daQRi

Super-Powered QR codes

This Summer I began beta-testing a new QR code service that is like nothing else.

It’s been said that the key to a good QR campaign is a mobile landing page that is simple, easy to navigate and optimized for mobile phones. daQRi is your one-stop-solution at affordable prices. The first one is free to allow you to test it out and see how it works. If you like it, order the basic package 10 codes for $20/mth.

10 codes can cover most businesses, for example, I created a daQRi for an event held at a restaurant in a Strip hotel. We put that QR code on every poster, flyer and piece of literature for the event. We had 300 scans in the first 2 weeks alone. Those scans took them to a daQRi page with links to the blog about the event, a direct link to purchase tickets, a link to mapquest with the address preloaded, and a direct dial to the venue. All from this mobile daQRi page.

Check out the daQRi I created for SINNER. You can see it for yourself here sinr.us/SINdaq. This is what you’ll see when you get there:

The mobile website builder allows you to fully customize your landing page like we did. The SINNER cover, which we update with each new issue is a direct link to SINNER’s mobile site.

The spread below that is a direct link to our newest video.

Page 2 is a bunch of direct links to our social sites and a PDF of our media kit as well as a direct dial to SINNER to place that ad you so desperately need.

Everything you need in one spot.

Download daQRi for your phone here:

• daQRi for iPhone
• daQRi for Android

So you went and got yourself arrested…

Nice job knucklehead! What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas… especially if you get caught breaking a law or two. But don’t fret my simple-minded friend, that’s what SINNER’s here for. We’ve been there. Literally.

Listen up!

1. Make friends with a Bail Bondsman. A quick Google search for “Vegas Bail Bonds” will come back with 607,000 results. Pick one. If you’re coming in from out-of-town and feel you might be partaking in illegal activities, find one and take him a 12 pack of beer while you’re still sober to do so.  Think of your Bondsman as insurance. You’re not going to need him until you need him and then you’ll be glad you have him. NO ONE WILL GET YOU OUT OF JAIL QUICKER and back into the smothering mammarrific embrace of that blonde at The Palamino.

2. When you first arrive, you’ll be taken to booking. Don’t make an ass of yourself here. The wheelchairs aren’t just for the crippled. Sit still. Eyes forward. Don’t stare at that hookers short skirt 2 rows down.

3. After an hour or so, you’ll be moved to pre-holding. GET YOUR PHONE NUMBERS from your cellphone. No. You won’t remember them and you won’t know who you can reach at 3:33am back home. Of course, if you followed Lesson #1 you only have one number to remember and they WILL answer your call.

4. Ladies listen here! If you’re arrested in your trampy club clothes because that stupid bitch with the bad weave stepped on your new Manolos, here’s a bit of advice that may come in handy. Tell the guards that you’re cold. They’ll bring you a county-issued shirt to cover up. This can quickly be turned into a pillow if you wrap it around those county-issued sandals you got in booking.

5. If you value your privacy while using the bathroom, USE IT IN PRE-HOLDING. Ummm no that door doesn’t lock but at least you have one.

6. USE THE PHONE in pre-holding and holding! These calls are FREE!!! You’ll need to take out a small loan to cover your calls in the towers.

7. Hungry? Say you have diabetes and need snacks to control your blood-sugar. They won’t be able to verify if you do or not and are required by law to provide snacks to you.

Think of these rules as “Break In Case of an Emergency” If you REALLY want to enjoy Vegas, DON’T GET ARRESTED. Handle your SIN.

**Let me know if you have something to add. Together we can create the World’s first, crowd-sourced, jail manual on how to survive the system.**

Illustrations by Tara Thompson

Sarah is usually a proper, sweet, and responsible girl. Last week, however, she found out her boyfriend of 5 years cheated on her with a D-cupped-nose-ringed bartender in the back alley of The Double Down. The following night, she went out with some girlfriends, and she fucked a guy named Steve in his car – without a condom. It wasn’t long before she noticed the scarlet letters of her vengeful mistake. As she feverishly examined the tiny, red bumps covering her sweet spot, the fear of herpes set in. Too ashamed to ask a friend or visit a doctor, Sarah turned to the unlimited source of information we all turn to in times of need. She logged on to Google.

“What does herpes look like?” she typed into the tiny word plane of the homepage. After reviewing the pictures, Sarah took a breath, calmed down, and her fear subsided. Fortunately for her, Sarah’s red bumps were nothing more than wounds from an aging razor. As she exited the page and logged onto her Facebook, Sarah could now feel safe in two facts. 1) She does not have herpes. 2) Google now knows that Sarah might have herpes.

