LOUDER THAN A BOMB LAS VEGAS UNDER THE NAN "This style seems wild. Wait before you treat me like a stepchild." -- Public Enemy, Louder Than A Bomb Disclaimer One: Las Vegas is it's own place. You almost have to have been there to truly understand its personality. There is a pretty funny and telling essay in September's Travel & Leisure magazine, which sums up the feeling of Vegas as "That was the silliest thing I've ever seen. I loved it." Disclaimer Two: There seems to be a feeling that all citizens of the NAN are back-to-nature environmentalists. I feel that this is exaggerated. I feel that each environmental (and other) issue has more than one side (see entry on the Glen Canyon dam) and that there comes a point where you have to sacrifice nature -- even just a little -- in favor of survival. Also, for the most part, you're more likely to see a NAN citizen in a suit than in deerskin. The NAN people are still human, and corruption doesn't just disappear because your skin is not white. What follows are excerpts from Transformation of the West (BarTours, c. 2049) dealing with the relevant area. Lester Lowe Ward III, American Vacation Magazine [ward 1] at [husc.harvard.edu] AN OVERVIEW HIGHWAYS By necessity, Interstate highways are kept intact and in good repair. Most of the U.S. Highways were also kept intact. However, due to the NAN's lower population and environmental stance, many of the State Highways have been neglected to the point of unsuitability or, most notably in the V Regions (see below) removed. It is also worth mentioning that internal combustion ground vehicles are more heavily taxed than electric cars in the NAN, although there is no legislation banning the vehicles. >>>[Just what does U.S. stand for, anyway? I see it all over the old highways and off-road.]<<< -- Rocker (02:43:50/5-6-52) >>>[U.S. is an abbreviation for U.C.A.S. Many of the old roads were built by the old American States.] -- Seelie (05:33:12/5-9-52) >>>[This lack of legislation is mainly due to the efforts of combine farmers, who -- thanks to White Hawk's process -- find it much cheaper to make their own gasohol.]<<< -- LJ (07:10:38/8-29-52) >>>[In practice, the combustion tax only really applies to legal citizens of the NAN, as it is, in all of the Nations, levied upon registration of the vehicle. It is a pretty major tax, though. In the Ute, for example, registering an internal combustion car is about ten time more expensive than registering an electric car of the same make.]<<< -- Doctor Love (01:01:15/8-31-52) V REGIONS The NAN have turned large portions of their land into places designated as untouched by legislation or pollution. Made up originally of the old U.S. National Parks, they have grown much larger. The Zion/Bryce Region, one of the biggest V Regions, contains the old Zion, Bryce and Capitol National Parks, as well as Dixie and some of Fishlake National Forests. Like most of the V Regions, cars are not allowed within, except in certain entrance points. Only official air units may enter the air space under 18,000 feet. All of the state highways, as well as part of U.S. 89 have been removed from the Region, but the abandoned small towns have been left to rot, so some manmade shelter can be found, in decaying shape. >>>[Riggers are advised to avoid crossing through large portions of the V Regions. Although the chance of officials firing on you (or even following you) within the V Regions is pretty slim, if they catch you outside, you might as well hang it up.]<<< -- Doctor Love (23:53:02/4-7-52) >>>[The area bordered by Interstates 70, 15, 25 and 40 is some of the most breathtaking land on this planet. It also has some interesting examples of paranatural flora, some with healing properties.]<<< -- Tess (14:23:45/7-7-52) >>>[I'm told that there is a small group in the Ute who try to track down and assassinate riggers who violate V Regions. Anyone heard of this?]<<< -- Blaster (12:56:16/8-31-52) >>>[I've heard that some areas in the V Regions are also Dead Zones. Anyone know?]