Oahu to Implement Bike-Share Program

If you happen to be living or traveling in Oahu next summer, you may be able to get around on new rental bicycles that are part of a proposed ride-share program.

Starting next June, Oahu plans to launch the Momentum B-cycle project, a privately-funded pilot program with a goal is of having bike racks across Oahu located within a five mile radius of rail transit stops.

People would be able to pay to rent a bike in one place, and leave it at a designated rack at their destination. Initially, there will be ten solar-powered bike racks where riders will be able to unlock a bike by swiping either their credit card or bike-share pass.

People who paid for the service would be able to check bikes out and drop them off at locations on Oahu, making it easier for residents and tourists to access mass transit and other points of interest around the island.

Anyone who wants to use the bikes will be able to purchase a weekly, monthly or yearly pass.
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Musicians Speak out Against Racial Profiling at London Clubs

In London, musicians and fans are fighting against a police measure that has been accused of using racial profiling to help determine which venues and acts run the risk of drawing dangerous crowds at music concerts.

Form 696 is used to assess risk for music events. It requires that the licensees of clubs and venues submit to the police the names, aliases, private addresses and phone numbers of all musicians and performers that are going to appear at a venue in advance of the event.

The form also requires information on the ethnic background of the audience and the type of music will be played at the event. Some of the questions on the form have been seen as targeting black and Asian people.

Information gathered from Form 696 will be used by police to determine particular venues or performers that tend to draw a troublesome crowd.

Police say that the information ultimately helps them make sure that events are safe.
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Live Earth Concert Cancelled Due to Terrorist Attacks

This year’s Live Earth concert, scheduled for this Saturday, December 7th in Mumbai, has been postponed indefinitely.

The event has been canceled due to security fears in wake of terrorist attacks that took place there last week, in which more than 170 people were killed when gunmen opened fire at hotels, railway stations, and other locations throughout Mumbai.

The Live Earth concert series was founded by Emmy award winning Kevin Wall who partnered with former Vice President Al Gore to raise awareness about global warming and environmental issues facing the planet today.

It was scheduled to take place at Mumbai’s Andheri Sports Complex and was to feature musical acts such as Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd), Will.i.am (of the Black Eyed Peas) and Bon Jovi, in addition to Bollywood stars.

On July 7th, 2007, Live Earth: Concerts for a Climate in Crisis took place around the world to raise awareness of global warming. The concerts were seen by 2 billion people, and the concert in Mumbai was meant to be a follow-up to raise money for solar energy projects.

The attacks have also prompted cancellation of other events, including the annual Sangat Chamber Music Festival, which has been relocated to Stockholm, Sweden. Additionally, English cricket players may decide not to return to India due to safety concerns following last week’s attacks.

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Sandcastles Outlawed at Popular Beach

What do you like to do when you go to the beach—swim? Fish? Play pass? Build a sandcastle? Enjoy a romantic midnight stroll?

If you’re into doing anything of the aforementioned activities, you’d better take heed if you’re planning on vacationing at the popular beaches in Benidorm, Spain, one of the most popular travel destinations for British tourists.

Officials have released a new series of rules for the beach that are intended to help prevent “misuse”.
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More Family Lanes to Appear at Airport Security Checkpoints

The TSA is expanding family lanes at nearly every airport just in time for the Thanksgiving and the busy holiday travel season.

By November 20th, family lanes will have opened at 533 airport checkpoints by November 20th. The lanes are intended to help people who are traveling with children and will have people on-hand to assist parents.

The family lanes will allow families to move through specially-designated lanes at their own pace. The lanes will be permanent additions at security checkpoints at every large and midsize airport.

The family lanes will also feature special scanners for screening large bottles of liquids deemed “medically necessary.” Anyone who is carrying a bottle of liquid more than three ounces will be directed to the scanners in these lanes, even if they are not traveling with a family.
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Restaurants Resort to Promotions to Lure Customers

With the economy in a slump, the restaurant business has gotten so bad that many restaurants are resorting to giving out coupons and gift certificates in an effort to lure customers back in.

In today’s tough economy, things are tight and many people are doing whatever they can to cut back on costs and save money. For many, this means cooking at home and packing lunch for work rather than going out to eat. With the drop in business, restaurants around the country are doing everything they can do get customers back through their doors.

Many restaurants are extending their hours and cutting back on portions. Some are buying cheaper ingredients and opting for smaller plates. Others are offering special discounts and promotions in the mail and online, from coupons to free gift certificates.

