OPERATION: BOONDOGGLE '01

HPS is a geographically diverse company, and it's not very often that all of the staff gather together in one place.  However, in late June of this year, that's exactly what happened.  From points spread over the United States, the people who make HPS happen assembled in Las Vegas, Nevada, to relax a little, work a little, and spend your money.  At last report, a good time was had by all. 

 Above: The HPS Crew poses for a group photo at Central Booking.  Mouse-over each person's image for the aliases we gave to the authorities.

Below: Ever the frugal Scotsman, Scott arranged for budget-conscious lodgings (left) for the staff of HPS while staying in the Greater Las Vegas Area, which extends several hundred miles into Death Valley.  The resort featured a luxurious fitness and recreation center on-site (right). 

Above:  The original meeting facilities provided by the hotel were free of the usual claustrophobic confines customary to such rooms, however the scorpions proved to be distracting and a detriment to good order...

...so the body adjourned to the somewhat more traditional environs of the Tropicana Hotel on "The Strip" in the city proper.  Below, we see Dr. Bob Barker (standing, white shirt) of the USAF Office of Scientific Research listening incredulously to a line of bull being slung by HPS designer John Tiller (seated, black shirt) to "new guy" Jim Lunsford.  Nick Bell (standing, green shirt), remains dazed from the Origins Con '96 in Philly.  Joe Amoral (2nd from right) has a hangover that would kill a horse; Scott obsesses over how much this is costing him.

Above: While Mr. Tiller demonstrates the final prototype for SB: Vietnam, Greg "Sturmer" Smith can't help but wonder if that's a human head inside John's bag.  John Kincaid, ever impassive, watches from across the table for the first sign of trouble.