<<< -- Rocker (02:48:59/5-6-52) >>>[DOO-DOO_do-do-DOO-DOO-do-do<<<] -- Marker (09:32:01/5-6-52) THE UTE NATION LAS VEGAS That Vegas was allowed to remain more or less unchanged is as telling as it is surprising. Even today, untold kilowatts are used for the light show in downtown Vegas. The glitz is the same as it ever was. >>>[What is surprising about it? Vegas was taking in billions of dollars a year before the treaty of Denver.]<<< -- Mamma (17:12:23/2-5-52) >>>[Vegas is also one of the only places in the Ute where you can get good steak.]<<< -- Manticore (12:47:34/3-1-52 HOTELS The legendary hotels in Vegas are still going strong. Ceasar's will probably stand for yet another hundred years and Bally's will last until it gets burned down (again). Rates are about half of what you'd expect from comparable resorts in other parts of the world. Chips, although once good as currency, are now only useable within the casino where they were purchased. By old Vegas tradition, however, churches still except them. >>>[Tips are big in Vegas. It is a good idea to have chips or other loose cash in Vegas for tips, as credit transfers are fairly slow. When gambling (including slots), drinks are free but a tip (1¥ is sufficient) is expected. For good seats at a show tip the maitre d' 5¥ to 20¥. Other tips include the standard 15% for meals as well as: Dealers: based on service and winnings Valet Parking: 1¥ Bellman: 5¥, unless lots of bags, when more is required Maid: 1¥ per day ]<<< -- Archon (19:51:00/11-1-51) >>>[Vegas casinos are always running and always heavily populated. You're also always being watched electronically. It is a very tough place to sneak about.]<<< -- Spiderman (22:55:12/11-3-48) ALGIERS HOTEL Address: 2845 Las Vegas Blvd Average Hotel (2 floors) No racial bias LTG# 7777 (ALGIER) Owner: Angie Red Cloud This motel-style place is a Vegas exception. It has no casino, no nightclub. It does have a pool and boasts far better rooms and service than most hotels of its kind. >>>[Stay here if you want to keep away from crowds, or just if you're trying to save money.]<<< -- Glitterfoot (02:18:12/12-23-51) BALLY'S LAS VEGAS Address: 3645 Las Vegas Blvd Luxury Hotel, Casino, Nightclub, Mall Bias against magicians LTG# 7777 (BALLYS) Owner: Tony Lercara One of the largest resorts in the world, Bally's contains a full shopping mall, two major showrooms, a health club, a youth center, an Olympic pool, six restaurants, a comedy club, various bars, golf privileges, and 2,832 rooms. Formerly the MGM Grand (before the 1980 fire), rooms are rife with old Hollywood photos and each room has a star on the door. Gambling facilities include 1,000 slot machines, 11 craps layouts, 84 blackjack (5¥ minimum bet), 12 baccarat, 9 roulette, 20 poker (20 nuyen buy-in), sports and race book. Unlike most resorts, Bally's slots run entirely on credit (no coins); this drives some away, but provides a different background noise than most casinos. Magicians are tolerated, but strongly discouraged from gambling. >>>[Wage Mages roam the crowds, and one checks everyone who enters. If a magician checks in, almost every employee in the place will know soon. Winners of big pots are checked for magical ability. Lucky magicians are politely asked never to return.]<<< -- Wanda (03:16:12/1-4-50) >>>[Security is heavy, but very sedate and in the background. Weapons larger than light submachineguns must be checked in. Bally's squeezes extra service out of their Wage Mages by giving them first go at trouble makers in a silent way. They dislike shooting customers, but will do so. The last man to attempt a robbery at Bally's was allowed to leave with 100K in cash and chips, but was sliced in half by a security drone as soon as he left.]<<< -- Cooler (12:23:10/1-15-52) >>>[Bally's computer system is layered and an onion style fairly typical of Vegas. The outer layer is blue, housing reservation making information and news about upcoming events. Next is a green system holding ticketing, control of the movie units in each room, elevators and some of the more mundane resort operations. Next is an orange layer for billing, personnel records and the security cameras. The supposedly deepest layer holds more personnel records (hard to read) and financial information (which seems legitimate and really boring). From the outside, there seem to be more nodes than I can account for, but so help me if I can find another SAN, even in the red layer. All the things that can help you get rich quick are usually their own isolated systems. This is the Vegas norm. Keno, for example is an isolated system. The slots are individual non-Matrix computers, also isolated. The record keeping archive for the sports book is isolated (and red). This is actually more effective here than in the rest of the world, because these isolated systems are constantly used and manned, as the casinos run 24 hours a day.]