THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE BUSINESS SECTION OF A NEWSPAPER.
"GIVEN THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY WITH SOME FORM OF ARTHRITIS
IS EXPECTED TO RISE FROM 40 MILLION TO 60 MILLION OVER THE NEXT TWENTY
YEARS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES THAT PRODUCE DRUGS FOR THE TREATMENT OF
ARTHRITIS SHOULD BE VERY PROFITABLE. MANY ANALYSTS BELIEVE THAT IN TEN
YEARS BECTON PHARMACEUTICALS, WHICH MAKES XENON, THE BEST-SELLING DRUG
TREATMENT FOR ARTHRITIS, WILL BE THE MOST PROFITABLE PHARMACEUTICAL
COMPANY. BUT THE PATENT ON XENON EXPIRES IN THREE YEARS, AND OTHER
COMPANIES WILL THEN BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A CHEAPER VERSION OF THE DRUG. THUS,
IT IS MORE LIKELY THAT IN TEN YEARS THE MOST PROFITABLE PHARMACEUTICAL
COMPANY WILL BE PERKINS PHARMACEUTICALS, MAKER OF A NEW DRUG CALLED XYLAN,
WHICH CLINICAL STUDIES SHOW IS PREFERRED OVER XENON BY SEVEN OUT OF TEN
PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM THE MOST EXTREME CASES OF ARTHRITIS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF A VIDEO GAME
COMPANY.
"WE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY THE RIGHTS TO PRODUCE
A VIDEO GAME BASED ON THE SOON-TO-BE-PUBLISHED CHILDREN'S BOOK "SQUIRREL
POWER," BY PETER WOOD. WHILE THE COST OF THE RIGHTS IS SUBSTANTIAL AND WILL
PLACE ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS ON OUR COMPANY IN THE SHORT-TERM, THERE ARE TWO
REASONS THAT THE PURCHASE OF THESE RIGHTS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE A WISE
INVESTMENT. FIRST, WOOD'S LAST THREE BOOKS HAVE BEEN BEST SELLERS AND THE
MOVIE BASED ON HIS FIRST BOOK WAS HIGHLY PROFITABLE. SECOND, THE POPULAR
CHARACTERS AND STORY LINE IN "SQUIRREL POWER" WILL SAVE US TIME IN
DEVELOPING OUR VIDEO GAME, THEREBY REDUCING OUR COSTS."
WHEN IDA MCALLISTER RAN FOR MAYOR OF LAKE CITY FOUR YEARS AGO, SHE FAILED
TO WIN EVEN 30 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. BUT SINCE THEN, MCALLISTER HAS MADE
PUBLIC HER COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES. SHE WOULD BE WISE,
THEREFORE, TO ANNOUNCE HER INTENTION TO CLOSE ALL LAKE CITY PARKS TO
AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC, THUS FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF THE FORMER MAYOR OF
PLAINSVILLE, ALECIA YU . ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF A SMALL GROUP OF
CONCERNED CITIZENS, MAYOR YU PROHIBITED AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC IN ALL
PLAINSVILLE PARKS, AND THEREFORE WAS CREDITED WITH SOLVING THE POLLUTION
PROBLEM AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PLAINSVILLE. THIS ACTION WOULD
HAVE GREAT APPEAL TO THE CITIZENS OF LAKE CITY, MOST OF WHOM PARTICIPATE IN
THE COMMUNITY'S RECYCLING PROGRAM, AND WOULD GUARANTEE MCALLISTER'S SUCCESS
IN HER CURRENT QUEST TO BE LAKE CITY'S NEW MAYOR.
ACCORDING TO INFORMATION RECENTLY REPORTED IN THE ELIOTTOWN GAZETTE, THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL TO ELIOTTOWN HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER
THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. SO FAR THIS YEAR OVER 100,000 PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED
ON FLIGHTS TO ELIOTTOWN'S AIRPORT, COMPARED WITH ONLY 80,000 LAST YEAR AND
40,000 THE YEAR BEFORE. ELIOTTOWN'S TRAIN STATION HAS RECEIVED MORE THAN
50,000 PASSENGERS THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH LESS THAN 40,000 LAST YEAR AND
20,000 THE YEAR BEFORE. CLEARLY TOURISM IN ELIOTTOWN HAS BEEN INCREASING,
THANKS TO THE NEW CENTRAL PARK AND MUSEUM OF MODERN ART THAT OPENED LAST
YEAR. THEREFORE, THE FUNDING FOR THE PARK AND MUSEUM SHOULD BE INCREASED
SIGNIFICANTLY.
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE EDITORIAL SECTION OF A NEWSMAGAZINE.
"SOME STATES ARE CREATING NEW LAWS THAT RESTRICT THE USE OF OF HANDHELD
CELL PHONES BY DRIVERS OF AUTOMOBILES. SUCH LEGISLATION, HOWEVER, IS SHEER
FOLLY. ALTHOUGH SOME PEOPLE WITH CELL PHONES UNDOUBTEDLY CAUSE PROBLEMS ON
THE ROAD, INCLUDING SERIOUS ACCIDENTS, THE MAJORITY DO NOT. BESIDES,
PROBLEMS ARE ALSO CAUSED BY DRIVERS WHO ARE DISTRACTED BY ANY NUMBER OF
OTHER ACTIVITIES, FROM LISTENING TO THE RADIO TO DISCIPLINING CHILDREN.
SINCE THERE IS NO NEED TO PASS LEGISLATION RESTRICTING THESE AND OTHER SUCH
ACTIVITIES, IT FOLLOWS THAT THERE IS NO NEED TO RESTRICT PEOPLE'S FREEDOM
TO USE A DEVICE THAT THEY FIND CONVENIENT—OR HELPFUL IN EMERGENCIES."
UNTIL RECENTLY, PEOPLE IN HIPARIA DID MOST OF THEIR SHOPPING BY DRIVING TO
SHOPPING MALLS. THEY ARE BEGINNING, HOWEVER, TO DO MORE OF THEIR SHOPPING
BY ORDERING MERCHANDISE FROM MAIL-ORDER CATALOGS AND THE INTERNET. THESE
PURCHASES ARE DELIVERED TO THEM BY MAIL OR BY A DELIVERY SERVICE. FOR MANY
PURCHASES, HIPARIANS NO LONGER NEED TO DRIVE TO AND FROM SHOPPING MALLS;
THERE WILL THEREFORE BE A RESULTING REDUCTION IN THE CONSUMPTION OF VEHICLE
FUEL IN HIPARIA.
THE FOLLOWING REPORT APPEARED IN AN ARCHAEOLOGY JOURNAL.
"THE DISCOVERY OF DISTINCTIVELY SHAPED CERAMIC POTS AT VARIOUS PREHISTORIC
SITES SCATTERED OVER A WIDE AREA HAS LED ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO ASK HOW THE POTS
WERE SPREAD. SOME BELIEVE THE POT MAKERS MIGRATED TO THE VARIOUS SITES AND
CARRIED THE POTS ALONG WITH THEM; OTHERS BELIEVE THE POTS WERE SPREAD BY
TRADE AND THEIR MAKERS REMAINED IN ONE PLACE. NOW, ANALYSIS OF THE BONES OF
PREHISTORIC HUMAN SKELETONS CAN SETTLE THE DEBATE: HIGH LEVELS OF A CERTAIN
METALLIC ELEMENT CONTAINED IN VARIOUS FOODS ARE STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH
PEOPLE WHO MIGRATED TO A NEW PLACE AFTER CHILDHOOD. MANY OF THE BONES FOUND
NEAR THE POTS AT A FEW SITES SHOWED HIGH LEVELS OF THE METALLIC ELEMENT.
THEREFORE, IT MUST BE THAT THE POTS WERE SPREAD BY MIGRATION, NOT TRADE."
MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS ARE RICH IN VITAMIN D AND CALCIUM, SUBSTANCES
ESSENTIAL FOR BUILDING AND MAINTAINING BONES. MANY PEOPLE THEREFORE BELIEVE
THAT A DIET RICH IN DAIRY PRODUCTS CAN HELP PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS, A DISEASE
IN WHICH THE BONES WEAKEN SIGNIFICANTLY WITH AGE AND THAT IS LINKED TO BOTH
ENVIRONMENTAL AND GENETIC FACTORS. BUT A LONG-TERM STUDY OF A LARGE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE HAS FOUND THAT THOSE WHO HAVE CONSISTENTLY CONSUMED DAIRY
PRODUCTS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS OF THE STUDY HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF BONE
FRACTURES THAN ANY OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY. SINCE BONE FRACTURES
ARE A SYMPTOM OF OSTEOPOROSIS, THIS STUDY RESULT SHOWS THAT A DIET RICH IN
DAIRY PRODUCTS MAY ACTUALLY INCREASE, RATHER THAN DECREASE, THE RISK OF
OSTEOPOROSIS.
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE SUMMARY OF A STUDY ON HEADACHES SUFFERED BY
THE RESIDENTS OF MENTIA.
"SALICYLATES ARE MEMBERS OF THE SAME CHEMICAL FAMILY AS ASPIRIN, A MEDICINE
USED TO TREAT HEADACHES. ALTHOUGH MANY FOODS ARE NATURALLY RICH IN
SALICYLATES, FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES FOOD-PROCESSING COMPANIES HAVE
ALSO BEEN ADDING SALICYLATES TO FOODS AS PRESERVATIVES. THIS RISE IN THE
COMMERCIAL USE OF SALICYLATES HAS BEEN FOUND TO CORRELATE WITH A STEADY
DECLINE IN THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF HEADACHES REPORTED BY PARTICIPANTS IN OUR
TWENTY-YEAR STUDY. RECENTLY, FOOD-PROCESSING COMPANIES HAVE FOUND THAT
SALICYLATES CAN ALSO BE USED AS FLAVOR ADDITIVES FOR FOODS. WITH THIS NEW
USE FOR SALICYLATES, WE CAN EXPECT A CONTINUED STEADY DECLINE IN THE NUMBER
OF HEADACHES SUFFERED BY THE AVERAGE CITIZEN OF MENTIA."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY DR. KARP, AN
ANTHROPOLOGIST.
"TWENTY YEARS AGO DR. FIELD, A NOTED ANTHROPOLOGIST, VISITED THE ISLAND OF
TERTIA AND CONCLUDED FROM HIS OBSERVATIONS THAT CHILDREN IN TERTIA WERE
REARED BY AN ENTIRE VILLAGE RATHER THAN BY THEIR OWN BIOLOGICAL PARENTS.
HOWEVER, MY RECENT INTERVIEWS WITH CHILDREN LIVING IN THE GROUP OF ISLANDS
THAT INCLUDES TERTIA SHOW THAT THESE CHILDREN SPEND MUCH MORE TIME TALKING
ABOUT THEIR BIOLOGICAL PARENTS THAN ABOUT OTHER ADULTS IN THE VILLAGE. THIS
RESEARCH PROVES THAT DR. FIELD'S CONCLUSION ABOUT TERTIAN VILLAGE CULTURE
IS FALSE, AND THUS THAT THE OBSERVATION-CENTERED APPROACH TO STUDYING
CULTURES IS INVALID. BECAUSE THEY ARE USING THE INTERVIEW-CENTERED METHOD,
MY TEAM OF GRADUATE STUDENTS WORKING IN TERTIA WILL ESTABLISH A MUCH MORE
ACCURATE UNDERSTANDING OF CHILD-REARING TRADITIONS THERE AND IN OTHER
ISLAND CULTURES."
WOVEN BASKETS CHARACTERIZED BY A PARTICULAR DISTINCTIVE PATTERN HAVE
PREVIOUSLY BEEN FOUND ONLY IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE PREHISTORIC
VILLAGE OF PALEA AND THEREFORE WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN UNIQUE TO THE
PALEAN PEOPLE. RECENTLY, HOWEVER, ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVERED SUCH A "PALEAN"
BASKET IN LITHOS, AN ANCIENT VILLAGE ACROSS THE BRIM RIVER FROM PALEA. THE
BRIM RIVER IS VERY DEEP AND BROAD, AND SO THE ANCIENT PALEANS COULD ONLY
HAVE CROSSED IT BY BOAT, BUT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE PALEANS HAD
BOATS. AND BOATS CAPABLE OF CARRYING GROUPS OF PEOPLE AND CARGO WERE NOT
DEVELOPED UNTIL THOUSANDS OF YEARS AFTER THE PALEAN PEOPLE DISAPPEARED.
