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."