When can I buy tickets?

February 4, 2003
Southwest Wants Penguins Back on Jets
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 10:57 a.m. ET

DALLAS (AP) -- Southwest Airlines is seeking the government's approval to bring
back its popular SeaWorld penguin tours, in which two of the tuxedoed waddlers
are put on jets to promote the amusement park as a summer destination.

The promotion was shut down after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and some
security concerns must be addressed before the promotion can restart.

"One of the things that they mentioned was, 'Would it be possible that we
would be able to wand the animals?'" said Melanie Jones, creative manager for
the Dallas-based carrier.

SeaWorld and Southwest Airlines have worked since the 1980s to lure business to
parks in San Antonio, San Diego, and Orlando, Fla. Southwest flew SeaWorld
animals -- most often their penguins, but sometimes parrots -- to cities that
have nonstop flights to the parks.

"If we can find a way to make this happen, far be it from us to not say yes,"
said Ed Martelle, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.
"The trick is being able to do this and not compromise security."

Southwest has been informed that whatever animals would be brought would be
subject to wanding at the security checkpoint. SeaWorld officials say that's OK
since the penguins travel well and are used to being handled.

"We feel like they really brighten people's days," said Fran Stephenson,
SeaWorld's spokeswoman in San Antonio. "Besides, they don't have any pockets
to empty."

I am so there!

Love at first click.

A few people asked me what I thought of GRIP. I'd only heard of it in passing, and thought it was another crappy freeware RPG. I was so wrong.

GRIP is a way to play games on-line. Real RPGs, with a Game Master and players, all interacting over the net. It's beautiful. The GM can predesign maps, encounters, NPCs, even send sounds and images to one player, or the entire group. Maps have icons for players and NPCs, and players can draw on the maps using a "white board" feature. Sick of having to draw every room on the battle map? Load your map in, and black out everything they can't see! As they move, you let them see only what their character can see.

The tools this thing has... Load stock descriptions for everything, and send them out with a click of the mouse. Manage character sheets on-line.. Amazing.

I've got a 60 day trial version. and already have decided to get the full boxed $40 set. (I like have manuals to read.)

What?!

Things are not well in the Dominion of Queen Mauds Land!

My people have excellent civil and political rights... they can read and say what they want, and get to vote for what they want the budget spent on, but the economy is failing! I've gone from "Strong" to "Weak" in about four days!

What is their malfunction? You'd think that opening the nation to uranium mining would have pumped some money into the economy, but noooo.. Now I'm being forced to erect tariffs against cheap foreign cars to save my auto industry.

If you blighters don't start spending some Pebbles soon, I'm letting big business back in! I swear!