More babies are being named after Marvel characters

mora babies are being named after Marvel charactersMore babies are being named after Marvel charactersOne day in the future you could be bidding good morning to your coworkers, Loki and Valkyrie. According to the U.S. Social Security Administrations list of popular baby names in 2017, more babies are being named after Marvel characters.The Marvel movie universe, which has brought us million-dollar films for the past decade, is filled with super-powered villains and heroes who can change the world with their green fists and their gutsy courage. Maybe these parents are hoping that some of those powers rub off on their children?Here were the Marvel-inspired names that parents chose for their babiesMore Parkers, Wades, Natashas, and PeppersParker 1,487 females, 4,346 malesWade 899 malesNatasha 355 femalesPepper 121 females, 7 malesLoki 5 females, 91 malesValkyrie 63 femalesMarvel 21 females, 29 malesParker topped the list with 5,833 babies sharing the name of Spider-mans human alter ego Peter Parker. Deadpools Wade, Black Widows Natasha, and fictional Stark Industries CEO Pepper were also popular choices. Some parents broke convention and named their children after trickster God Loki and Valkyrie shield-maidens sworn to protect the Asgardian crown.With great power, comes great responsibility. When you are named after a superhero, you will grow up meeting people who will be associating your name with legends in comic books.

6 Simple Ways to Keep Your Sanity When Youre Working Insane Hours

6 Simple Ways to Keep Your Sanity When Youre Working Insane Hours6 Simple Ways to Keep Your Sanity When Youre Working Insane HoursThese days, everyones busy. But for you, busy is an understatement. Maybe youre working on a huge project with a looming deadline, are deep in your industrys prime season, or have a generally taxing job that requires long hours year-round. Whatever the reason, youre not just busy- youre knee-deep in 80-hour work weeks. Its no surprise that constantly working crazy hours can easily turn into burnout and mental fatigue. So when the going gets tough and the hours get long, its not enough to just hold on for dear life until your next vacation. Learn how to stay energized, focused, and- most importantly- sane with these tips. 1. Nail the BasicsWhen youre overwhelmed with work, its easy to let everyday necessities fall by the wayside. You opt for takeout over a balanced meal, pound cups of coffee rather than water, and skip the gym, convincing yourself that paci ng up and down the hall during a conference call can suffice as your daily dose of cardio.While these options may seem necessary, they can quickly take a toll on your physical and mental health, leaving you irritable, lethargic, and even more stressed. So, first things first Make sure you take care of yourself. Schedule fitness in your daily routine (even if its just a 15-minute morning stretch session before work), keep a stash of healthy snacks at your desk, or find a quiet distributionspolitik to take a 20-minute nap instead of grabbing another cup of coffee. Your mind, body, and boss will thank you. 2. Simplify Your RoutineMark Zuckerberg wears a gray t-shirt every day to pare down the number of decisions he has to make, allowing him to spend that mental energy on more important matters. Adopting a work uniform is a simple change that can enable you to be more productive. However, you can apply that idea to other parts of your daily routine, too. For example, you could pack all your lunches for the week on Sunday afternoon, so each morning, you can just grab and go. Or, maybe you schedule a food delivery service, such as Blue Apron or Plated, so you never have to decide what to cook for dinner or shop for ingredients. When youre extremely busy, every minute- and decision- counts. Simplifying your routine wont only heighten your ability to stay focused on work little by little, it will add free time to your schedule that you can use to do something other than work.3. Make the Most of the Me Time You HaveWhen work hours increase, free time often gets completely edged off your calendar. The hours you once dedicated to hobbies or friends are taken over by reports and meetings. But that doesnt mean you should throw in the towel on taking some personal time- you just have to get creative with the little time you have.For example, when youre on the subway on your way home, its easy to zone out with your phone in your hand, mindlessly browsing social media. And su ddenly, youre home, and you just missed out on 30 minutes you could have spent doing something that fulfills and energizes you. Especially when youre in a situation where you have very little extra time, its important to take advantage of those little pockets of precious free time- like when youre walking to work or sitting down to eat dinner. Figure out what invigorates you and spend your time doing that, whether its listening to a podcast, calling a friend, or reading a book. 4. Find an Outlet at WorkYou may be working 10-hour days, but you shouldnt have to endure those hours alone. Finding a friend at work wont change the fact that youre working nights and weekends, but he or she can make those extra hours a whole lot more enjoyable. When youre feeling overworked or overwhelmed, a work friend knows exactly how you feel (after all, he or she works there, too) and can provide a moment of laugher or distraction from your work-induced stress. Keep in mind, constant complaining and ve nting can get toxic, so that shouldnt be the primary purpose of your encounters. But being able to walk down the hall and take a few minutes to chat with a co-worker can keep you refreshed and in a positive mood. 5. Learn to CompartmentalizeLong days at work are already tough- but when you cant stop thinking about your looming to-do list when you get home and are trying to wind down for the evening, its going to be increasingly hard to relax or get a good nights sleep. And thats not going to do anything positive for your productivity or mental health.So when you do have a moment to leave work, make sure you really do leave it there Learning to compartmentalize is so important to staying sane- and with a few easy strategies, its easier than you may think. For example, to stop thinking about work when you finally make it home, you have to stop talking about it. Venting to a friend or spouse only continues to center your mind on your job. But by paying full attention to someone else an d engaging in conversation thats unrelated to work, youll give your brain a well-deserved break. It can also be as simple as finalizing your to-do list for the next day before you leave the office at night. With a list of outstanding tasks and plan for how to accomplish them, you can walk away from your desk with confidence- rather than with that constant nagging feeling that youre forgetting something. For more ways to turn off that part of your mind, try these three tips. 6. Keep the End Goal in SightIn many cases, a period of constant overtime is linked to an eventual stopping point- e.g., the deadline of a big project or the end of your industrys busy season. Keeping that goal in mind (and remembering that youre not eternally confined to 80-hour work weeks) can help you avoid burnout and muster up the drive to keep going. Of course, its not that simple for everyone. Maybe crazy hours are just the nature of your chosen career- and as far as youre concerned, youll be working eveni ngs, weekends and every moment in between until you can cash in your 401K. If thats the case, theres still something driving you to work long and hard, whether youre pursuing a promotion, a career switch, or the experience you need to start your own business. Push that to the forefront of your mind- rather than the constant reminders that its 9 PM and youre still at the office- and youll have a much healthier outlook on your busy schedule.The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. You want to avoid going crazy when youre working overtime? By making a few small changes, you can stay motivated, focused, and- yes- sane. Photo of woman working late courtesy of Hero Images/Getty.

