TQ on Defcon 7 (Ramble On) It was a rainy, dismal night when TQ pulled up in the official HC Extended Cab pickup truck. HCHQ was a busy place that Wednesday night (perhaps the nearby bar was having specials). TQ having had little sleep that day was surprisingly alert as he tapped in the HCHQ's fone number to alert the group of his arrival. While he waited for the crew to make their way to the truck, TQ began to think back to earlier that day, a flashback... The Banks, conversion of Canadian Currency to American, the horror, the horror! Well, anywho, the group made it down and in record time we were packed and driving south towards destiny. To make a long drive story short...Alberta, Montana, Idaho (no potatoes were seen), Utah...(Salt Lake City, TQ has a nervous break down after 20 hours behind the wheel, Cyb takes over), Arizona, Nevada, Las Vegas (TQ takes over for the drive into the city, cutting off motorist in an attempt to get gas). Pull up to the Alexis Park, ditch most of the crew, head out with Cyb to the AmeriSuites..pay for an extra day at 80 bux a night (its 11pm Nevada Time, cry for the Canuck Economy)...Drive back to Alexis meet the crew (TQ can barely walk at this time, his mind is more Jello-like than Jello TM). TQ heads over to the Bar and nabs a Guiness, brain not functioning, doesn't notice that the group is talking with Emmanuel. Well its all a blur, we go out to din din with Emmanuel as covered in Wizbones report...very cool. So we all eventually end up crashing, nice room..two beds and a pull out couch..little kitchen etc etc... Being Tech Elites we manage to bugger up the alarm clock and wake up late, rush down and get our DefCon Dog Tags... and then start to wander about the place. Lots of cool stuff for sale etc, nab my 2600 cap and the Defcon shirt. More time passes, somehow I get asked to guard the OpenBSD table by one of the best looking girls in all reality...(TQ looks for her business card).. Anywho most of the group then gets in on this, and helps drag in stuff for her, all managing to get a free shirt out of the deal, not to bad..woulda liked something else..but alas..... Well then let me think, that day I managed to see the Dark Dante thang, and sorry but I was not impressed, sorry, seen the Unsolved Mysteries thang...and the question period was not so hot. So we bummed around, and well I went to bed b4 everyone else...and well Clone was the last one in every time...he likes to mingle me thinks... Saturday rolls around, this for me was the best day. I managed to make it to a few presentations...dates and time seem to blur.. Anywho I managed to have the best talk I have ever had with Wizbone..much respect for him. By this time the bar was open 24/7 and there was the beer on tap option which we took as a sign from god that we should be drinking. So a mellow afternoon of swimming, talking to folks..wandering..it was just great. Forgot to mention that Phil and NofX were down from Alberta as well..shouts out to them... Well Sunday comes around and this is the day to end all days...Im not sure of all that went on in the earlier parts...but we ended up having a video interview with hack-net, which was really fun, met Space Rogue..and we managed the amazing Beer Sploit...coming close to first place, the later part of the day was amazing. We ended up down the far end by the small pool with a group of interesting people. We drank beer and pop, swam, talked about hp thangs...got a demo in lock picking (thanx man)...pissed against a tree (I am sure its missing bark) ...Wizzy got a BagFone, it was great, major character BruteForce..very cool fellow from Kentucky. (Although the self proclaimed slacker who later stripped and walked around the pool naked, was quite a character as well). Anywho it got later and later, the DoC brought out free booze, which wasn't bad..cept for the water splashing at our Nudist..silly move which almost ended up in a fight. (People don't think sometimes..what if there was a palm top on the table).. Shortly after we moved off with a group of people to our hotel, and were quickly booted from there so we grabbed the truck and parked it in a good spot..and proceeded to party. Wonderful time, lots of music and people..oh and booze..forgot that sorry gotta live up to my rep I guess.. Had an amazing talk with BruteForce..and drank alot of his Bourbon..which was like mana from heaven. Ended up in a sparring match with me and Wiz..had a blast, he kicked the shit outta me, but damn been ages since I got a chance to bounce around in bare feet and kick at someone. Sometime round 5ish Cyb, Clone, Me and Wildman went for food..I made some rude comments at an annoying waiter, then back to crash, three hours later we were on the road and heading back. It was one of the best times I have ever had...if not the best time. What made it was the people, my group of people...nice to be in the HC crew, everyone is cool..even those who do stupid things sometimes..The people we met were great, some of them legends of the HP community..very slick. Quick Blurb on Vegas, its great, can't wait to go back..but money is what makes it move...so have lots of it me thinks. Unknown to TQ, Lord Phungus hitched a ride, and was heard to make this comment... Can't say to much about stuffs having not been to all things u and the group would have liked to x xx-perienced, but alas what I did make it to was worth it (Ramble Off) The Question 08/09/99