ProfNets of the Week

by admin ~ November 6, 2009

It’s time again to take a look at some of the strange and interesting queries from ProfNet, a service that sends us journalist queries and calls for sources dozens of times throughout the day. Enjoy!

PRODUCTS: Destinkifiers — Newstips Bulletin
Productivity suffers when distracting odors are in the air. What products (especially gadgets and gizmos) are effective at fighting that? Please send nominations for product reviews (include a product description, pricing, where consumers can buy and a small photo) for solutions, especially those appropriate to a work environment, from home office to corporate cubicle. I am willing to consider any consumer-accessible product, including, but not limited to, odor-absorbing seat cushions, air filtration, aerosols (easier if there’s something electronic about them, but that’s not a mandate), wick products, odor-masking products, et al. Contact: XXXXXXX

CHILD DEVELOPMENT: Baby Development — Parenting Magazine
I am writing a feature article about the weirdest (that is, most perplexing) things infants do, and am looking for a baby-development expert to interview. Some of the topics covered will include: hiccupping ad nauseum; playing with their genitals; the Moro reflex (flinging their arms out wide when startled); trembling; fake coughing; and getting stranded standing up because they can’t remember how to sit down. Please respond with your candidate’s credentials, contact info and availability. Contact: XXXXXXX

NON-EXPERT: Oscar and Felix Redux — O: The Oprah Magazine
For a story for O: The Oprah Magazine, I’m looking for couples between the ages of 30 and 60 where one is a neat freak and loather of clutter and the other is a pack rat/slob. I’m looking for funny stories about how such people co-exist — how they try, probably futilely, to reform each other. It can also be that the pack rat has small discrete areas that are kept free of clutter, but everything else is a mess and the neatnik may have some teeny, tiny areas of untidiness. Please, no off-topic or irrelevant responses, and I am not looking for experts of any sort. I’m a freelancer. Contact: XXXXXXX

MEMBER INQUIRY: Almonds as an Ingredient on Restaurant Menus — Porter Novelli
The Almond Board of California is looking for examples of almonds as an ingredient on restaurant menus, to pitch to food professional trade publications. Let us know if you’ve spotted almonds as an ingredient on the menu while dining out or if you are affiliated with a restaurant that features almonds as an ingredient on the menu. Hi-res images and/or recipes are greatly appreciated. We will give full credit to the restaurant and chef. Contact: XXXXXXX