View the ASME Energy Forum on Hydrokinetics Now

View the ASME Energy Forum on Hydrokinetics Now View the ASME Energy Forum on Hydrokinetics Now If you missed the first ASME Energy Forum webinar, Tapping the Power of Flowing Water, when it took place earlier this month, no need to worry. A recording of that webinar on the topic of hydrokinetics is now available online, free of charge. To take a deep dive into demo projects underway in New York Harbor and the Gulf Stream, register today to access the webinar and presentations, at the forum website.The ASME Energy Forum, is a new yearlong multi-media series that explores the technical aspects and workings of a broad range of emerging energy sources and related technologies. The series which will encompass feature articles, webinars, on-demand webcasts, podcasts, surveys, congressional briefings, and online discussion groups and communities will provide you with expert perspectives on how these energy sources and technologies work, the technical issues and challenges, and the econom ic implications for businesses.The March installment of the ASME Energy Forum will focus on the subject of concentrated solar power, and feature two articles by Mark Crawford Greater Efficiencies Bring Solar to Prominence on ASME.org and Catching the Sun in Mechanical Engineering magazine. In his ASME.org article, Crawford takes a look at todays CSP systems that use mirrors and sophisticated tracking systems to reflect and concentrate sunlight, which is converted to heat to generate electricity. The article also reviews the four primary technologies in this field. In Catching the Sun, Crawford surveys the field to explain where the breakthroughs are coming from and where mora work needs to be done. The ASME Energy Forum will also include a webinar on the topic of CSP, to take place on March 28.For more information on the ASME Energy Forum, visit the forum website.

Cycling in the city Your health versus the hazard

Cycling in the city Your health versus the hazardCycling in the city Your health versus the hazardIt welches just aleidzu sich morning commute. That is, until a bus driver ran a red light, turned right, and drove straight into Ann-Doerthe Hass Jensen. The bus knocked the social worker off herbei bike, trapping her underneath, a wheel pinning down and crushing her left foot. It welches a school bus heading to a Copenhagen kindergarten, and the children aboard were screaming. Ann was rushed to hospital in excruciating pain, every bone in her foot shattered.In the six weeks of hospitalisation that followed, part of Anns foot was amputated. Salvageable bones were wired back into place and skin grafts were taken from her thigh to replace the torn and missing flesh. Im pretty lucky, says Ann. People normally die when this happens.It was a year before she could walk again. During that year, she had to take a taxi to work every day. I hated it, she says. Here, the taxi drivers are a menace, and I was really scared of accidents. She also hated having to wait. Travelling by bike in Copenhagen is often the fastest way to get around, which is the top reason why Copenhageners cycle.Anns physiotherapy was tricky. The missing portion of her foot is a crucial stepping point, and its absence affects her balance. But walking wasnt the only part of her rehabilitation. In Copenhagen where people own 5.2 bicycles for every car over a third of residents pedal to work, school or college. So rehabilitation often literally means getting you back in the saddle. The City of Copenhagen helped Ann get a specially adapted Nihola cycle a sturdy, stable three-wheeler that has allowed her to regain independent mobility.In cities across the world, researchers, planners and policy makers are examining the many potential positiv points of cycling. Increasing the proportion of people who cycle or walk, rather than drive, could bedrngnis only reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, but also lower peoples risk of developing a number of diseases. But at what cost? To what extent does cycling in cities expose you to the risk of injury or death? What makes some cities so much tresorr and attractive for cyclists than others?The drastically different design and policy approaches taken by large cities in Europe and North America provide some stark comparisons on cycling safety, equity and its impact on public health. To weigh up the risks and benefits of city cycling, and explore what can be learned where public health, urban design and transport engineering meet, I did what I had to do I hopped on a bike.In Paris, new bike lanes are pervasive. Though many of the streets are centuries old, sometimes cobbled, and claustrophobically narrow, bike lanes have been prominently marked. There are also some segregated cycle paths, often crazily disconnected disappearing and appearing again in a seemingly random fashion. Skinny one-way streets might have bike lanes on the right, so you cycle with the direction of the besucherzahlen, or on the left, so youre in the contraflow.Oddly though, I didnt feel unsafe cycling these narrow lanes. Many are marked 30 kph for cars. Having parked cars on the right of the bike lane, so theyre facing you, can be advantageous its the passenger-side door that opens into bike traffic, so its less likely youll be struck than if it were the drivers side exposed. And if you were to cycle into an open passenger door, youre mora likely to close it than open it further.On some major streets, like boulevardpresse Saint-Michel, there are special lanes shared by bikes and buses. Though I felt less squeezed cycling in these wide lanes, where traffic was much lighter than the adjacent lanes for cars, I did feel a little intimidated about sharing the lane with buses. That said, the Parisian bus drivers gave me plenty of space, and didnt behave aggressively. I did get a sense that traffic here has become accustomed to bicycles. There are some off-street cycle paths too. Zooming alongside the Seine on the elevated bike path, totally segregated from motorised traffic, was pure delight.Vlib bikes, from Pariss bicycle-sharing system, were in use everywhere. I saw men in suits, teenagers, women in chic business attire, pensioners, and female university students riding side by side on the bikes. Posting celebrity Vlib sightings on social media has apparently become something of a local pastime. The bikes are such a fixture that I saw one young man taking a break on a parked Vlib, feet on the flosselebars, chatting on his mobile phone.In the midst of Pariss cycling revolution, it seemed fitting to meet Ari Rabl at Le Procope, a city restaurant where some of the leaders of the French Revolution gathered. With Audrey