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Thursday, May 28, 2009

One World, One Voice.


Last week, the lovely Tessa, at An Aerial Armadillo, awarded her blog friends this fabulous prize she created in honor of Dr. Maethri's work in Africa on behalf of children afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Maethri was having a birthday, and Tessa wanted all of us to know the work this young man is doing for humanity.
The award is a beautiful representation of one world, one voice for the good of mankind.
Thank you Tessa for the work you do in promoting goodwill and understanding across cultures.
During this week, while Korea was testing its nuclear might and the astronauts were repairing the Hubble Telescope, the State of Oregon was sending out final budget figures. Our city budget and our school budget have never been leaner.
The stimulus package that the Obama administration has allocated will help our elementary school fix its heating system, repair the gym, upgrade a building that is as old as I am. Three local contractors and their vendors will be working this summer; three businesses that would not have been able to stay open much longer.
We closed one school and had to lay off some teachers and support staff. Other school districts are facing even bigger consequences. In the meantime, gas prices have risen, electrical rates are going up by 20%, and our ancient water system continues to leak.
In Washington, a new voice might be selected for the Supreme Court, a woman, a Latina. The chatter is not about her qualifications, but about her very essence. Is she going to be too provincial in her rulings? Funny, we never asked those questions when white men came up for approval.

32 comments:

Shadow said...

so many things. all over the world.

Tess Kincaid said...

A beautifully designed and worthwhile award!

Unknown said...

..."a Latina. The chatter is not about her qualifications, but about her very essence. Is she going to be too provincial in her rulings? Funny, we never asked those questions when white men came up for approval."

You better believe we haven't asked that question; how absurd!

Yes, it is a lovely award.

Sniffles and Smiles said...

So well-deserved! You always inspire us to get involved!!!! ~Janine XO

Amy said...

Nice, Rosaria. It's always so amazing to me that all of the beauty and goodness in this world, exists right along with all of the ugliness and badness. I'm so happy that so many beautiful souls are willing to step up and help heal our world.

Man of Roma said...

Rosaria: Funny, we never asked those questions when white men came up for approval. ...Gaston Studio: You better believe we haven't asked that questionNot you, but many people might have asked it.

Not that we are better here. Italy is in very bad shape ...

Eddie Bluelights said...

Lovely prize indeed.
The problems you highlight so well are universal and in England we have big, big problems in all arenas concerning politics, the economy and social decline - what an awful place this is in which we have to live - 'Cosmos Diabolicus' ~ Eddie

Brian Miller said...

lovely award. interesting week in our country and the world. will be interesting to watch the approval process and see what questions are asked...

potsoc said...

I visited Maithri's site a few times but my computer does not like it and freezes...strange for something so beautiful and coming from tropical countries.
For budget woes you are in good worldwide company. Our governments have been so generous with tax reductions that they no longer have the means to keep up services to the people, only to bail out big business.
Sorry, this is not usually spoken about on your blog...but I could not resist.

Susan said...

I love the artwork on that award. Now, I know blogging is popular and doing great, but somehow the quality of bloggy things (like that award art) surprises me. I expect 'thrown together fast' and I see 'high quality' instead

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Congratulations on your award, my Maestra and sister in blogland.

The times may be hard and the future looks dark, but there's light at the end of the tunnel.

A woman, Latino, of humble origins, and definitely liberal. I nervously await the approval...

An English Shepherd said...

great looking award

Wizz :-)

Anonymous said...

My job takes me into school buildings almost daily...it is a very sad story that they are telling right now. Some districts don't even have money to clean their buildings properly let alone teach our children.

Carol Murdock said...

Congratulations! That is one worth having bestowed upon YOU for sure!!

Anonymous said...

The world is spinning with news, and I hope our side of it will get better!

xxx said...

Possibly our isolation and small population, in comparison with others, keeps us protected from a lot of the concerns that you are currently experiencing in the US.

How beautiful is that award that Tessa created. I too had the pleasure of being on the list.

best wishes and I'm pleased to say that your site is one that I can access as there are a few that I can't get to still.

Ribbon

Beth said...

We live in some crazy, sometimes scary times.

I appreciate your gift for wading through all the bull to get right to the point. And you are spot on!

Bogey said...

It was kind of interesting for me to read this post of yours today. Here in Canada we have had so many great women holding many positions of power whether it be corporate, political or judicial that I don't even give it a second thought. It is really too bad that some people just can't think outside the box! Congrats on your latest award! Always well deserved.

Pyzahn said...

