I’m not sure if it just covers political ads in this year’s U.S. presidential campaign or if it extends to the debates as well, but I know I plan to take a look at the Annenberg Political Fact Check site after tonight’s debate. It is a non-partisan site that checks both sides for the veracity of their claims, and deflates exaggerations.

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I received the following this morning, and thought I’d pass along the info on how things are progressing in the Caribbean after the recent rash of hurricanes. It came from the Caribbean Hotel Association, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, and the International Council of Cruise lines, and is a summary of what they’ll be saying at a press conference this afternoon. It goes on forever, but I thought it was the best roundup I’ve seen so far, so I included pretty much the whole thing. Click on “read the rest of this post” to find info on specific Caribbean countries or islands.

According to an article in Promo magazine on Yahoo, Inc.’s Internet Deprivation Study released this week, most of us Web-heads can’t go more than five days without Internet access before going nuts.

The study, conducted by Yahoo and OMD, asked 28 consumers in 13 households to stay offline for two weeks and keep video and written diaries about the experience.

All participants suffered withdrawal and frustration. They said they felt “left out of the loop” and had to “resist temptation” to go online, Yahoo said. The median time that participants could stand being offline: five days.

Participants often forgot or didn’t feel like using “old-fashioned tools” like the phone book, newspapers and telephone-based customer service, reported Sunnyvale, CA-based Yahoo.

What does this mean for the future of meetings? For the present, at the very least, it would be prudent to make sure before booking that brainstorming meeting that a week-long retreat in the unplugged beauty of nature is something that won’t inadvertently drive attendees crazy.

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“Motivational speaker Michael Levy believes folks can enjoy even the stormiest hurricane by simply changing their mental state of mind,” according to this article, entitled “Motivational Speaker Turning ‘Hurri-can’ts’ Into ‘Hurri-cans.’”

Um, OK. Somehow, I don’t think the folks in Florida, the Caribbean, and much of the Southeastern U.S. would find it uplifting to sit out the recent hurricanes “listening to upbeat music or reading joke books”–especially hard to do with no power.

I know there’s nothing funny in the hurricane-caused death and destruction Ivan, Frances, Charley, and Jeanne wreaked. But for those who escaped the storms, this little known recent Swedish weather incident serves as a reminder not to feel too smug and secure: This could happen to you!

And for those who made it through the hurricanes intact, here’s a cartoon I’m sure you can relate to. (Thanks to the MIMlist for pointing this one out.)

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First Nashville, Orlando, and Dallas-Fort Worth–now Washington, D.C., will soon sport the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on the Potomac. Slated to open in March 2008, the 1,500-room property is planned to include 400,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space, an 18-story glass atrium to view the monuments and the Potomac, a private marina, and, of course, a spa and fitness center.

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The Unite Here union initiated a strike on four hotels in San Francisco this morning: the Argent Hotel, Hilton San Francisco, Crowne Plaza Union Square, and Mark Hopkins Inter-Continental. The strike ends on Oct. 13. For more, click here.

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On hearing that Starwood, which includes the Sheraton, Westin and W Hotels brands, has hired former Coca-Cola exec Steven Heyer to take over the top spot from company founder Barry S. Sternlicht, an old refrain started running through my head and new lyrics kept popping in. So, to exorcise this little demon from my consciousness, I wanted to inflict it on you. With apologies to Coke…

I’d like to buy the world a room
And furnish it with smiles
A Westin Heavenly Bed
For every sleepy head
Who’s feeling those traveled miles

(da dum dum dum)

I’d like teach the world to meet
In perfect harmony
AV with no glitch
F&B with no hitch
And it won’t take all your money

It’s the Starwood thing
What the guests want today
For those on their way
This is where they will stay
It’s the Starwood thing

OK, that’s pretty pathetic. Can you come up with some better lyrics?

And for you youngsters who have no idea what I’m babbling about, click here for the real lyrics and a rendition of Coke’s legendary jingle that made Mrs. Herbert make sure her music class sang the words “furnish it” with very, very careful pronounciation.

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Great, now USA Today is telling us that terrorists could bring down U.S. jets with hidden bombs as small as a cellphone.

The nearly simultaneous bombings of two Russian airliners in midair on Aug. 24 prompted the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to unveil new security equipment and to order more aggressive searches of passengers. But alarming vulnerabilities remain: There’s no reliable way to detect bombs under people’s clothing, and the vast majority of carry-on bags are not checked for explosives.

“We have very low protection against a suicide bomber strapped with explosives,” says Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Aviation subcommittee. “It ushers in a whole new era of danger for the aviation industry.”

So, will this further freak out the traveling public, including meeting attendees? Or are we getting used to this sort of thing? Personally, I am further freaked, but it won’t stop me from climbing aboard my next flight. Unless and until something else happens–then all bets are off. Still, I did not feel good putting my husband on a plane to Germany last night, even though I know chances are that he’ll be fine.

P.S. Then there’s this story about the second bomb threat to Olympic Airlines causing another flight from Athens to New York to be diverted.

Both links are via Joan Eisenstodt of the MIMlist listserv.

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This article outlines 30 ways to save money on meetings–I just skimmed it, but it looks like good advice to me.

We’ve also collected some of the budget-minder advice we’ve published lately here, though my all-time favorite was 99 Ways to a Better Bottom Line.

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A limo company in Mexico is, no kidding, offering a converted passenger 727 Boeing airplane (click on photo for larger image).

The company has taken the wings off the Boeing and turned it into a big deisel-powered car, capable of whizzing 50 people along the highway, at up to 200 kilometres an hour.

From next month, anyone with a spare $1,500 will be able to book a three hour trip in the converted 727, taking advantage of its dance club, bar and lounge - and hope it does not hit any pot-holes.

Now that should wow even the most jaded VIPs! (Via Gizmodo)

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