Illustration Friday: Grounded (and Shipped)

© 2012 Sylvia Liu
OK, it may be a bit of a stretch to use this illustration for "grounded," when it's more about "shipped." But it's interesting to me to think of all the parts of the global shipping system that are grounded: the factories producing the products half-way around the world; the people working in those factories (this is on my mind because I just listened to this week's amazing podcast of This American Life, about a self-described "worshipper in the cult of Mac" who went to a Chinese factory that makes the Apple products and interviewed the workers);* the infrastructure that distributes the products (these cranes, the trains, and highways); the retail stores; the warehouses; and the consumer sitting in front of a computer ordering the product.


*Update 3/20/12: This American Life recently retracted the Apple story because Mike Daisey, the performer who told the story, lied about some key facts. This podcast is well worth listening to.



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