The ‘Jersey Doesn’t Stink’ campaign understandably aims to improve the image of our state, which many residents feel is a well-kept secret offering abundant activities and opportunities. But the negative and defensive slogan undercuts the campaign’s intention and will wind up making the state the punch line of even more bad jokes.

As a 30-year-old public relations firm founded and active in the beautiful Garden State, we believe the campaign is counterproductive. By associating stink with the state, the campaign slogan unwittingly perpetuates an unpleasant—and erroneous—stereotype. It’s a sad fact that some misinformed people have a negative opinion of New Jersey, but this campaign does little to educate them. It fails to capture everything that makes New Jersey a wonderful place to live and visit: its beaches, parks, farms, gardens and the rich cultural diversity of the residents. Jersey is the most densely populated state yet we still have lush open space as many first-time tourists delightfully discover.

Another negative campaign—“Just Say No to Drugs”—from the 1980s had no lasting impact on our country’s efforts to combat our country’s epidemic of drug abuse. Today not only are drugs and drug use more prevalent, but violence in Mexico and the United States has escalated alarmingly.
What really does stink about New Jersey is the number of politicians who are indicted or in jail. This, we believe, is a sign of the times considering the national average of crooked politicos. And it is definitely something the Governor went far in correcting when he was the federal U.S. Attorney for the New Jersey District.

But the positives about New Jersey far outweigh the negative aspects. We need a positive slogan so we urge our fellow New Jersey residents to share your creative ideas for telling everyone why our state is so great.

Christopher Rosica is CEO of Paramus-NJ based Rosica Strategic Public Relations. John Rosica founded the firm in 1980.

Watertown, Massachusetts – (July 26, 2010) The Exergen temporal artery thermometer outsells all other brands at retailers nationwide that stock the Exergen TemporalScanner™, according to data compiled by leading market research firms. In comparing sales of all types of thermometers, including national brands and private label products, Nielsen and Information Resources Inc. (IRI) found Exergen came out on top. Exergen’s retail unit sales rose an average of about 63 percent more than competing thermometers over the 12 months under review, which ended April 17, 2010, the data indicated.

“Consumers clearly have embraced the use of temporal artery thermometry as a reliable method to measure temperature,” said Marybeth Pompei, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Scientist, “The TemporalScanner is simple to use and doesn’t cause the discomfort that more invasive types of thermometers can cause. Parents caring for sick children—or anyone who needs to get an accurate temperature reading quickly—appreciate how easy it is to use the TemporalScanner instead of rectal, ear or oral thermometers.”

Retailers that sell Exergen’s thermometer account for roughly 80% of the market. TemporalScanners are sold in Walmart, Walgreens, Target, Babies R Us and Toys R Us as well as in warehouse club stores including Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Temperature taking is usually the first response when illness is suspected and it is the starting point of any basic health assessment. A quick stroke across the forehead is all that’s needed to obtain a reading with the TemporalScanner, which employs a patented arterial heat balance system that adjusts for the effects of the ambient and skin temperatures to produce a medically accurate body temperature.

“We developed this technology in response to the need for an accurate and noninvasive method of thermometry that was suitable for all ages,” said Dr. Francesco Pompei, CEO of Exergen Corporation. “Exergen’s TemporalScanner, with more than 30 published studies attesting to its accuracy across all ages and clinical settings, has become the standard for thermometry in thousands of healthcare facilities. The latest retail findings confirm our thermometer now has become most popular among consumers for home use.”

Exergen Corporation is recognized worldwide as an innovator and leading manufacturer of patented infrared thermometers, scanners, sensors and controls. Its products are used in a wide variety of industrial and medical applications for both professionals and consumers. For additional information, visit www.exergen.com.

For the very first time, the revealing inside story of Bon Jovi’s life on the road and the band’s rise to superstardom is being told. Authored by original tour manager Rich Bozzett, Sex, Drugs and Bon Jovi gives a first-hand account of the band’s early years. Complete with never-seen-before photos, the book takes you from the group’s first performances as an opening act in front of a few hundred people to selling more than 130 million records and performing for more than 34 million fans worldwide.

According to Bozzett, who traveled with the band from 1983 through 1989 during the band’s rise to fame, little has been known about the early years and how Jon and the band made their way to stardom.
“Jon has never wanted to talk about the band’s early years, but now his fans can finally read – and see through never-before-released photographs – what life on the road was like,” says Bozzett. “As tour manager, I lived with the band and saw it all – from the incredible fan support to how Jon and the band dealt with the drugs, alcohol and sex that were all part of that world.”