MOREOVER, PALEANS WOULD HAVE HAD NO NEED TO CROSS THE RIVER—THE WOODS
AROUND PALEA ARE FULL OF NUTS, BERRIES, AND SMALL GAME. IT FOLLOWS THAT THE
SO-CALLED PALEAN BASKETS WERE NOT UNIQUE TO PALEA.
THE FOLLOWING MEMO APPEARED IN THE NEWSLETTER OF THE WEST MERIA PUBLIC
HEALTH COUNCIL.
"AN INNOVATIVE TREATMENT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT PROMISES TO
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE ABSENTEEISM IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WORKPLACES. A STUDY
REPORTS THAT IN NEARBY EAST MERIA, WHERE FISH CONSUMPTION IS VERY HIGH,
PEOPLE VISIT THE DOCTOR ONLY ONCE OR TWICE PER YEAR FOR THE TREATMENT OF
COLDS. CLEARLY, EATING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FISH CAN PREVENT COLDS.
SINCE COLDS ARE THE REASON MOST FREQUENTLY GIVEN FOR ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL
AND WORK, WE RECOMMEND THE DAILY USE OF ICHTHAID, A NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT
DERIVED FROM FISH OIL, AS A GOOD WAY TO PREVENT COLDS AND LOWER
ABSENTEEISM."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMORANDUM FROM THE PRESIDENT OF HUMANA
COLLEGE.
"LAST YEAR THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ENROLLED IN LONG-DISTANCE DEGREE
PROGRAMS AT OMNI UNIVERSITY INCREASED BY 50%. DURING THE SAME YEAR, OMNI
SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE FROM PRIOR YEARS IN EXPENDITURES FOR
DORMITORY AND CLASSROOM SPACE, MOST LIKELY BECAUSE INSTRUCTION IN THE LONG-
DISTANCE PROGRAMS TAKES PLACE VIA INTERACTIVE VIDEO COMPUTER CONNECTIONS.
IN CONTRAST, OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, ENROLLMENT AT HUMANA COLLEGE HAS
DIMINISHED AND COSTS OF MAINTAINING BUILDINGS HAVE RISEN. THUS, TO INCREASE
ENROLLMENT AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF BUDGET DEFICITS AT HUMANA COLLEGE, WE
SHOULD INITIATE AND ACTIVELY PROMOTE LONG-DISTANCE DEGREE PROGRAMS LIKE
THOSE AT OMNI."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMORANDUM FROM THE PRESIDENT OF EXCELLO FOOD
MARKETS.
"IN 90 TOWNS WHERE EXCELLO HAS FOOD MARKETS, NATURAL-FOOD STORES
SPECIALIZING IN ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS—PRODUCTS CONTAINING NO CHEMICAL
PRESERVATIVES AND MADE WITH FOODS GROWN WITHOUT PESTICIDES—HAVE OPENED
NEARBY AS COMPETITORS. SURVEYS OF OUR OWN CUSTOMERS REVEAL A GROWING
CONCERN ABOUT FOODS GROWN USING PESTICIDES OR PRESERVED WITH CHEMICALS.
RECENTLY OUR MARKET IN SUN CITY PARTICIPATED IN A LOCAL FOOD TASTING FAIR,
AND 75 PERCENT OF THE FAIR GOERS WHO VISITED THE EXCELLO BOOTH REQUESTED
FREE SAMPLES OF ORGANIC FRUIT. SUCH EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT TO INCREASE OUR
PROFITS, WE SHOULD BEGIN TO STOCK A FULL LINE OF ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS IN
ALL OUR MARKETS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF A FOOD-
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY WITH FOOD-STORAGE WAREHOUSES IN SEVERAL CITIES.
"RECENTLY WE SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THE FLY-AWAY PEST-CONTROL COMPANY TO
PROVIDE PEST-CONTROL SERVICES AT OUR FAST-FOOD WAREHOUSE IN PALM CITY, BUT
LAST MONTH WE DISCOVERED THAT OVER $20,000 WORTH OF FOOD THERE HAD BEEN
DESTROYED BY PEST DAMAGE. MEANWHILE, THE BUZZOFF PEST-CONTROL COMPANY,
WHICH WE HAVE USED FOR MANY YEARS, CONTINUED TO SERVICE OUR WAREHOUSE IN
WINTERVALE, AND LAST MONTH ONLY $10,000 WORTH OF THE FOOD STORED THERE HAD
BEEN DESTROYED BY PEST DAMAGE. EVEN THOUGH THE PRICE CHARGED BY FLY-AWAY IS
CONSIDERABLY LOWER, OUR BEST MEANS OF SAVING MONEY IS TO RETURN TO BUZZOFF
COMPANY FOR ALL OUR PEST-CONTROL SERVICES."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A PROPOSAL FROM THE ECONOMIC MINISTER OF THE
COUNTRY OF PARATERRA.
"IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN ITS LAGGING ECONOMY, LAST YEAR THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE NEARBY COUNTRY OF BELLEGEA BEGAN AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE
ECOLOGICALLY SOUND TOURISM (ECOTOURISM). THIS YEAR THE NUMBER OF FOREIGN
VISITORS ARRIVING AT BELLEGEA'S MAIN AIRPORT DOUBLED, AND PER CAPITA INCOME
IN BELLEGEA INCREASED BY TEN PERCENT. TO PROVIDE MORE INCOME FOR THE
POPULATION OF PARATERRA AND ALSO PRESERVE THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF OUR
TINY COUNTRY, WE TOO SHOULD BEGIN TO PROMOTE ECOTOURISM. TO ENSURE THAT OUR
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IS SUCCESSFUL, WE SHOULD HIRE THE CURRENT DIRECTOR OF
BELLEGEA'S NATIONAL TOURISM OFFICE AS A CONSULTANT FOR THE CAMPAIGN."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED AS PART OF A BUSINESS PLAN DEVELOPED BY THE MANAGER
OF THE RIALTO THEATER.
"DESPITE ITS DOWNTOWN LOCATION, THE RIALTO MOVIE THEATER, A LOCAL
INSTITUTION FOR FIVE DECADES, MUST MAKE BIG CHANGES OR CLOSE ITS DOORS
FOREVER. IT SHOULD FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE NEW APEX THEATER IN THE MALL
OUTSIDE OF TOWN. WHEN THE APEX OPENED LAST YEAR, IT FEATURED A VIDEO
ARCADE, PLUSH CARPETING AND SEATS, AND A STATE-OF-THE-ART SOUND SYSTEM.
FURTHERMORE, IN A RECENT SURVEY, OVER 85 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS REPORTED
THAT THE HIGH PRICE OF NEWLY RELEASED MOVIES PREVENTS THEM FROM GOING TO
THE MOVIES MORE THAN FIVE TIMES PER YEAR. THUS, IF THE RIALTO INTENDS TO
HOLD ON TO ITS SHARE OF A DECREASING POOL OF MOVIEGOERS, IT MUST OFFER THE
SAME FEATURES AS APEX."
THE FOLLOWING IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER OF MONARCH
BOOKS.
"MONARCH BOOKS SHOULD OPEN A CAFè IN ITS STORE TO ATTRACT MORE CUSTOMERS
AND BETTER COMPETE WITH REGAL BOOKS, WHICH RECENTLY OPENED A CAFè. MONARCH,
WHICH HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS AT THE SAME LOCATION FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS,
HAS A LARGE CUSTOMER FOLLOWING BECAUSE IT IS KNOWN FOR ITS WIDE SELECTION
OF BOOKS ON ALL SUBJECTS. OPENING THE CAFè WOULD CLEARLY ATTRACT MORE
CUSTOMERS. THE CAFè WOULD REQUIRE RELATIVELY LITTLE SPACE. SPACE COULD BE
MADE FOR THE CAFè BY DISCONTINUING THE CHILDREN'S BOOK SECTION, WHICH WILL
LIKELY BECOME LESS POPULAR GIVEN THAT THE LAST NATIONAL CENSUS INDICATED A
SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN THE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION WHO ARE UNDER AGE
TEN."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED AS AN EDITORIAL IN A WILDLIFE JOURNAL.
"ARCTIC DEER LIVE ON ISLANDS IN CANADA'S ARCTIC REGION. THEY SEARCH FOR
FOOD BY MOVING OVER ICE FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND DURING THE COURSE OF A YEAR.
THEIR HABITAT IS LIMITED TO AREAS WARM ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN THE PLANTS ON
WHICH THEY FEED, AND COLD ENOUGH, AT LEAST SOME OF THE YEAR, FOR THE ICE TO
COVER THE SEA SEPARATING THE ISLANDS, ALLOWING THE DEER TO TRAVEL OVER IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, ACCORDING TO REPORTS FROM LOCAL HUNTERS, THE DEER
POPULATIONS ARE DECLINING. SINCE THESE REPORTS COINCIDE WITH RECENT GLOBAL
WARMING TRENDS THAT HAVE CAUSED THE SEA ICE TO MELT, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT
THE DECLINE IN ARCTIC DEER POPULATIONS IS THE RESULT OF DEER BEING UNABLE
TO FOLLOW THEIR AGE-OLD MIGRATION PATTERNS ACROSS THE FROZEN SEA."
ALTHOUGH BLACK BEARS ARE COMMON IN THE EASTERN CANADIAN PROVINCE OF
LABRADOR, GRIZZLY BEARS—OFTEN SIMILAR IN COLOR, BUT MUCH LARGER—WERE
BELIEVED TO EXIST ONLY IN THE WESTERN PROVINCES. DESPITE A NINETEENTH-
CENTURY EXPLORER'S ACCOUNT OF HAVING STARTLED AND NARROWLY ESCAPED FROM A
GRIZZLY BEAR DEEP IN THE WOODS IN LABRADOR, MODERN SCIENTISTS FIND NO
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT GRIZZLY BEARS HAVE EVER LIVED IN LABRADOR. BUT
RECENT RESEARCH INTO THE LANGUAGE AND LEGENDS OF THE INNU, A PEOPLE WHO
HAVE LIVED IN LABRADOR FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, REVEALS THAT THEIR LANGUAGE
HAS WORDS FOR TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF BEARS, AND THEIR ANCIENT LEGENDS
ATTRIBUTE DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS TO THE TWO KINDS OF BEARS. THEREFORE,
THERE PROBABLY WERE GRIZZLY BEARS IN LABRADOR, AND THE EXPLORER'S ACCOUNT
PROBABLY ACCURATELY IDENTIFIED THE BEAR.
SCIENTISTS STUDYING HISTORICAL WEATHER PATTERNS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IN THE
MID-SIXTH CENTURY, EARTH SUDDENLY BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER. ALTHOUGH FEW
HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVIVE FROM THAT TIME, SOME ACCOUNTS FOUND BOTH IN ASIA
AND EUROPE MENTION A DIMMING OF THE SUN AND EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES.
EITHER A HUGE VOLCANIC ERUPTION OR A LARGE METEORITE COLLIDING WITH EARTH
COULD HAVE CREATED A LARGE DUST CLOUD THROUGHOUT EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE THAT
WOULD HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF BLOCKING ENOUGH SUNLIGHT TO LOWER GLOBAL
TEMPERATURES SIGNIFICANTLY. A LARGE METEORITE COLLISION, HOWEVER, WOULD
PROBABLY CREATE A SUDDEN BRIGHT FLASH OF LIGHT, AND NO EXTANT HISTORICAL
RECORDS OF THE TIME MENTION SUCH A FLASH. SOME SURVIVING ASIAN HISTORICAL
RECORDS OF THE TIME, HOWEVER, MENTION A LOUD BOOM THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT
WITH A VOLCANIC ERUPTION. THEREFORE, THE COOLING WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY A
VOLCANIC ERUPTION.
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE COUNTRY OF
CORPORA.
"TWENTY YEARS AGO, ONE HALF OF ALL CITIZENS IN CORPORA MET THE STANDARDS
FOR ADEQUATE PHYSICAL FITNESS AS THEN DEFINED BY THE NATIONAL ADVISORY
BOARD ON PHYSICAL FITNESS. TODAY, THE BOARD SAYS THAT ONLY ONE QUARTER OF
ALL CITIZENS ARE ADEQUATELY FIT AND SUGGESTS THAT SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME
USING COMPUTERS MAY BE THE REASON. BUT SINCE OVERALL FITNESS LEVELS ARE
HIGHEST IN REGIONS OF CORPORA WHERE LEVELS OF COMPUTER OWNERSHIP ARE ALSO
HIGHEST, IT IS CLEAR THAT USING COMPUTERS HAS NOT MADE CITIZENS LESS
PHYSICALLY FIT. INSTEAD, AS SHOWN BY THIS YEAR'S UNUSUALLY LOW EXPENDITURES
ON FITNESS-RELATED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, THE RECENT DECLINE IN THE ECONOMY
IS MOST LIKELY THE CAUSE, AND FITNESS LEVELS WILL IMPROVE WHEN THE ECONOMY
DOES."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF A NEWSLETTER ON HEALTH
ISSUES.