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Ads to Appear in Security Checkpoint Bins Nationwide

Next time you take off your shoes and jacket and place them in a bin at an airport security checkpoint, you might see an advertisement staring up at you. The Transportation Security Administration has given the go-ahead to allow airports across the nation to sell advertising space in the bottoms of security checkpoint bins

If you’ve been traveling during the past year you may have already seen ads in the bottom of security checkpoint plastic bins.

Fourteen airports were participants in the Divestiture Bin Pilot Program, which allowed vendors to advertise in bins at security checkpoints. Now the program is expanding to be nationwide.

According to the TSA, the program is geared towards upgrading the equipment used at airport checkpoints. As payment for the advertising space, advertisers purchase the plastic bins, steel tables and carts for screeners that are used at checkpoints.
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Burton’s New Snowboards Cause for Concern?

Two new lines of 2009 Burton snowboards have come under fire recently for displaying images that are degrading to women and inappropriate for children to see.

Burton’s line of “Love” boards features vintage photos of Playboy models. Some parents and ski resorts are up in arms over the boards, which they claim are inappropriate for children and for family-friendly environments.

Burton’s line of “Primo” snowboards depicts artistic cartoons of “self-mutilation” that have also been condemned as being inappropriate.

The Love and Primo snowboard lines are limited edition, with only 1,000 Love boards produced and less than 1,000 Primo boards produced. The boards are expected to be seen very rarely on the slopes and will probably become a collector’s item.

Despite the low number of boards in circulation, six ski resorts have already banned their employees from using the boards. The boards have been banned for employee use at Smugglers Notch in Burlington, VT, under a new policy prohibiting offensive equipment.

Vail Resorts, which owns Colorado ski resorts Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Keystone, in addition to Heavenly Mountain in California, has put a ban on Burton’s Love boards for employees while they are working. Vail has always had a policy prohibiting their employees from wearing inappropriate or offensive attire, but they have now updated their policy to specifically include Burton’s Primo and Love snowboards.

Sugarbush, another Vermont resort, is also considering taking action in banning its stores from selling the Love board and employees from riding it.

On October 23rd, local activists protested at Burton’s headquarters in Burlington, Vermont. Approximately 150 people showed up to protest the graphics on the Love and Primo snowboards.

Burton CEO Laurent Potdevin responded with a statement on behalf of the company, saying that Burton stands behind its graphics and the right to freedom of artistic expression, noting that snowboarding has long been a sport that pushes boundaries, and that winter sports have a history of tongue-in-cheek advertising.

“Reef Balls” Help You Save the Environment After You Die

Today’s environmentally-conscious people are thinking of ways to stay green even after they’re gone.

Eternal Reefs is putting a new spin on the at-sea burial by offering an environmentally-friendly alternative to cremation and traditional cemetery burials.

The company offers a way to have a memorial and help out the environment at the same time, by creating a memorial reef that contains the ashes of the deceased.

The memorial reefs are known as “reef balls.” They are constructed by mixing cremated remains with liquid concrete, which is put into mold in order to create the reef ball.

The reef ball is placed alongside other reef balls to create an artificial reef that provides a habitat for sea life.
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Zeppelin Rides Make a Comeback in California

The unique experience and spectacular views of zeppelin rides are being brought back to life by a company called Airship Ventures, located in San Francisco.

Ever since the crash of the Hindenburg in 1937, there hasn’t been a zeppelin in American skies, although blimps can be spotted somewhat frequently.

Airship Ventures, brainchild of Brian and Alexandra Hall, a couple from Silicon Valley, is bringing the zeppelin back to America by offering airship tours over San Francisco. Their zeppelin took to the skies last Saturday, flying over the Golden Gate Bridge as crowds watched in awe.

Airship Ventures is aiming to recreate some of the success that zeppelin ride companies have enjoyed in Tokyo in the Alps, right here in America.

A zeppelin, however, is different from a blimp. A zeppelin has a rigid structure, whereas a blimp does not. Airship Ventures new Zeppelin NT (NT stands for New Technology) is 246 feet long, making it 15 feet longer than a Boeing 747 and it carries a $13 million price tag.

Modern zeppelins are kept afloat by nonflammable helium, as opposed to flammable hydrogen, which is what was used to fuel the Hindenburg. This new zeppelin is one of just three in the entire world; the other two are located in Germany and Japan.
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