Unbeknownst to many, Google remembers every question you’ve ever asked. Like a cyber elephant, it never forgets. Your queries, along with every question asked since the invention of Google, are saved. They exist on super computers at the Google main office along with your IP address. If you’re logged into your Gmail account at the time of your search, your name is in there as well. Google has become an all knowing, all seeing, entity with ever growing knowledge of its users.

If you use Google Chrome as your Internet explorer, Google knows every website you go to and every blog you read. What you jerk off to and your political beliefs are intellectual fodder for a major corporation. Your investments, dream purchases, and Facebook posts no longer belong solely to you.  They are shared with Google. Google knows all of your favorite Youtube videos, because it owns Youtube. If you use Google Desktop, they know everything that’s on your computer. Every dirty, Scarlet Johansson type picture sent to you by past and present lovers – Google can see. If you’re writing a screenplay, Google is your first reader. And if you keep a Doogie Howser journal on your hard drive, Google knows every crush you’ve had, disappointment you’ve suffered, and every lie you’ve ever told yourself.

If you are lucky enough to afford a Google phone, one of the top selling phones in the world, Google knows your exact longitude and latitude at all times. Your wife thinks you go bowling on Saturday nights. Google knows you’re at Little Darlings. Your Dad thinks you’re studying for a test at your best friend’s house. Google knows you’re at a bar.

Do not be fooled by the simple layout of Google’s homepage. It is a plain mask that hides unrivaled power. Google is one of the most successful businesses in the history of the world. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t googled something. This is true for a very simple reason. Google is good at what it does.

We have been given a key to the massive mansion of information. Like never before, the Internet has been made easy to navigate for even the most inept. Anything you want to know is at your fingertips. For this, we should be thankful to Google. It has become the great teacher. Entire college careers are owed to Google. Any question that pops into someone’s head is answered simply by the website. Everything from aerospace technology to bootleg episodes of Batman: The Animated Series are a click away. Children can learn about cell reproduction, and Sarah can find that she is gleefully herpesless. The Internet is an easy accessed encyclopedia of everything, but at what cost does that encyclopedia come?

Google users are voluntarily trading their privacy for easy access to information. Yes, it’s helpful when Google finishes your search before you’ve finished typing it, but realize that’s happening because Google recalls every search everyone has ever made. Google Chrome may be a superior Internet explorer, but be aware of the fact that a super computer is following your every movement. Google Desktop may be awesome, but it’s giving a company the ability to peer into your cyber soul. Those phones are badass, but do you want strangers knowing where you are at all times?

We seem to forget that Google is a corporation in a time where corporations have caused irreparable damage to our society. Drug companies release drugs they know to have harmful side effects. Meat packing industries shoot up our cows and chickens with hormones and additives. And lets not forget that financial crisis came entirely at the hands of dishonest banks selling homes to people who couldn’t afford them. In each of these cases, everyday citizens were hurt while a corporation chased bigger and better profits. What happens if Google begins that same chase?

As of now, no such treachery is a foot (that we know of). It should be noted, however, that Google already gives some information about you away. The company receives subpoenas in the tens of thousands every year. Legally, the company has to supply the government with this information. If a mother allegedly kills her own daughter, the state may want to look at her Google searches. Maybe that mother googled: How to use chloroform. Sound familiar?

That example seems justified, but the fact remains, Google knows quite a bit about you. The government can request that information, and if Google goes the way of many other corporations, they may decide to sell that information for a profit. Unlike the drug, food, and banking industries mentioned before, if Google went to the dark side, there is something more profound at stake than your health or money. Your very identity is on the line. Your private communications with your closest friends, your dirtiest, pornographic fantasies, your habbits, hangouts and hungers are known by a corporate entity. What damage can be done with that level of knowledge?

Sarah is usually a proper, sweet, and responsible girl. After an irresponsible night of back-seat-passion, she feared she’d caught the pizza crotch affliction of herpes simplex two. Thanks to modern technology, that fear was easily quelled. In the moments after her search, her thankfulness could have made her drop to her knees, perform the sign of the cross and pray at the altar of Google. As she prays, logged into her Gmail through Google Chrome opened on her Google Desktop, she must also know something very important. The god she prays to now knows that, at least for one moment in her life, she needed to know what herpes looked like. Lets hope Google is not a vengeful god.

I am a professional at running out of gas. I probably run out of gas twice a month. It’s not because my gas gauge is broken, it’s because I am so broke that I try         to stretch every last drop before I have to put my pathetic $3 bucks in. That’s just how rock bottom works.