"FOR THE PAST DECADE, MOST HEALTH EXPERTS HAVE ADVISED TEENAGERS TO AVOID
EATING GREASY FOODS IN ORDER TO PREVENT ACNE AND RELATED SKIN CONDITIONS,
BUT THE NUMBER OF TEENAGERS WHO SOUGHT MEDICAL HELP FOR THESE SKIN PROBLEMS
HAS ACTUALLY RISEN OVER THE SAME PERIOD. IN A RECENT STUDY, TEENAGERS WHO
AVOIDED GREASY FOODS FOR A MONTH REPORTED APPROXIMATELY AS MANY OUTBREAKS
OF ACNE AND RELATED SKIN CONDITIONS AS DID THOSE WHO ATE AN AVERAGE OF TWO
SERVINGS OF GREASY FOOD PER DAY. SUCH DATA INDICATE THAT EATING GREASY
FOODS IS UNLIKELY TO BE A CAUSE OF ACNE AND RELATED SKIN CONDITIONS.
THEREFORE, HEALTH EXPERTS SHOULD NO LONGER RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE AVOID SUCH
FOODS."
FROM A DRAFT TEXTBOOK MANUSCRIPT SUBMITTED TO A PUBLISHER.
"AS EARTH WAS BEING FORMED OUT OF THE COLLISION OF SPACE ROCKS, THE HEAT
FROM THOSE COLLISIONS AND FROM THE INCREASING GRAVITATIONAL ENERGY OF THE
PLANET MADE THE ENTIRE PLANET MOLTEN, EVEN THE SURFACE. ANY WATER PRESENT
WOULD HAVE EVAPORATED AND GONE OFF INTO SPACE. AS THE PLANET APPROACHED ITS
CURRENT SIZE, HOWEVER, ITS GRAVITATION BECAME STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD GASES
AND WATER VAPOR AROUND IT AS AN ATMOSPHERE. BECAUSE COMETS ARE LARGELY ICE
MADE UP OF FROZEN WATER AND GASES, A COMET STRIKING EARTH THEN WOULD HAVE
VAPORIZED. THE RESULTING WATER VAPOR WOULD HAVE BEEN RETAINED IN THE
ATMOSPHERE, EVENTUALLY FALLING AS RAIN ON THE COOLED AND SOLIDIFIED SURFACE
OF EARTH. THEREFORE, THE WATER IN EARTH'S OCEANS MUST HAVE ORIGINATED FROM
COMETS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEDICAL NEWSLETTER.
"DOCTORS HAVE LONG SUSPECTED THAT SECONDARY INFECTIONS MAY KEEP SOME
PATIENTS FROM HEALING QUICKLY AFTER SEVERE MUSCLE STRAIN. THIS HYPOTHESIS
HAS NOW BEEN PROVED BY PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A STUDY OF TWO GROUPS OF
PATIENTS. THE FIRST GROUP OF PATIENTS, ALL BEING TREATED FOR MUSCLE
INJURIES BY DR. NEWLAND, A DOCTOR WHO SPECIALIZES IN SPORTS MEDICINE, TOOK
ANTIBIOTICS REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THEIR TREATMENT. THEIR RECUPERATION TIME
WAS, ON AVERAGE, 40 PERCENT QUICKER THAN TYPICALLY EXPECTED. PATIENTS IN
THE SECOND GROUP, ALL BEING TREATED BY DR. ALTON, A GENERAL PHYSICIAN, WERE
GIVEN SUGAR PILLS, ALTHOUGH THE PATIENTS BELIEVED THEY WERE TAKING
ANTIBIOTICS. THEIR AVERAGE RECUPERATION TIME WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED.
THEREFORE, ALL PATIENTS WHO ARE DIAGNOSED WITH MUSCLE STRAIN WOULD BE WELL
ADVISED TO TAKE ANTIBIOTICS AS PART OF THEIR TREATMENT."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER AT BAOBOB
INC., A LARGE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM.
"SEVERAL WELL-KNOWN, RETIRED ARCHITECTS WERE INTERVIEWED IN ARCHITECTURE
TODAY ABOUT CHANGES IN THE FIELD. ONLY ONE HAD EARNED A COLLEGE DEGREE IN
ARCHITECTURE. ALL OTHERS HAD COME INTO THE FIELD AT AN EARLY AGE BY SERVING
APPRENTICESHIPS THAT REQUIRED THEM TO WORK UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF
AN EXPERIENCED ARCHITECT. SEVERAL OF THE COLLEGES THAT WE RECRUIT FROM
REPORT THAT MANY PROMISING ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY IN
THEIR UNDERGRADUATE CAREER. THEREFORE, BECAUSE FINDING TALENTED
ARCHITECTURE GRADUATES IS BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT, BAOBOB INC. SHOULD START
AN AGGRESSIVE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AND HIRE STUDENTS WHO EXPRESS AN
INTEREST IN ARCHITECTURE DIRECTLY OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL RATHER THAN WAIT FOR
THEM TO GET OUT OF COLLEGE."
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO, RESEARCHERS STUDIED A GROUP OF 25 INFANTS WHO SHOWED
SIGNS OF MILD DISTRESS WHEN EXPOSED TO UNFAMILIAR STIMULI SUCH AS AN
UNUSUAL ODOR OR A TAPE RECORDING OF AN UNKNOWN VOICE. THEY DISCOVERED THAT
THESE INFANTS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN OTHER INFANTS TO HAVE BEEN CONCEIVED IN
EARLY AUTUMN, A TIME WHEN THEIR MOTHERS' PRODUCTION OF MELATONIN—A HORMONE
KNOWN TO AFFECT SOME BRAIN FUNCTIONS—WOULD NATURALLY INCREASE IN RESPONSE
TO DECREASED DAYLIGHT. IN A FOLLOW-UP STUDY CONDUCTED EARLIER THIS YEAR,
MORE THAN HALF OF THESE CHILDREN—NOW TEENAGERS—WHO HAD SHOWN SIGNS OF
DISTRESS IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS SHY. CLEARLY, INCREASED LEVELS OF
MELATONIN BEFORE BIRTH CAUSE SHYNESS DURING INFANCY AND THIS SHYNESS
CONTINUES INTO LATER LIFE.
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A NEWSLETTER ON DENTAL HEALTH.
"A RECENT RESEARCH STUDY REPORTED THE EXPERIENCE OF DENTISTS WHOSE PATIENTS
HAD, OVER A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS, REGULARLY USED FLUX DENTAL FLOSS AS PART
OF THEIR DENTAL HYGIENE ROUTINE. THE REPORT INDICATES THAT THESE DENTISTS
HAD 50 PERCENT FEWER CASES OF GUM DISEASE THAN DID DENTISTS WHOSE PATIENTS
DID NOT USE FLUX REGULARLY. IN ADDITION, MOST OF THE FLUX USERS WHO WERE
SURVEYED BY THEIR DENTISTS AGREED THAT FLUX'S MINT FLAVOR WOULD ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE TO FLOSS MORE OFTEN. THUS, EVEN THOUGH FLUX MAY COST MORE THAN OTHER
BRANDS OF FLOSS, IT IS CLEARLY A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT FOR THOSE WHO WANT
TO BE ASSURED OF HEALTHY TEETH AND GUMS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE SHADY VILLAGE
NEWSPAPER.
"COMMUTERS ARE COMPLAINING THAT THE RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON BLUE HIGHWAY
BETWEEN SHADY VILLAGE AND BRIGHT CITY HAS DOUBLED THEIR COMMUTING TIME.
SOME COMMUTERS HAVE ASKED THAT AN ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC LANE BE BUILT, BUT THE
RECENT CREATION OF SUCH A LANE ON NEARBY GREEN HIGHWAY APPARENTLY ATTRACTED
MORE COMMUTERS, JUDGING FROM THE FACT THAT RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC JAMS ACTUALLY
INCREASED THERE THIS PAST WINTER. TO REDUCE RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC ON BLUE
HIGHWAY, A BICYCLE LANE SHOULD BE ADDED INSTEAD OF A TRAFFIC LANE. THIS
APPROACH WILL SUCCEED BECAUSE MANY CITIZENS OF SHADY VILLAGE ARE AVID
BICYCLISTS; 75 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS TO A RECENT QUESTIONNAIRE DISTRIBUTED
THERE SAID THEY WOULD LIKE TO BICYCLE MORE HOURS PER WEEK THAN THEY
CURRENTLY DO."
COLLECTORS PRIZE THE ANCIENT LIFE-SIZE CLAY STATUES OF HUMAN FIGURES MADE
ON KALI ISLAND BUT HAVE LONG WONDERED HOW THE KALINESE ARTISTS WERE ABLE TO
DEPICT BODIES WITH SUCH REALISTIC PRECISION. SINCE ARCHEOLOGISTS HAVE
RECENTLY DISCOVERED MOLDS OF HUMAN HEADS AND HANDS ON KALI, WE CAN NOW
CONCLUDE THAT THE ANCIENT KALINESE ARTISTS USED MOLDS OF ACTUAL BODIES, NOT
SCULPTING TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES, TO CREATE THESE STATUES. THIS DISCOVERY
EXPLAINS WHY KALINESE MINIATURE STATUES WERE ABSTRACT AND ENTIRELY
DIFFERENT IN STYLE: MOLDS COULD ONLY BE USED FOR LIFE-SIZE SCULPTURES. IT
ALSO EXPLAINS WHY FEW ANCIENT KALINESE SCULPTING TOOLS HAVE BEEN FOUND. IN
LIGHT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT, COLLECTORS SHOULD EXPECT THE LIFE-SIZE
SCULPTURES TO DECREASE IN VALUE AND THE MINIATURES TO INCREASE IN VALUE.
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A NEWSLETTER ON NUTRITION AND HEALTH.
"ALTHOUGH THE MULTIMINERAL ZORBA PILL WAS DESIGNED AS A SIMPLE DIETARY
SUPPLEMENT, A STUDY OF FIRST-TIME ULCER PATIENTS WHO TOOK ZORBA SUGGESTS
THAT ZORBA ACTUALLY HELPS PREVENT ULCERS. THE STUDY SHOWED THAT ONLY 25
PERCENT OF THOSE ULCER PATIENTS WHO TOOK ZORBA UNDER A DOCTOR'S DIRECTION
DEVELOPED NEW ULCERS, COMPARED TO A 75 PERCENT RECURRENCE RATE AMONG ULCER
PATIENTS WHO DID NOT TAKE ZORBA. CLEARLY, THEN, ZORBA WILL BE HIGHLY
EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING RECURRENT ULCERS AND IF HEALTH EXPERTS INFORM THE
GENERAL PUBLIC OF THIS FACT, MANY FIRST-TIME ULCERS CAN BE PREVENTED AS
WELL."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN AN ARTICLE FROM A POPULAR NEWSMAGAZINE.
"IN 1888 A STONE WAS UNEARTHED IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN WITH AN INSCRIPTION IN
AN OLD SCANDINAVIAN ALPHABET AND BEARING THE DATE 1362. SCANDINAVIANS WERE
NOT, HOWEVER, EXPLORING OR EMIGRATING TO NORTHERN WISCONSIN IN THE
FOURTEENTH CENTURY. RECENT ANALYSIS PROVES, IN FACT, THAT THE STONE HAD
BEEN BURIED IN THE SPOT WHERE IT WAS FOUND FOR NO MORE THAN 100 YEARS.
MOREOVER, THE COMMUNITY NEAR THE DISCOVERY SITE WAS HOME TO A GROUP OF
PEOPLE WHO HAD FORMED A CLUB TO STUDY MEDIEVAL SCANDINAVIAN CULTURE—A
PERIOD THAT INCLUDES THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY. THE STONE, THEREFORE, IS NOT A
GENUINE ARTIFACT OF MEDIEVAL SCANDINAVIAN CULTURE INSCRIBED IN THE
FOURTEENTH CENTURY BUT MOST LIKELY A HOAX PERPETRATED BY THE GROUP."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN AN ARTICLE IN THE HEALTH SECTION OF A NEWSPAPER.
