From today's paper, here are some tips for use in Las Vegas. They might apply in other parts of the country.

1. Some hotel bars have, word has it, started serving half-shots in drinks, instead of full shots. Don't take this out on bartenders and servers. They work hard for the man. But before you buy, feel free to ask if they're serving a full shot or not.

2. Even though you can get a hotel room cheaper, post-stock market crash, many restaurants and hotel bars maintain exorbitant prices.

I went to a Strip lobby bar last weekend and paid for three cocktails on the level of gin and tonics. Ouch: $42 plus $4 tip. This wasn't in a nightclub or fancy restaurant. This was in a lobby bar. So go ahead, look like a cheapskate and ask first, "How much?"

3. Showrooms all over town are offering two-for-one tickets, including some Cirque du Soleil productions. This is for locals. Call and ask if your targeted show has two-for-ones for "locals." But here's the big "but." Ask if you'll have to show local ID at the door, because your out-of-state ID probably won't work.

I like the very last sentence because it is almost like an oxymoron: out of state local. But there are a lot of people who put off getting a new driver's license when they move to a new town.

Once in awhile Mr. Tbend runs into offers that are for out-of-towners only, but after it gets pointed out to him, they usually go ahead and let him have it, especially when he points out that my ID is from out of state.