de Nazelle, a Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, Rabl, a consultant and retired Senior Scientist at the Centre Energtique et Procds of the cole des Mines in Paris, has lo oked at the health benefits when people move from cars to walking or cycling.Rabl explains that they found that the bevlkerung-level costs due to fatal accidents are outweighed at least tenfold by the health benefits of walking or cycling. Monetising the costs and benefits, Rabl and de Nazelle estimated that for a driver who switches from driving to cycling for their 5 km commute, the overall health benefit from physical activity is worth about 1300 euros per year. Of course, its important to point out that while fatal accidents might be reported as small population-level costs in public health studies, they have tragic, catastrophic costs for individuals and their loved ones.Four days earlier, and some 1,000 or so kilometres north-east, Im sitting in a conference room at the University of Copenhagens Department of Public Health, overlooking the picturesque Lakes area. Around the table are health researchers Astrid Ledgaard Holm, Henning Langberg and Henrik Brnnum-Hansen.Ledgaard Ho lm, a doctoral student, has modelled the health impacts of increased cycling. Accounting for physical activity, exposure to accidents and air pollution, she and colleagues found that the overall burden of disease including heart disease, stroke, font II diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer, cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer was reduced in people who cycled. The positive health effects of increased cycling were mora than a third larger than the potential loss of health from bicycle accidents and air pollution.Other studies investigating the health impacts of cycling have found similar positive benefits, although the magnitude varies. In a different study based in Copenhagen, researchers analysed data from over 13,000 women and 17,000 men to explore the impact of physical activity on mortality. Even after adjusting for other factors, such as physical activity in leisure time, they found that people who did leidlage cycle to work experienced a 39 per cent higher mortality rate than those who did. In other words, cycling improved longevity.One of the most interesting insights the Danish researchers share is how theyve discovered that many Danes dont consider cycling exercise. People here can easily be riding back and forth 5 km per day, and if you ask them on a questionnaire if they are physically active, they will say No, I dont do any exercise, says Ledgaard Holm. For many here, she says, its not a choice of activity, but your mode of transport.Whats immediately striking about cycling in Copenhagen is the incredible diversity of individuals on bicycles. Embedding myself in the morning rush-hour traffic on Nrrebrogade, one of Copenhagens busiest cycle routes, I see a woman in a long flowing black jilbab pedalling a cargo bike with two small children in the basket. I see men of all ages in suits women in dresses, high-heeled boots and smart coats, flowing garments protected from the spokes by metal skirt guards on the wheel hub. I see university students and children cycling to school toddlers strapped into child seats on the front or back of mum or dads bike and baskets of children pedalled along in sturdy Christiana or streamlined Bullit bikes. Some children ride the cycle paths independently. Others are shepherded by parents cycling alongside, who guide their charges with the occasional gentle hand on the back.While cycling to interviews at the University of Copenhagen one morning, I happen upon a makeshift memorial on the side of the street. At the intersection of Store Kongensgade and Dronningens Tvrgade in the city centre, a stretch of tarmac the length of a body is adorned with fresh flowers and candle jars inscribed with handwritten notes. I discover later that its where a 20-year-old woman on her bike was struck and killed several weeks earlier by a tourist bus making a right-hand turn.Decades after streets were first painted with white crosses to mark fallen cyclists, cycling accidents, although rare, are still not taken l ightly here. Only one Copenhagen cyclist was killed in 2012, and no year from 1998 to 2012 has seen more than seven cyclists killed in the city, according to Statistics Denmark. These figures are quite something in a city where the population cycles an estimated 1.27 million km every day. The risk associated with being a cyclist in Copenhagen has dropped by more than 70 per cent over the last 15 years according to Niels Torslov, the City of Copenhagens Traffic Director. And its a very strong story about finding the right measures, and designing a road space in a way that protects the users, especially those cycling.Cycling in Copenhagen, where cycling is deeply embedded in the citys culture. Sarah Maycock/Handsome FrankThe use of cycling helmets is growing among Copenhageners, noticeably more than in venedig des nordens, where helmet wearing is still very much an exception. At the time of her accident, in 2006, Ann-Doerthe Hass Jensen was wearing a helmet, though clearly, as she say s herself, a helmet protects your head but not your feet. She says that working at Copenhagens Centre for Rehabilitation of Brain Injury, as she does, makes you fanatical about helmets. There is no way I would not have a helmet on, she says.After several days of exploring Copenhagen by bike, I meet Ann at the Centre, where she leads me outside to see her specially adapted tricycle. Her sense of pride is palpable. It takes her between 30 and 40 minutes to make the trip from home to work. The first few times I got back on a bike again, it was hard. Really, really hard, she says. There was a lot of crying. Now, though, there is no stopping her.In her first year of recovery, Anns rehabilitation team felt she needed to re-establish both the freedom of mobility and the quality of life that her bicycle had previously allowed. It wasnt easy. Beyond the physical challenges of getting Ann back in the saddle, there was another hurdle her enormous fear. I had to work with a psychologist because I was scared like hell, she says. Using cognitive therapy, she and her psychologist worked through the entire experience, going over the incident report in excruciating detail. Pushing through that fear was tough. It wasnt my perception that was off that day. It was somebody who actually did something wrong. And it took me a while to get my confidence again, she says. Anns fear was not unreasonable. Her experience wasnt just an accident. It was the action of a negligent driver, whose licence was revoked when the case came to court two