"ACCORDING TO THE AVAILABLE MEDICAL RECORDS, THE SIX WORST WORLDWIDE FLU
EPIDEMICS DURING THE PAST 300 YEARS OCCURRED IN 1729, 1830, 1918, 1957,
1968, AND 1977. THESE WERE ALL YEARS WITH HEAVY SUNSPOT ACTIVITY—THAT IS,
YEARS WHEN THE EARTH RECEIVED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SOLAR ENERGY THAN IN
NORMAL YEARS. PEOPLE AT PARTICULAR RISK FOR THE FLU SHOULD THEREFORE AVOID
PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THE SUN."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE HEALTH SECTION OF GLENNTOWN'S LOCAL
NEWSPAPER.
"SEVERAL NATIONAL MEDICAL STUDIES SUGGEST THAT OLDER PEOPLE WHO HAVE PETS
TEND TO ENJOY BETTER HEALTH THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE PETS: THOSE WHO HAVE
PETS HAVE LOWER RATES OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND ARTHRITIS. IT SEEMS CLEAR
THAT HAVING TO CARE FOR AN ANIMAL PROMOTES GOOD HEALTH FOR THE OLDER
PERSON. THEREFORE, GLENNTOWN SHOULD ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO GIVE A SMALL PET
SUCH AS A DOG OR CAT TO ALL OF ITS CITIZENS WHO ARE OVER THE AGE OF 65.
THIS WILL HELP TO INSURE THAT OUR SENIOR CITIZENS ENJOY GOOD HEALTH AND
HAVE FEWER MEDICAL BILLS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A REPORT BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF EYLERIA.
"NATIONALLY, THE AVERAGE RATIO OF COMPUTERS TO STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN
THROUGH GRADE 12 (K-12) IS 1:5. EDUCATORS INDICATE THAT THIS IS VERY GOOD
RATIO. THIS MEANS THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO AND
CAN USE COMPUTERS DAILY IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. IN EYLERIA'S K-12 SCHOOLS, THE
RATIO OF COMPUTERS TO STUDENTS IS 1:7. THIS NUMBER IS SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE
THAT ALL OF EYLERIA'S STUDENTS, BY THE TIME THEY GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL,
WILL BE FULLY PROFICIENT IN THE USE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY. THUS, THERE IS
NO REASON TO SPEND ANY OF THE SCHOOLS' BUDGET ON COMPUTERS OR OTHER
TECHNOLOGY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED AS A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF A LOCAL SOLANO
NEWSPAPER.
"THE SOLANO SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD DO AWAY WITH ITS MUSIC EDUCATION
PROGRAMS. AFTER ALL, MUSIC PROGRAMS ARE NOT ESPECIALLY POPULAR IN OUR
SCHOOLS: ONLY 20 PERCENT OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN MUSIC
PROGRAMS LAST YEAR. FURTHERMORE, VERY FEW OF THE SOLANO DISTRICT'S COLLEGE-
BOUND STUDENTS ARE INTERESTED IN MAJORING IN MUSIC AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL.
ALSO, WHEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF OUR NEIGHBORING TOWN OF RUTHERFORD
ELIMINATED ITS MUSIC PROGRAMS TWO YEARS AGO, THE OVERALL GRADE POINT
AVERAGE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL INCREASED BY 10 PERCENT THE NEXT YEAR. SURELY
THE MONEY SPENT ON SOLANO MUSIC PROGRAMS COULD BE BETTER USED TO IMPROVE
THE QUALITY OF TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC COURSES."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED AS PART OF A MEMO FROM THE MANAGER OF A HAZARDOUS-
WASTE DISPOSAL COMPANY.
"OUR NEW PLAN WILL HELP US BETTER PROTECT OUR STAFF AGAINST EXPOSURE TO
TOXIC CHEMICALS: WE ARE FITTING EACH NEW SAFETY SUIT WITH AN ALARM THAT
WILL SOUND IN THE MAIN CONTROL BOOTH WHEN THE SUIT IS PUNCTURED. THE
CONTROL BOOTH WILL NOTIFY THE MANAGERS ON DUTY, WHO WILL THEN TAKE THE
NECESSARY STEPS TO ENSURE EMPLOYEES' SAFETY. IN ADDITION TO THE OBVIOUS
SAFETY-RELATED BENEFITS, THE FAST REACTION TIME WILL ENSURE MINIMAL WORK
STOPPAGE AND THUS RESULT IN INCREASED WORKER PRODUCTIVITY AND COMPANY
PROFITABILITY."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED AS AN EDITORIAL IN ONE OF COLEVILLE'S CITY
NEWSPAPERS.
"EVEN THOUGH A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF COLEVILLE CITY'S BUSINESSES FAILED LAST
YEAR, WE WHO LIVE IN COLEVILLE CITY SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THE FACT THAT THE
COLEVILLE REGION HAS ATTRACTED A GREAT MANY NEW BUSINESSES OVER THE LAST
THREE YEARS. IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT NEW BUSINESSES ARE, ON AVERAGE, MUCH
MORE LIKELY TO FAIL THAN ARE LONG-ESTABLISHED ONES, SO THE BUSINESS
FAILURES SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SIGN OF POOR ECONOMIC HEALTH. INDEED,
MANY ANALYSTS REGARD THE PRESENCE OF A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF NEW COMPANIES
AMONG A REGION'S BUSINESSES AS A SIGN OF ECONOMIC HEALTH. THUS COLEVILLE
CITY APPEARS TO BE IN GOOD, NOT POOR, ECONOMIC SHAPE."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE EDITORIAL SECTION OF A STUDENT NEWSPAPER.
"IN A RECENT SURVEY, MOST STUDENTS WHO WERE STUDYING BEGINNING RUSSIAN GAVE
HIGHER COURSE-EVALUATION RATINGS TO CLASSES TAUGHT BY NON-NATIVE RUSSIAN
SPEAKERS THAN TO CLASSES TAUGHT BY NATIVE RUSSIAN SPEAKERS. THE REASON THAT
THE NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS WERE BETTER TEACHERS OF RUSSIAN IS EASY TO SEE: THE
NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS LEARNED RUSSIAN LATER IN LIFE THEMSELVES, AND SO THEY
HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE LANGUAGE CAN BE TAUGHT EFFECTIVELY.
THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO IMPROVE INSTRUCTION FOR ALL LANGUAGES AND ALSO SAVE
MONEY, OUR UNIVERSITY SHOULD HIRE NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS AS LANGUAGE
INSTRUCTORS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIND AND RECRUIT NATIVE SPEAKERS."
THERE IS A GENERAL IDEA THAT WAITERS AND WAITRESSES ARE MORE LIKELY TO
RECEIVE LARGER GRATUITIES FROM LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE. A RECENT RESEARCH
STUDY SUGGESTS THIS IS NOT TRUE. THE RESEARCHERS EXAMINED THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE SIZE OF TIPS IN RESTAURANTS AND THE NUMBER OF MEALS CHARGED ON
THE BILL. THEY FOUND THAT, WHILE MOST TIPS WERE AROUND 15 PERCENT, THE
MINIMUM PERCENTAGE CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE, PEOPLE DINING ALONE TIPPED
CONSISTENTLY MORE (19 PERCENT) AND THOSE DINING IN GROUPS OF FOUR OR MORE
TIPPED CONSIDERABLY LESS (13 PERCENT) THAN THIS 15 PERCENT STANDARD. THESE
RESULTS STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE DINING IN A GROUP ARE LESS LIKELY TO
FEEL PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR LEAVING AN ADEQUATE OR GENEROUS TIP.
THERE IS A GENERAL IDEA THAT A TRANSLATION ALWAYS FAILS TO PRESERVE SOME OF
THE QUALITIES THAT DISTINGUISH THE ORIGINAL WORK—I.E., THAT 'SOMETHING
ALWAYS GETS LOST IN TRANSLATION.' WRITERS, CRITICS, AND THE GENERAL READING
PUBLIC UNTHINKINGLY ACCEPT THIS CLICHè. BUT THIS BELIEF IS UNWARRANTED:
TRANSLATORS ARE SOMETIMES DISTINGUISHED AUTHORS THEMSELVES, AND SOME
AUTHORS MAY EVEN TRANSLATE THEIR OWN WORKS. AS THE TRANSLATOR POINTED OUT
IN THE PREFACE TO AN ENGLISH VERSION OF DANTE'S WORKS, THE VIOLIN AND THE
PIANO MAKE DIFFERENT SOUNDS, BUT THEY CAN PLAY WHAT IS RECOGNIZABLY THE
SAME PIECE OF MUSIC.
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED AS PART OF A RECOMMENDATION MADE BY A FACULTY MEMBER
TO THE PRESIDENT OF A LARGE UNIVERSITY.
"NEVER ONCE IN OUR 150-YEAR HISTORY AS A UNIVERSITY HAVE WE CLARIFIED OUR
OBJECTIVES. HOW, THEN, CAN WE HOPE TO ADAPT AS AN INSTITUTION TO THE NEW
CHALLENGES FACING HIGHER EDUCATION. AS A FIRST STEP IN THIS EVOLUTIONARY
PROCESS, THEREFORE, WE SHOULD SEND OUT QUESTIONNAIRES ASKING FACULTY
MEMBERS WHY THEY TEACH, ASKING STUDENTS WHAT THEY WANT FROM THIS
UNIVERSITY, AND ASKING FORMER STUDENTS WHAT THEY GAINED FROM THEIR OWN
EDUCATION HERE. WHEN THE REPLIES COME IN, WE CAN TABULATE THEM AND
FORMULATE AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF OUR EDUCATIONAL MISSION. THIS WILL
SURELY RESULT IN IMPROVED PROGRAMS AT OUR UNIVERSITY."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE EDITORIAL SECTION OF AN EDUCATIONAL
PUBLICATION.
"ONE STUDY AT LEE UNIVERSITY FOUND THAT FIRST-SEMESTER GRADES OF TEENAGE
STUDENTS WHO HAD ALWAYS ATTENDED PUBLIC, TAX-SUPPORTED SCHOOLS WERE
SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE GRADES OF STUDENTS WHO HAD RECEIVED SOME HOME
SCHOOLING INSTRUCTION BY PARENTS AT HOME, ALTHOUGH THE GRADE DIFFERENCES
DISAPPEARED IN THE SECOND SEMESTER. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT HOME
SCHOOLING IS THE BEST WAY TO EDUCATE TEENAGE CHILDREN. THEREFORE, INSTEAD
OF SPENDING MORE MONEY ON PUBLIC EDUCATION, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES SO THAT HOME SCHOOLING IS AN OPTION FOR MORE PARENTS.
AFTER ALL, CHILDREN SCHOOLED AT HOME RECEIVE MORE ATTENTION, SINCE THEY ARE
TAUGHT BY THE BEST POSSIBLE TEACHER: A PARENT WHO HAS A HIGH STAKE IN
EDUCATING THEM WELL."
THE FOLLOWING REPORT APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
SOUTHSIDE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
"WE SHOULD ABANDON OUR CURRENT FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL BUSES
TO SERVE THE CAMPUS OF SOUTHSIDE UNIVERSITY, BECAUSE STUDENTS THERE ARE
UNLIKELY TO USE THEM. CONSIDER THE RESULTS OF THE RECENT CAMPAIGN SPONSORED
BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB AT SOUTHSIDE UNIVERSITY: IN A PROGRAM ON THE
CAMPUS RADIO STATION, THE CLUB ASKED STUDENTS TO CALL IN AND PLEDGE THAT
THEY WOULD COMMUTE TO SCHOOL BY BUS INSTEAD OF BY AUTOMOBILE AT LEAST ONE
DAY PER WEEK. ONLY TEN PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS CALLED IN AND PLEDGED. IN
VIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN'S LACK OF SUCCESS, WE CAN ASSUME THAT THE BUS SERVICE
WE CURRENTLY OFFER WILL CONTINUE TO BE SUFFICIENT TO SERVE THE UNIVERSITY."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE MASON CITY NEWSPAPER.