Last week I ran out of gas as I drove away from Firefly. I am always prepared to run out of gas so I grabbed my trustee gas can and walked 50 feet to the gas station on the corner. No big deal. As I went to the counter to pay for the gas I was stopped by the attendant who informed me that there was some type of spill, and that the gas station was closed. I asked her “Well where should I get gas then?” She replied “ There is a gas station 2 miles that way, or 2 miles this other way.” I contemplated what it would be like to walk 2 miles in heels in 100 degree weather and thought “FUUUCK!”

At that moment, I started pondering my life. I am working my ass off to put out this magazine because I love it and I love the lifestyle that comes with it. But I’m tired of living below the poverty line. I can’t even pay for a whole gallon of gas. FML. I tried to shake it off and prepare to do the walk of shame, or even worse call my Mom to bail me out and prepare for the lecture.

Just then a Limousine pulls up to the gas station to get gas. I told the driver “Sorry the gas station is closed.”  He saw me holding my gas can and said “Do you need a ride to another gas station?” I said “Yes, I would love one.” He opened the limo door and waved me in.

I sat in the back of the limo with the music blaring, drinking bottled water and my gas can. I looked around and thought to myself, ‘Wow this is such a metaphor for my life I am out of gas in a limousine.’ And sadly that is how I live-poverty and perks.

Griffin, a marine who has served our country for over 10 years was just in Afghanistan last month. He treated himself  to a ferarri for the day and checking  into a Sky Villa at The Palms. But Ken is most ecstatic to win the money in order to help his mother who is currently undergoing chemo treatment and living paycheck to paycheck.

Griffin is leaving Sin City tonight but will be back for the main event July 7Th. Congrats Ken, Hoorah!

Dental work is quite an expense. Especially when the pain is coming in, but the money isn’t. So what do you do when you have a toothache that has you crying in bed like a baby? Do you go to the dentist? Pay out your ass and end up in more pain? Or do you take matters into your own hands? Well I figured out a way to bypass the dentist, pull the tooth out myself. I grabbed a pair of pliers and earned my D.D.S. I figured no tooth, no problem. So I yanked it out and saved myself a cool $500 bucks. – Lorie Piamchuntar

What embarrassing things did you do to financially survive this month? Tweet it to us at @SINNERmag and use the hashtag #rockbottom.

“We are confident that unaltered copies of the video were made, before the video hard disk was damaged.” Bill Scott said in an e-mail to the group created on facebook called ‘In Memory of Erik B. Scott.’

Here is what the family is looking for:
The imagery must show Erik’s activities inside the Summerlin Costco store, as well as the shooting by three LV Metro police officers in the Costco foyer area. Video data must encompass the period between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on July 10, 2010.

Hopefully the $25K payday will motivate the brave soul to come forward and give the family some answers. Please contact the family at: www.erikbscott.comor 702-383-5088.

Devil in a blue dress

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few months you already know that Sharron Angle is running for Senate vs. Harry Reid. Although I am not truly a fan of either candidate, I definitely believe that Reid is the lesser of two evils. If you happen to catch the only debate that aired last week, you probably realized that this is one crazy bitch! Unless you want this C-U-Next-Tea party to turn our state into a conservative hell, you better get your ass out there and vote against her!

I realize that there are other Sin City locals who don’t care for either candidate, but please don’t let that distaste make you not want to vote at all. If you choose not to vote, remember that the die-hards WILL! Do your part and vote. People have given their lives for that freedom. Let your voice be heard!

Register to vote here.

For all the people that are rallying for Harry Reid, You can join President Barack Obama tomorrow in Las Vegas, at Orr Middle School Park. Admission is free, and doors open at 3:30.

In today’s world of online banking I don’t know many people who still keep a personal check register, so keeping track of that extra change isn’t a priority, but sometimes misc. fees from ATM’s, electronic transfers, and bill payments can make those extra pennies slip through the cracks. Have you ever went to Taco Bell to take advantage of the 99 cents value menu and because of a few rounded off cents, a bean burrito has ended up costing you more than a full tank of gas? Some banks will even tack on additional fees for every day that you are in the red, causing a lot of hard working people to forfeit their play money because they suck at math.

The bad news is that your card may be declined for that shot of Patron at the end of the night, but the good news is that a $5 impulse decision won’t end up costing you $45 when you do the walk of shame to check your balance the next morning. To read more about the new law check out this article that was published by Consumer Reports in February here.

Finally some regulations on the bank! America stands for choice, and as Americans we have the right to choose if we want to take it in the ass, or opt not to.

You only live once. That’s why you celebrate life every chance that you can. It may not be the era of Bill Clinton–where we sipped our grande lattes while we flipped past the surplus stories in the business section of the newspaper. The recession continues and more people than ever are on anti-depressants trying to mourn the loss of a property in the family.

Who made this bitch your treasurer?