<<< -- Bilbo (23:29:10/2-24-52) CEASAR'S PALACE Address: 3750 Las Vegas Blvd Luxury Hotel, Casino, Nightclub No racial bias LTG# 7777 (PALACE) Owner: Joel Spicola This Vegas standard emulates a Roman city, complete with moving sidewalks, pool, health club, shops, seven restaurants, bars, and 2000 rooms. The statuary of the Palace is composed of replicas (some in Carrara marble) of David, Venus de Milo, the Rape of the Sabines, and more. There are two separate casinos and a private baccarat lounge. Minimum blackjack bet is 5¥, but there is one 3¥ table. Poker buy-in is 25¥. Ceasar's still has slot, poker and blackjack machines which run on quarter nuyen chips. >>>[Centurions abound in this place, some orks and trolls. They are usually armed with Taser weapons. Some areas have lockers with a Narcojet rifle and Net Guns. More insidious are the hidden cameras, some of which have servoguns. Just about every mirror in the place has a camera behind it. I'm told that Ceasar's hires (some say creates) Samurai to walk about undercover, armed. I've seen several men who would fit the bill; not obviously cybered, but very fast. Custom stuff if I've ever seen it. There is usually a rigger wired into the security system, part of which is not Matrix accessible. Remember that Heavy Armor is way illegal in the Ute, even for corporate (or casino) security.]<<< -- Cooler (12:24:01/1-15-52) >>>[Elementals patrol astral space on the lookout for spells. Awakened customers are warned upon entry that magical spells will not be allowed for any reason within the casino. Elementals do not attack quickened or locked spells. Instead they alert a Wage Mage, who checks to make sure the spell is not for the purpose of cheating. Generally, the Mage will watch the magician for quite some time.]<<< -- Marackeshh (23:56:52/2-6-52) >>>[Ceasar's entire system is red, except for a separate green reservation computer. It utilizes isolated gambling systems. The system is not sculpted at all. Perhaps Ceasar's wished to spare its employees Roman overkill.]<<< -- Bilbo (23:29:12/2-24-52) >>>[Big winners, especially on the slots, at Ceasar's are usually subject to examination for magical ability and cyberware. Slot winners with cybereye video cameras are asked never to come back. Ditto card game winners with headware memory/program carriers. By the way, cameras and hand computers are not allowed in any casino in Vegas.]<<< -- Ex-Big Winner (12:18:34/2-25-52) THE EDGE Address: 3661 Las Vegas Blvd Luxury Hotel, Casino, Nightclub No racial bias LTG# 7777 (28-1287) Owner: Matre Pagano Built in the late 1990's, this smaller resort is themed around the dark future presented in the cyberpunk literary movement of the early '80s. Among it's neon, lasers, smoke and stainless steel-sheeted architecture can be found a Matrix amusement park (looking much like an auditorium of chairs, each with a input into the 'mind-park'), three restaurants, two lightning exhibits, 900 rooms, one of the largest holo-game arcades in the country, and several historical/artistic exhibitions of some of the less savory aspects of human nature. Recently, in an effort to win back customers, the Edge has taken a post nuclear turn. (Two guests apparently died of heart failure when illusory nuclear detonations kicked off a surprise attack party last January.) Where most Vegas casinos are open spaces, the Edge's casino is a mass of twisted metal, smoke and arcing electricity. It also has no slot machines of any kind. Blackjack minimum is 10¥ and poker buy-in is 30¥. Baccarat tables occupy a sort of aristocratic calm in the storm. >>>[No slots? They're cutting themselves out of some profits. Plus the atmosphere is one not really suited to those with weak constitutions. Weird.]