Blogs: Dying Parks; Pay Attention!

'I Love My (Neglected) Park'

Any park in New York State.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a hands-on, folksy, decent fellow who hops on a hog and motorcycles throughout the Empire State, rolled up his sleeves and joined the second-annual “I Love My Park” volunteer cleanup this past Saturday. Good thing the state chief wasn’t at Tallman Mountain State Park in Sparkill. His Harley tires would have blown on potholes growing for at least 30 years.

Great photo op for yet another official on whose watch the great, terrible neglect of once-well kept parks in New York continues. Yes, Cuomo is in deep budget quicksand, but even in flush times, state parks were not sufficiently funded. Past governors and legislatures have cut budgets to meet overspending elsewhere and patronage projects. One bad example of this: In the late 1970s, park money was diverted to New York City to save nearly bankrupt Gotham.

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What's Really Important?

We have it made these days, with all of the conveniences our grandparents couldn't even dream of.

But what with cell phones, overnight delivery, drive up windows, microwave ovens, texting and the like, it seems the latest time-saving technology does little more than increase expectations and make us even busier than we were before we had all these modern "conveniences."

How we use time to fulfill our priorities can be a major source of stress. How you use this most precious of all resources reveals a lot about your purpose and what you value.

Many of us work 60- and 70-hours a week in the hopes of having a better life for our families. But our families hardly see us. So who are we really putting all those hours in for?

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Status of Women Around the World

In honor of upcoming Mother's Day, I think this article is apt for the occasion. The more importance we give to the needs and upliftment of women the better, sooner the better, more the better. In several articles about women and empowerment, I wrote how lucky and blessed Im to live in the United States. This time wanted to explore women across the globe, their rights, traditions and value in their society.

To read more, click here.

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If you're interested in blogging for Patch and sharing your story, insights, opinions or photos, email kevin@patch.com.