'Useful' press releases
Occasionally at my new job, I receive some pretty interesting press releases. But because they are not focused on the community I cover, I do not use them much, despite the usefulness of the text.
Here is one I received last month from a CT insurance company which has been sitting around the house, waiting to be posted. It is entitled, "8 Answers to $3+ A Gallon Gas," and some of the points definitely deserve republication. The press release is quoted verbatim below with my comments in [brackets]:

* Smooth out your driving by avoiding "jack rabbit" starts and sharp braking. Both waste gas and can present a hazard for others on the road [As well, I would add, that sharp braking wears down your brakes, meaning that the driver will have to replace them sooner rather than later. This costs the driver more money in the long run and adds more brake shoes to landfills in a quicker amount of time. This is assuming that brake shoes go in landfills. Maybe they are recycled at this point, I don't know].
* It is estimated that every mile per hour driven above 55 MPH costs 1 percent in fuel economy. So, slowing down can be both safe and fuel-efficient. Maintaining a constant speed also maximizes your car performance. If road conditions permit, use the cruise control [This seems logical but I have experimented with long distance driving and speed limits and have seen little savings between the two. In fact, for whatever reason, the slower speeds seem to cause even lower fuel economy. I have seen this when driving on secondary roads, at speeds of 35 to 45 MPH, and then, calculated the mileage after filling the tank, and found significant MPG loss, in the neighborhood of 5 to 6 MPG when averaged out].
* Air conditioners can account for 10 to 15 percent impact on mileage. If you can't avoid it, don't turn on the air conditioner as the first response to heat. Start your drive with the windows open to exhaust the hot air our of the rear windows and then put on the A/C if needed [Again, totally logical point here. I would add that I know a number of companies are experimenting with solar panels on cars to see if the energy produced by the sun can offset some of the energy used in our new, higher-powered automobiles, so they can produce fuel efficiency in the future].
* Accelerate as you approach a hill, rather than hitting the gas and switching gears once on the incline.
* Lighten the car's load by removing all unnecessary items from the trunk, such as the bag of sand and shovel from the winter. Every 200 pounds of weight reduces gas efficiency by one mile per gallon [In other words, don't travel long distances with overweight people in your car or charge them extra for the shared ride, hah. This could also be an added incentive for some of us to lose some unwanted pounds ... you'll save money in the long run].
* If you have to carry a lot of baggage, avoid using a roof-top container, which will increase the air drag. If you drive a pick-up truck, the open bed will have the same impact, so put a cover on it [It would, of course, be better to do a bit of math first before going out and buying an expensive cover. If you are only going to save a few pennies per fill up, over time, there might not be much savings in dropping a bundle on a cover. But, maybe pick-up owners should have them anyway, to protect the life of the truck].
* Keep your tires inflated to the level recommended by the manufacturer. Incorrectly inflated tires impact fuel efficiency.
* Plan your trip routes and combined trips to minimize travel.

Here is another one, from New Hampshire, which talks about work distractions:

NFI Research NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Julia Stoddart

603-750-3020

julia@nfiresearch.com

Distractions at Work

Madbury, NH (June 19, 2007) - When it comes to workplace distractions, e-mail, the crisis of the day and personal interruptions top the list.

More than two-thirds (67%) of senior executives and managers say e-mail is the biggest distraction in the workplace today, according to a worldwide survey of 228 senior executives and managers conducted by NFI Research. Crisis of the day (42%), personal interruptions (31%) and changing priorities (30%) are the other top distractions in today's workplace.

"While e-mail is a great productivity tool, it can become a nightmare if not managed well," said NFI Chairman and CEO Chuck Martin.

Nearly half (46%) of business leaders get to work early to avoid distractions. The other top ways they avoid distractions are focus (41%), closing the door (37%), working at home (37%) and staying at work late (37%). More managers (28%) than senior executives (15%) say Web surfing is the biggest distraction in today's workplace. When comparing senior executives and managers to what is done to avoid distractions, 47 percent of managers say focusing is their main solution while only 34 percent of executives say it is.

