The human cost of an iPad

Last Wednesday's New York Times carried an article about the inhumane working conditions at Apple’s Chinese manufacturers. But of course there's nothing new in this. I'm sure there's no difference between the working conditions in Apple manufacturing in China and any other sort of manufacturing over there. The whole point of globalization economics is that the contracts go to the lowest bidder...and that inevitably means the least regard to quality of working conditions and zero worker's rights. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work that out!

Many of my own ancestors toiled in the coal mines and cotton mills of Northern England in the 19th Century....and I would bet there isn't much difference between those working conditions and present day factory conditions in China...including the incidence of child labor and lack of health and safety. But, sadly, we in the West turn a blind eye so long as we are getting our cheap clothing, electronics, and other products from China.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/ieconomy-apples-ipad-and-the-human-costs-for-workers-in-china.html?pagewanted=all

It makes me think of an old Lancashire Cotton Mill (Grove Mill) which now houses a big antique market called Bygone Times. My grandmother (Annie) was a weaver at the mill up to the age of 24/25 when she married my grandfather. My great aunt (Tannie) worked there as secretary to the mill owner.  They say the place is haunted and certain parts of it do have a very creepy feel, especially the basement.  Many children worked there in the 1800s and some of them died in the mill after getting tangled - and then mangled - in the looms.  http://bygonetimes.co.uk/videos/bygone/index.php

Aerial view of Grove Mill, Lancashire (above)

Child Labor is common in much of the developing world. In the United States, the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1904 and incorporated by an Act of Congress in 1907 with the mission of promoting the rights, dignity, well-being and education of children and youth as they relate to work and working. I very much doubt it has an equivalent in China. In some respects it feels like we are moving backwards in time; history is repeating and we (the human race) never learn from past mistakes.

Brian McGuffey - Seattle Artist

I met this Seattle artist at last year's Hyde Park Art Fair and love his work:
http://www.squareroom.us/brian.htm

Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights

Michael Dinneen/AP

 

The photo on the right was taken on Monday. The skies near Talkeetna, Alaska are lit up by a display of the northern lights, or aurora borealis. An aurora appears when a magnetic solar wind slams into the Earth's magnetic field, exciting electrons of oxygen and nitrogen.

 

I'm reminded of the band, Renaissance, who had a hit with "Northern Lights" in the 70s:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_%28band%29 

Death Shroud

Photo: Sarah Rice/Getty Images

 A group of performers, huddled underneath stretched black material, made its way among the Occupy Wall Street West protests in the financial district in San Franscico, California, on January 20, 2012. Protestors rallied at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and delivered a proposed 28th amendment to the Constitution to the court that would outlaw “corporate personhood”.

Suffering for beauty - high heels vs foot binding

The Journal of Applied Physiology has revealed that women who habitually wear high heels are at risk for permanent physiological damage to their knees, hips, back, and tendons.  In fact there doesn't seem to be that much difference between the habitual wearing of high heels and the old Asian practice of foot binding....i.e. women crippling themselves in the name of beauty and high fashion. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/high-heels-are-dangerous-study_n_1232278.html

http://www.myseveralworlds.com/2007/07/11/suffering-for-beauty-graphic-photos-of-chinese-footbinding/

This video shows a supermodel in very high heels falling twice during a fashion show:

Tabbouleh Salad - recipe

My friend Margaret J. made this Tabbouleh Salad from a Betty Crocker recipe book the other night, and it was FANTASTIC. Definitely a keeper!

Tabbouleh salad: Betty Crocker recipe and photo

Servings: 4

Prep time: 15 mins. (plus one hour to stand and blend flavors)

1/2 cup uncooked couscous (or cracked bulgur wheat)

1 small cucumber, chopped (1 cup)

Spring Onions, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

  3 small tomatoes, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 Prepare couscous or cracked bulgur wheat per instructions on box.
• 2 Mix couscous/bulgur wheat and remaining ingredients in large glass or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

UK Ghost Towns

Daily Mail photo: Victoria Street, Wolverhampton

I was drawn to an article in the most recent edition of The Economist, about the demise of the town center in the UK.  I've noticed a lot of empty shop fronts in recent years in northern towns. Younger Britons seem to prefer to shop online or at out-of-town shopping malls, but some of us still want our town centers...and it seems there is a ray of hope for us old fogies:

According to the Economist: "Leigh Park, a suburb of Havant in Hampshire, has shown what a difference lower costs can make. Many landlords of shops in this poor area were fed up with paying business rates on empty units, so they dumped their property at auction. Encouraged by council grants, a developer bought the buildings cheaply, redeveloped the flats above the shops and offered the commercial space for about half of the going rate. A handful of small shops have started to trade in these longtime empty units, including an undertaker, a flower shop and a pet shop. They employ one or two people and manage to get by thanks to the reduced rent. The flats above the shops are let out at normal market rates.  Centuries ago high streets looked a little like that, with a jumble of workshops, artisans and merchants living above. The notion that they should be purely for commerce is fairly recent. Eventually, high streets may revert to a mixture of uses, and survive. But many unsightly years lie ahead. There is only so much that can be done, even with a combination of local-government action and business savvy, to coax Britons back to the town centres they have abandoned."

http://www.economist.com/node/21543155

Here are The Specials and their 1981 hit "Ghost Town":

Turkish Coffee @ Chicago's Cafe 53

According to the Huffington Post, Chicago took top ranking as America's "most caffeinated metropolis" as average households spent 2.94 times the national average at city coffee shops, compared to New York City (where households spent 2.9 times the national average on coffee).  I feel sure that I'm single-handedly helping Chicago reach that top ranking...

Today I had a Turkish coffee (with cardamom) at Cafe 53 at 1369 East 53rd Street:

Here is one of the pastry cases at Cafe 53 (left).

All photos : Marge Ishmael

And here is the highly recommended Turkish coffee with cardamom, and a dark chocolate rum ball (below):

Closure of Jane Addams Hull House

I just heard the shocking news that the Jane Addams Hull House will close tomorrow...after 122 years of operation!  Hull House is the Chicago social services organization that Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams founded in 1889 to help thousands of immigrants adjust to life in America.

This association has provided child care, domestic violence counseling, job and literacy training, services for senior citizens and housing assistance for 60,000 people annually in the Chicago area at nearly four dozen sites. The organization cited the current economic climate for increasing demand for services while compromising fundraising.

Jane Addams, founder of Hull House

The organization's revenue was $23 million in June 2011, compared to $40 million in 2001. The board also reviewed their books and recognized they had no money to pay staff beyond January, which led to their decision to close sooner than expected.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-01-25/news/ct-met-hull-house-20120126_1_child-care-union-contract-employees

The original Hull House is now a museum

http://www.hullhouse.org/

Karl Marx was right about Capitalism

This is an older article from the BBC website last September (2011) but I can't stop thinking about it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14764357

"Karl Marx may have been wrong about communism but he was right about much of capitalism" John Gray writes.

Getty Images

According to Marx, CAPITALISM contained the seeds of its own destruction. 

Working Man's Death

Check out Al Jazeera's depressing/fascinating/shocking series "Working Man's Death". In today's technological age, is heavy manual labour disappearing or is it just becoming invisible? From the exhausted mine shafts of Ukraine to the bloody slaughterhouses of Nigeria, this series offers an unflinching portrait of physical labour in the 21st Century, talking to the people working in dreary, demanding, dangerous jobs.  http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/workingmansdeath/

Here is one program from the series. It is entitled "Ghosts" and is set in east Java where men climb steep paths carrying heavy loads of sulphur rock from the mouth of a volcano, in what looks to me like a living hell: 

Dolphins stranded on Cape Cod

Over the past few weeks around 85 dolphins have stranded themselves at Cape Cod, which is close to the number usually recorded in an entire year.  Experts are pondering the reasons behind this -- and volunteers are helping to save the beached mammals. 61 of these stranded dolphins were dead, apparently killed by stress or injuries from the stranding.   Possible theory: could there be an increase in killer whales in those waters? Or could it be a strong geomagnetic storm?  

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/science/earth/influx-of-dolphins-stranded-on-cape-cod-perplexes-rescuers.html

Wikipedia: "Possibly the most closely studied of the variable Sun's biological effects has been the degradation of homing pigeons' navigational abilities during geomagnetic storms. Pigeons and other migratory animals, such as dolphins and whales, have internal biological compasses composed of the mineral magnetite wrapped in bundles of nerve cells.[citation needed] This gives them the sense known as magnetoception."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_storm 

Julia Cumes/Associated Press

Dolphins have the following Celtic symbolic meaning:

"Celtic seafarers held the dolphin in high regard. It became a symbol of friendship, intelligence, and good luck. Its status of luck was likely related to the fact that the dolphin was most commonly seen on the seas when the weather and waves were calm and fair. The Celts innately understood the intimate relationship between nature and beast. However, did the sight of the lucky dolphin cause fair weather, or was it the weather beckoned the dolphin out of its depths? Clearly, it's a question of which came first – the chicken or the egg. Regardless, the dolphin is viewed as quite lucky indeed – and this quality combined with it's cleverness and speed in the waters made the dolphin a highly respected among Celtic animals."  http://www.whats-your-sign.com/

Riccardo Muti conducts Carmina Burana

I'm lucky enough to have tickets for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's dress rehearsal of Carmina Burana (conducted by Muti) this afternoon. http://cso.org/  I will comment on this later....in the meantime here is a youtube video clip of the "O Fortuna" movement:

Wikipedia: Twenty-four poems in Carmina Burana were set to music by Carl Orff in 1936; Orff's composition quickly became a staple piece of the classical music repertoire. The opening and closing movement, "O Fortuna", has been used in countless films and has become a symbol of the "epic" song in popular culture. Carmina Burana remains one of the most popular pieces of music ever written.

