I’ve done one last thing before putting site work away for the weekend: I’ve changed the background graphic. If you don’t believe me, hit F5, and you’ll see. Originally, the background just featured elements from the Bellagio carpet, but it now features bits and pieces of at least a half-dozen. Can you guess any of […]
I’ve always been fascinated by carnivals, carnies, and con-artists. Two of my favorite books, the novel Nightmare Alley and Julian Prosauker’s Suckers All!, the story of honest John Kelly, are set in this milieu. So how does a more recent memoir of life on the carnival pitch fair? Let’s see.
Book review: Eyeing the Flash Read More »
book reviewsBack in 2004, my editor at Gotham gave me an advance copy of this to read on one of my trips to New York. I started reading it in the Port Authority bus terminal while waiting for the trusty NJ Transit 312 to take me back to Atlantic City, and didn’t put it down until
Book review: This Man’s Army Read More »
book reviewsIt looks like Star Trek: The Experience might be leaving the Las Vegas Hilton. From the LVRJ: The lease on the biggest nerd magnet since the International Consumer Electronics Show expires at the end of the year, and a spokesperson for owners Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. told the Web site TrekMovie.com “there are currently no
Trek beaming out of Vegas? Read More »
news about gamblingI originally reviewed this for the Pennsylvania Review of History. As you’ll see, it’s a provocative book that might make you rethink just how lucky you are.
Book review: Something for Nothing Read More »
book reviewsWhen I worked casino security, I used to enjoy seeing all sorts of strange items turn up in the lost and found. But I never got anyone arrested, like these folks did. From foxnews: A man has been charged in Kitsap County for possession of a controlled substance after he made the mistake of attempting
Lost & found & arrested Read More »
haphazard world, news about gamblingWith much, but not all of the site work done, I’m taking a bold leap back into the gaming news blogosphere today. I haven’t heard much about this possible bidder for the Columbia Sussex casino empire, but that might just be because I’ve spent more time poring over css style sheets than reading the news.
New bidder for Trop? Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingRe-reading after seven years, I’m struck by two things: I’m not entirely comfortable reviewing books that I don’t like, and the general quality of writing about Las Vegas has not much improved. Let me explain: as a writer, I absolutely hate saying negative things about other writers. I know how hard it is to find
Book review: Super Casino Read More »
book reviews, life in vegas, news about gamblingI originally reviewed this for the Nevada Historical Society Quarterly. Written three years before Positively Fifth Street, this book pioneered the literary take on the World Series of Poker genre.
Book review: The Hand I Played Read More »
book reviewsI read Elif Shafak’s The Flea Palace almost four years ago. I haven’t re-read it since, and don’t own a copy. But it’s still one of my favorite books, and I can still vividly recall much of the writing. Here’s what I had to say about it when I first reviewed it: I saw this
Book review: The Flea Palace Read More »
book reviewsMy reposting of reviews continues. This one is a real gem. If you don’t believe me, look at the cover: Click through to look at the big version of that if you don’t believe me, but yes, that is JFK and, yes, he does figure into the plot. Is he the BP on the count
Book review: The Blackjack Hijack Read More »
book reviewsJames Swain. Loaded Dice. New York: Ballantine Books, 2004. 310 pp, $22.95 (hardcover) When I started this site back in 2005, I posted many reviews as static pages. Now, instead of reformatting them all, I’m reposting them as posts. If you’re a longtime reader, enjoy the nostalgia, and if you’ve just found this site, it’s
Book review: Loaded Dice Read More »
book reviewsI’m still hustling through the site redesign. As you see, I’ve spiffed up the background a little. Can you guess where I got the inspiration for the new pattern? Without looking at a certain part of this site? Comment if you can. I’ve also converted the books section, so check that out, too.
If you don’t see something really different from the old look, bash the F5 key repeatedly. Or just click on the “browser refresh” icon. I haven’t tested the new look in Netscape, IE, or Safari, so if you are using one of those and see something totally goofy, drop me a line. It will be
And that’s a good thing! At least the Brookings Institution says so…and DC thinktanks are never wrong. From the LV Sun: Las Vegas’ success in becoming a nexus of entertainment and gambling is a model that American cities would do well to emulate in other businesses, a new Brookings Institution report concludes. The local “cluster”
Vegas is a total cluster Read More »
life in vegasThe headline sort of describes what I do, but this is about something else. From The Province: The B.C. government is hiring nine “responsible gambling information officers” to educate gamblers at casinos in Metro Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo. B.C. Lottery Corp. spokesman Paul Smith said the aim is to help gamblers play responsibly. He said
Talking about gambling for a living Read More »
gambling & cultureI’m quoting something–it might be Doctor Who or H2G2, where the bad guy kept saying “Seize them!” Or maybe that’s what bad guys in charge usually say. Anyway, this is just a lead-in to me posting on something I’ve written myself, in the Business Press: “Harrahrizing” the Palace wouldnt work. Instead, Harrahs execs chose to
Here’s a little unvarnished peek into the soul of Las Vegas: an answer to the question, “If you gave Las Vegans $600, how would they spend it?. Only the LVRJ is brave enough to ask the public directly. Here’s a few of my favorites: Vacation to California to help forget about the high gas and
How Vegans are spending their tax rebates Read More »
life in vegasDateline, the Target at Flamingo and Maryland. I had a genuine “what? what? WHAT?” experience. I was doing some necessary domestic shopping, and had a few items and a bag with some items that I needed to get (in other words, I didn’t think I’d be able to get the right thing without having a
Your cart doesn’t stay in Vegas Read More »
life in vegasHere’s a quick recap: I write about the history of gambling. Much gambling used to be illegal. Gaming is organized. Therefore, I write about organized crime. I’m always eager to find other forms of organized crime to compare gambling syndicates to. So imagine my delight when I learned that economist Peter Leeson has written a