<<< -- A.C. (19:32:09/12-1-51) >>>[We view the Edge as an artistic endeavor, not a profit making opportunity. But A.C. is correct. If not used to the lifestyle, please stay away. This makes it easier on our janitorial staff.]<<< -- Alexis Pagano, L.L.B. (18:50:19/12-23-51) >>>[Security here is very visible, as fits in with the theme. Guns are allowed, but using them his harshly dealt with. The camera/servo-gun combo is used here too, except that they are not concealed. An occasional patron disappears, but other patrons are usually blamed. I tend to agree with that, the Edge is a tough place. But artistic in a kind of jump-off-a cliff way.]<<< -- Cooler (12:24:01/1-15-52) >>>[I was present at what is now called the Doomsday Party. It was a pretty raucous time, and surprising as hell. There I was, up five grand at blackjack, when suddenly missiles bust through the far wall (apparently, no matter where you were, it was through the 'far wall') and bathes the poker tables with nuclear fire. Lasers fired from the walls, 'killing' people (employees in make up, it turned out). The place quickly turned into a madhouse. We all wondered why they took guns that night, but the place woulda been a bloodbath if they hadn't. It ended up being a hell of a party. My winnings were swiped in the confusion, but I didn't mind so much. It was that kind of party.]<<< -- Arc (15:10:01/3-03-52) >>>[The Edge is one of the few casinos where Magic is actually tolerated. But be warned, if (and only if) you use magic to gamble, it will be used against you. They usually have much more practice. The magician to normal ratio is about double in employees and patrons alike.]<<< -- Scar (23:59:01/6-25-52) >>>[The Edge system has two layers, an orange reservation/billing layer and a black everything else layer. Stay away from this one; it is very heavy into psychological IC, but not sculpted (which enhances the IC's mental impact).]<<< -- Bilbo (23:29:14/2-24-52) EXCALIBUR Address: 3850 Las Vegas Blvd Luxury Hotel, Casino, Nightclub No racial bias LTG# 7777 (28-5630) Owner: Joseph H. Thomasi Looking like a fantasy castle (complete with drawbridge, moat and ladies-in-waiting), Excalibur harkens back to the legends of King Arthur. On the 117-acre site can be found 23 shops, an 890-seat amphitheater, two pools, a marriage chapel, 7 restaurants (including Lance-A-Lotta Pasta), 6 theaters, bars, and 4,000 rooms. The gaming area is over 100,000 square feet, including 2,600 slot machines, a crossbow arena and a separate gladiatorial games viewing room. Excalibur also boasts its own jousting arena. Minimum blackjack bet is 3¥ and poker buy-in is 20¥. >>>[As you'd expect, all the guards here are in armor (chain or plate mail, that is) and carry archaic weapons. Be warned, the spears are tasers and under the plate is much tougher stuff. Beware of the head of security, named Merlin, natch. He keeps magical things under control. For some reason, not too many real mages come here. Too tacky, I guess.]<<< -- Cooler (12:25:59/1-15-52) >>>[Excalibur's system is sculpted to appear as Avalon, but in function is almost identical to Bally's.]<<< -- Bilbo (23:29:16/2-24-52) THE MIRAGE Address: 3400 Las Vegas Blvd Luxury Hotel, Casino, Nightclub No racial bias LTG# 7777 (27-6667) Owner: Maria Maldinato The Mirage's claim to fame is a volcano which erupts every 15 minutes. It also houses 5 restaurants, a spa, a salon, a waterfall strewn pool, an indoor rainforest, shops, 3049 rooms, and empty cases and aquariums which used to house dolphins, sharks and paratigers. The top five floors are penthouses, accessible only by private elevators. The casino is a bit brighter than others. Minimum bet is generally 5¥, but some 2¥ blackjack tables exist. >>>[Mirage security is notoriously hard to spot, until they're all over you. All firearms bigger than handguns are asked for (but not absolutely required) at the door. Two riggers are always on duty, one monitoring cameras, one running drones inside and out. If some security people hassle you, remember their faces; data worth money.]