The very thought of spending $500 for a bottle of liquor seems appalling, but in Las Vegas it happens every single night. Las Vegas sells memories–and people come here to make them. When you hand over 5 crispy Benjamain Franklins to a table host, you do it with a smile. Yes, more than likely you are intoxicated, but the smile on your face is the result of a fantastic evening out with friends–some old and some new. Could you have bought the same bottle of Vodka for $45.00 at the CVS around the corner? Absolut-ly. But sometimes you’d rather go big than go home.

There are some expenses that are frowned upon during a recession because they are considered excessive. Purchases like bottle service, gluttonous gourmet meals, first class flights, designer labels and the latest and greatest in electronics can all be classified as stupid and unnecessary expenses. But do you want the highlight of your day to be people watching in line at the bank? Me neither.

I came up with a term called budgetism. Just as racism is the intolerance of somebody’s race, budgetism is the intolerance of somebody’s budget. With everybody experiencing hard times, it is common that people will blow out your candle in order to make theirs seem brighter by passing judgment on what you are spending. Some examples of budgetism are as follows:

“Do you believe she just bought a brand new car? Her other car was already paid off.”

“Why are they going on vacation if they barely have enough money to pay their bills?”

“Why is he buying a sack of weed when he is broke?”

Positive people: Beware of budgetism! Don’t let budgetists make you feel guilty for wanting a new car, needing a vacation, or catching a head change in these pressure cooker times. Everybody is entitled to a break whether it is the appropriate time financially or not. Celebrate what makes you happy at any opportunity. No one has the right to tell you what you should spend your hard earned money on.

You never know when your number is up and you can’t take money with you. So if you get hit by a bus on your way to pay Nevada Power, we’ll make sure that the outfit you are buried in matches that fly ass Coach purse you bought with your tax return.

Sin Responsibly,

G Money

Illustrations: Skizo FA2HQ

Being a cab driver in the City of Sin can be compared to playing Grand Theft Auto. While the clubs compete for your business, the cabbies are turnin’ tricks of their own.

A line of strippers roll their eyes at each other as several customers walk into the club.  They recognize a group of four that just arrived and make their way to the bar, but none of the girls approach them.  At the back of the club their cab driver is collecting a couple hundred dollars for dropping his passengers at the door.  The driver waits 20 minutes while the group of four has a drink, then pulls his cab around and picks them up again.  They drive to another strip club and do the same thing, having another drink and collecting another pay out from the club.  They continue this practice all night and at the end of the evening, the cab driver splits the money with his friends and drops them off at home.  Everybody’s had a great time and made some extra money.

A couple from Montana gets into a cab, they want to have a nice dinner but aren’t sure what restaurant they’d like to try.  They ask the cab driver for a recommendation and he tells them he knows a place they’ll love.  A few moments later they pull up at the front door of a building, pay the driver, and make their way inside.  Once inside, it takes a moment for them to realize that they’ve been dropped off at a strip club.  They’re angry, but hungry so they ask what kind of food is served.  That’s when they find out that girls are the only thing on the menu!  They go back outside to confront their cab driver, who, in the meantime has collected his money at the back door and moved to the next fare. If you think these are scenes from a movie–think again!

THE METER IS RUNNIN’
What’s going on?  Almost all businesses in Las Vegas rely on tourist activity.  And some adult businesses give taxi drivers a ‘tip’ to bring in that traffic. This kickback has ranged from $5 to $125 (possibly more) per head!  And though most numbers are widely un-documented, the amount of money being moved from these payoffs could be upwards to almost an astounding $40 mil per year! The city considers this a legal activity. They don’t see it as breaking the law or  a growing problem between the clubs and the cab drivers. Tit for tat–so to speak.

THE BEGINNING

How did this start? For many years there were only a few adult clubs in Las Vegas and enough tourists to go around.  As more and more tourists rushed to the Vegas scene, casinos built beautiful elaborate nightclubs. Strip clubs seemed to pop up on almost every corner.  Something had to be done to bring the money back to the clubs that had been there since the beginning.  Hotels developed a way to keep the tourists in by remodeling, adding famous restaurants, high class nightclubs, and some have recently added bikini clad women dancing on stripper poles.  That’s fierce competition from a source that wasn’t there before. Club owners worried there wouldn’t be enough customers to go around. So cab drivers were given promo cards, for free drinks/admission and were able to sell these and make a small profit. When that didn’t bring enough business, the kickbacks were born.

[SinglePic not found]The issue first surfaced publicly in 1998 when many owners of adult business had a meeting to address the problem of customers being diverted to clubs that were paying cabbies up to $20 per passenger.  The options were discussed and it was decided to standardize the amount of money the clubs were paying out.  The group agreed to pay $5 per head.  Unfortunately, this didn’t last long when some clubs broke the deal and upped the pay off.  That is when the club war was started.

