Least we forget....

i-Nightmare-- Apple Rotten to the Core?

Oh damn it to hell. I hate to relay this story, because I have been a long time Apple and all "i-things" fan, but alas the story needs to be told.
The reason: The husband was thinking about getting me an i-thing gift item, but then heard this story on NPR about the suicide rate of the Chinese Apple i-pod, i-pad, i-phone mfg facility.
I came across this article, in the UK web site "DailyMail"- here are some excerpts:

Revealed: Inside the Chinese suicide sweatshop where workers toil in 34-hour shifts to make your iPod

Yet, amid all the fanfare and celebrations this week, there was one sour, niggling note: reports of a spate of suicides at a secretive Chinese complex where Jobs's iPhone, iPod and iPad - Apple's new state-of-the-art slimline computer - are built and assembled.

With 11 workers taking their lives in sinister circumstances, Jobs acted swiftly to quell a potential public relations disaster.

Stressing that he found the deaths 'troubling' and that he was 'all over it', the billionaire brushed aside suggestions that the factory was a sweatshop.

For, as Apple's leader was taking a bow on the world stage, the Mail was under cover inside this Chinese complex. And we encountered a strange, disturbing world where new recruits are drilled along military lines, ordered to stand for the company song and kept in barracks like battery hens - all for little more than £20 a week.(31.48 U.S. Dollars)

In what's been dubbed the 'i-Nightmare factory', the scandal focuses on two sprawling complexes near Shenzhen, two decades ago a small fishing port and now a city of 17 million people.

This is the epicentre of operations for Foxconn, China's biggest exporter, which makes products under licence for Apple using a 420,000-strong workforce in Shenzhen. They have 800,000 workers country-wide.

And as Jobs was speaking in San Francisco, new measures were being secretly introduced at Foxconn to prevent the suicide scandal from worsening and damaging Apple sales globally.

Astonishingly, this involves forcing all Foxconn employees to sign a new legally binding document promising that they won't kill themselves.

The document, a copy of which has been obtained by the Mail, states that all employees (or their dependants) must promise not to sue the company as the result of 'any unexpected death or injury, including suicide or self torture'.

The owner of this massive, highly controlled iPad and iPhone factory has also decided to install something he's dubbed 'ai xin wang' - which translates literally as 'nets of a loving heart'

In reality, these 'loving hearts' are 10ft high wire fences on the roofs and 15ft wide nets at the base of all buildings. The human traps are to prevent people jumping to their deaths and smashing themselves on the pavements below.

Alongside such physical impediments to suicide, hundreds of monks have been flown in to the plant to exorcise evil spirits. Shaven-headed and wearing long robes, groups of monks have been seen chanting and praying amid baffled, exhausted workers.

More than 2,000 social workers are also being recruited and emergency helplines set up. Anyone appearing mentally ill or stressed is being identified by a special 'spotters' team set up to keep tabs on the workforce.

Workers who fail to respond to the chanting monks or the entreaties of social workers are secretly shipped to Shenzhen Mental Health Centre, a private facility where there are several wards crammed with Foxconn employees.

With the complex at peak production, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week to meet the global demand for Apple phones and computers, a typical day begins with the Chinese national anthem being played over loudspeakers, with the words: 'Arise, arise, arise, millions of hearts with one mind.'

As part of this Orwellian control, the public address system constantly relays propaganda, such as how many products have been made; how a new basketball court has been built for the workers; and why workers should 'value efficiency every minute, every second'.

With other company slogans painted on workshop walls - including exhortations to 'achieve goals unless the sun no longer rises' and to 'gather all of the elite and Foxconn will get stronger and stronger' - the employees work up to 15-hour shifts.

Down narrow, prison-like corridors, they sleep in cramped rooms in triple-decked bunk beds to save space, with simple bamboo mats for mattresses.

Despite summer temperatures hitting 35 degrees, with 90 per cent humidity, there is no air-conditioning. Workers say some dormitories house more than 40 people and are infested with ants and cockroaches, with the noise and stench making it difficult to sleep.

After details of the Chinese suicides leaked out, and Jobs promised he was 'all over it', his Chinese partner announced that his workers would receive a generous-sounding 30 per cent pay rise, raising the basic wage from £90 to £120 a month.

Yet human r ights groups denounced this as a public relations sham, saying that the legal minimum wage was being raised by the Chinese authorities in any case.

Lu Bing Dong, 22, helps produce 21,000 iPhones daily in his workshop alone. 'The pay rise is actually stopping us making more money because now they are strictly controlling overtime,' he says.

'Foxconn are very smart - they say it's a pay rise, but we actually earn less. It's meaningless. They will increase the daily quotas [of products made] to make up for lost time.'

