I am fortunate enough to have never been in a situation where I’ve had to dial 911. However, I have witnessed plenty of emergency situations involving other people that would warrant such a call.

That being said, I hardly ever pick up the phone to make that crucial call. Because the few times I have dialed 911 on behalf of others, I was shot down by the operator. “We’ve already received calls about this incident, ma’am.”

That, or I act like the idiots depicted on this graph:

While the graph above is meant to be humorous, I also find it to be sadly true. Because how many of us really call 911 every time we see a situation requiring emergency help? Or, better yet, how many of us rush in to help?

Last month, a 23-year-old Queens woman was brutally beaten and raped, leaving her braindead and eventually taken off life support. What makes this incident especially heartbreaking is not the fact that she had immigrated to the U.S. just two months prior in order to pursue a law degree, but that as many as a dozen people witnessed the perp dragging her to an alley, heard the screaming, and yet managed to mind their own business. Ultimately, one person called 911 to report the crime which (luckily) led to the arrest of the man before he was able to get too far.

Just a month prior, a homeless man stepped in to help a woman who was being mugged and got stabbed himself. Surveillance tapes show that the wounded man lay bleeding on the sidewalk — for over an hour — while pedestrians walked by and ignored him. The man died alone on the sidewalk.

It is plain to see that both victims could have survived if someone had stepped in, or at least called the authorities in a timely manner. In the case of the homeless man, the woman whom he was defending witnessed his being stabbed, ran off, and never called the police.

I fully understand that the world can be cruel, and that New Yorkers prefer the “mind your own business” approach in their everyday lives. And to be perfectly honest, if I had witnessed either events, I probably would have: a) assumed someone else had already called 911; or in the case of the homeless man, b) assumed he was just another bum looking for attention.

Seeing the chart above reminded me of these two incidents and forced me to reevaluate my attitude toward emergency situations. I am saddened by my jaded, callous attitude towards those who may need my assistance. I want to change. I make a vow to not fall victim to the bystander effect.

I have never been one to do “tourist-y” activities, even when I am at a locale I have been dying to visit.

I’m pretty sure that my aversion to tourist-y activities comes from the combination of the fear of being mistaken for a stereotypical Japanese tourist (because apparently, all Asians look alike) and being around annoying tourists in NYC.

Now, a map is available for people like me who prefer to stay in areas that are less likely to be congested with tourists:

Created by neo-cartographer Eric Fischer, the Tourist vs Locals map is based on the frequency of photos taken over certain time periods.

The blue areas represent photos taken by people who have taken pictures in the same city over a period of month or more. The red spots are photos taken in the city for less than a month, and yellow spots are unknowns.

The best news is that Fischer has created maps of major cities across the globe. Take a look at his Locals and Tourists Photo Set on Flickr to see if he has your city mapped out as well!

Via Gothamist.

On July 1, LeBron James will officially become a free agent.

Will he stay in Cleveland? Or do the rumors of Chicago have merit?

I thought that my hopes of New York gaining the two-time MVP had long dissipated, but the city has made it clear that we’re not out of the running yet.

Along with a C’mon LeBron website, a Facebook page and a Twitter hashtag, the Big Apple is making an all-out effort to convince King James to come join the Knicks.

The city has even released a video, featuring Mayor Michael Bloomberg!

Did Bloomberg just quote the Bible? Oh, no he didn’t!

He may be a multi-billionaire with a media empire, but I always knew he has a good sense of humor.

(And I know this from reliable sources, because J was in the same fraternity as him. Apparently, the last time Bloomberg attended Homecoming, he made sure to stop by the fraternity house where he had been Chapter President in 1964. The brothers knew of his visit in advance and so made sure to stock up on good beer and some high-end liquor, but Bloomberg proceeded to enter the house with a six-pack of Miller Lite and drank only that. I can’t say much for his taste in beer, but according to J, he’s a “chill dude.”)

Via Gothamist.

If It Was My Home is a simple website that overlays the BP oil spill over any location on earth. Its default setting centers in on your location based on your IP address, so the devastation really hits home.

I see, read, and hear about the tragic spill every day but never quite realized the immensity of its spread until now. It’s scary knowing that the area it covers is now bigger than some U.S. states.

Via Flowing Data.

P.S. — Not to make light of the situation, but does anyone else think the spread of the oil looks like Yoshi?

Basketball has always been my favorite sport. Maybe it was the plethora of basketball manga I read while growing up (Slam Dunk, anyone?). Or perhaps I am a victim of reverse psychology, because standing at a mere 5’1″ I have a severe disadvantage in the sport.

It’s no big news that my favorite team has not been playing well for the better part of the decade. However, I grew up in NY during the Knicks’ glory days (at least for my generation), and so I remain loyal to my Knickerbockers. I cried when they lost the 1999 NBA Finals, and still hold a grudge against the Spurs and Tim Duncan for this reason. And the day I met Allan Houston was one of the greatest nights of my life.

The 2010 NBA Finals will commence tomorrow night. And being a Knicks fan, I am once again faced with a dilemma: which team to root for? Or, which is the lesser of two evils?

(I will not get into the history of the Knicks vs the Celtics or the Lakers here. But suffice it to say, they are probably the two most hated teams for every Knicks fan. When I ran into Spike Lee — a rabid Knicks fan — a few weeks ago, I overheard him telling his friend, “This is the first and only time I root for Boston…”)

When Boston and LA faced off at the Finals two years ago, I decided to stick with the east coast and go with Boston. I will probably do the same this year, just because I can’t bear to see the Lakers win two Finals in a row.

Who will YOU be rooting for in the 2010 NBA Finals?

To be perfectly honest, I am not quite as interested in the Finals this year. It seems that in the past few seasons, the NBA has not changed much in terms of the power teams. I usually tend to root for the underdogs, so basketball season has been a series of letdowns and predictability for me.

There is also the issue of the playoffs system. J and I both agree that a series of SEVEN games is too much — too time-consuming, too tiring (for both the players and the fans), and at times, tedious and unnecessary. In addition, while the 2-2-1-1-1 system of home court advantage may seem fair, a better solution would be to go the way of NCAA Basketball and choose a neutral location.

Despite the issues I’ve listed above, I will still be tuning in to watch every game of the Finals this year. LET’S GO GREEN!