THEY CREATED A MONSTER
Now the clubs can’t seem to agree on anything and the cab drivers have threatened to shut down the city if their ‘tips’ are taken away.  The club owners have meetings every few months and agree that everyone should pay the same amount, but this truce never lasts long.

So who does this hurt?  It hurts the customer mostly. Because  the strip club customer pays the fare, tips the driver, pays the entrance fee and usually a drink minimum as well, a customer may pay close to $100 before he even sees an entertainer. Cab drivers have also been known to use pressure tactics to sway consumers to the club paying out the most. Even going as far to tell them that the club they wanted to go to has been shut down. Diverting passengers for a kickback is illegal for drivers.

This also hurts the local workers in the clubs. Especially the clubs that refuse to participate. The strippers, waitresses,  hosts and hostesses, bathroom attendants,  and bartenders of the clubs are making less money. Since they count on tips as their primary source of income, they struggle because customers are being detoured to whichever club is paying the largest kickback.  While strippers can easily jump from club to club, the other staff does not have that option.

The Bottom Line
What does this all mean for business?  Probably, not much–this is Vegas. Even when the economy is suffering here, it’s still better than other parts of the country. People still come here knowing they are going to spend some money. Although gambling is the primary money maker, naked girls run a close second. Las Vegas will always have strip clubs and they will continue to compete with other strip clubs. A tough economy will thin the herd a bit. During the fat years, businesses sprouted up all over the place. Darwin’s theory will hold true and when the dust settles the stronger clubs will survive.

The Other Side of the Coin
How do the cab drivers feel?  Many cab drivers feel they are justified in getting these pay outs because they have been relying on it to pay their bills. Losing this extra money will hurt but it doesn’t make it any less fair. Any diversion of passengers is illegal and unethical. But most drivers will tell you that they do not use any diversion tactics.

They see it as a ‘tip’ if they get lucky enough to pick up a fare that wants to go to a paying destination.  Cab drivers feel they’re getting an undeserved bad reputation because the clubs started the payoffs and perpetuate the problems.

What does this mean to me?
Does this affect the locals? Most Def. Invariably every business practice in town will affect the locals. As clubs are recognizing this, they are offering local appreciation by offering specials like $5 drinks or open bar for a couple hours on slow nights. With businesses focusing on local customers, this shift was inevitable. It’s about time SINNERs are being shown some love.

LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS
So can this activity really be regulated? You can slide a doorman a twenty to get you in a nightclub quicker but do you think that he is going to report it? Hell no. This is a hush-hush town that plays by mafia rules, secrecy is an off the record rule. If you want to play the game, you need to keep your mouth closed, and sometimes pretend you never saw anything. With the IRS cracking down on PURE, club regulation has been on everybody’s minds. But who will enforce the regulations? Is it something that can even be enforced? Can we leave it up to the clubs to regulate themselves? Hardly. And the genie won’t get back in her damn bottle folks. It’s another necessary evil that comes with the territory. The best we can hope for is an agreement between the clubs and the cab drivers, but more importantly between the clubs themselves. However, the first payout outside of the agreement will begin the cycle again. If they cannot monitor themselves they may need to call upon the city and county officials to help.  It’s something to consider the next time you are getting dry humped by the girl that swears she likes you, We know you’ll tip her but sin responsibly, take care of the rest of the staff.

The latest round of tax increases are about to hit us where it hurts—our checking accounts.  However, we’re here to scatter some myths about the new fiscal burdens.  Yes, SINNERs, there is light at the end of the financial tunnel.

A SINFUL PROPOSAL
Rumors have run rampant about new taxes on liquor and tobacco. “Sin taxes” may make you think that your dirty little secrets will come back to haunt your check book, but they are actual taxes on products like liquor, tobacco and junk food.  Although no new taxes were imposed by the state government on popular party favorites, the federal government made sure we pay for our sins.

Governments love sin taxes because it shifts the burden to people who choose to partake in such activities.  Not to mention, the government feels higher taxes will promote safer choices. But in Sin City, we thrive on living life on the wild side.  For example, consumers can expect a significant boost in the price of cigarettes this year as a new federal tax on “small” cigarettes and cartons of large cigarettes will increase 258%  For a pack of “small” cigarettes, taxes will increase from 39 cents a pack to $1.01 a pack.  For cartons of large cigarettes, expect taxes to go from $3.90 a carton to $10.07 a carton.  This leaves less money in consumers’ pockets and more to the federal government.  In addition, the government raised taxes on junk food and sodas as well.  However, the extra money will go toward addiction recovery programs and certain health programs. Irony.