<<< -- Cooler (12:25:59/1-15-52) >>>[The Mirage has a structure similar to Bally's, but where Bally's has an orange sub-system, the Mirage's is red. Additionally, both red layers can be reached from the green layer and not each other. This system has no unaccounted for nodes and is sculpted so that each layer appears as Caribbean island. The SAN to the rest of the Matrix appears as the beach of the Mainland.]<<< -- Bilbo (23:29:18/2-24-52) TROPICANA Address: 3801 Las Vegas Blvd Luxury Hotel, Casino, Nightclub No racial bias LTG# 7777 (TROPIC) Owner: Michael Beck Tropicana offers Caribbean decor, seven restaurants, lounges (one of which offers a great view of the tennis courts), a golf course, glass elevators, the largest indoor/outdoor pool (including swim-up blackjack tables, three Jacuzzis and a water slide), a lagoon surrounded island, and 1,913 rooms. Gambling is pretty standard (5¥ minimum with two 2¥ blackjack tables, 20¥ poker buy-in), with the added feature of weekly underwater glad games. >>>[Tropicana security wear Caribbean dress and carry SMGs very prominently, but if you want to pull anything this month, do it here. The guards are competent, but don't work as a team. It won't be long 'til they fire their sec head. They require gun check in, but don't check real well.]<<< -- Cooler (12:26:40/1-15-52) >>>[Hmmm. I don't pay attention to mundane matters so I will take Cooler's word for it, but astral space in and around Tropicana is teeming. Avoid spell casting at all costs.]<<< -- Praxis (13:13:13/1-16-52) >>>[The Tropicana system is an almost laughable orange. Unfortunately, there isn't much in it.]<<< -- Bilbo (23:29:18/2-24-52) BOULDER DAM Completed in 1935 to control water flow and provide power to a large portion of the Southwest, Hoover Dam was an asset that the Ute Nation could not afford to be without. Although there was an initial media outcry favoring elimination of the dam to "remove man's scars to the land", when the issue was put to a national election, the Ute people elected to keep the dam by a 90 percent majority, mostly due to a highly successful (not to mention different) word-of-mouth campaign. >>>[This entire campaign was funded by the corporations who wish to continue their exploitation of our lands.]<<< -- Michael Breathing-Dog (05:49:55/4-25-52) >>>[Sorry. B.D., but for the first time I can recall, your info sucks. It was the Vegas-based Mafia who sent the Dam advocates to every town in the Ute. The Mob was concerned about the loss of the electricity from the Dam to Vegas, although I think the people would have voted to keep it even without the Mafia preaching about farmer's water rights.]<<< -- Ex-terminator (01:19:39/9-4-52) Originally named Boulder (due to its proximity to Boulder City), the Dam was renamed Hoover Dam not too long after completion. When the Ute Nation was formed and they began to assess their territory, they changed the name to its original form. Although the lake formed by the dam -- Lake Mead -- was a large tourist center before the Awakening, the entire dam complex (as well as Boulder City) is now a military installation ensuring the safety of the dam (mainly against aggression from the California Free State). Although Interstate 93 still exists as a road through the region (and still runs across the top of the dam), it is closed to public traffic. >>>[There is more traffic in and out of Boulder Dam than is strictly necessary for simple dam defense. It could be anything from simple training to high security stuff. Any guesses?]<<< -- Edward Seven Men (12:12:12/10-10-52) The dam is 660 feet thick at the base, 45 feet think at the crest and spans the 1244 feet across the Black Canyon. The structure contains roughly 4.4 million cubic yards of concrete. As the dam was originally built using funds from seven states, some legal documents existed dealing with the dams distribution of water and power to these seven states. The NAN lands who left the Treaty of Denver with control of these lands (some sooner, some later) invoked these documents and demanded their share from the Ute. The Ute Council responded by declaring that as the previous agreements dealt with borders that no longer existed, new agreements would have to be made. The other nations soon discovered that whether