Breakaway News Volume No. 24 Issue No. 5 May 2019
/All For Mom
Mother’s Day is May 12, and all of New York City’s ethnic groups will compete again for the title of “Mothers Who Make Their Kids Feel the Most Guilty for Forgetting Mother’s Day!” Luckily, we at Breakaway are here to remind you that you really should buy her those flowers. We’re standing by to deliver them directly to her - guilt not included.
Ramadan Mubarak
A happy and blessed Ramadan to all our Muslim customers! Ramadan is tied to the lunar calendar, so this year, it starts on May 5th in the U.S. and ends on June 4th. The actual date, though, is never completely confirmed until the first crescent of the new moon is sighted. (Since we now have gadgets to tell us when the moon will appear, we can usually figure it out in time to go shopping.)
Seeing Red
Protest comes in many colors. Ukraine’s government was toppled by the Orange Revolution, France has the Yellow Vests, and now cyclists in Massachusetts have red cups. The Red Cup Project has activists placing red cups (normally used for beer pong) in the buffer zone between the car and bike lanes. When they’re crushed, it shows how close cars come to the cyclists in unprotected lanes. Cyclists in Newton, Boston, and Amherst want to show that “paint is not protection” and more protected bike lanes are needed.
Cycling Commute
It is true, we do blab on a lot about cycling and how it’s good for you, but that’s because we know how good it is for you. A new study out of the UK draws some interesting conclusions: individuals with obesity who commute by car have a 32% higher risk of death compared with average weight individuals who have active commutes. In contrast, those with obesity who reported being active commuters had a risk of death that was similar to average weight active commuters, suggesting that cycling or walking to and from work could reduce the detrimental effect of obesity. We needn’t say more, but you know we will at some point.
Memorial Day
We close out May, of course, with the first long weekend of the summer. Memorial Day is set aside to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Here’s wishing all of our customers, a safe and peaceful Memorial Day with good memories and a good barbecue.
Caveat mTOR
We at Breakaway love our molecular biology, and so we were very interested in how rapamycin might increase longevity. Discovered on Easter Island, presumably by one of those giant statues, rapamycin blocks the activity of a protein kinase, mTOR, the signaling of which increases during aging. Blocking mTOR also seems to increase insulin sensitivity, mimicking calorie restriction. But, instead of doing all that, we recommend riding your bike, having a good cup of coffee, and read a good book now and then.
Stump the Band
Last month we asked who the father of modern congestion pricing was. Answer: Nobel winner William Vickrey.
T-Shirt Question
It’s known to us as Easter Island, but what was it known as to its inhabitants? The first person to contact Gil Ortiz at 646-674-8323 or gortiz@breakawaycourier.com with the correct answer will win a coveted Breakaway T-shirt.