"O Fortuna" is a medieval Latin Goliardic poem written early in the thirteenth century, part of the collection known as the Carmina Burana. It is a complaint about fate and Fortuna, a goddess in Roman mythology and the personification of luck.

Later: This performance gave me goose bumps. The poetry/lyrics still seem relevant, even though it was written in the 13th Century. It was the first time I'd been to a CSO dress rehearsal. Riccardo Muti gently corrected the chorus a couple of times, but it didn't detract from the overall enjoyment....in fact, if anything, it added some extra interest...seeing the Maestro in action! It was a rare treat to see this particular composer, a magnificent (over 100-person) chorus, and the full orchestra. Muti felt the piece had suffered from over-use, having been used in movies and even, in his native Italy, a toilet paper commercial.

Here are the translated lyrics to the O Fortuna movement:

O Fortune,
variable
as the moon,
always dost thou
wax and wane.
Detestable life,
first dost thou mistreat us,
and then, whimsically,
thou heedest our desires.
As the sun melts the ice,
so dost thou dissolve
both poverty and power.

Monstrous
and empty fate,
thou, turning wheel,
art mean,
voiding
good health at thy will.
Veiled
in obscurity,
thou dost attack
me also.
To thy cruel pleasure
I bare my back.

Thou dost withdraw
my health and virtue;
thou dost threaten
my emotion
and weakness
with torture.
At this hour,
therefore, let us
pluck the strings without
delay.
Let us mourn together,
for fate crushes the brave.

Burns Night and Scottish Independence

Tonight is Burns Night and the BBC has put together a list of Best Burns Nights around the UK:
http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20120123-best-burns-nights-around-the-uk
The Scottish people will be eating the traditional meal of haggis (sheep stomach stuffed with offal, oatmeal, spices); neeps (turnips); and tatties (potatoes) as shown below:

Photo of haggis, neeps, & tatties : BBC 

And as a referendum on Scottish independence looms, here is a BBC article on the American perspective:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16537073

Photo from Braveheart movie

Here is a Scottish ex-pat perspective:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16678993

According to Chris Scullion (pictured below) living in London has made him prouder to be a Scot. "Political and economic arguments aside, I feel Scotland (and northern parts of England) have a character, charm and friendliness that is sorely lacking in London and I feel the presence of these regions is important to the overall mood of the nation in a time when spirits may be low."

Photo of Chris Scullion on BBC website

As an ex-pat northerner myself, I couldn't agree more!

George Soros warns of the "rise of evil"

Philanthropist and business magnate, George Soros, is warning of global financial collapse, class warfare, riots, and the "rise of evil"...http://www.georgesoros.com/ 

http://goodmenproject.com/good-feed-blog/george-soros-warns-of-financial-collapse-class-warfare-and-the-rise-of-evil/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2091190/George-Soros-predicts-U-S-riots-insists-Euro-saved-global-economy-collapse.html?ITO=1490 

Occupy movement builds igloo camp at Davos

Daily Mail : "No-one said overthrowing the capitalist system was going to be easy. They may have pitched their tents in cities from Philadelphia to Paris - braving pepper-spraying police officers and poor sanitary conditions. But now the Occupy movement's hardy protesters are putting themselves even further to the test by taking on plummeting temperatures - and the world's rich and famous - by building an igloo camp outside the World Economic Forum." 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2090728/Now-Occupy-movement-set-branch-Davos--hardy-protesters-build-igloo-camp-in.html


History Repeating -- a return to the 1930s?

A couple of BBC website articles this week have drawn my attention and make me wonder "is this a case of history repeating?":

Photo of Christine Lagarde: ffbsccn.wordpress.com

The first was IMF chief Christine Lagarde warning that the world faces an economic spiral reminiscent of the 1930s unless action is taken on the Eurozone crisis (see link):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16689211

The second is about the rising anti-semitism in Germany (some figures I've seen suggesting 20% of the population): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16678772

 
The Propellerheads and Shirley Bassey performing "History Repeating":

Shooting Bears in Alaska

Photo: Huffington Post

I was sad to see that the Alaska Board of Game is expanding aerial culling of grizzly and black bears in the hopes of increasing the caribou and moose populations, upon which some of rural Alaska relies for food. They already tried culling wolves but that didn't work...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/shooting-bears-alaska_n_1212349.html

Photo: http://www.alaskawildernessvoyages.com

The Big Sleep - 1946

I'm going to see a classic old movie from 1946, The Big Sleep, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, at the DOC movie theater in Chicago, tonight. According to IMBD: "Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a rich family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail, and what might be love." The American  Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema. Bogart and Bacall met in 1944 on the set of "To Have and Have Not" and married the following year. Director Howard Hawks said that it was Bacall's character (Marie) that Bogart had fallen for "so she had to keep playing it the rest of her life."

