Believe Me or Your Lying Eyes: An Entertaining History of Casinos, Corruption and Charities in America

Lou Illar

	Format	ISBN	Price
	Paperback (6x9)	9781438900841	$ 25.00

This work tags Presidential involvement with casinos from Reagan, to George W. Bush and candidates from Giuliani to Barack Obama. Believe Me or Your Lying Eyes is a rare piece of entertaining writing. Beginning with the suspense expected of a crime mystery, the introduction opens admitting the extensive assembly of research presented on the ethics of our casino culture was inspired by the writer's personal experience. There are no boundaries. Slowly and modestly the author’s personal story reveals a courageous testing of our scales of justice against wealth, gambling, money and presidential power.

This extraordinary and gripping writing process begins with the 1990 development of a script for what was to become a well known movie. The intended script is disrupted by the deceit of a mysterious, soul casino developer that spreads from our justice system into the very politic of our nation. With a swelling of empirical evidence to proffer a splendid case against gambling, and corruption this book enjoyably counterbalances that rhetorical effort with an abstract personal analysis, through narratives which paint an unfailing sense of charity and humor. It is here that we begin to understand the importance of an exemplified narrative of heroism, not the kind described in romantic fiction, but that which lives within us through a shared human proportion and integrity. Although this book suggests that our next generation may witness an 'unbridled’ casino rampage on our dollar and our human value that may weaken our very culture and way of life, this writing, without strain or falsity of tone, more importantly offers a useful function for humor and irony which in this exciting advocacy serves to hallow and encourage human self sacrifice. Believe Me or Your Lying Eyes bears an important message for all of us.

Lou Illar has written for all forms of media. His comedy writing and humorous production innovations have made both his television commericals and the movie Sidekicks great successes. Distinctly separate has been his academic interests which have proffered the writing of specialized cultural studies in conflict and ethics. Perhaps best exemplified in his first graduate thesis that developed a set of logical ethical standards for legislators as they appraise motions for special legislative investigations. Following a similar search for ethical standards, his first book, An Intellectual History of The Americanization of Chinese New Year in Louisiana, developed a clear understanding of America’s first vice investment, the sugar mills, and the ensuing struggle of Chinese as they organized to free themselves of sugar mill bondage and attempted Americanization. His creativity in production, business marketing and comedy scriptwriting led to the development of the successful film Sidekicks.

In Believe Me or Your Lying Eyes, Lou merges his intellectual facination with ethics and research with his sense of comedy as he successfully has throughout his myriad of other endeavors. His unique marketing skills and copyright expertise once positioned him in serving as a strategic marketing consultant for a major fortune 500 hundred company. Because of his past work with disabled children he was appointed to advise a federal committee to assist overweight children. As a professor he has through the years challenged students in several Universities with his colorful ethical discussions and as an accomplished martial artist served as a liaison for the Koushu Arts, classic arts, of Taiwan he has created for live audiences a thrilling and exciting form of Action Entertainment. All of these have shaped his writing and his future challenges as a writer. Currently, he is beginning work on the development of a Sidekicks II movie project.

Chapter 1

Is Your Casino Charitable?

"In America, you can go on the air and kid the politicians, and the politicians can go on the air and kid the people"… Groucho Marx

Watching This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Mike Huckabee, a minister contending for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination presented a confident and nearly presidential visage until George Stephanopoulos raised an unusual question. To my knowledge it may have been a question never asked of Rudy Giuliani or any other current Presidential candidate. Stephanopoulos asked if Mike Huckabee didn't cross his own moral lines when he held a fundraiser before the Iowa Caucus in a casino. Huckabee’s eyes darted back and forth, and his tone suddenly changed. It appeared that Mike’s 'Uh Oh' factoring just rolled craps. Obviously, Huckabee felt this question to be a bit nettlesome, or unfairly vexing. Although he quickly recovered his focus from his disorientation, Huckabee’s following responses seemed less like him but more consistent with a child confronted with the proverbial empty cookie jar. Huckabee, taking the position of a minimalist, quickly fabricated a “one cookie” response.

"You’re going too far.” He replied, “It was a small casino. The casino was closed for the day.” Finally, “That’s like saying if you are opposed to drinking you shouldn’t be in a room with a wet bar.” This Week with George Stephanopoulos Sunday morning January 6, 2008)

Hmmm! My guess is that there must have been a wet bar somewhere in Huckabee’s fundraiser! Stephanopoulos lost his smile which normally was served up for those who adroitly would spin from his questions, and looked a bit nonplussed. At this point, George could have been imagining Huckabee trying to slide any of those excuses past the venerable St. Peter at heaven’s pearly gates.

Stephanopoulos at one time had more lofty ambitions but for now seemed regulated to the rather devilish venue of out thinking those who profess to be following heaven’s directives. On the other hand, George could have been stunned by the sudden realization that Huckabee must have somehow missed Ronald Reagan’s Presidency where casinos ruled! Maybe George sensing Huckabee’s angst surrounding the “C” word deep sixed his next question which could have been, “While staying at a casino in the Cayman Islands, didn’t you schedule a national fundraising event in casinos across the United States.

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