"AT PRESENT, MASON CITY RESIDENTS SELDOM USE THE NEARBY MASON RIVER FOR ANY
KIND OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY, EVEN THOUGH SURVEYS OF THE REGION'S
RESIDENTS CONSISTENTLY RANK WATER SPORTS (SWIMMING, FISHING, AND BOATING)
AS A FAVORITE FORM OF RECREATION. SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT
THE QUALITY OF THE WATER IN THE RIVER, RESIDENTS MUST BE AVOIDING THE RIVER
BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT IT IS NOT CLEAN ENOUGH. BUT THAT SITUATION IS ABOUT
TO CHANGE: THE AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR RIVERS IN OUR REGION HAS ANNOUNCED
PLANS TO CLEAN UP MASON RIVER. THEREFORE, RECREATIONAL USE OF THE RIVER IS
LIKELY TO INCREASE, SO THE MASON CITY COUNCIL WILL NEED TO INCREASE ITS
BUDGET FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PUBLICLY OWNED LANDS ALONG THE MASON RIVER."
THE FOLLOWING IS PART OF A LETTER FROM THE BROOKFREE SCHOOL BOARD.
"AS PART OF OUR NEW EDUCATIONAL REFORM PROGRAM, WE IDENTIFIED TEN SCHOOLS
MOST IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT. AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS NOW
RECOMMENDING THAT WE HIRE CONSULTANTS TO STUDY FURTHER THE SCHOOLS'
PROBLEMS AND TO PROPOSE A PLAN OF ACTION. ONLY TWO YEARS AGO, HOWEVER,
ANOTHER GROUP OF CONSULTANTS DETERMINED THAT SEVERAL SCHOOLS IN OUR
DISTRICT HAD PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEIR PRINCIPALS WERE INEXPERIENCED. THUS, IF
WE WANT TO SEE IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS AND SAVE THE DISTRICT
THE MONEY IT WOULD SPEND ON HIRING MORE CONSULTANTS, WE SHOULD REPLACE ALL
THE PRINCIPALS IN THE TEN WORST SCHOOLS WITH TEN OF OUR MOST EXPERIENCED
PRINCIPALS IN THE DISTRICT."
THE FOLLOWING IS A MEMORANDUM FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER OF WLSS TELEVISION
STATION.
"OVER THE PAST YEAR, OUR LATE-NIGHT NEWS PROGRAM HAS DEVOTED INCREASINGLY
MORE TIME TO COVERING NATIONAL NEWS AND LESS TIME TO COVERING WEATHER AND
LOCAL NEWS. DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD, MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS WE RECEIVED
FROM VIEWERS WERE CONCERNED WITH THE STATION'S COVERAGE OF WEATHER AND
LOCAL NEWS. IN ADDITION, SEVERAL LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT USED TO RUN
ADVERTISEMENTS DURING OUR LATE-NIGHT NEWS PROGRAM HAVE JUST CANCELLED THEIR
ADVERTISING CONTRACTS WITH US. THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO ATTRACT MORE VIEWERS
TO OUR NEWS PROGRAMS AND TO AVOID LOSING ANY FURTHER ADVERTISING REVENUES,
WE SHOULD EXPAND THE COVERAGE OF WEATHER AND LOCAL NEWS ON ALL OUR NEWS
PROGRAMS."
THE FOLLOWING WAS TAKEN FROM A GUIDE FOR ASPIRING WRITERS.
"NEW WRITERS USUALLY CANNOT CONVINCE LARGE, PRESTIGIOUS PUBLISHERS THAT
THEIR WORK IS MARKETABLE, SO THEY MUST FIRST PUBLISH WITH SMALLER, LESS
WELL-KNOWN PRESSES TO ESTABLISH A SALES RECORD. BUT THE EDITORS OF MYSTERY
WRITERS MAGAZINE HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR ASPIRING WRITERS: THE NUMBER OF MYSTERY
NOVELS PUBLISHED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY, AND MORE
PEOPLE READ MYSTERIES THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF NOVEL. IN ADDITION, ALMOST
HALF OF THE MYSTERY NOVELS PUBLISHED LAST YEAR WERE WRITTEN BY FIRST-TIME
NOVEL WRITERS. SINCE THERE IS APPARENTLY AN EXPANDING MARKET FOR MYSTERY
NOVELS, ALL PUBLISHERS WILL WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MYSTERY NOVELS
THEY PUBLISH. THEREFORE, NEW WRITERS SHOULD WRITE MYSTERY NOVELS TO
INCREASE THEIR CHANCES FOR FIRST-TIME PUBLICATION WITH A LARGER,
PRESTIGIOUS COMPANY."
THE FOLLOWING IS A MEMO FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF ACADEMIA HIGH SCHOOL.
"ACADEMIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOULD ABOLISH ITS AFTER-SCHOOL PERFORMING-ARTS
PROGRAMS AND REPLACE THEM WITH COMPUTER-TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS. WHEN NEARBY
TECHNO HIGH SCHOOL DID SO LAST YEAR, TOTAL ENROLLMENT IN ALL OF ITS AFTER-
SCHOOL ACTIVITIES REMAINED ABOUT THE SAME. MOREOVER, ON ENTERING COLLEGE,
MANY TECHNO STUDENTS CHOSE A MAJOR DIRECTLY RELATED TO THEIR AFTER-SCHOOL
ACTIVITIES. ON THE OTHER HAND, LAST YEAR ONLY 10 PERCENT OF ACADEMIA'S
GRADUATING SENIORS CHOSE PERFORMING ARTS AS THEIR MAJOR FIELD OF STUDY IN
THEIR FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE, CLEARLY INDICATING THAT MOST STUDENTS DO NOT
HAVE A STRONG INTEREST IN THE PERFORMING ARTS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER OF WORKVILLE.
"WORKERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO REDUCE THEIR WORKLOAD FROM 40 TO 25 OR EVEN
20 HOURS PER WEEK BECAUSE IT IS CLEAR THAT PEOPLE WHO WORK PART-TIME
INSTEAD OF FULL-TIME HAVE BETTER HEALTH AND IMPROVED MORALE. ONE STORE IN
WORKVILLE, WHICH BEGAN ALLOWING ITS EMPLOYEES TO WORK PART-TIME LAST YEAR,
REPORTS THAT FEWER DAYS OF SICK LEAVE WERE TAKEN LAST YEAR THAN IN PREVIOUS
YEARS. IN CONTRAST, THE FACTORY IN WORKVILLE, WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW ANY OF
ITS EMPLOYEES TO WORK PART-TIME, HAD A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
DAYS OF SICK LEAVE TAKEN LAST YEAR. IN ADDITION, A RECENT SURVEY REPORTS
THAT MOST OF THE STORE EMPLOYEES STATED THAT THEY ARE SATISFIED WITH THEIR
JOBS, WHILE MANY OF THE FACTORY EMPLOYEES STATED THAT THEY ARE DISSATISFIED
WITH THEIR JOBS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED IN TRIA
ISLAND.
"THE MARINE SANCTUARY ON TRIA ISLAND WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROTECT CERTAIN
MARINE MAMMALS. ITS REGULATIONS BAN DUMPING AND OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING
WITHIN 20 MILES OF TRIA, BUT FISHING IS NOT BANNED. CURRENTLY MANY FISH
POPULATIONS IN TRIA'S WATERS ARE DECLINING, A SITUATION BLAMED ON
POLLUTION. IN CONTRAST, THE MARINE SANCTUARY ON OMNI ISLAND HAS REGULATIONS
THAT BAN DUMPING, OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING, AND FISHING WITHIN 10 MILES OF
OMNI AND OMNI REPORTS NO SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN ITS FISH POPULATIONS.
CLEARLY, THE DECLINE IN FISH POPULATIONS IN TRIA'S WATERS IS THE RESULT OF
OVERFISHING, NOT POLLUTION. THEREFORE, THE BEST WAY TO RESTORE TRIA'S FISH
POPULATIONS AND TO PROTECT ALL OF TRIA'S MARINE WILDLIFE IS TO ABANDON OUR
REGULATIONS AND ADOPT THOSE OF OMNI."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT OF A CHAIN OF STORES THAT SELL
SUPPLIES FOR DO-IT-YOURSELF HOME IMPROVEMENTS.
"CURRENT REPORTS INDICATE THAT SALES OF NEW HOMES NATIONWIDE DECLINED BY 9
PERCENT DURING THE PAST YEAR, WHILE SALES OF EXISTING HOMES INCREASED BY 16
PERCENT. THUS WE CAN EXPECT THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF HOMEOWNERS WHO WILL BE
MAKING REPAIRS OR IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR HOMES WILL ALSO INCREASE. IN
ADDITION, PEOPLE WHO BUY EXISTING HOMES WILL HAVE MORE MONEY LEFT OVER
AFTER THE PURCHASE TO SPEND ON HOME IMPROVEMENTS. FINALLY, PEOPLE WHO BUY
EXISTING HOMES ARE MORE LIKELY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS THEMSELVES, AS OPPOSED
TO PAYING SOMEONE ELSE. THESE FACTORS COMBINED INDICATE WE CAN EXPECT AN
INCREASING DEMAND FOR PRODUCTS IN ALL OUR STORES NATIONWIDE, THUS
INCREASING OUR PROFITS IN THE COMING YEAR."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE SHERWOOD TIMES NEWSPAPER.
"A RECENT STUDY REPORTED THAT PET OWNERS HAVE LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES ON
AVERAGE THAN DO PEOPLE WHO OWN NO PETS. SPECIFICALLY, DOG OWNERS TEND TO
HAVE A LOWER INCIDENCE OF HEART DISEASE. IN LIGHT OF THESE FINDINGS,
SHERWOOD HOSPITAL SHOULD FORM A PARTNERSHIP WITH SHERWOOD ANIMAL SHELTER TO
INSTITUTE AN 'ADOPT-A-DOG' PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM WOULD ENCOURAGE DOG
OWNERSHIP FOR PATIENTS RECOVERING FROM HEART DISEASE, WHICH WILL HELP
REDUCE MEDICAL COSTS BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF THESE PATIENTS NEEDING
ONGOING TREATMENT. IN ADDITION, THE PUBLICITY ABOUT THE PROGRAM WILL
ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO ADOPT PETS FROM THE SHELTER, WHICH WILL REDUCE THE
RISK OF HEART DISEASE IN THE GENERAL POPULATION."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE GARDEN CITY GAZETTE.
"TO ADDRESS THE PARKING PROBLEMS IN OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT, IT HAS
BEEN PROPOSED THAT THE CITY INCREASE PARKING CAPACITY BY BUILDING A FOUR-
STORY PARKING GARAGE. HOWEVER, THIS PROJECT WOULD COST MORE THAN IT WOULD
TO IMPROVE THE DOWNTOWN PEDESTRIAN PLAZA. BECAUSE THE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA IS
AN IMPORTANT ATTRACTION THAT DRAWS PEOPLE TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA,
IMPROVEMENTS TO IT WILL INCREASE BUSINESS FOR DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS. THE
MERCHANTS' HIGHER PROFITS WILL ULTIMATELY PRODUCE INCREASED TAX REVENUES
FOR THE CITY. THEREFORE, WE SHOULD INVEST IN THE PLAZA IMPROVEMENTS FIRST
AND THEN USE THE REVENUES THUS GENERATED TO PAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
PARKING GARAGE."
THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES AT CLIMPSON INDUSTRIES SENT THE
FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMPANY'S PRESIDENT.
"IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE OUR EMPLOYEES' PRODUCTIVITY, WE SHOULD IMPLEMENT
ELECTRONIC MONITORING OF EMPLOYEES' INTERNET USE FROM THEIR WORKSTATIONS.
EMPLOYEES WHO USE THE INTERNET FROM THEIR WORKSTATIONS NEED TO BE
IDENTIFIED AND PUNISHED IF WE ARE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF WORK HOURS SPENT
ON PERSONAL OR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS SHOPPING OR PLAYING GAMES.
BY INSTALLING SOFTWARE TO DETECT EMPLOYEES' INTERNET USE ON COMPANY
COMPUTERS, WE CAN PREVENT EMPLOYEES FROM WASTING TIME, FOSTER A BETTER WORK
ETHIC AT CLIMPSON, AND IMPROVE OUR OVERALL PROFITS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A HEALTH MAGAZINE.
"IT HAS LONG BEEN BELIEVED THAT GETTING AT LEAST EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP A
NIGHT IS GOOD FOR HEALTH. BUT A RECENT SIX-YEAR STUDY OF ADULT SLEEPING
HABITS FOUND THAT PEOPLE WHO REPORTED SLEEPING EIGHT OR MORE HOURS A NIGHT
HAD A HIGHER RATE OF CERTAIN HEALTH PROBLEMS THAN DID THOSE WHO REPORTED
SLEEPING SEVEN HOURS A NIGHT. PEOPLE WHO REPORTED SLEEPING FIVE HOURS A
NIGHT ALSO HAD AN INCREASED RATE OF THE HEALTH PROBLEMS, BUT THIS INCREASE
WAS SLIGHT COMPARED TO THAT FOR PEOPLE WHO REPORTED SLEEPING EIGHT OR MORE
HOURS A NIGHT. CLEARLY, PEOPLE SHOULD TRY TO GET SEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP, AND
THEY SHOULD WORRY MORE ABOUT GETTING TOO MUCH SLEEP THAN TOO LITTLE."
