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You’ve seen them. Those offices at the strip mall with large posters of tropical beaches in the window. Inside, there are a couple of desks, a display case full of travel brochures and travel agents. According to a recently released Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA) report, these may be going the way of the dodo.

The report, Total Tourism Survey: The Industry Speaks, claims that travel agents, long the gatekeepers of travel and price information, are being replaced by online booking engines that provide hotel and travel services, connecting anyone anywhere.

"Travel agents and global distribution system operators now have to radically alter their business models," the report says.

In an effort to reduce expenses, the Indian government is considering a proposal to replace foreign tourist offices with virtual offices. "In the present era of ICT the same tasks can be handled by a virtual office," a government official said.

A Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) report in India says travel agents there now have to accept a reduced commission of 5 percent, down from 9 percent previously. "It's only a matter of time before it is completely wiped out."

Apichart Sanary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), estimates direct online reservation in Thailand is now about 40 percent of the total business transacted, an increase of 10 percent compared to five years ago.

Most experienced and well-traveled customers are increasingly relying on travel websites to make reservations when all they need is a flight ticket and accommodation. International travel websites are also now distributing travel packages via the Internet. In addition, many airlines are now giving incentives for travelers to book online, such as offering frequent flier miles.

Some still think that the human travel agent is still needed. "The reservation websites have never been able to replace traditional travel agents over the past 10 years," John Watson, CEO of a travel agency told the Bangkok Post, "and I don’t think they ever will."

He believes that direct contact with a person is still important to travelers. "Travelers who are not cost-conscious want more than just making a reservation," he said. "They want details on how to make their trips as pleasurable as possible."

He thinks a marriage of the new technology and the traditional travel agency is the way to go. "Agents can add value to their operations by using the Internet technology," he said. Industry analysts seem to agree, pointing out that travel agents need to evolve if they are to remain a viable part of the industry. They need to start offering any and every available service a traveler requires and become a travel advisor charging a fee for the service, rather than earning a commission.

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There are a bunch of events I’ve been meaning to post about, but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. So, here they are:

June 12-13, 2006
Uncle Orson’s Writing Class 2006
Southern Virginia University
Buena Vista, Va.
Orson Scott Card teaches this annual seminar for novice and experienced writers alike. Participants take part in two days of discussions, lectures, and idea sessions, along with participants in the Literary Boot Camp (which is filled and lasts until the 17th). Although Card is known for his science fiction work, the class is for writers of any kind of fiction, even for screenwriters and playwrights. For more information: www.hatrack.com/bootcamp.shtml.

June 16-18, 2006
RoboGames
Fort Mason
San Francisco, Calif.
Robots from 20 countries will descend on San Francisco to show off the latest in technology and flex their robo-muscles in the International Robot Olympics. The third annual RoboGames will feature more than 50 events and a wide array of robot technology. Combat robots, walking androids, human exo-skeletons, soccer and hockey bots, fire-breathing behemoths, and others will amaze you with their skills. "The humanoid soccer is going to be stellar," said David Calkins, founder of the event and robotics teacher at San Francisco State University. "When most people think of androids, they think of actors in costumes. But these metal guys can really run!&quot Last year, the event was in Sportscenter's Top Ten and Wired magazine called RoboGames one of "The Best Ten North American Geek Fests." Participants hail from Singapore, Brazil, Japan, Britain, Switzerland, Russia, Columbia and more. For more information: robogames.net

Various Dates
Finding the Genome: Fact & Fantasy
Durham County Library
Durham, N.C.
This series of films and discussions explores the moral questions, dilemmas and controversies that accompany scientific advances in the field of genetics. Each event features a film and is followed by a discussion led by experts in genetics and ethics.

• June 10: X-Men (2000) starring Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman.
  
  
• July 8: Minority Report (2002) starring Tom Cruise.
  
  
• August 12: Motherland: A Genetic Journey (2003), a documentary about African Americans using DNA searches to find their African ancestry.
  
  
• September 9: Gattaca (1997) starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.
  
  
• September 16: Special lecture and discussion with Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

For more information: www.durhamcountylibrary.org/pr/program.html#genome and genomics.unc.edu/cgf.

If you've always wanted to see George Lucus' famed Skywalker Ranch but just haven't been able to make the trek, you can now have a piece of the ranch in your own home.