years later.Research shows that perceived safety how safe you feel is at least as critical as measured safety to the willingness of citizens to hop on a bike. For me, of all the cities I cycled in, London was the most terrifying.Cyclists were prevalent in the centre of the city, and what immediately struck me, beyond the dense, fast-moving traffic they were attempting to navigate, was the rapid speed they were cycling at. In impromptu interviews wit h cyclists stopped at traffic lights, I asked one woman why she cycled. Her answer I hate the Tube Londons underground train system, its really unhealthy and sweaty and overcrowded. Asked if she felt safe cycling, she said, No. Thats the honest answer. But her sentiments werent shared by everyone I asked. A student who had just moved to London said, Its about five to ten years ahead of New York, adding that she felt quite safe cycling on Londons cycle superhighways.I, on the other hand, did not. I spent some time watching cyclists crossing the Southwark Bridge section of one of the cycle superhighways. Riding along CS7s blue painted bike lane on a Boris bike (the nickname for bikes in Londons cycle hire scheme, introduced in 2010 under Mayor Boris Johnson) largely unseparated from mixed, fast-moving traffic, made me anxious and uneasy. Whats more, I suffer from asthma, making me a bit of a human canary for air pollution. After the noticeably clean air of Copenhagen, the polluted air of London made for laboured breathing.London is beginning to make progress on provisions for cyclists, and there are good sections of the growing infrastructure, but I saw plenty of room for improvement. On both sides of Southwark Bridge, which crosses the river Thames, the short, separated span of blue bike lane, protected by a concrete barrier, fed straight into a bus stop. This forced cyclists to choose between two unappealing options wait like a sitting duck behind the bus while it stops, or pull out into traffic to overtake, and risk being in one of the buss many blind spots when it pulls out from the kerb. Peter Wright is the delivery planner for cycling at Transport for London (TfL), the local government body chaired by Johnson. Wright explains that bus-stop bypasses are planned, to try and avoid conflict so that cyclists dont have to come out into general traffic. A similar hazard was delivery vehicles parked in bike lanes, a common sight in London and Paris.In November 201 3, when asked about the spate of cycling deaths, Johnson told the Guardian that if cyclists did not follow the rules, theres no amount of traffic engineering that we invest in that is going to save peoples lives. Growing evidence suggests that statement is untenable, not to mention that it blames the victim. I requested an interview with Johnson. His press office did not reply.To be fair, though, Londons Mayor a cyclist himself is making gradual progress. In 2013, TfL announced its Safe Streets for London plan, which aims to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured by 40 per cent by 2020. Ben Plowden from TfL Surface Transport said In 2015, we will be spending 145m a year on cycling, or roughly 18 a head, up with the best in Germany and almost on a par with the Netherlands. This represents around 2 per cent of TfLs overall expenditure and is roughly proportionate to the current 2 per cent mode share of cycling. He added that cycle spending would total 913m during th e next ten years, more than treble previously planned levels.It is not completely clear how and why accident rates change as the number of cyclists varies, but a safety in numbers effect seems to occur safety improves in a city as the total number of cyclists increases. This effect has been seen in studies in Denmark, the Netherlands, 14 other European countries, Australia and 68 cities in California.It is likely that causation runs in both directions safer cycling encourages more cycling, and more cycling encourages greater safety, writes John Pucher, Professor of Urban Planning at Rutgers University, in his 2012 book City Cycling, written with Ralph Buehler. Motorist behaviour probably contributes to this phenomenon. In places like Copenhagen where four out of five individuals have access to a bicycle most drivers are also cyclists, and so are accustomed to sharing public space with bicycles.It can be difficult to compare safety between cities because of the lack of consistency in data collection and because of the need to frame injuries and deaths within the context of exposure the overall numbers of trips, total distance or time spent cycling. Under-reporting of cycling crashes is also a well-documented problem. Nevertheless, Pucher and Buehlers book listed figures for annual fatalities per 10,000 bike commuters (2010 figures) Copenhagen 0.3Amsterdam 0.4Vancouver 0.9Toronto 1.3Portland 1.9Montral 2.0They listed these figures for annual fatalities per 100,000 daily cyclists (2009 figures)Paris 8.2London 11.0New York 37.6Unless you are travelling at breakneck speed, though, there is nothing inherently dangerous about cycling its the environment youre in that creates danger. Ian Roberts, Professor in the Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, began his career as a paediatric trauma doctor. I saw lots of children hit by cars, he says, and itreallyis awful. He describes these deaths as k inetic energy disease a reference to the idea of mismatched masses in motion. When one of those masses is protected by metal casing, but the other isnt, its clear who is more likely to be hurt.One of the trends Roberts has puzzled over is the long-term decline in the death rates of British pedestrians, despite an increase in motorisation. Road safety people would point to it as an example of how roads are getting safer. But I was a little bit sceptical because the volume of kinetic energy on the road was going up. An alternative hypothesis was that in industrialised countries, there were fewer people walking, something investigated in research he conducted while working in New Zealand. Over the years it became obvious that people were walking and cycling less than ever before in the history of humans on the planet, says Roberts. The world was not getting safer, it was getting more hostile, and people were voting with their feet by getting out of the way.In North America in the 1970 s, cyclists or at least the most vocal advocacy groups purporting to represent them did not want to get out of the way. So-called vehicular cycling was emerging, a philosophy that has influenced transport policy in both North America and Britain. Fathered by Californian industrial engineer and cycling activist John Forester, vehicular cycling encourages cyclists to travel on