Wild Coyote at 47th Street

Jane and I saw this wild coyote on our walk at 47th Street yesterday:

Photo by Marge Ishmael

Photo by Jane Masterson

According to this Shamanic website: "Coyote may appear to teach us to laugh at ourselves and life’s ironies. Be prepared for your sense of humor to arise in full force in line with what is happening around you and to you. They also remind us that whatever we do to others will be done to us. You get back what you give out…The Coyote teaches how wisdom and folly go together. In others mistakes we see our own foolishness and can learn from their mistakes. "

http://www.shamanicjourney.com/

Some general animal symbolism of the Coyote:

• Skill
• Instinct
• Ingenuity
• Enthusiasm
• Transformation
• Inventiveness
• Intelligence
• Playfulness
• Resourcefulness

Goat cheese, red and yellow fire-roasted peppers, & caramelized garlic

These crackers make a quick and tasty snack -- with goat cheese, red and yellow fire-roasted peppers, and caramelized garlic:

Photo by Marge Ishmael

Duchess of Cambridge - Mustique Vacation

Photo from justjared.buzznet.com

The Duchess of Cambridge (formerly Kate Middleton) and her family will soon be enjoying a luxurious vacation holed up in a $23,000 per week mansion on the Caribbean island of Mustique. I'm not sure how wise this is given the prevailing westerly winds of anger, unease, and anti-establishment. A little more emphasis on her charities and a little less on exotic vacations and fashion might be advisable.  I fear the honeymoon period for the Duke and Duchess may soon be over...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2090079/Duchess-Cambridge-Kate-Middleton-jets-Mustique-family-holiday.html 

Photo from Daily Mirror (Kate, her sister and mother)

The Duke and Duchess (and their PR machine) should perhaps note the fact that William's great grandparents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, gained much popularity when they stayed in London during World War II and visited air raid victims after the Blitz. Brits like to think their Royalty "feel and share their pain" in difficult times, as in the photos below:

  

Chinese New Year 2012 - Year of the Dragon

Source: Reuters

Celebration of the Chinese New Year begins today, marking the start of the Year of the Dragon. The holiday is the most important in China... 

Years of the Dragon

1904 * 1916 * 1928 * 1940 * 1952 * 1964 * 1976 * 1988 * 2000

Source: Reuters

The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. A symbol of good fortune and intense power. The Oriental Dragon is regarded as a divine beast - the reverse of the malicious monster that Westerners felt necessary to slay. In Eastern philosophy, the Dragon is said to be a deliverer of good fortune and a master of authority. Therefore, those people born in Dragon years are to be honored and respected.


  

And here is a pink Water Dragon:

Photo: sketchfu.com

Chicago Snow - January 2012

Three photos taken on my Chicago block this weekend:

All photos by Marge Ishmael

Newt Gingrich

The Washington Post calls Newt Gingrich "the GOP's eccentric big thinker and bomb-thrower."  He did really well in the South Carolina primary yesterday, easily beating Mitt Romney. Gingrich pulled in 40 percent of the vote so far, followed by Romney with 28 percent. Romney seemed like the stronger candidate until he started saying things about his tax rate being "closer to the 15 percent rate than anything" and "For the past 10 years, my income comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past, rather than ordinary income or earned annual income. I got a little bit of income from my book, but I gave that all away. Then, I get speakers fees from time to time, but not very much."  The "not very much" turned out to be $374,327.62 in speaking fees for 2010-2011 !!!

Gingrich with wife and Franciscan monk : http://www.buzzfeed.com/

I think I read somewhere that Gingrich is the "angry candidate of doom and gloom"....but I must say that his bluntness is refreshing. He's pugnacious and not one of those slick candidates who never loses his cool....and I'm wondering if this might be to his advantage in 2012? I'm a registered Democrat and therefore a little surprised that I'm thinking this way...

"Amphibians (toads, frogs, salamanders, and newts) begin their life journey from a lake, pond, or muddy puddle. Anyone with an amphibian as a totem has access to ancient truths. They have the ability to breathe underwater and must be near a water source to survive and procreate. Change or metamorphosis is taking place or soon to take place when an amphibian totem shows up." http://healing.about.com/od/animaltotems/

And 2012 is the Year of the Dragon...in fact the Underwater Dragon...