(via runnersclub)

Chris Evans on his directorial debut, 'Before We Go’

Obviously, there’s been a great deal of discussion over the past few days about this photograph. The majority of it has focused on ethical issues raised by the photographer and by the editors of the New York Post. The general conclusion is that the Post shouldn’t have published the photos. There is no consensus on whether the photographer should have more actively attempted to assist the man on the tracks, whether his story is believable that he took the photographs in an attempt to alert the driver of the train to the man’s presence on the tracks, or whether the man’s assailant still posed a danger that precluded any further action.

What very few people are talking about — and what I think is of utmost importance to discuss — is why this subway platform appears to be so empty.

We are presented here with a textbook example of the infamous bystander effect. When someone was in clear danger, lots of people backed away.

We know it’s far more common for people to stand by than to rush in to assist … and, as my friend Matt Langdon points out, we know why this happens. But when it happens, as it did in this case, we bring experts onto the television programs to explain the bystander effect all over again and then we forget about it until the next time. We’re shocked that no one helped, because we tell ourselves that we would definitely have done something. But we need to know that’s unlikely, empirically.

So how do we make it more likely?

The first step is recognizing that the people who didn’t help the man in this photo aren’t bad people; they’re ordinary people who weren’t prepared to act when the need arose. Because running in and helping isn’t something that just happens. If it was, the man on the tracks wouldn’t be the only one in the photo.

The next step is to start preparing to make difficult choices, preparing to act heroically if the moment arises. Because if you haven’t thought carefully about the risks — if you haven’t envisioned making sacrifices and putting yourself in harm’s way to help someone else — then there’s pretty much no chance you’ll resist the urge to back away from trouble when it comes.

lickystickypickywe:

How to: Freeze & Preserve Fresh Herbs in Olive Oil 1. Choose fresh herbs from the market or your own garden. 2. You can chop them well, or leave on branches and leaves. In the photo, the herbs are finely chopped. 3. Place on trays of ice cubes (about 2/3 full of herbs).

4. You can mix herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary). 5. Place extra virgin olive oil or unsalted melted butter over the herbs. 6. Cover with plastic and freeze. 7. Remove frozen cubes and store in small containers or bags to freeze. 8. Do not forget to label each container or bag with the type of herbs (and oil) inside

I go by Mr. K. I’m teaching English at a prep school in rural Connecticut. In my class, homework is not homework, it’s preparation for the next day. I love teaching books that have been pigeonholed as ”epics,” and my big thing is discovering for yourself why you like them. I’d have a lot of stuff written in some cryptic way on the whiteboard where you can’t understand it until we start talking about the book. I’d throw desk supplies off bridges… I’ve gone out on several dates with the bio teacher. Her name is Sarah, and she’s just a really great girl. I’m more gregarious than she is; she brings me into the underground indie-world stuff and I bring her sonnets. It’s weird because the kids are talking about this new show called The Office and they’re like, ”You guys are so much like Pam and Jim!” and I’m like, ”I don’t have a TV. Sorry, I’m not into pop culture stuff. ” - John Krasinski imagines his alternate-universe life as a teacher