"As a leader it can be tough to balance being available and staying focused," said one survey respondent. "When I really have to get something done, I will work from home or the library. Mostly when an interruption occurs, if I need to stay focused on what i am doing, I will look up and say is it something that can wait for an hour (or whatever the time frame may be)."

When it comes to organizational size, more executives and managers in large organizations say e-mail is the biggest distraction in today's workplace than those in small or medium organizations.

NFI Research surveys 2,000 senior executives and managers globally every two weeks. It has chronicled the transformation of business and countless workplace issues for more than seven years. NFI Research's membership represents some of the world's most renowned and innovative companies, including many members from Fortune 100 Companies.

Chuck Martin's new book "SMARTS (Are We Hardwired for Success?)" (AMACOM/American Management Association), which discusses the 12 Executive Skills, was just released.

Imagine, for a second, that you had a boss who hated both person-to-person meetings and telephone conversations, and required you to do almost all of your business communication via emailed memos. You might drive yourself insane ... or worse.

Lastly, here are two creative press releases from the folks at DemocraticMatch.com, the liberal dating site. The first, was actually sent in June. And interestingly, they haven't changed their name:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Edward R. Murrow Rolls Over in His Grave!

April 6, 2007:
Sounds of pounding, kicking, and bones splintering against pine were reported today, coming from beneath the startled feet of visitors to the gravesite of the world famous and beloved newsman Edward R. Murrow, known for his integrity and courage in reporting to the American people. Also heard filtering up from below, muffled and lispy yet clearly audible, were impassioned shouts of..."Cover The Real Stories" and "What Does Paris Hilton Have to do with ANYTHING?" "Bush, Cheney and their Oil Cabal are DESTROYING YOUR PLANET"... and then more quietly, as with a final effort, "fight you slackers"... then silence.

The flabbergasted gravesite visitors immediately fled and called the media to investigate - however they were otherwise occupied, dutifully distributing the latest press release from the White House.

This story was "dug up" by David Singelyn, founder of DemocraticMatch.Com liberal dating ~ where truth still matters.

####
End of press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Democratic Match may change name in protest of Iraq war funding

May 26, 2007:

To illustrate it's disgust of the Democrat's agreement on funding the Iraq war, DemocraticMatch.Com, the dating site for Democrats, has asked it's 25,000 members to vote on whether or not to change the website's name to eliminate the word "Democratic." David Singelyn, the website's founder has sent this message to all the members of Democratic Match:

We entrusted the Democrats to put an end to an immoral and illegal war, and they have let us down by agreeing to continue funding Bush's endless tragedy. Like a Tolkien nightmare, the Democrats ventured boldly into Mordor to cast Bush and his evil ring into the fire, only to come home wearing his ring on their own hands!

Besides the moral issue of supporting a war built on lies, there is the so-far undiscussed matter of Global Warming, which is accelerating beyond all predictions, and every 3 days we'll now be spending one BILLION dollars to secure even more of the substance causing the problem - OIL!

That's 100 BILLION dollars this year which we won't be investing in the wind turbines, solar panels, and reforestation that could RIGHT NOW be reversing Global Warming, the most serious threat mankind has ever faced! Who the hell is driving this runaway train? One week ago, We'd have said it was the Republicans - Bush, Cheney and their oil company puppeteers. This week, far too many Democrats have gone Gollum on us, and joined them in this utter insanity.

Therefore, we are asking our 25,000 members whether or not they would like to change the name of the site from "Democratic Match" to "Progressive Passions," or "Liberal Friends."

Democratic Match will be taking votes for the next week, and will then make a decision based on the votes of it's members.

####
End of press release

David Singelyn
DemocraticMatch.Com
PO Box 633 Lake Elsinore Ca 92530 951-442-9262

Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.