Ute had a legal right to do this or not was irrelevant, as the Ute had the dam and could control its output. Agreements were drawn up, with Ute getting by far the best end of the deals. The Council gave preferential treatment to other Amerindian nations. It treated Aztlan with disdain, but they received a far better deal than did California. Boulder Dam's 17 generators now supply over 2.4 million kilowatts to a large portion of the Southwest, including Vegas and Los Angeles. The Boulder Dam still controls water flow to prevent the floods of summer and droughts of autumn which necessitated its construction in the first place. Lake Mead, which backs up nearly 180 miles behind the dam, can store nearly 2 years of average Colorado River water flow (about 28.5 million acre-feet). GLEN CANYON DAM Before 1956, the area which was to become the Glen Canyon dam site was almost entirely inaccessible. The nearest available point of crossing to the other side of the canyon was 200 miles away. That changed with the construction of the Glen Canyon Bridge in 1959. The dam itself (built about 75 feet upriver from the bridge) was completed in 1963. Lake Powell did not finish filling the canyon until 1980. After the new Ute government had dealt with Boulder Dam, they began to discuss what to do with Glen Canyon. Sighting the reasons for keeping Boulder Dam, most of the government was satisfied to leave Glen Canyon as it was as well; however, a somewhat large lobbying group attacked the Council over the issue, charging that the Council members had "turned their backs on the land." In a short time, this group gained more support, and seemed ready to demand the destruction of the dam "to allow the earth to heal herself." The Council reacted by putting the issue on the next national ballot. During this announcement, a small coalition forced their way to the podium and announced that destroying the dam would destroy the ecosystem which had finally stabilized in Lake Powell, doing more harm to the land than good. This was coupled with a well executed media blitz, including support from Vegas, Salt Lake, Provo, and Denver news services. The election was held, and after four recounts, the Ute elected to keep Glen Canyon dam with 59% of the vote. Security at the dam was increased for a time, but eventually returned to normal as disgruntled activists flocked to another issue of the day. >>>[At the time, rumors abounded about who was behind the ecosystem group (who actually seemed to be the most coherent, if you ask me). I give most credence to the rumor that FoodTech was their main financial backer (this was before their U.N. indictment, remember). What their interest was, I'm not sure. In any case, the ecosystems group was most decisive in splitting up the environmental vote.]<<< -- John Phillip Souixsa (23:45:13/01-04-52) >>>[Lies! It was Aztechnology, who wanted to maintain their stranglehold on our lands.]<<< -- anonymous (12:49:12/03-06-52) >>>[After FoodTech's indictment, they were eaten up by Maritech, who now holds a monopoly on trout exportation.]<<< -- Tess (14:58:45/7-7-52) The dam is one of the major hubs of the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) not only in water storage, but in power generation. The dam's 1.8 million kilowatts do not reach L.A. or Las Vegas and only rarely (in emergencies) does the power reach Phoenix, Salt Lake or Denver. Instead the dam powers hundreds of medium and small cities and towns in what what used to be Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and Nebraska. The 13,800 volts from the generator is stepped-up to 345,000 volts for its transmission to Montrose, from where all power from the CRSP system is routed. Like Boulder Dam, Glen Canyon provides water to acres of surrounding land, as well as maintaining a steady flow of water to prevent flooding in the early summer and drought in the fall. Summer output is generally about 30,000 cubic feet per second. Additionally, Lake Powell (the lake formed by the dam) has grown to be a major tourist attraction for the Ute. PAGE Located on the northwestern border of what used to be the Navajo Indian Reservation, Page was founded in the 1950's to provide homes and