Purposeful Summaries-Saycheese

Posted on February 8, 2023 by saycheese03
How To Change the World

How to Change the World

It seems counterintuitive that around the world, the fastest-growing part of society is the non-business entities, as millions of ordinary people–social entrepreneurs–are stepping in to solve problems that governments had failed to do. Many remarkable people all over the world are taking it into their own hands to change the world. Where one would expect governments and bureaucracies to solve their own countries problems it’s individual social entrepreneurs who are changing the world. Many different social entrepreneurs are mentioned one being Veronica Khosa, who created a home AIDS care that change government healthcare policies in South Africa. Another person, James Grant, is credited for saving over 20 million people by creating and funding an immunization campaign. Mostly this article shows that just one person can make a difference in our world, and we don’t have to rely on our governments to make a change.      

https://archive.nytimes.com/opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/avoiding-the-curse-of-the-oil-rich-nations/

Avoiding the Curse of the Oil-Rich Nations

It seems counterintuitive that nations are going on oil strikes even though it is going to make them worse off. Oil is a known valuable resource that can make nations very wealthy, so why would countries want to go on strike over oil? Oil is a hard resource to come by and that may be why it’s so valuable however the article goes over the negatives of oil for different countries. The article states that countries that rely on oil are the most conflict-ridden and economically troubled places in the world. It is also mentioned that oil destroys jobs across the economy and that it is one of the most capital-intensive industries that use a ton of recourses just to collect. Many countries that depend on oil don’t tax their citizens which sounds like a good thing but it’s not because they hold accountability. Oil seems like it would help a country grow in wealth however it does more harm than good in some places.

Should Corporations Bankroll National Parks?

Should Coperations Bankroll National Parks?

It seems counterintuitive that big cooperation is bankrolling national parks. National parks are supposed to be free land for the public to visit and travel around. It doesn’t seem right for big companies to come to take over national parks just to gain profit from them. However, there are some good things that come from it like more funding and recourses. Coca-Cola was funding the Grand Canyon and they intervened in a plan to stop selling plastic water bottles which would help the park and the environment. It does seem like a bad thing for big cooperations to take over national parks rather than just leaving them to be free.      

Posted in Purposeful Summary, SayCheese | 1 Comment

Purposeful Summaries – philsfan1133

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Jacob Pasquale

Should Corporations Bankroll National Parks?

https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/03/corporations-national-parks-coca-cola/

It seems counterintuitive that private companies playing a role in the National Park Service would be a topic of discussion. National parks are a place to escape from everyday life, and many people are worried about corporations playing a role in these natural spaces. However, the National Park Service is in need of funding, and corporate donations could provide the necessary resources for better trails, facilities, and ranger programs. The debate about corporate funding for national parks has been ongoing for years and recently heightened after concerns that Coca-Cola influenced a plan to stop selling disposable plastic water bottles in parks.

The National Park Foundation, a nonprofit that channels support from companies and donors to parks, faced criticism from the watchdog group PEER over plans to fundraise for an endowment for the Park Service’s centennial anniversary from corporate and philanthropic partners. While the amount of money from these partners is low, it still raises concerns about corporate influence in the parks. The National Park Service has strict guidelines for corporate partners, including Director’s Order #21, a 1998 guidance document that outlines how to deal with corporate partners and does not accept money from companies with significant conflicts of interest or alcohol or tobacco companies.

Avoiding the Curse of the Oil-Rich Nations

https://archive.nytimes.com/opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/avoiding-the-curse-of-the-oil-rich-nations/

It seems counterintuitive that finding a hole in the ground that spouts money can be one of the worst things that can happen to a country, yet oil-dependent countries are often economically troubled, authoritarian, and conflict-ridden. This phenomenon is called the resource curse. Oil is capital-intensive and eliminates jobs across the economy, causing corruption and conflict. Taxes create accountability, but oil revenues decouple the government from citizens.

