I
48 The Michigan Dly vWeeken.
Magazine - Thursday. December 4. 1997
4 f
The Michigan Daily Weekend M
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Popular Internet
travel sites:
/ Preview Travel:
www.previewtravel.com
~ Microsoft Expedia:
www.expedia.com
~ Travelocity:
www. travelocity.com
~ Lonely Planet Guides:
www.lonelyplanet.corm
~-Fodor's Guides:
www, fodors. c om
/ Rough Guides:
www. roughguides.com
Internet travel sites simplify trip planning
By Jason Stoffor
Daily Arts Writer
Good luck if you're looking for an
affordable Rose Bowl plane ticket. You
might find that elusive boarding pass
hiding in your mailbox, or wake up
with a ticket under your pillow, but
your best shot is taking a short surf on
the Net.
LSA junior Jessica Hermenitt was
loafing with friends two Fridays ago
when she decided to search major air-
lines' websites for Rose Bowl tickets.
And thanks to the Internet, she'll be
spending her New Year's In Pasadena.
"We got a $258 round trip from
Chicago to L.A., put a 24-hour hold on
the price and made reservations the next
day, after we beat Ohio State,"
Hermenitt said. "There was no way we
would have found these fares wi Iput
the Internet."
Internet travel arrangements are not
all so hit-or-miss. Preview Travel, at
www previewtravel.com., brags that it
"enables customers to act as their own
travel agents 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week." Preview, the official travel
agency for America Online, has 1.8 mil-
lion subscibers and weekly bookings of
$1.5 million to $2.2 million dollars.
Preview Travel's Farefinder system
searches four times daily through travel
agents' airline registration system. All a
customer must do is -log onto the Web
site and enter the city and date of their
flight's arrival and departure; a screen
will then appear displaying the best
fares among 700 different airlines.
Ambitious travelers can even put toge4h .
er a complete package including airfare,
hotel accomo-
dations and a
rental car.
Tickets and
hotels aren't all
the Internet has
to offer; Web
sites for travel
guidebooks are
also popular.
To name only
one example,
students look-
ing to travel
through Europe,
"There was
we would h
(fares to P
without the
Internet."
South Asia or other
I
exotic locales can explore the Lonely
Planet at www lonelvplanet.com. The
site has a wealth of information about
almost every nation across the globe.
Cost estimates for room and board,
tourist advisories, national histories
and travel requirements are all provid-
ed. But the strength of the site is a bul-
letin board sharing traveling know-
how and instructive tales.
For example, a man planning a trip to
Central America
asked, "How
i no way easy will it be to
get through cus-
Lave fond toms with a
asadena) 13- p o u n d
dog?"
One response
said it would
help break the
ice with border
- Jessica Hermenitt guards who
LSA junior often knew lit-
tle English,
while another traveler warned that there
are a large number of stray dogs and a
high incidence of rabies in Mexico.
But Internet travel is not always
worth the time and hassle. Angie Shaw,
manager of Boersma Travel, said "a lot
of times students don't have the time to
do all the searching.
"Travel agents have been doing this
for years, and we are far more experi-
enced finding fares than someone who
just jumps on the Internet, " Shaw said.
"We charge a $10 commission per air-
line ticket, and we can offer packages at
a discount."
With thousands of new travel sites
appearing yearly, it may be difficult to
distinguish which Internet tour sponsors
are reliable. Students need to be particu-
larly careful, as they appear to be attrac-
tive bait for certain traveling scams.
Brenda Roper, owner of Alaskan
Wilderness Journeys, approximates that
10 percent of her business comes from
online customers. She urges travelers to
fully investigate any tour operator
before sending the check in the mail.
"Be sure to check the local travel
membership bureaus and be sure to ask
for references;' Roper said. "Also, you
can learn a lot just talking to a person
on the phone and seeing what type of
rapport you have."
Shaw strongly recommended that
travelers, to be safe, should always
consider at least checking with a travel
agent before booking tour packages.
"We don't work with companies that
aren't bonded, and we know a lot of
companies that are good to work with,"
Shaw said.
