B-CYCLE!

Our G&T class is now learning about a "collaborative consumption" concept, in which we each explored new ideas through websites which connect the Earth by sharing land, products, etc. The concept of collaborative consumption was first brought to my attention through a TED talk done by Rachel Botsman which can be watched here. I was privileged to research B-Cycle:

B-Cycle allows anyone to simply swipe their credit card at a B-Cycle station for 24- hours, or register online to choose a bike from a B-Cycle station and grab a bike and go. Then you simply park your bike at any B-cycle station to return it.

As of now, there are B-Cycle stations located in Chicago, Denver, Des Moines, Hawaii, Louisville, and San Antonio. In order to get B-Cycle into your city, you vote on there website by putting in your zip code.

B-cycle is the only bike-sharing program that measures the actual distance traveled on each ride and keeps track of the calories you’ve burned and the carbon emissions you’ve prevented. All this information is available on your personal B-cycle web page.

B-Cycle was founded by 3 major American companies: Humana, Trek Bicycle Corporation, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky

There’s a membership fee that provides unlimited access to the system for a period of time, or a usage fee that is typically measured by 30 minute increments, making this a profit organization.

Remembering the Holocaust

This past Friday, the members of my GT2 class and I took a trip down to Washington D.C. to visit the famous Holocaust Museum. Having visited before, I thought I was slightly prepared for what I was about to see, only to realize upon arrival that the last time I visited I only participated in the "Daniel's Story" portion of the museum which is designed for children. That being said, I only had a few minutes to mentally prepare for what I thought most of the museum would be like. In those few moments I was expecting to see more images than anything else. Images of living conditions before and after death camps, dead bodies, children, and the other generic sad things you think of when you think about the Holocaust.

However, that was not the case.

Stepping into the elevator was the first step of many in creating a long list of overwhelming experiences. While inside the elevator, you were crammed against the walls, and strangers visiting that day. The walls looked like what would've been a gas chamber, or another under-supplied area of a camp which would have held Jewish people. One of the items I saw which made me feel the worst was the broken Torah in a glass case on the second floor. Being of Jewish decent, I've grown up with the Torah and understand the importance of it within the Jewish community. For you to compare it to something, in my mindn it was like staring at dead puppies behind a glass case (I apologize for the juvenile comparison). Another item I saw which reminded me of family were the Star of David patches framed on the walls. I have the patches of many of my great aunts and uncles, and making the connection in front of my eyes upset me. The last thing I saw which left me speechless was the incredible amount of pictures which informed you of the people who perished. The number of images was overwhelming, and I found myself at a loss for words.


I left the Holocaust Museum taking away more understanding for the specifics that occured before, and during the camps. Prior to the museum, I had a general idea of what occured; but the amount of information provided there was overwhelming.




(P.S. Ms. Mystrena, I'm sorry my brain is fried from HSPAs)