The Building Blocks of Publicity

I get a lot of press releases. Most are about commercial real estate in one way or another, which at least has the potential to be useful. But there’s also a regular flow from various weird planets orbiting remote journalistic suns. Remote to me, that is.

For instance, recently I got a press release that starts (sic): “TM” premiered a third action-packed season at its brand new home on “DRIVE,” a dedicated auto enthusiast programming block on A+E Networks’ FYI® (Primetime) and HISTORY® (Weekend Mornings).

Each week, former celebrity stuntman and head “TM” leads his talented team in crafting one-of-a-kind custom automotive builds. From hot rods and classics to muscle cars, trucks and motorcycles, “TM” gives car lovers across America a front-row seat to the incredible building process behind these powerful and unique machines.

Good to know that HISTORY® isn’t shirking when it comes to “dedicated auto enthusiast programming.”

I got this why? Because I write about hot rods and classics and muscle cars. Not.
Just another dim-witted algorithm guessing at what I might want to see, probably.

Another one: X is the co-creator of XYZ Foods, along with her husband Y. The idea for the company grew from issues dealing with health complications that lead to their infant son, Z, needing a feeding tube. Z’s parents originally followed doctors’ and nutritionists’ advice to give Z commercial formula for his feeding tube.

But when Julie discovered that the main ingredient found in the food for Z’s feeding tube was corn syrup, she quickly started experimenting with pureeing and blending whole foods to feed Z.

Well, of course, dread corn syrup. At least they don’t seem to be blaming their problems on vaccines.

One more: Shocked and appalled. That’s the reaction most people are having following “Operation Varsity Blues,” exposing bribery scandals involving colleges such as Yale, Stanford, and Georgetown. According to leadership expert Kyle M.K., there are five ways these schools can effectively handle the crisis — and three things that will cause more damage.

I myself am shocked, shocked to hear that a few wealthy people tried to bribe their children into the Louis Vuittons, Guccis and Versaces of academia. One of those “seemed like a good idea at the time” for the status-besotted. But again, why I am getting this?