Through Bozzett’s meticulous recounting of the 1980’s, you can now learn all that it took for Bon Jovi to become one of the world’s biggest rock bands in history, including details on how the Slippery When Wet tour saved the band from financial chaos and how in-fighting and overwork led to its two-year breakup in 1990.

True to its title, the book provides details that are in sharp contrast to Bon Jovi’s “white-bread” image, including Jon’s use of drugs before and after each show and the unintended effects they had on him, and how the band was linked to one of the nation’s largest cocaine and marijuana drug smuggling operations at the time, leading to frequent run-ins with airline security and the D.E.A, including strip searches of Jon.

Included among the hundreds of color and b/w pictures are never-before-released photographs that give fans and music historians a glimpse into the early days of the band, with members touring, partying and relaxing with friends and family as few outside the circle of the band have ever seen them. Also included are scandalous photos that the author kept under wraps for over 20 years to protect the then nascent band’s image.

The book is available online for $24.95 plus shipping and handling at www.sexdrugsandbonjovi.com and can also be purchased at www.amazon.com.

Think of saving leftovers with food storage containers and thoughts of lost lids and mismatch sizes inevitably come to mind and trying to use plastic wrap is always a struggle.
So, what’s a quick and easy way to save food, minimize refrigerator odors and keep your microwave clean when reheating leftovers?

CoverMate® Food Covers, now available in a new Variety Pack at supermarkets and mass merchant retailers nationwide, provide a solution to these and other common food storage, preparation and serving challenges. These new food covers stretch-to-fit any size or shape plate, bowl, or container, are reusable, and are microwavable and dishwasher safe. The covers eliminate the hassle of searching for the correct size food container lid, and take the guess work and struggle out of using plastic wrap or aluminum foil. The CoverMate Variety Pack contains a selection of four sizes perfect for covering everything in the kitchen from small cans and food storage containers, to casserole dishes and even large party platters.

Manufactured in the U.S., the covers include a patent pending FlexBand that creates a secure seal over any size or shape container while enabling them to stretch easily, even after repeated use. Other patent pending features include built-in corners for fitting both round and square dishware, and vents which allow steam to escape during microwave re-heating. The covers are made from heavy duty, clear FDA-compliant food-safe material free of BPA, PVC and latex. Now there is no need to dirty extra dishes, in seconds you can cover a plate and go straight from the microwave, to the table, to the refrigerator. The covers are especially useful for outdoor entertaining to protect food from insects and dust, while making it easy to uncover and re-cover food for snacking all day.

CoverMate Food Covers, which are manufactured and marketed by CoverMate, Inc., are available at over 10,000 retail stores nationwide such as Target as well as online at www.amazon.com. Suggested retail price for the CoverMate Variety 10-pack is $3.99. For more information, visit www.covermatecovers.com or call 201-843-5600.

A new Touchpoints campaign from Professional Disposables International, Inc. (PDI) will be the focus of the company’s booth at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology 2010 Annual Conference, which takes place from July 11-15 in New Orleans. Touchpoints highlights the many ways germs can be transmitted in healthcare settings and is designed to educate caregivers and patients about preventing the spread of infections.

Without proper infection prevention protocols, everyday “touchpoints” – medical equipment, clothing, computers, door handles and hands – can contribute to the spread of infectious disease among patients, visitors, caregivers and staff. The Touchpoints concept, represented graphically in the logo by a stylized letter “o”, encompasses every stage, from admissions to discharge, at which infections may be contracted and transmitted in a healthcare setting.

“Our goal is to eliminate healthcare associated infections (HAIs),” said Aime Lenz, Senior Director of Marketing for PDI. “Through this campaign, we hope to raise awareness about the lives healthcare workers touch on a daily basis and underscore the routine practices that should be followed to reduce infection risks. Our comprehensive product line touches on all aspects of acute care including skin antisepsis, surface care, hand hygiene and patient care, and we view our clinical support team as an extension of a facility’s infection prevention staff.”

To learn more about the PDI® Touchpoints™ and additional infection prevention resources, please visit www.pdipdi.com. For 30 years PDI has pioneered the development, testing, manufacturing and marketing of pre-moistened wipes as the optimum delivery system for skin antisepsis, hand hygiene, patient and surface care. With trusted brands including, Sani-Cloth®, Sani-Hands® ALC, Sani-Hands® for Kids, Hygea® and Chlorascrub™, PDI serves the healthcare market through hospitals, physician and dental offices, emergency medical services, long-term care, schools and a variety of other healthcare facilities. Professional Disposables International, Inc. is headquartered in Orangeburg, New York.