the road in mixed traffic. On his website, Forester writes Vehicular cycling, so named because you are acting as the driver of a vehicle, just as the traffic laws require, is faster and more enjoyable, so that the plain joy of cycling overrides the annoyance of even heavy traffic.In 1970s California, lots of athletic cyclists were forming touring groups for riding fast on roads, explains Anne Lusk, a Research Scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health. Back then, she says, such groups may have legitimately feared that US adoption of Dutch-style cycle paths would restrict bike access to roads. At the time , paths were becoming crowded by joggers, walkers, in-line skaters and baby-carriage pushers, says Lusk, so cycling advocates fought forcefully against proposals for cycle paths.The vehicular cycling philosophy became incorporated into US guidelines for transport design, and its influence was felt for decades, limiting the building of physically separated cycle tracks and putting cyclists on the road with cars. Its something that really stuck in North America, says Meghan Winters, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, Canada. Asked if the philosophy of vehicular cycling is evidence-based, she says no. But its something that was sticky and was adopted very broadly for very, very many years, she adds.Foresters teachings included how to operate as a motor vehicle, with skills like not riding in the door zone (the area next to a parked car where an opened door could hit a moving cyclist). They were useful, says Lusk, in that they did teach peo ple how to bike with cars if they had to. But she does not endorse Foresters view that there should be no cycle lanes painted on the road, no separate cycle tracks and no cycle symbols.Lusk, and other researchers who have studied the particular needs of certain groups of cyclists such as women, children, elderly people and parents transporting children point out that many of these riders cannot operate as a vehicle as confidently as, say, a fit young man on a racing or touring bike. Utilitarian cycling, with bike-specific transport infrastructure, is about being inclusive, addressing the needs of cyclists young and old, male and female. The need for speed is not universal among cyclists, nor is feeling comfortable cycling in heavy, motorised traffic.Its precisely the recognition that cyclists come in all shapes and sizes, and with all kinds of needs, that has driven the last several decades of cycling infrastructure and policy in Denmark and the Netherlands. Tom Godefrooij of the Dutch Cycling Embassy writes Cycling is too important as a mode of transport to leave it only to the daring helmeted cycle warriors in conspicuous jackets. Cycling should not be elitist, but for all.Outside Amsterdams Schiphol airport, I see a worker giving his colleague a lift to the aeroplane on the back of his bike, an example of just how deeply embedded cycling is in Dutch culture.A bicycle is by far the best and quickest way to get around Amsterdam, local journalist Bennie Mols tells me. One new hazard he laments is tourists on bikes, who lack the understanding of how and where to ride. His description stirs a guilty pang. I learn quickly (but too late) that the hand signal for stop is essential in busy bike traffic. Failing to use it as I slow down to navigate, I cause a near-collision as a herd of bicycles behind me screeches to a halt, one woman yelling Seriously? at me multiple times as she skids to a stop on the grassy verge. Wishing I could dissolve into the bike path, I sheepishly review the hand signals in my guidebook. Its a mistake I dont make again.Amsterdam and Copenhagen werent always the cycle-friendly cities they are today. In the Netherlands, as car-buying wealth grew in the postwar era, cycling rates dropped precipitously from about 85 per cent of all trips in the 1950s to about 20 per cent in the early 1970s. As the numbers of cyclists fell, discontent grew over the increasing numbers of cyclists and pedestrians killed in traffic accidents. A journalist whose daughter had been killed in traffic launched the Stop Kindermoord (stop the child murder) movement. There were widespread street protests.Danish transport policy reached a tipping point in the 1970s and 1980s, when the nation veered away from urban planning dominated by provisions for motorised vehicles, towards the establishment of cycling-specific infrastructure and traffic calming. As Stop Kindermoord emerged in the Netherlands, a coincident movement grew in Denmark. The public r ose up against a proposal to build a major motorway alongside a picturesque area of Copenhagen known as the Lakes. Massive demonstrations ensued. It was during this era that protesters began painting white crosses on the streets where cyclists had been killed in traffic.So while most other developed nations continued through the 1980s and beyond with road transport design that prioritised the needs of motorised vehicles, a dramatic change was taking place in northern Europe. The shift in thinking catalysed by public protest was that, rather than requiring children and cyclists to adapt to motorised traffic, traffic should adapt to children and cyclists. Northern Europes shift towards a safer, more convenient infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians created an unplanned natural experiment albeit one fraught with uncontrolled variables including car taxes, climate, topography, political differences and dependence on the car industry for employment. Nevertheless, in cities oriented towards motor vehicles, the limited provision of transport routes that safely accommodate bikes and a default assumption that riders will adopt vehicular cycling have resulted in stagnantly low numbers of (mostly male) cyclists, for the best part of three decades.There are dramatic differences in terms of cycling rates and cycling safety between those two places northern Europe and North America, says Meghan Winters. So I think the evidence clearly illustrates which one of these strategies is effective if your goal is to get large segments of the population cycling, and cycling safely In a sense, this is a global experiment on that, and I think North America may be coming around now, she says. Perhaps. But theres a long road ahead.Its the summer of 2013, and Toronto traffic is a mess. In the midst of major street reconstruction and resurfacing, traffic queues bumper-to-bumper heading south on Bay Street, near City Hall. There are a few demarcated bike lanes, and only one separated bike path (not including the completely off-street routes like the largely recreational path along the lakeshore). Taxis weave in and out of lanes, sometimes