THE FOLLOWING IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF APPLEBY COLLEGE.
"WHEREAS APPLEBY COLLEGE HOLDS CLASS REUNIONS EVERY FIVE YEARS, EDELSTON
COLLEGE HOLDS ANNUAL REUNIONS FOR ALL CLASSES, DURING WHICH EDELSTON'S
ALUMNI ARE TREATED TO BANQUETS, LECTURES, AND STUDENT PERFORMANCES,
ENHANCING THEIR LOYALTY TO THE COLLEGE AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO DONATE
MONEY. EDELSTON COLLEGE RECEIVES MOST OF ITS ALUMNI DONATIONS DURING OR
SHORTLY AFTER THESE REUNIONS. THEREFORE, THE BEST WAY FOR APPLEBY TO
INCREASE ITS ALUMNI DONATIONS IS TO OFFER SIMILAR REUNION ACTIVITIES AND TO
HAVE EACH GRADUATING CLASS HOLD ANNUAL REUNIONS."
THE FOLLOWING IS A MEMO FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER OF NATIONAL DAILY NEWS.
"TO EXPAND THE HOME DELIVERY SERVICE OF OUR NATIONAL NEWSPAPER, WE SHOULD
CONCENTRATE ON THE STATE OF URBA RATHER THAN ON THE STATE OF SYLVA. FIRST,
THE POPULATION OF SYLVA IS MORE WIDELY DISPERSED, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE US TO
SPEND MORE MONEY TO DELIVER OUR PAPERS IN THAT AREA, RESULTING IN LESS
PROFIT PER CUSTOMER. SECOND, A LONG-TERM STUDY OF TELEVISION VIEWING HABITS
SUGGESTS THAT SYLVANS PREFER LOCAL TO NATIONAL NEWS, SINCE THEY SPEND TWICE
AS MUCH TIME VIEWING LOCAL NEWS PROGRAMS AS THEY DO VIEWING NATIONAL
PROGRAMS. FINALLY, BECAUSE EVENTS IN URBA RECEIVE MORE COVERAGE IN OUR
NEWSPAPER THAN DO EVENTS IN SYLVA, WE CAN EXPECT URBANS TO BE MORE
INTERESTED IN READING OUR NEWSPAPER."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A HEALTH NEWSLETTER.
"EATING A HEAVY MEAL MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF HEART ATTACK. A RECENT SURVEY
OF 2,000 PEOPLE WHO HAD HAD A HEART ATTACK REVEALED THAT 158 OF THEM SAID
THEY HAD EATEN A HEAVY MEAL WITHIN 24 HOURS BEFORE THEIR HEART ATTACK, AND
25 OF THEM SAID THEY HAD EATEN A HEAVY MEAL WITHIN 2 HOURS BEFORE THEIR
HEART ATTACK. EATING AND DIGESTING FOOD RELEASES HORMONES INTO THE
BLOODSTREAM AND TEMPORARILY INCREASES HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE
SLIGHTLY. BOTH OF THESE THINGS PUT STRESS ON THE HEART. THEREFORE, PEOPLE
WHO ARE AT RISK OF HAVING A HEART ATTACK CAN LOWER THAT RISK BY NOT
OVEREATING."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE PINE CITY GAZETTE.
"FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, PINE CITY LAUNCHED AN ELECTRICITY-CONSERVATION PROGRAM
THAT REIMBURSED RESIDENTS SOME OF THE COST FOR REPLACING ENERGY-WASTEFUL
MOTORS, HOME OFFICE EQUIPMENT, AND HOME APPLIANCES WITH ENERGY-EFFICIENT
ONES. FOR TEN YEARS, SPENDING ON THIS PROGRAM INCREASED ANNUALLY, AND
ANNUAL TOTAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION DECLINED. BUT SPENDING ON THE PROGRAM BEGAN
TO DECLINE FIVE YEARS AGO, AND SINCE THEN PINE CITY'S TOTAL ELECTRICITY
CONSUMPTION HAS INCREASED SHARPLY. IF THIS INCREASED USAGE CONTINUES, THE
CITY WILL HAVE TO BUILD A COSTLY NEW POWER PLANT. OBVIOUSLY THE BEST WAY TO
AVOID THIS EXPENSE IS TO INCREASE REIMBURSEMENT TO RESIDENTS FOR REPLACING
ENERGY-WASTEFUL EQUIPMENT. THIS WILL REDUCE ENERGY USAGE TO THE LEVELS OF
FIVE YEARS AGO."
THE FOLLOWING IS A MEMO FROM THE PRESIDENT OF CYBERELL COMPUTER COMPANY.
"ALL OF OUR CUSTOMER-SERVICE EMPLOYEES RECENTLY ATTENDED A TWO-DAY RETREAT
DURING WHICH THEY RECEIVED RETRAINING IN EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
SUBSEQUENTLY, CYBERELL'S EMPLOYEE-PERFORMANCE STUDY SHOWED THAT THE RETREAT
BENEFITED NEW EMPLOYEES—THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED WITH CYBERELL FOR LESS THAN
TWO YEARS—FAR MORE THAN IT DID EXPERIENCED EMPLOYEES. ACCORDING TO THE
STUDY, AFTER THE RETREAT NEW EMPLOYEES WERE ABLE TO HANDLE AN AVERAGE OF
TEN PERCENT MORE CALLS PER HOUR, AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CUSTOMER
COMPLAINTS ABOUT NEW EMPLOYEES DECREASED, BUT EXPERIENCED EMPLOYEES SHOWED
LITTLE IMPROVEMENT IN THESE AREAS. THEREFORE, CYBERELL SHOULD SEND ONLY NEW
EMPLOYEES TO FUTURE RETREATS AND SHOULD USE THE RESULTING SAVINGS TO DOUBLE
THE LENGTH OF THE RETREATS SO THAT THE RETREATS WILL BE MORE LIKELY TO
YIELD OPTIMUM EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A HEALTH NEWSLETTER.
"A TEN-YEAR NATIONWIDE STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WEARING A HELMET WHILE
BICYCLING INDICATES THAT TEN YEARS AGO, APPROXIMATELY 35 PERCENT OF ALL
BICYCLISTS REPORTED WEARING HELMETS, WHEREAS TODAY THAT NUMBER IS NEARLY 80
PERCENT. ANOTHER STUDY, HOWEVER, SUGGESTS THAT DURING THE SAME TEN-YEAR
PERIOD, THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY BICYCLING HAS INCREASED 200
PERCENT. THESE RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT BICYCLISTS FEEL SAFER BECAUSE THEY
ARE WEARING HELMETS AND THEY TAKE MORE RISKS AS A RESULT. THUS, TO REDUCE
THE NUMBER OF SERIOUS INJURIES FROM BICYCLE ACCIDENTS, THE GOVERNMENT
SHOULD CONCENTRATE MORE ON EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT BICYCLE SAFETY AND LESS
ON ENCOURAGING OR REQUIRING BICYCLISTS TO WEAR HELMETS."
THE FOLLOWING IS A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE WAYMARSH TIMES.
"TRAFFIC PROBLEMS HERE IN WAYMARSH ARE OBVIOUSLY REACHING RECORD LEVELS.
WHILE JUST THREE MONTHS AGO IT WOULD TAKE ME 15 MINUTES TO GET TO WORK, IT
NOW TAKES CLOSER TO 25. WAYMARSH SHOULD FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF OUR
NEIGHBORING CITY GEARSVILLE. LAST YEAR, GEARSVILLE IMPLEMENTED A POLICY
THAT REWARDS PEOPLE WHO SHARE RIDES TO WORK WITH COUPONS FOR FREE GAS.
POLLUTION LEVELS IN GEARSVILLE HAVE DROPPED SINCE THE POLICY WAS
IMPLEMENTED, AND SEVERAL FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN GEARSVILLE TELL ME THAT THEIR
TRIP TO WORK IS QUICKER THAN IT USED TO BE. WITH THE TERRIBLE TRAFFIC AND
HIGH POLLUTION IN WAYMARSH, WE MUST IMPLEMENT A POLICY SIMILAR TO
GEARSVILLE'S."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A NEWSLETTER FROM A NATIONAL ASTRONOMY
ASSOCIATION.
"VARIOUS SOURCES ARE PREDICTING HIGHER-THAN-AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY NEXT WINTER, INCLUDING IN SUN CITY, THE TRADITIONAL LOCATION OF OUR
YEARLY WINTER CONFERENCE. HIGHER WINTER TEMPERATURES ARE SURE TO RESULT IN
HIGHER-THAN-USUAL TOURISM IN SUN CITY, A LOCATION ALREADY KNOWN FOR ITS
ATTRACTIVE BEACHES AND GOOD WEATHER. HOTELS WILL HAVE FEWER ROOMS
AVAILABLE, TRANSPORTATION WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT TO RESERVE, AND PUBLIC
PLACES SUCH AS PARKS AND RESTAURANTS WILL BE MORE CROWDED. THESE CONDITIONS
ARE LIKELY TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE ATTENDANCE AT THE CONFERENCE. WE SHOULD
THEREFORE MOVE OUR CONFERENCE TO A CITY LESS POPULAR WITH WINTER TOURISTS."
THE FOLLOWING IS A MEMO FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER OF VALU-MART STORES.
"OVER 70 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS TO A RECENT SURVEY REPORTED THAT THEY
ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE MORE WORK HOME WITH THEM FROM THE WORKPLACE THAN THEY
WERE IN THE PAST. SINCE VALU-MART HAS NOT SEEN IMPRESSIVE SALES IN ITS
OFFICE-SUPPLY DEPARTMENTS IN THE PAST, WE SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS
WORK-AT-HOME TREND BY INCREASING AT ALL VALU-MART STORES THE STOCK OF HOME
OFFICE MACHINES SUCH AS PRINTERS, SMALL COPY MACHINES, PAPER SHREDDERS, AND
FAX MACHINES. WE WILL ALSO INCREASE STOCK OF OFFICE SUPPLIES SUCH AS PAPER,
PENS, AND STAPLERS. WITH THESE CHANGES, OUR OFFICE-SUPPLY DEPARTMENTS WILL
BECOME THE MOST PROFITABLE COMPONENT OF OUR STORES."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM GROCERY TOWN'S REGIONAL MANAGER.
"THE NEW GROCERY TOWN STORE IN ELM CITY, LOCATED NEAR A NEW RESIDENTIAL
DEVELOPMENT, HAS A 'HIGH-LOW' PRICING POLICY WHERE AVERAGE PRICES ARE
RELATIVELY HIGH, BUT DEEP DISCOUNTS ARE OFFERED ON SOME ITEMS IN WEEKLY
SPECIALS. THIS STORE HAS BEEN SHOWING INCREASED PROFITS EVERY MONTH AS THE
NEARBY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT GETS CLOSER TO FULL CAPACITY. IT FOLLOWS
THAT PEOPLE PREFER A PRICING POLICY WHERE THEY CAN FIND BARGAINS ON
SPECIFIC ITEMS. SINCE THERE IS A NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNED IN OAK
CITY, WE SHOULD CHANGE THE PRICING POLICY AT ALL OF OUR OAK CITY STORES
FROM OUR CURRENT 'EVERYDAY LOW PRICES' POLICY TO A 'HIGH-LOW' POLICY. THIS
WILL INCREASE THE PROFITS AT ALL OF OUR STORES IN OAK CITY."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRADE JOURNAL IN THE COUNTRY
OF SARTORIA.
"A POPULAR FASHION MAGAZINE RECENTLY CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CONSUMERS'
OPINIONS ABOUT CLOTHING PRICES, USING PREPAID MAILING ENVELOPES. EIGHTY-
NINE PERCENT OF THE APPROXIMATELY 20,000 RESPONDENTS REPORTED THAT THEY
WERE EITHER "DISSATISFIED" OR "VERY DISSATISFIED" WITH CURRENT CLOTHING
PRICES. THE LARGE NUMBER OF RESPONSES INDICATES THAT THE SARTORIAN CLOTHING
INDUSTRY IS AT RISK. GIVEN THE SURVEY RESULTS, CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS MUST
FIND A WAY TO REDUCE PRICES IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR EXISTING CUSTOMERS AND
MAINTAIN THEIR BUSINESSES."