The big exception is Norway, but the majority of the world’s untapped oil reserves are in the developing world. Todd Moss of the Center for Global Development believes that countries can look to Alaska as inspiration. Alaska has the Alaska Permanent Fund, which puts a quarter of its oil revenues into an invested fund that pays each resident a yearly dividend. This stimulates the economy and reduces poverty, but has also created a disconnection between the government and residents. Some countries, like Mongolia and Bolivia, have started similar programs aimed at improving citizens’ social welfare, but more must be done to address the resource curse.

Disarming Iran Using South Africa Strategy

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/iran-sanctions-south-africa_b_1379355

It seems counterintuitive that sanctions have a limited place in international diplomacy or pressure. F.W. de Klerk, the former President of South Africa, believes that in the case of South Africa, sanctions had a negative impact and did not bring about the desired results. Sanctions, according to de Klerk, halted economic growth, harmed the black population more than the white population, and did not help those it was intended to help. De Klerk argues that economic growth and development, not sanctions, were the biggest change agents in ending apartheid in South Africa.

Economist Mats Lundahl also supports this idea, arguing that sanctions depressed the industrial sector and perpetuated the dominance of a skilled labor force led by whites. Similarly, some analysts believe that sanctions against Iran have weakened civil society and strengthened the state, increased poverty, and marginalized the process of transition to democracy. De Klerk warns that unless sanctions can throttle a country, nations will find ways to circumvent them and if sanctions fail within two to three years, a re-think should be considered.

Posted in PhilsFan, Purposeful Summary | 2 Comments

Purposeful Summary – Fulcrum66

Posted on February 8, 2023 by fulcrum66

Source: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/03/econundrums-do-vitamin-supplements-work/

Do Multivitamins Really Work?

It seems counterintuitive that multivitamins, which are advertised help you can in fact not work and can cause health problems. This is the case, and many people lack the knowledge of this information and continue to take them daily. Studies conducted with people have shown that the multi’s do not make you healthier and they cannot protect you against diseases. Another study even found that you obtain the same number of vitamins from just eating food and not taking a supplement. When taking a daily multivitamin, you can also put yourself at risk for taking too much of a vitamin or mineral. Some companies have even made their multivitamins with over the recommended number of vitamins and minerals which will cause health problems if abused. Multivitamins may be advertised to help you but in reality, you are just hurting yourself.

Source: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/05/toms-shoes-buy-one-give-one/

Do Toms Shoes Really Help People?

It seems counterintuitive that donating clothing can cause problems, but in the big picture of things it can do more harm than good. Toms and other brands like them sell you their products in the sense of if you buy it, in return they will do something notable such as donating or planting a tree. Being on the outside of the situation and only assuming the needs of the people affected causes more problems, than going there and seeing exactly what they need and working to provide that resource. Toms believes that providing children with shoes in impoverished areas will enable them to attend school and to not get kicked out for being barefoot. Well, when they distribute the shoes, it’s of course in the school and the shoes are given to children who already own shoes. This will only create a hoard of shoes and something similar to this occurred in Indonesia with donors bringing in a surplus of food, but within miles away there were thriving rice farms. Toms’ shoes and other companies with the same business motto do not in fact help people and can cause problems with surpluses of supplies. 

Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mormons-posthumous-baptism-anne-frank_n_1292102?ref=mostpopular

Mormon Baptism Targets Anne Frank — Again

It seems counterintuitive that baptizing someone who is already dead and against their wishes is even a thing. The Mormon church has conducted a form of proxy baptism on the holocaust survivor Anne Frank. How could one be okay with putting someone’s name under their religion and opposing what the family’s wishes. Not only has this occurred with Anne Frank, but with Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Weisel, another famous holocaust survivor. The Jewish church is condemning the Mormons for their actions and is making them end these rituals. Even though the push to stop these rituals is happening, the change is slow and the problem. is still occurring.  

Posted in Fulcrum, Purposeful Summary, You Forgot to Categorize! | Leave a comment

Purposeful Summaries—InspireAngels

Posted on February 8, 2023 by inspireangels
  1. Are Multivitamins Actually Beneficial?

