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Q: A letter to the stockholders ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   8 Comments )
Question  
Subject: A letter to the stockholders
Category: Arts and Entertainment > Books and Literature
Asked by: walmansoori-ga
List Price: $2.00
Posted: 25 Oct 2006 10:40 PDT
Expires: 24 Nov 2006 09:40 PST
Question ID: 776791
In a letter to the stockholders contained in a corporate annual report
that was first published 24 years ago, the President and Chairman of
the Board of a company with more than 18,000 subsidiaries proclaimed
that "It's certainly been a tremendous year, but we're looking forward
to an even tremendouser year..." Who wrote this letter and what is the
due date on the library card that partially covers this letter?
please send me the URL that you found the answer in.

Clarification of Question by walmansoori-ga on 25 Oct 2006 11:15 PDT
so,Is the name of the person who said that sentece: John D. Flathead?
what about the due date of the library card of the cover of that letter?
Answer  
Subject: Re: A letter to the stockholders
Answered By: denco-ga on 25 Oct 2006 11:17 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Howdy walmansoori-ga,

The fictional character John D. Flathead, President and Chairman of the Board
of FrobozzCo International, wrote the letter.  This is part of the Infocom
game of Zork III.
http://infodoc.plover.net/manuals/zork3.pdf

"More than 18,000 additional subsidiaries were formed or taken over
during the last year, further increasing the scope of our industrial
empire. FrobozzCo now produces everything from aardvarks to zwieback.

I trust that you, as a stockholder, will take the time to read through
this report and learn about at least a few of the many exciting things
that are going on here at FrobozzCo. It’s certainly been a tremendous
year, but we’re looking forward to an even tremendouser year in 779!"

The equally fictional due date on the library check-out card is: 02/21/948

If you need any clarification, please feel free to ask.


Search strategy:

Google search on: "even tremendouser year"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22even+tremendouser+year%22

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

Request for Answer Clarification by walmansoori-ga on 25 Oct 2006 11:21 PDT
just a small question: there are different dates posted in that
letter. for example:
05/18/781
01/32/811
09/11/846
02/07/902
02/21/948

so why we say that the due date is the last one which is:02/21/948 ??

Clarification of Answer by denco-ga on 25 Oct 2006 11:46 PDT
My pleasure, walmansoori-ga,

When library books are stamped with due dates, the last date shown is the
current due date.  Here is the sequence of due dates again.

05/18/781
01/32/811
09/11/846
02/07/902
02/21/948

As you can see by the sequence, the last number (781, 811, 846, 902, 948) is
the year, as further evidenced by the date ("... even tremendouser year in
779!") mentioned in the letter.

So, the latest date is the due date of the library book: 02/21/948

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher
walmansoori-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars

Comments  
Subject: Re: A letter to the stockholders
From: tr1234-ga on 25 Oct 2006 10:49 PDT
 
Didn't this phrase appear in a fictional letter in the world of some
video game or something? It sounds familiar, but I don't think it's
from an actual, real-world corporate annual report...
Subject: Re: A letter to the stockholders
From: canadianhelper-ga on 25 Oct 2006 10:57 PDT
 
This is from Zork III
Subject: Re: A letter to the stockholders
From: canadianhelper-ga on 25 Oct 2006 10:58 PDT
 
"FrobozzCo International Annual Report, 778 GUE"

[The Annual Report was printed with an old style cover. A
hand-hammered plate across the left edge binds the pages together. The
cover is attached to the plate with hinges and rivets made from the
same metal. The cover itself is made from a dark wood, maybe oak or
cherry. The large "F" logo that FrobozzCo uses and the report title
have been carved into the surface of the wood with wood-burning
tools.]



Festeron Town Library bookplate

05/18/781
01/32/811
09/11/846
02/07/902
02/21/948

Please take care of me... library books belong to everyone.

[The bookplate contains a drawing at the top, above the area where the
check-out dates are stamped. The drawing of the Festeron library is
done in the same style and coloring as the rest of the pictures in in
Zork 1's "The Great Underground Empire: A History". The library is two
stories high and resembles a castle: the entrance is straddled by two
round towers with cone-shaped roofs that are slightly taller than the
main roof, and between them and above the entrance is another tower
which has a traditional flat roof. On the second floor are two skyways
at the left and right ends of the building, but we do not see which
buildings these lead to.]

[The bookplate has been pasted into the book at an angle, and it
partially obscures the FrobozzCo President's foreword. Historical
research uncovered a first draft of his message, allowing for the full
message to be reconstructed:]

A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS

778 was a year of continued growth for FrobozzCo and its many
subsidiaries. Gross income rose 14% and our revenue increased by 22%.
The employment rate now stands at 98.7% for the entire workforce of
the Great Underground Empire and is limited only by the birth rate and
the size of the Royal Family.

Following the completion of the Royal Museum, the Frobozz Magic Cave
Company, our largest subsidiary, moved to increase its staff even more
as the well-publicized dam and volcano projects moved into full gear.
The Cave Company will also be creating the new 400-story FrobozzCo
world headquarters in Flatheadia, scheduled to open sometime in 781.

More than 18,000 additional subsidiaries were formed or taken over
during the last year, further increasing the scope of our industrial
empire. FrobozzCo now produces everything from aardvarks to zwieback.

I trust that you, as a stockholder, will take the time to read through
this report and learn about at least a few of the many exciting things
that are going on here at FrobozzCo. It's certainly been a tremendous
year, but we?re looking forward to an even tremendouser year in 779!

	John D. Flathead
	President and Chairman of the Board,
	FrobozzCo International



http://infodoc.plover.net/screenread/zork3.txt
Subject: Re: A letter to the stockholders
From: canadianhelper-ga on 25 Oct 2006 11:02 PDT
 
Here is a pic of the page:
http://infocom.elsewhere.org/gallery/zork3/browsie-2.jpg

You can see the whole manual by changing the number after 'browsie'
Subject: Re: A letter to the stockholders
From: canadianhelper-ga on 25 Oct 2006 11:29 PDT
 
I'll point out that I answered 20 minutes earlier AND provided a link
to a actual scan of the letter.

Oh well.
Subject: Re: A letter to the stockholders
From: denco-ga on 25 Oct 2006 11:54 PDT
 
Howdy all!

When I thought I had "locked" the question, the system appears to have allowed
comments to be processed, so my "claim jumping" was unintentional.

Apologies, denco-ga
Subject: Re: A letter to the stockholders
From: walmansoori-ga on 28 Oct 2006 10:00 PDT
 
OK denco,
Thanks for your help.
My regards
Subject: Re: A letter to the stockholders
From: denco-ga on 28 Oct 2006 12:19 PDT
 
My pleasure, walmansoori-ga, and much thanks for the 5 star rsting.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

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