coming very close to the kerb the space shared with bicycles. It feels like a hostile environment for cyclists, and I do not sense much tolerance of bikes from motorists.One of the cyclists I speak to in an impromptu interview says that its pedestrians rather than vehicles that he worries about most. Other hazards for Toronto cyclists include streetcars. Their tracks, which can trap a bicycle wheel if crossed in parallel, are particularly nerve-wracking. Toronto is not an unfamiliar city to me I lived there for more than a decade but returning to cycle downtown is not a pleasant experience.In Vancouver, however, theres a shift in transportation thinking. I note a growing number of bike lanes, segregated bike paths, and painted bike boxes at junctions, which give cyclists a safe place to await a green light and turn safely, a head of motorists.Though recreational cycling in places like Stanley Park has been possible for decades, its cycling as transportation that is the focus of the Vancouver City Council and Mayor Gregor Robertson, who cycles to work. Some of the new separated bike paths feel very safe and easy to use. But there are still places where lanes end in a fairly hazardous way, such as one junction where the bike lane ends abruptly only to reappear a few metres later in the middle of two lanes of car traffic. Cycling along Dunsmuir and over the bridge viaduct on the fully segregated bike lane feels incredibly liberating. Perhaps Im pushing my luck riding a bike around downtown Vancouver on Friday the 13th, but where the bike routes are marked, or traffic is calmed, I feel relatively safe.The science of urban cycling is messy, but the case for separated bike lanes combined with traffic-calming measures (to reduce vehicle speed) is mounting. A 2009 paper that examined findings from 23 studies fr om across the world suggested that purpose-built bicycle-specific facilities reduce crashes and injuries among cyclists. Recent research in Vancouver and Toronto by a collaboration of 14 researchers, including Winters, found that at local street intersections, traditional stops are safer than traffic circles roundabouts, and at non-intersections, cycle tracks alongside major streets and traffic diversion from local streets are safer than no bicycle infrastructure. Many more studies are forthcoming from the Canadian Cycling in Cities research group.Montral is the most cycle-friendly Canadian city I visit. Even where bike lanes are not explicitly marked, motorists are generally patient and considerate in terms of sharing space with cyclists. Though definitely more hilly than Amsterdam and Copenhagen, the undulating topography doesnt seem to be an impediment to Montralers. Montral means Mount Royal, referring to the steep if not entirely mountainous hill and park near the centre of t own. The Plateau area, an uphill climb from the city centre, is one of the most heavily cycled parts of the city. It hosts the citys oldest major bike path, along Rue de Brbeuf, a route that spans the entire island of Montral. During morning rush hour, I see a steady stream of bikes along Boulevard de Maisonneuve, one of several bi-directional, fully segregated bike paths with bike-specific traffic lights. Bikes are also allowed in Montrals parks, many of which have trails for recreational or commuting use.It was in Montral, the only large North American city to have cycling infrastructure dating back to the 1980s, that Anne Lusk and colleagues tested the safety of separated cycling infrastructure versus road cycling. They found that separated cycle tracks have lower crash and injury rates (or at least no higher) than the street, and have seen a similar trend in the USA. And research by Winters and colleagues adds to the evidence, finding that bicycle-specific infrastructure that re duces interactions between cyclists and motor vehicles can reduce the occurrence of injuries, potentially by more than 50 per cent.So, how do we make our cities better for cyclists? Safe-cycling cities, policies and legislation already exist, and can inspire others. In Oregon, Portlands vulnerable user law, for example, is modelled on a European safety concept, says Portland attorney Ray Thomas, a partner at Swanson, Thomas, Coon and Newton who specialises in cycling law. In Copenhagen, in one of many chance interviews with cyclists on city streets, I happen upon a young American student Mike Milan, from Greenville, South Carolina who is studying architecture there. As Ive learned in my urban design class here, Copenhagen has tried to slow down the city to a human pace, and a human scale, he says. His thoughts conceptually crystallise the citys transport philosophy, and are equally applicable to Amsterdam.Making people feel safer on bikes should not mean equipping them with high-v is and reflective helmets, says Jack Harris, owner of Londons Tally Ho Cycle Tours. We need infrastructure that allows a broader cross-section of society to get onto a bike. The places that are serious about encouraging cycling as a safe, accessible and pleasant mode of transport have some tough decisions to make about vulnerable users, including cyclists, in the allocation of urban space.At the Copenhagen rehabilitation centre where Ann-Doerthe Hass Jensen works, her physiotherapist colleague Daniel Thue Bech-Pedersen says ur main goal of rehabilitation is to allow any individual to be more active again. This can mean being active for work, for leisure, for getting yourself around. When you can transport yourself and make sure you lower your risk of having another stroke or whatever, he says, then one plus one equals three.Ann suffers chronic pain from her foot, wears special orthopaedic shoes and walks with a cane, so getting back to cycling made a massive difference to her mobili ty. It also gave her back her independence. On her cargo trike, she can take her two-year-old niece out on excursions, something that would be impossible on foot or by bus. Asked how she feels at this point along her recovery and about riding to work each day, she replies confidently and without hesitation I love it. Her tricycle has given her much more than just a means of getting about. Being mobile means being independent, but even more, it means being free.Research for this article was supported in part by a journalism award to Lesley Evans Ogden from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.This article first appeared on Mosaic and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

What Your Overachieving Co-worker Wishes You Knew - The Muse

