I’m fooling around with using ScribeFire to create posts, so this might not work. Hopefully it does, because I really think people should check out this neat feature at Vegas Tripping, a detailed rumination on the evolution of Las Vegas casino logos: But what is it that makes for a successful logo in Las Vegas?
VT takes on casino logos Read More »
news about gamblingHere’s a brand new review for a book that’s only been out a little more than a month! Am I on the ball, or what? And it’s not a random book that I’ve plucked from the shelves at Lied Library–it’s a poker book. And it’s a good one. Read on, and you’ll see what I
Book review: Ghosts at the Table Read More »
book reviewsIt’s hard to believe, but one of the oldest gambling con games is alive and well in the shadow of the Las Vegas Strip. I snapped some pictures of a shell game in action on Monday between the Tropicana and Hooters. Technically that’s not the Strip, but it’s in the Strip tourist corridor, so the
Casinos have been Atlantic City for thirty years, and there are still some people who remember Day One. From the AC Press:
Remembering Day One Read More »
atlantic cityMaybe someday I’ll write a children’s story with that title. It doesn’t have the fanciful longing of My Father’s Dragon, but maybe it’s appropriate for today’s lowered horizons. I just thought I’d fool around with WordPress’s photo uploading and provide some commentary on life in Vegas. You’ve really got to see this–a sociologist could spin
My neighbor’s beanbag Read More »
life in vegasLas Vegas entertainment is usually pretty predictable. You might see a comic, a singer, a revue show, a big production extravaganza, or a headline entertainer, which could mix any of these. But as the Las Vegas Sun reports, a new, seemingly anomalous presence is taking over Strip showrooms: psychics bent on exploiting grief. It seems
Psychics amid the slots Read More »
news about gamblingThis is another paperback I discovered in the catacombs of the UNLV Special Collections stacks. The tagline is what sold me: “The most beautiful girls in Las Vegas couldn’t stop Eddie from winning.” Also, Library Journal called it “a groovy novel.” So, I figured, it’s about a card-counting Greg Brady. This might make for an
Book review: The Fortune Machine Read More »
book reviewsI’ve got a more in-depth look at the Canadian responsible gaming monitors in the LVBP. Here’s a snippet: Recently, the British Columbia government announced plans to hire nine “responsible gambling information officers.” These new deputies of safe gaming will spend their working hours hanging out in casinos throughout the Canadian province, looking for “distressed gamblers”
Responsible gaming monitors redux Read More »
news about gamblingI’m back with a brand-new review of a nine year-old book. This is another example of a book jumping off the shelves of UNLV Libraries and into my hands based on little more than a hunch and a quick judge of the book’s cover. Figuring that any book that’s about magicians and features the erstwhile
Book review: The Spirit Cabinet Read More »
book reviewsI’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 reviews