As we left the sprawling Foxconn complex, workers were putting cages on one dormitory block with balconies - yet another measure to keep workers from killing themselves.

'It looks even more like a prison now,' said a weary Lu, 27, returning from a 15-hour shift.

One can't help wondering how Steve Jobs, the billionaire Buddhist, manages to square Foxconn's activities with his belief in karma - that what you do in this life will be repaid in the next...

When asked for its reaction to the suicides, Apple said: 'We are saddened and upset by the recent suicides at Foxconn. Apple is deeply committed to ensuring that conditions throughout our supply chain are safe and workers are treated with respect and dignity. We are in direct contact with Foxconn senior management and we believe they are taking this matter very seriously.' 

Apple, Dell and Hewlett-Packard  -  who also use the Foxconn factories  -  said last week that they would investigate working conditions

Read whole articles here:

34 hour shifts

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1285980/Revealed-Inside-Chinese-suicide-sweatshop-workers-toil-34-hour-shifts-make-iPod.html


Factory Suicides
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1282481/iPad-factory-suicides-China.html

NPR story
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127292959


My heart sank. this is the tech version of "blood diamonds". The second article states Dell & HP use the same manufacturer- so this issue is not Apple product specific. I suppose so many things manufactured in China, that have this set up-- company owned "dorms" that workers must live in-- the employee literally is owned by the employer. 
Conditions so bad, suicide is rampant? They have done such a good job keeping this hushed, or people might not be lining up to buy stuff from any of these companies. 


In a perfect world, Steve Jobs the Apple CEO & the CEO's of Dell & HP, would all go spend a month living the same life as the average worker. 

Let them sleep 44 to a room, in these bunk beds stacked 3 high. 

Let them work 15 to 34 hour shifts. 

Let them have a glance through the new steel mesh installed around the windows as a part of the "solution" to the suicide problem at the factory. 

Let them walk the i-walk. 

wikileaks & the internets

Thanks, Ebenezer....

We paid off a Visa card w a final $234 payment. Zero balance-- Woo Hoo!!!

Expecting a Zero balance statement-- instead we get a
"You owe $1.50 Minimum Interest" notice. 

Furthermore, in the fine print, there is a
"Late Payment Warning"

If they don't receive that $1.50 by the Jan 5 deadline, "you may have to pay a late fee of up to $35.00 AND your APR will be subject to increase to a maximum Penalty APR of 29.99%". 

Wow! Do you feel the love?

Hell of a thank you note for paying off your account , Eh??

Apparently we have the Chase Scrooge Card!

Wal-Mart- Class Action lawsuit & Homeland security?

You would think you were being punk'd to view this announcement. Must be some well done political satire, but no- this is for real, or unreal-- you decide!




Yes folks, if Homeland security is deeply in jeopardy-- Who you gonna call???
A Wal-Mart Manager???

Just to confirm how secure Wal-Mart is....
It has come to light that Wal-Mart tends to pay female employees less for the same job, and they tend to not promote Women as much as men.

From the Independent:

Walmart received a boost this week when the US Supreme Court said it would hear the supermarket giant's attempt to block a massive sex discrimination class action lawsuit against it.

The claim, which is the largest sex-bias lawsuit in US corporate history, dates back to 2001. It was first filed by seven women, some of whom still work at Walmart, but it now covers up to 1.5 million former and current female employees.

The plaintiffs allege the practices of promoting men over women and paying them less for the same role across its 3,400 stores over the past decade were part of a common culture at Walmart. The retailer, which owns Asda in the UK, had appealed to the country's highest court in the summer over the lawsuit after a Californian appeals court gave it the green light in April.

The Supreme Court judges will not rule on whether Walmart is guilty of sex bias, but will decide if the grocer must defend itself against a single lawsuit that covers such a huge number of employees. If the case proceeds, it could cost Walmart $1bn or more in damages.

The Walmart Stores Inc v Dukes case is named after Betty Dukes, the lead plaintiff, who is a store greeter for Walmart.

Prosecuting lawyers allege that the case is "large because Walmart is the nation's largest employer and manages its operations and employment practices in a highly uniform and centralised manner". But Walmart argues that this is unfair, saying that claims should focus more on locations or on an individual basis. Walmart said: "The current confusion in class action law is harmful for everyone – employers, employees, businesses of all types and sizes, and the civil justice system.

Keeping the USA safe from terrorists, while appealing their sex-bias discrimination lawsuit to the Supreme Court. 

Just how low do they go?

Are you buying this?

Let's review....

Bush tanks the economy, after 8 long years at the presidential helm.

Just before his sorry ass leaves office, he announces we must do a $700 BILLION dollar bailout to prevent a major financial meltdown in 2007-2008.

