giants game was seen as risky.

So what are the NYPD doing to prevent something like this from happening in the future? That’s a question no one seems to know how to answer. For all of the hours, money and manpower spent on preventing another terrorist attack from happening in the country, it’s as easy as one man and a truck full of explosives to get under the noses of the authorities and wreak havoc.

So, all you believers, thank God. All you atheists, thank the faulty construction of the bomb. Anyone else can thank the NYPD, because although they might have lucked out and did not have to deal with an actual attack, as the New York Times headline reads, “Smoking Car to an Arrest in 53 Hours,” is pretty impressive.

Thinking of New York City a few images come to mind – tall buildings, crowded sidewalks and streets filled with yellow cabs. One image that certainly does not instantly come to mind is that of parks and hiking trails. Yet even in the concrete jungle it is possible to find scenic parks, mountains and trails close by that will have you leaving the clothing stores, restaurants and museums of the city in search of a little natural refuge.

Floyd Bennett Field, located in Brooklyn, is not only an airport-turned park and recreation center – it is also a camping site with room for one hundred campers. Located in Marine Park, each camp group gets ample space to set up tent and a fire pit and picnic table for a cozy, refreshing night under the stars.

Located just about an hour outside of the city, Bear Mountain State Park is a scenic park favored by locals who want to get away for the weekend. Surrounded by rugged mountains, the park features sprawling grassland, picnic areas shaded by massive trees, a pool, lake and river fishing access and nature, hiking and cross-country ski trails.

Although the park does not allow overnight campers, the park is close enough for the day traveler who wants an escape. Mal Azar, who enjoys spending his Sundays at Bear Mountain Park, says, “When you’re hiking, you’re completely oblivious to the outside world – you have no cell phone, no computer, no outside connection, and these days I think everyone needs to get away sometimes.”

Time Out NY lists a lot of parks, which are close to the city and boast enough amenities to entertain nature-lovers of all ages. Croton Point Park, located in Westchester County, which is just an hour’s train ride north of the city, is a sprawling park with hiking, picnicking and swimming facilities, and camping facilities.

Jeff Abettan loves spending his weekends camping in the parks just outside of the city. “When you’re camping, you forget you’re in New York – all the lakes, waterfalls, mountains and greenery make you think you’re somewhere else. It’s a great place to escape to and relax with your friends and spend a weekend.”

And this camping culture is not just a local thing. According to the New York State’s Parks website, “Each year, more than 55 million people visit New York State parks and historic sites, making them a key component of the tourism industry.”

However, some parks are in danger of closing as Governor David Patterson has come to believe that many of them are too costly to maintain.
In a February statement from Patterson and NYS Office of Park Commissioner Carol Ash, the public was notified that, “The 2010-11 Executive Budget included reductions to every area of State spending. As such, the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation has today put forward proposed closures and service reductions to meet its agency savings target.”

The plan established by the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, includes the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites, and service reductions at 23 parks and 1 historic site, including the closure of Bayswater Point State Park, in Queens.

Parks and Trails New York, established in 1985, is an organization working to protect New York’s parks and to raise awareness about the closing of parks. As the organization states, parks in New York are especially important as they, “provide green corridors connecting cities, villages, countryside, and natural areas.”

According to an economic study commissioned by the organization, the benefit-to-cost ratio is more than 5-to-1— meaning that for every dollar spent on parks by the Office of Parks, they are receiving five dollars in benefits in the form of revenue from tourists and employment opportunities.

So if you want to support the park-lovers of New York and make it known that although we might love our busy streets and sidewalks, we’re still nature-lovers at heart, take the time to visit a park or camping site and see what all the hype is about.

Although Spring and Summer may yield hot weather, tans and short shorts, there is one added bonus that comes with the season and that is wedding bells. And there is nothing like seeing a spring wedding in New York to help you forget about those long winter months. This couple, who was getting married in Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan, were spotted just outside, getting their wedding pictures taken in an outdoor sitting area. Nothing says New York like seeing a glowing bride, dressed in a gorgeous white wedding gown, holding up the bottom hem of her dress with a desperate look on her face, trying unsuccessfully not to sweep up the dirt and garbage littering the streets.

