Three years ago, NASA scientists sent the Genesis spacecraft on a mission to collect star dust. The capsule’s contents were too delicate to withstand a crash-landing, so NASA engineers designed a ingenious system for snagging it as it re-entered earth’s atmosphere. One problem–the parachute didn’t deploy, and the caspsule crashed into the Utah desert. Read […]
Must be some misunderstanding Read More »
haphazard worldHow do you punch up a bland story about bilateral air traffic agreements? Make a reference to Chinese take-out that, to me, seems to border on the politically incorrect. From the LVRJ: With an appetite for a different type of Chinese take-out service, the Clark County Commission will on Wednesday discuss a $360,000 consulting contract
Worst lead-in ever Read More »
haphazard worldHi there. I’m Dave, this is the Die is Cast weblog, and thanks for stopping by. Please add your comments as you see fit, and browse the rest of the site. People seem to love the casino carpet page. I’ve still got a few bugs to work out, so if you see something that looks
I think that was the name of an Archie Shepp album in the 1960s. Anyway, today I’m talking about Newport, Kentucky. Once a major stop on the national “flourishing illegal casinos and vice” circuit, the city has cleaned up its image. The city became a vice center in the 19th century, and remained so until
New thing at Newport Read More »
news about gamblingDid you ever wonder when people first got the notion of spending their summertime “down the shore?” Well, Charles Leadbeater has. According to him (in Britain at least), people only started going to the beach in the 18th century. From w w w . p r o s p e c t – m a
History of the beach Read More »
haphazard worldIn the Bible, lots were often used to make tough decisions. Joshua apportioned the land of Canaan to the Israelite tribes by lot, for example. In the Roman Empire, some official positions were filled by lot. There is something completely democratic about selecting someone for a job using nothing more than what anthropoligists call sortilege,
According to the Greymatter documentation, I can upload images directly to the blog. With blogger you could probably do this too, but I FTPed them manually. It looks like this works. Here’s the story behind the picture. Last week, I went out with some friends to a late night lounge event at Moorea Beach Club
Uploading an image…of what? Read More »
what's newWell, it looks like greymatter is installed. I’ve still got a lot of work to go in customizing it to my exacting specifications–well, making it look something like the rest of the site. “It’s a transitional thing right now…when it grows in, it’s going to look great.” While that’s apropos for the current state of
Getting there slowly Read More »
what's newStanley Ho enjoyed a monopoly on Macau casinos for over 40 years, but welcomed his first competitors (Las Vegas Sands International, owners of the Venetian Las Vegas, and Steve Wynn) this year. According to his daughter, Ho is hoping to rebrand his casinos and effectively compete with the newcomers. From China Daily: In an exclusive
Ho empire looks to the future Read More »
news about gamblingThe Nevada Gaming Control Board still hasn’t decided whether racy Hard Rock billboard ads are legitimate advertising, pornography, or inducements to cheat. There is now a trial (!) set for November. Commissioners had already rejected a $300,000 settlement of a three-count complaint, and now the adventure continues. From the LVRJ: Hard Rock Hotel President Kevin
Porn or advertising? Read More »
life in vegasIn an effort to cater to women, the Rio is building “The Ultimate Girls’ Night Out,” an entertainment complex geared towards women seeking a fun night out. From biz.yahoo.com: Billed as The Ultimate Girls’ Night Out� destination, the Rio’s new complex will be the first in Las Vegas to offer such a venue. The multi-faceted
Gambling has been around for thousands of years, and many religions have at least tolerated it in moderation. Still, many churches offer religious objections to gambling.A recent letter to the editor in the Jamaica Gleaner lays out a Christian pro-gambling argument: CHRISTIAN GREETINGS. It is with great trepidation that I write this letter, asking the question
Bible study (updated) Read More »
gambling & cultureChris Palmieri of BusinessWeek recently spoke to Harrah’s Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman about the impending Harrah’s/Caesars merger. Here are some excerpts: Q: What’s the rationale for this deal? A: We want to be the leading distributor of gaming. The way our company does that is to leverage distribution. Caesars gives us vastly improved distribution in
Loveman talks shop Read More »
gambling & cultureIn an otherwise unremarked-upon political outrage that I picked up from the Drudge Report, here’s this. Christie Vilsack, Iowa’s first lady, apparently has been quite critical of the ways that African Americans, residents of Eastern PA and New Jersey, West Virginians, and Southerners speak. She’s no political lightweight: her endorsement of John Kerry is credited
Don’t youse knock NJ Read More »
haphazard worldMore insightful journalism from USA Today, but this time I actually mean it. Dennis Cauchon has a pithy survey of the recent slot expansion: Slots increasingly are a rite of passage for state governments in search of a lucrative new source of tax revenue. State and local governments raised about $6 billion from taxing casino
USA plays slots today Read More »
gambling & cultureIf you were from the Maple Park, IL area, DJ’s Tavern West was the place to get some gambling done…until a May 28th bust, that is. From the Daily Herald: Court documents that detail the search of the tavern at 221 Main St. in Maple Park and the Yorkville home of its owner, David Weeks,
Inside an illegal gambling operation Read More »
news about gamblingUnless you watch WBAL in Baltimore, WCAU (NBC-10) in Philadelphia, or get the local Philly news on msn.com, you don’t know about the “mystery creature” that, for the past year, has been skulking around Maryland. Here’s a photo: This creature has been showing up in backyards in Maryland, and it has perplexed experts everywhere. It
Mystery creature solution to budget crisis? Read More »
haphazard worldAmid all the projections of revenue, one loses sight of the fact that slot machines make money because people choose to play them. Just who are those people? John Grogan of the Inquirer has an answer, in a column about one woman who likes to play: In an earlier, better time, Patricia McNally enjoyed horseback
Portrait of a slots player Read More »
gambling & culturePeople have always wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes at Las Vegas casino hotels, right? And if one show is a success, two is even better. Well, how about three? Caesars Palace has granted unprecedented access to A&E Network to create a new real-life series offering the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at Las
Diminishing returns? Read More »
gambling & cultureThere are certain things in life that appear to be contradictory but actually make sense. Fans know, for example, that professional wrestling is “fake,” i.e., the results of the match are booked in advance, yet they still watch, which is a tribute to the athleticism and story-telling of the “sports entertainers.” In some ways, this
A game called hope Read More »
gambling & culture