from vegas@well.com Hello, everyone...I've been pretty absent lately, mostly because my cafe, the Enigma, has been so terribly busy. We're up to 14 employees now! We were honored to again win in the 1998 Best of Las Vegas Awards, this time for "Best Art Scene." Many of you have stopped by to visit when in Las Vegas, which is wonderful. You may be interested to know that we are about to celebrate our fifth anniversary, with ten days of art, music and spoken word events. I redesigned our web site http://radiant.org/enigma/ to bring it all up to date, and included an ongoing scrapbook of pictures of the Enigma and its people and things, if you want to get a better idea of what we look like. Some of you will remember that on our third birthday in 1996, a lot of WELLbeings sent postcards to help us celebrate our grand re-opening after renovations. While many of those cards are still around, many have been lost to time and careless coffee drinkers. If any of you are into it, we'd love to get a bunch of new cards from all over the world (in the scrapbook you can see some of the cards pasted to the front of the coffee counter...) People love seeing all the cards, and we love hearing from our far-flung friends. If you want to send postcards, our address is: Enigma Garden Cafe (or just "Enigma") 918 South Fourth Street Las Vegas, NV 89101 Thanks everyone...even when I am not online so much, you are my extended family who has helped keep me going all these years. Smooch!

I'll send you a card, Paul! And congratulations - sounds like you love every minute of it!

What shall we do with this topic, people? And what about photography? Any experts amongst us? Because if these two are not going to happen, I should kill it. I don't want any dead topics in this conference.

Perhaps we should take a look at the website and see if there's anything to spur a conversation, first.

Good idea - or just think of SOMETHING to discuss in there; it's such a neat name for a topic, I find. Would be a shame if nothing came of it.

Take a look at http://radiant.org/enigma/ Then comment.

Contacting Enigma Enigma is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week March through November (7 am to midnight in the winter.) Enigma Garden Cafe 918 South Fourth Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Julie Brewer & Lenadams Dorris, proprietors phone 702.386.0999 fax 702.877.0641 (offsite) email enigma@radiant.org Here's info on joining the Enigma List, our electronic newsletter of alternative arts and cultural events in southern Nevada.

It's great, Terry - but I don't quite know how to incorporate it into this conference. Should atomic blasts not go to Science? I was more thinking along the lines of devoting the topic to this caf�, while discussing something to do with art in here. Or we can use it as the 'couch' of Art. Instead of sitting around on the couch and being silly, we can sit here and be silly. I don't know - what do you all think? Let's have some more suggestions! And what about photography? I know ziltch about photography, so I don't quite know how to get the topic going, so either someone's going to have to help me out, or I'll kill the topic until someone interested enough creates it again, and brings it to life. I just don't see the point in having topics that attract no attention whatsoever, do you know what I mean?

Go deeper into their site, and maybe send off an innocent query to Lenaddams and ask what she plans for the art section. (still giving the topic cpr).

But there's nothing to click on.

Maybe we could offer to whip up an art section for her and link it to your art topic?

Sounds great!

I like the idea of using the Enigma Garden cafe as an art hangout. Decaf espresso, anyone?

Mocha for moi.

Just a large Coca-Cola for me, please. I'm so totally addicted at the moment, it's not even funny anymore.

You're a Coca Head?

i'd like a Dr Pepper, thanks!

Dr Pepper? Never heard of it. Terry, I guess it explains the thought bubbles.

It's a Southern thing, DP.

And what do Southern things taste like, huh?

Like prune juice.

hot and spicey!!

I get hot, spicy juice for free - all I have to do is stamp my foot, or ask nicely....

me, too!

Isn't Dr. Pepper cherry flavored? Remember his archrival, Mr. Pibb?

yup. now there's cherry coke. i drink all three but dp is my fave!

Cherry Coke is a weird concept to me.

maybe, but it is better than Wild Cherry Pepsi...

You're $hitting me, aren't you?? Wild Cherry Pepsi? NO WAY!!

Way.

THat's crazy!

Baby, we got designer drinks down here you ain't never seen the likes of!

Better make a list, 'cos I'm going to taste each and every one of them when I get there. Started your video.

"Started the video" ... woo woo!

Or booh booh! for that matter.

Keep it goin'... it will be so much fun to see.

