Here is my preference (it may not be the 
path of least resistance), and it may 
become yours if you like Perl. ;-)

Install "perl" and the perl "Tk" module.

To pop up the contents of '/etc/motd', execute 
this from somewhere in the X desktop startup 
process (warning - marginal testing at best):

"popup.pl"
>>>>>START>>>>>
#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use Tk;

my $filename = "/etc/motd";
my @contents = ();

if (-r $filename)
{
   open(F, "<$filename");
   @contents = <F>;
   close(F);
}
else
{
   @contents = ("Cannot open $filename.");
}
$displaytext = join('', @contents);

my $mw = new MainWindow;
$mw->title("Message of the Day");

$mw->Label(
   -text => $displaytext,
   )->pack;
$mw->Button(
   -text => "Close",
   -command => sub { exit; },
   )->pack;

MainLoop;
<<<<<<END<<<<<<

Good luck!

Troy

P.S. - To whom it may concern, yes, 
I am just avoiding work I don't wish 
to do at this time. Moving sucks rocks!

>>> garay002 at tc.umn.edu 03/20/02 01:16PM >>>
I'd like to have a pop-up window with my own messages come up on the
desktop when my kids login.  I'm wondering what I could use to do this.
I have no clues on where to start with this idea.  Any suggestions?