Nevada specific, the only provisions affecting alcohol come from the passage of AB 552. Basically, retailers who sell alcohol and/or tobacco products receive a collection allowance of .5 percent if they pay the taxes on these products in a timely manner.  So if a vendor owes $10,000 in taxes, and they make that payment in a timely manner, they receive a kick back of $50.  However, since July 1, 2009, the collection allowance decreased to .25 percent leaving alcohol and tobacco retailers with less kick back.  State financial advisors said retailers may put the burden of the lower collection allowance back on the consumers by increasing the prices.  This means that Nevadans may see a price increase in our sinful pleasures, but that remains in the hands of the retailers this provision affects.

YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT
SINNERs know that we pay a little extra for all of our toys.  This is called a sales tax, but after July 1, 2009, this tax increased from 7.75 percent in Clark County, to 8.1 percent, a .35 percent increase.  This means that for every $100 we spend at our favorite sex, er, grocery store, we will pay an extra 35 cents.  This little extra goes toward the Local School Support Tax, but takes more out of our pockets.  On the bright side, K-12 education will get a fiscal kick.  On the down side, SINNERs will have to pay more when purchasing anything.  This makes it more difficult to buy groceries or other essentials, especially when money is already hard to come by in this tough economy.

Some good news
The service taxes everyone has heard about on the radio and in a handful of news stories will not go into affect.  The Nevada legislature planned on implementing taxes on things like hair cuts, massages and other services. These taxes would go toward the severe budget deficit, but there were arguments on what services should be taxed and by how much.  For example, should health care services be taxed as much as that new hairstyle?  Because of problems like these, SINNERs can avoid higher bills at the salon.

PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB
The controversial lodging tax may leave some tourists without a place to crash and casino workers without jobs.  The newfound tax allows the hotels to increase room taxes no more than 3 percent, without exceeding 13 percent.  The extra taxes will go into a state general fund, and after June 30, 2011, the extra funds will go toward K-12 education.

SINNERs beware!  Although this tax will affect tourists, it can have negative consequences on the gaming industry as a whole. While people are clenching their wallets and watching every dime they spend, higher hotel rates may drive tourists away, opting for cheaper getaways. In turn this will leave hotel workers out of a job and looking for work, sending Las Vegas’ already high unemployment rate skyrocketing into the upper Stratosphere.  On the bright side, tourists may not notice or care about the extra 2 percent and the increased taxes will generate much needed state revenue.

IN GOOD COMPANY?
Nevada has always been known for its friendliness to new businesses.  Low business taxes have been the driving force behind the expansive growth Las Vegas has witnessed over the last 10 years.  However, that’s all about to change.  In addition to new taxes, the fee to renew a business license will increase from $100 to $200 effective July 1, 2009.  The modified business tax changes the rate businesses are taxed and implements a new tiered system. Taxes will be dependant on whether or not the company pays out more than or less than $62,500 each quarter in wages.  A tax of 1.17 percent on the amount an employer pays over $62,500 in addition to a $312.50 fee, or a flat tax of .5 percent on the entire amount under $62,500 will be administered and effective July 1, 2009.

So how does this affect you, SINNERs?  Legislative analysts say the tax burden the companies will face may be put on the consumers.  This means a general increase in prices across the board, from groceries to clothes, tattoos to gym memberships. Although it’s speculated, many believe companies aren’t going to absorb the increased taxes.

STEP OFF, MAN
So what can we SINNERs do if we don’t like these tax increases?  Unfortunately, the Nevada legislature only meets every two years on odd years for 120 days, and the 2009 legislative session ended on June 1.  However, you can send a letter or email to your local representative or start a petition, on which you need the equivalent to 50 percent of the number of voters who voted in the most recent election to sign it in order for the legislature to consider it in 2011. Visit http://mapserve.leg.state.nv.us/website/lcb/viewer.htm and find your representative.

Illustration: Skizo FA2HQ

SPARE ME
I learned recently that it doesn’t pay to cut corners when it comes to your tires. One of my tires blew out and instead of spending a hundred bucks on a new one, I opted to buy the $20 tire from my neighborhood Llantas shop… 5 times. I would run on my $20 tire until that blew and then bought a “new” one. Then my spare went, I had to decide: continue buying tires that would last 2 months or buy a new tire. I bit the bullet and bought the new one. Llantas, we had a good run.

CEREAL KILLER
One word describes my solution to hitting rock bottom: Cereal. You’d be surprised how much cereal can feed you for days at a time when you need it to. When I do have cash I buy cereal—and a hell of a lot of it. Since cereal lasts for a while and milk is still cheap, a hearty bowl of cereal can easily become your breakfast, lunch and dinner for as long as you need it. Hey, it’s better than overdrawing your account for the hundredth time and a hell a lot healthier than a greasy fast-food meal. 

