I’ve been catching up on my RSS feeds this afternoon, and man are there some interesting things going on. Too many to write a post about each (and I’m feeling a tad lazy), so here’s link roundup instead:

Meetings
Adrian Segar issues this challenge to all meeting organizers: Make the results of your evaluations public I am so behind this idea—why everyone isn’t already doing this, I can’t imagine. It’s not like attendees don’t already know what worked and what didn’t, so what’s the issue? Also, don’t miss his great suggestions on how you can get great attendee evaluation response rates.

Ken Molay over at the Webinar blog offers up why webinar registration is like Christmas shopping. I’d expand it to encompass any type of event registration.

Brains and Behavior
You really are what you know (Slashdot) This one is pretty cool—MRI scans of London cabbie brains show that the brains physically change after training. Wouldn’t you love to be able to scan to see what your sessions are doing to your attendees?

The Meeting Space Should Not Define The Use, The Behavior Should While he doesn’t cite any MRI data, Jeff Hurt does talk about how behavior and learning are affected by the physical space in which we expect people to learn (and, theoretically, behave).

Travel
TSA Facing Death By 1,000 Cuts (Slashdot) This fall has not been without incident for our screeners.

XL passengers invade my economy class seat — and airlines let them
(Elliott.org) Not sure how I feel about this one. I’ve been painfully squished by oversized seatmates, and it’s not fun. Then again, it’s not fun for them, either. I’d like to see airlines set aside a certain portion of seats designed specifically for larger folks, but in this era of “cram ‘em in and forget about passenger comfort,” I can’t really see it happening. But to ask someone to buy two seats also doesn’t seem all that fair either.

Just Because I Found Them Interesting and Hope You Do Too

Most hated buzzwords (MeetingBoy via BoingBoing) I know it is what it is, but we probably should circle back to find some robust, no-brainer ways to work smarter so that, at the end of the day, we take it to the next level to a 30,000-foot view of a paradigm shift.

2012 color of the year: tangerine tango
(Special Events). It’s actually a very striking color, if it actually looks anything like it renders on my netbook. Plus, what a great name! Brochure designers, take heed!

This story is so sweet and charming and wonderful that I had to share it: Who left a tree, then a coffin in the library?

Last but by no means least, check out this list of the 56 best/worst similes. Prepare to laugh until the dog looks at you funny if you click this link! Among my faves:

6. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
9. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
18. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.
48. I felt a nameless dread. Well, there probably is a long German name for it, like Geschpooklichkeit or something, but I don’t speak German. Anyway, it’s a dread that nobody knows the name for, like those little square plastic gizmos that close your bread bags. I don’t know the name for those either.

File this one under “What will they think of next”: Aerial bartenders. I kid you not—such a thing really exists.

As the Web site says, “Performing three 30 minute sets, our beautiful glamazons perform breathtaking aerial acts as they serve your guests champagne or other exotic drinks upon request.” I’d suggest also hiring a few masseuses to help uncrick people’s necks after they watch a set or two (and a few more earthbound barkeeps to provide a more prosaic form of the service).

Thanks to Andy McNeill, principle and CEO, American Meetings, Inc., for pointing to this gem of an idea on the Meeting Solutions blog!

Now that we’re heading toward winter and many of the Occupy movement’s encampments are breaking up (or at least being ordered to vamoose), one has to wonder what’s next for the occupiers. Perhaps a convention?

Down in Florida, they’ve already decided that the next logical step is to start a statewide Occupy Florida event called The People’s Convention of Florida. This Friday, local delegations are gathering in Orlando to pull together a list of “desired changes that will resonate with any ethical person,” according to the Peoples Convention of Florida Web site. Then they’ll march on to Tallahassee to present the list to the legislators on January 10. While their venue of choice is still a park—which is more comfortable this time of year in Orlando than Boston—than a ballroom, if the idea spreads from state to state, region to region, and perhaps nationally, they may end up having to move into more conventional meeting space.

Stay tuned…

We know that a high-carb lunch followed by a big piece of cake is going to put people out like you took a sledgehammer to them, while a lean and protein-rich meal will likely leave them alert for afternoon sessions (unless and until you stun them into unconsciousness with dark rooms and PowerPoint nap-inducers). But did you know why? Here’s a look at the reasons why our bodies react to sugar and protein the way they do, and why you should at least top that cake with some slivered almonds

Oh good, first they go bankrupt, and now they’re being sued for poisoning a passenger—the “they” in question being, of course, American Airlines. I just can’t wait to climb on board for my AA flight to San Diego for PCMA in January. I think I may take the Diet Detective’s advice and bring my own snacks this time, just in case…

Andy McNeill, principle and CEO, American Meetings, Inc., recently discovered a fun resource planners can give to their attendees (and, presumably, their families) to use in their free time while in the Big Apple: The New York Pass. The pass is good for most of the main NYC attractions and, a huge plus in my book, it gives you the super-hero ability to jump ahead in the lines. Read more about it on the AMI blog.