Hey people. Here goes blog #2. As many of you across the country know, NYC canceled the marathon this year. Much controversy surrounded it, as the vast majority of people felt it would not be right to have the event occur so soon after Hurricane Sandy. A few cried for the show to go on. All week long I was definitely against having it on November 4th, and today I still stand by that, as the resources that would have been allocated to that can go to those who were greatly affected by the wrath of Mother Nature. However, I believe there should instead have been a postponement, and swifter decision making. Yesterday, I was walking through Central Park and I saw the finish line. Now, though I enjoy running, I will never participate in a marathon. Still, I know what it feels like to prepare for something for a long time and it either gets canceled or doesn’t go the way I hoped it would. Just as I finished taking a picture on my phone, there was a runner around who shook her head in utter disappointment. We talked for a few seconds. She is a native New Yorker, but has been living in Florida for a few years, coming back for this. Her problem wasn’t with there not being a marathon that day as opposed to how poorly this all was handled. Still, you can see the disappointment on her face. No matter how young or old we are, human beings are susceptible to this. I definitely felt bad for her, as well as everyone else who trained so hard and disciplined themselves to complete this grueling mission that few people have the courage to attempt. Mayor Bloomberg is a total idiot. We all knew this storm was coming and took it serious enough to suspend MTA service as well as New Jersey Transit. Therefore, the marathon could have been pushed back and most people would be happy with this… (you can’t please everybody) I say a two week postponement would have been fair. I think he just wanted to keep getting that tourist dollar as long as he could. Hell, even some hotels were kicking people seeking refuge out of the rooms just to accommodate the runners, which is cold. It was easy to villify the marathon itself, but the runners can’t be blamed for feeling disappointment. I would bet the majority totally understood and accepted the decision for no marathon on November 4th. However, it is time for elected leaders to act like it and have the people’s best interest in mind. Once again, thanks for reading. Feel free to give me your feedback. If i missed anything, let me know. I just didn’t want to turn this into a novel…. which maybe one day I will dive into. The next blog will be a lot more light hearted. I will probably talk about food, like I usually do!!

Election time is often filled with bold statements and empty promises. While the races for president, governor, mayor senators, etc. are highly publicized, there is a large constituency of people who have no faith in our government and feel voting serves no purpose. While I understand that sentiment, this doesn’t mean we should yield our right to be heard. Some of you might be rolling your eyes when you read this, but hear me out. It seems as if Big Brother is becoming more of the norm in our lives and, slowly but surely, basic rights of speech and privacy are being unfairly compromised. Voting can not be taken away from us anytime soon. I am also aware that Romney’s son owns voting machines and the chance of rigging the election is very realistic. However, we can not forget that many people died and were sent to jail for the rights of black people and women to vote. For all our continued struggles now, people can’t begin to fathom the hell those before us have went through just to give us an opportunity that was never presented decades ago. Not only do we owe it to ourselves, but we also owe it to our predecessors.
This is not an endorsement for any particular candidate. Hell, I am not sold on either Romney or Obama. They are just slick talking politicians. People that are best suited to be president don’t want to be president because they are too busy actually helping people. Instead of these rich people donating millions to a campaign, put that money towards the men, women and children who truly need it, the struggling families who need to make miracles to provide. I know they won’t do that though, because, for them, vanity and appearing to spearhead improvement in the USA is better than actually rolling up their sleeves and doing the dirty work. I am proud to say that I was a part of a monthly food and clothing drive where we directly helped people in need, and none of us needed to be an elected official to make it happen. The rich only care to help the rich get richer. There are many lesser known candidates that you can lend your support to. The common stance on that is “you’re wasting your vote” or “then the Republicans will win.” No vote is a wasted vote. If you think your aunt is the best person for the job, write her name in. Don’t restrict yourself. Despite what the media waves in front of us, this does not have to be a two-party system. It only is if we allow it to be. Don’t give up with being heard. The minute we do is when our basic rights will be taken, and that is when everyone will cry to get them back. So, I will be voting this election day, with no regrets and as always with a slight sense of accomplishment. Thank you very much for reading. I am definitely interested in your feedback, whether you agree or disagree. My goal with this piece is not to throw politics on anyone, as I have not endorsed anyone except for your voice.