THE NEW DRIVE IN
As long as you are still connected to the world wide web, You can cancel your cable. All of your favorite shows are online. But when you have to cancel your internet, that one hurts. It makes you realize that there ain’t shit to entertain you when you are bored with no money. I’d hear people talk about how Entourage was finally getting better. I was so envious. One night, I drove to an apartment complex behind a coffee shop. I parked there and used the shop’s free WI-FI to catch up on my TV. It was pretty pathetic. But at least now I can throw in my 2 cents about E’s new psycho girlfriend.

NOT SO FAST KID
I lie about my son’s age so that we won’t have to pay for him to eat at the buffet. He’s 4 years old, but he’s 3 at the buffet, and 2 at the movies. Lucky for me he is pretty small for his age, so I am hoping to ride this out until he turns 12. Hopefully by then the economy will be in better shape.

A FRESH START
Brandi moved here almost 3 years ago. She had developed a love for Vegas  the more she came here to visit a best friend. Originally from Grand Island, NY, Brandi decided to start a new life on the West Coast. This girl is a risk taker by nature. She booked a one-way ticket to LV and had $2,000 to her name. And that decision began the journey to her new life.

Now, don’t get it twisted. The transition didn’t come easy. As Frank Sinatra has melodically put it “This town, is a make-you town, and a break-you town.” Mahon had always worked in the bar industry back in NY, but like most people find out, Las Vegas’s bar industry is the major leagues. This is a city where you can be a high school drop out that bartends for a living, making six figures, and driving a beamer. The experience to get to that point runs a distant second to the politics. Oftentimes it can break a person’s spirit. Brandi experienced that first hand. She struggled to find a job, and decided to explore the option that every young beautiful woman in this city has, exotic dancing. Brandi laughs as she recalls that dancing just was not for her and that she did poorly hustling dances.

ROCK OF LOVE
On a night out with friends, she was approached by somebody with the opportunity to do VH1’s Rock of Love. The  reality TV show in which Bret Michael’s, the lead singer of the 90’s hair band, Poison, is in search of his true love. (Don’t act like you didn’t already know that.)
The show was the recipe for guaranteed drama:
Mix 20 horny girls with 1 rock star to fight over. Add booze. Shake and stir. Marinate for 3 weeks. Serve cold.

It is everything you would imagine it to be. Mahon may have not been the most ladylike on the show, but she was definitely the most relatable. She burped, passed gas, and from time to time, had a few too many that resulted in some good ol’ projectile vomiting. (We’ve all been there.) Brandi was eventually eliminated because she honestly was not falling in love with Bret. He dismissed her without any hard feelings, and they remain friends.

NEW BEGINNINGS
Although Brandi did not find love, the show did put her life on a different track. From the time the show began filming, Mahon walked away from professional dancing and never looked back. She was finally back to where she planned to be, serving cocktails in the City of Sin. Brandi was recruited for Charm School 2: Rock of Love. The concept of this show is that these wild girls–complete with the cliché school girl outfits–are brought to Charm School to correct the bad behaviors that were exhibited on Rock on Love. “After watching how gross and bad I was on the show, I know I needed something new in my life to change,” confesses Brandi. So once again she found herself trapped in a mansion with other competitive females, some old and some new. Despite another opponent’s failed efforts to sabotage her, Brandi prevailed and won the competition. For the final challenge, the remaining two were told to write an essay about what they learned at Charm School. She won over the judges when  she opted to speak from the heart. She said that win or lose, Charm School taught her to respect herself. It was the absolute right choice to pronounce Brandi M. as the winner, but she would have to wait until the show aired to collect her $100,000 prize. She has remained very close with a lot of the girls from the show including the inspiring host. “Sharon Osbourne is an incredible, lovely person who has been to hell and back but never gives up. I have the utmost respect for her, and she has helped me to see things differently.”

Since the show Mahon says, “My heart has grown bigger. I feel like a beautiful woman, and I give 100% to everything that I do. It feels liberating to make so many adult changes in my life.” Besides the mental changes she has made, it is obvious that Brandi has made some physical changes as well. She has lost 20 or so pounds and changed her hair color to brunette. She exudes a confidence that is real, but remains true to her free spirit.

FAST FORWARD TO 2009
Brandi continues to rep Las Vegas and is working at Hart’s Wasted Space inside the Hard Rock Hotel. She’s working a lot, traveling and making celebrity appearances all over the country. In her little bit of free time, she lays low, sleeps in, and catches her hockey games. She is  using her winnings to help out her family and pay off some debt.  She did splurge and buy herself a new car though, She kids, “Nothing fancy, I’m not that famous.” From talking with her, I can see her being the girlfriend that can keep a secret; the partner in crime to call when you are up for a good time; and the friend who will be sure that you make it home safe.