services to those who worked on the Glen Canyon Dam, and later, those who ran the dam and worked for the tourist trade. After the Treaty of Denver, income from tourism fell to almost zero and Page lost half of its population. Once the furor from the dam vote had died down, Page officials realized that the only way to assure the survival of Page was to bring back the tourists. After securing a small Federal loan from the Ute Council, Page launched an extensive advertising campaign throughout the Ute. Although the growing Amerindian corporate class was slow to respond, they did respond. By 2045, Page had doubled in size and is rapidly becoming one of the Ute's most visited vacation spots. Page offers a back-to-nature type vacation without many of the back-to- nature type drudgeries. This "go rock-climbing in the naked desert by day, sleep in silk sheets by night" style of recreation appeals to the growing Native American urban/corporate class, as more of them are being born and raised within cities. Page offers boating, water-skiing, white- water rafting, Anasazi ruins, hiking and rock-climbing hand in hand with music, theatre, dancing, night clubs and luxury hotels on the lake. The canyon itself separates the two halves of Page's offerings. Page itself is located on a hill overlooking the south rim. The boat harbor (and a few hotels) are on the north shore of Lake Powell. Up the coast of Lake Powell can be found Nonnoshoshi (a Navajo word meaning "the rainbow turned to stone"), the largest natural bridge on earth. Page boasts a fairly large convention hall, a 700-seat auditorium, a small airport, and a moderate-sized, state of the art heliport. Helicopter travel is the only convenient ways to get into page, especially from the North, as U.S. Highway 89 is no longer (State Highway 98 still runs south from Page, however). Supplies usually reach Page by helicopter or by pollution-free barges and ferries down Lake Powell. It is important to note that what was the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is one of very few such areas that was not turned into a V Region. >>>[Page, at least Inner Page (the original Page, before the Tourist Boom) is a designed town. Schools and churches are built right across from one another, apparently in deference to old United States zoning laws. (Something about churches and schools in neighborhoods where you couldn't get alcohol licenses.) Mind you, it is a bit expensive. If you plan on staying for more than a week and wish to shuttle from hotels to camping to conventions, it will probably be in your best interest to have your car (electric ONLY) ferried to Page. Cabs can get a bit expensive. Better yet, bring a bicycle. Generally, about everything useful (hotels, meals, etc.) is about 20 - 25% more than usual for Ute.]<<< -- Steel Monkey (04:42:43/01-01-50) >>>[You can find an occasional rigger here, as sweaty people wandering in from the desert isn't that uncommon. Anglos here are met with a firm politeness that gets annoying quickly. You will get great service and will be treated well, but not the friendly smile which seems to be reserved for Amerinds. Ditto for metahumans. Oh yeah, check out the Holiday Inn's restaurant. Inexpensive food is really good. And the luncheon hostess, Dorian, is definitely a sight for travel-weary eyes.]<<< -- Doctor Love (00:01:23/02-16-51) >>>[Careful, chummer, Dorian is one of the Elementals.]<<< -- Mirage (15:12:37/04-30-52) >>>[The who? Aren't they a band?]<<< -- Doctor Love (00:03:43/05-05-52) >>>Mirage said 'Elementals', Doctor, and he did not refer to a band. He also was just found drowned to death. You were the Ziess-eyed one who ordered the milk with the hair in it, correct, Doctor?]<<< -- Pyre (00:04:00/05-05-52) >>>[If that's a threat of some kind, man, I'm in Denver.]<<< -- Doctor Love (00:10:12/05-05-52) >>>[Isn't Nonnoshoshi 'river of death' in Navajo?]<<< -- Rocker (02:10:55/05-06-52) "Apache, Helen. Not even Shakespeare or Dickens has been translated into Apache." - The World According To Garp "We suck at night. We suck during the day. We even suck during eclipses." - Late Night with Raji Chandrakasar "Madness in great ones must not unwatched go." - Hamlet