Posts in the category "Politics":

PETA gives Sea-Tac Airport a Proggy

You wouldn’t think the folks at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) would spend much time thinking about what goes on at airports, but it seems they do.  And they’ve awarded Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) a Proggy Award (Proggy, as in “progress”) for being the Most Progressive Airport.

Why SEA? PETA likes the fact the SEA uses radar, lasers, and pyrotechnics to keep birds away from airspace that could put them on a collision course with aircraft.

The airport has also installed netting over storm-water ponds, put in plants to deter birds from nesting, and installed underground fencing to prevent burrowing animals from reaching runways.

sea-owls

(SEA officials say these baby horned owls were removed from a nest near the runway, raised by a foster owl, and then safely released in northern Washington)

PETA’s press-release about the Proggy didn’t mention it, but last August, in an effort to find an environmentally safe way to rid the airport of invasive plants, Sea-Tac Airport officials invited a herd of goats (and three sheep) from Goat Trimmers over for lunch and let them munch their way through scotch broom and other pesky plants.

goat-at-work

(Photo courtesy Goat Trimmers)

Planning your inauguration day trip

Planning to be in D.C. for the festivities surrounding the January 20th swearing-in of Senator Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States?

Getting plane tickets is going to be the least of your problems.

Hotels rates will be outrageous. Streets will be crowded. Restaurants will be full. Getting tickets to anything official will be just about impossible. And it’s likely to be really, really, cold.

Sound like fun?

Then take a look at my article for MSNBC.com about how to plan your inauguration trip - and get busy!

(Photo courtesy Destination DC)

Politics at the airport?

A while back I wrote a column for USATODAY.com about airports that use celebrity voices to welcome visitors and remind them of security regulations.

Now it seems that Colorado’s Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is considering pulling one of its celebrity announcements – at least until the presidential campaign is over.

According to the Associated Press, someone complained that the airport’s recorded messages made by GOP presidential candidate John McCain “may give him an unfair boost” in the campaign.

Check out the AP report and the original column.

speacker.jpg

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