Another weird concept...

I always enjoyed a good cream soda, myself.

A Big Red?

We have Cream Soda in Namibia, but it's green. I love it.

Nehi used to make a blue one, but usually they're red or the color of ginger ale... Ever had White Rook cream soday, Autumn?

?????

What are you puzzled about? Ever hear of Big Red?

UH-UH!! Nevva evva.

Ever hear of Squirt?

you are gonna have this gal in stitches (as if she hasn't had enough already)! but i've heard of squirt and that other one you mentioned.

Never heard of Big Red or White Rook--are they the premier cream sodas? Mystic Seaport makes a fantastic one, and IBC is good. Actually, the store brand is fine by me.

i like the mystic drinks and arizona iced tea (although i usually get kiwi- strawberry or something like that). hadn't heard of white rook, what is it? oh, you know what's good? that v-8 splash stuff. yummy....great way to get your vegees! ok, you all know rc cola, right? riette?

�laughing myself into a coma� SQUIRT?!?!?! Is this for real?? I can only imagine what the advert must look like: (FADE IN: corny Elvis ballad) "For years now my husband and I have been trying for a baby. We have tried the usual method, hormone treatment, artificial insemination, everything - but without success. Then someone told me about Squirt. Not only can you buy it in your local supermarket for a dollar, but it tastes JUST like the real thing - but with bubbles, of course. Now here I am, just look at me - seven months pregnant, and happier than I've ever been in my entire life. Every night I go down on my knees, and thank God for a dri k called Squirt." (FADE OUT: corny Elvis ballad)

Squirt needs to put you on their marketing payroll.

ha-ha!!! No, I don't want THAT on my conscience as well! They'd be sued from here to the moon by customers who didn't quite get what they bargained for!

White Rook makes the best cream soda I've ever had... Sioux City's is good, as is Stewart's... actually got a Squirt can in the box to send ya, Riette... it's almost full, so I'll start saving the postage...

For a second, I thought he meant the can of Squirt was almost full.

HA-HA!!!!! Wer, I don't know how to tell you this: I've thrown in the can, so to speak, with the mosa�c. It didn't work as I thought it would, and so I had to stop, as I was wasting time. I didn't tell you, because I thought/hoped you had forgotten anyway - and I was embarrassed. I'm really sorry for all that trouble.

no problem

thanks

Hot back to the topic flash. I read this by vegas today, for those of you who have wondered why she hasn't been around much. #821 of 821: This is the real (vegas) Mon Nov 9 '98 (11:02) 54 lines Hi. I can't believe it's been four months since I logged in! So, here's the scoop: 1)I am alive, although not *exactly* fine. I have been struggling with some moderately serious health issues, in particular a preliminary diagnosis of cancer. Don't freak out...I'm doing the things I supposed to be doing, although I've been a bit hampered by a lack of insurance. I'll let you know if anything dramatic develops, but for right now I am stable, well-drugged and continued the discovery process. The drugs are handling the pain I've been experiencing quite well, and as an extra-added bonus I've lost fifty pounds! (when you're as big as I am, 50 pounds is a drop in the bucket!) 2) I am now doing Enigma alone. My partner Julie has gone on to other projects, and I took over the whole company. This, of course, reduces my fre time even more. Enigma is doing pretty well, although the weird weather this year has hurt us (as I write this it's 48 degrees, sunny and the wind is blowing thirty miles and hour. Not a good thing for an outdoor cafe.) 3) I am finally renovating the house...floors, ceilings, windows, bathroom, yard, etc. Again, a lot of time being eaten. The way I'm being able to do this is that I have a faince who is buying into the house by funding the renovations. A fiance?.... 4) Yes, I am getting married to a fine woman by the name of Mildred Leah Echevaria Ben-David. She was my high-school sweetheart, who I asked to marry me when I was 16. She finally said yes. In the intervening years she was living in Israel and giving birth to two of my three beautiful goddaughters. That was before she came out as a dyke, of course. The irony that a dyke and a fag who were childhood sweethearts are getting married at 39 years old is not lost on us. But we are in fact in love with each other, and make a good pair. We will be having a simple civil ceremony and then host a reception at the Enigma, probably in the first week of December. We are currently waiting for the divorce papers from her husband (they never bothered to get divorced.) He's coming to Vegas this weekend to see his daughter and attend a convention, and is supposed to bring the papers with him. We'll see. My illness is annoying, but it is made a lot more bearable by Millie's presence in my life. OK, that's all for now. If you questions or comments, email me, because I don't know when I'll be back online again. I'll try to make it sooner, next time, though. Thanks for thinking of me... Len A finger request reveals: bash$ finger vegas@well.com Login: vegas Name: Lenadams William Dorris Directory: /home/v/e/vegas Shell: /usr/bin/csh Last login Mon Nov 9 10:47 (PDT) on pts/141 from vegasppp081.netn Plan: I co-host the Cooking, Desert and bl.ind conferences on the Well. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, where I'm the co-owner of a coffeehouse/cafe gallery/performance space called ENIGMA. I do commentary daily for the local NPR affiliate, and I am the food critic for Las Vegas City Life. My preferred email address is lenadams@radiant.org, and my personal home page is at http://radiant.org/people/lenadams/ My phone number at home is 702.876.8723; at work it is 702.386.0999.