Lucky for this bride, he didn’t have to worry about dirtying the hem of his dress as he opted for a short, more seasonably appropriate look. Once again, nothing says New York like a crazy guy on the street, prancing around in a white dress, singing “Here Comes the Bride” and pretending to throw Cupid arrows at mortified by-passers.

Something that really bugs me is PETA. It seems like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has this uncanny wield over people, where speaking out against them is as evil and unrecommended as speaking out against the Pope himself. Founded in 1980, the group boasts over 2 million supporters worldwide, and with that kind of power and influence, no wonder the sight of a PETA supporter or spokesperson can spark fear in the eyes of habitual fur wearers everywhere.

Even Kelly Bensimon, of the Bravo reality show The Real Housewives of New York City, is scared to speak out against PETA and defend her love of fur clothing. In last weeks episode, after buying a fur vest, she rationalized her purchase, saying, “PETA isn’t saying don’t wear fur they’re saying don’t abuse animals, and so I’m not abusing animals I’m just wearing fur…It’s amazing to have an organization like PETA but I’ve always been a great fur wearer.”

Maybe its the “Fur=Murder” signs or the “I’d Rather go Naked than Wear Fur” campaign launched by PETA but I’m pretty sure PETA is explicitly saying do not wear fur. So whether you are for or against PETA and their methods of spreading their message, at least own your opinions and do not let bullying signs or fashion magazines dictate what you choose to wear or not wear. And if you do choose to wear fur and get the attention of PETA spokespeople, at least you’re in good company (Remember when PETA spoke out against President Barack Obama for swatting a pestering fly during a June 2009 interview with CNBC).

This group was spotted outside of a department store in Midtown Manhattan, and although the weather did not warrant even the biggest fur supporters to don their chinchilla coats, PETA wanted people to know that even though there might be a sale going on inside the store, customers had better think twice before buying that leather jacket or mink stole.

Not knowing how long this latest string of good weather will last, New Yorkers are hitting the local parks and hitting them hard. The familiar sight of park benches filled to capacity, screaming children running through sprinklers, eager kids lining up at ice cream trucks with dollars in their hands and teenagers playing on the asphalt, is back. And it could not have come sooner! Here are a few pictures taken at a Park in Midwood.

Whether you call it hookah, nargille, shisha or anything else, one thing is for sure; Puffing from a water pipe is no longer solely a habit enjoyed by your crazy Syrian grandmother. Hookah culture has been slowly developing in New York City, especially around Brooklyn and the East Village, as more and more hookah lounges and bars are opening up.

The city’s 2003 ban on indoor smoking has led more and more people to hookah bars, where they can enjoy a few puffs without getting dirty looks or kicked out of the establishment. What makes hookah bars an exception to the rule is that according to the city’s smoking ban, if cigar and hookah establishments can prove they receive at least ten percent of their gross annual revenue from tobacco sales , they are exempt from the ban and open for business. There is another loophole for any smoking establishments that were already in existence as such before December 31, 2001.

Now what makes one hookah lounge better than another?
Some say it’s atmosphere, some say it’s how well the hookah hits, and some say it’s the flavor list that keeps patrons coming back. And then some, like Ashlyn Kettner, who might be from Canada but after spending a year in Israel knows a little something about good hookah bars, thinks the key is a combination of all the above. “The atmosphere is only one part of what makes a certain hooka bar better than another,” says Kettner. “One of my favorite hookah bars has a very bland set-up but what brings me back every time is their incredible flavor choices.”

And some hooka bars are known for their outrageous flavors that keep the customers loyal. Some lounges, like Bianky’s Lounge, located in Gravesend, Brooklyn, have a more standard flavor list that stays true to its Middle Eastern roots. Flavors such as mint, rose and fruit flavors are the norm at most hooka lounges. Others, for a price, offer special hookas, smoked out of fresh fruit and flavored with wine or vodka, which although might not be authentic to it’s Middle Eastern roots (Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol) it makes for an interesting alternative to the standard offerings.

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