If you think that Mahon’s victory at Charm School has made her give up her partying ways, think again. She graduated from Charm School not the convent. Since she is a local sinner, you may happen to see her out and doing her thing. Take a lesson from her. Don’t be so quick to  judge. Don’t confuse her partying with friends, as her dismissing what she learned in Charm School. She is  still the down-to-earth, hockey loving, beer drinking rock-a-billy that she has always been.  She’s just the upgraded version: smarter, classier,  more confident, and of course, extremely charming.

WHAT’S RTC GOT TO DO WITH IT?

“We’ve spent a lot of time and money in the past few years in that system and making it a system that’s worthy of a city of our size,” says Allison Huntly, Public Information Supervisor at the RTC. She can’t say enough about the innovations, technology and sustainability that are leading the way for public transportation in the Las Vegas Valley.

The RTC of Southern Nevada is its own agency, created by state statute back in the ‘60’s. They wear two major hats: Metro Planning Organization (MPO) of Southern Nevada which plans and funds major roadway projects in the valley, like the 215; and operating and maintaining the public transit system, now one of the most efficient in the country. Funded through federal dollars and fare box recovery, the RTC also subsidizes additional costs. As a public transit system, they’re not out to make money. So any errant profit they make (like on The Deuces’s Strip route) gets reinvested into the agency.

YOUR SEXY NEW RIDE

The RTC’s products and services are all about making public transportation as appealing and efficient as personal vehicles. Therefore, Allison knows it’s important to get you there on time. “We have great on-time performance. Our on-time performance is in the ninety percents. So we’re really something that people can count on out there on the roadways.”

They’re committed to improving the fleet, routes, and amenities; all while actively pursuing environmental sustainability. So, Allison just put it out there. Way out there. “We want to make transit sexy.” Holla! Yes, SINNERs, the RTC of Southern Nevada wants to permanently lure you away from your one passenger/one car commute.

Seriously. They want you to park your cars and leave your keys in the bowl by the door. Why? ‘Cuz they’ve got you covered from all angles.

Club Ride is an employer-based system that promotes car pooling, van pooling, cycling, walking, and public transit. Park and Ride is the express bus service catering to the residents in the outlying areas. The Deuce is the doubledeck bus that was such a hit on The Strip, it has expanded into residential areas. Plus, it’s got a tasty international feel. How can you look at it and not think Big Ben with a side of fish and chips?

ONE ACE CAN CHANGE THE GAME

And then there’s the ACE, debuting in 2009. The ACE rapid transit system will connect Las Vegas, Las Vegas Convention Center, The Strip, Henderson and North Las Vegas. It’s the latest and greatest in high-tech, fuel-efficient mass transit, designed to fuse train technology with the flexibility and cost effectiveness of a bus. Sleek, sexy and bullet-shaped, this high-speed transit system will get you there with a portion of the route operating on a dedicated transit lane. So the contact with general traffic will be limited, and stops will be less frequent. All of this works to get passengers longer distances, faster than the fixedroute system. Other amenities will include offboard fare collection, doors that open four-wide, platform-level embarking and disembarking, and onboard Internet access.

This national demonstration project will be all Vegas, baby. Historic neon signs will decorate the shelters on the downtown leg of the system. The original signs for the 5th Street Liquor Store and the Landmark have already been secured.

IT COULD HAVEN BEEN WORSE

As dedicated transit riders already know, the fare rates were increased last month. But why now? Why increase rates, when many people are already finding it hard to make ends meet? According to Allison, “It’s not something that we take lightly.

And it’s not something that we like to do, especially in this economic climate. But, the question we had to ask ourselves was ‘Do we want to raise fares slightly, or do we want to cut services?’ And because so many people depend on the system, we
thought cutting service would not be an option.”

Let’s be fair. The fuel and operating costs for every industry have increased over the last few months. Plus, the RTC hasn’t raised fare rates in ten years. That’s back when we partied like it was 1999, folks!

WAY WORTH A SECOND LOOK

Like most 15-year-olds, the Southern Nevada public transit system is striding confidently in the now, with an eye on a bold and innovative future. They truly want you to relax and enjoy, multitask and text, email and teleconference while leaving the driving to them. They’ve even placed Bus Concierges—bus-savvy students in bright, easily identifiable gear—on routes to help passengers better navigate the transit system.

So if you’re committed to going Green or you simply Can’t Afford Transportation, check out the new rides around town. The RTC of Southern Nevada is betting the ACE up their sleeve that you won’t be disappointed.