As you can imagine, running a swanky science publication ends up getting me a lot of press releases.   People want to get the word out about what they are doing and I make no secret of the fact that I want to know what's going on because I don't have time to proactively go out and find the latest stuff.  So I like getting them, including the ones I want to make fun of.

SAO PAULO, Brazil, December 17 /PRNewswire/ --

Braskem (BOVESPA: BRKM3, BRKM5, BRKM6; NYSE: BAK; LATIBEX: XBRK), the leading company in the thermoplastic resins industry in Latin America and third-largest resin producer in the Americas, announces that its Board of Directors has approved the Green Polyethylene Project. This project, for which investment of R$500 million was approved, will produce ethylene and polyethylene from sugarcane ethanol, with operational startup scheduled for 2011 at the Southern Petrochemical Complex in Rio Grande do Sul state.

WARREN, Michigan, December 17 /PRNewswire/ --

The Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) fuel tank from TI Automotive, the world's leading supplier of fluid-storage and delivery systems, has been selected as a 2009 PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers Contribution to Excellence) awards finalist for its revolutionary new design and production method.

The company's process technology and unique product architecture employed in the launch of the first BMW 3-Series PZEV plastic fuel tank represents a breakthrough in the transition from steel to plastic, according to Manouchehr Kambakhsh, vice president Global Advanced Engineering for TI Automotive.

ASHLAND, Massachusetts, December 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- Significant milestone met in development and validation of non-animal alternative test methods

MatTek Corporation today announced that the ECVAM Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC) endorsed the scientific validity of the Modified EpiDerm Skin Irritation Test (SIT) at its November meeting. ESAC concluded that the Modified EpiDerm SIT has sufficient accuracy and reliability for the prediction of skin irritating and non-irritating test substances.

Whoever said that the pen is mightier than the sword definitely knew what they were talking about. To humans, words are more than a means of communication, they can shape our beliefs, behaviors, feelings and ultimately our actions. Although swords can coerce us, and threaten, nothing is more powerful than a tool which can shape our opinions.

When it comes to language and communication, the rule is that it’s not what you say, but what people hear.  Words are one of the most powerful tools that we as humans possess; they can ignite revolutions or defuse tension. The problem is that words are underestimated as being central to thought and behavior processing as well as decision making.

PHILADELPHIA, December 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- Agent-less network monitor brings the most accurate real-world network environment into the test lab for the most flexible and secure network behavior recording.

LONDON, December 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- Concateno Solutions are First to be Licensed for On-site Drug Testing in Indian Market

Concateno plc, Europe's largest provider of drug and alcohol testing programmes, has today announced an exclusive arrangement with Merck Specialities Private Limited (Merck Specialities), the wholly-owned Indian subsidiary of Merck KGaA, to launch and market its Cozart products for on-site drug testing into the Indian market. This represents a first for India, which currently does not use road-side testing for drugs of abuse to enforce anti-drug driving legislation.

As a result of Sir Tom Jones citing his use of Vocalzone on Top Gear (14/12/2008) Kestrel, the (Poole based) makers of the Throat Pastille which is also known to be used Snoop Dogg, Madonna, Joss Stone and Robbie Williams, has been inundated with enquiries from literally thousands of aspiring singers that watch the program.

Sir Tom Jones was asked by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear if he took anything to maintain his voice.

DALLAS and BARCELONA, Spain, December 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- Not Just Computers uses NTRadmin Bots to Boost Service Quality and Cut Costs by Virtually Monitoring and Repairing Customers' Computers and Servers

Utilizing NTRadmin, an on-demand network systems management solution with NTRadmin Bots, Not Just Computers, a managed service provider and technology consultant, remotely monitors its customers' computers, networks and servers, proactively identifying problems such as lack of disk space, lagging CPU speed and security issues such as outdated anti-virus software. If problems are spotted, Not Just Computers can fix problems remotely, anytime, anywhere, even with a Windows mobile device with NTRadmin.

TEL AVIV, Israel, December 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- The Etoro Campaign in the Wake of the Report: President Elect Obama Will Explain to the General Public how to Protect Their Money in Times of Turbulent Markets.

Experts from Etoro, which specializes in foreign currency trading, conducted a survey, the conclusion of which determines that from October to December 2008, investors from all over the world have abandoned Wall Street for foreign currency trading.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081006/322315 )