It seems counterintuitive that multivitamins that are use to improve one’s health can possibly be causing more harm than benefit to an individual.

Vitamins companies release numerous of vitamin products a year, with having about 1/3 of the population in the US take multivitamins regularly, according to the National Institutes Health. Many of the food products that customers buy at the supermarket are already filled with enough vitamin for an average person, so it’s not necessary to take vitamin pills daily. Their is a possibility of exceeding your daily required vitamin consumption that can be dangerous if it’s consistently done. What most vitamins sellers hide is the health risks their vitamin products have on individuals. Since not all companies policies will properly labels their products, individuals can blindly exceed their daily limits of certain vitamins that could potentially cause serious health problems. It’s mostly recommended by federal health officials that multivitamins are for anorexics or individuals whose diet is low in vitamins. For those individuals, a doctor consultation would best assist people in providing the vitamins needed in their diet.

2. Can Paper Be More Environmentally Friendly Than We Think?

It seems counterintuitive that individuals will recycle paper to improve the environment when paper doesn’t conceal enough carbon dioxide long term to be beneficial to the environment.

Paper are produced by trees that are used in everyone’s daily life and then recycle to be use once again. Even though trees will intake both carbon dioxide and water to release their waste product oxygen, unlike paper, trees will hold on this carbon for a long time. Paper however can only store carbon for less than 3 years because it degrades too quickly. Although citizens might argue that paper is a renewable resource that can still be recycle to benefit the environment, it doesn’t take away the countless amount of paper that get stuck in landfill that it is broken down into methane. All these does is release carbon back into the atmosphere, damaging our environment.

3. Does captions make a difference?

It seems counterintuitive that the media can use the same picture but have a different caption that can alter how people view that image.

An image was captured from Tyre, southern Lebanon of an apartment being destructed by Israeli air strikes. In this image a child’s toy is on the ground along with broken glass that was shattered from the windows. The same image is used in photojournalism article, as well as an Anti-Israel Propaganda and an Anti-Hezbollah Propaganda. Despite the image being the same for every media platform, they hold a different meaning behind it. In a photojournalism article it states the event that occur in Tyre. While in the Anti-Israel Propaganda it might claim that the Israeli Defense Force use this tactic as a way to target to civilians of southern Lebanon. While in the Anti-Hezbollah Propaganda it might announce that this was a tactic of Hezbollah to use their citizens as human shields. Hence the photograph could very well be the same however the choice of words that are used to display any type of media can alter the individual’s reaction to whichever caption they see first. Therefore, the words we choose to represent an image can all depend how a person interprets it, even if the photo is identical or the same.

Posted in InspireAngels, Purposeful Summary | 7 Comments

Purposeful Summary – Giants19

Posted on February 8, 2023 by giants19

Free Heroin To Battle Addiction

It seems counterintuitive to provide addicts with the poison that they are using to destroy their minds and their bodies, and in a way is very cruel because these addicts can not reasonably be expected to turn down something that they are so addicted to if it is given to them so easily. However, this is exactly what is happening in certain parts of the world.

This enabling of addiction has started to be seen more and more over the years. It started with what they call “safe injection sites”, which in itself is a very counterintuitive term. These sites provide addicts with a safe place to shoot up heroin under the supervision of a nurse without fear of them being arrested. To nobodies surprise, these sites often times become hangout spots for addicts to get high together.

One of the things that comes to my mind is how hard must it be for somebody who is trying to better themselves and quit a horrible drug that they are addicted to, when their government is doing everything that they can to enable their addiction. Ultimately, it becomes no surprise that cities with these enabling policies have such a high rate of drug addiction and, as a result, homelessness and unemployment.

How To Armor Planes

It seems counterintuitive to armor a plane where it appears one spot took significant damage. This is because of the simple fact that those planes are the ones that made it back. Obviously, the planes that didn’t make it back are the ones that were hit in vulnerable spots. This means that the planes that returned should be armored where they were not hit, rather than where they were hit, because we know that planes can take significant damage in those spots and still survive.