What Yur Overachieving Co-worker Wishes You Knew - The MuseWhat Your Overachieving Co-worker Wishes You Knew Im a go-getter. No, this isnt me trying to brag and gloat, stroke my own ego, and pump myself full of compliments- its just a fact. Ive always been someone who likes to get things done. I dont want to talk about them for ages without ever taking action. I dont want to procrastinate or dilly dally. I just want to make sure I have what I need, form a plan, and start cranking things out. In most cases, this is a positive quality. After all, everyone likes that person whos always ready to put her nose to the grindstone and start crossing things off that to-do list, right? Well, sometimes yes. But, other times? Well, Ive discovered that I dont quite come off as the competent, self-assured, and helpful colleague I was envisioning in my racing mind. All too often, people can easily perceive my self-driven attitude as pushy, overbearing, condescending, and even a little obnoxious.List en, thats not my intention- in fact, its a stark contrast to the sort of reputation Id like to foster for myself. But, that doesnt mean I can flip a switch and turn off that entire aspect of my personality and approach to work. Much like introverts cant help being a little more reserved and the office gossip finds it physically impossible to keep her mouth shut about your colleagues ugly new cardigan, resisting the urge to swoop in, bestattungs the reins, and spearhead every single assignment that comes my way seems like an impossible feat in human strength.Consider this your friendly PSA Youre probably never going to be able to change that resident go-getter in your workplace. But, you can better understand him. So, here are five things that hard-working co-worker of yours wants you to know- but would never actually admit to.1. We Dont Think Youre IncompetentIn most cases, when Ive had to work as part of a team, Ive always reacted the same way I take charge. I begin splitting up th e tasks, passing them out to my colleagues, and generally leading the entire initiative without a second thought. No, nobody actually asked me to do that- its just what Ive always done.I feel like I need to make one thing explicitly clear for all of my fellow go-getters out there Im not doing this because I think youre lazy, useless, or totally incapable. Of course, I know it might feel that way- after all, why else would I feel the need to act like a chaperone organizing a school trip for a bunch of kindergartners?But, please know that my urge to swoop in, lead the charge, and micromanage has way more to do with me than it does you. Youre not incompetent- Im just obsessively organized and eager to get things rolling. 2. We Need Friendly RemindersIf reading that scenario above about someone bursting in like the Kool-Aid Man and doling out demands and assignments made you clench your fists and grit your teeth, I have nachrichtensendung for you Go-getters like me absolutely need peopl e like you.Why? Well, even though Im usually moving a million miles per minute like the Tasmanian Devil of Productivity, I still get tired, overwhelmed, and straight up burnt out. I may move at warp speed at times, but that doesnt mean Im totally immune to ever feeling plain ol exhausted.And, thats where people like you come into play. Sometimes I need you to tell me to go home and leave things until tomorrow. Sometimes I need you to offer to take something off my plate. Sometimes I need you to grab me by the shoulders, give me a firm shake, and say, Hey, you Stop. Youre acting like a crazy person. Like I said before, I dont always want to be that person who flies off the handle obsessing over the timeline for that big project (in fact, Id rather not)- and thats exactly why I need friendly reminders from people just like you. 3. We Dont Believe in Constructive CriticismAlright, this one is going to make me sound pretty bad. So, I hope youre ready to stick with me and hear me out.To me, theres really no such thing as constructive criticism. Yes, Ive written numerous pieces about how to both better deliver and accept these sorts of comments. But, that doesnt change the fact that every piece of feedback to me is all the same- its just criticism. You could positively suggest a change to me with a marching band, a dramatic balloon drop, a giant cake, and Bette Midler singing Wind Beneath My Wings and Id still only hear one thing You think something needs to be tweaked and improved. The obsessive perfectionist in me is going to turn right around and get to work on trying to polish up that detail- no matter how miniscule or unimportant it might seem to you. Is that always productive? Probably not. Is that a professional response to constructive criticism? I dont think so. Do I recommend it? Definitely not. But, its how go-getters and perfectionists like me are going to react each and every time. Youve been warned. 4. We Can Be Followers TooWeve already made it clear that when a project crops up, Im probably going to be the first one to stand up and designate myself as the leader of the whole thing. But, guess what? Im also more than willing to be a follower. As a matter of fact, Id enjoy it every now and then- particularly on those assignments where I dont feel I have a lot of experience or expertise to bring to the table.Like I mentioned before, I dont think youre incompetent or useless. So, if you feel the urge to step up and grab the reins out of my greedy little hands, I welcome you to it. Because, lets face it- I could use a little help every now and then. And, following instead of leading can be the much-needed nudge I need to sit back and trust my teammates. 5. Were Doing Our BestThat overachieving, pushy of colleague of yours probably really gets under your skin from time to time- and, trust me, I get that. But, I think its important for you to recognize that the self-driven people in your office really do have good intentions.They aren t trying to get all of the glory and recognition for themselves. They arent trying to make you look bad. And, they certainly arent trying to be malicious, demean you, or hurt your feelings. In reality, that seemingly bossy person simply cares a lot about the work she puts her name on. She wants to ensure that the things your team churns out are top-notch, high quality projects that youre all proud of.So, in those moments when you want to stand up and lose your cool on that teammate who keeps bossing you around like a small child, remember that the intentions are pure. Yes, the delivery could use a little work. But, all of us relentless go-getters are trying to do our best for everyone- including you. Are you the pushy overachiever in your office that cant seem to sit still? What do you wish your co-workers knew about you? Let me know on Twitter Photo of co-workers of courtesy of Hero Images/Getty Images.

