May Is National Bike Month

May is national bike month. Since its a perfect time for our communities to recognize and celebrate all the benefits of bicycling. Bicycling keeps us healthy, carries us efficiently, saves us from high gas prices and makes our air cleaner and our roads less congested. Bicycling helps address many of our most pressing societal and environmental problems. It's been reported by the national bike group People For Bike, half of all Americans make three miles or less- an easy bike distance. A vision of Mayor Mike Bloomberg years ago, the city that never sleeps is promoting a new program called City Bike Share. The rentals begin in May, Annual memberships cost $95. Program will begin in May with 6,000 bikes in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Eventually the goal is to to have 10,000 bicycles at 600 stations through all  five boroughs. Its unclear when this will take place, but NYC is stepping up its efforts to become a healthy city that leads by example.

Bahrain Blogger Escapes To Britain

In the metro news this morning, there was a very interesting story about A Bahraini blogger and human rights activist who has been granted asylum in Britain after being in hiding for two years. A leading voice among protesters during the anti- government demonstration in 2011., Ali Abduleman   escaped a government crackdown and was smuggled out by fishermen. A military court tried and sentenced him in absentia to 15 years in prison. Its a sad story really, which explain the sacrifices we must endure for the shake of others. Ali has not seen his daughters since they were 6-months old. Abdulemam, 35 year old, a  former engineer with Gulf Air and author of the pro-democracy Bahrain Online Blog. He feels it deeply, as I can't imagine what he's going through.  he says, " I feel pain because I am not in my homeland. I did not choose this. I did not want this, but what I have come to realize sometimes the things we don't want chooses us, and we have to live with the consequences.