Francis Coppola's winery, Rubicon Estate, has released the 2004 Lucas Skywalker Ranch "Viandante del Cielo" chardonnay and it is available for a limited time on the web.

"Viandante del Cielo" is a rough translation in Italian of "skywalker" and the wine is made from grapes grown on Skywalker Ranch.

If Bradbury’s dandelion wine could pack all of the joys of summer into a single bottle, then, I imagine that the 2004 Lucas Skywalker Ranch "Viandante del Cielo" chardonnay just might pack all the adventure of Star Wars in a bottle, as well.

Wow! What a surprise! A recent survey conducted in the U.S. for MasterCard Advisors Global Cardholder Services found that Americans prefer to spend their vacation time soaking up the rays on a warm beach more than any other activity. And – no surprise given that fact – Florida is far and away the most likely vacation destination.

1,100 U.S. adults were quizzed about their vacation preferences. Here’s a summary of the survey’s findings:

• 29% of respondents preferred warm-weather activities such as camping, going to a spa or playing golf.
  
  
• A preference for a sunny beach getaway was common among respondents, regardless of age, income level, gender or region.
  
  
• Coming in second place, came child-friendly destinations at 12%.
  
  
• Historical and cultural destinations, at 10%, came in third.
  
  
• Americans dream of visiting other countries, but few will actually leave the country for vacation. Of those far off places American dream of going to see, Australia or New Zealand is the top choice at 65%.
  
  
• 72% of those in generations X (age 30-41) and Y (age 18-29) dream of vacationing in Hawaii the most.
  
  
• Women (9%) prefer camping more than men (7%).
  
  
• Men prefer exotic locations (11%) and golf (4%) more than women (4% and 1% respectively).
  
  
• 45% of those in Generation X and 49% of those in Generation Y dream about going on an African safari.

"While we weren’t surprised that sun and beach vacations were the overall winner," said Alice Droogan, vice president, Global Cardholder Services, MasterCard Advisors, "we were intrigued to note that Florida was the No. 1 destination in every demographic, even with other sunny spots such as the Caribbean nearby."

The survey also uncovered travelers' holiday worries. Of those polled,

• 26% were more concerned about losing their credit cards
  
  
• 25% feared losing their travel documents,
  
  
• 24% worried about getting sick while on vacation,
  
  
• 15% were concerned about lost luggage, and
  
  
• 10% were anxious about getting into an accident or damaging the rental car.

The Travel Behaviors survey was conducted by Ipsos Insight using its U.S. Express Online omnibus. The nationally representative sample of 1,134 adults was polled online between April 21st and April 25th, 2006. Each question was asked of all respondents. The demographics were broken down by gender, age, household income, region, children in household, marital status, education, employment status and race.

Since Threshold was canceled, I’ve become an avid watcher of Invasion. I was a big fan of Sean Cassidy’s other project, American Gothic, and this show has a lot of similarities.

But that’s not what I’ve come here to talk about.

Yesterday, I read in the news about the last male purebred Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit dying, leaving only two female (not pregnant) left of the entire species.

Yes, this little critter is so cute I just want to hug it. But that’s not what makes me sad. Depending on your perspective, extinction can be either sad or a happy opportunity.

Think about it. If the dinosaurs hadn’t become extinct, do you think mammals would have eventually evolved humans? Then again, if the last of the panda bears go extinct, I would miss them.

The topic of extinction is closely linked to the topic of biodiversity. Lack of biodiversity can lead to extinction of multiple species. Many scientists feel that that’s where we’re heading right now.

Extinction of several species, including amphibians, such a frogs, and mammals, such as lions. For a list of links to stories on this subject, visit www.well.com/~davidu/extinction.html.

Invasion puts another spin on the subject. What if some other intelligent life was to supplant the human race and we went extinct? Of course, this TV series isn’t the first bit of fiction to discuss the topic. A.E. Van Vogt’s Slan uses this concept as the underpinning of the novel. In fact, Slan is part of a science fiction subgenre regarding "super men" -- the idea that an evolved or mutated version of humans will supplant the original. X-men is also in this genre.

This little thought blurb really isn't going anywhere. It was just a random thought to get discussion going. So, what do you think?

For more information about Invasion, you can check out one of the character's "blog" at www.didyouseethelights.com.

For more information about Slan, visit www.troynovant.com/Franson/Van-Vogt/Slan.html.

For a list of other science fiction stories that involve the "supermen" theme, visit www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH_themeid=66.