This concept may be difficult for people to wrap their heads around initially, but it makes complete sense, and it is a perfect example of a counterintuitive scenario. I think that a lot can be learned from this story. Sometimes, the best solution to an answer is not the first solution you find. Often times, success is found through thinking outside the box and looking at things from different angles.

This scenario reminds me of a thought experiment. If you have a deadly disease with little hope to live, and you have two options for a doctor to visit. One has a 99% success rate, and the other has a 50% success rate. Initially, you would think to take the more successful doctor. However, what if the reason that the 50% doctors rate is so low is because they are more willing to take on patients that have a very low chance of survival, making that doctor a better fit for you? Another perfect example of how sometimes what seems like a very obvious answer is not the correct answer.

The Marshmallow Test

It seems counterintuitive to sacrifice a larger reward for short term instant gratification, but that is what people do all the time. This concept was tested among children. They were told they could either accept a marshmallow now, or wait five minutes and get another. While this might seem like a silly experiment, it has real life implications.

Right now, you and me know that it is obviously a better investment to wait. That being said, in the moment, instant gratification will almost always be more appealing than a long term reward. I think it is really fascinating when an experiment conducted on children confirms stuff about adults. It goes to show that all humans are kind of similar in some way.

The children who waited and received the long term reward were monitored, and they on average, compared to the children who took the instant gratification, were shown to have better grades, were healthier and were better at staying in relationships. So sure, maybe this was a silly little experiment done to children who had no idea what was going on, but I think it definitely had real world implications and was able to teach us all something about ourselves.

Posted in Giants, Purposeful Summary | Leave a comment

White Paper – Senpai Pio

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Senpai Pio

I wanted to focus on the idea that males are often mistreated, misunderstood, and overlooked when it comes to most issues. I wanted to show overlooked struggles of men not only mentally but also physically. I wanted to show how the mental side is impacted but also they chemical side such as explaining testosterone levels decreasing.

As the idea of gender equality and equal rights increased, feminism, the the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes, is truly about making females greater than males.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022534706013723

Summary: For men that are already obese, there was a significant decrease in testosterone as one age rather than the rate at which a healthy man ages. Also found, the males that had a lower testosterone level had an increased chance at having erectile disfunction over those who had a higher testosterone level.

How I will use this: I will be able to use this study to prove how having a lower testosterone level affects a male especially when they age. By showing this, it helps proves my point that the recent drops in testosterone in males can be extremely detrimental.

https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/doi/full/10.1111/obr.12282

Summary: There is an inverse relationship between one’s testosterone levels and obesity in men. Visceral fat turns testosterone into oestradiol which is the scientific name for estrogen.

How I will use this: I can use this to prove that obesity can lead to lower testosterone which is extremely harmful for males. By proving that obesity rates are increasing, it will always prove that testosterone rates are decreasing compared to 100 years ago.