The Definitive Guide to Sales Associate Resume Skills

The Definitive Guide to Sales Associate Resume Skills Sales associates are employed in virtually every area, and have an amazing growth track. Your sale associate resume needs to seem professional if you would like to have your credentials stick out in a crowded field. If this is the case, you may be an ideal candidate for a schlussverkauf associate job. At the close of the day, a sales associate is attempting to sell the item by closing the offer. When it has to do with your heading, you should be aware that its becoming common to list where you are by city or town without your whole address, since employers will probably not should send you any mail whenever there are easier ways to get in touch with you. If you think you have what it requires to be successful in sales, then that in itself is a step in the proper direction. If youre searching for a career in sales, the very first place to begin is in your resume. Take a look at the following links to get started browsing fo r exciting job positions locally.Your sales sample resume needs to appear professional if you would like to have your credentials stick out in a crowded field. If you want to write a work description for a sales associate then you can take advantage of sales associate job description templates. Besides your academic qualifications, its important to showcase your prior sales experience and offer credible information about your accomplishments. To begin with, show off your prior sales experience and offer details about your accomplishments. Our resume builder provides you with tips and examples about how to compose your resume summary. The last product should appear similar to the professionally written resumes at the peak of the webpage. Youre able to come across a lot of them in the work description. A summary contains the most crucial things you would like your employer to understand that may not appear on your resume elsewhere or emphasizes points that look elsewhere on th e webpage. Sales associates are also in charge of supplying customers with superior tafelgeschirr after the sale was made. The job of selling a good or service involves a great deal of persuasion. An in-depth understanding of your store is critical, too. Communicates effectively with customers and gives accurate details about the item. Problem-solving skills Your key duty is to guarantee customer satisfaction. There are typical competencies that all sales associates should possess to be able to successfully carry out the job. Therefore, if youre a human resources manager who intends to seek the services of a great sales associate, you ought to take adequate attention to pick an individual with many of the above attributes. Be certain that you include details about major sales goals which youve met and promotions you have gotten. Sales Associate Resume Skills - What Is It? Sales is an occupation which requires a particular set of skills, and you should show prospective empl oyers that you possess these skills to land work. Job recruiters would rather have an expert summary, which is a short summary of your relevant abilities, experience, and strengths. You may not think of them as skills, but they might be learned, and should you highlight them in the hiring procedure, youll be mora inclined to find the job. You ought to have the requisite skills to be successful in sales. State at least 4 skills you have gained over time, working in various capacities. Resume writing is a tough job but with the correct advice, you might not have too many troubles. Students may discover internships opportunities in the worlds biggest internship marketplace. To stand out, youre want to produce your experience and skills shine. If youre, then the aforementioned skills list will be helpful to you in writing the skills section of the resume. Youre going to need standard accounting skills to produce a change and to notice errors. The most suitable technology skills are example within it.

Why It#8217;s Sometimes a Good Idea to Break Your Career Rules

Why It8217s Sometimes a Good Idea to Break Your Career Rules Life lessons seem hard to grasp at first, but so obvious once you get them.I recently spoke with a former client who completely transformed his career. He went from working at a university in administration to working in corporate strategy at a Fortune 500 company. I asked him, Looking back, how have you changed the most in the last few years?He said something I wasnt expecting I learned not to pay so much attention to the rules.This philosophy has changed not only the way he looks at work, but also the way he makes choices in his personal life.In life, and in the job search, we often pay attention to the constraints put on us by others. These rules seem so clear and concrete when were obeying them. Theyre there to protect us and to guide us right?How many times have you skipped over a job posting because you didnt meet the minimum requirements? You could probably do the job, but applying w ould be a big waste of time.What would you think if you knew that many employers dont really care about minimum job requirements? Its true Ask a hiring manager what they would prefer an experienced employee with a bad attitude or an inexperienced employee whom they really like. Most of the time, theyll pick the inexperienced person. After all, most job functions are common sense and can be taught. What cant be taught is work ethic and a positive attitude.Have you ever thought of applying for graduate school, but you didnt because your test scores are too low or youve already missed the application deadline?What would you say if you knew that universities dont always hold to their application deadlines and test score recommendations? It depends on the school, of course. But if theres something special about your background and the university has an open spot or two in the incoming class, theres a good bet they will entertain your application especially if you call or make an in-pers on visit.Have you ever stayed at a job you hated because it seemed like the right thing to do?Were often taught that staying at one company for years is the only way to go. Its the responsible thing to do. But in todays workplace, a diverse work history is actually valued by many employers. Job hopping isnt the deal breaker it once was.When I reflecton breaking the rules, I see many examples of how I broke the rules in my own career. I moved across the country (twice) to study. I switched my career path three times. I have quit on more than one occasion with no new job lined up. Every time, I was told that I shouldnt or couldnt do it. But I did, and it worked out.In life, and in our careers, were often the biggest barriers to our own success. Once you decide that the rules dont matter so much, youll find that things become much, much easier.A version of this article originally appeared on The Memphis Daily News.Angela Copeland is a career coach and CEO at her firm,Copeland Coaching.