It is disturbing to read the reports of worker problems in Chinese plants that manufacture Apple products. Yet, the problems are not new, they are not limited to Apple contracted facilities, nor are they ignored by Apple.
I published an article on MacMost.com today about the problem 
that focuses more on the news reaching “critical mass,” than the gory details of the mess. You can find my article, “Apple in China and Where We Get Our News, ” from this link.
After reading a number of rather depressing articles, I chose a few that you should peruse, if you want to delve deeper into the problems faced by Apple. Sometimes charts are easier to digest, and the New York Times offers a series of those too: “Apple’s Suppliers Compliance by the Numbers.”
If you have other suggestions, please add them to the Comments below.
Background on Apple, US Policy, and Chinese Plant Problems
- Apple. “Supplier Responsibility at Apple.” 2012.
- Charles Duhigg and Keith Bradsher. “How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work.” The New York Times, 1/21/12.
- Charles Duhigg and David Barboza. “In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad.” The New York Times, 1/25/12.
- Garside, Juliette. “Apple’s Chinese factories to be audited after violation of working conditions.” Guardian News and Media Limited, 1/24/12.
- Gurman, Mark. “Tim Cook responds to claims of factory worker mistreatment: ‘We care about every worker in our supply chain.’” 9 to 5 Mac, 1/26/12.
- Chan, Royston. “Chinese factory workers appeal to Apple over health worries.” The China Post, 2/23/11.
- Kan, Michael. “Odor from Apple supplier factory in China unbearable, residents say.” IT World, 10/18/11.
- Lum, Thomas, Specialist in Asian Affairs. “Human Rights in China and U.S. Policy.” Congressional Research Service, 7/18/11. (Opens a PDF)
- Musgrove, Mike. “Sweatshop Conditions at IPod Factory Reported.” The Washington Post, 6/16/06.
- Worstall, Ken. “The Apple Boycott: People Are Spouting Nonsense about Chinese Manufacturing.” Forbes, 1/29/12.
ilenes machine 
Local View of Groundhog Day with Photos
Every year on February 2nd, some poor groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary, is subjected to a number of misguided human beings extracting him from his home and using him as a weather balloon. This 126 year old tradition has its roots in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Supposedly, if the groundhog sees its shadow, then winter will continue for six more weeks. Considering winter never really got started this year, I suspect he will not see his shadow. Although, that doesn’t make much sense, because if it is sunny that means snow is melting, if there was any, but there ain’t around the Boston ‘burbs.
If you can’t get to Pennsylvania and are in Massachusetts, you are in luck! Mrs. G., another weather forecasting groundhog, will make her appearance at the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln today.
Please click the photos to see the full size shots.
I’ve always known these cute mammals as woodchucks and have only seen one in the wild three times in my life. They’re common from the midwest to the east coast in the U.S. and Canada. In 2010, while resting from shooting turtles at a pond at the Powisett Farm in Dover, I looked over to discover one foraging in the grass not 10 feet from where I sat. Unfortunately, I had a lens made for long distance shooting and I could not move, or I would scare the hungry animal away. So leaning in a most awkward way, I captured this little beast the best that I could. These aren’t the best photos I’ve ever taken, but I was happy to capture a few with the equipment I had on hand. (Nikon D90 and very old Sigma APO 170-500mm F5-6.3 Aspherical RF lens made for a film camera.)
Did you know the groundhog (marmota monax) is a member of the squirrel family and also qualifies as a marmot? You can learn more about Groundhog Day and our odd weather forecasting friend on these sites:
ilene’s machine is endorsed by Bare Bones Software, The Omni Group, Marketcircle, and iGame Radio.
The photos were color corrected and cropped with Adobe Photoshop CS5.5