I just love reading my friend's blogs. My SoCal, fashionista friend just posted a truly marvelous experience from inside NYC's 5th Ave Tiffany & Co. store. (If I had her permission, I'd post it here for you to read. She is an amazingly talented artist and cook. Apparently, Williams & Sonoma like to award their 5 yr employees with a little sumin' sumin' from Tiffany's.)
Yes, yes ... all women would like to get that little, blue box at least once in their lifetime, right? Personally, I'm still waiting ... but a girl can dream, right? ;) Oh, and I'm not limiting my imaginations to diamond rings (although, a diamond IS my birthstone), but I'd settle for a bangle, pendant, earrings or a keychain.
Now, on to my real purpose in sharing. In reading the news today, I see that even
Tiffany & Co is hurting. Apparently, this last year, global diamond production fell by 46 million carats. I understand that luxury items will be the first to go in times of recession and hardship, but does that mean that
quality of production should be compromised? Fifty percent of their diamond cutting/polishing was out-sourced to China, Vietnam, Mauritius, etc.
WHAT!? I'm ok with my plates, knives, blankets, clothes and such being crafted elsewhere, but fine jewelry? Not so sure about that. Some things are better left to the long-time experts, right?
Can't help but to chime in on this one, seeing as how I have been spending time with Folsom High School seniors who are preparing debates regarding school reform. As you may well know, sometime during the late 80's and mid- 90's, the United States decided that it would be a good idea to get rid of Vocational Education in our schools, in the hopes that all children would/could attend college. Huh? Within the next 5-10 years, we will be facing a dearth of jobs which simply
cannot be out-sourced when our Baby Boomer generation fully retires. Who will be our master plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc? The sad truth is that schools used Vocational Ed as a dumping ground for those students they didn't think were "capable" of learning. (Well, one would suppose that depends upon what one is wanting them to learn.)
You might be shocked at the date of this TIME magazine article but, when you read it, you realize that, sadly enough, not much has changed today.
You didn't see this happening in other parts of the world.
Germany & Japan have long been preparing 7th graders to begin either vocational apprenticeships or the college prep track.
There, now I'll step down off my soapbox and get back to work. (That's the only way any change will happen anyway...)
How many of us have seen this footage in US History class? How quickly the tone in the emergency session of the UN suddenly changed; laughter came to a sudden halt when Ambassador Adlai Stevenson presented undeniable evidence of Soviet missile presence in Cuba. (If you've never seen 13 Days, do yourself a favor and rent it. The producers, I believe, did a great job. Some of the scenes use word-for-word speeches.)