https://watermark.silverchair.com/nutritionreviews56-0106.pdf?token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAAwowggMGBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggL3MIIC8wIBADCCAuwGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQMtcg9r3UmBXnS6pvVAgEQgIICvWeXf-m31PeDvw5ahAE4Px1supsFkj0O5LiZR6YaB9TSn2XA1dyJ8SDFB-Z6c0IeH9ZKVyW9OT2G3fVUvzF0MypEYbJ2-QZIZG68NVosQoyBcB0wzKhXD3IcIVSdrOGaBXsMvfe7KQlcQ30s4E2MVWDt046K3boG9KlRxoBNGBL4-DlDEQpLREJcNjUyf1W8JCE8S19RywoUh46yI8PTneKSJDc8E-6kil51pKbtRH7Y8iFHcL8rgF9KpbWQx5gyQ32oqSq59MdaiGzd2AteSHvWjbv2A0451SWHpQ56bMw-S3l_uMnAeSt7UTQv0Bh2CLIA_4CnafDFuyW85q20lahj5obShvq-dG2Ow5IDO8yngFe6f1p75Gt5CuaPuJu4N-AazqweiRIpePvo7PuBwDT-iSbWpHwECvi1Utoxr-7aeldFnA0mu8V0VQkzkWyhhW0EwNxJYrGlogvQRPvAG2dJHy-GdtVMYfCxoEMAbT717xUKg0xfYs7PztqVSAZ_MB7jKC23Q0IGtFnufj3I7sVb_iq81QXRSGfwoaUnQuHGSRv6rMdVgwCNvu9k4MTWSovXgSofrFydya64PekMVFWKvQhCMrEa5l-6ESyvF8dDG0Da0XoBX_pGjBhhF7ZUXbCJ3kSf_WwmeehwEdgwqqaXNXkuPk8Lfbe2_3DytOvzIQ621oADjL4_HJpU-QjqH0hp00-zg3I5r1A-mCJXvC_rQSaizR6LW4HHkgEu8sehmi1PHmSubQ77WuigdfJD4srrzD_oQwizxGnFRBfM4cFBx83C2OZHT7wQVWLLMpqZ0TIPIOdEjYyKSUi3OL6FzbiV38kZGSEASVQZ0zqABT5Y92VA5pA1Rj_bthgmoJP9nWgYwswwZibGD5JwbMUFEJ0S9uab-6hEgFdaUPLZvarELj2YdII06gI-sM15

Summary: As time goes on, the rate of obesity is an increasing issue all around the world. Due to an increase foods like vegetable oil being cheap and easy to obtain, even lower-class countries are still seeing this tread line. Another factor in this is that physical labor is decreasing. As farming is decreasing, manufacturing is increasing. This leads to less physical work to get more overall products.

How I will use this: I can use this article to prove how and why obesity is increasing over time. This will help prove that the level of testosterone is decreasing because as seen in the previous article, testosterone levels and obesity are inversely related.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/big-boys-dont-cry-depression-and-men/D29C58F5EB6348BBE8807FA51167D1FA

Summary: Although depression rates are seen much higher in women, male suicide rates are significantly higher than women. This is caused by men doing what is called “masking depression.” With the idea that they cannot or do not want help, they mask what is truly going on.

How I will use this: I can use this to explain how a majarity of males may seem like they are okay, but they are truly going through a struggle. This can beneift my paper by explaining how males are often overlooked, ignored, and often forgotten about.

Click to access The-Problem-With-a-Fight-Against-Toxic-Masculinity.pdf

Summary: Many issues with toxic masculinity is that there is a different cause than males brains being wired that way. There are programs trying to help males find help instead of going to harmful fixes, like alcohol. This is because these fixes often lead to the “results” of toxic masculinity. For instance, alcohol often creates violence, and a result of toxic masculinity is violence. But could this be because males are trying to help themselves without someone else.

How I can use this: I can use this to explain how some of the results of toxic masculinity are the results from something else. Males do not act like that due to their brains being wired that way, but due to something else causing that.

Posted in SenpaiPio, White Paper | 1 Comment

Summaries–SinatraMan17

Posted on February 8, 2023 by adamreim

Do Multivitamins Really Work?:

It seems counterintuitive that multivitamins claiming to have grande positive effects on our health in many reliable cases prove to be quite useless, and for some even harmful. 

With the recent surge in people making healthier choices here in the western world, many individuals are already unknowingly getting the adequate amount of each vitamin through their diet alone. Therefore adding supplements on top of that proves to be counterintuitive for many, and an excess of certain vitamins can actually lead to problems. Such as too much Iron can cause Heart Disease, etc. 

There is an ongoing debate between politicians, manufacturers, and consumers regarding the legitimacy of statements made by supplement companies, however, the age of this article (2012) could prove to yield outdated information.

There’s More to Life Than Being Happy:

It seems counterintuitive that your life containing “happiness” is not always paired with “meaning”.

The philosophy that while many of us claim to be “happy”, since we are all just fellow travelers to the grave, true “meaning” is what satisfies and fulfills our lives. It is brought up that in several surveys many Americans feel their lives lack meaning. And those who find meaning in even the worst of circumstances overall prove to have a more pleasant life.

Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world:

It seems extremely counterintuitive that in an effort to get heroin off the streets of downtown Vancouver, through doctor’s prescriptions, authorities are giving free heroin to extreme addicts directly. 

According to the 2015 article, government and medical authorities in Vancouver are giving 26 extremely troubled addicts- the ones that rejected all other treatment- heroin, and supplying all the necessary tools and environment to take the drug; legally and without consequences.

Their ideology is that supplying the drug in a safe dosage and with nurse observation will prevent the inevitable OD that happens daily from the street heroin found in Vancouver.

The current status of this policy is unknown, the article is outdated (2015).

Posted in Purposeful Summary, SinatraMan | 3 Comments

TristanB50 – Purposeful Summaries

Posted on February 8, 2023 by tristanb50

Is Walmart Really Going Organic and Local?

It seems counterintuitive that Walmart is the largest supplier of organic food in the country. However, costs of cross country food transportation and an increased demand for organic food has lead to the company investing in more localized suppliers.

The superstore is the dominant provider of groceries in the country, supplying shoppers with 18% of their annual grocery purchases. Its size makes it the most popular grocery store for shoppers seeking organic food. For example, Walmart is the countries largest supplier of organic milk. But how did it get like this? Rising diesel prices in the early 2000’s pushed the company to seek local alternatives, slashing their shipping costs tremendously. In the 2010s, the company proposed two goals to reach by 2015. First, Walmart pledged organic produce would make up 9% of their overall fruits and veggies by the end of the year. Second, they aimed to sell $1 billion of produce supplied from smaller scale farms nearby their stores.

While it may seem like this evidence would make that Walmarts is some sort of beacon of environmentalism, the companies practices are not as “organic” in actuality. Walmart’s definition of organic includes any product that is bought in-state, regardless of the size of the sellers operation. In reality, it seems the company is merely cutting down on transportation costs by buying from same-state industrial farms, and printing a green label on it to give organic-shoppers something to look for. While the company did experiment with buying local fruits and vegetables, it’s shear size caused the supply to fall short of their demand. Right now, the company mostly sells organic milk and baby food, both non produce items. Overall, Walmarts push to sell more organic seems admirable, but ultimately misleading.

The Curse of Oil Riches

It seems counterintuitive that countries abundant in oil end up suffering from it. What seems like having Midas’ touch, in reality sews unemployment, corruption, international conflicts, and overall destabilization.

Striking oil creates a dependence on not only the resource itself, but also the government that plans the resource use. This reliance brews corruption as public officials are bribed by oil barons, and ultimately a more authoritative state for employees to live under. Governments will often further their power under the guise of lower taxes, leading to less accountability. Speaking of working people, oil sales end up outcompeting other exports within the given country, leading to businesses closing down and unemployment. 

If that weren’t bad enough, nations where oil sales makeup ⅓ or more of the given GDP become a target for conflict or at worst, invasion. Statistically, a country with an oil industry of that caliber is 21% more likely to be invaded than countries that don’t export oil. 

Many developing countries use oil to kickstart their economy, but ultimately end up having extremely corrupt governments. Some examples of this are Venezuela, Libya, Nigeria, Angola, Chad, and Equatorial Guinea. Because the commodity creates so many issues for the general public, many governments have taken steps to give the oil money back to the people. A positive example of oil exports being implemented into society beneficially is in Alaska, where a quarter of annual profits is invested, giving it’s residents a share of the dividend. However, this does not solve the issue of corruption, as no money is put to social programs, ultimately making the citizens dependant on private utilities. This cash-payout approach seems to be more beneficial in developing countries where social infrastructure programs cannot yet be implemented. Many transitional economies like India or Mexico require citizens to meet certain standards to receive their payment, using ID’s for the transfer of money. 