That's really sweet - I hope you'll be very, very happy together; and I'm glad that you don't have to be ill alone. All our love and best wishes, Len!

What a unique story. I've heard of love from many different angles, but never like this before.

Love is what makes the world go round!

Nope, love is not what makes the world go around. love is what makes the ride worthwile.

OOH! You're just so full of it!! Too hot! Too cool?!?! Well, you know what I mean!

Thank You, Riette. I appreciate that, and you are too... you know.

So, we're both....you know....that THING? Wow!

Small world...Isn't it, Riette?

X-Sender: radiant.org/enigma-list@eagle.he.net Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 13:51:53 -0800 To: Enigma List Members mailto://enigma-list@radiant.org Subject: ENIGMA LIST: Ruthless Self Promotion ENIGMALIST*ENIGMALIST*ENIGMALIST*ENIGMALIST*ENIGMALIST*ENIGMALIST from Lenadams Dorris mailto://lenadams@radiant.org OK, everybody...I know it's tacky to so ruthlessly self-promote (and to use a mass mailing to do it, as well!) but I thought you might get a kick out of the following websites: http://www.playboy.com/prowl/profiles/ (an interview with me on Playboy Online about the weirdness that is Vegas, conducted by none other than Jim and Michael Monk; the Playboy site is volatile, so I don't know how long the interview will be up. If you miss it, I have a mirror on my homepage at http://radiant.org/people/lenadams/playboyindex.html I'm particularly fond of the picture on the site, showing as it does the new, svelter me...) -and- http://lasvegasweekly.com/features/vegasverse.html (online version of an article by Geoff Carter in Las Vegas Weekly, profiling me and fellow fellow Dayvid Figler; includes a rather distinctive caricature...) Don't worry, I'm not taking myself too seriously...but it's kind of a hoot to see pieces of oneself through the eyes of others... Once again, thanks to all of you for supporting me, and supporting arts and culture in Southern Nevada... Len

whatever! we know what happened to the fab market babe...

ha-ha!!! As long as we don't fall for Len's sexy qualities as pathetically as did the men for the fab market babe, we'll be fine! That was soooooo funny!

I think that I'm in the clear on that one. I don't follow that particular trail Look again, I said trail, not tail.

ha-ha! Pity you weren't here then. This girl came on, advertising estate or something, but promising the guys a few other kicks on top. And they all fell for her like toy soldiers, heck, twenty suggestive responses to her advert in one day, I'd say. Of course it turned out the fab market babe was merely using the spring in a clever way for free advertising - she NEVER returned, and all the guys were heartbroken for weeks!

Cute! Was she found out, or did she just post and leave?

Believe me Len is not in the fab babe hit and run category. I reposted her things and she's got quite a story, as you can tell from above. She's anything but crassly commercial like our beloved wham-bam-thank-you-m'am babe.

No, absolutely! After all this is her topic! I just thought it might amuse Tim to learn the funny fab market babe facts. Anyway, Tim, so the fab market babe just never came back - which more or less opened our jelly men's eyes. So I suggested they kill the bitch, and her topic was frozen. BRRRR!

She was a drive by fart, the babe (not len who we love).

Ha-HA!!!!! Poor gullible souls!