Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Reconsidering the day job

In the midst of finishing the first draft of my dystopian novel by November (oh, let's say Thanksgiving. Hey, it'll be done before the new Zelda comes out).

The problem with writing a near-future dystopian novel is that the real world always finds a way to one-up you.

The beauty products from the skin of executed Chinese prisoners
Cosmetics firm targets UK market ·
Lack of regulation puts users at risk

Ian Cobain and Adam Luck
Tuesday September 13, 2005
The Guardian

A Chinese cosmetics company is using skin harvested from the corpses of executed convicts to develop beauty products for sale in Europe, an investigation by the Guardian has discovered.

Agents for the firm have told would-be customers it is developing collagen for lip and wrinkle treatments from skin taken from prisoners after they have been shot. The agents say some of the company's products have been exported to the UK, and that the use of skin from condemned convicts is "traditional" and nothing to "make such a big fuss about".



It's funny, in a feral capitalism sort of way, that the prime alarm is raised over the consumers and not, you know, the fact that the bodies of prisoners are being turned into eyeliner. Then again, I've never understood supply and demand, or the beauty industry.

There's more, but I'd advise you to hold off eating first.