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& SHIRT SERVICE
332 Maynard
(Across from Nickels Arcade)
668-6335
Entertainment News
Smith, Pinkett to wed;
Spi.Ltualized sets record
z"
:
a
..
Film
/ Fans of the James Bond series
should look out for its latest installment,
"Tomorrow Never Dies," which opens
Dec. 19. Starring the painfully suave
Pierce Brosnan, the film is No. 18 in
the MGM/UA canon of flicks that were
made famous by Sean Connery and
Roger Moore. While some may remem-
ber the old gadget-laden Aston-Martin
and magnetic watch from Bond's Cold
War days, this film has a more contem-
porary twist. It reportedly features hi-
tech BMWs, exploding Omega watches
and other product tie-ins (capitalism at
its best, no doubt). Producers hope, it
seems, that the in-film marketing will
make their $100 million marketing bud-
get worthwhile; they want to surpass
"Goldeneye"'s
$350 million
worldwide take
and become the
most successful
Bond venture
ever. Perhaps old
Q has something
up his sleeve that
can help them.
/ HOT! HOT!
HOT!, as Oprah
might say -
that's the best way
to describe the lat-
est Hollywood
couple that's mak-
ing it official.
Rising actress
Jada Pinkett and
her beau, the
ubiquitous Will
Smith (whose.
"Men in Black" is
currently killing.
'em in video
stores) recently
announced their
engagement. It would be Pinkett's first
wedding; No. 2 for the Fresh Prince.
V Farewell, dearest "Beavis and
Butt-head," we shall miss ye. The final
installment of the famed MTV program
aired Nov. 28. Old Beavis and his pal
have since moved on to bigger and bet-
ter things. Sparking the departure was
creator Mike Judge's decision to
devote all his energies to his adult car-
toon "King of the Hill," which is doing
gangbusters business over on the Fox
network. Nevertheless, rumors abound
about the return of the fearsome duo,
either on the small or big screen.
Considering the $63 million gross of
last Christmas' feature film "Beavis
and Butt-head Do America," expect the
latter.
V Former child actor Mike
Lookinland - a.k.a. Bobby Brady -
was recently arrested for twice flipping
his car in rural Utah. The 36-year-old
star, now an assistant cameraman on the
CBS show "Promised Land," was sport-
ing three times the legal amount of alco-
hol in his blood (and was heard mum-
hliung "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" as the
authrities hauled him away ). .)
MusirCaplcon (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
o Spiritualized (pictured) made the The next week is filled with little
most of its recent stop in Toronto last sleep and lots of stress. Your best
week. The group "played in a bar atop bet is to take things one at a time,
the CN Tower Wednesday in what will as well as many deep breaths.
be entered into the Guinness Book of Aquarus (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
World Records as, according to a press An old friend awaits a call from
release handed out during the perfor- you. Even though you think that
mance, 'the highest concert ever per- you've been neglected, you'll find
formed in a man-made structure,"' said your worries had been misplaced.
Addicted to Noise. The band played an Psces (Feb. 19-March 20)
hour's worth of material, "but the Small talks mean big relief. No one
atmosphere was sapped of any vitality can read your mind, so don't be
by the chattering yuppies in the crowd" afraid of voicing your concerns.
~ Although INXS frontman Ares (March 21-April 19)
Michael Hutchence's parents asked Your uneasy attitude in the work
that well-wishers for their late son send
donations to UNICEF and the Starlight
Foundation instead of flowers for his Top 10 movies
funeral, U2's Bono (for the weekend of Nov. 28 to
and his wife Ali Nov. 30)
sent a large white 1. "Flubber," $35.9 million
wreath, which was (one week in theaters)
placed to the left of
Hutchence's coffin 2. "Alien Resurrection," $25.8 mil-
at his funeral in lion (1)
Sydney last 3. "Anastasia," $15.4 million (3)
Wednesday. "The 4. "John Grisham's the Rainmaker,"
arrangement was $14.5 million (2)
in the shape of a 5. "The Jackal," $10.5 million (3)
Claddagh Ring, an
Irish symbol of 6.'Mortal Kombat Annihilation"
love, loyalty and $9.4 million (2)
friendship repre- 7. "Midnight in the Garden of Good
sented by a heart and Evil," $9.4 million (2)
shape that is 8. "The Little Mermaid," $5.1 mil-
clasped by hands lion (3)
and topped with a "Bean," $4.1 million (7)
N. undayrte 10. "Starship Troopers," $3.9 mil-
ATN. Sunday, at
U2's San Antonio lion (4)
concert, Bono, a Source: The Associated Press
comrade of
Hutchence's, dedi- Billboard Top 10
cated a song to (top albums for the week ending
him, saying, "This Nov. 29, 1997)
is for Michael 1. Metallica, "Reload" (one week
Hutchence, a great singer and a great on chart)
friend. We'll miss him."