Hank Paulson from Goldman Sachs would be in charge, but giving him total immunity would be nice.
Many Wall Street high rollers are saved, and exorbitant bonus money continues to flow.
Those who were victims of the subprime mortgage meltdown were left to fend for themselves.

Basically, they gave Bankers & Wall Street the key to the treasury, and corporate welfare.
In real life, if you tank your own business w sloppy & shoddy practices, you either sink or swim. Businesses regroup, tighten their belts, restructure. Or just hit up the Federal Reserve.

Fast forward to December 2010

Recent articles tout the "success" of the TARP program, saying it looks like the Federal Treasury will "only have lost $30 billion" not paid back.

The 2 million unemployed people who lost their benefits this month could have used that money for basic survival.

I don't know about you, but knowing so many people are struggling does not make the corporate welfare give away any easier to take.
But in this upside down new world order... losing $30 billion is GOOD news!

Woo Hoo!  Excuse me while I go get some party hats...

Bipartisan reality check

Nuff said!

Amtrak.... going back in time to yesteryear

While air travelers endure radiation x ray scans, or up close & personal pat down gropes....
it's a whole 'nuther world on trains.
Come December 15, Amtrak passengers can bring guns onboard.

Whoah! I bet the train security people won't be demanding to "touch anyone's junk", when you have passengers who are allowed to travel with guns!
Those Amtrak employees will be sooo customer service oriented & accommodating!

So here's the deal~ 

ABC news reports: "Beginning December 15th, Amtrak passengers will be allowed to bring guns aboard some trains, including California routes.

Gun rights advocates pushed for an order by Congress that allows passengers to bring guns on trains that have checked baggage service.

Passengers carrying guns must notify Amtrak 24 hours in advance.

The unloaded firearms must be packed in hard-sided containers and stowed in train storage lockers.

Rail cars are being retrofitted with weapons storage lockers."

Seriously? What idiots thought this would be a good idea?

You just know some gun toting yahoo will show up @ the train station... either forgot to notify 24 hours in advance (you going to argue with a gun carrying customer in person?)

Or worse- forgot that the gun IS loaded. 

Suddenly Amtrak employees will become weapons experts, checking to make sure the arsenal of weaponry sure to show up at the train station,to  be brought onboard, is in fact unloaded?

Does this plan have disaster written all over it??

How long before there is some gunshot incident, either intentional or an accident?

I give it 2 months. 

Seriously! Why does this idea make me think of wild west train robberies of yesteryear?

Shine your light

Here is a video of an elaborate X mas light display in Texas.... over 14,000 led light bulbs.

I can't in good conscience do something like that, knowing there are so many families in the so-called "99'ers" group, those who hit 99 weeks of unemployment, rudely having the plug pulled on unemployment checks in winter, when utility bills are high, & at the holidays.

People are struggling in severe hard times.
Rather than paying homage to the Chinese sweat shop X mas light makers, and paying an enormous electric bill to the utility company.... seek out someone who is jobless. Struggling. In crisis. Give them cash or grocery store gift cards. Donate to the food bank. Give blankets, gloves & coats to the homeless shelters. Volunteer. Donate to the soup kitchen.

We can shine our light this season & there is something much brighter than 14,000 light bulbs.

We've been Grinched!

Notice the striking resemblance???

Today, all 42 Senate Republicans have signed a letter pledging to block action on every bill being considered by Congress until action is taken on tax cuts and government funding.

The action they want on the "tax cuts" is FOR THE RICH. 

So if these bastards are pretty much saying they will not work in the month of December, I say let them go home now & not get paid for the month, the current salary for 

rank-and-file members (and I do mean RANK),  of the Senate is $174,000 per year. 

$14,500 per month if you divide it by 12 months. 

Multiply that x 42 Senators, that's $609,000 bucks. 

Cut their cushy benefits package & health insurance as well. 

Who amongst us working stiffs could declare that we refuse to do anything unless we get our way? Even those with Unions receive a "get back to the job by X date, or you will be replaced" kind of response. 

Also, let's not lose site of the fact while they are pushing for Tax cuts for the rich, they let extended unemployment benefits stop, for those who are, ironically suffering the ruination of the economy, in part by 10 previous years of Bush tax cuts for the wealthy & failure to pay attention to the economy at all. In my perspective, that makes these bastards even worse than the Grinch-- letting those in need be cut off just before the holidays & in the winter months, while refusing to do anything before the wealthy get theirs. 

The freaking party of no is already pulling this kind of bullshit-- I dread what will happen in 2011 when they take over the House of Reps. 

Really, there should be riots in the streets over this inhumane move. 

They want regular folks to work till they are 69 years old, paying for their cushy salaries, while they make sure those with the most get more???

Time to bring out the pitchforks & torches.