This economic structure has created new legislation, such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, requiring oil companies and governments to share their transaction receipts. However, the issue of corruption still towers over these approaches in some countries, eliminating the push for legislation in the first place. Overall, it seems that the oil is not necessarily the problem in these scenarios, but the special interest groups that spring up after it is discovered.

Posted in Purposeful Summary, TristanB | 1 Comment

purposeful summaries-pinkheart84

Posted on February 8, 2023 by pinkheart84

Vancouver Combats Heroin by Giving its Addicts the best Smack in the World

It seems counterintuitive that to fight and stop a city’s heroin problem they are actually doing the opposite of what should be done. They are ultimately handing out heroin to addicts in Vancouver. Doctors are prescribing free heroin two to three times a day. Those who were trying to get clean off heroin did not get this. People believe that this benefits people because it will allow those who use it to be comfortable and not be of harm to others. Although, this program does not care if addicts get clean. They think that people will stop dealing and using other ways to make money besides selling heroin since now it can be used to help people. This can be a shocking and disturbing program to some people but it does seem like it can work out in the end. 

Source: Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world | The World from PRX

Investigating the Success of Scoring Methods When Faced With Manipulative Judging

It seems counterintuitive that there can always be a chance that a judge will intentionally manipulate the scores. They may give higher or lower scores to certain people based on what they want their ending to look like. Unfair voting is always an issue when it comes to judging because people will always say something was done wrong intentionally or not. This paper wants to fix the problem of the unfairness in the judging system. The researcher was able to figure out that all methods produce the most successes when there are no manipulators. For example, a judge who wants to make Contestant 2 win might think that giving the front-runner the worst score can decrease their composite score, giving Contestant 2 a better chance of winning. Unfortunately, that is not the case. One extreme lower value may not have any place on a contestant’s rank if the median number of voters is higher. 

Source:azu_etd_mr_2013_0293_sip1_m.pdf;jsessionid=57E307839BF35BFABD84A6B160EE01FD (arizona.edu)

The Hair Part Theory: The Mirror of Dorian Gray

It seems counterintuitive that a hairstyle can be the answer to all our questions. It gives us confidence, makes us happy, it even defines how our behavior will be. The hair part theory started when John Walter decided to part his hair a different way than how he always has. The hair part theory is parting your hair to the left, he realized the way we see ourselves in the mirror is how others view someone since it is reversed. He believes that the right hair part can give people so many advantages. This can definitely be a powerful source to people because this hairstyle can make anyone feel positive about themselves and confident. 

Source: The Mirror of Dorian Gray – The Atlantic

Posted in PinkHeart, Purposeful Summary | Leave a comment

White Paper- PitAndThePendulum

Posted on February 7, 2023 by pitandthependulum22

Working Hypothesis

For my research essay I will examine the conditions under which small businesses (specifically, bookstore) survive or fail. As the traditional bookshop is few and far between, one can reasonably assume that the rise of online bookselling (ex: Amazon) is to blame. Online booksellers provide convenience as well as reduced prices, which is enough to sway most consumers to purchase their products and neglect smaller, independent booksellers. 

In order for a small business, especially an independently owned and operated bookshop, to survive, they must sell an experience that their internet and corporate competitors cannot offers.

ACADEMIC SOURCES

  1. “Shopping for Community: The Transformation of a Bookstore Into a Vital Community Institution”

(https://doi.org/10.1177/016344399021003005)

Background: This study from the University of Western Ontario illustrates the establishment of the independent bookshop as a communal center and the fight against large corporate booksellers.

How I Intend to Use It: I intend to use this source to establish the importance of the bookshop as not only an economic community pillar, but as a social one as well.

NOTES:

2. “Prices and Price Dispersion on the Web: Evidence from the Online Book Industry”

(https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.rowan.edu/stable/3569794?searchText=Prices+and+Price+Dispersion+on+the+Web+Evidence+from+the+Online+Book+Industry&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DPrices%2Band%2BPrice%2BDispersion%2Bon%2Bthe%2BWeb%253A%2BEvidence%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2BOnline%2BBook%2BIndustry&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A68a93acd0b8ecaa860405431e664b821)

Background: This study primarily focuses on price comparison and dispersion among online booksellers.

