Thursday, December 18, 2003

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They are letting Hinckley (would-be Reagan assassin) out on unsupervised trips with his parents. Here in Minnesota, released sex-offender Alfonso Rodriguez is accused of killing Dru Sjodin. 7:20:13 PM    comment []

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Flu Vaccine by "Subscription" I have gotten a flu shot every year since I was 22 (that's 17 years now). But this year everyone seems to want one, and they are running out of vaccine. This appears to be happening for no very good reason. In fact, there is marginally less reason than average to get a shot this year, because the vaccine is not specifically formulated for the A-Fujian strain that turns out to be the most prevalent! Anyway, the shortage of vaccine got me to thinking about another subscription marketing opportunity. The vaccine-producers should sell "subcriptions": pay now for next year's shot, and be guaranteed to receive it! At least three benefits to the vaccine producers: 1) Get lots of money up-front. 2) Sell more vaccine: some fraction of the people who pay up-front would not get around to getting their shot next year. 3) Better calibrate supply to demand: the more vaccine that is pre-sold via subscription, the less risk of under- or over-producing. 7:16:17 PM    comment []

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Okay, a very minor milestone...for the second time, an actual friend or acquaintance stumbled across my weblog. And this time they even Commented! Thanks, Gim! 7:05:58 PM    comment []

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Nixon's Tapes On the subject of presidential tapes, for those tapes that are still unreleased, I wonder what the protocol is for having backups? At the time, I imagine they made copies. How many? Stored in different locations? I wonder (hope) they have made copies on CDs, and now of course, they could probably put them all on a single DVD. 12:06:57 PM    comment []

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According to Kissinger (bio by Walter Isaacson), Richard Nixon was briefed, by J. Edgar Hoover, on Lyndon Johnson's Oval Office taping equipment, and had it removed. It wasn't until 1971 that he had it re-installed. If Johnson had never had it, I wonder if Nixon would have ever thought, in 1971, to have had his own installed? 12:02:56 PM    comment []