I was just watching the lovely/informative Rachel Maddow and saw a piece where some bozo Republican said that Sotomayor belongs to a group that is the Latino equivalent of the KKK. Where do these people come from?

The school is lucky to have you working on their behalf.

Woman in a Window said...

We need a new order, I think, before the economy and all resettles. That's going to take some serious reprioritizing and I'm not sure everyone realizes that. Unrestrained consumerism just can't continue...I know, I'm sorry. Saw the opportunity. I do hope we can manage to hang on to see the turning.

But how enlightened are we if we get all uptight with a female voice in the Supreme Court? I mean, when are we going to start seeing the ability before the bazonkers? (Sorry, there I go again.)

sallymandy said...

Hi Lakeviewer: Wise observation about Ms Sotomayor and the provinciality question. Silly!

My niece and her husband just graduated with their teaching certificates in Oregon, and have been very lucky to have found jobs together in a small town in Montana. I knew the education situation is dire in Oregon.

Congratulations on your award. You deserve it.

A Woman Of No Importance said...

A very fitting and wonderful award, Rosaria... To treasure, truly.

May your weekend bring you all that you love in life, my friend - Take care, love and light...

I am now going off-Blog to clean my house - It sorely needs it, and we are expecting the Bank Manager to call!

Anonymous said...

I don't know if you get news from over here, over there, but we are in a right pickle with hundreds of Members of Parliament [of all parties, resigning or being fired for fiddling their expense claims.And not one of them was A latino. Their arrogance is breath taking and it is on-going.

That is a truly worth-while award, many congratulations.

Rosaria Williams said...

Hello globe-loving friends:

From my little corner of the world, right at the edge, on the Pacific Ocean, crab boats have workied all day and all night, their lights mixed with the stars on the horizon shone through our bedroom window,at times waking us, at times charming our dreams.

Later in the day, when all their crab traps are full of the right-size crustaceans, they'll return to port, their hulls disgorging live-catch shipped in water to restaurant all over the world.

So, some of you will be eating this wonderful seafood and think of Port Orford today. We ship 98% of our catch fresh in water tanks, not in freeze pack. When the crab, shrimp, halibut, salmon gets to you, it will become choice ingredient on your dinner plate. The fishermen have a small window of time, each season-when they can fish certain species-limited each year by our marine scientists who monitor sea life and adjust the amount of fish that can be caught.

Our school children do field studies on the beaches, at the rivers, at watersheds. Most of them have relatives in the fishing industry and understand how all these studies are connected.

Your products are shipped here from places that have longer seasons and hotter temperatures. I'll have avocado,tomato, jicama and crab for lunch, and four or more nations will have contributed to that plate.

We nourish each other with food, products and ideas, and we need to remind ourselves that what happens here, does not stay here. ( Sorry, admen, for my borrowing your clever phrase about Las Vegas and misappropriating it!)

Enjoy your meals.

p.s. If you want to catch your own crab, go ahead. It is not as easy as it looks.

Cormac Brown said...

"Funny, we never asked those questions when white men came up for approval."

Amen.

Man of Roma said...

Cosmopiltan sea-food. You're making me hungry Rosaria.

I tried to live at the edge of the sea for almost a year, my idea being to watch the sunset on the sea shore each day of my life. I had to give up also because of humidity, which doesn't mean much: I know many people who live comfortably close to the sea-shore

Sarah Laurence said...

Congratulations on your award. I follow Tessa too. Your comment about the Supreme Court is well observed.

Renee said...

Rosaria when a school gets closed down it makes me wonder what the heck the size of the classrooms are?

Love Renee xoxo

♥ Braja said...

Always the wrong questions at the wrong time, no?

Renee said...

Thanks Rosaria, I can understand how they would close some schools then, I would say most classes here would average 22 to 25 children.

That is a real small number of kids going to school but with that teacher student ratio, the students must do really well.

Can I have your home mailing address. If you post it on my blog I will delete it so no one will see it.

Thanks.

Love Renee xoxox

Cheryl Cato said...

Read your comment on Renee's blog. My graduating class (1964) had only 18 students. Of those I think 5 went on to college... some of us even went on to graduate school. That was back when schools in the south were segregated. Now some still are, but they are the "private" schools. Now for me public education or integrated private schools would be the only way... How else can we have diverse input?
The difficulties are never-ending. Good luck on your school updates!

Fire Byrd said...

A lovely award to celebrate a wonderful man.

It's wonderful how far equality has come for women since feminism first burnt it's bra..... NOT!!!
xx