How I Intend to Use It: I intend to use this source to elaborate the growing monopoly of online booksellers and the use of price cuts to deter competition.

NOTES:

  • Prices of books sold by online sellers were lower than those sold by independent sellers
  • The majority of books sold online come from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and Borders (as of the 1990s/ early 2000s)
  • Larger corporations are able to succeed due to their ability to advertise on a massive scale and sell books for less than their wholesale price

3. “On the Competition Between an Online Bookstore and a Physical Bookstore”

(https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11066-012-9068-y)

Background: This study gives a deeper insight into the benefits and drawbacks of both physical and online booksellers.

How I Intend to Use It: As this study indicates the competitiveness between online and physical bookstores, as well as welfare analysis, I intend to use this source to further elaborate upon my argument against online booksellers.

NOTES:

  • Online booksellers can provide customers with lower product prices, but not immediate gratification (as customers must wait to receive orders)
  • Physical stores allow consumers to receive immediate satisfaction, but they must pay more for the cost of transportation
  • Online bookstores also are able to present a larger variety than physical stores, and by charging lower prices, are able to attract a larger portion of clientele than physical stores

4. “Reinventing Retail: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores”

(https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/20-068_c19963e7-506c-479a-beb4-bb339cd293ee.pdf)

Background: This study by Harvard Business School examines the vital aspects that a bookstore must possess in order to survive against its online competitors.

How I Intend to Use It: I intend to use this source as a part of my counterintuitive argument to present strategies to benefit the physical bookstore.

NOTES:

  • New Indie booksellers are becoming more resilient by tapping into a larger social movement
  • Customers have began to recognize the importance of “shopping small” and supporting locally run small businesses
  • Independent bookstore owners benefit greatly from the dedication of their employees

5. “The Effect of Sales Promotion and Store Atmosphere Mediated by Positive Emotion on Impulse Buying for Customers in Bookstores”

(https://ejbmr.org/index.php/ejbmr/article/view/1270/775)

Background: This study examines the psychology behind what store environments are favorable and attract costumers and what designs and environments don’t.

How I Intend to Use It: I intend to use this as yet another source to emphasize how physical bookstores must offer an environment that online bookstores cannot in order to maintain clientele.

NOTES:

  • In order to produce frequency and diversity, stores utilize promotions such as bonuses, shopping vouchers, and discounts
  • Makes customers more likely to impulse-buy
  • Store atmosphere: proper internal/ external layout, quiet environment, non-abrasive room odors
  • Store atmosphere must be carefully cultivated in order to increase positive emotions of customers, and thus increase their likelihood to make purchases and return

PARAGRAPH 1 

  • Intro to recent rise in independent bookstore business 

PARAGRAPH 2

  • How businesses lose clientele to online competitors due to pricing 

PARAGRAPH 3 

  • How businesses lose clientele to online competitors due to variety 

PARAGRAPH 4

  • How businesses lose clientele to online competitors due to convenience 

PARAGRAPH 5

  • The impact of social media, current trends, and the rise of ‘indie’ culture on the independent bookstore industry 

PARAGRAPH 6

  • Independent bookstores must sell an experience that their online competition cannot offer 
  • Offer a sense of community/ comfort 
  • Store environment and location effect 

Business Model/ Personal Exploration: Inkwood Books, Haddonfield NJ 

  • higher priced literature stock (typical of business) 
  • “Monthly picks” for different genres and books recommended by the staff- aspect of hand selling 
  • Host events with local authors 
  • Host monthly book club meetings 
  • Community- Host elementary Book fair 
  • Sell products from local artisans- candles, prints/postcards, mugs, tote bags 
  • Separate section w/ play area for kids 
  • Couches and cushions scattered around shelves to sit and browse/read selections 
  • Location: Main Street Haddonfield (shopping district), next to coffee shop 
Posted in PitAndThePendulum, White Paper | 2 Comments