Unintended consequences

You can ignore markets, but that doesn't mean that markets will ignore you. It seems that green legislation in the developed world, enacted in a misguided attempt to force consumers to use more "environment-friendly" energy, is encouraging the destruction of the rain-forests so beloved by the greenies.

Heh.

Sub-standard medicine - doctors fail to kill babies before abortion

A former professor of OB-GYN at a London hospital has admitted that a number of aborted babies survive the drug-induced labour that constitutes late-term abortion, because doctors fail to follow guidelines that require their hearts to be stopped while still in the womb:

"They can be born breathing and crying at 19 weeks' gestation," he said. "I am not anti-abortion, but as far as I am concerned this is sub-standard medicine."

God forbid anyone should be anti-abortion, of course, but am I alone in finding it a tad - just a tad, mind - disturbing that in one operating theatre, doctors could be fighting to save the life of a premature infant, while in an adjoining one, a breathing, crying baby results from a deliberate inducement of premature delivery? And one must wonder how the staff manage to instantly switch from trying to end the baby's life, to trying to save it, as they are required to do. Does it even happen?

Naysayers, doom & gloomers wrong. Again.

Early indications are that bringing British licensing laws into the 21st century have not resulted in the breakdown of civilisation.

How surprising.

Hello Waveforms

Great news for William 0rbit fans: a new album, entitled Hello Waveforms is slated for release 6th February 2006, on the Sanctuary label. It's been a long time coming, and eagerly awaited by us die-hard fans: the last solo outing was Pieces in a Modern Style, released in 2000. You may remember it as an eclectic set of classical pieces, given the distinctive 0rbit treatment, to some critical acclaim. Barber's Adagio for Strings got some airplay at the time.

Although William does most of his work for major recording stars like Madonna, Pink, Oasis and U2, he has managed to release a few (too few!) entirely original works, most notably the Strange Cargo series. The last of the four was Strange Cargo Hinterland: it was released in 1995! So Hello Waveforms has to satisfy some major expectations. Is it any good? I haven't heard it yet, but it is getting some airplay on KCRW, where it is one of the most requested albums, which bodes well.

Another reason to like iTunes

Although I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with iTunes, I did notice something which tipped the balance in its favour, recently: none of John Lennon's crap will be available on iTunes for the foreseeable. That's right: no pathetic whining about peace, no ludicrous longing for the world to be as one. I'm feeling a lot better about iTunes already...

Bonus? Well, it depends...

I just noticed something on the iTunes music store. Santana have (has?) released a new album, All That I Am, and the iTunes version of the album is said to have two bonus tracks, Foo Foo and Yaleo. Well, I'm willing to bet that they won't be on the CD, but that's because Foo Foo was on Santana's previous outing, Shaman, while Yaleo was on the one before that, Supernatural.

So maybe I'm being incredibly naive here, but how is this a bonus? Are all "bonus" tracks on iTunes like this?