Mike Christen's beautiful Landmark chip was a reminder that to me that a new Howard Hughes book was out. http://www.thechipboard.com/cgi-bin/bbs521/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/692172 This chip that Mike shows was on the table when HH owned the Landmark. A really fascinating story in Robt. Maheu's book about the whole Landmark affair. Howard Hughes at his worst, best, smartest, and most addled.

Hard to overlook HH in the history of Vegas and the H.N.O. (Hughes Nevada Operations) chips are some of the hobby's most sought after. We were all spellbound at the Early Bird Banquet that Maheu keynoted and the club is indeed lucky to count that gentleman as a friend of ours. Another friend, Steve Fischer has no use for Hughes and conventional wisdom does paint the billionaire as everything from Las Vegas saviour to repellant kook. Hard to ignore Hughes impact on the history of Las Vegas and like all the folks that shaped the gaming industry in important ways, certainly worthy of Nevada chip collectors research. Tyrus Mulkey's scholarship on HH still resides at UNLV.

It was a review of this new Hughes book by UNLV Director of Gaming Studies David Schwartz PhD. that I'm directing you to tonight. Think I'll have that on my birthday list in another few weeks (along with all the Ann Coulter books ) Take a look at the piece from 2/14 and see if you might not want to add it to your reading for some background on a key figure in the history of Las Vegas. AND... don't for get that Schwartz is going to present one of the upcoming convention seminars this year. Just think what fun that will be to wake up in your spiffy Riviera room and hop the free-fall elevator to another great convention event!

Check the review here: http://www.dieiscast.com/2008/02/14/book-review-howard-hughes-power-paranoia-and-palace-intrigue/ BTW, Jane Russell is mentioned as being in the book...I'm on board w/that!