V Supergrass had to cancel its U.K. 2. Celine Dion, "Let's Talk About
tour last week when drummer Danny Love" (1)
Goffey broke his hand. The reason? 3. Barbra Streisand, "Higher
Goffey claimed "he was stuck in London Ground" (2)
traffic en route to catch a flight to 4. Erykah Badu, "Live" (1)
Scotland for Supergrass' opening date at 5. Shania Twain, "Come on Over" (3)
Glasgow Barrowlands last Tuesday 6. Leann Rimes, "You Light Up My
when the car behind bumped into his. L
Enraged, Goffey leapt out and punched Life - Inspirational Songs" (11)
the offending vehicle, fracturing his right 7. Hanson, "Snowed In" (1)
hand," said New Musical Express. 8. Chumbawamba, "Tub Thumper" (9)
Goffey told the magazine, "I punched a 9. Mase, "Harlem World" (4)
car. There you go ... that's road rage for 10. LSG, "Levert.Sweat.Gill" (2)
you! It's a bit embarrassing. Basically,
I'm quite a passive person usually but I
lost it a bit. This bloke knocked into my
car when I was in a traffic jam ... so I Source: Billboard Magazine
punched it" The driver of the car didn't
bring up any charges against Goffey,
whose band will open for Oasis at 25 years ago in
London's Wembley Arena in December
and will play its November shows in "Activist-actress Jane Fonda, kno
January. radical leader and former Daily ed
- Compiled by Daily Film Editor overwhelmed by the news of Hayd
Joshua Rich and Daily Music Editor
.Aaron.Rennie. TaAssoaciated Press.,
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t 9" 4 e $ i4 9 3Y 5 9 o 4 I t + T tt V
. .tX.. . V _ ... . .LLIIV - - --t4t"
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Your nervous anxiety to get
everything done may get the best
of you. Rest assured that every-
thing will get done - sooner or
latpr
Weekeitd Magazine
environment will reach its p
week as you strive to make
ends mee
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
While an unfortunate incide
left you with some grief, th
trust will understand, and v
you some comic relief.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Freaky friends that taunt y
you are up, will actually br
back from the depths of de
Give them a little credit.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
While your outlook on life
to be going through a tran:
cycle, your new perspectiv
give you insight into a life
more suitable to your taste
Leo (July 23- Aug. 22)
Ma Bell should ring you wi
comforting call this week.
Help Me I
Dear Harlan,
I'm a 23-year-old college
I'm having a problem with
two roommates. Almost e
"Amy" uses the bathroom ir
she somehow gets pee on th
My other roommate has r
too.
It would be easy if a guy
prit. He could just put the to
but with her, I don't know
how to bring up the subject
without making her feel
weird.
I hope you have some
suggestions.
- Pee on the sea
Dear Pee,
Now, you don't have a
lemonade stand in the bath-
room or a dog that drinks
from the bowl? Right? Just
checking the obvious
answers first.
If this is really a problei
sure it's "Amy," the three of
have a brief meeting of the 1
about all the problems in
ment. First, mention dirt)
something stupid, then addi
your roommates with the pe
issue.
Of course, we all know thi
the aimless roommate, but
sent the problem to botl
"Amy" won't feel alienated
on and humiliated.
And if that doesn't help,
apartment closer to a gas st
Dear Harlan,
Someone wrote to you fo
finding a proper condom,
going to help Harlan?
Who's going to tell this y
about the changes in their
wn for her ability to make hea
itor-in-chief Tom Hayden. (Unix
en's marriage, commented, 'i