Sunday, September 21, 2008

Well, HARO, there!

My bud Karen over at NouvelleBlogger introduced me to HARO a little while ago. That is to say, I first heard of HARO when she mentioned it in passing on her blog. Naturally, I had to click over and snoop around.

Hmmm...interesting concept. HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out. (No, not out the door. Silly.) It's an email service that you can subscribe to (fer nuthin'!) and receive several emails a day containing lists of active, red-hot inquiries from both print and electronic media. You simply scan the list and if you are qualified to serve up expert information and/or opinion in response to a reporter's query, well, then let 'er rip!

For instance, the email might contain a topic like this:

"Starsky & Hutch" Enthusiasts' Favorite Ritz-Cracker Recipes

Oooh, I can answer that! I have one! So I click through and send that lucky reporter the dog-eared, Imperial Margarine-smeared recipe for Mock Apple Pie (no apples needed!) that my mama got from her mama on her wedding day.

See how that works?

So here's the deal: following is a list of media inquiry topics. Half of them are actual topics that came through HARO and the other half I made up. Can you tell which is which?

  1. Factoids on Mucus
  2. Use of Balloon Animals in Anger-Management Courses
  3. Tips on Winterizing Your Mullet
  4. Professional Chefs Who Ride Bicycles
  5. Benefits to Having Longer Labia
  6. Men's Sport Kilt: The New Choice for Casual Friday?
  7. Finding the Right Personal Stylist for Your Baby or Toddler
  8. Labeled a Slut in High School?
The first person to leave a comment that correctly sorts the real topics from the fake ones will win this (blog catnip - we're not above it):



That's right: it's a brand new, never worn, completely genuine Tito's Tacos cap from our local LA taco stand landmark, complete with embroidered corn cobs and peppers on the brim. (As always, we cover all shipping and handling charges...they're factored right into the LJKGW business plan.) A cap like this will cost you upwards of $12.00 (even more if you don't live here and have to factor in airfare and a rental car), but why should you stand in line to get one when I already browbeat Jon Bon Jovi (not my husband's real name) into doing it for you?
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So, good luck, everyone! I'll reveal the answers - and the shrewd winner - in the next post!
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And remember: everyone looks good in fluorescent yellow!

9 comments:

Donna said...

I came right over to enter your silly contest, but I'm afraid I have to pass. I can't begin to figure out which queries are the fake ones, because I can imagine receiving EVERY ONE of them. I guess I've been blogging too long.

Florinda said...

I just started getting the HARO e-mails myself (yeah, it was Karen's fault), so let me guess:

REAL: Men's Sport Kilt, Finding a Baby/Toddler Personal Stylist, Were You Labeled a Slut in High School?, and Anger-Management Balloon Animals.

FAKE: Factoids on Mucus, Winterizing Your Mullet, Chefs on Bicycles, Longer Labia (compared to WHAT? Never mind...)

Even if I'm wrong, this was still fun!

Jessica Gottlieb said...

Factoids on Mucus - reak
Use of Balloon Animals in Anger-Management Courses - fake
Tips on Winterizing Your Mullet - real
Professional Chefs Who Ride Bicycles - real
Benefits to Having Longer Labia - I don't want to know
Men's Sport Kilt: The New Choice for Casual Friday? - fake
Finding the Right Personal Stylist for Your Baby or Toddler - fake
Labeled a Slut in High School? - real

I liked you before, but now that I know you hang at Titos it's a girl crush.

A big one.

PJ Hoover said...

Fake:
Tips on winterizing your mullet
Men's Sport Kilt: The New Choice for Casual Friday?
Finding the Right Personal Stylist for Your Baby or Toddler
Professional Chefs Who Ride Bicycles

OK, I have no idea.

Beth Kephart said...

In this case, the question trumps whatever answers there might be.

Hysterical.

Nanny Goats In Panties said...

Hey, is that the Tito's Tacos off of Sepulveda in West L.A.? I still have yet to try that place, and I've lived there since '92!

Anna Lefler said...

Oh. My. Total. God. YES, that's the place!

It is, in a word, righteous.

And to everyone above who took a whack at the news items, you're sooo close! If no one gets it exactly right in the end, I'll send the super-swank hat to the one who's cloeset...

Thanks for ALL the comments...

PlainOleMike said...

I've always wanted a yellow hat, so I'll guess 2,5,7,8.

Karen said...

Just got your e-mail--I'm in the airport waiting to take off on Virgin America. Thanks for all your mentions.

And I actually DO want to know the answer to the labia question. I'm dying to know.