A RECENTLY COMPLETED STUDY SHOWS THAT PEOPLE DWELLING IN STAIRS-ONLY
APARTMENT BUILDINGS (THAT IS, BUILDINGS WITHOUT ELEVATORS) LIVE AN AVERAGE
OF THREE YEARS LONGER THAN DO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN BUILDINGS WITH BOTH
ELEVATORS AND STAIRS. A SECOND STUDY SHOWS THAT ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF
BUILDINGS WITH ELEVATORS MAKE, ON AVERAGE, TWICE AS MANY VISITS TO DOCTORS
EACH YEAR AS DO ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF BUILDINGS WITHOUT ELEVATORS. THESE
FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT EVEN A VERY MODERATE AMOUNT OF DAILY EXERCISE, SUCH
AS THAT REQUIRED TO USE THE STAIRS LEADING TO AND FROM ONE'S APARTMENT, CAN
INCREASE PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND LONGEVITY. THE FINDINGS ALSO SUGGEST THAT NEW
APARTMENT BUILDINGS SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED WITH AS FEW ELEVATORS AS
POSSIBLE.
THE FOLLOWING WAS PUBLISHED BY A CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY.
"THREE YEARS AGO, SO-LOW LAUNCHED A NATIONWIDE AD CAMPAIGN, FOCUSING
HEAVILY ON SUNNY REGIONS AND DISTRIBUTING FREE SUNGLASSES THERE. BUT
ALTHOUGH SO-LOW SUNGLASSES COST LESS THAN HIGHER-PRICED BRANDS, THEY BLOCK
A SMALLER PROPORTION OF THE SUN'S RAYS, INCLUDING THE TYPE OF RAYS KNOWN TO
DAMAGE THE EYES EVEN WHEN THE PERSON WEARING THE SUNGLASSES FEELS NO
DISCOMFORT. A RECENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT SO-LOW SUNGLASSES CAN ACTUALLY
INCREASE THE RISK OF DAMAGE TO PEOPLE'S EYES BY CREATING A FALSE SENSE OF
SECURITY. THE STUDY SHOWS A SHARP INCREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF VISION
PROBLEMS IN THE SUNNY REGIONS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS. THESE FINDINGS
SUGGEST THAT ANYONE CONCERNED ABOUT EYE DAMAGE FROM THE SUN SHOULD AVOID SO-
LOW BRAND AND INSTEAD EITHER PAY FOR HIGHER-PRICED BRANDS OR WEAR NO
SUNGLASSES AT ALL."
THE FOLLOWING PROPOSAL WAS RAISED AT A MEETING OF THE FRANKLIN CITY
COUNCIL.
"FRANKLIN AIRPORT, WHICH IS ON A BAY, IS NOTORIOUS FOR FLIGHT DELAYS. THE
AIRPORT MANAGEMENT WANTS TO BUILD NEW RUNWAYS TO INCREASE CAPACITY BUT CAN
ONLY DO SO BY FILLING IN 900 ACRES OF THE BAY. THE BAY COALITION
ORGANIZATION OBJECTS THAT FILLING IN THE BAY WILL DISRUPT TIDAL PATTERNS
AND HARM WILDLIFE. BUT THE AIRPORT SAYS THAT IF IT IS PERMITTED TO BUILD
ITS NEW RUNWAYS, IT WILL FUND THE RESTORATION OF 1,000 ACRES OF WETLANDS IN
AREAS OF THE BAY THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN DAMAGED BY INDUSTRIALIZATION.
THIS PLAN SHOULD BE ADOPTED, FOR IT IS NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE FLIGHT
DELAYS, AND THE WETLANDS RESTORATION PART OF THE PLAN ENSURES THAT THE
BAY'S ENVIRONMENT WILL ACTUALLY BE HELPED RATHER THAN HURT."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AT
DURA-SOCK, INC.
"A RECENT STUDY OF DURA-SOCK WEARERS SUGGESTS THAT OUR COMPANY IS WASTING
THE MONEY IT SPENDS ON ITS PATENTED "ENDURE" MANUFACTURING PROCESS, WHICH
ENSURES THAT OUR SOCKS ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO LAST FOR TWO YEARS. DURA-SOCK
HAS ALWAYS ADVERTISED ITS USE OF THE "ENDURE" PROCESS, BUT THE NEW STUDY
SHOWS THAT THE AVERAGE DURA-SOCK CUSTOMER ACTUALLY PURCHASES NEW DURA-SOCKS
EVERY THREE MONTHS. FURTHERMORE, DURA-SOCK CUSTOMERS SURVEYED IN OUR
LARGEST MARKET, NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES CITIES, SAY THAT THEY MOST VALUE
DURA-SOCK'S STYLISH APPEARANCE AND AVAILABILITY IN MANY COLORS. THESE
FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT DURA-SOCK CAN INCREASE ITS PROFITS BY DISCONTINUING
ITS USE OF THE "ENDURE" MANUFACTURING PROCESS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF SHERWOOD JUNIOR HIGH
SCHOOL.
="IT =APPEARS THAT THE LIGHTING IN SHERWOOD HIGH'S CLASSROOMS, WHICH HAVE
LARGE WINDOWS BUT MINIMAL OVERHEAD LIGHT SOURCES, IS IMPAIRING STUDENT
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND TEACHER MORALE. RECORDS SHOW THAT DURING DECEMBER
AND JANUARY, THE TWO MONTHS WITH THE FEWEST HOURS OF DAYLIGHT, ATTENDANCE
RATES FALL, AVERAGE DAILY CLASS PARTICIPATION DROPS, AND GRADES DECLINE.
TEACHER RESIGNATIONS ARE ALSO HIGHEST DURING THESE MONTHS. ACCORDING TO A
STUDY OF TUNDRA VOCATIONAL SCHOOL, WHICH EXPERIENCES ENTIRE SEASONS WITH
LITTLE DAYLIGHT, STUDENTS' GRADE POINT AVERAGES INCREASED WHEN DAY GLOW
LIGHT BULBS, WHICH MIMIC SUNLIGHT, WERE INSTALLED IN CLASSROOMS. THIS STUDY
SUGGESTS THAT SHERWOOD CAN IMPROVE STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND
TEACHERS' MORALE BY USING DAY GLOW LIGHT BULBS IN WINTER."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE MAPLE CITY
NEWSPAPER.
"TWENTY YEARS AGO PINE CITY ESTABLISHED STRICT LAWS DESIGNED TO LIMIT THE
NUMBER OF NEW BUILDINGS THAT COULD BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE CITY. SINCE THAT
TIME THE AVERAGE HOUSING PRICES IN PINE CITY HAVE INCREASED CONSIDERABLY.
CHESTNUT CITY, WHICH IS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS PINE CITY, HAS OVER THE PAST
TWENTY YEARS EXPERIENCED AN INCREASE IN AVERAGE HOUSING PRICES SIMILAR TO
PINE CITY, BUT CHESTNUT CITY NEVER ESTABLISHED ANY LAWS THAT LIMIT NEW
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. SO IT IS CLEAR THAT LAWS LIMITING NEW CONSTRUCTION
HAVE NO EFFECT ON AVERAGE HOUSING PRICES. SO IF MAPLE CITY WERE TO
ESTABLISH STRICT LAWS THAT LIMIT NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, THESE LAWS WILL
HAVE NO EFFECT ON AVERAGE HOUSING PRICES."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A BRENTON NEWSPAPER.
"THE BRENTON POWER PLANT DRAWS WATER FROM SCOTT'S RIVER FOR ITS COOLING
SYSTEM AND RELEASES THE WARMED WATER BACK INTO THE RIVER. THE TOWN COUNCIL
RECOMMENDS THAT THE PLANT INSTALL A MORE EFFICIENT COOLING SYSTEM THAT USES
LESS WATER, CLAIMING IT WILL BE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND. HOWEVER, IN
UPTOWN, WHERE THE NEW SYSTEM IS USED, A STUDY FOUND THAT THE COMPLEX
NETWORK OF PIPES IN THE NEW SYSTEM TENDS TO ACCUMULATE ALGAE. THE BUILD UP
OF ALGAE CAN BE AVOIDED BY SCRUBBING THE PIPES, WHICH IS COSTLY, OR BY
ADDING AN HERBICIDE TO THE WATER IN THE PIPES TO PREVENT ALGAE
ACCUMULATION. BUT WATER CONTAINING THE HERBICIDE CANNOT BE RELEASED BACK
INTO THE RIVER AND IT IS KNOWN THAT LOW WATER LEVELS CAN HARM RIVER
ECOSYSTEMS ACCUSTOMED TO HIGHER LEVELS. THEREFORE, BRENTON POWER PLANT
SHOULD CONTINUE TO USE THE OLD COOLING SYSTEM EXCLUSIVELY."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE SEATOWN NEWSPAPER.
"SEATOWN HAS A LARGE PORT EXCLUSIVELY FOR FISHING BOATS, WHOSE OWNERS PAY
FEES FOR THE UPKEEP OF THE DOCKS AND FOR FACILITIES FOR CLEANING ENGINES
AND REPAIRING NETS. IN RECENT YEARS, DECLINING FISH POPULATIONS HAVE
DECREASED FISHING REVENUE AND FORCED MANY OWNERS TO STOP FISHING
ALTOGETHER. AS A RESULT, THE PORT HAS A HIGH VACANCY RATE AND PORT MANAGERS
ARE CONSIDERING ALLOWING PLEASURE BOATS, INCLUDING CRUISE SHIPS AND OTHER
LARGE VESSELS, TO USE THE PORT IN ORDER TO INCREASE REVENUE. BUT ALLOWING
PLEASURE BOATS INTO THE PORT WOULD BE A MISTAKE, BECAUSE THE FISHING BOATS
WOULD BE FORCED OUT OF THE PORT. WE SHOULD PRESERVE THE PORT FOR THE
FISHING FLEET, WHICH, UNLIKE PLEASURE BOATS, CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROSPERITY
OF SEATOWN."
THE FOLLOWING EDITORIAL APPEARED IN A NEWSPAPER IN THE COUNTRY OF SOLARIA.
"THE ELIOT VALLEY REGION WAS PRIMARILY AGRICULTURAL TWENTY YEARS AGO. IN
THE PAST TWENTY YEARS, HOWEVER, MANY COMPUTER-CHIP MANUFACTURERS HAVE
OPENED FACTORIES THERE. A RECENT STUDY FOUND THAT WATER POLLUTION IN THE
REGION WAS WORSE THAN IN ANY OTHER REGION IN THE COUNTRY. MOREOVER, THE
COMPUTER-CHIP FACTORIES, WHICH USE LARGE QUANTITIES OF WATER TO MANUFACTURE
THE CHIPS, ARE PROBABLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOW LEVELS OF WATER IN THE
REGION'S LAKES AND RESERVOIRS. THEREFORE, IF THE REGION'S COMPUTER-CHIP
MAKERS HAD LIMITS PLACED ON THE AMOUNT OF WATER THEY COULD USE, WATER
QUALITY WOULD IMPROVE."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A HEALTH NEWSLETTER.
"ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY, PEOPLE WITH MANY SOCIAL TIES REPORT CATCHING
COLDS LESS OFTEN THAN DO PEOPLE WITH FEW SOCIAL TIES. CONSEQUENTLY,
RESEARCHERS CONCLUDE THAT HAVING AN ACTIVE SOCIAL LIFE PROBABLY HELPS
STRENGTHEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE RESEARCHERS NOTE THAT CATCHING A COLD—
ONE OF A FAMILY OF HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS VIRUSES—GIVES THE COLD-SUFFERER
TEMPORARY IMMUNITY TO THAT VIRUS IN THE FUTURE, BUT NOT TO THE MANY OTHER
RELATED VIRUSES. MERELY BEING EXPOSED TO A NEW COLD VIRUS, HOWEVER, IS NOT
ENOUGH FOR A PERSON TO CATCH A COLD, SINCE A STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM CAN
SUCCESSFULLY FIGHT OFF SOME NEW VIRUSES. THUS, IN ORDER TO PREVENT CATCHING
A COLD, PEOPLE SHOULD STRENGTHEN THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS BY BECOMING MORE
ACTIVE SOCIALLY."
