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April 02, 2003

First prize for style ...

Robert A. Heinlein: The Moon Is a Harsh MistressRobert A. Heinlein: The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

There is a comment in "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" about the colony of Hong Kong Luna where "the chinese get rich selling rocks to each other". In the context, this is intended to be a compliment to the ready and willing way that Chinese business people have always been able to find a way to make money. Often the idea is related to something simple and obvious but only after the event.

Right now, in Hong Kong, there is a major epidemic of SARS. People are trying to stave off the inevitable with masks. Plain old boring masks like these:

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Now here comes the ingenuity. Why not make the masks more interesting. The whole mask buying craze started two weeks ago and now look at the choices available:

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If only I could think of something like that ...

P.S. The phrase TANSTAAFL (There Aint No Such Thing As A Free Lunch) was coined by Heinlein in this book.

Posted by Ozguru at April 2, 2003 07:04 AM

Comments

It's amazing that only 1 case has been detected in Australia. & yet all the dental ware houses are currently out of stock of masks that have a very high filtraion which cost around $120.00 per box of 50 masks. Due to all the dentist in NSW & probably Australia bying them & some being ship to the most affected countries.

Posted by: hjs at April 2, 2003 07:04 AM

API Canberra's sales of Masks went through the roof in the aftermath of the bushfires, and the sales are starting to rise again...

Posted by: Peskie at April 2, 2003 07:04 AM

Where's my credit? Following a link from this story I came across this mob who are running a story entitled "Fashion colours mask deadly virus fears" datelined April 3 but they don't have

Posted by: Bored on the Bus at April 2, 2003 07:04 AM