ONE KIND OF BRAIN-SCANNING DEVICE IS USED BY DOCTORS TO MONITOR NORMAL AS
WELL AS ABNORMAL ACTIVITY IN A PATIENT'S BRAIN. THE DEVICE PROVIDES PRECISE
MEASUREMENTS OF BLOOD FLOW IN THE BRAIN, A KNOWN INDICATOR OF HOW THE BRAIN
IS WORKING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEVICE REQUIRES PATIENTS TO REMAIN
COMPLETELY STILL WITH THEIR HEADS IN THE SCANNING MACHINE, WHICH MAKES A
VERY LOUD NOISE. UNDER THESE UNCOMFORTABLE CONDITIONS, IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT
DOCTORS CAN GET ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS. A NEW HEAD-MOUNTED DEVICE THAT
MEASURES EYE MOVEMENTS RATHER THAN BLOOD FLOW AND ALLOWS PATIENTS TO MOVE
AROUND WILL UNDOUBTEDLY PROVIDE BETTER BRAIN MEASUREMENTS. THUS, THE NEW
HEAD-MOUNTED DEVICE SHOULD REPLACE THE OLDER DEVICE AT ALL HOSPITALS AND
RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS.
BLUE CITY HIGHWAY HAD ALWAYS BEEN NOTORIOUS FOR ITS TIGHT CURVES AND POOR
ROADWAY VISIBILITY, AND THE ACCIDENT RATE THERE WAS GENERALLY VERY HIGH.
LAST YEAR THE HIGHWAY WAS REDESIGNED TO BROADEN THE CURVES AND IMPROVE
ROADWAY VISIBILITY. DRIVERS REPORT THAT THEY NOW FEEL MUCH SAFER DRIVING ON
THE HIGHWAY AND THAT THE REDESIGN HAS BEEN A BIG IMPROVEMENT. BUT THE
NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAY HAS NOT BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE
SIX MONTHS SINCE THE REDESIGN THAN IT WAS IN THE SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE
REDESIGN. THEREFORE, THE REDESIGN CLEARLY DID NOT IMPROVE THE CURVES AND
ROADWAY VISIBILITY ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A LETTER FROM THE MAYOR OF TUDOR CITY.
"AFTER A MAJOR AIRLINE CHOSE YORKVILLE AS ITS REGIONAL FLIGHT HUB, THE
NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN THAT CITY ALMOST DOUBLED AND LOCAL TAX REVENUE
INCREASED BY 50 PERCENT. IN ADDITION, AS TRAVEL TO YORKVILLE BECAME EASIER,
MOST RESPONDENTS TO A SURVEY OF THE COUNTRY'S TOP EXECUTIVES IDENTIFIED
YORKVILLE AS A DESIRABLE PLACE TO TRANSACT BUSINESS. TO SECURE EFFICIENT
TRANSPORTATION FOR TUDOR CITY AND STIMULATE OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, WE SHOULD
BUILD A NEW AIRPORT, LIKE THE ONE IN YORKVILLE, THAT IS SUITABLE FOR A
REGIONAL FLIGHT HUB."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE PRESIDENT OF A COMPANY THAT MAKES
BREAKFAST CEREALS.
"IN A RECENT STUDY, SUBJECTS WHO ATE SOYBEANS AT LEAST FIVE TIMES PER WEEK
HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER CHOLESTEROL LEVELS THAN SUBJECTS WHO ATE NO SOY
PRODUCTS. BY FORTIFYING OUR WHEAT-O CEREAL WITH SOY PROTEIN, WE CAN
INCREASE SALES BY APPEALING TO ADDITIONAL CONSUMERS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
THEIR HEALTH. THIS NEW VERSION OF WHEAT-O SHOULD INCREASE COMPANY PROFITS
AND, AT THE SAME TIME, IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF OUR CUSTOMERS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE
PRESTO MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
"SINCE ORDERS FOR OUR MAJOR PRODUCT INCREASED BY OVER 200 PERCENT LAST
QUARTER, WE SHOULD PROMPTLY EXPAND PRODUCTION BY BUILDING A NEW
MANUFACTURING PLANT IN SUMMIT CITY. SUMMIT CITY IS THE IDEAL LOCATION FOR
THE NEW PLANT BECAUSE IT HAS LOW PROPERTY TAXES, EXTENSIVE BLOCKS OF LAND
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE PURCHASE, AND A LARGE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO ARE
NOT CURRENTLY EMPLOYED."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE ECONOMIC MINISTER OF THE SMALL
COUNTRY PAUCIA.
"USING A NEWLY DEVELOPED VARIETY OF SEED, FARMERS IN OUR NEIGHBORING
COUNTRY ABUNDIA PRODUCED 80 PERCENT MORE RICE LAST YEAR THAN IN ANY
PREVIOUS YEAR. TO INCREASE THE INCOME OF FARMERS IN OUR OWN COUNTRY, WE
SHOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO CULTIVATE THIS NEW VARIETY OF RICE RATHER THAN
SOME OF THEIR TRADITIONAL CROPS. SUCH HIGH YIELDS OF RICE WILL ALSO IMPROVE
OUR COUNTRY'S BALANCE OF TRADE BY ENABLING US TO BEGIN EXPORTING IT."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE DIRECTOR OF A LARGE GROUP OF
HOSPITALS.
"IN A LABORATORY STUDY OF LIQUID ANTIBACTERIAL HAND SOAPS, A CONCENTRATED
SOLUTION OF NADASEPT KILLED 40 PERCENT MORE BACTERIA THAN THE LIQUID HAND
SOAPS CURRENTLY USED IN OUR HOSPITALS. DURING A SUBSEQUENT TEST OF NADASEPT
AT OUR HOSPITAL IN SALUDA, THAT HOSPITAL REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER CASES
OF PATIENT INFECTION THAN DID ANY OF THE OTHER HOSPITALS IN OUR GROUP.
THEREFORE, TO PREVENT SERIOUS PATIENT INFECTIONS, WE SHOULD SUPPLY NADASEPT
AT ALL HAND WASHING STATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE MANAGER OF TELEVISION STATION
KICK.
"A NATIONWIDE SURVEY REVEALS THAT A SIZEABLE MAJORITY OF MEN WOULD LIKE TO
SEE ADDITIONAL SPORTS PROGRAMS ON TELEVISION. AFTER TELEVISION STATION WACK
INCREASED ITS SPORTS BROADCASTS, ITS SHARE OF THE TELEVISION AUDIENCE IN
ITS VIEWING AREA ALMOST DOUBLED. TO GAIN A LARGER AUDIENCE SHARE IN OUR
AREA, AND THUS INCREASE COMPANY PROFITS, KICK SHOULD ALSO REVISE ITS
BROADCAST SCHEDULE TO INCLUDE MORE SPORTS COVERAGE."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MAGAZINE FOCUSING ON HEALTH AND FITNESS.
"A RECENT STUDY OF SEVERAL NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS SHOWED THAT SUBJECTS WHO
TOOK A DAILY PILL CONTAINING LUCEEN HAD SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER VISION OF
DISTANT OBJECTS THAN SUBJECTS IN THE STUDY WHO TOOK OTHER NUTRITIONAL
SUPPLEMENTS. LUCEEN APPEARS NATURALLY IN A TASTY FRUIT THAT GROWS ON THE
ISLAND OF BONOPIA, AND VERY FEW INHABITANTS OF THAT ISLAND WEAR EYEGLASSES
OR OTHER CORRECTIVE LENSES. SUCH EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT PEOPLE WHO DEVELOP
VISION PROBLEMS SHOULD TAKE REGULAR LUCEEN SUPPLEMENTS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM A BUDGET PLANNER IN SOPHIA COUNTY.
"CENSUS DATA INDICATE THAT THE NUMBER OF RETIRED COUPLES WITHOUT CHILDREN
WHO ARE MOVING INTO SOPHIA COUNTY IS STEADILY RISING; PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN
OUR COUNTY REPORT SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN ENROLLMENT; AND A STATEWIDE
SURVEY OF PARENTS SHOWS THAT OVER 10 PERCENT NOW SUPPORT THE IDEA OF HOME
SCHOOLING INSTEAD OF PUBLIC SCHOOLING FUNDED BY THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT. SUCH
DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS SUGGEST THAT OUR COUNTY WILL NOT HAVE TO CONSTRUCT NEW
SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND THAT WE CAN THEREFORE DECREASE THE BUDGET FOR COUNTY-
FUNDED PUBLIC SCHOOLS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM THE PRESIDENT OF BOWER BUILDERS, A
COMPANY THAT CONSTRUCTS NEW HOMES.
"A NATIONWIDE SURVEY REVEALS THAT THE TWO MOST DESIRED HOME FEATURES ARE A
BATHROOM WITH A WHIRLPOOL TUB AND A LARGE KITCHEN. HOMES IN A NEARBY
DEVELOPMENT BUILT BY OUR COMPETITOR, DOMUS CONSTRUCTION, HAVE WHIRLPOOL
TUBS AND HAVE SOLD MUCH FASTER AND AT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PRICES THAN THE
AVERAGE. TO INCREASE OUR SALES AND PROFITS, WE SHOULD INCLUDE WHIRLPOOL
TUBS AND LARGER KITCHENS AS STANDARD FEATURES IN ALL OUR NEW HOMES. SINCE
OUR RECENT BUYERS HAVE VOICED NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT SMALL YARDS, WE CAN ALSO
INCREASE PROFITS BY DECREASING THE SIZE OF OUR YARDS."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN A MEMO FROM A VICE PRESIDENT OF A LARGE, HIGHLY
DIVERSIFIED COMPANY.
"TEN YEARS AGO OUR COMPANY HAD TWO NEW REGIONAL OFFICE BUILDINGS BUILT IN
TWO DIFFERENT REGIONS. THE BUILDINGS WERE ERECTED BY TWO DIFFERENT
CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES—ALPHA AND ZETA. EVEN THOUGH THE TWO BUILDINGS HAD
VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL FLOOR PLANS, THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTED BY ZETA COST 30
PERCENT MORE TO BUILD, AND ITS EXPENSES FOR MAINTENANCE LAST YEAR WERE
TWICE THOSE OF THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTED BY ALPHA. FURTHERMORE, THE ENERGY
CONSUMPTION OF THE ZETA BUILDING HAS BEEN HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE ALPHA
BUILDING EVERY YEAR SINCE ITS CONSTRUCTION. SUCH DATA, PLUS THE FACT THAT
ALPHA HAS A STABLE WORKFORCE WITH LITTLE EMPLOYEE TURNOVER, INDICATE THAT
WE SHOULD USE ALPHA CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, RATHER THAN ZETA, FOR ALL FUTURE
BUILDING PROJECTS."
THE FOLLOWING IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AT
TECHFORCE COMPUTER COMPANY.
"MANY WORKING PARENTS REPORT THAT PROBLEMS RELATED TO THEIR CHILDCARE
ARRANGEMENTS ARE A MAJOR REASON FOR ABSENTEEISM FROM THEIR JOBS. BRIDGEWELL
CORPORATION, A TELE-COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, IMPLEMENTED AN ON-SITE
CHILDCARE PROGRAM AND AFTER ONE YEAR, THE COMPANY REPORTED THAT UNSCHEDULED
ABSENCES HAD DECLINED BY 25 PERCENT. SINCE TECHFORCE HAS HAD AN INCREASE IN
UNSCHEDULED EMPLOYEE ABSENCES OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE SHOULD THEREFORE
IMPLEMENT OUR OWN ON-SITE CHILDCARE PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM WILL UNDOUBTEDLY
REDUCE OUR UNSCHEDULED EMPLOYEE ABSENCES, RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY
INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY."
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN AN ARTICLE IN SUPPLEMENTS TODAY.
"DIETICIANS HAVE LONG KNOWN THAT PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES WHO EAT A LOT OF
NUTS HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF ENDURANCE THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT. RESEARCHERS
HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THE PARTICULAR COMBINATION OF VITAMIN N AND
FIBER FOUND IN SOME NUTS PROVIDES A BOOST FOR THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN
STRENUOUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES DAILY. BOTH VITAMIN N AND FIBER SUPPLEMENTS
ARE EASILY SYNTHESIZED AND WIDELY AVAILABLE. AS A RESULT, ALL THOSE WHO
PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES WILL BE ABLE TO INCREASE THEIR ENDURANCE
AND WIN MORE GAMES BY TAKING VITAMIN N ALONG WITH A FIBER SUPPLEMENT."
